Lanal 13-15, 653 DR: Wherein Tressta fails to complete her end of a bargain and suffers the consequences. Everyone is finally summoned before Urzam, who hears their tales of Ūlaryalok and explanations for the refugees. Following her court, Dammon is summoned separately and given cautious instruction regarding Jak.
Continued from Gældor and Grymgrykalya.
Virídor, 13 Lanal 653
Tressta approached the cage and carefully unlatched the door. Swinging open the wire door she looked closely at the small Grū huddled over the globe. Slipping her hand under the globe the monster stirred, opening its black mirror-like eyes to regard the intruder. In an attempt to soothe the “young” Grū, she began softly singing an old Taládan lullaby. Though thoroughly alien, the creature seemed mesmerized by the sound of her singing. With her rapier in her right hand, Tressta tried to pull the globe from the monster’s grip, but it won’t let go. Sheathing her sword, she slipped her free hand under the globe as well, singing to the Grū all the time. As she moved the heavy globe, the monster shifted its weight forward and snaked a claw around her wrist. Frustrated, Tressta placed the globe back into the cage with the Grū still atop it. Singing still, she tried to pull her hand from the creature’s grip which ushered an eerie moan from the Grū. Shutting the door against her wrist she leveraged her hand free of the monster’s grip as an awful ear-splitting yowl emitted from the creature. On some level below the tower chamber a door opened. Tressta leaped to the window, grasping for the balustrade as she swung to the vine covered wall below. Scrambling down the wall, she slipped and crashed to the paving stones below. Gathering herself, she crossed the intersection and dodged into a dark alley, hiding behind some boxes cast there. Not a minute after she was hidden did the voice return from somewhere very close, “Where is it?” Tressta asked, “I couldn’t get it. I need help.” The voice did not answer and soon the stress and fatigue of the day caught up with her, and she was sleeping.
When Tressta awoke it was still dark and her left hand felt like it was on fire. Examining her palm she was horrified to find that a symbol had been cut into her flesh and much blood had been lost in the process. Even then her hand looked pale around the thin, deep cuts. As she stared disbelieving at the injury the tissue in her hand rippled and a red bug emerged from the symbol, scurrying away. Standing light-headed, Tressta made her way through the alley and onto another street. She was weak and needed to rest soon and so found another alley to gather her strength. As she sat against the alley wall, her hand erupted into more of the strange bugs. Nearby, an Yrūn bum watched hungrily as the bugs scurried past him. Snatching one he took a bite only to have the thing explode into blood, Tressta’s blood. Binding her hand as tightly as she could, she remained in the alley until morning light.
Meanwhile, under cover of darkness, Dammon found a wharf-side warehouse guarded by an old blind dog. Moving swiftly, he managed to move Graiç from the alley to the house and hide him behind walls of barrels and boxes. The dog approached once but didn’t seem to sense either of them. During the day, Dammon continued his search for a book on golems. After days of fruitless searching, he found himself browsing an arcanist’s shelves on the opposite side of the harbor. After reading through seemingly countless titles, he pulled one tome down and found that it was a Dwürden tome on the construction of small mining golems. Hoping this might give him some insight on how to offer healing to Graiç, he purchased the book and headed back toward the warehouse where the golem was hiding.
In another part of the city Jak spoke with Zêla about his “fainting spell”. He quietly explained that he believed High Lord Rott had contacted him through some means he did not understand, based on the magics he’d seen over the last two years. Zêla offered no further explanation, suggesting that there may be others in the group that knew more about such weavings than she. Their conversation was interrupted by a guard rapping at Zêla’s door, asking to speak with the bard.
Tressta stumbled into a tavern and for half a silver was served a hot breakfast which restored some of her strength. Feeling better rested, she left the tavern and wandered down to the wharf, figuring it would be easiest to find the way back to her friends along the harbor-side. To her dismay the wharf was packed with a great mass of humanity, gathered on the docks, atop mountains of crates, anywhere where there was room. Many approached her looking for handouts, but most let her pass unsolicited upon seeing her condition. When she finally reached the Urzam’s ward, a familiar hand steered her away from the crowds and into a nearby inn where they can talk. Seeing Tressta’s affliction, Ērēus paid for two rooms and helped Tressta to a private chamber where she could rest. Before leaving her, he expertly redressed the bandage, softly cursing to himself that he could do no better for her.
Meanwhile, Jak and Zêla were escorted to speak with Urzam. They were taken to a different house where the Yrūn ward-baron met all guests. During their talk with Urzam, Jak resisted a badly timed fainting spell which would have left him unconscious before the feet of their host, raising suspicion. Urzam expressed concern for the group’s safety as word of the found island might be making rounds among the wards of the city. The secret of Ūlaryalok was valuable information, and she had already spoke with Paldor and was equipping him with a ship to head back to the isle. After a lengthy conversation, Urzam thanked each of them for their help unraveling the mystery of Ūlaryalok and asked for them to send the group’s wizard should they see him. They agreed to this and left the hall of Urzam with an armed escort.
Returning to the inn, the guards asked about the rest of the group, but the innkeeper had seen none of them, muttering that she would be glad to see them go.
Palídor, 14 Lanal 653
Dammon awoke the next morning, brushing the dust and dirt of the warehouse off his shoulders as he stood. His conscience was nearby and reported that Jak, Zêla, and Zildara were waiting for him at the inn. Dammon arrived somewhat later and agreed to an escort to meet privately with the ward-baron. Urzam thanked the magician for coming and immediately proceeded with the business of warning him about Jak’s motives, and others in the company. A servant then handed Dammon an odd glass bottle with a cloth inside as Urzam explained that should Jak and his company prove agents for the Empire, Dammon would be well-rewarded for a detailed report. She instructed him to write a message on the cloth, insert it into the bottle, and toss the bottle in any body of water that reaches the sea; the message-in-a-bottle would make it back to Urzam. Dammon thanked Urzam for her consul and returned to the inn to find Ērēus telling the others of Tressta’s strange affliction. Once Dammon arrived, they decided to go to the docks and look at the ship Zildara had found to leave the city.
Alídor, 15 Lanal 653
In city.
Continued in A Plague of Locusts.
Characters
- Dammon Shroudson = 0 CPs (206)
- Jak of Cænden = 0 CPs (204)
- Tressta Drynsval = 0 CPs (187)
- Zildara of Zalan = 0 CPs (187)
- Ērēus of Amra = 0 CPs
- Familiar = Unkn.
- Graiç of Mazzam = 0 CPs
- Zêla ma Ler = 0 CPs
Played: 23 Jul 2005