Slice of Glaive

We are talking amongst ourselves and recovering from what just happened. Then we hear a knock at the door and a voice asks us if we are all right. When Jarlyn responds in the affirmative, they proceed to ask us if we need clean up. We respond in the negative and return to bed.

In the morning, after breakfast, we head on out to the temple district. As we are walking and talking I hear a whistling thud and Perrol drops to the ground with a quarrel to the vitals.

Segment 12
I scan my environment but do not see anything that would indicate where the enemy is, although I do see a glaze/ichor on the quarrel. As I am near enough to Perrol I hold with the intent of trying to block any further attacks. Kross jumps up the building. Jarlyn drags Perrol over to a wagon, but there appears to be no blood trail.

Segment 3
To Jarlyn I say that he should check out how Perrol is doing since I saw what was on the crossbow bolt. I make a half move to be next to Jarlyn and Perrol so that I could attempt to block another attack should one come. Ghoral starts to dodge.

Segment 4
Jarlyn examines Perrol but sees no damage to our groupmate. Kross continues to climb.

We keep not seeing anything.

End Combat

Perrol climbs, groaning, out from under the wagon, and deciding that this must have been a shoot-and-run we continue on to the temple of Aladan. When we arrive, we see a balding man sitting behind what appears to be a reference desk. He will send out for someone knowledgeable on the topic we asked about, the Red Talon. A woman appears and tells us more about the four leaders of the Red Talon that we learned about previously. Apparently it was started by Arvaga and Kelgar who had been adventuring companions. Yanna was brought in not too long after the founding for her knowledge of the slave markets. It was only later that Valmarellion joined when they started dealing mostly in requests. We thank them for their help and Jarlyn donates to the tip jar.

We walk to the temple of Varidon and get some suspicious looks when we first walk in the door. This priestess approaches us and visibly relaxes when she notices Jarlyn’s costume and prominently displayed boon. As Perrol trails off when attempting to explain our quest, I take over only to be shot down by the priestess. Jarlyn takes over for me and she agrees to go find us someone who will help. We go over to a side room to meet with another person. She recommend us to the wizards, but does give us some interesting information about Valmarellian. He is a high ranked sorcerer, that is one who deals with magic of the mind, illusion, deception, sleep, etc. Coriries also tells us of a man in the area who sells items for protection against sorcery. When we ask how we should go about finding this person, she offers to connect us with him within the next day or so. She will send us a message at our inn.

In full combat awareness, we head over to the mage tower. When we are nearly there, we stop in to the little potion shop that we’d taken refuge in previously. The shopkeeper remembers us from before. Jarlyn asks if there happens to be any Dust of Imprisonment in stock. There are two doses in stock, but he is now charging 25sp each (last time they were 15sp). When Jarlyn asks why the increase the shopkeeper cites my presence as the reason. In fact, he calls me an unhonorable person. I am rather upset by this and state that my honor is not in question. Jarlyn then refuses to purchase from him, although Ghoral and Perrol each purchase one of the doses. We leave and head to the mage academy down the street. Once we get to the academy and head down to Igor’s minions. They report the results of their searches into arresting teleportation and combating mind control. They came up with no real solutions to the teleportation issue since the only artifacts that really work on that are huge and the magic is involved and ritualistic. As for the mind control issue, they know that there are two pendants that protect the mind as well as a very valuable headband that the academy will likely not part with. We remember that we are supposed to keep any information they give us a secret; however, we still head up to Aaron’s office in hopes of obtaining at least one of these pendants. Aaron is not in and so we will have to see him on a later date. We head back to the inn to eat lunch and have a letter-invitation waiting. In the invitation it states that we are not allowed to bring weapons larger than stiletto or dagger size. This does not bother me since I carry a magicked stiletto, but all of the others are restricted to their daggers. I also decide to wear my dress. As we are walking to the palace, Jarlyn comments to the group that it appears that Julienne has provided an escort for us. We arrive safely at the gate and, upon presentation of our invitation, we get an escort of two privates. We notice that no other guest appears to be getting an escort. They lead us to a side, service entrance. Sometime along the way Julienne joins us and explains that we are being led this way to avoid all of the fuss at the main entrance. She also explains that it is to be a short dinner in which we are thanked for serves rendered to the crown. Then there will likely be a meeting between us and the Regent Mother in which we will be granted our boons. It happens as Julienne predicted. When it comes to granting our boons we get: Ghoral-necklace to prevent audiovisual attacks, Perrol-magic travel book, Jarlyn-tower shield against missiles, Glaive-ring of featherfall, and Kross-3 arrows against spectral and one reusable exploding arrow.

