Post by redcoat on Mar 27, 2022 13:12:55 GMT -5
Username: Ancelas
In which Valor's Company investigates the mysterious forces working through them in their search of a way to defeat Ruin.
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Username: Opiii
A page from the journal of Alastair Fields.
Well our next day went well. Most everyone cooled off as we got ready for another round of flight. During morning meal, I prepared some of my experiments. I managed to fashion together an unstable facsimile of an Alchemy jug, a formula I've been puzzling away on since second year. To my excitement it worked! The honey it produced wasn't even poisoned. It can't last, not the way the magic is inscribed into it, but it'll be a good source of honey. Or beer, if Jaeger needs a couple gallons, I reckon.
After a long flight, we touched down on Skyhammer. The place is incredible- entire neighborhoods held together by chains, floating on massive aetherstones. We were brought to the palace of the Forgefire royal family, and brought to the king.
Konane thought it prudent to transform back into a human, getting the attention of one of the honor guards. He asked us if we had any other tricks that we might want to be honest about, so I dismissed my own glamour, thinking I'd rather be honest than beheaded. This didn't seem to please king Auran… Hopefully first impressions don't weigh too heavily.
What am I thinking? He's a dwarf. Of course it will. I can't expect him to change his mind any time soon. Best to stay quiet and speak when spoken to, less I figure out some way to impress him down the line.
We were informed that the town was attacked by Drow three days ago, and the second sage, Ta'ro -a Drow himself- left with the invaders. His sister was apparently taken in for questioning. I'm not sure what to believe. I don't know Ta'ro, but the other Sages trust him as an expert on Ruin. I'm hoping there's a reasonable explanation somewhere. Ta'Ro's sister might know more, but getting information out of her sounds… difficult. Taliesin and Jaeger went to interrogate her while the rest of us went to the temple district and later to an Inn Janica would set up for us.
At the temple, Konane was freed from her blue hue. I spoke with a faith keeper of Moradin and got some answers… but I ended up more questions, too. I don't relish going to a place called the Undermountain. It sounds horrible, and there's followers of Ruin down there. But now there's more reasons to go than not. I'm going to spend the rest of the evening working and researching. If hitting the books doesn't arm us with knowledge, then good old fashion Iron will do the job.
I'll be heading to the Aetherforge, hopefully I can get a few hours in working on both.
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Username: Taliesin
More Musings of Taliesin Korvallis
I was pleasantly surprised to have my plan work so well. I figured that we needed a way to prove that we were trustworthy and it certainly helped to validate that we were making the right decisions in whom to trust.
Of course, this meant that we now had to traverse into the depths. The shield that I got isn't too heavy to use, then again, I haven't had much use for it yet. Psychic attacks from under-dwellers sort of get around the added defense.
Speaking of, I don't know how well Sae will do down here. We are not only facing her greatest fear, but we are also on a journey deeper. I'm doing all I can to try and usher us through this maze of a tomb as quick as possible.
But Vera - now that is the unknown. She apparently isn't a follower of Ruin, but speaks of the fight between Hectapol and the Adonai as if Hectapol were the victim. Well … not the victim, but perhaps a force not as guilty as we were led to believe. She's an ally right now, but I don't see how Hectapol is in any way better. Her forces have washed across the continent and fully taken two cities. All of the points of communication and fast travel to move against her were taken down. Some of this tactic is almost like the Allurani fighting to hold their lands.
I want to hear more of what she has read and learned simply to ready myself for any attempts to woo me or the others to Hectapol's side. Perhaps we will find out more directly from her, perhaps we will hear it from her sage brother. Perhaps we will wait.
In any matter, this cold stone holds no love for me. The sooner we are out the sooner we are back on a path to completing the task we were set. Perhaps we will exit the mountain somewhere near Dainholt. That's a silly thought, it would be days to get there and going through Illyia to get back to the White Tower would be at least a few days longer still.
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Username: Opiii
A tangent written in the margins of Alastair's journal
The more we travel down here, the more I think that Klinkle and I have found our element. Considering we're miles below the ground, skulking through a maddening maze of tunnels and modular buildings, far far from the light of the sun, this… worries me. I used to be so nervous picking locks, holding my breath and trying not to shake or sweat for fear of being heard- Like breaking into my own home, or my own lock boxes, was some inherently evil act. Now… I think I revel in it. Hearing the tumblers go click derives a kind of perverse satisfaction that I'm absolutely certain isn't normal.
