The prisoner
Subject The prisoner
Harp breath catches in his throat. Was this the StormFather? Had they really found him? Harp will his misty form around the body on the floor. No!!! this wasn't him!!! Who was this then?? Younger, brown hair, she was obviously not the StormFather. Just then, Harp mind recognized the violation that has been done to her body. She was not just chained up, her hands and feet had been brutally cut from her body, her eyes burned out, gods know what else had been done to her. But, he did not have time to think about that.
What should he do? He could wait until he becam solid agin, and then heal her and try to talk to Salix through the door. But once he did that, he was probably stuck here. Or he could leave the woman and return to normal out in the hallway and talk to Salix there. Would Salix want to take her with them? Ragnar's divination had said that the way to the Stormfather lay through this dungeon, but what did this mean? Was one of the other cells where the Stormfather lay? The little viper had picked this room out because of the special smell, so this person must be a druid like Salix. Harp's heart tears apart at the thought of leaving her there in the condition she is in, but they had a bigger purpose. Steeling himself, Harp floats back under the door and into the hallway and waits for his body to transform back into its normal self.
OOC: Mark, once Harp is back to normal form, he will try to signal Salix to resume normal human form so they can whisper about what to do.
Who is in the cell?
No she would not be able to see. All the senses she is missing in her normal body would transfer to the new body. However, if she took the form of a snake, she would get the scent ability, which she could use since her sense of smell has not been taken from her.
If she changed into a from with hands and feet she would be the form with out hands or feet.
Sephira and Salix's spells
Subject Sephira
No she would not be able to see. All the senses she is missing in her normal body would transfer to the new body. However, if she took the form of a snake, she would get the scent ability, which she could use since her sense of smell has not been taken from her.
If she changed into a from with hands and feet she would be the form with out hands or feet.
From: Mark
Subject Wildshape
I think I was not clear on the wildshape.
Salix knows that druids wildshape at a mental command. There are no words spoken, no hand gestures, they just will it. A druid with no hands, no eyes, no tongue, etc. should still be able to wild shape. The new shape may have some limitations due to the condition of the druid before the change, as I said earlier, but there are many forms she could probably take that might allow her to escape. He does not know her skill, but he knows it is better than his.
From: Kevin
Subject Sephira
Harp listens to Salix's idea of rusting a hole in the door for them to get through. But what if they did not take the prisoner with them? A door with a hole in it would be obvious someone had messed with the door. "Salix, if you can affect the metal, could you instead affect the stone around the cell? Maybe make a small tunnell from this wall thorugh to the wall of the cell, but make it close to the ground where you could slither through it? That way, if after you talk to the woman in there you decide that it is better off to leave her here, there would be almost no sign that you had entered the cell.
Salix, don't worry about me if you decide you want to take her with you. I can just wait for the guards to come down here and I am pretty sure I can take them out. Then all I have to do is get by those things in the ante room, and my guess is the guards will have some type of pass like the ones I was given when I got on the staff here. When you leave, have Sysyphys tell Allistair to meet you outside - you won't be able to move her by yourself once she turns back to normal."
From: Mark
Subject Salix's spells
I just noticed that on your character sheet you show only the standard number of spells per day for a 7th level druid. I thought that Salix would have a bonus spell per day for levels 1-3 becuase of his wisdom.
From: Karl
Subject Sephira
Salix thinks for a minute. "Yes," he says. "I should be able to make a hole in an inconspicuous spot. I think we need to get her out. Ragnar's god said the say to the Stormfather is through this cellar. He could mean that she is the key to us finding him. We have to talk with her and that will be difficult with her in this condition. We have to rescue her and get her healed and find out what she knows. She should be able to wildshape, but she'll still be blind.
If she can take the form of a tiny viper, she can follow me and Sysiphus back out to ally, and Sysiphus can turn you back into vapor and we can all leave without alerting the guard. These people around here don't seem very conscientious about their work. Maybe the guard will not even check on Sephira today. Maybe I can rust the lock so even if they try they won't think it's worth the effort. What do they care about a prisoner, anyway? If the mayor is out of the house, I wouldn't be surprised if the prisoners don't even get fed around here."
