D&D: The City of Shaldra~Zin

[Grimsvald]

Talion agreed to Dorric's plan. He couldn't help but smile about this little fortune they suddenly had dropped into their laps. He was already day dreaming about what he would buy for his forge. He had heard of stronger steel from the northern mountains and magical wood from the south lands. With these materials he would make a weapon 10 times greater than Hemmingdal of Shaldra~Zin forge. The sound of people chanting his name and begging for to order armor was ringing in his ears.


The fighter set himself up on his side of the room. He had lived in Bexeley for so long and never knew the Paladins in the temple had it so good. He stripped his bed of pillows and blankets. Honestly he wasn't used to such fine amenities and they would do him more harm than good. A bare bed and thin sheet would do him best at night. Especially in this uneasy steel walled palace.

 

[Yesman]

Jaks hid his annoyance as he and the others were escorted to the dining room. He wanted to know more about this teleportation ring and how he could get his hands on one. As his last betrayal had been at the hands of an undead female, he was immediately on edge when the female lich entered the room with her wraiths, even more so when she started handing out the emeralds. He would not take it, preferring to let Jameak or Kelter receive it for their group. He did, however, cast a quick glance over the lich.

 

[Grimsvald]

Jaks could perceive the litch princess much more easily in this personal interaction. She moved and acted like a mature woman. Yet she was clearly in the beautiful delicate body of a young human girl. Her ears are pointed like an elves, but scars tell a tale. These ears were cut and sown back together to look like elf ears. Although they are long since healed, the faded scares are visible. Her dress is rather revealing and sensual. It is awkward to see it on a child's body so no one can bare to stare at her long.


Her gentle words sound genuine. Her gift is suspiciously kind, but somehow believable. Her wraiths read as blank, completely natural beings. They act on orders alone. Complete servants, nearly machine like.


An hour passes and the dinner call never rings. An hour and 20 minutes, still no call. Then a horrible scream echoes down the long circular hallway connecting rooms. A crowd begins to gather around Guisays room. Some people in the crowd weep, some rage and others are left in complete astonishment. Guisays is dead. His corpse sits in the door way of his room, on its knees and burnt to a black crisp. Steam is still rising up from his body.

 

[Yesman]

Jaks whispered to Kelter and Jameak to ask if they could determine if the cause of death was magical before pushing pass the crowd and into the room. Jaks himself tried to apply his experience as a criminal to search the room for clues.

 

[Grimsvald]

Kelter sniffs at the air and Jameak grabs a bit of charred skin as he floats by him. Kelter grunts, "No doubt in my mind that this man was killed by magic. I smell no gas or oils in the air to cause him to burn so thoroughly." Jameak examines the black skin in his hand. His keen mind and eye give more insight than anyone would have hoped. "Not only was he killed by magic...It was radiant magic that did this."

 

[Naxtaroth]

The scream immediately put Dorric on alert and he jumped up, grabbing his bow and quiver, armor still on from when he arrived. He motioned to Adrora and the two made their way into the hallway. Upon finding the big crowd around the burned body, he immediately went into scouting mode. He waded through the crowd, attempting to figure out if there was anyone not present, however, the crowd was thick and he hadn't been paying much attention to everyone in the entrance hall when he arrived. Deeming Plan A a failure, he began searching either side of the crowd for any possible tracks, but yet again the crowd was too thick and had trampled over any possible leads he might find. He then turned on Plan C, crouching down beside Adrora and whispering to her. "See if you can smell anything other than what the crowd and corpse smells like. Possibly get a direction." Adrora put her nose to the air, sniffing for any trails that may have been left behind.

 

[Grimsvald]

Adrora picks up more than just a smell in the air. Her ears twitch. She quickly stalks her way through the crowd and down the hall. Once she is clear of all the other people she breaks off into a run. She clearly has her mark set on something thats on the run.


When Dorric finally catches up to Adrora she has something cornered. A small creature cowering in a corner clenching onto a large book. It is the imp creature that always floated at Guisays's side. The creature's skin is charred black and one of its eyes is melted closed. The book in the imps hands is burnt as well. Some pages are unreadably damaged. The creatures coughs and whimpers, "It killed my master....The warping green spider. It was so shinny, beautiful and painful"


--------------Within the Room-----------------


When Jaks enters the room he finds a horrifying visage beyond the chard man. Blackened lines are scorched around the room, still smoking with heat. Parts of the steel wall are red hot. Guisays's office desk is cut in half by something that has left its wooden edges kindling. Burnt papers are flung all over the room.


