Cynalon Knights #9

[GM Mad]

Cynalon Knights #9


The Guardians have arrived at Karn’s Keep. They mix and mingle with those already at the Keep.

Po steps out of the Stone House, leading Validar’s mounts to the stables. Arocken comes out and greets his old friends. Later, he and Dar can be found practicing at the archery range.

The hulking Blod will say hello to the new arrivals, “Any friend of Sir Clang is a friend of me!”

Standing close to Blod is an attractive woman with very long blonde hair and she is introduced as Zynara, Blod’s wife. Zynara is also quite tall for a woman, nearly 6’0”, but seems normal sized next to Blod who is 7’0” on his own! Wrapped about Zynara’s shoulders is a large python, her familiar Sheba.

Spotting his mentor, Chareos greets Sharadin with a hearty handshake and asks him how he has faired since last they met. “Master Sharadin,” he says in respect, “You spoke of membership for the Mage Guild here. Is the offer still valid? I am curious to see what spells it has to offer, whether old or new.”

“Welcome to Karn’s Keep, Lord Chareos,” Lord Sharadin responds, returning the handshake. “Yes, Guild membership was granted to all mages in your band. You are free to make use of the library. The spells that were found here contained many of the basic magicks and even more new spells were added from Opikus’ books. A few others have been added by other members since that time. Feel free to explore the tomes and add new spells to your books. You’ll be expected to add any new magicks to our growing pool when you come across them.”

“A pleasure as always, Lord Sharadin. I still have the 5th level spell book of Opikus in my possession. I’ve just started to plumb it secrets, but I will be finished with it before we depart, so it can be properly secured for all the Guild to us.”

“Welcome back to Karn’s Keep, Lady Argent. “Your usual chambers are ready for your use. Good, I wish to examine that tome myself when time permits. Make yourself at home.”

[GM Mad]

Later in the evening, Lyonessa plays her songs and a crowd gathers. Among the first there is a halfling female who gives the bardess a toothy grin.

“You’re pretty”, the halfling says, elongating ‘pretty’ as she speaks flashing a toothy grin. “Hi, I’m Bernice!”

Eyeing Dusk, Bernice asks, “Is that your pet? If so, you should be careful with him! That evil snake might eat him!”


Later some of the other nobles stop to listen to Lyonessa sing and play. One comes forth to introduce himself. He’s a handsome young man dressed in rich black clothing.

“You have the voice of an angel, my dear!” The man says stepping up to Lyonessa. “I am Lord Tanon Radu. To whom to do I have the honor and privilege of listening to?”


Later that evening, the King grants Yusef and audience. His Majesty listens as Yusef recounts the tale of ties to the Deville family.

"My mother, Nerita bint Falawi Al-Rashid, is a direct descendent of Rashid al-Khalil. She was kidnapped while on a trip and sold to the Deville’s as a slave. My father, Daniel Deville used her for his own pleasure, as is the way of the Deville’s. Out of that union, I was born and became a slave as well, though the family introduced me to some of their lifestyle as well. But I fled when the opportunity arose rather than become like them." There is pride in his voice when Yusef speaks of his mother, but a vacant absence of emotion when speaking of the Deville’s and his life with them.

"I would gladly give my life to free my mother and send her home to our people. Any additional vengeance I can wreak on her captors would please me greatly," Yusef concludes, fierce anticipation in his eyes.

“I see”, the King says as he goes over what he has heard. “So your connection to the Devilles is tenuous at best. While you are a Priest of Celestian, there is demon blood in your veins and that does cloud the issue. However, I am ready to pronounce judgment. Assist in the task of eliminating those Devilles who are evil and you will have earned your freedom. Help Baron Validar and his associates in hunting them down and their stain will cover you no more. Best of luck to you, Yusef of Celestian.”

[GM Mad]

The next morning, Silvarn is ready to take Anja and Nina to her people to help rehabilitate them. Ivy, Yusef, and Lyonessa are going along as well.

“The spell I am about to cast is very powerful and a variation of a normal Teleport Without Error enchantment. But this is necessary, as we will be traveling a very great distance in just the blink of an eye. Everyone ready?”

To those looking on, Silvarn casts her spell. Those with Spellcraft will see that is has some similarities to a Teleport spell, but there are noticeable differences and is far more complex. The magic surrounds the six individuals and their forms begin to waver. Then they are seemingly all drawn into a single point that just vanishes.

To those in the spell, the effects feel weird, but they are not harmful in any manner. The magic releases you and you are in a far different place. You’re standing on a forty-foot wide circular platform. The platform is solid marble with an elegant pattern laid into it. A ring of eight pillars line the platform, supporting the upper parts of the tower. The areas between the pillars are wide open, allowing sight out into the surrounding area.

The platform you’re standing on is some two hundred feet above the ground. Down below, a vast city sprawls outwards. It is larger than any city you have ever seen before. A few estates can be seen and these are incredibly large in size. Many are larger than most towns! The city sprawls out as far as the eye can see in every direction. Most of the buildings seem to be carved from ice.

It is seemingly a bright, sunny day, but those who look up into the sky are in for a shock. There are two suns in the sky and neither of them looks like the one you’re familiar with! There’s a larger than normal reddish sun and a second is much smaller and bluish in color.

“This is an arrival tower,” Silvarn explains. “The engraving on the floor functions as a target for those using teleportation spells. Those familiar with teleportation spells know that there is a danger of arriving at your target high or low. This tower takes that into consideration and will allow those who miss their mark to still arrive safely.”

Stairs spiral along the outer edge of the tower, going up and down. Silvarn leads the way down the stairs. After descending about twenty feet, the stairs end at a ledge. The tower below the platform is hollow and there seems to be no way down!

“Those who arrive low appear in this shaft,” Silvarn continues to explain. “But there is no danger. A permanent Feather Fall affect has been placed here, so anyone who appears here simply floats safely to the ground. The upper part of this power functions the same way for those who arrive higher than their target. Follow me!”

Silvarn fearlessly steps of the ledge and begins to fall. But after a few feet her momentum slows and she wafts down the shaft light as a feather.

There are multiple exits from the base of the tower. Silvarn leads the way and you’re passing through streets filled with numerous beings of all shapes and sizes. All are dressed lightly, as if this was some tropical location. There are races here that you’ve never seen before! No one around seems to believe that any of this is out of the ordinary. You’re only given a curiosity glance by some of the passersby.

Silvarn pauses to get her bearings. “This way. Our destination lies this way.”

Silvarn will then lead you deeper into the Silver Dragon city. She’ll do her best to answer any questions that you might have.


Now what?

[Gabriella]

Gabriella:

“Well met, Lady Allonica,” Argent responds. “Yes, that is correct. Lady Jallarzi Salavarian tutored me. I thought you looked familiar, Lady Gabriella. My parents are shopkeepers in Crossroads and they regularly deal with the Allonica family for their supplies. I must say, that is a very lovely dress. Do you have a favorite tailor that you might recommend?”

“It is always good to meet another citizen of Crossroads,” Lady Gabriella answers. “My family does business with most of the town in some capacity or another. There is an excellent tailor there who does all my dresses. Baris is his name and he has a shop on Ashe street.”

"My mother, Nerita bint Falawi Al-Rashid, is a direct descendent of Rashid al-Khalil. She was kidnapped while on a trip and sold to the Deville’s as a slave. My father, Daniel Deville used her for his own pleasure, as is the way of the Deville’s. Out of that union, I was born and became a slave as well, though the family introduced me to some of their lifestyle as well. But I fled when the opportunity arose rather than become like them." There is pride in his voice when Yusef speaks of his mother, but a vacant absence of emotion when speaking of the Deville’s and his life with them.

"I would gladly give my life to free my mother and send her home to our people. Any additional vengeance I can wreak on her captors would please me greatly," Yusef concludes, fierce anticipation in his eyes.

Lady Gabriella listens to Yusef’s tale with interest. It seems that she and he have something in common. Both of their mothers hail from the lands far to the west. Later, when properly introduced to Yusef, Lady Gabriella adds.

“It seems that our mothers both came from Zakhara, far to the west. My mother’s family are merchants currently based in Elcadan. Have you heard of the Al-Azrad family? My mother married my father from the merchant family Allonica based in Crossroads.”

[Corley]

Sir Corley:

The hulking Blod will say hello to the new arrivals, “Any friend of Sir Clang is a friend of me.”

Standing close to Blod is an attractive woman with very long blonde hair and she is introduced as Zynara, Blod’s wife. Zynara is also quite tall for a woman, nearly 6’0”, but seems normal sized next to Blod who is 7’0” on his own! Wrapped about Zynara’s shoulders is a large python, her familiar Sheba.

“Sir Clang?” Sir Corley can’t help but utter upon hearing the words of Blod. “Well met, Blod and a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Zynara.”


Later that evening, Sir Corley attends Yusef’s audience with the King. Yusef tells his tale and the King makes his judgment.

“I see”, the King says as he goes over what he has heard. “So your connection to the Deville’s is tenuous at best. While you are a Priest of Celestian, there is demon blood in your veins and that does cloud the issue. However, I am ready to pronounce judgment. Assist in the task of eliminating those Deville’s who are evil and you will have earned your freedom. Help Baron Validar and his associates in hunting them down and their stain will cover you no more. Best of luck to you, Yusef of Celestian.”

“A little harsher than I would have thought,” Sir Corley whispers to Baron Validar. “But it does seem to be a fair judgment on the whole. Let a man’s deeds speak for themselves.”


Next day those who raided the Ice Palace take their rewards.

“Since there are no conflicts, everyone may take what they choose. Yusef, you didn’t make any choice as of yet. Is there anything that you wish to have?”

"Hmmm, ice arrows could be handy," Sherra says out loud to herself, and will take 10 of them since she doesn't want to completely deplete her normal arrow supply.

"A few extra daggers could always be useful too." She will tuck away another brace of those as well, leaving plenty for anyone else who may want some.

"Of course the short bow would be helpful as well," Sherra adds, but will wait to see if anyone else is in need of it. After all, she can't be too greedy.

“If no one else wants any of these items, you may take as much as you wish, Lady Sherra. I am sure that they will be useful in the battles to come.”

[Ivy]

Ivy:

Next morning, Ivy enjoys a quiet breakfast with Sir Acerion after saying her morning prayers and restoring her spells. The time comes to depart on this journey Silvarn is taking them on. Ivy casts Endure Cold on herself and Anja for the trip.

“The spell I am about to cast is very powerful and a variation of a normal Teleport Without Error enchantment. But this is necessary, as we will be traveling a very great distance in just the blink of an eye. Everyone ready?”

Not quite understanding what Silvarn is speaking off, Ivy just says, “I am ready as I will ever be.”

Silvarn casts her spell and Ivy finds herself in a very different place!

To those in the spell, the effects feel weird, but they are not harmful in any manner. The magic releases you and you are in a far different place. You’re standing on a forty-foot wide circular platform. The platform is solid marble with an elegant pattern laid into it. A ring of eight pillars line the platform, supporting the upper parts of the tower. The areas between the pillars are wide open, allowing sight out into the surrounding area.

The platform you’re standing on is some two hundred feet above the ground. Down below, a vast city sprawls outwards. It is larger than any city you have ever seen before. A few estates can be seen and these are incredibly large in size. Many are larger than most towns! The city sprawls out as far as the eye can see in every direction. Most of the buildings seem to be carved from ice.

It is seemingly a bright, sunny day, but those who look up into the sky are in for a shock. There are two suns in the sky and neither of them looks like the one you’re familiar with! There’s a larger than normal reddish sun and a second is much smaller and bluish in color.

Ivy cannot find the words to say in response to what she sees. The Silver Dragon city is huge and goes as far as the eye can see in any direction. And then Ivy notices the sky! There are two different colored suns in the sky!

“By the Blue Lady! How is that possible?! Where are we?”

“This is an arrival tower,” Silvarn explains. “The engraving on the floor functions as a target for those using teleportation spells. Those familiar with teleportation spells know that there is a danger of arriving at your target high or low. This tower takes that into consideration and will allow those who miss their mark to still arrive safely.”

Stairs spiral along the outer edge of the tower, going up and down. Silvarn leads the way down the stairs. After descending about twenty feet, the stairs end at a ledge. The tower below the platform is hollow and there seems to be no way down!

