Cynalon Knights #11

[GM Mad]

Cynalon Knights #11

The heroes' stay at Karn's Keep is beginning to wind down...

Planning:

During the planning session, Sir Acerion and Ivy mention that they can function as intermediaries for their respective temples to the new Duke. Lady Sallavarian will add, "And I can do the same as far as the Mage Guild of Elcadan and the Mystran Church go as I am a high standing member of both."


Planet of the Silver Dragons:

On the far off world of Hyperion, Silvarn's tour is nearing its end...

Yusef listens with interest as Silvarn describes the draconic deities. It is fascinating material; he should get help in getting it recorded at some point. "Faluzure sounds quite unnatural and horrifying; I shall have to make sure that the followers of Azrella are aware of that one."

"They might be aware of him," Silvarn states. "You are fortunate that he is not a strong presence on your world. I doubt you or any of your friends will ever cross paths with one of his followers, let alone the power himself."


At Neve's ice house, the group is saying their goodbyes to Anja.

"When the time comes, I'll be glad to teach you," Ivy promises.

"Thank you! I look forward to the day."

Yusef gathers the girl in his arms and gives Anja a hug, then squeezes her hand gently as he turns to leave. "We shall not forget you, Anja."

"Nor I you any of you."

Seeing tears in Anja's eyes makes it difficult to not cry herself. Lyonessa hugs Anja back and says, "May you be well also."

"I will be, thanks to all of you and your kindness."

Neve will then escort Anja and Nina into their new home, while Silvarn leads you back outside.

"Shall we go home?" Silvarn inquires. The Silver Dragon then casts her spell and the world of Hyperion fades around you. You reappear back in Karn's Keep.

[GM Mad]

Karn's Keep:

Your final day at Karn's Keep is a busy one, with mages learning new spells and plans being made.

Yusef will look into replacing all (26) of his throwing spikes with ones of cold iron. I'm not sure how much he can get for his old steel ones, so just let me know what the incremental cost is. (He's actually kind of poor; all this adventuring, and he hasn't gained any money along the way! Of course, he hasn't really been looking for it...)

Lord Sharadin will recall that Lord Karn had a large and rather esoteric collection of weapons that would be available for any who would want them. Yusef will find a wide assortment of martial arts weapons, including throwing spikes made of cold iron. There are 12 spikes in all and Lord Sharadin will insist of Yusef keeping his other throwing spikes.


Finally the morning for your departure comes. You and your mounts are loaded into the Stone House and Lady Sallavarian teleports you all to Pyris.


GM Notes:

There is an even larger list of all the various deities known than the one I posted as part of the set up information, including all the draconic gods. I'll have to get the rest of the list online. Speaking of online, the master list of NWP’s is now complete in the Private Area.

Zabrina does eventually get her wish and does travel to Arret. She's part of Jylsera's group over in Clash of Empires. Clash is about 8 months ahead of the other games. It's July there, and we're in December in the rest of the games. I did update the Timeline page a few months back, but it's in need of updating once more. But I'll give you an idea of the time frame you're in. Sprinkled into the list are all the rest of the posts from the old Frontier series from Q-Link. No details, just when it happened. Their last post is still about 4.5 weeks in your future.

You’re arrival in Pyris happened back over New Frontiers. Continue to use this post to wrap up the ongoing conversations here.

Now what?

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

Gabriella / Ivy:
“Of course, that is perfectly understandable,” Lady Gabriella agrees. “There are those people who live for the moment and the promise of the coming day. And there are those like myself and Baron Validar who think what the day after tomorrow will bring. It is something to consider in the days and weeks to come.”

"Better to start small and work up to bigger and bigger processes. I have been making plans for what seems like all of my life."

Argent:
“Yes, one way communication,” Argent states.

"It can be worked out with the proper ingenuity."


“That should be workable,” Argent answers. “Knowledge of the subject you are looking for is the key to using a Crystal Ball. The better you know your target, the better the chance of success. Thus I’d have a better chance of looking in on one of the Guardians than your Seeker companions at the present.”

"That was what I had understood. It is an imperfect option to be sure, but one that we are forced to utilize. Does the Crystal Ball simply locate people or also places or objects?' Validar asks curiously.