When the rogue turns back towards the door he looks at Guisays from a new angle. It looks as if the man was locked inside with his attacker. He must have been pounding on his door. There are blue streaks reaching out in every direction behind him. These marks were left when the man kicked across the ground for leverage against the door, but his feet were literally melting onto the ground.


Then something rather particular hits Jaks mind. That big green gem that he refused to take from the litch princess. Surely Guisays would have received one as well, but there wasn't one in the room. Was Guisays killed for greed? Do they plan on killing everyone for their emeralds? If was this gem some how the cause of all the destruction. Either way, it was missing.

 

[Yesman]

Jaks moved to the cleric and paladin to exchange information with them. Notifying them of the missing jewel and requesting that they take a look over their own gem stone, Jaks made his way to the provider of the jewels.


"Excuse me if this seems rather off topic but I believe that the jewel you have given all of us may have something to do with this man's death. Do you think you can tell me more of the jewels?"

 

[Naxtaroth]

Dorric called Adrora off, the panther slinking back behind Dorric as he took her place. Kneeling, he slowly reached out his hand to the little imp. "What was that little guy? Warping green spider? What do you mean?" His tone was soft and one he would use if he ever found a baby animal stranded without its mother. He made sure not to come any closer to the imp, his fully outstretched arm even a good two feet from it, palm up. "Would you want to help me avenge your master? I've got some..." He about choked on this next word, almost saying "friends." After half a second of hesitation, he shook his head and repeated himself, describing his recent alliance a bit more appropriately. "I have some aquaintances that may be able to help us. If you'd want I can take you to them." With this he flicked his eyes to his shoulder and back to the imp, repeating this a couple times to see if the imp would understand, throwing in a little hint at the end. "I'm sure you're a bit weak from this spider attack, so if you want to relax and just go along for the ride, you can." He let out a soft smile. He may not be the most comfortable when communicating with people, but small creatures and wild beasts, he could handle.

 

[Grimsvald]

When Jaks approached the lich princess, he could see that she was upset by Guisays death. The rogue's words snapped her out of her daze. "What, my jewels?" She looked to Jaks with confusing. It was like this death had whipped her memory of giving the gems out.


"Oh. The emeralds?" She recalled. "Why would you be asking about my emeralds at a time like this? Uhhh..." She shook her head and winced as if trying to recall their origin was painful. "It's not unusual to come across gems like this in my land. I believe my wraiths found these emeralds in a cave off the coast? No wait...it was a cave in the north west base of Myr mountain."


A wraith slithered up to her and whispered into her ears. She nodded and pushed it away. "What does this have to do with anything?" She stepped away from the chatting crowed and waved Jaks to follow her down the hallway.


--------------------------------------


The Imp hobbles over to Dorric and concentrates very hard. Suddenly he disappears. Dorric feels an uncomfortable weight hanging off his shoulder. The imp was kicking and struggling to pull himself up the side of Dorric's shoulder armor. "I am scared to see the green spiders again, but I will do it for my master."


Once the imp got adjusted he began to tell his tale. "My master and I sat in his office. We were going over the list of guests from today. Making a seating chart for the dinning hall. Thats when the spider came at us. It was bigger than me. So shinny! I could almost see right through it sometimes. It could portal around the room even faster than I could. But this was not the dangerous part. Oh no..."


"The door closed from the outside and locked. The light of Pelor in out windows grew stronger! The right from our magical windows became so powerful it scorched the steel floor, my legs and my master arm. We managed to dodge this light, but it was heating up the room so quickly we could feel out bodies cooking. My master struggled to get out. That is when the spider attacked again."


"The spider jumped through the magic light. The light refracted through the green spiders body shooting beams in every direction. We could not dodge this. We could not run." He cries. "Master was cooked in this spinning lights. He was killed by the magic of Pelor, who he devoted his life to! Why was god so cruel!" He sniffles. "When he died the spider opened the door. I ran away from that room and away from the spider."

