Adventure 2: A Legacy of Hate

[Kylia Quilor]

It had been four weeks since the 'failed' negotiations between Archendale and Tasseldale. In the end, of course, new talks were eventually held, and with the reminder of their common enemies in the Zhentarim and the savage humanoids of the mountains, not to mention the prospect of some mysterious third party pretending to be both Zhentarim and Silver Raven alike as a looming threat, the two dales were able to come to something resembling terms to redress the deaths on both sides, come to terms about the Archwood and how to use it.

The old temple was resanctified, but in the end it was deemed impractical to hold onto the place, and the tomes were taken back to the capital - there was room in the libraries, after all, given the years of looting and damage that the many monsters living in the place over the centuries between it's abandonment and recovery had done. The ghost of Naithl Ruve'a had proved to be unable to move even when the books were, but with the books recovered, the temple resanctified (if then abandoned save for a few attendants to ensure the place wasn't desecrated easily) and the souls of his fellows put to rest, save for the one taken away, he was finally ready to pass on and did, soon enough.

For his services, Pymmarias was allowed to peruse the tomes about the theory underlying High Magic to his hearts content in the intervening weeks, as were Elvangara and Alfren, if they were inclined. But whatever it is that three of them set out to do, all three of them received a letter by military courier, sent by General Tarani Viirdon, asking them to come to her house in Myth Drannor at a specific date and time, a few days in the future. That letter was short on details, but it spoke about 'developments with regards to the question of a certain redhead', the rest of the letter similarly vague.

Two others received a letter from General Viirdon as well - T'rissae Torana and Shizune DeVir, Eilistraeean dark elves who were well-respected in the circles of the Dark Maiden, and known to have quite a record of achievement and skill behind them.

Those letters were quite different from the ones the other three recieved, however, even if still vague.

Quote

To the recipient of this letter,

You do not know me personally, but both of you have had careers of note, and skills that are well spoken of by your fellow followers of the Dark Maiden. I write to you now asking you to come to my home in Myth Drannor that is related to a matter of the security of Cormanthyr. Despite the recent peace, the Kingdom is still faced by threats in all directions, and though the followers of the Masked Lord and the Spider Queen have been beaten back and broken several times of late, reports have come to me in my official capacity of followers of both deities being up to something more than the usual nefariousness in the Spiderhaunt Woods, and there are other... related issues that bring this to the fore.

Under normal circumstances, a few reports of activity by Drow that still follow dark gods would be a matter of some scouting before more thorough followup, but for reasons I cannot put down into a letter, it is more complicated than that in this case. If you could come to me on the date included at the bottom of the letter, I will be able to elaborate more.

The Friendship between Cormanthyr and the followers of Eilistraee is an old one, and one that I believe has been fruitful for both our peoples. If followers of Lolth or Vhaeraun are indeed working actively against Cormanthyr, as opposed to merely being present in the region, then your peoples' skills and experience will be essential in checking them. However, if the reports are ultimately merely of the presence of elements of House Jaelre or Clan Auzkovyn that are not actively hostile to Cormanthyr at this time, it would be better if a fight was not started. I decided to seek followers of the Dark Maiden for this task specifically because I know you would be far more likely to refrain from fighting Drow, even ones in service to evil gods, that are not actively posting a threat to innocent lives.

As much as it shames me to admit, far too many of my best soldiers and scouts have lost too many friends or family to evil Drow for me to be sure they would not start a fight Cormanthyr may not need at this time.

General Tarani Viirdon

Myth Drannor, unlike most elven settlements on the continent of Faerun, featured a great deal of stone in it's construction, but it was still a city of the elves, and so nature was of course as much a part of the city as anything else. Though much damage had been done over the years to the skywalks and the homes and buildings built into the great trees that had been carefully grown and guided over the centuries and more in times even older than the Mythal that once gave Myth Drannor it's name were not all intact, peace had done much to allow more time and resources to be put until repairing things. There was still much to be done, but some of the old levitation pillars had been repaired, allowing easy access to the skywalks and upper levels of the city's many refurbished and reclaimed towers, and many, but not all, of the old homes, large and small, had been rebuilt.