I wonder if Klinkle feels the same way about her explosives. That bird is a force to be reckoned with. After learning about what she did to her master, I'm… kind of wondering how I missed the signs. I guess we all find catharsis our own ways, but oof… I'm glad she's on our side.
Notes. There's a type of ooze out there that's huge, jelly like, and cuboid, and terrifying. I'm going to check with a cryptozoologist first chance I get and see what's known about them. I managed to snag some samples of goo after we splattered a few. Nasty things, they got the jump on Sae, Jaeger, and Konane at times during our trek, doing a number on them with their acidic bodies. Fortunately everyone is okay, but I think it might be best to heal up after the number of pitfalls.
And boy, were there pitfalls.
After traveling and searching for a lead- Konane has a very good nose it seems- we found our way toward… creatures. Not drow, Duergar. We'd thought we got the jump on them, sneaking up to maybe sneak past, but one of them got the jump on Jaeger. Apparently they can turn invisible. And huge.
I had countermeasures.
Subdued, one of them surrendered. I think we're going to interrogate them. Hopefully Ve'ra can get some information out of them.
Maybe if we have a second to rest, I can get some information out of her… There's some inconsistencies in the Drow history that I'm curious about now.
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Username: Opiii
A page near the end of Alastair's Journal.
I don't think I really know my traveling companions. I thought I was starting to get it, but every time I start to get comfortable, I find that there are more skeletons and murdered masters hidden within deeper closets. Zealotry… That's a good word to describe Taliesin's methods. I thought him a brilliant tactician, a man with a mind for religion and duty. Now the outburst against Konane makes sense- he's a zealot. He'll do what his faith directs. I'm not one to judge what people believe in, least of all not after what I've seen, but to kill a person while they're helpless doesn't sit well with me.
Although I see the logic in tying loose ends, I think I'll be giving Tali a wide breadth until we're out of here. I've got bigger issues to worry about now. I discovered something. An obelisk of stone that's carved in perfect geometric shapes. I heard a voice as I studied it, a voice no one else did. It warned me about a path ahead, that if I followed it, madness awaited. Something about that stone is tied to a great lie. I don't know if I should have gone near it at all. I don't think I should even think about it. Yet, now that I have heard it, I can't get it out of my mind. What is this lie? What is that voice? I need to know. Maybe I'll find answers deeper into this city.
We attempted some manner of civility after finding a place to rest. Konane did some kind of card reading, Klinkle… reminded us all that she's as capable of healing people as she is hurting people. Ve'Ra spoke about her own story, her people, and where she came from. Interesting, that one. I hope we've endeared ourselves to her so she doesn't just leave when we're done helping here. I want to know more. The differences in the histories, from perspective to perspective, is fascinating. I think if I understand their side of the story, the whole truth might reveal itself. Maybe that's what Fenderberrin was doing down here, sating his own curiosity.
We found a secret door at one point, which lead us to the place where duergar and drow alike were resting. They ambushed us. Sae got poisoned pretty badly, but otherwise we did pretty well. I think we also stumbled across the stairs leading to the deeper levels. One step closer to Ta'Ro. One step closer to the Forge.
Note: Some odd happenings occurring with my armaments.The moon touched blade seems to have a mind of its own- when I attack, it seems to drag me along for a second swing. I accidentally ran a Drow through with it. And another. I was a little hopped up on adrenaline, but even then, I don't think I intended to land such mortal blows.
I hope I didn't mean to. Perhaps madness was a guarantee with or without that obelisk. Hereditary, maybe.
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Username: Taliesin
Solitary short rest thoughts of Taliesin Korvallis
We talked about this before we came down here. And yet, I am on the outside edge of the group. He was a warrior that not 2 minutes before was trying to kill us. The Duergar on the whole are aligned with Ruin. They were warrior and we hadn't taken them prisoner.
Survival of the fittest. Nature does not pity. It is an unrelenting battle to stay alive. I made it very clear that the path we are on would require us to be comfortable with killing those that were with Ruin. That Duergar was not going to tell Ve'ra anything and he clearly expected overlanders of the Adonai to be all talk with nothing to show. He changed his view and spilled information to Ve'ra once he saw that he was wrong.
The others can keep the high ground morally. I do still have my limits, but the more my childhood comes back to haunt me. We are fighting to keep our homes free of this enemy and the longer we go on the more we are outnumbered. Whatever we do we are the ones with everything to lose.