“Those who arrive low appear in this shaft,” Silvarn continues to explain. “But there is no danger. A permanent Feather Fall affect has been placed here, so anyone who appears here simply floats safely to the ground. The upper part of this power functions the same way for those who arrive higher than their target. Follow me!”

Silvarn fearlessly steps of the ledge and begins to fall. But after a few feet her momentum slows and she wafts down the shaft light as a feather.

Still somewhat in shock over what she’s seen, Ivy follows Silvarn down the stairs. To her surprise they simply end, hundreds of feet over the ground. Silvarn explains something about the way teleportation spells work, but much of it goes over Ivy’s head. Silvarn steps off the ledge and then just floats safely to the ground before.

Ivy exchanges glances with her companions. “Well, if we can’t trust a Silver Dragon, who can we trust?”

Ivy then steps from the ledge. She feels panic as she’s pulled to the ground, but then it suddenly stops and then it feels as if she’s floating on air. The experience turns out to be enjoyable and the panic is long gone by the time Ivy reaches the ground.

There are multiple exits from the base of the tower. Silvarn leads the way and you’re passing through streets filled with numerous beings of all shapes and sizes. All are dressed lightly, as if this was some tropical location. There are races here that you’ve never seen before! No one around seems to believe that any of this is out of the ordinary. You’re only given a curiosity glance by some of the passersby.

Silvarn pauses to get her bearings. “This way. Our destination lies this way.”

The sight of all these strange beings gives Ivy the feeling that she’s seen something like this before, but she can’t quite place it. “All these beings here. Are they all like you, Silvarn?”

Ivy follows Silvarn along.

[Argent]

Argent:

“Welcome back to Karn’s Keep, Lady Argent. “Your usual chambers are ready for your use. Good, I wish to examine that tome myself when time permits. Make yourself at home.”

“Thank you, Lord Sharadin. I appreciate it.”

Lyonessa will think on that for a moment, "You know Argent, you probably are right on that." Since it doesn't seem anyone else wanted them, Lyonessa will take the bracers.

“The way I look at it, we mages need all the protection we can get!”

"Yes, the call for a place of one's own is strong indeed. Even the most dedicated wandered wishes to have a place to settle eventually. I cannot say what the situation will be exactly, but I am certain that the transition to the new Duke's rule will not go seamlessly. There should be several options when the dust settles."

“We’ll see what is available when the time comes.”

"Indeed. We have many connections to Elcadan in the Guardians. With the continued dedication and efforts of this group, her people will benefit greatly from our actions," Validar says, "As will we."

“It should be a mutually beneficial arrangement,” Argent agrees.

“Always good to meet another citizen of Crossroads.” Lady Gabriella answers. “My family does business with most of the town in some capacity. There is an excellent tailor there who does all my dresses. Baris is his name and he has a shop on Ashe Street.”

“Baris on Ashe street. Thank you very much, Lady Gabriella. I will seek him out the next time I am in Crossroads.”

[Serena]

Serena:

"Well met, Serena of Mystra. I am Sherra," she responds. "Actually I tend to make my own luck," she says to the question. "Although I know well enough to pay my respects when I have an opportunity to do so."

“You are wise to do so,” Serena agrees. “My first impression was that you were a Priestess of Tymora, but now I see you are just paying your respects. I will interrupt your prayers no longer.”

To those looking on, Silvarn casts her spell. Those with Spellcraft will see that is has some similarities to a Teleport spell, but there are noticeable differences and is far more complex. The magic surrounds the six individuals and their forms begin to waver. Then they are seemingly all drawn into a single point that just vanishes.

Serena watches with interest as Silvarn casts her spell. It is magic that she is vaguely familiar with, but far more complex with at the same time. This Silvarn is a very powerful spell caster.

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

Lady Gabriella Allonica:
“Come now,” Gabriella retorts with a smile, “it would not be that exciting to watch. Typically the best results are achieved without the presence of men. They tend to cloud the issue.”

"Aha, so that is your secret!"


“Yes, that is true, but should Ardelphia be restored, then these two could also become very important in the direction that domain goes. They would be in a position to sway Lady Ardel and whomever she does eventually marry. You should introduce me to Sir Acerion and his betrothed so that I may get to know her better.”

"A fine suggestion, my lady. I had not considered that as yet," Validar says. "I shall do so at the earliest opportunity."

The next morning, Validar will take Gabriella to meet Sir Acerion and his lady Ivy. They meet up after breakfast, but before Ivy heads to Silvern's realm.

"Greetings, this fine morning, my friends," Validar says, as the pair are located. "I have someone I would like to introduce to you. Gabriella, these are my friends and comrades. Sir Acerion, Paladin of Heironeous and Lady Ivy, priestess of Azrella." Validar indicates each of the pair in turn. "This is the Lady Gabriella Allonica," he adds to his friends.

"I trust your reunion has been pleasant and well-received," he says with a smile.

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

Sir Corley:
“I cannot say that I ever aspired to rule personally, but I would not shy away from the opportunity either. Alas, I feel my abilities are best served in the field for now rather than settling down to rule. Aye, it would indeed depend on the baroness. I believe I know what you are eluding to, my friend, based on our past conversations. Indeed, I am not opposed to such an outcome, but much remains to be done to see such a thing come to pass.”

"Life does not always go as we plan and often it changes more quickly than we expect. I had not guessed I would gain the Barony of Pyris this year. Not long ago, I was still following my impulses for adventure in the Frontier. Now I am a member of the Lords Council, a Baron, betrothed to a beautiful woman, unofficially of course, and seeking to reclaim Elcadan. All that from a simple letter from my mother, requiring me to return home."

"As for this other baroness, were you opposed I might have to send you to a cleric for some serious conversations. Much does remain to be done, but it will be completed before we know it, my friend."


“At least it sounds like we are only dealing with ambitious individuals here, not a unified front. The full weight of Alphatia would not be upon us, I hope. Still, there might be those from that far-off land who would come and who would put selfishness aside and assist the fair Kharyna in her task. That notion cannot be discounted. Regardless, I feel the fair maiden is more than the equal of the task.”

"You may well be correct, and I hope so. At least for the moment. Still I would not be surprised to see Alphatia start to turn her attention more this way as Cynalon becomes more powerful, both to hold us down and to seek to control us. If we become valuable, those infernal Alphatians will stick their nose into our business."

"Kharyna is indeed equal to the task. She has a destiny it seems and the ability to fulfill it. She will be a powerful figure in the future."


“Indeed, I would be unsure how to proceed wisely without Silvarn’s assistance. Given the nature of her people, they can surely control a low ranking priestess or two. Even ones of questionable birth.”

"Yes, as you said, a perfect solution has presented itself and as such, no longer a worry for the present."


“Then perhaps it would be wise of us to learn whatever we can about the nature of these demons. What attacks harm them and which have proven to be ineffective. At least understand the power that we are facing rather than charging blindly into battle.”

"A wise suggestion my friend. I will endeavor to have Dame Sarl and Lord Sharadin join us at the meeting, as well as my cousin, the Lady Sallavarian. They should have significant knowledge between them. Perhaps we can inquire as to who else may have knowledge of the underplane denizins. Elspeth seems to be wise, perhaps we should ask for her to join us as well?"


“Perhaps, at some point, we should take a lesson from our ancestors and dare what the legendary paladin Valen and the Sorceress Elenia did. Go into Vassa and strike at the heart of our ultimate enemy. As many have said, including Lord Sherwood, the prime movers for all our troubles do stem from the Witch-King Zhengyi and his associated liches. Aye, that would be a task for the ages!”

Validar looks away whistfully as Sir Corley speaks. "Your wordsecho those of my heart, my friend. We are not ready for such a task, but one day the situation will align itself. We have much to accomplish before that day, but we will see it. That I am sure of."


“My sword is always at your disposal, my friend! Let the bards sing of our accomplishments and our foes tremble in fear! There are foes to be fought and the hearts of maidens to be won!”

"My eternal thanks, Sir Corley. Let evil tremble and quake, for the Swords of Cynalon shall know lasting victory!"


Meeting with Gabriella and Sherra:
Sherra simply smiles at Validar's playfulness. She's decided to behave in front of his lady, thankfully for him. The rest of the information is quite useful however.

"You've always known that I'll help you in every way I can Validar," she says. "I'm looking forward to feeling useful again anyway considering in our recent engagement against the ice priestesses I was all but useless at the end."

"We each have our skills and our uses and we all have situations that we feel less than adequate. That is why we band together so that our talents cover those of the others. Together, we can overcome any foe, any situation."

"While I understand your obvious frustration, I cannot help but suggest that you may be relied on more in the future than ever before."


“Well met, Sherra,” Lady Allonica says with her usual smile. If she finds Sherra’s attire to be unusual, Gabriella makes no note of it. “Very pleased to meet you. It is entirely possible that we will need those with naval skills at some point once Akorros has been liberated. There would be many opportunities with access to Lake Amsorak once more.”

"A pleasure to meet you as well," Sherra responds. "It would be good to have the feel of a sturdy ship beneath these feet sometime in the future. Maybe a small fleet of them..." she adds the last with a telling smile.

Validar looks on, as Gabriella mentions talk of claiming Akorros. "She is getting into the idea of ruling and expanding that rule," Validar thinks to himself. "Very good," a slight smile is all that graces his face as his lady speaks.

"Gabriella is correct. Once Stone Ridge is reclaimed then it is a natural progression to claim Akorros, as well as the entire lake area. Then that would leave Old Elcadan, the very nest of demons itself. I have the feeling that should you wish, that fleet may soon be yours."

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

Yusef:
"You may be right, though I know that some of the demons they deal with can be fiendishly clever. We should probably not take too much for granted. And they may have defenders that are even less human than they."

"That is a concern of mine as well. Still I welcome the opportunity to match wits and steel with the underplanar creatures. It gives us a chance to fulfill an important series of missions now and also to learn as much as possible about an enemy I fear we will be in conflict with many times in the future."


Yusef's Audience with the King:
“I see”, the King says as he goes over what he has heard. “So your connection to the Devilles is tenuous at best. While you are a Priest of Celestian, there is demon blood in your veins and that does cloud the issue. However, I am ready to pronounce judgment. Assist in the task of eliminating those Devilles who are evil and you will have earned your freedom. Help Baron Validar and his associates in hunting them down and their stain will cover you no more. Best of luck to you, Yusef of Celestian.”

The matter is ended quickly and decisively. Validar has no need to speak regarding the situation, as the King has been quite lenient with his proclamation and apparently trusts the Guardians to make certain the Yusef is what he claims to be.

“A little harsher than I would have thought,” Sir Corley whispers to Baron Validar. “But it does seem to be a fair judgment on the whole. Let a man’s deeds speak for themselves.”

"Perhaps," Validar whispers back to his friend. "Perhaps not. The King has no knowledge of the man, other than his brief association with us and with Lord Sherwood, who is not available. It is a decree and a philosophy which I agree with, but I could also see the King being more cautious in his judgement. Demons are evil, afterall."

When the audience has ended, Validar will take the moment to approach Yusef. He places his hand on the priest's shoulder. "As I said, my wandering friend, the King is a just man. He has judged you the same way that we did when you asked us to join, by your actions. Now, we shall destroy the enemy Devilles and free your mother in the process."

Then he turns to his lady. "I mentioned to you before that Lady Allonica shares your maternal heritage. Lady Gabriella, this is Yusef ibn Nerita bint Falawi Al-Rashid, priest of Celestian and fellow Guardian of Light."

“It seems that our mothers both came from Zakhara, far to the west. My mother’s family are merchants currently based in Elcadan. Have you heard of the Al-Azrad family? My mother married my father from the merchant family Allonica based in Crossroads.”

The next day Strategy Session:
Validar will request that the Guardians and the New Seekers all join him, including their current allies, Serena and Crysania, as well as Lady Allonica, Lady Sallavarian, Lord Sharadin, Dame Sharl and the priestess Elspeth. They hope to get some information on demons and the Deville family.