If Harp doesn't disagree, Salix will shape stone to make a tunnel under the door for himself and Sysiphus to crawl through. He will tell Sephira to take the form of a snake and follow him and Sysiphus back through the tunnel. They will all hide in Ally's robes until he can go back to the inn. Sysiphus can re-nebulize Harp and he can exit without alerting anyone. If this plan will work, Salix will also use his power to rust metal to try and corrupt the lock. He hopes that no guards will even bother checking on Sephira for a while, but if the lock is broken they may decide not to bother with her even if they do come through with regular checks. Once back in the inn, hopefully Ragnar or one of the others can restore her sight and speech.
From: Karl
Subject Salix's spells
OK, I can update that. I forgot the bonus when I was calculating spells per day for 7th level. (No bonus for level 4??) :-(
From: Mark
Subject Turn
Ok I will write something up this afternoon.
From: Karl
Subject Sephira
Two clarifications on this;
1. Harp should know if this is sister sephira, right? He met her at the start of this journey. It *is* her, isn't it?
2. Did Sysiphus check the other cells or just stop at the first one that smelled like druid?
If this isn't sephira, or if there are likely other druids held here (and one of them might be the stormfather), then that might change what Salix wants to do.
From: Mark
Subject Sephira
Oh the snake has checked all of the cells. The others ones have normal tasting, dying humans in them. This cell is the only one that caught the snakes tongue. :)
From: Mark
Subject Sephira
Well Harp only met her for a little bit and this person is in very bad shape. However, there is alot of circumstantial evidence. Harp, and the others, know that Sephira went after Acer. He knows that this figure is a woman.
Being that Harp is/was in gaseous form, he was not able to move her or change her position to get a better look. So he is not 100% positive, I would say, but is fairly sure.
From: Kevin
Subject Sephira
"All right" Harp says,"but if for some reason she can't change form, then go ahead and have Sysyphys gas form her. I can get myself out."
From: Mark
Subject Sephira
Harp's gauzy form backs away from the figure on the ground. Harp's mind races with what he has seen. It is not the Stormfather. This person was female. Not sure what to do, he wafts his way back to the hallway outside the cell. There, he waits until the spells duration runs out and the 1/2 orc finds him self standing in the dimly lit hallway. One of the snakes starts to change and soon both Harp and Salix are standing outside of the cell door. Harp quickly explains what he saw. "I think it might be that druid lady who ordered us here, Sephira." Salix is caught between a mix of sorrow and elation. They had not found Acer. Where was he? But they might have found Sephira. She might know something. Why hadn't she changed form and escape? The damage Harp had mentioned was horrible, but she should still have been able to change forms.
"I am going to rust a hole in the door so we can get her out" Salix says. As the druid moves to work on the door Harp asks "Is that the best thing to do?" Salix whirls on the 1/2 orc. "What do you mean? Would you leave her there?" Harp's reply is quick "No, of course not. But if you put a big hole in the door, the next guard that walks by will know she is gone and then they would be looking for her. I have seen you shape stone before. Can you do something with the walls that you can put back? The longer it takes for them to know she is gone the better for all of us." Salix, his fury at the druid's captivity almost boiling over, reins in his impulses. "You're right. Let's try subtlety for now."
The druid kneels down next to door, towards the back of the hallway. He starts chanting and Harp puts his hand on his sword in case the noise draws attention from the guards, but that seems unlikely with all of the other noises coming from the other cells. Seconds later Salix stands and turns to Harp. "Stay here. I have made a tunnel in the stone so that I can get into the cell. There is a small sliding grate on the door. Open that and we can talk once I am inside." With that Salix lays down on the floor and again changes shape into a snake again. This time though he does not make him self smaller, but he is still able to fit through the hole he has made. He slithers through the 4 feet of stone and into the cell.
He takes his normal form once in the cell and hears Harp slide open the grating in the door. The 1/2 elf moves through the muck and grime to the figure chained to the floor. The obvious violation to her body sickens him. Bloody gaping wounds were cauterized when a simple healing prayer would have worked. Salix kneels next to the body and gently reaches out and rolls her over.
If he had not been through the ritual with her he would not have recognized her. However, that experience had left a bond of sorts between them that went deeper than the physical. In the brutalized form he sees the soul of the woman who had shown him a different aspect of nature just a few short weeks ago. Tears in his eyes, his words escape his mouth "Sephira, what have they done to you?" Not really expecting a response, Salix is startled when her head moves and she tries to speak. Her word fall silent, her throat parched and her lips cracked. Salix grabs at his water skin and drops a little water into Sephira's mouth. Her mouth opens and closes like a fish as the moisture works its magic. Salix too works a bit of magic.