Ruin started by hitting major cities and took the roads of trade in the north. Then her agents strategically destroyed all of the points of fast travel held by her enemy. Then she worked to cut off the lines of communication to hamper our ability to muster counter-attacks and defenses. Now they have stolen the one person who knows the most about their historic tactics that had also been seeking an answer to gaining the upper hand against them.
This is war. I know its pangs and violent chords. I will not sit idly by to keep to morals that my enemy does not share. It's kill or be killed and Silvanus has instructed me to stay alive by any means necessary in order to deliver on unification of his children.
Does hearing that a Forsaken may be ahead with Ta'ro give me pause, yes. But at the same time, I feel that they are trying to get into the AllHammer's forge to take another tool away from us. We must draw a line here, this is where we start taking back what is ours and show to Ruin that she has chosen the wrong time to return.
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Username: Opiii
A moment's analysys
Up until now everything had seemed on the level. Levers and switches lead to hidden compartments and doors, rooms and walls swapped places as part of some great arcane machine. Even the ghost we ran into, though peculiar, was something I'd kind of expect, in retrospect. We came here to find a scholar who understood Hectapol, prepared to track and fight Drow and Duergar. And we did the later.
We made our way down into a lower level of the First City, found tracks and took chances- the Drow are using special code to mark their paths, but doing so vaguely to shake Ve'Ra. We were lucky, or maybe just skilled enough, to find our way further through this labyrinth into what appeared to be something of an arcane laboratory.
There's a lot of junk I could use here. Copper tubes and coils, beakers and flasks, but we don't have time to linger. The elves caught the sound of muffled conversation, and after Sae got a visual we prepared a plan to get the jump on a group of Duergar. After a fight- a long and troublesome one thanks to their invisibility- we took a prisoner to interrogate. He said the way forward was guarded by a former Drow who became some kind of demon. The path ahead was trapped with conductive tiles, and the door leading to appeared to be electrified. I thought perhaps we could disable it.
After Konane used magic to open the door, we all discovered that disabling the trap would not be possible. That Duergar wasn't embellishing anything when he called that arcanist a demon. that thing is a Flame Skull, and it most certainly means business. I don't forsee us convincing it to let us go… It's shooting lightning every which way, and the monster it's got at its beck and call is shambling toward us much faster than I'd like.
Crab baskets. I should have prepared a spell for this! And dispelling magic- that's a spell I haven't thought my way through yet. Think, Alli, think…
The door! That's it- the door! That'll buy us a minute or two!
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Username: Ancelas
From the Journal of Sae Cairel:
I am… so tired.
Today I have been shot and stabbed. I have been electrocuted and poisoned. I have even been thrown - but I don’t mind that so much. Jaeger was definitely trying to save my sorry ass, and I appreciate it. I wonder if he would throw me when I wasn’t critically injured? It would make it easier to climb stone giants.
When did my life start going so…. Wrong? There was a good moment there. A shining, happy one. Sitting around the campfire with Alain, with the party, with Tali. Just being. Konane cooking - she really is an amazing cook.
When did things get so bad for us? We were friends - I was friends with these people.
The blunderbuss is a short, large caliber weapon with a flared muzzle. It can be used with shot, or in a pinch even rock salt or gravel if you pack it tight enough. It was the first gun, and it was named Dragon.
Would Kaladin be proud of who I am now? At odds with everyone I am friends with? Was friends with? Am friends with?
All you can control is yourself. He said that. Even Talos-Kaladin had said that.
I remember the first moment that my view of Tali broke. He pinned me to a tree by my throat. I never noticed that we were talking about his pact with Sylvanus when it happened… at least, not until now. He wasn’t my Tali anymore. He’s this strange creature that wears Tali’s face and speaks in his voice. The one who’s corrupted view of Sylvanus is made crueler with time.
Like me. I’ve gotten crueler with time.
Black powder is made of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, but Alistair would call it potassium nitrate. It was invented in Otori.
Konane. I have royally fucked that relationship. I don’t know how to fix it. Alistair says to tell her when she’s angered me, but I can do so loudly or I can do so calmly, and either way she ends up crying and then everyone lectures me. I can’t deal with people hating me.
I used to fight people that hated me. Call them on the field of honor. With my second by my side. With Tali by my side. I told Alistair that I would not like the answer if I asked him to choose between his god and me. Konane interrupted that to tell me that Taliesin was willing to abandon us for his god.
Does she think I don’t already know that?
Adding graphite to the mixture protects the powder from atmospheric moisture, but it should not exceed 10% volume by weight of your final mixture.