General Viirdon's home was a modest structure, merely one floor, and not particularly large by the standards of a home built into one of these trees upper levels. It's otherwise only lightly decorated walls were covered in artfully arranged vines, some with flowers, some without, grown in a way that could only take a personal attention, and a great deal of work.

As the five invited guests each approached the front door and knocked, they were each greeted by a young elf, perhaps in her 40s or 50s, at most. When they introduced themselves or produced the letter or otherwise said they were here to see General Viirdon each in turn, the dark-haired 'teenager' would nod.

"O'SiElven for 'Mother' or 'Female Parent' said you would be coming, and to take you to her study."

Despite the name, Tarani Viirdon's study turned out to be a fairly large room, lined with several bookshelves, and several displays holding weapons, pieces of art, or in one case, under glass, what appeared to be the severed hand of some sort of demon or devil, clawed and covered in red chitinous carapace. The room also had a few maps on the walls and on the tables.

There were a number of free chairs to take, and they were invited to sit if they wished. "O'Si sent a message that she was unexpected delayed by a meeting with the Coronal, and she will be here soon. I'm supposed to get you something to eat or drink if you'd like while you wait." She didn't sound particularly thrilled about that statement, but she was being polite and at least making an effort to be a good host in the absence of her mother.

[Madadh]

Alfren Ker

A little downtime was never a bad thing and the generous reward, along with their spoils from the Zhents, had allowed him to both relax and pay for some much put off upgrades to his equipment. All in all he was in good spirits when the day arrived to answer the general's summons. When the day arrived he was better dressed than any of his traveling companions had seen him thus far, with a fresh set of traveling cloths and leathers that hadn't seen years of use on the road.

"Part of me would like to see what kind of wine your mother has on offer, but it might be early the day for that," he said to the young elf, flashing her a lopsided smirk. "How about just something light and simple everyone can enjoy while we wait?"

 

[DarkNetwerk]

T'rissae still had the letter in her hand, the excitement of seeing the legendary Myth Drannor having not worn off. In her youth, she was always told stories about how the hubris of the surface elves led to the fall of the great city and the start of the elven Retreat and, not incidentally, the reconquering of her former homeland in Maerimydra. It was refreshing to see the great city with fresh eyes, even while still under reconstruction, without the lies and exaggerations of her Lolthite brethren clouding the view.

She walked the study, her soft steps following some unheard rhythm as she weaved around the furniture to touch the vine-covered walls, which were drawing more of her interest than the displays and maps, so she could trace their natural designs.

T'rissae's white teeth and silvery-white hair contrasted against her dark skin and fine black clothes as she turned and smiled when the voices broke her from her reverie. "I have no need of sustenance at this time, but is there something that you want?" she asked the girl. "If so, perhaps bring some of that and save a portion yourself."

 

[Blanket_Thunder]

Shizune breathed a heavy sigh reading the letter, releasing a mournful breath into the air. How many of her fallen sisters had she put down in the last decade, as they refused to hear the call of the Dark Maiden? How many more still would fall before her, clinging to their prideful and spiteful ways with thoughts twisted by the influence of a goddess who viewed her worshipers as little more than play things. A deep, profound sorrow gripped the aging elf's heart.

As thoughts of these poor lost souls--the face of every fallen brother and sister over ten years--the words of the goddess echoed in her heart and mind, lifting her spirit. "All of Arvandor rejoices over one sinner who finds repentance." The words filled her with a sense of duty that overrode the sorrow of those who did not repent at the Maiden's call. "If one brother or sister heeds the call, it was all worth it." With her mind made up, she headed toward Myth Drannor with all haste. On the road, she met up with T'rissae, and they traveled together for the remainder of the trip.

Approaching the great city of Myth Drannor, Shizune's eyes filled with awe and wonder at the mighty construction of the ancient elves and the repairs of the contemporary elves who worked tirelessly to restore the fabled city. As she approached the General's home, she was stricken also by the craftsmanship necessary to weave the plants around the home in such a meticulously beautiful way.

She followed the rest of the group into the home, staying back to let everyone through and keeping her eyes moving. As everyone else spoke, Shizune scanned the room for magical emanations and stared hard at the girl to watch for any sign of malevolence.

