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| '''Ascension'''
| | #REDIRECT [[Intermezzi]] |
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| Caius stands in the common room of the Foaming Mug staring at the dragon chess piece in his hand. A thin silver chain dangles from between his fingers. “I had no idea you had lost it.” Autun says “Are you glad it has been returned to you?” Caius nods. “For sure I am… That I hadn’t noticed it missing until now is what vexes me.”
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| Autun shrugs, smiling gently. “It is what happens in battle – we lose sight of all but the most immediate. And perhaps it is also what happens when we look upon a partial manifestation of the Queen of the Demonweb Pits. She...” and he nods at the door through which Ephiri Toothfell, the ancient baker has just exited the inn “...said one of the wererat veterans picked it up in the ooze warrens. You may have lost it when your armor disintegrated.”
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| Caius puts a hand on the firbolg’s upper arm. “You’re doubtlessly right. Thank you. Did you see the charm she also added? She says she made the spell herself – it’ll feed all of us for a day, and even restore some strength to everyone who eats.” “That’s a baker’s gift if I ever heard of one. I am sure it will be useful to us one day.”
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| Autun bends down to adjust the straps on his repaired armor, at which point Rumpadump pops out from behind a chair and sits on the tip of Autun’s boot. An image of the newly returned chess piece begins to form in the minds of the adventurers, surrounded by a feeling of curiosity and wonder.
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| Caius squats down and dangles the piece in front of the young myconid. “This is a part of a larger game called Dragon Chess. You play it on three levels, which represent the Underdark, the Surface and the Sky.” Uncertainty hums through the air around the trio, and Autun pulls a piece of chalk from a pouch. “Perhaps draw it for him?” Caius accepts the chalk, wipes away the black sand from the petrified mushroom floorboards and begins to draw. “This is the board for Sky. It is populated with Sylphs and Griffons and Dragons. They can act on that board, but also on the Surface board, though the rules are different for them there. On the surface board, there are many pieces: Warriors, Oliphants, Unicorns and, of course, Heroes.” He holds up his piece again. “That’s this piece – the hero. This board also has other pieces such as Thieves and Mages and a King of course, and some of the pieces on this board can also move on the boards for Sky and Underdark, though again, the rules are different on the different boards…”
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| When Kais walks into the Foaming Mug some time later, the trio still sits hunched over the floor boards, busily drawing and erasing chalk marks. The elf leans against a table for a moment, watching impassively, before clearing his throat. “If you plan to attend the ceremony, maybe cut the lesson short. Also, someone in the market place surely sells an actual set if you plan to teach the young one to play.” With that, he turns on his heel and disappears down the hallway.
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| The ceremony is drawn out beyond the lengths of the reasonable. It has been days since the battle, and the city’s newly merged government is still finding a way to cooperate beyond the immediacy of the fight against the Pudding King. As such, the list of speakers is considerable, and the speeches careful to the point of meaninglessness. What all speakers clearly agree upon, however, is the pivotal role that Stool’s Irregulars have played in the entire affair and as such the party is currently being boot-stamped at (apparently the svirfneblin consider applause rather gauche) for the sixth or seventh time.
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| Burrow warden Jadger spoke first. He started with long blessings over the bodies of the dead and presided over the acolytes’ ritual pourings of fire whisky and crumbling of spore bread and pink rock salt. Then he described how his apprentices were hard at work to engrave the tale of the Irregular’s courage on the walls of the crypt to grace the graves of the recently deceased. No one knew quite what to say to that.
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| At the behest of the Dorbo Diggermattock (after a long speech about… something) the city turned over its platinum stores to the heroes. Despite protestations from various party members he would not hear of keeping the total sum of the bright metal to help in the repairs, insisting that the value of what they had saved far outstripped the worth of the heavy coins.
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| Senni in her turn spoke long and with many platitudes,. Eventually she offered a cart and a pair of rothe, a guide to daylight and as much supplies as needed for the journey to the surface. Ezri assured her afterwards that it would not be necessary – that with a map and Kais’ navigation skills they’d surely find their way up – but Senni wouldn’t budge.
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| Chipgrin winked to Kais as he stood to take the podium and announced that the wererats would provide an armed escort that would stay until the light of the surface became clearly visible. Caius later tried to talk him out of it, but the wererat’s leaders otherwise sensitive hearing seemed to miraculously stop working whenever the bard brought it up.
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| Irriada Elseen, wererat and newly minted member of the Stoneheart Enclave, looked exhausted during her comparatively brief and unflowered speech – Nomi hadn’t yet been found and despite the continued assistance of Rocky and Bree in the search many were losing hope. She offered to the present party members party a Stone of Controlling Earth Elementals cued to Rocky’s specific makeup, so that the party may call upon the creature as they wished even after leaving the Underdark.
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| During the festivities afterwards (Tappy served more cave fisher, this time basted in an inky black sauce and then slowly roasted to crispyness, and a second supply of stout and fire whisky was broached) the departure date for the party was set at two days hence. When Bree returned from her search late that night and argued fiercely against leaving, it took the entire party’s reasoning skills to convince her that the need to inform the dwarves and the surface folk mattered more than a wild goose chase after a single missing gnome – even if she was a friend.