I am not a leader. My soul bucks at the title. My friends wanted me to be one, so I became one, and then they didn’t like what I became so they asked me to step down. Every bit of Mareki training tells me they should have had to issue a formal challenge for something like that, but….
Why fight to hold onto something I don’t want? Alistair is in charge now. I think he’ll do a good job. I honestly think that he will do an amazing job.
Kaladin and Talos both said to be myself. But I don’t know who the fuck that is.
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Username: Opiii
Reflections from the beleaguered mind of Alastair Fields.
Lately the fights have been easier than group interrelations. And that's saying a lot, because the last scuffle wasn't easy.
After taking out the shambling beast and the flaming demon skull creature, we made haste to get away from that copper plated death trap and back onto the trail of the Drow. Ve'Ra kept our captive close, who attempted to lie several times which way to go. Jaeger also ended up getting himself blessed by The Raven Queen after he righted one of her statues down here. Following Konane's nose, we found our way to a narrow tunnel. Jaeger, Taliesin, and Jennar moved ahead to get a better look, and found the Drow scouting party giving some kind of report. After some clever message management with Klinkle, Ve'Ra informed us that they were talking about a drow priestess named Briza. We decided to rest, so I popped that rope trick I've been working on.
We had a blow out a little while after we started resting. I think Taliesin's being pulled in three different directions, and Sae's got the weight of the world piled on her shoulders. After harsh words, and more harsh words, I left the rope fort to clear my head.
Speaking with Ve'Ra, I learned some things. The Underkin are an awful sort, a product of an awful place, and Duergar are pretty dumb. Apparently they need a Child of Moradin to open the door to the Forge. As I learned about this, I puzzled over the mystery Fenderberrin left me with. And it feels like the answer might be right in front of me. With that in mind, I thought about what could be done to help Taliesin and Sae…
The obvious decision, the hardest decision, was to take Sae out of her position as leader. The responsibility, coupled with the weight of this dark place, and the weirdness Tali's experiencing, is a recipe for volatile failure. At the very least I could offer to take the burden of leadership off her shoulders… It's not my wheelhouse, but it's fitting, given the current circumstances. At least in this place. I think once we're done I'll hand that title off like a hot potato to Jaeger. He knows people better- I'm just good with the puzzles down here.
Things seemed to brighten up after I asked her to step down. People are talking, we're all planning. Even the Elves seem like they're mending bridges. I hope they work it out. I hope Tali's… Not the guy Sae worries he might be. Maybe I should share Fenderberrin's riddle with him. He's a bright guy, after all.
Well old man, if you're out there watching and grading my performance, I hope you're at least entertained. I think I've figured out an answer for you.. Let's just hope I don't have to turn it in just yet.
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Username: Opiii
What do you suppose a construct thinks about?
At first the question caught me off guard. I had thought the old man had misspoken, like saying left when you meant right. I looked into his beady, bespectacled eyes with confusion.
To move with autonomy and produce actions from such vague instructions, surely they think. They're ready for orders so surely they listen. What do you think goes on in there?
I hadn't considered it. For all my studies into Dwarven golem construction, Gnomish toymaking, runic and the weave that allows for such things, I hadn't toyed with the idea that a construct could think for itself. The question awakened something inside of me. I approached construction from a different angle while constantly pontificating and even debating with the old gnome over the topic.
Maybe their many quirks merely emulate the mannerisms of other creatures, a set of behaviors that their maker approves of. Or perhaps those quirks and mannerisms are a part of their makers- fragments of the soul that made them, aspects and imprints. Leftovers. It's really hard to say without being one yourself, isn't it.
I don't know the answer. I didn't know then and I don't know now. Fenderberrin considered constructs to be living beings- a different kind of life, certainly, but life none the less. I believe the same. Whether it's Rusty or Hermes… Or a warforged.
We resolved to get to Moradin's Forge without resting. A necessary risk, they've been there for days. We ran into a drow encampment, but managed to take them down without too much incident. It didn't take us long to get to the massive room with pillars, etchings, and a large camp of Duergar and Drow.
I could tell this was the place the moment I saw the corpses. Warforged… Originals. Ancient beings, now dead and scattered on the ground like scrap and loose tools.
They didn't just kill them. They took their heartstones. Their quirks, their thoughts, their feelings, their souls. Gone. They didn't have to do that.
I like to believe that there's room for civility, even in conflict. That even when I'm forced to fight, I should focus on disarming and diffusing the situation. That brutality and savagery is a choice.