"Thank you all for coming. We shall endeavor to not keep you all, but we have need of your considerable experience and knowledge in the coming battles. As you all know, Elcadan has been a problem for some time. Now with the new Duke seekin to reclaim Elcadan and give it a rebirth, we must deal with various enemies, not the least of which is the vile Deville family and their association with demons."

"We have a location that the family may have fled to and if they are there, then we are certain to run into these demonic cohorts. In addition, the contingent that is riding to Elcadan with Duke Relon may very well encounter demonic resistance along the way as well. While I have had some brief encounters with the infernal creatures, we would do well to know all we can of them and how to best combat this enemy."

Validar will then turn the floor over to his guests, nodding towards Dame Sharl firstly, as the highest ranking individual present. "Dame Sharl?"

[Chareos]

Chareos

Argent-

“There’s a great deal of history to this place. It was originally built by giants and has been held by numerous other parties since them. The Lich Queen Varalla held sway here for a time, until she was slain by Victor the second. Later in came into Karn’s position as a gift from Keln himself. The Sword of Doom was believed to be stored here, but at that time no one was quite sure of its true nature. There is also a pillar artifact down in the basement, much like the one that was discovered under Gateway. It is an artifact of the Elders.”

Confusion sets into his brow, wondering exactly what the Sword of Doom was. Though he cannot recall much about it.

“It’s been the closest thing to home for me as of late. I found Ashemmi’s style to be well matched with my own. Most of my dresses, jewelry, and several magic items were originally hers.”

“Least you have somewhere you can call home. I haven’t had such a place since I finished my training with Lord Sharadin,” he says simply.

“I see,” he says with a smile, though wondering if anything else may or may not have been left behind. “With all that you possess, her collection must have been fairly large. I don’t recall seeing you wear many items more than once,” he says with a chuckle.

“After the Company of the Sword joined forces with the Seekers, I remained behind. Lord Sharadin had a task for me to further research the Pillar Artifact down in the basement. But there was an accident and the project was abandoned. It was not long after that I joined the Guardians.”

“Accident? What sort of accident? Were you harmed?” he asks with a bit of concern in his voice.


As the night progresses Chareos excuses himself from Argent’s company. “The hour is late, and we must get some sleep. I trust I will see you for breakfast?" He asks.

Quote:

The hulking Blod will say hello to the new arrivals, “Any friend of Sir Clang is a friend of me!”

Standing close to Blod is an attractive woman with very long blonde hair and she is introduced as Zynara, Blod’s wife. Zynara is also quite tall for a woman, nearly 6’0”, but seems normal sized next to Blod who is 7’0” on his own! Wrapped about Zynara’s shoulders is a large python, her familiar Sheba.

“Sir Clang?” he asks in confusion. As the realization hits, Chareos chuckles, “Yes it does fit,” he says while casting a glance at Validar and his betrothed. "And you mine,” he says at the boisterous large man. “Tis my pleasure to meet both of you. Zynara, an interesting name. Where do you hail from?” He asked curiously never hearing a name such as that.

“Welcome to Karn’s Keep, Lord Chareos,” Lord Sharadin responds, returning the handshake. “Yes, Guild membership was granted to all mages in your band. You are free to make use of the library. The spells that were found here contained many of the basic magicks and even more new spells were added from Opikus’ books. A few others have been added by other members since that time. Feel free to explore the tomes and add new spells to your books. You’ll be expected to add any new magicks to our growing pool when you come across them.”

‘Thank you, Master.” Never one to forget who taught him. “When I come across such things it will be done so.”

Yusef“

"I see”, the King says as he goes over what he has heard. “So your connection to the Deville’s is tenuous at best. While you are a Priest of Celestian, there is demon blood in your veins and that does cloud the issue. However, I am ready to pronounce judgment. Assist in the task of eliminating those Deville’s who are evil and you will have earned your freedom. Help Baron Validar and his associates in hunting them down and their stain will cover you no more. Best of luck to you, Yusef of Celestian.”

Remaining quiet, Chareos listens to the exchange. He hears muttering to his side about deeds speaking for themselves. A view he certainly agrees with. Afterward he will make his way over to Yusef and place a hand on his shoulder.

“I will do I’ll I can to help you cleanse yourself of your families atrocities and free your mother, my friend.” Hoping that it is not too bold a thing to say.

“Since there are no conflicts, everyone may take what they choose. Yusef, you didn’t make any choice as of yet. Is there anything that you wish to have?”

Walking forward Chareos will gather up the frostbrand and strap it to his side, drawing the blade from the sheath Chareos eyes the blade from tip to hilt, feeling the balance within his hands. “This will take some getting used to, bit heavier then the broadsword.” He says absently out loud. Resheathing the frostbrand Chareos will proceed toward Baron Validar as well as Sir Corley, “I know our time here is short but could you show me the basics of the long sword while we travel?”

In the morning Chareos rises early and heads down to the kitchen, grabbing a platter of available food. Chareos makes his way to Argent’s room. Knocking before entering he places the platter upon a table and gently wakes Argent. Softly saying, “Morning, I thought you might be hungry.” Gesturing towards the food.

Soon after Chareos makes his way to the Mage guild, where he begins to pull several tomes to look over. Spotting several spells that would be beneficial for him to have, he begins studying them.( see email)

Leaning on his quarterstaff, Chareos attends the meeting listening to the suggestions made by those more experienced taking their words heavily in his choices of spells in the coming trials.

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"That is a concern of mine as well. Still I welcome the opportunity to match wits and steel with the underplanar creatures. It gives us a chance to fulfill an important series of missions now and also to learn as much as possible about an enemy I fear we will be in conflict with many times in the future."

"I have no doubt that will prove true."

Lyonessa plays that evening for the assembled visitors to the Keep. However, Yusef finds it hard to enjoy, so nervous is he about his upcoming audience with the new king. Though he keeps Sherra company as best he can, his thoughts are elsewhere.

“I see”, the King says as he goes over what he has heard. “So your connection to the Devilles is tenuous at best. While you are a Priest of Celestian, there is demon blood in your veins and that does cloud the issue. However, I am ready to pronounce judgment. Assist in the task of eliminating those Devilles who are evil and you will have earned your freedom. Help Baron Validar and his associates in hunting them down and their stain will cover you no more. Best of luck to you, Yusef of Celestian.”

Yusef listens to the king's pronouncement silently. In truth, it is better than he had anticipated. Perhaps the king was swayed by the show of support from the Guardians...

"Thank you, sire. I will gladly do as you command." Since it appears that he is dismissed, Yusef will rise and retreat from the room, hopefully in the company of his beautiful friend.

“I will do I’ll I can to help you cleanse yourself of your families atrocities and free your mother, my friend.” Hoping that it is not too bold a thing to say.

"Thank you, Chareos," Yusef says. "You are a true friend."

When the audience has ended, Validar will take the moment to approach Yusef. He places his hand on the priest's shoulder. "As I said, my wandering friend, the King is a just man. He has judged you the same way that we did when you asked us to join, by your actions. Now, we shall destroy the enemy Devilles and free your mother in the process."

Yusef nods. "Nothing would please me more, Baron Validar."

“It seems that our mothers both came from Zakhara, far to the west. My mother’s family are merchants currently based in Elcadan. Have you heard of the Al-Azrad family? My mother married my father from the merchant family Allonica based in Crossroads.”

Validar introduces his betrothed, who is apparently of Zakharan descent as well. "A pleasure to meet you, Gabriella. Yes, I have heard of the Al-Azrad. The Devilles seem to be aware of nearly every significant trading family in the land, and the Allonica are important competitors to the Devilles. The marriage you speak of was well-attended, from what I heard. Do you still maintain connections with your relatives back in Zakhara?"

When morning comes, Yusef will perform his devotions, then seek out Sherra. "I'm going to see if I cannot find some food before the trip to Silvarn's home. Care to join me?"

“Since there are no conflicts, everyone may take what they choose. Yusef, you didn’t make any choice as of yet. Is there anything that you wish to have?”

"No thank you, Sir Corley. The only thing there of any use to me is the scimitar, but I already have a similar one." He considers for a moment. "If no one else lays claim to it, it might be worth keeping as a backup, though I don't really use the weapons I have that much."

Hearing that Validar is calling a strategy meeting, Yusef makes his way there to listen in. For a few moments, Yusef feels like he's wearing a giant flag as Validar talks about the Devilles' association with demons. Still, he will hear what the others have to say.

Eventually, it comes time to go with Silvarn and the girls. Yusef waves goodbye to Sherra as he joins Silvarn and the others for the trip. He pays little attention to the magic used as it's not his field. As long as they arrive safely, he's happy - which they do.

The place the arrive in is magnificent. Nevertheless, he takes the time to look over at Anja to see how she's taking all this.

Looking up, the sky gives Yusef pause. He has never seen two suns before, and this worries him. Are they still in the realm of Celestian?! Yusef says a prayer, hoping to feel that comforting connection with his patron.

Yusef follows Silvarn and Ivy down the shaft. It is a wondrous experience to float down the shaft like a feather. He can only wonder how they will get back. Still, the city before them is huge, so no doubt there will be plenty to occupy them here.

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

Walking forward Chareos will gather up the frostbrand and strap it to his side, drawing the blade from the sheath Chareos eyes the blade from tip to hilt, feeling the balance within his hands. “This will take some getting used to, bit heavier then the broadsword.” He says absently out loud. Resheathing the frostbrand Chareos will proceed toward Baron Validar as well as Sir Corley, “I know our time here is short but could you show me the basics of the long sword while we travel?”

Validar regards the new weapon he has chosen as Chareos approaches with a longsword of his own. The Dragon Slayer has an intricate pattern of carvings on the hilt and the whitish blade is unusual in its appearance. A dragonslayer is always a unique weapon.

"It seems you have collected another new sword, my friend. A long sword is similar to a broadsword, but it also has its differences. It is a weapon that I find extremely useful. Surely, Sir Corley could assist you in training with such a weapon. He is an accomplished warrior. I do know a thing or two about its use myself."

[Sherra]

Sherra:

When Sherra gets a chance, she will talk to Argent. "You wouldn't be interested in seeing if any of this is magical would you?" she asks with a smile, showing Argent the jewelry she liberated from the Ice Palace.

"The only thing, unless it turns out to be cursed, I absolutely must have that armband!" Sherra adds with a laugh.

Sherra will also make a point to show Argent and Chareos, since they seem to be together a lot lately, anything she grabbed from the laboratory and see if they can make use of any of it.

Lyonessa plays that evening for the assembled visitors to the Keep. However, Yusef finds it hard to enjoy, so nervous is he about his upcoming audience with the new king. Though he keeps Sherra company as best he can, his thoughts are elsewhere.

Sherra will sit near Yusef but she can tell something is troubling him. She will leave him be, simply letting him knows she's there by her presence. If he wants to talk more, she will gladly listen.

"Thank you, sire. I will gladly do as you command." Since it appears that he is dismissed, Yusef will rise and retreat from the room, hopefully in the company of his beautiful friend.

"I think that went rather well," Sherra says in a hushed tone as she joins Yusef leaving the room.

When morning comes, Yusef will perform his devotions, then seek out Sherra. "I'm going to see if I cannot find some food before the trip to Silvarn's home. Care to join me?"

"So you're going to fatten me up and then leave?" Sherra asks teasingly, but joins him. As they eat, she adds, "Her home sounds interesting, you're going to have to tell me all about it when you return. I'd go, but I think Validar needs me for this upcoming planning session. You know how forgetful barons can be."

Validar will request that the Guardians and the New Seekers all join him, including their current allies, Serena and Crysania, as well as Lady Allonica, Lady Sallavarian, Lord Sharadin, Dame Sharl and the priestess Elspeth. They hope to get some information on demons and the Deville family.

Sherra is there, smiling good morning to Validar. She will also take the time to greet any others she has not met yet. She listens intently as Validar talks about what they know and what they might encounter. A lot of possibilities and uncertainties seem to exist at this point, but maybe some of the others can shed more light on the situation. Sherra waits to see what Dame Sharl has to add.

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

Later in the evening, Lyonessa plays her songs and a crowd gathers. Among the first there is a halfling female who gives the bardess a toothy grin.

“You’re pretty”, the halfling says, elongating ‘pretty’ as she speaks flashing a toothy grin. “Hi, I’m Bernice!”