 

Actions

Shizune has a permanent Detect Magic effect on her eyes (Drow Noble feat), so she's always able to sense magical emanations. Here particularly, she's looking for illusions and conjurations, just in case.

 

Also, She's doing a Sense Motive check on the girl.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by Blanket_Thunder (see edit history)

[Kylia Quilor]

 

[Kylia Quilor]

"What I would like, if you'll take no offense, is to not be playing host," The girl admitted in response to T'rissae, sounding a little sullen for a moment. She inhaled slowly, straightening her shoulders. "But I do have to do what needs to be done. We have some berry juice, I'll bring you that," She added to Alfren, leaving and returning a few minutes later with several ornately carved wooden cups, the exteriors decorated with flowers and vines, as well as a glass pitcher of a dark-colored juice.

The juice was blackberries, blueberries and strawberries, sweetened with honey so as to not be quite so tart.

[Fiery Gift]

Pym sat looked around his new companions with some caution. The one called T'rissae seemed kind, and clever, to offer to let their unwilling hostess get some goodies while working. Alfren, the half-human, spoke up with his usual gusto and reasonableness. Pym was content to let the man's suggestion speak for him as well.

Hello, I am Pymmarrianas. I'm a scholar specializing in ancient elven High Magic, particularly mythals. I see we've all been summoned to the same place, so I believe we may be working together if our hosts get their wish. I hope you'll forgive the question, but do you the two of you know one another from a previous experience?

Pym could only imagine the looks the two drow had gotten on their way in. Add in the half-drow Elvangara to these two, and this party would be just a few hooded cloaks and some spider necklaces from looking like a minor cult of Lolth. He started to imagine how he would begin his next correspondences . . . Having outwardly assimilated myself with the drow for scholarly purposes . . .

 

[Blanket_Thunder]

Pink eyes lit up under the silvery mane of curls atop Shizune's head. The realization that her host was honest and her surroundings were safe always brought ease to the elf's heart. Nearly two centuries of life had done little to dim her natural drow instincts of self-preservation, despite the relatively straight-forward nature of surface dwellers.

With a slight bow and a beautifully lyrical voice, Shizune answered Pym. "A pleasure to meet you. I am Shizune, healer, diplomat, and evangelist of the Dancing Maiden. We are sisters of Eilistraee here to help our gracious host with a problem she detailed for us. I am excited at the opportunity to work with you all."

Her eyes showed little of the malice that many may have come to expect from her people, instead showing sincere hope and joy. Shizune hoped that this exchange would no go as poorly as the thousand of exchanges she'd had with others who had not heard of her faith.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by Blanket_Thunder (see edit history)

[DarkNetwerk]

T'rissae pouts a bit with their interim host's words and, on her return, leans forward to respond softlysoft & calm, since the girl is close, not a whisper.: "I am not offended but know that I, as a guest, cannot truly be happy if my host is not happy. Thus, let us say that you have met your obligations as host sufficiently, and admirably, as I can so report to your mother. Perhaps you can now turn to pursuits that bring you joy? If you truly feel you must continue as host, then perhaps you could show my friend here around?" she asks pulling out a silver-striped black cat putting him on the ground in front of the girl. "He's getting a bit hot under my cloak and I don't want him damaging your mother's fine treasures here. His name is Olathan'ar... and I'm sure a dish of water may not go remiss." The cat appears to give the drow a 'look' but acquiesces and sits silently, looking up at the girl.

Turning to the others, she smiles and follows Shizune's response with her own. "Well met. I am T'rissae, a humble sword dancer for the Goddess. While we are sisters under Eilistraee, we have not been on a task together until now. I only recently returned to Cormanthor from other travels."

OOC

Just giving the girl another "out" if she wants one. Olathan'ar can just fend for himself (explore the area) if the girl has no interest in him or she decides to take option 1 and leave entirely to go have fun on her own. Otherwise, he'll go with the girl to explore wherever she takes him.

 

[Kylia Quilor]

The girl lets out a soft childish 'coo' at the sight of the cat and reached out for it, petting him softly on the head, scritching him behind the ears if he proved to be amenable to that. "I'll show him around and get him some water!" She said happily, making those noises people made to try and get a cat to follow them, patting her leg and leading him out of the study.