Holding the other druid with one hand and touching the oak and holly leaves embossed on his armor, he chants the one healing prayer he had asked for today. He feels Obad-Hai's healing force flow from him into the almost unconscious form. The worst of the bruises and cuts close over and the skin returns to a more normal color. The angry red of her stumps and eyes lessens some. However, her hands, feet and eyes do reform. Salix is sure that Acer could heal her but this much damage was beyond his ken. Salix drips some more water into Sephira's mouth and this time she takes a good swallow. A few seconds later she finally finds her voice. "Who is there? What do you want? Have you come to torture me more?"
OODM: I will let Karl play this out.
From: Karl
Subject Sephira
"No, Sister," Salix replies quietly. "It's me, Salix. I don't know how much time we have here, but we must find Stormfather Acer. Can you wildshape? I got in here in the form of a tiny viper, following my mage friend's familiar. If you can follow us out, we can get you to safety and hopefully healing."
(OOC - Salix of course wants to find out what Sister Sephira knows about the Stormfather, and where he might be. However, he can't bear the thought of Sephira remaining in the cell any longer than absolutely necessary, so unless she can't get free, that is his first priority. They can compare notes in their room in the inn once she is safe.)
From: Mark
Subject Sephira
"Wealward?" The astonishment in her voice even through her parched throat. "How did you..? Where are the ....? What...?'" Her confusion is clear and Salix gives her another drink of water. This seems to help a bit. "Wildshape? Would that I could. They have been giving me some foul potion. It keeps me from concentrating enough to change form. But I must if we are to save Acer." She starts to get to her feet when her damage reasserts itself over her. She collapses again, sobbing, unable to shed tears from her hollow sockets.
All of a sudden her head jerks up. "Wealward, what day is it?" Salix responds "Two days before the new moon of midsummer." "Oh Obad-Hai, it is not too late" is her reply. As she talks to herself, Salix inspects the chains that keep her pinned to the floor. When she hears what he is doing she responds with ferocious passion. Her voice still weak, she speaks "Hear me, Salix Wealward. You must not free me. You must rescue the Stormfather. When they took him from this cell two days ago, I overheard my captors mention that he was needed elsewhere for a ceremony. This ceremony, they said, was to happen at midnight on the middle night of the new moon. Acer is to be used in some type of sacrifice."
From: Karl
Subject Sephira
"We will stop them. There is yet time. But I cannot leave you to this fate, especially if you are unable to free yourself." Sephira starts to protest. "I will leave you here for now, but we will have to include a return for you in our plans. No, this is not foolishness. It would do no good to rob them of one sacrifice only to leave them with another."
From: Mark
Subject Sephira
Her anguish at his comments is palpable. "Wealward, do you not understand what some creatures would do for the soul of a StormFather? I am nothing to them, other than a source of amusement, but the Stormfather? Who knows what type of evil pacts they could seal with the promise of his soul? If you wish to free me of my suffering, strangle me now and go, but you must rescue Acer."
From: Karl
Subject Sephira
Salix starts to protest, but stops himself. "I will be back to set you free, after the Stormfather has been freed."
Salix will let Harp know through the door that they are leaving and that harp will be nebulized again. They are leaving the MountainSister here for now. Harp, Salix and Sysiphus should leave as planned doing nothing to alert the guards. Salix will ask Harp to kick dirt into the hole after he leaves the cell or otherwise disguise the hole somehow so that the guards don't notice anything amiss, if this is necessary.
Escape and the next step
Subject Escape
As Salix tells Harp what he has in mind through the grate in the door, Harp will ask if Salix thinks he can lift Sephira up close to the grate. If he can Harp will sacrafice Bulls Strength for a CMW and sacrafice Bless for a CLW. He will also ask if Sephira knows where they took the Stormfather, even though he is pretty sure it is the Mayors estate outside of town.
From: Karl
Subject Escape
Salix will try to do as Harp asks.
(He can at least relay the question, I'm sure.)
From: Mark
Subject Escape
"It is good of you to say so, and I will hold to that hope, but if the decision must be made, leave me. I pray to Obad Hai that you and your companions will be able to defeat this evil." Salix moves to the small window in the cell door and tells Harp what has happened. The 1/2 orc is stunned by the revelation. "Bring her to me Salix; let me heal some of her wounds." The druid starts to do as Harp requested but the chains prevent it. "Leave now" Sephira says "and use as little power as you can. I do not know how sensitive these foul things are but do not draw attention to yourselves until you are ready to make your move. Now go!" "Does she know where they took Acer?" Harp asks. Sephira's exhaustion is almost too much for her but she still answers "They only said that the temple at the estate had been prepared for him." She then collapses, unconscious.