"Hi Bernice," Lyonessa says with a warm smile. "Thank you for the compliment. Do you sing as well?"

Eyeing Dusk, Bernice asks, “Is that your pet? If so, you should be careful with him! That evil snake might eat him!”

Looking at Dusk perched nearby she says, "Yes, that is Dusk. He is more than just a pet. I will be careful to watch him around the snake, but what makes the snake evil?"

Later some of the other nobles stop to listen to Lyonessa sing and play. One comes forth to introduce himself. He’s a handsome young man dressed in rich black clothing.

“You have the voice of an angel, my dear!” The man says stepping up to Lyonessa. “I am Lord Tanon Radu. To whom to do I have the honor and privilege of listening to?”

Lyonessa smiles at the handsome noble, noting his clothing as well while trying to think if she knows of the Radu family. "A pleasure to meet you mi'lord," she says. "Thank you for your kind words. I am Lyonessa, a songstress of Mystra, and it is my honor to play for you and all those gathered here tonight."

The next morning, Lyonessa joins some of the others for breakfast before meeting with Silvarn. She will engage in light conversation with anyone who is nearby, and wonders where the two sisters were last night. Hopefully it wasn't too horrible for Anja.

She will also make sure to pray and prepare her spells. Since Ivy has taken care of herself and Anja, Lyonessa will cast an Endure Cold upon herself.

“The spell I am about to cast is very powerful and a variation of a normal Teleport Without Error enchantment. But this is necessary, as we will be traveling a very great distance in just the blink of an eye. Everyone ready?”

"I believe so," Lyonessa says, looking at the others around her. The spell seems a little strange, but they arrive safely. Looking around, Lyonessa is amazed by all she sees. Not knowing really what to expect, this was the furthest thing from her mind!

“By the Blue Lady! How is that possible?! Where are we?”

"I was going to ask exactly the same thing," Lyonessa says to Ivy. Soon enough Silvarn explains some of what they are seeing.

“Those who arrive low appear in this shaft,” Silvarn continues to explain. “But there is no danger. A permanent Feather Fall affect has been placed here, so anyone who appears here simply floats safely to the ground. The upper part of this power functions the same way for those who arrive higher than their target. Follow me!”

Silvarn fearlessly steps of the ledge and begins to fall. But after a few feet her momentum slows and she wafts down the shaft light as a feather.

Ivy exchanges glances with her companions. “Well, if we can’t trust a Silver Dragon, who can we trust?”

It takes Lyonessa a moment before she's ready to walk off the edge of the platform. Still, there would be no reason why Silvarn would want to harm us, and Ivy comments on just that. Seeing Silvarn begin to slowly descend after a few feet, Lyonessa gathers the courage and steps off.

There are multiple exits from the base of the tower. Silvarn leads the way and you’re passing through streets filled with numerous beings of all shapes and sizes. All are dressed lightly, as if this was some tropical location. There are races here that you’ve never seen before! No one around seems to believe that any of this is out of the ordinary. You’re only given a curiosity glance by some of the passersby.

Silvarn pauses to get her bearings. “This way. Our destination lies this way.”

"We have been to some truly amazing places haven't we Ivy?" Lyonessa asks, looking around at all the different races. Not wanting to be left behind, Lyonessa concentrates on keeping near Silvarn while still looking around as much as possible.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Karn's Keep:

Blod & Zynara:

"Sir Clang?" Sir Corley can't help but utter upon hearing the words of Blod. "Well met, Blod and a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Zynara."

"Hello, Sir Corley," Zynara answers back. Sheba glances Corley's way as if inspecting the knight. "Validar spoke highly of you before."

"Sir Clang?" he asks in confusion. As the realization hits, Chareos chuckles, "Yes it does fit," he says while casting a glance at Validar and his betrothed. "And you mine," he says at the boisterous large man. "Tis my pleasure to meet both of you. Zynara, an interesting name. Where do you hail from?" He asked curiously never hearing a name such as that.

It is interesting to note that Zynara's eyes are green in color, but they also have flecks of silver in them as well.

"I was raised in a small village to the south of Gateway in the old Keln lands. The Seekers rescued me from some deformed giants last spring."

(Zynara first appeared near the end of The Frontier #39, reposted on the main site.)


Lyonessa:

"Hi Bernice," Lyonessa says with a warm smile. "Thank you for the compliment. Do you sing as well?"

"Me?!" Bernice gulps. "No, I just find things."

Looking at Dusk perched nearby she says, "Yes, that is Dusk. He is more than just a pet. I will be careful to watch him around the snake, but what makes the snake evil?"

Bernice looks around for a moment and when seeing that the area is clear, she whispers to Lyonessa. "She tried to eat me!"

Lyonessa smiles at the handsome noble, noting his clothing as well while trying to think if she knows of the Radu family. "A pleasure to meet you mi'lord," she says. "Thank you for your kind words. I am Lyonessa, a songstress of Mystra, and it is my honor to play for you and all those gathered here tonight."

The Radu family is one of the great old families of the Inner Kingdom, along with the Torenscu, Vorloi, and the Kelvins. They were wealthy families that all pre-date the formation of Cynalon. King Victor the First elevated them all to noble status. But unlike the other three families, the Radu do not rule over lands. Instead they are a wealthy family of merchants plying their trades in the Inner Kingdom. There have been rumors over the centuries that the Radu have ties to Thief Guilds and that the Radu themselves were the head of these Guilds, but nothing has ever been proven. Their reputation has some shady elements to it.

"Ah, so you are a Priestess of Mystra too, my songbird. Very interesting. You are an associate of Baron Validar, are you not? I can't help but wonder why someone of your obvious talent and charms chose the life of an adventurer. You would make quite a splash among the nobles in Alexandria or King's Port."

[GM Mad]

Demons 101:

The next day Strategy Session:
Validar will request that the Guardians and the New Seekers all join him, including their current allies, Serena and Crysania, as well as Lady Allonica, Lady Sallavarian, Lord Sharadin, Dame Sharl and the priestess Elspeth. They hope to get some information on demons and the Deville family.

"Thank you all for coming. We shall endeavor to not keep you all, but we have need of your considerable experience and knowledge in the coming battles. As you all know, Elcadan has been a problem for some time. Now with the new Duke seeking to reclaim Elcadan and give it a rebirth, we must deal with various enemies, not the least of which is the vile Deville family and their association with demons."

"We have a location that the family may have fled to and if they are there, then we are certain to run into these demonic cohorts. In addition, the contingent that is riding to Elcadan with Duke Relon may very well encounter demonic resistance along the way as well. While I have had some brief encounters with the infernal creatures, we would do well to know all we can of them and how to best combat this enemy."

Validar will then turn the floor over to his guests, nodding towards Dame Sharl firstly, as the highest-ranking individual present. "Dame Sharl?"

Sharl rises and turns to face the assembled group. Her reputation is well-known to all adventurers. She's a powerful paladin in the service of Heironeous, and like Sir Acerion, carries a Holy Weapon of that god: the Axe of Justice. Sharl has shoulder length reddish-brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She is currently dressed in the robes of a follower of Heironeous, dark blue with silver trim. It is widely known that she is the King's consort and will most likely be your Queen someday.

"Imagine an entire race of creatures- whose numbers are unimaginably vast- whose minds are filled with nothing but hatred, death, and vile contempt," Dame Sharl states. "They are what we call demons and they are not a challenge for the meek of heart. Demons come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, but they all share some similar abilities. They can all create darkness to conceal themselves, they can see perfectly normal in the dark, and the most frustrating ability is that demons can freely move themselves from place to place much like a mage using a Teleport spell. They can also summon other demons to aid them, but tend to rarely do so."

"Combating demons requires the proper weapons. Magical weapons do work, but some demons may be immune to lesser-enchanted arms. Iron and silver will harm demons, and weapons made of those metals do not need to be magical."

"The intelligence of the demon will determine just how it engages in battle. Many are just mindless creatures that fight in battle like a berserker. They do not use tactics or any type of organized warfare. They simply swarm and overrun their enemies trusting in their superior numbers. One demon will not aid another in battle. It is best to think of demons as predators. Whereas normal predators stalk and then kill their prey, demons add a third step. They stalk, terrorize, and then kill. It has been theorized that demons feed upon the terror they generate much like we survive on food."

"There is one last thing I need to add," Dame Sharl says as her gaze settles on Sir Acerion. "Our Holy Weapons will not do any extra damage to demons. The Herald of Hell does not consort with demons, so our weapons have no great advantage against them."

[GM Mad]

Crysania speaks next. Much like Sharl, she's dressed in the robes of a Priestess of Heironeous. She has long brown hair and matching eyes.

"Dame Sharl spoke to you about the basics of combating demons. Having spent much time in Elcadan, I have heard some of the stories that swirl around the Deville family. It is said that Matthew Deville entered into a dark pact with Orcus in exchange for immortality. Orcus changed him into a vampire. There have been no sightings of Matthew Deville, at least during my lifetime. It believed that he was slain somewhere along the line."

"During this pact, Matthew's granddaughter Eleanor was transformed in a Succubus. This is a type of demon that lives only to tempt men with their seductive wiles. It is said that they feed upon the life force of their victims while giving them pleasure beyond imagination. A succubus can take any form, but they are always women of unearthly beauty. They live only to seduce and to feed. A succubus will flee in the face of a powerful enemy. They are not fighters. All the surviving Devilles can trace their bloodline back to Eleanor."

"Any child conceived by Eleanor herself would be what is called a Alu-Demon. They are always female and have abilities much like their mother. However, they are not a true blood demon as their fathers were mortal. They have abilities similar to their mothers, including being able to assume any female form. They tend to be highly intelligent and are often spellcasters. There are rumors that Eleanor had several Alu-Demoness daughters."

"The offspring of these Alu-Demoness daughters would be what is known as a tiefling. They are half-mortal, half-demonic beings. But the balance between the two is more even, so they may not be as evil as their parents. It is said that much like the chaos of the Abyss demons call home, no two tieflings are a like. Each tiefling typically has some abilities beyond those of a normal human, but these vary from tiefling to tiefling. Some tieflings might require magical weapons to harm, some may not. Even the children of tieflings will have some demonic blood in them and they would have special abilities as well."

"Succubus and Alu-Demons can be banished from our plane, as they are not natives. Tieflings cannot be banished due to their half-mortal status."

"Protection from Evil spells will hold these beasts at bay. The most powerful spell I have access to against these foul creatures is Holy Word. Some of you have seen me employ this spell before. Any devil or demon close to me is immediately banished from our plane. Any evil creature close by may be slain from the magic."

[GM Mad]

Lord Sharadin picks up where Crysania left off.

"Demons can be loosely organized into the following categories: Least, Lesser, Greater, and True. These rankings are not only an indication of the personal power and innate abilities of the demon, but of their intelligence as well. A true demon is more powerful than a greater demon, and so on. The more powerful a demon is, the more innate abilities it has. A succubus and an alu-demoness are classified as lesser demons."

"All demons have a measure of magic resistance. Magic simply slides off of demons at times like water off the back of a duck. That makes the use of spells a chancy proposition against Demons. But some attack forms are known to affect demons better than others."

"As Dame Sharl stated, silver and iron weapons can hurt demons. Magic Missiles and acid will affect them as well. Demons seem to be immune to fire and electrical attacks. It is unknown if poisons will affect them or not."

"But there are other spells that were created specifically to counter demons. Iron Spikes is a spell similar to Magic Missile, but instead of creating bolts of magical energy it summons bolts made of iron and iron can hurt demons. Shrapnel is a spell much like Fireball, but instead of magical fire it hurtles hunks of iron outwards at great velocity. Lastly there is Silver Shards, a spell that accelerates silver to great velocities that can harm demons."

"There are other magicks that can get around a demons innate magical resistance. Wall of Ice is one such spell. The magic is in the summoning of the ice, not the ice itself. Thus a Wall of Ice created over a demon will fall and hurt the demon like anyone else. A Wall of Iron will serve this purpose as well."

"My advise in picking spells to combat demons is at first level memorize Magic Missile. Melf's Acid Arrow at second level, Iron Spikes at third, and Wall of Ice or Ice Storm at fourth. If you have fifth level spells, then Shrapnel is the obvious choice."