 

[Naxtaroth]

Dorric nodded, beginning to slowly make his way back to the hall where everyone was gathered. He pondered over what this could be. He'd encountered a few spiders in his time hunting, but never a green spider like the imp had described. As he walked, he focused on the area around him, using his primeval awareness to see if he could sense any beasts other than Adrora within 6 miles of here. He didn't figure a warping spider would fit that quota, but he had now way of knowing for sure. Better for him to try and fail than not try at all. He told Adrora to keep a watchful eye and ear out for anything suspicious before looking for those he had met in the alley. Lucky for him, the man who seemed to be allied with the those he fought with was walking down the hall, the Lich Princess keeping pace beside him. Dorric waved to the man, forgetting his name entirely, and then once he was within a few feet spoke. "Hey, I've got some info. I found that blue man's little friend, the imp. He's with me, but he decided to remain hidden. He says a warping green spider appeared in their room and then..." He relayed to them all of the info the imp had given him. "The poor little guy is singed to hell, one eye melted closed, but he'll be fine now hopefully." He then awaited the man and Lich's responses, keeping a side eye on Adrora for any sudden shifts in her behavior.


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[Yesman]

Jaks moved to follow the lich girl down the hall. "The emerald you handed out," he began. "I believed you gave one to each group that had gathered here, correct? Even the dead man received one, if I am not mistaken." Jaks took breath before continuing his train of thought. "I noticed that in the man's room, there was no emerald. I was wondering if it was possible that the man was killed for the jewel."

 

[Grimsvald]

Just as the two groups came together, there was a scream for help. It was coming from 2 doors back the way Jaks had came. In fact, it was Jaks' room. It was then that he remembered telling Kelter and Jameak to investigate their gem.


Fists pound on the other side of a large locked door. The paladin and the cleric scream for help. Radian damage was starting to cook them. Heat can be seen distorting the air around the door itself.


There is a lock mechanism beside the door, but it seems to be a mixture of gears, pressure pins and arcana.


As soon as Dorric and Jaks' attention is drawn away by the screams, The lich princess runs away at full speed. Her child like feet carry her quickly towards the large common room they had gathered in before. Adrora is the only one to notice the princesses hasty retreat. The pet quickly warns Dorric.

 

[Naxtaroth]

Dorric, always being one for a chase quickly spoke a few short words to Jaks after he noticed Adrora's warning. "You try to get that door open, the Princess is running, we'll go get her. " With that, Dorric and Adrora turned and sprinted in the direction of the Lich Princess. The two did their best to keep up, Dorric quietly apologizing to the imp for a possibly bumpy ride.

 

[Grimsvald]

Dorric and his pet quickly gained on the princess. After all they were a grown man and a beast where she was a child in heels. They were running down a narrow hallways that connected the bigger round hallway to the main room. Just as they emerged from this narrow hallways into the big room, they were ambushed by the princess's wraiths.


Cloth covered claws wracked across the opening just as Dorric and Adrora came through it. Without a thought they dodged this attack. It was like running through the forrest and barely missing a falling branch. This just came naturally to them.


Once into the open room they could see the princess standing between them and the center of the room. She was attempting to catch her breath. Suddenly she threw her hands up at them and they felt a tremendous force hit them.

 

[Yesman]

Jaks didn't have time to respond to Dorric before he began to panic as well. He rammed his shoulder into the steel door again and again, feeling it grow warmer with every hit but still not budging an inch. He stepped back and forced himself to breath. The locks, he thought, focus on the locks.


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[Grimsvald]

When the princess's arms fly up at Dorric he and his pet are thrown back down the hallway. They both tumble across the ground and slide to a halt. (3 damage)


When Jak takes the time to examine the lock he dissects it with an expert hand. He is able to slip past churning gears and push the key pins into place, one by one. Just as the final pin slides into place and the door begins to unlock, an arcane component activates. This was not part of the mechanism. This was something fighting back against Jaks'. Each of the push pins were forced out of position and the arcane energy ejected Jaks' tools.


This lock was difficult, but not impossible. If he could hold the push pins in their correct position long enough for the door to open, there would be nothing the arcane force could do to close the door again. Unfortunately, time wasn't on Jaks' side. Kelter and Jameak scream from inside. (4 radiant damage)

 

[Yesman]

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Jaks nearly screamed as the locked pushed his tools out. He quickly grabbed the tools and jammed them back into the lock. "Hold on!"