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| The party’s last days in Blingdenstone pass by in a blur. Courtesy visits, an ongoing search for the missing Nomi, bedside visits to Jimothy, who is recuperating but expected to make a full recovery and resupplying with new armour, weapon replacements and other necessities for the long trek ahead take up more time than anyone had expected.
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| Gurnik, looking worn and haggard still, bids the party farewell when the time to leave has finally come. She promises to keep an eye on Rumpadump and make sure the little myconid sees more than just the inside of Tappy’s bar.
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| Stool’s Irregulars sit around a small fire and passes around a skin filled with gnomish ale. It’s been a long day of walking and the prospect of some food, some drink and a few hours off their feet is a welcome respite from trudging up the endless rock passages. The last two tendays have been uneventful and the long marches without even a fight or a hunt to interrupt them have become thoroughly tedious.
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| Ezri stares into the cup from which she drinks her beer. “I still can’t believe that Shuushar wanted to go back to Sloodublop. I mean.. Jimothy at least had his family to go back to and Rumpadump seemed genuinely happy with Tappy, but what is there for him in that place?” “Hm. Wanted to go see what was left, maybe, or who. See if he could make sense of anything or see if there was anyone who might know more. I might have done… or do… the same thing.” Kais seems to be feeling his way through the answer, but then jerks his head around.
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| “Someone’s coming. Not from the path.” He reaches for his bow at the same time that Caius grabs his shield. Light flickers as Autun lifts Dawnbringer a few inches from its sheath. Their wererat escorts too, grab for their crossbows.
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| From the rock wall in the side passage a form begins to emerge. Rocky sniffs the air and rumbles, then raises a flat hand. No danger. Fingers unclench from hilts, breaths are drawn once again.
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| Soon another earth elemental stands before them wearing the braided collar of Emerald Enclave-bound beings. Behind the hulking shape, a pair of boots hit the floor. “Hallee there, Irregulars!” The voice is familiar and Bree jumps up. “Nomi?” The deep gnome darts out from behind the elemental and folds the halfling into a hug. Once she lets go, Nomi says:“Oh, I’m so glad I was still able to catch you. Had you gone farther topside it would have been so much harder! I was worried I’d not see you again.” Bree looks at her boots, for once just a bit shy, then looks back up. “Yeah! I thought I’d never see you again. Where in the seven hells were you?” Nomi smiles and pats the elemental behind her. “Moissy became scared when we set off a series of explosives to cover the last stage of our retreat around the Steadfast Stone. He ran and wouldn’t calm down. When we hit open space instead of solid rock, I jumped off his back and planned to make my way home without him. Turns out I wasn’t in a cave but in an ancient magma chamber. I mean… no exits! Thought I was done for, for sure, with naught but a few rations. In the end I found a tiny iron vein and was able to… well… you wouldn’t understand. But I was found, and Moissanite made it back to Blingdenstone too. Happy reunions all around!”
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| Autun hums a little note of pleasure to himself. “Well, I, for one, am happy to see you safe and sound and in good spirits, Nomi. Though I can only guess at the reason for which you came after us.” “Oh, well. To say goodbye, of course. Wish you well and all that. Express gratitude.” Nomi hesitates, “ Also... I know you want to go to the dwarves. And a few days ago a trader came into town. We hadn’t had one in a long time. Turns out the passages to the capital along the surface route have been collapsed. That’s why they’ve not been coming. It also means you can’t get there.” She swallows. “But Moissy and I can. Collapsed passages don’t stop us. And well… You did so much for us. Maybe you’ll let me go in your stead? Tell the story? Convince them on your behalf? It’s the least I can do, really.”
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| Kais speaks up immediately. “It’s our job, though, not yours. Blingdenstone needs you.” “Eh,” Nomi shrugs. “I hate repair work. I’d rather go to the dwarves.” A snort erupts from Caius, who sits crosslegged, elbows on his shield. “If I were to guess, I’d hazard that the parental grip is just a bit too firm for you, isn’t it?” He waggles an eyebrow at Nomi, whose jaw briefly clenches. “Maybe. By the badger, she’s worse now that Jimmy is back. In any case, I’d be happy to go.”
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| Ezri hands Nomi a bowl of stew with a large chunk of toasted spore bread laid across it. “Eat first. Decide later. That seems more sensible than standing here and letting the food get cold.” Nomi giggles at the druid conspiratorially, but then sits down to eat.
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| Later that night Bree and Nomi share a watch. “Mum said you’d spent every day looking for me.” Bree looks at Nomi from under a furrowed brow. “Wouldn’t you have?” Nomi shrugs. “Maybe. Just hadn’t expected that from an outsider. Thanks, though. It feels good to know someone cares, even if she’s going far away.” Bree stares at her shoes again. “What’s far away for people like us? You can travel through rock. And I… well.. Caprisi may always take me interesting places.” Nomi nods. After several minutes of silence, she digs something out of a pocket of her robes. “Here, for you.” Bree turns the small pin over in her hand. It has a tiny splinter of yellow diamond in a rough silver setting. “You’re plenty convincing in your own right,” Nomi says “but this is for that one time that you really need someone to listen to you. You should tell the rest of them that I’ll go to the dwarves for you.” After a few seconds, Nomi gets up and quietly moves towards Moissanite.