[GM Mad]

Planet of the Silver Dragons:

Silvarn has taken Lyonessa, Yusef, Ivy, Anja, and Nina to her home. Her home is farther away then any of them ever imagined! Anja and Nina spent the night inside the Stone House, as they had no way to leave it on their own.

The place they arrive in is magnificent. Nevertheless, he takes the time to look over at Anja to see how she's taking all this.

Both Anja and Nina are in awe of what they see. “An entire city of ice,” Anja notes. “It is beautiful.”

“How such a wondrous place cannot worship Auril is beyond me,” Nina adds.

Looking up, the sky gives Yusef pause. He has never seen two suns before, and this worries him. Are they still in the realm of Celestian?! Yusef says a prayer, hoping to feel that comforting connection with his patron.

Yusef is comforted to feel that Celestian is still there.

"By the Blue Lady! How is that possible?! Where are we?"

"I was going to ask exactly the same thing," Lyonessa says to Ivy. Soon enough Silvarn explains some of what they are seeing.

"Let me see how I can explain this,” Silvarn answers. “On your world, you have great oceans. In these oceans are islands and continents. All of the oceans, islands, and continents make up you world.”

“Now imagine that the darkness of the night sky is an ocean unto itself. But instead of finding islands in this ocean, you find other entire worlds. Those lights in the night sky are suns much like that which warms your world. They are so small only because they are so far away. Around one of those points of light in your night sky is this world.”

“You see, dragonkind is far older then any of you suspect. We came into existence long before your world existed. We are not native to your world, but rather only visitors. Have you not ever wondered how dragons can be so powerful and yet not rule your world?”

“We are among the First Ones, the first intelligent beings to rise up in this vast ocean of darkness. There are others, some of which you have heard legends off and some you’ve never heard of before. Beholder kind, the Arcane, and the Illithids are but some of the First Ones. You humans, elves, and most of the others species of your planet are part of the Second Generation of races planted across the vast dark ocean by your gods.”

“As we dragons grew and evolved into the major races you know now, we expanded outwards taking control of numerous other worlds. We silvers are naturally immune to the effects of cold, so we tend to favor ice planets like this one to call our home. That way we don’t vie for space with others too often.”

“We call this world of ours Hyperion. It is the home of my clan. Everyone who lives here is related to me. Only elves come close to understanding just how large our families can become as their lifespans approach ours. You humans might have 3 or 4 generations alive at one time. Imagine having over twenty generations all living together! My oldest living relative is eleven generations removed from myself. My youngest ancestor is twelve generations past mine. There are twenty-three generations of silver dragons inhabiting this world.”

“Some of us do follow the same gods that you do, but we have our own draconic pantheon as well. One of the more common gods we encounter are the followers of Celestian. He is the god of the Sun, the stars, and the planets. Many of his followers wander the great black ocean exploring wherever they can. Mystra and Azrella are known to us as well. The powers of your gods spans innumerable worlds, not just your own. But how they rank in each world depends on their status among that world’s followers. On some worlds they are great powers, but only lesser ones on others.”

“Then there are entire worlds controlled by Auril then,” Nina asks with interest.

“Yes,” Silvarn simply answers. “But they are few in number.”

[GM Mad]

Silvarn leads the way down the arrival tower and into the Silver Dragon City. Numerous other beings, some unusual in appearance are seen, but most are dressed for much warmer climates.

The sight of all these strange beings gives Ivy the feeling that she's seen something like this before, but she can't quite place it. "All these beings here. Are they all like you, Silvarn?"

“The vast majority of them are silver dragons. A few others are visitors such as yourselves. The one advantage we silver dragons have over most other species of dragons is that we can change forms and hold that form almost indefinitely. We can spend what would be a lifetime for you as a humanoid. We can survive on the same food you eat, something that most other dragons cannot do.”


As Silvarn leads you down the street, a voice calls out to her. “Aunt Silvarn!”

Turning, you see a well-dressed, extraordinarily beautiful sixteen-year-old girl with platinum blond hair and bright blue eyes. She wears a white top with long sleeves and ruffles at the neck and wide ruffle cuffs. Over that she wears a black vest with silver embroidery that laces in the front. Black pants with silver buttons down the side extend past her knees. Heavy leather sandals lace up her legs to the tops of her calves and these are also adorned with some silver accents. She wears a minimum of jewelry: earrings, a medallion, which is hidden under her blouse and a single finger ring with a red ruby.

“Aunt Silvarn”, the girl repeats as she approaches and hugs your guide.

“This is one my numerous nieces. Allow me to introduce Zabrina. She’s studying to be an actress in the numerous plays held here. This is Lyonessa, a Songstress of Mystra, Ivy of Azrella, Yusef of Celestian, and Anja and Nina who followed Auril. We are taking the girls to the Cold Maiden Rehabilitation Center.

“Pleased to meet you,” Zabrina states and she curtsies properly.

“With families of our size, we tend to simplify our relationships. Zabrina here is one of our youngest dragons and technically I would be her great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great aunt. It’s easier to just say Aunt.

“I take it that all of you are from Arret?” Zabrina asks. “The epic plays based on the life of Nylsara paint it a very interesting place. I’m hoping to be assigned there myself someday so that I can learn more about her story and someday portray her on stage.”


Now what?

[Gabriella]

Lady Gabriella Allonica:

"A fine suggestion, my lady. I had not considered that as yet," Validar says. "I shall do so at the earliest opportunity."

The next morning, Validar will take Gabriella to meet Sir Acerion and his lady Ivy. They meet up after breakfast, but before Ivy heads to Silvarn's realm.

"Greetings, this fine morning, my friends," Validar says, as the pair is located. "I have someone I would like to introduce to you. Gabriella, these are my friends and comrades. Sir Acerion, Paladin of Heironeous and Lady Ivy, priestess of Azrella." Validar indicates each of the pair in turn. "This is the Lady Gabriella Allonica," he adds to his friends.
"I trust your reunion has been pleasant and well-received," he says with a smile.

“Good to see you again, Sir Acerion,” Lady Gabriella easily answers. “A pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Ivy. I’ve heard much about you from Validar.”

"A pleasure to meet you as well," Sherra responds. "It would be good to have the feel of a sturdy ship beneath these feet sometime in the future. Maybe a small fleet of them..." she adds the last with a telling smile.

"Gabriella is correct. Once Stone Ridge is reclaimed then it is a natural progression to claim Akorros, as well as the entire lake area. Then that would leave Old Elcadan, the very nest of demons itself. I have the feeling that should you wish, that fleet may soon be yours."

“Such things are always possible. With the situation the Kingdom is currently in, there is plenty of opportunity for those who seek better things.”

Validar introduces his betrothed, who is apparently of Zakharan descent as well. "A pleasure to meet you, Gabriella. Yes, I have heard of the Al-Azrad. The Devilles seem to be aware of nearly every significant trading family in the land, and the Allonica are important competitors to the Devilles. The marriage you speak of was well-attended, from what I heard. Do you still maintain connections with your relatives back in Zakhara?"

“Indirectly,” Lady Gabriella states. “While I myself have not made the long journey back to fabled Zakhara, there are those among the Al-Azrad who regularly make the trek. My older brother Hassam has made the journey several times now. He married into the Al-Kazar family, associates to the Al-Azrad and works with them in Elcadan. They teamed up to make the long caravan journey between Elcadan and Zakhara. I look forward to seeing the home of my ancestors one day.”


Lady Gabriella primarily listens about the discussions on combating demons. Not that she has any interest, or even the ability to do so, but the information is helpful. “These sound like the stuff of nightmares,” she whispers to Baron Validar. “Do your best to stay out of the hands of one of these temptresses.”

[Corley]

Sir Corley:

"Hello, Sir Corley," Zynara answers back. Sheba glances Corley's way as if inspecting the knight. "Validar spoke highly of you before."

“And he highly of you,” Sir Corley responds, keeping a wary eye on the enchantress’ serpent.

"Life does not always go as we plan and often it changes more quickly than we expect. I had not guessed I would gain the Barony of Pyris this year. Not long ago, I was still following my impulses for adventure in the Frontier. Now I am a member of the Lords Council, a Baron, betrothed to a beautiful woman, unofficially of course, and seeking to reclaim Elcadan. All that from a simple letter from my mother, requiring me to return home."

"As for this other baroness, were you opposed I might have to send you to a cleric for some serious conversations. Much does remain to be done, but it will be completed before we know it, my friend."

“You do speak truly. Life comes at us fast at times. We must adapt to the ever-changing circumstances. Nay, I am not opposed. Indeed, at times I do look forward to settling down and raising a family. One can only live on the road for so long before needing to set down roots.”

"You may well be correct, and I hope so. At least for the moment. Still I would not be surprised to see Alphatia start to turn her attention more this way as Cynalon becomes more powerful, both to hold us down and to seek to control us. If we become valuable, those infernal Alphatians will stick their nose into our business."

“They sound much like our own Inner Kingdom nobles,” Sir Corley adds with a chuckle. “Only paying us attention when it is beneficial for them to do so.”

"Kharyna is indeed equal to the task. She has a destiny it seems and the ability to fulfill it. She will be a powerful figure in the future."

“On that we are in agreement.”

"A wise suggestion my friend. I will endeavor to have Dame Sharl and Lord Sharadin join us at the meeting, as well as my cousin, the Lady Sallavarian. They should have significant knowledge between them. Perhaps we can inquire as to who else may have knowledge of the underplane denizins. Elspeth seems to be wise, perhaps we should ask for her to join us as well?"

“An excellent idea, my friend! Knowledge can be just as powerful as any sword.”

Validar looks away wistfully as Sir Corley speaks. "Your words echo those of my heart, my friend. We are not ready for such a task, but one day the situation will align itself. We have much to accomplish before that day, but we will see it. That I am sure of."

“No, we are not ready for such a legendary trek today. But with each foe we dispatch, with each enemy we turn back our skill does grow. We will be ready for it and soon. All those ancient sorcerers’ who have made our lives miserable must be dispatched before Cynalon will ever know a true peace.”

"Perhaps," Validar whispers back to his friend. "Perhaps not. The King has no knowledge of the man, other than his brief association with us and with Lord Sherwood, who is not available. It is a decree and a philosophy that I agree with, but I could also see the King being more cautious in his judgment. Demons are evil, after all."

“Of that there is no question. Perhaps my own views are clouded for having traveled with him for a time.”

Walking forward Chareos will gather up the Frostbrand and strap it to his side, drawing the blade from the sheath Chareos eyes the blade from tip to hilt, feeling the balance within his hands. "This will take some getting used to, bit heavier then the broadsword." He says absently out loud. Resheathing the Frostbrand Chareos will proceed toward Baron Validar as well as Sir Corley, "I know our time here is short but could you show me the basics of the long sword while we travel?"

"It seems you have collected another new sword, my friend. A long sword is similar to a broadsword, but it also has its differences. It is a weapon that I find extremely useful. Surely, Sir Corley could assist you in training with such a weapon. He is an accomplished warrior. I do know a thing or two about its use myself."

“Do not let his humility fool you, Lord Chareos. Baron Validar is a master with the longsword, the star pupil of Sir Alon who is perhaps the greatest swordsman of our time. I can teach you the basics, but for more than that Validar is the one you should seek out.”


Sir Corley listens to the dissertation upon demons with interest. Many things that were unknown to him are learned.

“Based on what I’ve heard, it seems to be that in any combat with a demon, our best course of action is to attack the most powerful one en mass. Try to do enough damage to either slay or banish it before it can escape by vanishing. Then we can concentrate on the lesser beasts.”

[Argent]

Argent:

Confusion sets into his brow, wondering exactly what the Sword of Doom was. Though he cannot recall much about it.

Seeing Chareos’ obvious confusion, Argent will add, “The Sword of Doom is the name of a flying ship.”

"Least you have somewhere you can call home. I haven't had such a place since I finished my training with Lord Sharadin," he says simply.

“Yes, and no,” Argent answers. “It’s mine, but it’s not really mine. Lord Sharadin allows me to use it, as I was so instrumental in the Keep's recovery. In reality it is more like an extravagant room at an inn.”