I'm not feeling very civil right now.
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In which Valor's Company investigates the mysterious forces working through them in their search of a way to defeat Ruin.
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Username: Opiii
A page from the journal of Alastair Fields.
Well our next day went well. Most everyone cooled off as we got ready for another round of flight. During morning meal, I prepared some of my experiments. I managed to fashion together an unstable facsimile of an Alchemy jug, a formula I've been puzzling away on since second year. To my excitement it worked! The honey it produced wasn't even poisoned. It can't last, not the way the magic is inscribed into it, but it'll be a good source of honey. Or beer, if Jaeger needs a couple gallons, I reckon.
After a long flight, we touched down on Skyhammer. The place is incredible- entire neighborhoods held together by chains, floating on massive aetherstones. We were brought to the palace of the Forgefire royal family, and brought to the king.
Konane thought it prudent to transform back into a human, getting the attention of one of the honor guards. He asked us if we had any other tricks that we might want to be honest about, so I dismissed my own glamour, thinking I'd rather be honest than beheaded. This didn't seem to please king Auran… Hopefully first impressions don't weigh too heavily.
What am I thinking? He's a dwarf. Of course it will. I can't expect him to change his mind any time soon. Best to stay quiet and speak when spoken to, less I figure out some way to impress him down the line.
We were informed that the town was attacked by Drow three days ago, and the second sage, Ta'ro -a Drow himself- left with the invaders. His sister was apparently taken in for questioning. I'm not sure what to believe. I don't know Ta'ro, but the other Sages trust him as an expert on Ruin. I'm hoping there's a reasonable explanation somewhere. Ta'Ro's sister might know more, but getting information out of her sounds… difficult. Taliesin and Jaeger went to interrogate her while the rest of us went to the temple district and later to an Inn Janica would set up for us.
At the temple, Konane was freed from her blue hue. I spoke with a faith keeper of Moradin and got some answers… but I ended up more questions, too. I don't relish going to a place called the Undermountain. It sounds horrible, and there's followers of Ruin down there. But now there's more reasons to go than not. I'm going to spend the rest of the evening working and researching. If hitting the books doesn't arm us with knowledge, then good old fashion Iron will do the job.
I'll be heading to the Aetherforge, hopefully I can get a few hours in working on both.
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Username: Taliesin
More Musings of Taliesin Korvallis
I was pleasantly surprised to have my plan work so well. I figured that we needed a way to prove that we were trustworthy and it certainly helped to validate that we were making the right decisions in whom to trust.
Of course, this meant that we now had to traverse into the depths. The shield that I got isn't too heavy to use, then again, I haven't had much use for it yet. Psychic attacks from under-dwellers sort of get around the added defense.
Speaking of, I don't know how well Sae will do down here. We are not only facing her greatest fear, but we are also on a journey deeper. I'm doing all I can to try and usher us through this maze of a tomb as quick as possible.
But Vera - now that is the unknown. She apparently isn't a follower of Ruin, but speaks of the fight between Hectapol and the Adonai as if Hectapol were the victim. Well … not the victim, but perhaps a force not as guilty as we were led to believe. She's an ally right now, but I don't see how Hectapol is in any way better. Her forces have washed across the continent and fully taken two cities. All of the points of communication and fast travel to move against her were taken down. Some of this tactic is almost like the Allurani fighting to hold their lands.
I want to hear more of what she has read and learned simply to ready myself for any attempts to woo me or the others to Hectapol's side. Perhaps we will find out more directly from her, perhaps we will hear it from her sage brother. Perhaps we will wait.
In any matter, this cold stone holds no love for me. The sooner we are out the sooner we are back on a path to completing the task we were set. Perhaps we will exit the mountain somewhere near Dainholt. That's a silly thought, it would be days to get there and going through Illyia to get back to the White Tower would be at least a few days longer still.
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Username: Opiii
A tangent written in the margins of Alastair's journal
The more we travel down here, the more I think that Klinkle and I have found our element. Considering we're miles below the ground, skulking through a maddening maze of tunnels and modular buildings, far far from the light of the sun, this… worries me. I used to be so nervous picking locks, holding my breath and trying not to shake or sweat for fear of being heard- Like breaking into my own home, or my own lock boxes, was some inherently evil act. Now… I think I revel in it. Hearing the tumblers go click derives a kind of perverse satisfaction that I'm absolutely certain isn't normal.