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[Grimsvald]

At first Jaks' panicking fingers fumbled with the tools. When he finally gets his nerves under control he managed to let his skills get to work. Past the gears, set the push pins, fighting the arcane energy. He can feel the magical force pushing back against his tools. The tiny metal tools slip in his sweaty fingers, but he manages to adjust and push back.


The door begins to clink and creak. Unseen gears move into place like a bank vault. It looks as though the door is opening and Jaks is keeping the arcane energy at bay. Then, suddenly, his tool breaks off in the lock. The door goes quiet.


Kelter and Jameak scream in pain again (10 radiant damage) Then there is a silence. The tool broken off inside the lock must have held the pins in place. The metal door swings open and the two men tumbled out. Kelter reaches out to Jameak and grabs his arm bracer. The paladin's skin sears onto the cleric's arm guard while he drags him out of the room. Once they exceed 15ft from the door way Kelter falls over beside his passed out companion.


The two men lay as a single steaming heap. Their armor and skin are charred red and black. Their hair is burned away and their scalps are left raw. The smokey smell of them pours out into the hallway. The crowd by Gausays room rushes towards this room now.


Kelter looked to Jaks and the burnt flesh on his face twisted. It might have been a smile? "Don't worry. We're going to be ok...Thanks to you." Yellow energy began to flow off of the Paladin's hands as he healed Jameak.


The air around Jameak's head became blurry. It was similar to the heat coming off the door. Then blood shot out of the clerics face. Jameak flailed around on the ground as something killed him. Flesh tore away and bone was broken. Just as the man's lower mandible was ripped off and discarded, the bloody image of an emerald phase spider came into view.


It was a bulky looking green creature with legs sharper than rapiers. It clearly resembled 2 things. The large emerald given to each group and a 1 foot tall spider. Jaks fears were correct. The gems were the enemy and that meant the enemy was everywhere.

 

[Yesman]

Jaks stood stunned. He tried letting out yell as his friend's body dropped to the ground but his own voice got caught in his throat. For a moment, the world went quiet to Jaks, his attention solely on the cleric.


"no, no, nO, NO, NO!" he screamed in anger. "NO, DAMN IT, NO!" He looked up at the emerald spider as warmth filled one of his hands while the other drew his rapier. "DAMN YOU!"


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[Grimsvald]

Jaks spell missed. Not at fault of his aim or skill, but the beast's unpredictable abilities. The green spider disappeared. His fire bolt scorched a long across the steel floor just beyond Jameak's corpse. Then the spider reappeared 10 feet away, just beyond the mark left by his spell. The creature quickly scurried down the narrow hallway towards Dorric and the princess. Its little legs clicking on the metal ground.

 

[Yesman]

Jaks bolted after the green creature, hot on its trail. "Somebody get a healer for these two, dammit!" he yelled over his shoulder to the crowd.

 

[Grimsvald]

As Jaks runs away the crowd stands around Kelter, stunned. His words snap the crowd back to reality. A few paladin's drop down to a knee and heal anything they can. As Jaks rushed after the green spider he saw Dorric down the hall in front of him. Just as he closed the gap on the creature, it teleported again.

 

[Naxtaroth]

Dorric stands, letting out a sound of anger as he takes out his bow and knocks an arrow, slowing his breathing and closing his eyes, letting the thump of his blood pumping soothe him into calmness. He opens his eyes, the lich princess just ahead, his hand releasing the bowstring to let the arrow fly.

 

[Grimsvald]

The arrow flashed through the air and stuck into the princess with a *Shunk* The impact was so hard her body spun and she fell to the ground. She cried out on impact and weeped softly after. It is hard to look past the imagery and see the reality beneath.


Dorric's determined eyes set on a little girl who he had shot through the arm. A little girl that weeped as if she had just skinned her knees playing in the street. But he is able to remind himself of the reality. She is a murderous lich who has surely lived more than a life time.


4 wraiths rush in around her. They kneel and hunch over her from all directions. Their long black cloaks lay over her covering most of her form. The wraiths hiss and turn to stand guard for her.