"I see," he says with a smile, though wondering if anything else may or may not have been left behind. "With all that you possess, her collection must have been fairly large. I don't recall seeing you wear many items more than once," he says with a chuckle.

“It wasn’t that large. I wear most of them daily; they are just not obviously visible. The tiara is my favorite, but it’s a bit ostentatious to wear while on an adventure.”

"Accident? What sort of accident? Were you harmed?" he asks with a bit of concern in his voice.

“No, I wasn’t harmed, at least not in any manner I can describe. The artifact is a collection of six pillars. Each pillar corresponds to another configuration of pillars. By casting spells upon a pillar, the artifact will teleport you to the corresponding other pillars. Thus rapid movement from place to place can be achieved.”

“Only a few locations have been successfully explored thus far. I was testing a new location when something when wrong. I ended up in a different location than I expected. It was among the ruins of a city in the old Keln lands where the Seekers battled a green dragon over the summer. I felt strange and weak. I used the pillars to return to Karn’s Keep.”

“But that wasn’t the end of the matter. Shortly after that a second Argent arrived here in the Keep! This one had arrived at the artifact under Gateway and was as confused about all of this as I was.”

“In short, the accident I speak of created a second Argent. One who is my double in every way, including the gear and magic items I carried. Divinations were cast, but we were both the same person. Lord Sharadin decided to suspend the use of the pillar artifact because of this. The idea of another me didn’t sit very well with either of us. So when the opportunity came to go with Elspeth and Jallarzi, I took it. From what I’ve heard, my other self has been adventuring around Elcadan.”

As the night progresses Chareos excuses himself from Argent's company. "The hour is late, and we must get some sleep. I trust I will see you for breakfast?" He asks.

“You don’t have to leave,” Argent says softly. But if he does, she’ll add, “Of course. Pleasant dreams.”

In the morning Chareos rises early and heads down to the kitchen, grabbing a platter of available food. Chareos makes his way to Argent's room. Knocking before entering he places the platter upon a table and gently wakes Argent. Softly saying, "Morning, I thought you might be hungry." Gesturing towards the food.

“A little bit. I had a wonderful evening,” she adds, kissing Chareos on the cheek. “But it’s time to get to work. I have spells I need to learn before we depart Karn’s Keep. There’s always so much to do.”


Later in the morning, Argent attends the demon conference. Much of what Lord Sharadin says is already known to her. “I already know Iron Spikes and will make a point to memorize Shrapnel while here at Karn’s Keep. The rest of the spells are known to me.”

When Sherra gets a chance, she will talk to Argent. "You wouldn't be interested in seeing if any of this is magical would you?" she asks with a smile, showing Argent the jewelry she liberated from the Ice Palace.

Argent looks up from her spell book to find Sherra standing there. “I’m always interested in jewelry,” she adds excitedly. “Let’s see what you’ve got there.”

"The only thing, unless it turns out to be cursed, I absolutely must have that armband!" Sherra adds with a laugh.

“It is nice,” Argent agrees. “I’ll check for magic, but I cannot say just how valuable these are. Can you determine their value?”

Sherra will also make a point to show Argent and Chareos, since they seem to be together a lot lately, anything she grabbed from the laboratory and see if they can make use of any of it.

“Thank you, Sherra,” Argent says accepting the papers. The collection of books is far t0o heavy for her to carry. “Hopefully we’ll find something useful in this. Thank you very much!”

[Ivy]

Ivy:

Morning comes and Ivy and Sir Acerion go down to the dining hall.

"Greetings, this fine morning, my friends," Validar says, as the pair are located. "I have someone I would like to introduce to you. Gabriella, these are my friends and comrades. Sir Acerion, Paladin of Heironeous and Lady Ivy, priestess of Azrella." Validar indicates each of the pair in turn. "This is the Lady Gabriella Allonica," he adds to his friends.

"I trust your reunion has been pleasant and well-received," he says with a smile.

“Good to see you again, Sir Acerion,” Lady Gabriella easily answers. “A pleasure to meet you, Lady Ivy. I’ve heard much about you from Validar.”

Ivy’s first thought is that she’s not a noble, but then she remembers that the King did giver her that status back in Corunglain. She guesses that this sort of thing is something she’ll have to get used to; especially if she does marry Sir Acerion as they plan.

“Well met, Lady Gabriella. It is an honor to meet you. It has been pleasant after being apart for so long. Although Sir Acerion has been strangely quiet as of late. I am to understand that our course will now take us back to Elcadan?”

“By the Blue Lady! How is that possible?! Where are we?”

"I was going to ask exactly the same thing," Lyonessa says to Ivy. Soon enough Silvarn explains some of what they are seeing.

Still a bit dumbfounded, Ivy just nods in Lyonessa’s direction. Silvarn then proceeds to explain that this is another world and that dragons came into being before Arret ever existed! It is too much for Ivy to process, but she is comforted by knowing that Azrella is also here and that her influence spans all that there is.

"We have been to some truly amazing places haven't we Ivy?" Lyonessa asks, looking around at all the different races. Not wanting to be left behind, Lyonessa concentrates on keeping near Silvarn while still looking around as much as possible.

“Yes we have,” Ivy answers. “I don’t think I was at all prepared for this journey. Although, I don’t think I would have believed any information I was given. And yet, there somehow all of this reminds me of something, but I just can’t put my finger on it.”

“The vast majority of them are silver dragons. A few others are visitors such as yourselves. The one advantage we silver dragons have over most other species of dragons is that we can change forms and hold that form almost indefinitely. We can spend what would be a lifetime for you as a humanoid. We can survive on the same food you eat, something that most other dragons cannot do.”

“That would be a great advantage,” Ivy agrees. She also can’t help to wonder just how many silver dragons she’s met in the past and never knew what they really were!


As we walk along, one of Silvarn’s relations comes up and introduces herself. It is an incredibly beautiful young woman named Zabrina.

“Nice to meet you as well,” Ivy says to Zabrina’s greeting.

“I take it that all of you are from Arret?” Zabrina asks. “The epic plays based on the life of Nylsara paint it a very interesting place. I’m hoping to be assigned there myself someday so that I can learn more about her story and someday portray her on stage.”

“Yes, we are,” Ivy answers, “But I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of this Nylsara. Who is she?”


At the demon meeting, Ivy listens as the others speak. Her combat skills are geared towards undead, not demons. But the Kiss of Azrella should be useful in putting down these foul creatures.

[Chareos]

Chareos

Validar regards the new weapon he has chosen as Chareos approaches with a longsword of his own. The Dragon Slayer has an intricate pattern of carvings on the hilt and the whitish blade is unusual in its appearance. A dragonslayer is always a unique weapon.

"It seems you have collected another new sword, my friend. A long sword is similar to a broadsword, but it also has its differences. It is a weapon that I find extremely useful. Surely, Sir Corley could assist you in training with such a weapon. He is an accomplished warrior. I do know a thing or two about its use myself."

“Aye, we recovered it from the Ice Palace,” Drawing the silvery blue sword from its sheath he held it in front of him the hilt twinkling like ice in the mid afternoon sun. “It is a Frostbrand, a weapon of considerable desire. From what I understand it is a bane to fire creatures and protects the wielder from such creatures as well as most fires.”

"It seems your endeavors have been fruitful as well, noticing Validar's new sword.

“Do not let his humility fool you, Lord Chareos. Baron Validar is a master with the longsword, the star pupil of Sir Alon who is perhaps the greatest swordsman of our time. I can teach you the basics, but for more than that Validar is the one you should seek out.”

A small smirk crosses over Chareos’ features as Sir Corley announces Baron Validar’s expertise with the longsword. “I have seen battle with both of you, and would find it very hard to believe either of you are novice in your craft. It would be like saying I dabble here and there with magic.” He says with a knowing smile. “Tis the reason I sought you both out, for the lessons you have both learned would benefit my teachings greatly.”

Argent wrote-

Seeing Chareos’ obvious confusion, Argent will add, “The Sword of Doom is the name of a flying ship.”

“Was this said ship ever found?” he asked curiously. “Or does it elude those who still seek it.”

“It wasn’t that large. I wear most of them daily; they are just not obviously visible. The tiara is my favorite, but it’s a bit ostentatious to wear while on an adventure.”

“I would imagine so. Though, we will have to recover jewelry that won’t be so ostentatious to wear but just as beautiful.”


“

No, I wasn’t harmed, at least not in any manner I can describe. The artifact is a collection of six pillars. Each pillar corresponds to another configuration of pillars. By casting spells upon a pillar, the artifact will teleport you to the corresponding other pillars. Thus rapid movement from place to place can be achieved.”

“Only a few locations have been successfully explored thus far. I was testing a new location when something when wrong. I ended up in a different location than I expected. It was among the ruins of a city in the old Keln lands where the Seekers battled a green dragon over the summer. I felt strange and weak. I used the pillars to return to Karn’s Keep.”

“But that wasn’t the end of the matter. Shortly after that a second Argent arrived here in the Keep! This one had arrived at the artifact under Gateway and was as confused about all of this as I was.”

“In short, the accident I speak of created a second Argent. One who is my double in every way, including the gear and magic items I carried. Divinations were cast, but we were both the same person. Lord Sharadin decided to suspend the use of the pillar artifact because of this. The idea of another me didn’t sit very well with either of us. So when the opportunity came to go with Elspeth and Jallarzi, I took it. From what I’ve heard, my other self has been adventuring around Elcadan.”

Chareos rubs his temples trying desperately to numb his aching head, Two Argents? But how could this be? Never had he heard of such tales! “Though if you both our truly the same person, how is that you…” trailing off has his head begins to hurt more from the sudden intact of this unusual knowledge. “No matter.” He said pushing the matter aside.

“You don’t have to leave,” Argent says softly. But if he does, she’ll add, “Of course. Pleasant dreams.”

“I’ll stay if you wish me to.”

“A little bit. I had a wonderful evening,” she adds, kissing Chareos on the cheek. “But it’s time to get to work. I have spells I need to learn before we depart Karn’s Keep. There’s always so much to do.”

Picking up and apple and stashing it in his pocket, Chareos gathers himself up, “As do I. I just hope we have enough time to peruse all the tomes, though I find it doubtful.”

Later on at the meeting, “I will do as you suggest, though Shrapnel and Silver shards eludes me. Are there any other enemies that maybe in the Deville’s employ that is known to us?” he asks curiously.

Quote:

Sherra will also make a point to show Argent and Chareos, since they seem to be together a lot lately, anything she grabbed from the laboratory and see if they can make use of any of it.


“Thank you, Sherra,” Argent says accepting the papers. The collection of books is far t0o heavy for her to carry. “Hopefully we’ll find something useful in this. Thank you very much!”

“Thank you Sherra,” Chareos says as he accepts the heavy books into his hands, which oddly enough aren’t that heavy to him. “Did you check these for traps?” he asks curiously. As Sherra turns to leave, Chareos will call out afterward, “Sherra, When next we are exploring for items of value, would you mind if I joined you and Yusef? Perhaps this way I could show you what is of use so that you do not waste your time and what you may carry.”

(Spell sheet will be updated during the week)

[Sherra]

Sherra:

“It is nice,” Argent agrees. “I’ll check for magic, but I cannot say just how valuable these are. Can you determine their value?”

"No, that's something I haven't ever mastered," Sherra admits. "and actually I do possess the ability to detect for magic, but it isn't always accurate. I figured it would be better to have you be completely certain."

“Thank you, Sherra,” Argent says accepting the papers. The collection of books is far t0o heavy for her to carry. “Hopefully we’ll find something useful in this. Thank you very much!”

Sherra will offer her help since it looks like Argent can't manage all that she and Yusef brought back. "You're most welcome," Sherra replies with a smile.

“Thank you Sherra,” Chareos says as he accepts the heavy books into his hands, which oddly enough aren’t that heavy to him. “Did you check these for traps?” he asks curiously. As Sherra turns to leave, Chareos will call out afterward, “Sherra, When next we are exploring for items of value, would you mind if I joined you and Yusef? Perhaps this way I could show you what is of use so that you do not waste your time and what you may carry.”

"I checked for traps on everything I carted away, but I can double check on the stuff Yusef picked up," Sherra says. "Probably only the tomes might be trapped, but you might want to check for magical traps."