We are meeting with Julienne and talking about the banquet tomorrow night. If we have any boon that we know we want from the Regent Mother, we should tell Julienne now. I can think of nothing. We head out to the mage academy; Perrol notices animals taking an interest in us as we walk. After a brief wait, we are able to get in to see Aaron without an appointment. We ask him about Valmorellian and are basically warned away. Aaron says that Valmorellian relishes the control of sentient beings in addition to having a wand that stores firebolt energy. However, both for objects that disrupt/prevent teleportation and protect against mental invasion/control we need to see Igor down in the labs. We ask the admin outside the door and she states that Igor cannot be disturbed at the current moment, but we could see his apprentices. We head down to the labs in the subbasement with a page leading. The apprentices are irritated at first, but when we decide to pay them for their research skills during the next day. Then we head on out to the temple of the Skyfather to report on our findings as well as to ask for help in suppressing teleportation and/or blocking mind control. We are greeted by the initiate who we dealt with before and he leads us directly to Matthias. When we relate that we have information on the missing families he refers us to Helen Gaius the high priestess of Hospin, who is handling all of the matters of that nature. For our search for a magical item(s), we are referred to the temple/priests of Varidon. Again when we are traveling from temple to temple, at least one member of our party notices that some animals we pass are watching us. One by one, we approach a crow that is intently studying us and it keeps it’s eyes on the group. When it is startled, the only people left in the group were Kross and myself. In all likelihood one of the two of us is the reason for which the animals study us. We arrive at the temple of Hospin and greet Helen Gaius to share our news. She is not pleased.

By the time our interview is over, it is evening and we head back to the inn for a meal and sleep. My watch passes without event. I turn in to catch some sleep. Suddenly I am awake to see a spectral figure leaning over Kross with a hand in his gut. I roll out of bed, grabbing my stiletto as I pass. Half move to get next to Kross and the spectral wraith.
Attack=Oruskormaeli with DCV 8 and miss
Attack=Oruskormaeli with DCV 4 and miss by even more

Segment 12
It floats over to Jarlyn and swings but appears not to hit. I half-move to go follow it to attempt to strike again.
Attack=Orunatiya with DCV 12 in the chest for 9 and causes it to screech horribly
Attack=Orunatiya with DCV 12 in the vitals for 4 and it lets out yet another terrifying scream while glaring at me.
Perrol swings and misses. Jarlyn cries out to the Skyfather and holds up his holy symbol. Ghoral moves over to the wraith and misses his strike as well.

Segment 3
The wraith turns tail and runs right through the wall.

End Combat

Jarlyn goes over to help Kross but he starts to recover on his own.

Gnorm the Gnome appears to be in shock. Perrol slaps him. He starts to talk about how they have his apprentice captive and the’re watching him. Ghoral comes over and recognizes that our opponent was actually a Dark Dwarf, a deep-dweller. Then we hear a person chinking, in the manner of Ghoral, outside and some murmuring. Ghoral calls out that we have trouble.

Segment 12
I use my full move to get next to Ghoral who is facing off against a very armored dwarf. There is something about him that scares me, but I’m not certain what it is. I see a red talon tattooed on him. I ask Ghoral if he knows what it is, but he doesn’t even recognize it. Perrol pipes up that he is a slaver and it clicks for me that he belongs to the Red Talons who are slavers that prey on street kids. The dwarf strikes Ghoral and the resulting concussive flash dazes all of us.

Segment 3
I recover. The Dwarf strikes out at Ghoral who manages to dodge.

Segment 4
Perrol waits to do anything at the moment. Kross looks out a window upstairs and says that there are two crossbow archers across the street. Jarlyn moves up to the otherside of the counter from the Dwarf anad tosses down a measure of his Dust of Imprisonment. This manages to freeze/imprison the Dwarf.

Segment 6
We see his eyes move around as if to say, “I’ll be back.” And then he disappears. “Well, *explitive*.”
I see that at least one of the two archers across the street is still there. This combat is not over until those who tell me where their leader poofed to so that I can finally get in my strike. I make a half move and then use my Thasori dodge. It is fortunate that I did that dodge as two crossbow bolts are released across the expanse toward me but both miss. Ghoral steps forward and speaks to them in Ghoralzad.

Segment 8
They appear to be hesitant and/or ready to give up. Kross comes out of his upstairs window and scrambles up to the roof. He is ready to fire on them if they make a wrong move. Ghoral translates for them that they are surrendering. He and I each disarm and escort one of them and take them inside.

End Combat

When interrogating the suspects, Perrol learns that Kelgar who we just dealt with was the main leader and is related to the mountainsd. There is also a Valmar…something-or-other. This strikes a chord in Perrol who remembers a Valmarrellian who is an Elvish sorceror who left the main body of Elvish society. Jarlyn and Perrol go searching in the upstairs. Ghoral and I stay below to watch the two archers, Gnorm, and the dark hole. They finish their search and return to the main room, along with Gnorm who they’d come to fetch at one point to open a chest in his room. He is glad that this appears to be over and that we are planning to report all of this. Gnorm also gives us a leather map of what was an apparent ancient gnome city under the city of Tietha. That is what lies at the end of the dark hole into the ground.

We decide to take the two archers and Gnorm to the palace where we know the guard. Partway there, one of the deep-dwellers starts to freak out because of the open sky. We all take refuge in a tavern and have an ale to calm down. Once everyone has calmed down, we head back out until we hit a guard station in the hoity-toity area of town.