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| Bree hugs her friend and then sits out the rest of her watch alone, feeling better at the thought that someone is actually helping them, for once.
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| In the middle of their fourth tenday the Irregulars are thoroughly sick of their travel. They know they’re climbing. Can feel it in their calves and thighs every day – an incline that is too slight to see, but makes itself felt with a vengeance.
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| Nomi wasn’t wrong. Every passage that seems to head off in the direction of the dwarven strongholds seems to have been collapsed. Tetchin the cart drover - a wizened old scout whose legs don’t bear a full day’s march but whose eyes and ears are sharp as ever - spent some time with Kais investigating several tunnels and helped the elf come up with enough clues to guess that at least some of the work is the doing of the drow. Despite constant vigilance and double watches from the Irregulars none of the vicious dark elves materialize, however, and even a half-day double back by Rocky reveals no pursuers.
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| Ennui has well and thoroughly set in.
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| Ezri and Caius bicker for as long as they’re awake, Kais has stopped talking at all, Bree has taken to humming and endless, discordant tune to herself and even Autun struggles to keep a level mood. On the sixth night Kais and Autun share a few hours of late watch duty, though neither of them feels much like paying attention to the pitch black emptiness around them. Autun carefully unfolds a sheet of parchment and looks at it smiling. “Is that the drawing Rumpadump made for you?” Kais asks, with uncharacteristic curiosity. Autun’s smile gets a little wistful. “It is another one. Apparently Tappy told the little guy that the pasta art would be hard to travel with. So then he drew me this.” Autun shows a drawing, much better than the stick figures Kais had seen the myconid make before. This one depicts a unicorn, though an unusual one. It’s coat is the color of good butter and its legs and snout darken to a sooty shade. The backdrop is a violet riot of green. Kais extends a finger and traces the line of the flowing black tail. “Tappy may have helped him a little. There’s more to this picture than meets the eye, isn’t there?” Autun nods. “I think Rumpadump put some spores in with the sooty parts. He said that I could use it once to read someone’s thoughts.” Kais nods thoughtfully. “He’ll grow up to be someone interesting.” Autun sighs. “I hope you are right, my friend. I worry he that he may not get to grow up at all.”
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| With that, the two men lapse into silence. At the end of their watch, when Autun pokes at the small fire to put water on for tea, Kais, who has been staring off into the distance snaps:“Put that out!” In response to the bark, Autun immediately empties the kettle onto the fire, waking up the rest of the party with a loud hiss and a cloud of steam. They see as Kais disappear from the edge of their darkvision with a stalker’s uncanny speed.
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| After a handful of tense minutes, the elf returns. “I think there’s light up ahead.”
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| Clearing the last stretch of tunnel had taken time. Once the party had traveled to the point where the light was visible to all of them and once the guide and armed guards had made their farewells, the temptation to just head out into the sun had been enormous. However, when their eyes began to water and their heads began pounding, they’d known better than to push on. A safe distance into the cave they watched the afternoon light turn to dusk and then to full dark.
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| Only then had they ventured out from their rock-covered refuge, into the freezing night air with nothing but an empty, pinpricked vastness overhead. The waning gibbous moon seemed outrageously bright as it slowly rose over rolling hills, casting a silver sheen over blades of tall grass and rocky outcrops. The Irregulars breathed steamy clouds into the air, stamped their feet and slapped their hands warm when a breeze picked up, cutting them with a force of air they hadn’t felt in months. It was exhilarating.
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| Ezri bent down and grabbed a hand of frigid, pebbly soil. She sniffed it and smiled. Caius pulled a leaf of the tall grass, wiped the soil of the stem and began to chew on it. Autun beamed a smile and said a quick prayer to Mielikkie before he grabbed a half-emtpy wine skin and poured out a generous gulp onto the ground. Kais paced around the entrance of the cave looking for tracks of anything, humanoid or otherwise. When he came back to report seeing a small stream to the east, Bree grabbed him by the arm, eyes firmly on the star-studded sky above. “I think I know where we are.”
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| Another day spent just inside the cave entrance blinking away at the brightness and a three day march later, Stool’s Irregulars stand and overlook a broad valley that undulates it’s way through the hilly land. Following the stream Kais saw has lead them here, as Bree said it would. And now the sky is dusky once again. Below them lies an area that is greener and wetter than the land they’ve traveled through. Trees grow here, willows of many ilk are grouped in stands and copses. This land is worked and shaped, tilled and grazed and even the river has been gently encouraged to fill this basin and that set of pools. A thick earthen dike surrounds a cluster of buildings in which, in just these last few minutes, plenty of lamps and candles have been lit to guide the inhabitants to their supper.
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| Standing side by side on the hillcrest stands the party. They look down. Bree has been unusually silent these last few days, but now she clears her throat. “For what it’s worth, I guess… welcome to Bogdown.”
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| Prior: [[7 February 2020]], All: [[Play_Sessions]], Next: [[14 February 2020]]
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