Chapter 16 – The Con of Rath
Our fearless five found themselves not face to face with a mad man, but rather enjoying food and drink with their old friend, Rath.
“Baldric believes the worst of people, so it was easy to fool him into thinking I was mad with greed and self importance.”
After catching Rath up on their travels and knowledge regarding Baldric, the dauntless learn that Rath was behind the split between Mephisto and Baldric.
“We discovered that the Mantella can only be used by a mortal. Mephisto has the Mantella, but only Baldric could use it.….”
“How did you figure that out?” Tessel asks.
“Marci found it! He’s still here, if you’d like to say hello.”
Rath leads the five down a level and into a locked room. Inside books are strewn haphazardly across the floor and a grungy looking old man sits in the corner.
“Hello Marcilinus.” Ardwyn says. “What can you tell us about the Mantella?”
“You!” the man says, recognition dawning on his face, “Why should I tell you anything! You’re the reason I’m stuck here!”
“I’m pretty sure, you’re the reason you’re stuck here,” Tessel quips. “We love what you’ve done with the place by the way.”
“Yes, well I have little choice. He’s keeps me locked in here. Can you believe this treatment! I am a man of great knowledge and learning…..”
“That’s what Rath was telling us,” Ardwyn interjects, “and we would could use help from a knowledgeable man such as yourself.”
Marcilinus, straightens a bit at this, his weakness for recognition and worship getting the best of him. “Yes, well I would know more if I had a complete text..”
Ardwyn starts to pull an ancient text from her satchel.
“…it takes a man of great knowledge and intense scholarship to learn from these texts.. . . . that’s, where’d you get that, I thought I had the only one..”
“We found this in the Treasury,” she explains.
“Let me have it,” Marci is quick to his feet, “I’ll… I’ll make a trade, one of my books for yours.”
“They’re technically not yours,” Rath interjects.
“What about this one?” Adamir asks, holding a small text titled Tusk Love.
“That’s not mine!”
“Ooo! I’ll take that one.” Tessel grabs the book from Adamir and starts reading aloud. “He looked at her lips closely…”
“Stop stop! Look you can have any book, just let me see your copy.” Marcilinus visibly licks his lips while staring intently at the text in Ardwyn’s hands.
“Ok,” says Adrwyn, trying to also seem knowledgeable, she grabs the thickest book on the shelf, “How about this one?
Marcilinus laughs, “yes yes, just give me the text.”
Ardwyn is deflated to see it is merely a dictionary, but hands over the text anyway.
“You wouldn’t happen to have a book on bardic magic?” She asks Rath.
“Oh, of course!” he says and hands her a small text on beginning bardic magic, “this should get you started. If you like it I can give you others.”
After discussing bardic magic for a bit, everyone turns their attention back to Marcilinus, who is rapidly flipping through the pages.
“It says here, that it is dangerous for a mortal to go near the Mantella…..there are methods of protection, a teleportation chamber or amulets…..To be too near equals certain death…
At this Ralnur takes a sharp breath in. “The sleeping sickness, does it say how to cure it?”
“….no, well yes, sort of…..the Mantella devours souls, it’s pure evil, but those who created it knew they would be able to undo the damage with the power they would unlock…”
“It must be you!” a voice whispers in Ralnur’s head. No one else has heard the voice though.
“.. the sickness is all over,” Tessel has turned to Rath not just near the Mantella, “Did you lose anyone to it Rath?”
Rath looks down and nods solemnly,
“Baldric has moved to more direct methods.. The refuges, the word is that they are being shipped to an island off the southern coast, but there is no island there that we know of. We believe he is feeding them directly to the Mantella.”
~~~~ This is as far as I got guys, the rest will unfortunately be delivered via outline and quote~~~~
The group discusses their plans with Rath, trying to determine the best course of action. Rath offers his services, he is not eager to remain at the silver tower where his enemies know how to find him. After much discussion, Rath plans to head to Balenor to support the Duchess and add his magical expertise to inevitable battle.
The Dauntless are torn between heading into Balenor as promised, heading north where the Mantella and Mephisto are most likely hiding, and seeking magical aide form the wood elves. Ralnur is set on heading north, motivated by the need to cure his mother and seek revenge on those that harmed her. Adamir spits at the idea of going into the Elfwood, Valra is likewise uninclined (“I don’t need to meet any more elves, you guys are great!”). Tessel is concerned with keeping her promise to the duchess. They compromise with a plan to head first for the elf wood to try to enlist the aide of the Wood Elves and then into Balenor to support the Duchess. After the political fight is won, and they have a sizable contingency of allies, they plan to head north.
“Race you down the stairs!” Ardwyn yells at Ralnur, in an attempt to distract him from worry. She throws the tagger dagger down the stairs and apparates to it a second later. Ralnur tears off after her, unable to resist a physical challenge, and the two are neck and neck down all 12 floors and out the front door. Having no further target, Ardwyn falls in a heap on the grass as Ralnur continues to dash.
On the road to the elf wood the group sees locals heading to cinder to join the army, and peace keepers heading north. A storm passes overnight, but otherwise their travel is fairly uneventful to the edge of the Elfwood. Adamir, who has been leading the pack through the grasslands, promptly trips over an exposed root. “I hate the forest.” he mutters under his breath.
The forest does seem to spring up suddenly and the tress are thicker and larger than other trees they have encountered. Valra tries to burn a path through the trees, and Ralnur tries to chop a path. Tessel then points out that we can just walk around them.
