Taking time to raise their Talents, our heroes figure out something wrong with the Ungada Liferock
Score: 698 | 12/22/18 |
21st Strassa, 1517, to 22nd Strassa, 1517
Sean Shamshara, Vyktor Wyvernjack, Valteri Tomser, and Boris Hillmens head back to the Hall of Elders with Kergnon Hurlgak to make a report to Elder Meshra. On their way, they divvy up the money Valteri found on Magnik, each getting 30 silver, though Sean immediately refuses in order to make good on the debt he owes Valteri for helping him purchase the physician's kit.
As well, they discuss what to do about the special vials they found. Valteri points out that Magnik threw a vial at him which exploded in flames. Vyktor takes a look at them hoping he can discern some use. Using his knowledge about Alchemy and Potions, he's able to figure out only that the red vial is likely the explosive fire that Magnik threw at Valteri since elemental magic tends to color things accordingly. The 2 light-blue ones, if they follow that same reasoning, are either cold or water related, whereas he was less certain about the green and 2 grays. Perhaps the green has something to do with wood, but that does not seem right. To Valteri's comment about selling them, Kergnon says, "You sound like a Questor of Chorrolis," which Valteri found offensive.
Upon arriving at the Hall of Elders, the group relays what happened to Elder Meshra, somewhat glossing over the effects of the cursed notebook on Vyktor. She questions them more about the satchel and notebook, as well as asking what they found on his body.
With all of the events that have transpired, she admits that she may have been wrong about remaining in the Kaer. If a Horror has already been influencing things inside Ungada, then it's likely that it may not be any safer inside than out. The heroes ask her about the magical device she was showing earlier, who made it and where did it come from. She reminds them that the device's design was in the Book of Tomorrow, but the Elementalist that built it was an Obsidiman who now resides trapped inside the Ungada Liferock, and no other Elementalist lives within the Kaer.
The device itself consists of a kernel of True Earth floating above a pool of True Water. The True Earth rises and falls with the level of magic in the world. When the magic has receded to a point low enough that all or most of the Horrors could no longer exist in the world, then the True Earth would be low enough to mix with the True Water, and everyone would know it was safe to exit the kaer. However, it stopped falling, whether due to Horrors or Therans or something else is unknown. Regardless, Elder Meshra now questions her caution. Not that it matters since the Obsidiman are trapped in the Liferock.
Which turned the conversation back to what the heroes found on Magnik's body. They admitted that they did not know what the vials did and perhaps needed someone else to look at them. But they also talked about the blue crystal that Boris held, the one that got warmer as they approached the Liferock and cooler as they stepped away. Elder Meshra thought there was something to that, but suggested everyone sleep on it, hoping that something would make more sense when they awoke.
Kergnon led them back downstairs, looking askance at Vyktor, and setting a couple guards at the door. Sometime while they slept, Ghehennis Jakreen stumbled into the room, knocking something over and yelping, "My knee, ah!", and tripping over Vyktor, waking everyone up, though Valteri pretended to still be asleep. Ghehennis asked Vyktor how he was feeling. He then admitted that he might know a way to reconstruct the burnt notebook, asking if Vytkor would help him with that. "Yeah, we probably shouldn't do that," Vyktor replied. Ghehennis looked keenly at Vyktor and declared him clean. Valteri, no longer feigning sleep, then asked, "So, you can repair the notebook," to which Ghehennis admitted that he could not but was only testing Vyktor.
In the morning, Sheyloon approaches the heroes, expressing that they should take time to improve themselves. If they are going to help clear out all the undead still in the Kaer, even after Magnik's death, they will need to get stronger. Kergnon is looking for a way to return light to the Kaer while Ygdrask and Ghehennis continue researching the Toxic Blight. Vyktor hands her some silver and asks her to grab some hide armor for him, finding the lack of protection in the last fight to have been a massive problem for him. The four heroes then retreat to their own areas and begin meditating and practicing their Talents for the next 16 hours.
Sean focused on Missile Weapons, raising the rank to 4, and Wilderness Survival, going to rank 2, in the hopes that he would be leaving the Kaer soon. Vyktor decided that Dispel Magic and Patterncraft both needed to go to rank 2. And Valteri decided to meditate on his Melee Weapons and Steel Thought, also raising them to rank 2. Boris, being even more laconic than usual, did not share with the group what he increased (maybe he'll be more 'present' next time).
Following their meditation, Sheyloon talked with them about repairing the giant Light Quartz, the cursed notebook, and what they should do next. Kergnon has already removed the device Valteri attached to the Light Quartz. It looks to have delayed the loss of light, and he thinks he can use it and the monitoring crystals in Magnik's Lab to relight the Quartz. Otherwise, the guards that searched Magnik's Lab found nothing useful.
As for where the cursed notebook came from, it likely came into the kaer before it was sealed, but nothing is certain. Perhaps Benkariim has breached the kaer's defenses or was bound inside the notebook, but both events seem unlikely. How Magnik got the book was also unknown. There is a small library in the Hall of Elders where it could have been hidden. The library in the Training Hall is off limits to non-Stalwart Stones, so it's unlikely he got it there. Valteri laments that they killed Magnik.
The group began to discuss what they remembered from the notebook to see if anything useful was in there. They recall that the recipe for some potion, likely the poison affecting the kaer, required Obsidimen blood but had that crossed out and a notation about the Liferock written next to it. As well, there was a diagram of the Liferock with an arrow pointing to a spot at the base. On the same page was a drawing of a cylinder with wings on its sides, what looked like a drill on one end, and a notch on the other. Soon everyone decides that the best route is to return to the Liferock and inspect it again.
Arriving there, two guards and Veran are waiting there, Veran having been pulled off Magnik's Lab search and put to guarding the Liferock. Sean searches around the area indicated by the drawing in the notebook and finds a small brass cylinder with leather fins on its sides sticking into the Liferock. Both he and Boris attempt to pull it out with no success, eliciting a question from Veran, "What are you doing?" Valteri, with his Craftsman's eye, takes a look and sees that is tightly in there. A light hum emanates from it, and he thought that it might actively resist attempts to pull it out.
The group takes a moment to think about the problem, first considering the brass disc that was attached to Magnik's clothes that he used to control his Brass and Crystal Falsemen. Sean begins to inspect the cylinder again, noticing that the notch is roughly the same size as the crystal that Boris had. Valteri backs up a dozen yards while Sean takes the crystal from Boris and places it in the notch.
Nothing happened.
Sean grabbed the cylinder and twisted. It easily turned in the hole. He turned it more. Valteri chimed in, "Have you tried pulling on it?" Sean, taking a deep breath, pulled. The cylinder slid easily out of the hole.
The air in the cavern pulsed, followed by a low rumble that crescendoed into a deep and sonorous hum. And then a huge man stepped out from the Liferock. He towered over everyone except Boris, and the group realizes at the same moment that the hum was coming from him.
Legend Points Awards:
- Removing the Brass Cylinder - 100
- Total: 100