Sherra stops and turns around, "Oh, certainly. We weren't certain on what we would find if anything, but you're always more than welcome to come along," she says the last with a smile.

"Yusef and I figured even if it wasn't very useful, that stuff might still be interesting, maybe even to the clerics if it's personal notes or information on the ice priestess' faith," she says with a shrug.


Sherra listens in on all the information about demons that the others give. She doubts she's going to have anything to add, but it is a wealth of information that will definitely help her.

[Acerion]

Sir Acerion:

Magic Item Hoard Reward:

Acerion will look at the various items they collected. Such a diverse collection, he thinks, what power they would have gained from such a sacrifice. At first he nearly passes on taking any item, feeling he has quite a bit of protection and all the weaponry he would ever need, but then he thinks of the future. There could be a time when something else might be useful, and maybe not just for him.

"I think this Ring of Free Action will be most beneficial," he says aloud, studying it for a moment. Acerion gazes at the various weaponry lying about. Already having acquired a sword, he nearly walks past one that seems to stand out from the rest. Picking up the long sword, he wonders about it, "A blade against shape-changers and lycanthropes? Might be worth keeping around."

After the two items, he feels he is done, having already acquired two items earlier. Acerion will leave the rest for others to use, sell or store, content with knowing they will no longer be used to advance the cause of Evil.

Morning greetings:

"Greetings, this fine morning, my friends," Validar says, as the pair is located. "I have someone I would like to introduce to you. Gabriella, these are my friends and comrades. Sir Acerion, Paladin of Heironeous and Lady Ivy, priestess of Azrella." Validar indicates each of the pair in turn. "This is the Lady Gabriella Allonica," he adds to his friends.

"I trust your reunion has been pleasant and well-received," he says with a smile.

“Good to see you again, Sir Acerion,” Lady Gabriella easily answers. “A pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Ivy. I’ve heard much about you from Validar.”

"Greetings to you Validar," Acerion says before turning to his lady with a bow, "A pleasure to see you again as well."

“Well met, Lady Gabriella. It is an honor to meet you. It has been pleasant after being apart for so long. Although Sir Acerion has been strangely quiet as of late. I am to understand that our course will now take us back to Elcadan?”

Turning to Ivy, Acerion says, "It is only because I am once again wrapped in the cloak of your comfort, my lady. The joy within my heart at having you by my side once more had stolen words from my lips so that I had become your silent servant."

Defense against Demonic Forces planning session:

"There is one last thing I need to add," Dame Sharl says as her gaze settles on Sir Acerion. "Our Holy Weapons will not do any extra damage to demons. The Herald of Hell does not consort with demons, so our weapons have no great advantage against them."

"Important to remember, indeed," Acerion replies. "It is advantageous for us then that we do not solely rely upon that aspect of our holy weapons to win the day," he adds confidently.

Acerion continues to listen, nodding at times to the words of the Dame Sharl, Crysania and Lord Sharadin. Most of the general information he is well versed in, but the information on the Deville family is quite informative.

Acerion had not been in attendance when Yusef had his audience with the king, but word reached Acerion's ear to know what the king decreed. The paladin can only wonder how strong the blood of demons flows through the priest's veins.

[Yusef]

Yusef:

“Thank you, Sherra,” Argent says accepting the papers. The collection of books is far t0o heavy for her to carry. “Hopefully we’ll find something useful in this. Thank you very much!”

Yusef accompanies Sherra to visit Argent, his arms and backpack bulging with books, scrolls and notes. "We found all of this stuff in Kalandor's quarters. Hopefully there is something in here that will be of use to you and the other mages. I heard someone say something about a mage guild here. Perhaps it would be worth donating to the guild?"

Later, while Lyonessa sings after dinner, Yusef is comforted by Sherra's company, though he says little as he thoughts are focussed on the coming audience with the new king. Still, it would be much worse without her there.

"I think that went rather well," Sherra says in a hushed tone as she joins Yusef leaving the room.

"Indeed it did," Yusef admits, his nervousness slowly seeping away. "Far better than I expected, in fact."

“Indirectly,” Lady Gabriella states. “While I myself have not made the long journey back to fabled Zakhara, there are those among the Al-Azrad who regularly make the trek. My older brother Hassam has made the journey several times now. He married into the Al-Kazar family, associates to the Al-Azrad and works with them in Elcadan. They teamed up to make the long caravan journey between Elcadan and Zakhara. I look forward to seeing the home of my ancestors one day.”

"I would enjoy meeting your brother and his family, should the opportunity arise. Should we succeed in freeing my mother, it would be good for her to have people to talk to. Hopefully, we can eventually find a way to get her home to our family."

"So you're going to fatten me up and then leave?" Sherra asks teasingly, but joins him. As they eat, she adds, "Her home sounds interesting, you're going to have to tell me all about it when you return. I'd go, but I think Validar needs me for this upcoming planning session. You know how forgetful barons can be."

Yusef leans back a moment and regards Sherra with mock scrutiny. "Well, you could use a little more meat on your bones..."

Over breakfast, Sherra asks him to tell her about Silvarn's home when he returns. "I'd be happy to. I'm sure it will be quite an experience visiting the home of the silver dragons... I wonder where it is?" He's never heard of a land of dragons, so it must be far away or well-hidden.

---

The wonder of Silvarn's home is only increased in Yusef's eyes when he hears that Celestian is one of the best-known gods here! Also fascinating is the information that the dragons have their own pantheon of deities. "I would be very much interested to learn more of your gods, Silvarn," Yusef says. "I don't believe they are well-known on our world." It occurs to him that at least some of Celestian's servants must have knowledge of Draconic deities, but he never heard mention of them during his training.

They are soon approached by a beautiful young woman, who refers to Silvarn as her aunt. Yusef's eyebrow quirks upward as he observes the two two dragons in their human form. As he does, a long-buried part of him rises up in his consciousness, whispering filthy, malignant things about the youngster. Yusef finds himself both aroused and disgusted by many of the suggestions. Tearing his eyes away, he turns to look out over the city; better a distraction than to be tempted further.

When introduced, Yusef turns back. "An honor to meet you, Zabrina." It is curious that she is an actress. He would not have imagined that dragons would bother with something so... mundane and frivolous as theatre. It seems he has much to learn of dragons.

“Yes, we are,” Ivy answers, “But I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of this Nylsara. Who is she?”

The name sounds vaguely familiar to Yusef, but he cannot remember anything significant about her.

---

The presentations on demons are lengthy, and cover little that he didn't already know. It does surprise him how little they appear to know about his family. Apparently, the Devilles have managed to keep their secrets fairly well hidden. Still, Yusef doesn't volunteer any information as he hasn't been asked.

[Zabrina]

Zabrina:

Walking home from the theater, Zabrina encounters her Aunt Silvarn and some unknown strangers. Like some of her family, Silvarn works on the planet Arret, helping the locals out as needed. Arret is of particular interest to the young silver dragon. Introductions are made.

“Yes, we are,” Ivy answers, “But I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of this Nylsara. Who is she?”

The answer stuns Zabrina for a moment. She thought everyone would know who Nylsara was! But she quickly composes herself again.

“I take it that you’re not from Alphatia then. Nylsara was a famous Alphatian Admiral who rebelled against Emperor Alphaks when he became a lich. Much what follows is open to interpretation, but Nylsara was eventually captured and taken before Alphaks in chains. He had opened a vortex of chaotic magic in this throne room and had the Admiral tossed in. But she seemed to have planned for this and had spells active upon herself. When Nylsara made contact with the vortex, it exploded. I’m guessing that the explosion was larger than she suspected, as it led to the destruction of the Alphatian homeworld itself!”

“What remained of Alphatia took refuge on Arret and began to rebuild, but they had lost so much that they never recovered. Most of their colonies declared their independence and Alphatia was never a force among the other worlds again. What’s even more fascinating is that Grandma Cornelia actually knew Nylsara when she was still a junior officer! It’s the role of a career!”

When introduced, Yusef turns back. "An honor to meet you, Zabrina." It is curious that she is an actress. He would not have imagined that dragons would bother with something so... mundane and frivolous as theatre. It seems he has much to learn of dragons.

“Hello,” Zabrina says to the stranger. “Forgive me for being so forward, but what race are you? You appear human, but different in other ways.”

[Gabriella]

Lady Gabriella:

“Well met, Lady Gabriella. It is an honor to meet you. It has been pleasant after being apart for so long. Although Sir Acerion has been strangely quiet as of late. I am to understand that our course will now take us back to Elcadan?”

“Eventually,” Lady Gabriella answers. “There is still much to do. Duke Relon should be ready to begin his journey to Elcadan once we return to Pyris. There is still the matter of the transfer of rulership to the new Baron, which must be dealt with. I understand that you call Elcadan your home?”

"I would enjoy meeting your brother and his family, should the opportunity arise. Should we succeed in freeing my mother, it would be good for her to have people to talk to. Hopefully, we can eventually find a way to get her home to our family."

“I am sure that it can be arranged. Having your mother travel with a caravan back to Zakhara does seem prudent. Perhaps you might wish to accompany her on the journey?”

[Corley]

Sir Corley:

A small smirk crosses over Chareos’ features as Sir Corley announces Baron Validar’s expertise with the longsword. “I have seen battle with both of you, and would find it very hard to believe either of you are novice in your craft. It would be like saying I dabble here and there with magic.” He says with a knowing smile. “Tis the reason I sought you both out, for the lessons you have both learned would benefit my teachings greatly.”

“It is true that I am a force when it comes to the Greatsword, but my training with the longsword is only minimal. While similar, they are very different weapons. You seek training with the longsword, and that is a weapon with which Validar is a master. I can give you the basics, Lord Chareos, but little more.

[Argent]

Argent:

“Was this said ship ever found?” he asked curiously. “Or does it elude those who still seek it.”

“We believe to know the location. The Company of the Sword set on to find out. Unfortunately, it’s a long journey over the seas to a place called the Graveyard of Ships. Why Karn stored it there I’ll never know. He seemed to be demented in his later days.”

“I would imagine so. Though, we will have to recover jewelry that won’t be so ostentatious to wear but just as beautiful.”

“I like the way you think!” Argent says with a smile.

Chareos rubs his temples trying desperately to numb his aching head, Two Argents? But how could this be? Never had he heard of such tales! “Though if you both our truly the same person, how is that you…” trailing off has his head begins to hurt more from the sudden intact of this unusual knowledge. “No matter.” He said pushing the matter aside.

“I try not to think about it, myself,” Argent offers.

“I’ll stay if you wish me to.”

“There is certainly room enough for two. Besides, its a long way to the regular guest quarters. Time that you could spend resting.”

Picking up and apple and stashing it in his pocket, Chareos gathers himself up, “As do I. I just hope we have enough time to peruse all the tomes, though I find it doubtful.”

“I know what you mean, but at least now I can Teleport like Jallarzi, Sherwood, and Sharadin. We can return here almost anytime now.”

"No, that's something I haven't ever mastered," Sherra admits. "And actually I do possess the ability to detect for magic, but it isn't always accurate. I figured it would be better to have you be completely certain."

“I see,” Argent answers with a nod. “That would be a handy skill to have. I’ll take a look at them and see what we’ve got. Now that I think about it, that Halfling finder was good at determining the value of things. Perhaps you might want to show these to Bernice once I’m done with them.”

Yusef accompanies Sherra to visit Argent, his arms and backpack bulging with books, scrolls and notes. "We found all of this stuff in Kalandor's quarters. Hopefully there is something in here that will be of use to you and the other mages. I heard someone say something about a mage guild here. Perhaps it would be worth donating to the guild?"

“That’s a good idea, Yusef. And probably what will become of these. I won’t have much time to look at these right away. I’ll be busy learning new spells while we are here.”

[Ivy]

Ivy:

Turning to Ivy, Acerion says, "It is only because I am once again wrapped in the cloak of your comfort, my lady. The joy within my heart at having you by my side once more had stolen words from my lips so that I had become your silent servant."

“Flatterer,” Ivy answers, squeezing Acerion’s hand with hers. “But I do value your opinions. Do not be afraid to speak up.”