Ardwyn, pulls out her Mouthbeast and asks a local bird for directions. To the group it sounds like she is chirping, which distracts Ralnur. (“Aunty you’re crazy!”)
The bird, who cannot understand Ralnur, puffs up it’s chest and seems to yell at Ralnur in bird. Ardwyn, calms it down with food and indicates that the bird said they were heading in the right direction. Adamir rolls his eyes and continues into the woods, everyone following.
Not to much further they meet another Wood Elf, Gwen, who is leader of one of the clans:
Tessel makes political overtures
Valra accuses the Elf of not caring
Gwen, noticing Valra for the first time asks, are you a druid?!?! (the Elfwood was once visited by a druid with great strength and courage. This druid left a mark on the elves and in particular the elf leader.
Tessel convinces Gwen that the dauntless’s mission is in the interest of the elves. Gwen tries to warn them that the current leader is not interested in anything put isolationism and Elven promotion. The dauntless ask her to take them to him regardless.
AS the group enters the elven city they find themselves walking into the canopy. All receive dirty looks, but Tessel, Ralnur, and specifically Adamir receive the dirtiest.
They are shown into a room with The elf leader, who is introduced as Adamir Brightwing. (Valra’s eyes go wide at this and she stares alternately at Adamir the dauntless, and Adamir Brightwing the Elf King).
Tessel and Ardwyn try to appeal to the elf King for alliance or aide, but he steadfastly declines.
“We have already driven Baldric from our lands, what need have we to enter into the affairs of men.”
Tessel and Ardwyn try to warn him of Mephisto’s nature, but to no avail. Without a trace of empathy he simply wishes them luck. Ardwyn, not the worlds foremost diplomat, and harboring her own ego, looses patience with his stubborn narrow mindedness. “I see we have no further business here.” and walks out.
Tessel follows her, mostly to make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. Ralnur, who never wanted to come to Elfwood in the first place, fights to hold in his frustration. Valra, watches unsure if she should follow her Paladin mentor, or follow her gut, which says stay. Adamir, who until this point stayed in the doorway, finally enters the room.
“Hello Father of Jotris Brightwing.” He says
Brightwing's eyes widen for only a moment. He turns, seeing Adamir for the first time, “Where did you hear that name?”
“At birth.”
The room is silent for a second before Brightwing asks, “How did you survive?”
“Wow! You two look similar!” Valra blurts out, still jumping from face.
“My Grandson….I believe I owe you an apology. You must know I never intended….”
Brightwing tries to tell Adamir that the death of his mother was an accident, the omission of his father louder than any words. When Adamir does not respond, Brightwing moves to social custom.
“ I’m speaking to you as an elder, your Grandfather. My blood does run in your veins..”
“Half..” Adamir reminds him.
Noticing Ralnur Brightwing changes tack “Is he your half brother too?”
“Yes for all it means to you.” Adamir replies. Ralnur stands a bit taller at this, which is already a formidable height.
“What is up with you?” Brightwing ask Ralnur
“I was chosen by the crow,” Ralnur says jutting his chin out a bit and straightening his shoulders.
“I can see you have much anger Why did you come here? To challenge me? You can if you chose.” Brightwing says, a cruel smile playing at his lips.
“No don’t do it!” Ardwyn shouts as she and Tessel burst through the door they were clearly listening through only a moment before.
“I’ll fight on his behalf,” Ralnur says.
Sensing the tension, Gwen tries to step in and diffuse the situation with reason, reiterating that fighting Baldric is a good idea and has her support, but her logic falls on deaf ears.
As Adamir accepts the offer and the dauntless find themselves heading to the Greenheart, where they must stay a full day and night, without harming any animals and cannot bring any weapons.
Chapter 17 – We Should’ve Gone North
After leaving a pile of weapons with Gwen, the dauntless find themselves entering the Greenheart. They get no farther than a few paces when they are confronted by an obviously hungry bear.
Without weapons the crew defaults to intimidation in other ways.
Tessel lifts Ralnur onto her shoulders and Ralnur attempts to scare him away by yelling, but the bear doesn’t buy it.
Ardwyn jumps onto Adamir’s shoulders attempting to mimic but she too is unsuccessful.
Valra, the only one who typically fights with magic instead of brute force, sends out the scent of deer which successfully lures the bear away.
The five turn in the other direction, only to come upon an injured fawn. Adamir starts to heal the fawn only to be confronted by a charging parent intent on protecting it’s offspring. Everyone except Adamir escapes up a tree. Adamir is first gored by the stag, and then smacked with Tessel’s hand, followed by her body, which slingshotted out of the tree after her hand. Surprisingly this heals him.
The crew make their way deeper into the heart, coming upon a clear lifeless lake.
They start to make camp when a single magpie lands near Ralnur.
“Hello” Ralnur says
“Caw” says the magpie
“CAW!” Ralnur responds grinning.
The bird is clear looking for food, and encroaching on everyone’s personal space until Ardwyn feeds it.
Flying away with it’s treasure, Ardwyn smiles at solving the problem, only to hear a 10 distinct caws behind her. It’s the same magpie with 9 friends.
The crew does it’s best to ignore the magpies, but loose some scraps to their digging beaks. After a couple hours the magpies leave and Adamir starts a fire. The five hunker down, unsure what the night holds in store for them.