Salix, anguish in his eyes, shifts back into the form of a snake and makes his form even smaller. He slithers back into the hallway and tells Sysyphys that it is time for them to go and to go touch Harp and turn him gaseous. The tiny snake agrees, and slithers over to the 1/2 orc. Harp puts his hand down and Sysyphys touches his skin with his tongue. Harp starts to fade and become the mist he was just a few minutes ago. Salix hisses and leads the way. They head back to the door to the cell block, Salix in the lead, Sysyphys following with Harp around both of them, a haze in the dim light. As they approach the door both of the snakes can feel something from the other room.
Harp, not noticing the snakes stopping, flows through the gap between the door and its frame. His misty form stops as he notices two figures now sitting at the table in the room. They are wearing leather and carry short swords. They seem to be paying little attention around them, seemingly involved in an intense card game. Hoping that the two snakes would be able to get by unnoticed, Harp hangs around for a few minutes, making sure that there is no problem. First Salix, and then Sysyphys, squeeze under the door and quickly slither to the edge of the room behind the desk. There they make their way to the wall where the door out is located. They move slowly to this door and, with Sysyphys in the lead this time, slither under.
Harp would have breathed a sigh of relief if he had any lungs. Figuring he has a little time to spare he decides to explore a bit more. He seeps around the door and into the first hallway, making a straight line for the door that should have the stairs behind it. He quickly passes by the gaping frame and up the stair case. 40 feet or so up he comes to a landing with another heavy door. In seconds he is past this door and in a small room with a door and more stairs going up. Harp passes through this door and finds himself in a bright hallway. He sees that he is looking out over the garden in the back of the house, on the family side of the house.
Figuring it is about time for him to get away; he floats to the back door and through the lock mechanism. Once outside he moves as best he can to the secluded spot where Ally had first enchanted him earlier that morning. There he waits until the spell wears off. Salix and Sysyphys show up minutes later and he bends down so that they can hide themselves on his body. His skin crawls a bit at their cool touch, but he stands and heads for the gates and a retreat to the inn.
Ally is surprised when no comment is made at his tardiness. His morning is a jumble of odd feelings and images from Sysyphys but he does know that the three have been successful. That makes the rest of the day go faster. When the workday is done and he goes to the paymaster to get his pay, there is a note in his packet. It says to report to the Head Scrivener. Ally's heart leaps to his throat. He moves deliberately through the hallways, until he is at the office of the Head Scrivener. He knocks at the door and a second later a voice tells him to enter.
Ally's enters the room. The walls are lined with bookshelves, the floor covered in rich throw rugs. The man behind the desk is older, maybe 60, but still strong looking, not bookish by any means. He points to a chair in front of his desk with out saying a word. Ally studies the man's face and his skin crawls. The man's eyes, black as midnight, look right at him and the mage almost quails. The Scrivener speaks with a deep, resonant voice. "You were late for work today. That is unacceptable. You are docked 1 days pay. If you are late a second time you will be flogged. You do not want to know what the punishment is for being late a third time. You may go." The dismal is final and the man goes back to his work. Ally stands and leaves the room. He hurries back to collect his supplies and return to the inn to see what happened with Salix and Sysyphys.
OODM: OK it is now about 5:30PM. Ran has slept all day, as have most of the others, except Harp, Salix and Ally. Ran is due to report in 1-1/2 hours. The party has this time to talk and discuss. Also let me know if there are any questions.
From: Karl
Subject The next step
Salix will relate all that happened and ask the group for suggestions on how they should infiltrate the estate. (is it tomorrow night for the sacrifice, or the night after that?)
From: Mark
Subject The next step
The night after. There are technically three nights that count as the new moon, but the middle night is usually considered the day to do things.
From: Mark
Subject The next step
Ok as Karl pointed out, this is the time for everyone to chime in on what they think should be done.
I will hold off until every one has checked in and/or the party has come to an agreement on what they will do.
From: Derek
Subject The next step
Allistair speaks up. "It looks like know we don't have time to sneak about and take our time gathering information. We need to get onto the Mayor's estate quickly before this sacrifice takes place. I have at least one idea. I've been working on the paperwork for the city government here, and they are amassing lots of supplies at the Mayor's estate outside of town. Between my knowledge of the bureacracy here and Surin's 'skillful' handwriting, I think we could forge some documents to get us into the estate. We also have Ran's rank to help us, and I could also be under the guise of delivering paperwork."