I wonder if Klinkle feels the same way about her explosives. That bird is a force to be reckoned with. After learning about what she did to her master, I'm… kind of wondering how I missed the signs. I guess we all find catharsis our own ways, but oof… I'm glad she's on our side.
Notes. There's a type of ooze out there that's huge, jelly like, and cuboid, and terrifying. I'm going to check with a cryptozoologist first chance I get and see what's known about them. I managed to snag some samples of goo after we splattered a few. Nasty things, they got the jump on Sae, Jaeger, and Konane at times during our trek, doing a number on them with their acidic bodies. Fortunately everyone is okay, but I think it might be best to heal up after the number of pitfalls.
And boy, were there pitfalls.
After traveling and searching for a lead- Konane has a very good nose it seems- we found our way toward… creatures. Not drow, Duergar. We'd thought we got the jump on them, sneaking up to maybe sneak past, but one of them got the jump on Jaeger. Apparently they can turn invisible. And huge.
I had countermeasures.
Subdued, one of them surrendered. I think we're going to interrogate them. Hopefully Ve'ra can get some information out of them.
Maybe if we have a second to rest, I can get some information out of her… There's some inconsistencies in the Drow history that I'm curious about now.
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Username: Opiii
A page near the end of Alastair's Journal.
I don't think I really know my traveling companions. I thought I was starting to get it, but every time I start to get comfortable, I find that there are more skeletons and murdered masters hidden within deeper closets. Zealotry… That's a good word to describe Taliesin's methods. I thought him a brilliant tactician, a man with a mind for religion and duty. Now the outburst against Konane makes sense- he's a zealot. He'll do what his faith directs. I'm not one to judge what people believe in, least of all not after what I've seen, but to kill a person while they're helpless doesn't sit well with me.
Although I see the logic in tying loose ends, I think I'll be giving Tali a wide breadth until we're out of here. I've got bigger issues to worry about now. I discovered something. An obelisk of stone that's carved in perfect geometric shapes. I heard a voice as I studied it, a voice no one else did. It warned me about a path ahead, that if I followed it, madness awaited. Something about that stone is tied to a great lie. I don't know if I should have gone near it at all. I don't think I should even think about it. Yet, now that I have heard it, I can't get it out of my mind. What is this lie? What is that voice? I need to know. Maybe I'll find answers deeper into this city.
We attempted some manner of civility after finding a place to rest. Konane did some kind of card reading, Klinkle… reminded us all that she's as capable of healing people as she is hurting people. Ve'Ra spoke about her own story, her people, and where she came from. Interesting, that one. I hope we've endeared ourselves to her so she doesn't just leave when we're done helping here. I want to know more. The differences in the histories, from perspective to perspective, is fascinating. I think if I understand their side of the story, the whole truth might reveal itself. Maybe that's what Fenderberrin was doing down here, sating his own curiosity.
We found a secret door at one point, which lead us to the place where duergar and drow alike were resting. They ambushed us. Sae got poisoned pretty badly, but otherwise we did pretty well. I think we also stumbled across the stairs leading to the deeper levels. One step closer to Ta'Ro. One step closer to the Forge.
Note: Some odd happenings occurring with my armaments.The moon touched blade seems to have a mind of its own- when I attack, it seems to drag me along for a second swing. I accidentally ran a Drow through with it. And another. I was a little hopped up on adrenaline, but even then, I don't think I intended to land such mortal blows.
I hope I didn't mean to. Perhaps madness was a guarantee with or without that obelisk. Hereditary, maybe.
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Username: Taliesin
Solitary short rest thoughts of Taliesin Korvallis
We talked about this before we came down here. And yet, I am on the outside edge of the group. He was a warrior that not 2 minutes before was trying to kill us. The Duergar on the whole are aligned with Ruin. They were warrior and we hadn't taken them prisoner.
Survival of the fittest. Nature does not pity. It is an unrelenting battle to stay alive. I made it very clear that the path we are on would require us to be comfortable with killing those that were with Ruin. That Duergar was not going to tell Ve'ra anything and he clearly expected overlanders of the Adonai to be all talk with nothing to show. He changed his view and spilled information to Ve'ra once he saw that he was wrong.
The others can keep the high ground morally. I do still have my limits, but the more my childhood comes back to haunt me. We are fighting to keep our homes free of this enemy and the longer we go on the more we are outnumbered. Whatever we do we are the ones with everything to lose.