[Madadh]

Alfren Ker

He took the offered juice and laughed inwardly at the young woman's admission of her reluctance to play host. 'Builds character' Alfren believed would have been the phrase his teachers would have used. Instead of pressing her further Alfren straddled one of the chairs backwards, forearms resting on the back and holding is glass as he gave the two newcomers a once over.

"It would seem we are outnumbered in both gender and ethnicity, Pym," he said with another roguish smile, gesturing with his glass at the two women. "Alfren Ker. Professional vagabond, monster slayer, tracker, and general thorn in the side of Zhents and their ilk, at your service."

 

[ccanary]

 

Elvangara Collosz

Elvangara Collosz — Half Elf (Drow) Investigator 9
AC/T/FF 25/15/22 | HP 81/81 | Init +7 | Speed 30ft | Fort/Ref/Will 10/12/12 | Darkvision
Inspiration 8/8 (1d6+2)| Martial Flexibility 4/4

Active Conditions (not included in stats above):

•  
•  

 

Extracts

1st (4/4)
 

Narrative

There... was a lot going on.

Elvangara moved in with Starlight, a faerie dragon the size of a house cat, perched on a shoulder. Elva was quite a bit broader of shoulder than most half-elf women, and more than a few men for that matter, and the dragon had plenty of room.

"Pleasure to meet you Tarani. Alfren. Pym." she in turn at the individuals she knew in the room, and the daughter of their host. Her eyes glanced between the two dark elf women she didn't know in the room, giving each a brief hint of a smile and nod, but no other greeting. At least not yet. One of them at least seemed quite... careful, observing intently the young Tarani. Some might have said paranoid, but Elva didn't blame her. It was difficult to trust anyone the way things had been going.

But as Pym and Alfren moved to be hospitable to the newcomers, Elvangara joined them, greeting first Shizune with a formal embrace, "I am Elvangara Collosz, I look forward to joining you in the dance." then offering the same embrace and greeting to T'Rissae. Starlight had noticed Olathan'ar when the sword dancer had brought him out, but while she had her eyes locked on the cat, she made no move off of Elva's shoulder, even as Tarani entertained the cat.

She turned to Alfren and laughed at his comment, replying, "Well, now you know how I felt at the temple!. I'm so glad Naithl Ruve'a was able to find his eternal rest. He deserved better than his interminable fate on this plane."

 

Mechanics

 

Swift:

Move:

Standard:
Free:

AoO if needed:

 

 

[Kylia Quilor]

General Tarani Viirdon arrived a few minutes later, not wearing her heavy armor, though her sword was at her belt. She wore simple, but well made clothes of green and brown, and long her hair fell freely around her face. Her face showed her age, as it had last time they'd seen her, but even more so, her expression worried, brow furrowed, and she was looking like she hadn't had much sleep lately. She wiped her hand across her eyes a moment as she saw them all there, and nodded.

"My apologies for not being here to greet you all when you arrived," she said softly, "It's good to see you again," she nodded to Pym, Alfren and Elva, "And I'm glad you received my message and were willing to come," She nodded to T'rissae and Shizune.

"The information in the letter I sent to you both is accurate - followers of both the Spider Queen and the Masked Lord appear to be active in the Spiderhaunt Wood, which, despite it's name, has not been known to be a center of activity for dark elves, of any stripe. But one assumes that they may have bene pushed to the margins of the region, thanks to the events of the war. But that is not the only concern, as these three," she gestured to the three she already know, "might have guessed. I don't know if either of you heard about the recent talks between Tasseldale and Archendale, to resolve their border spat before it broke into blood feud or even word, but the recent successful talks were nearly sabotaged by a group of hobgoblins who may or may not have been working for someone connected to Sembia and the Silver Ravens. There's a lot we never found out, but during the events, one of our diplomats, Hirume Aleurra, my daughter's father, among other things, was kidnapped. Thanks to the efforts of these three, and others, he was recovered, and a Zhent plot to loot a lost temple was sabotaged, but the question of who was ultimately behind the attack on the talks remained. She was identified as a half-elven woman with long red hair named Jannessey."

Elva, Pym and Alfren recalled an exchange of words and looks between General Viidon and Hirume that had hinted at a history, but they had had no idea the history was that he was the father of her daughter, or anything close.