"Unfortunately though, we know little of the layout there or where the Stormfather may be held captive. Some of you that have been there will have to use your judgement on this. I seem to remember one of the guys we talked with at the bar had seen a temple with the sickle symbol on it. Did we find out exactly where that temple was?"
OOC: Mark, is Allistair's proposition of working with Surin to forge documentation workable? Did we hear from that guy where this evil temple is in the compound?
From: Mark
Subject The next step
Well Surin's forgery skill is not all that great. However, nothing says that it has to be Surin that does the work.
And no, the guy did not give any real idea of where the building was. He did not even identify it as a temple.
From: Josh
Subject The next step
"The mockers could probably help us forge the necessary paperwork. They've probably got people more skilled than any of us."
From: Kevin
Subject The next step
Harp will add little except to mention the fact that he had been taking people (nto bodies... yet) out to the estate.
Mark, did Harp get any idea of the layout or did he just deilver the wagon and then someone else took over?
From: Randy
Subject The next step
Ranthir doesn't speak much but does acknowledge that he was too brash earlier.
"Salix, it looks like you were right to get some scouting done before we rushed in there. I will go along with whatever plan you choose."
At the comment of using his rank to help get to the mayors estate he adds,
"I don't think that I really have any rank with these people. I am pretty much a house guard. I may be more skilled but I don't think I have been around long enough to be more trusted than the seargents on staff. That'll be especially true when I don't show up for a shift tonight or tomorrow."
From: Kevin
Subject The next step
OOC: It would have been nice if Salix had not had to use all 3 of his wildshapes for the day. He could have flown over the estate and at least gotten a birds eye view of the place.
From: Derek
Subject The next step
Salix has a crow he could call upon once we leave the city.
From: Mark
Subject The next step
He does?
From: Derek
Subject The next step
Doesn't he have a crow pet/friend/companion/whatever-the-relationship-is-between-druids-and-thier-animals-is-called that he left in the forest before we came into the city?
From: Mark
Subject The next step
He has an animal companion, Noctis, who is a great Horned Owl, or some type of owl. However, the owl stayed back with the druids, several hundred miles away.
From: Derek
Subject The next step
Oh, that's probably what I was thinking of. Never mind.
From: Kevin
Subject The next step
Even if Noctis had been here, he is no more intelligent than a normal owl and would not be terribly effective in scouting/mapping the estate. Salix in an avian wildshape would have the intellgence to recognize and remember the layout when he returned.
If we were to wait, he could do so the following day, but I think it is unlikely that he will want to wait.
From: Karl
Subject The next step
"Take your shift tonight" Salix says hurriedly. "If anything, this venture into the cellar has taught me that we need to scout things out before making a move, and you may be more useful if you haven't burned any bridges with these people just yet."
"It might be good if some of us can get work hauling stuff out to the estate tomorrow. I could stow away as a viper or rat or something as I did today, and check out the estate in animal form tomorrow, and try to see if I can locate the Stormfather before we attempt a rescue tomorrow night. What do you guys think?"
From: Porter
Subject The next step
"That sounds like a good idea. And if you ask real nice, I'll even make sure I don't kill nobody while I'm there," Mund says, trying to get Salix to smile at least a little bit.
New plan
Subject New plan
Ragnar doesn't have anything in particular to add, but he'll speak up in favor of any plan that ends with us invading the estate in force.
From: Josh
Subject New plan
Kal agrees with Ragnar. He's sick of all this sneaking around. He wants to kill these bastards and be done with it.
From: Karl
Subject New plan
"I think an attack at night might be better, and more reconnaissance would definitely be an asset. I don't want to expend a lot of power, especially if we will be attacking tomorrow night. However, I also think it might be better to attack tomorrow night than on the following night, when they will be set up for the ceremony, and might have more people there."
"Surin, could you return to the Mockers and ask them if they can provide their distraction for tomorrow night, and if they can do it near enough to the estate to maybe draw out some of their forces? Also, if they have any information about the layout of the estate or any weak points where we might sneak in unaware, that would be helpful."
"Ally, could Mund drop Sysiphus off at the estate to do some scouting? Would you be able to sense what he finds out from that distance? We could pick him up again in the evening when we make our attack. Alternatively, I could go with Mund, shaped as something small and hopefully inconspicuous, but it would like to conserve power as much as possible for the rescue."