Ruin started by hitting major cities and took the roads of trade in the north. Then her agents strategically destroyed all of the points of fast travel held by her enemy. Then she worked to cut off the lines of communication to hamper our ability to muster counter-attacks and defenses. Now they have stolen the one person who knows the most about their historic tactics that had also been seeking an answer to gaining the upper hand against them.
This is war. I know its pangs and violent chords. I will not sit idly by to keep to morals that my enemy does not share. It's kill or be killed and Silvanus has instructed me to stay alive by any means necessary in order to deliver on unification of his children.
Does hearing that a Forsaken may be ahead with Ta'ro give me pause, yes. But at the same time, I feel that they are trying to get into the AllHammer's forge to take another tool away from us. We must draw a line here, this is where we start taking back what is ours and show to Ruin that she has chosen the wrong time to return.
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Username: Opiii
A moment's analysys
Up until now everything had seemed on the level. Levers and switches lead to hidden compartments and doors, rooms and walls swapped places as part of some great arcane machine. Even the ghost we ran into, though peculiar, was something I'd kind of expect, in retrospect. We came here to find a scholar who understood Hectapol, prepared to track and fight Drow and Duergar. And we did the later.
We made our way down into a lower level of the First City, found tracks and took chances- the Drow are using special code to mark their paths, but doing so vaguely to shake Ve'Ra. We were lucky, or maybe just skilled enough, to find our way further through this labyrinth into what appeared to be something of an arcane laboratory.
There's a lot of junk I could use here. Copper tubes and coils, beakers and flasks, but we don't have time to linger. The elves caught the sound of muffled conversation, and after Sae got a visual we prepared a plan to get the jump on a group of Duergar. After a fight- a long and troublesome one thanks to their invisibility- we took a prisoner to interrogate. He said the way forward was guarded by a former Drow who became some kind of demon. The path ahead was trapped with conductive tiles, and the door leading to appeared to be electrified. I thought perhaps we could disable it.
After Konane used magic to open the door, we all discovered that disabling the trap would not be possible. That Duergar wasn't embellishing anything when he called that arcanist a demon. that thing is a Flame Skull, and it most certainly means business. I don't forsee us convincing it to let us go… It's shooting lightning every which way, and the monster it's got at its beck and call is shambling toward us much faster than I'd like.
Crab baskets. I should have prepared a spell for this! And dispelling magic- that's a spell I haven't thought my way through yet. Think, Alli, think…
The door! That's it- the door! That'll buy us a minute or two!
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Username: Ancelas
From the Journal of Sae Cairel:
I am… so tired.
Today I have been shot and stabbed. I have been electrocuted and poisoned. I have even been thrown - but I don’t mind that so much. Jaeger was definitely trying to save my sorry ass, and I appreciate it. I wonder if he would throw me when I wasn’t critically injured? It would make it easier to climb stone giants.
When did my life start going so…. Wrong? There was a good moment there. A shining, happy one. Sitting around the campfire with Alain, with the party, with Tali. Just being. Konane cooking - she really is an amazing cook.
When did things get so bad for us? We were friends - I was friends with these people.
The blunderbuss is a short, large caliber weapon with a flared muzzle. It can be used with shot, or in a pinch even rock salt or gravel if you pack it tight enough. It was the first gun, and it was named Dragon.
Would Kaladin be proud of who I am now? At odds with everyone I am friends with? Was friends with? Am friends with?
All you can control is yourself. He said that. Even Talos-Kaladin had said that.
I remember the first moment that my view of Tali broke. He pinned me to a tree by my throat. I never noticed that we were talking about his pact with Sylvanus when it happened… at least, not until now. He wasn’t my Tali anymore. He’s this strange creature that wears Tali’s face and speaks in his voice. The one who’s corrupted view of Sylvanus is made crueler with time.
Like me. I’ve gotten crueler with time.
Black powder is made of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, but Alistair would call it potassium nitrate. It was invented in Otori.
Konane. I have royally fucked that relationship. I don’t know how to fix it. Alistair says to tell her when she’s angered me, but I can do so loudly or I can do so calmly, and either way she ends up crying and then everyone lectures me. I can’t deal with people hating me.
I used to fight people that hated me. Call them on the field of honor. With my second by my side. With Tali by my side. I told Alistair that I would not like the answer if I asked him to choose between his god and me. Konane interrupted that to tell me that Taliesin was willing to abandon us for his god.
Does she think I don’t already know that?
Adding graphite to the mixture protects the powder from atmospheric moisture, but it should not exceed 10% volume by weight of your final mixture.