"I've been trying to track this woman down over the last few weeks, or at least identify who she works for. Oddly enough, I have found reports of a woman matching her description exactly, though operating under several names, working for Mirabeta Selkirk, Miklos Selkirk and the Zhentarim, during the last few months. She's quite a busy woman, clearly. Which brings us to the Spiderhaunt Wood."

She poured herself a glass of the juice and took a sip before continuing. "There is a small village of forest gnomes named Stormpemhauder, in the Spiderhaunt Wood. Long ago, the village was friendly with Cormanthyr and was under the Kingdom's protection, and once more, we have extended that protection to them, though they have rarely been in need of it. One week ago, a half-elf with red hair whose description matches Jannessey exactly was seen passing through near village. Something about her made one of the locals, an old friend of mine named Blin Amberstone, suspicious, and he followed her. He saw her speaking - peaceably - with two distinct groups of dark elves, one led by a woman bearing the symbol of Lolth, the other led by a man who can only be Jezz the Lame, one of the more infamous of House Jaelre's raiders. He couldn't get close enough to hear, and I'm glad he didn't take the risk, Blin is an old man now, but he did send word to me."

"There is reason to believe Jezz the Lame may have had a falling out with the leadership of House Jaelre, such as survived the war, but even if he has, Cormanthyr doesn't need to risk starting a war with him, or any other followers of the Masked Lord, if they are - for now - content to remain to themselves. Which, apart from the role of Jannessey in these matters, is the reason I wanted your help," she looked again to T'rissae and Shizune. "As I said in my letter, there are too many of my best soldiers and scouts who would be unwilling to speak peaceably with a follower of Lolth or Vhaeraun, under any circumstances. The losses in the war are too fresh for them. But if further conflict can be avoided, even if just for now... we must take that step." She shook her head slowly, letting out a long breath.

"In short, I need you five to go to the Spiderhaunt Wood, find these two groups of drow and determine what sort of threat, if any, they pose for now, and either find Jannessey, or a lead on her location, her ultimate loyalties... anything. I can't point to anything but my own instinct, but I think the threat she poses is far greater than it appears."

[ccanary]

 

Elvangara Collosz

Elvangara Collosz — Half Elf (Drow) Investigator 9
AC/T/FF 25/15/22 | HP 81/81 | Init +7 | Speed 30ft | Fort/Ref/Will 10/12/12 | Darkvision
Inspiration 8/8 (1d6+2)| Martial Flexibility 4/4

Active Conditions (not included in stats above):

•  
•  

 

Extracts

1st (4/4)
 

Narrative

Elvangara pulled a few vials out of her belt and quickly mixed up an extract.

"Mother always says this is something I should not do in polite company. I do hope you'll excuse me. It ... helps clear the mind and with my recall of sundry facts." She poured the vial into her glass of juice then drank it, pausing for a moment to close her eyes and shiver then open them again clear and bright.

 

Mechanics

Tears to wine - +5 to int and wis checks

Checks to come, because I can't recall how to do inline dice on bladr

Took 10 on all knowledge checks, added inspiration for free (d6+2) +5 for tears to wine and +8 or +12 skill mod.

 

Swift:

Move:

Standard:
Free:

AoO if needed:

 

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by ccanary (see edit history)

[DarkNetwerk]

T'rissae nodded back when the general acknowledged her and Shizune. Her head began to swim with all the information General Viirdon imparted to the group. Apparently some intrigue was afoot, perhaps a continuation of related activities the three others had helped to prevent. As she began to compartmentalize the information to see how it may align with anything she may have already known, one thing did stand out to her... The letter mentioned followers of the Masked One and the Spider Queen were up to something, but what are Vhaeraunites and Lolthites doing together... or at least amicable enough to have a peaceful conversation with this third party? she wondered.

She focused back on the general when she mentioned the interest in keeping the peace with the drow, where possible, and nodded. "Indeed," she replied. "One cannot come to witness the Dark Maiden dancing in the moonlight if one is dead." 

OOC

T'rissae Torana (character post with statblock and sheet link)

Running the information through her own Knowledge. Possiblly relevant ones could be history, geography, local, & nobility (all +7), and maybe religion (+11). Always take 10 when not in danger or distracted, so no need to roll.