“Eventually,” Lady Gabriella answers. “There is still much to do. Duke Relon should be ready to begin his journey to Elcadan once we return to Pyris. There is still the matter of the transfer of ruler ship to the new Baron, which must be dealt with. I understand that you call Elcadan your home?”

“I’ve spent most of my life in Elcadan,” Ivy answers. “I was raised at the temple there and when old enough undertook the training to be a priestess and an Undead Hunter. While I call it home, I can’t say that I know the city all that well. Especially any of the nobles.”

“I take it that you’re not from Alphatia then. Nylsara was a famous Alphatian Admiral who rebelled against Emperor Alphaks when he became a lich. Much what follows is open to interpretation, but Nylsara was eventually captured and taken before Alphaks in chains. He had opened a vortex of chaotic magic in this thrown room and had the Admiral tossed in. But she seemed to have planned for this and had spells active upon herself. When Nylsara made contact with the vortex, it exploded. I’m guessing that the explosion was larger then she suspected, as it lead to the destruction of the Alphatian homeworld itself!”

“What remained of Alphatia took refuge on Arret and began to rebuild, but they had lost so much that they never recovered. Most of their colonies declared their independence and Alphatia was never a force among the other worlds again. What’s even more fascinating is that Grandma Cornelia actually knew Nylsara when she was still a junior officer! It’s the role of a career!”

Zabrina’s causal numbs Ivy’s mind just as Silvarn’s did earlier. It is clear that the Silver Dragons are far more advanced and far more knowledgeable than they previously thought. Ivy can’t help but wonder if what Silvarn does in Cynalon isn’t something akin to missionary work.

“No, none of us are from Alphatia. I haven’t heard much about them apart from them being a great empire built on magic. I never dreamed that they were not from our world.”

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

The Baron listens as some of their guests enlighten them further regarding the situation with the demons in general and details on their structure and ways to combat them.

"So their chaotic nature can be used against them. The Pit Fiends we just fought seemed much more organized and structured. These demons are more individuals then? Of course, that can also create a situation where they do something we do not expect."

"Still we shall be ready to combat them. Many of us have powerful magickal weapons, although I would recommend that everyone who does not have a mithral weapon to carry an iron or preferrably a silver weapon as well for the forseeable future," Validar says to the Guardians and the Seekers. "Even after we defeaat these emenies we must be ready for possible revenge attacks and other possible repercussions. Kharyna's predicament with the Cold Maiden shows how being in the wrong place can causeone harm, as Lyonessa unfortunately found out."

Crysania mentions some specific individuals and they will likely encounter them before they are done with the evil Deville family. "Everyone should prepare not only to fight against demons, but also undead and these Alu-demonesses. It is hard to say what other monstrous allies they may have as well."

Lady Gabriella primarily listens about the discussions on combating demons. Not that she has any interest, or even the ability to do so, but the information is helpful. “These sound like the stuff of nightmares,” she whispers to Baron Validar. “Do your best to stay out of the hands of one of these temptresses.”

"My heart has already been snared by one whom these vile temptresses cannot hope to compare themselves against," Validar whispers back.

Sir Corley listens to the dissertation upon demons with interest. Many things that were unknown to him are learned.

“Based on what I’ve heard, it seems to be that in any combat with a demon, our best course of action is to attack the most powerful one en mass. Try to do enough damage to either slay or banish it before it can escape by vanishing. Then we can concentrate on the lesser beasts.”

"That is a reasonable assumption, my friend. They are not like mages where we simply have to disrupt their magick; their powers are innate and likely close to instantaneous. We cannot ignore the lesser ones, but we need to be able to destroy the most powerful ones as quickly as possible. Fortunately, if they do not often aid another, then your suggestion may be met with less additional resistance than with another type of foe."

Validar notes the spells suggested to be used against the enemies mentioned and trusts all the spell casters, both mages and priests, have done so as well. "Protection from Evil seems to be a very useful spell. We should endeavor to have many of these available in our journeys."

Once all the questions have been asked, Baron Validar will thank the guests for their information and promise to keep them informed as to their progress. "Are there other questions that anyone has about our next missions?"

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

Gabriella and Sherra:
"Gabriella is correct. Once Stone Ridge is reclaimed then it is a natural progression to claim Akorros, as well as the entire lake area. Then that would leave Old Elcadan, the very nest of demons itself. I have the feeling that should you wish, that fleet may soon be yours."

“Such things are always possible. With the situation the Kingdom is currently in, there is plenty of opportunity for those who seek better things.”

"And never let it be said that I was one who did not strive for better things. For the Kingdom, for our people and of course, for my family."


Gabriella and Yusef:
"Do you still maintain connections with your relatives back in Zakhara?"

“Indirectly,” Lady Gabriella states. “While I myself have not made the long journey back to fabled Zakhara, there are those among the Al-Azrad who regularly make the trek. My older brother Hassam has made the journey several times now. He married into the Al-Kazar family, associates to the Al-Azrad and works with them in Elcadan. They teamed up to make the long caravan journey between Elcadan and Zakhara. I look forward to seeing the home of my ancestors one day.”

"Indeed. It is a journey I would join you on, my lady. I would wish to see the land of your mother's people as well. Perhaps we can even increase the cooperation between our kingdoms."


Sir Corley:
“You do speak truly. Life comes at us fast at times. We must adapt to the ever-changing circumstances. Nay, I am not opposed. Indeed, at times I do look forward to settling down and raising a family. One can only live on the road for so long before needing to set down roots.”

"It is not a matter of one or the other. Roots do not keep one from adventuring or helping to make the world better. In fact, I can see how such responsibilities can only increase one's desire to secure the Kingdom and defeat all of our foes," Validar responds. "Lady Gabriella has given me much to think on that I had not considered only a few short months ago."


“They sound much like our own Inner Kingdom nobles,” Sir Corley adds with a chuckle. “Only paying us attention when it is beneficial for them to do so.”

"Indeed. Simply another level of annoyance. We shall soon teach them all that we are not to be trifled with," Validar says defiantly. "Soon, our power will sway the enemy instead of drawing its attention."


Validar looks away wistfully as Sir Corley speaks. "Your words echo those of my heart, my friend. We are not ready for such a task, but one day the situation will align itself. We have much to accomplish before that day, but we will see it. That I am sure of."

“No, we are not ready for such a legendary trek today. But with each foe we dispatch, with each enemy we turn back our skill does grow. We will be ready for it and soon. All those ancient sorcerers’ who have made our lives miserable must be dispatched before Cynalon will ever know a true peace.”

"You are correct, my friend," Validar answers. "Sooner than anyone may expect. The coming days and months are true to be glorious, spectacular and wondrous. It is good to have you by my side, my friend."


"Perhaps," Validar whispers back to his friend. "Perhaps not. The King has no knowledge of the man, other than his brief association with us and with Lord Sherwood, who is not available. It is a decree and a philosophy that I agree with, but I could also see the King being more cautious in his judgment. Demons are evil, after all."

“Of that there is no question. Perhaps my own views are clouded for having traveled with him for a time.”

"You are a noble and honorable man, Sir Corley," Validar whispers even quieter than before. "More so than I. I believe in giving a man a chance, but should that chance and that grace be abused, then my judgement is harsh and final. Yusef seems to be a good man, but how well does anyone, except perhaps Sherra, know him?"

[Yusef]

Yusef:

“I am sure that it can be arranged. Having your mother travel with a caravan back to Zakhara does seem prudent. Perhaps you might wish to accompany her on the journey?”

Yusef nods. "Very much so. I doubt I'd be comfortable until I was certain she was back safely with our family in Zakhara. Also, it would be a fascinating trip and a great chance to meet more of our family."

“That’s a good idea, Yusef. And probably what will become of these. I won’t have much time to look at these right away. I’ll be busy learning new spells while we are here.”

Though he's pleased that Argent likes his idea, Yusef just nods with a serious face.

“Hello,” Zabrina says to the stranger. “Forgive me for being so forward, but what race are you? You appear human, but different in other ways.”

Zabrina's question reminds Yusef that he's different, and will never be like everyone else. "I am what is called a tiefling. A tiefling is essentially a human with some demon blood mixed in."

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

Chareos & Corley:
“Aye, we recovered it from the Ice Palace,” Drawing the silvery blue sword from its sheath he held it in front of him the hilt twinkling like ice in the mid afternoon sun. “It is a Frostbrand, a weapon of considerable desire. From what I understand it is a bane to fire creatures and protects the wielder from such creatures as well as most fires.”

"It seems your endeavors have been fruitful as well," noticing Validar's new sword.

Validar regards the Frostbrand. "A fine weapon, my friend. Ad a useful addition to your arsenal. With the wide range of enemies we face, the more special abilities we have at our disposal, the better for all of us."

"As for myself," he says as he pats the sword at his side, "I have indeed acquired a special weapon in the conquest of the Hextorites." He pulls the jet black blade from its sheath and holds it up. "This is known as the Warblade and was most recently used by the vile Xanathom. It is Adamantite. In addition, I have also acquired another sword from Xanathom which while no where enar as magickal, it does have the unique ability to provide Mirror Images. I think I shall have to keep the sword on my right side when we are not adventuring." The though comes to Validar that while the Warblade would be effective in combat that would arise while unarmored, the blade known as Ilbratha, would be a fine defensive addition. Later, Validar will follow this procedure.

"I have a weak spot for special swords, I am afraid," Validar admits. "When I was young, I used to bother my father's scribe for stories about the past heroes and their powerful weapons. For now, my collection numbers four unique weapons, but I trust it will continue to grow."


“Do not let his humility fool you, Lord Chareos. Baron Validar is a master with the longsword, the star pupil of Sir Alon who is perhaps the greatest swordsman of our time. I can teach you the basics, but for more than that Validar is the one you should seek out.”

A small smirk crosses over Chareos’ features as Sir Corley announces Baron Validar’s expertise with the longsword. “I have seen battle with both of you, and would find it very hard to believe either of you are novice in your craft. It would be like saying I dabble here and there with magic.” He says with a knowing smile. “Tis the reason I sought you both out, for the lessons you have both learned would benefit my teachings greatly.”

“It is true that I am a force when it comes to the Greatsword, but my training with the longsword is only minimal. While similar, they are very different weapons. You seek training with the longsword, and that is a weapon with which Validar is a master. I can give you the basics, Lord Chareos, but little more.

"Sir Corley is correct. The use of the weapons is similar, but their skill is found in entrely different methods and means of attacking and defending. It becomes harder and harder to become more and more proficient with more than one weapon, which is why a few can be special fighters with multiple weapons, but true mastery is a matter of devoting oneself to the smallest of details. The weight of the blade and pommel, the grip, the shape of the blade itself, all are used to the utmost advantage to strike with the quickest of speed and the strongest of force, not to mention the best places to strike an opponent. It is an art, one that I woud be pleased to teach you as much as you wish to know. Although we are always learning. Sir Alon just showed me some new ideas just this morning, in fact."


With Lady Gabriella and Sir Acerion and Ivy:
“Well met, Lady Gabriella. It is an honor to meet you. It has been pleasant after being apart for so long. Although Sir Acerion has been strangely quiet as of late. I am to understand that our course will now take us back to Elcadan?”

“Eventually,” Lady Gabriella answers. “There is still much to do. Duke Relon should be ready to begin his journey to Elcadan once we return to Pyris. There is still the matter of the transfer of rulership to the new Baron, which must be dealt with. I understand that you call Elcadan your home?”

“I’ve spent most of my life in Elcadan,” Ivy answers. “I was raised at the temple there and when old enough undertook the training to be a priestess and an Undead Hunter. While I call it home, I can’t say that I know the city all that well. Especially any of the nobles.”

"It is important to have connections in many different areas. While we do not know ho the nobles and the merchant guild leaders will accept the changes that are in the works, it is the common people that must be won over and taught what it will mean to have true leadership in the territory. That can be helped with the priesthoods immensely. Having them on our side will not only legitimatize our claim more in the people's eyes, but give us an opportunity to show them directly how a true lord should care for his people. I would be surprised were there not to be a large redistribution of wealth to make within Elcadan soon."

"We shall be in Pyris long enough to complete our tasks and begin our next missions. Fortunately we have a large number of resources at our disposal."

[GM Mad]

Post Closed