I am not a leader. My soul bucks at the title. My friends wanted me to be one, so I became one, and then they didn’t like what I became so they asked me to step down. Every bit of Mareki training tells me they should have had to issue a formal challenge for something like that, but….
Why fight to hold onto something I don’t want? Alistair is in charge now. I think he’ll do a good job. I honestly think that he will do an amazing job.
Kaladin and Talos both said to be myself. But I don’t know who the fuck that is.
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Username: Opiii
Reflections from the beleaguered mind of Alastair Fields.
Lately the fights have been easier than group interrelations. And that's saying a lot, because the last scuffle wasn't easy.
After taking out the shambling beast and the flaming demon skull creature, we made haste to get away from that copper plated death trap and back onto the trail of the Drow. Ve'Ra kept our captive close, who attempted to lie several times which way to go. Jaeger also ended up getting himself blessed by The Raven Queen after he righted one of her statues down here. Following Konane's nose, we found our way to a narrow tunnel. Jaeger, Taliesin, and Jennar moved ahead to get a better look, and found the Drow scouting party giving some kind of report. After some clever message management with Klinkle, Ve'Ra informed us that they were talking about a drow priestess named Briza. We decided to rest, so I popped that rope trick I've been working on.
We had a blow out a little while after we started resting. I think Taliesin's being pulled in three different directions, and Sae's got the weight of the world piled on her shoulders. After harsh words, and more harsh words, I left the rope fort to clear my head.
Speaking with Ve'Ra, I learned some things. The Underkin are an awful sort, a product of an awful place, and Duergar are pretty dumb. Apparently they need a Child of Moradin to open the door to the Forge. As I learned about this, I puzzled over the mystery Fenderberrin left me with. And it feels like the answer might be right in front of me. With that in mind, I thought about what could be done to help Taliesin and Sae…
The obvious decision, the hardest decision, was to take Sae out of her position as leader. The responsibility, coupled with the weight of this dark place, and the weirdness Tali's experiencing, is a recipe for volatile failure. At the very least I could offer to take the burden of leadership off her shoulders… It's not my wheelhouse, but it's fitting, given the current circumstances. At least in this place. I think once we're done I'll hand that title off like a hot potato to Jaeger. He knows people better- I'm just good with the puzzles down here.
Things seemed to brighten up after I asked her to step down. People are talking, we're all planning. Even the Elves seem like they're mending bridges. I hope they work it out. I hope Tali's… Not the guy Sae worries he might be. Maybe I should share Fenderberrin's riddle with him. He's a bright guy, after all.
Well old man, if you're out there watching and grading my performance, I hope you're at least entertained. I think I've figured out an answer for you.. Let's just hope I don't have to turn it in just yet.
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Username: Opiii
What do you suppose a construct thinks about?
At first the question caught me off guard. I had thought the old man had misspoken, like saying left when you meant right. I looked into his beady, bespectacled eyes with confusion.
To move with autonomy and produce actions from such vague instructions, surely they think. They're ready for orders so surely they listen. What do you think goes on in there?
I hadn't considered it. For all my studies into Dwarven golem construction, Gnomish toymaking, runic and the weave that allows for such things, I hadn't toyed with the idea that a construct could think for itself. The question awakened something inside of me. I approached construction from a different angle while constantly pontificating and even debating with the old gnome over the topic.
Maybe their many quirks merely emulate the mannerisms of other creatures, a set of behaviors that their maker approves of. Or perhaps those quirks and mannerisms are a part of their makers- fragments of the soul that made them, aspects and imprints. Leftovers. It's really hard to say without being one yourself, isn't it.
I don't know the answer. I didn't know then and I don't know now. Fenderberrin considered constructs to be living beings- a different kind of life, certainly, but life none the less. I believe the same. Whether it's Rusty or Hermes… Or a warforged.
We resolved to get to Moradin's Forge without resting. A necessary risk, they've been there for days. We ran into a drow encampment, but managed to take them down without too much incident. It didn't take us long to get to the massive room with pillars, etchings, and a large camp of Duergar and Drow.
I could tell this was the place the moment I saw the corpses. Warforged… Originals. Ancient beings, now dead and scattered on the ground like scrap and loose tools.
They didn't just kill them. They took their heartstones. Their quirks, their thoughts, their feelings, their souls. Gone. They didn't have to do that.
I like to believe that there's room for civility, even in conflict. That even when I'm forced to fight, I should focus on disarming and diffusing the situation. That brutality and savagery is a choice.
I'm not feeling very civil right now.
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