Ivy:
"That was my expectation, as well. Letting them know we are coming is the first stage. Once we arrive, there will be much assistance that each of you can provide for the Duke."

“Elspeth might better serve that role, now that I think upon it, but I will do what I can to assist.”

"I am sure that your status with your order is stronger than your humbleness aloows you to profess."

[Validar]

Baron Validar -

Planning Session:
During the planning session, Sir Acerion and Ivy mention that they can function as intermediaries for their respective temples to the new Duke. Lady Sallavarian will add, "And I can do the same as far as the Mage Guild of Elcadan and the Mystran Church go as I am a high standing member of both."

"I thank you again for your assistance. Having as much support as possible will only help this process go more smoothly. Duke Relon is onemore step along the path to unifying Elcadan and bringing it back to its formwer glory."

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"They might be aware of him," Silvarn states. "You are fortunate that he is not a strong presence on your world. I doubt you or any of your friends will ever cross paths with one of his followers, let alone the power himself."

"That is good to know, Silvarn. Thank you. Still it's always best to be prepared."
___

Lord Sharadin will recall that Lord Karn had a large and rather esoteric collection of weapons that would be available for any who would want them. Yusef will find a wide assortment of martial arts weapons, including throwing spikes made of cold iron. There are 12 spikes in all and Lord Sharadin will insist of Yusef keeping his other throwing spikes.

Surprising Yusef with his generosity, Lord Sharadin makes a gift of a dozen cold iron throwing spikes. Yusef bows as he accepts the gift. "Thank you, Lord Sharadin, for this gift. I shall make sure that these are put to good use when we encounter my father's family."

Once his conversation with Ivy finishes, Yusef seeks out Sherra once more. "Sherra, would you be so kind as to bring your bow and come with me to the shooting range?" asks with a hint of a smile. It is fortunate that this oversized castle even has a full archery range in one wing. It will be perfect for what the tiefling has in mind.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

“She was probably wearing that jewelry that was enchanted,” Argent notes. “There was that evil ring she had. Regardless, it is a fine reward for all your work. As have no interest in those pieces. Do with them what you will.”

Sherra shrugs and scoops them into a sack. "You don't have to tell me twice," she says with a smile.

"Promises, promises..." is all Yusef says in reply, though there is a hint of a smile on his face.

Sherra just smiles in response, a wickedly devious smile if Yusef happens to catch a glimpse of it, but just a smile...

"Ahh... I don't know..." Yusef says, looking sheepish. "You are so much more worldly than I, I-- I'm sorry if I offended you."

"Hardly offended," Sherra says, wondering how she's going to work on his self-confidence.

Yusef looks down at himself, then back up at Sherra. "Me? Dashing? Now you're having sport with me." In truth, Yusef is curious to see what she and Validar's aides can come up with that he won't look and feel absolutely ridiculous in.

"Maybe I just find your exotic features to my liking," Sherra replies smiling.

The subject of passwords comes up and Yusef looks once more to Sherra. "Do you think it would be wise of us to do so as well? You seem more willing to endure my presence than most. If none else, I would wish to be sure of you at all times."

"'Endure your presence,' hmm?" Sherra asks a bit bewildered, but it doesn't last. "I do think it might be wise to have a password or code phrase like many of the others are doing. Would you like to do the honors?"

Once his conversation with Ivy finishes, Yusef seeks out Sherra once more. "Sherra, would you be so kind as to bring your bow and come with me to the shooting range?" asks with a hint of a smile. It is fortunate that this oversized castle even has a full archery range in one wing. It will be perfect for what the tiefling has in mind.

"Sure, I could use some target practice anyway," Sherra says and joins Yusef.

[Argent]

Argent:

"That was what I had understood. It is an imperfect option to be sure, but one that we are forced to utilize. Does the Crystal Ball simply locate people or also places or objects?' Validar asks curiously.

“It only locates people known to you, not places or objects, although knowledge of your targets location and belongings they possess can help. I could try to locate you, for instance, Baron. But I could not find your shield or armor, unless they were close to you.”

[Ivy]

Ivy:

"I am sure that your status with your order is stronger than your humbleness allows you to profess."

“It’s not a matter of status. Elspeth does not travel like I do, as her skills are not best served that way. She is very important among our order. Most likely she’ll take over the Elcadan Temple from Mother Boelle some day. She is simply better suited in this particular area than I am.”

"Yes, ma'am," Yusef replies. Some nobles want proper titles, and some don't; it is all far too confusing.

“Unlike Validar, Corley, or Acerion, I was not born a noble,” Ivy explains. “Truth be told I was only given the title while we were at Corunglain right when you joined our ranks, so I’ve gone most of my life without one. I never strived for one, but it seems that Istus is determined to give me a noble title. I’m not sure if I like that idea or not.”

"While on Silvarn's home world, we had some discussion regarding the draconic pantheon. While this may already be known by you and your priesthood, I learned something there that I wanted to make sure you knew about. Apparently, there is a draconic deity known as Faluzure, whose realms are those of decay, undeath and energy draining. Since this is so completely in opposition to Azrella's area of concern, I felt it was important to bring it up."

“There are many we are opposed to Yusef, this Faluzure is just another on the list. I can’t say that I’ve heard of him before, but others may have. Orcus and Incalabus are the ones we primarily battle. A dragon god sounds very scary! Thank you for the information, Yusef.”

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

Argent, the Invoker:
"That was what I had understood. It is an imperfect option to be sure, but one that we are forced to utilize. Does the Crystal Ball simply locate people or also places or objects?' Validar asks curiously.

“It only locates people known to you, not places or objects, although knowledge of your targets location and belongings they possess can help. I could try to locate you, for instance, Baron. But I could not find your shield or armor, unless they were close to you.”

"I was afraid that was the case," Validar answers. "It does create a situation that is not perfect for communication, but it does allow some form and for that we shall be greatful. I am sure we can improve such a procedure as we progress with it."


Ivy of Azrella:
"I am sure that your status with your order is stronger than your humbleness allows you to profess."

“It’s not a matter of status. Elspeth does not travel like I do, as her skills are not best served that way. She is very important among our order. Most likely she’ll take over the Elcadan Temple from Mother Boelle some day. She is simply better suited in this particular area than I am.”

"Perhaps you misunderstood my comment, Ivy," Validar says. "She may be indeed be better suited for the task and I understand her position is very important among the Azrellans. I simply meant that you should not discount your own abilities. Nothing more."

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"Maybe I just find your exotic features to my liking," Sherra replies smiling.

Now he's certain she's having a bit of sport with him, but Yusef doesn't say so. "Ahh... Hmm... Maybe. I suppose." In truth, he really doesn't have any idea how to respond, so me mostly just stammers a bit.

"'Endure your presence,' hmm?" Sherra asks a bit bewildered, but it doesn't last. "I do think it might be wise to have a password or code phrase like many of the others are doing. Would you like to do the honors?"

"Well... uh... How about, 'What is the key to Kalandor's doors?' 'Tenacity.'"

---

“There are many we are opposed to Yusef, this Faluzure is just another on the list. I can’t say that I’ve heard of him before, but others may have. Orcus and Incalabus are the ones we primarily battle. A dragon god sounds very scary! Thank you for the information, Yusef.”

"You're welcome, Ivy. I hadn't known much of anything about the draconic pantheon previously, so it seemed possible they weren't well known by others either. It just seemed like those best positioned to combat such an entity should be aware of it so as not to be taken unawares."

---

"Sure, I could use some target practice anyway," Sherra says and joins Yusef.

Yusef walks with Sherra to the shooting range that has been set up in one of the huge castle's halls. Leaving her at the shooting line, Yusef continues down to stand in front of one of the targets. Turning to face the raven-haired beauty, he settles into a stance that he has been practicing a lot lately.

"Okay, I'm ready. Shoot me," he says calmly to Sherra.
_________________________________________________________
BTW, Yusef will try to have a second pouch made for the throwing spikes just like the current one. Easier for him to keep them separate but available that way. I show 1.4 gp as the price paid for the first one; of course, that can change due to circumstances.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Surprising Yusef with his generosity, Lord Sharadin makes a gift of a dozen cold iron-throwing spikes. Yusef bows as he accepts the gift. "Thank you, Lord Sharadin, for this gift. I shall make sure that these are put to good use when we encounter my father's family."

“You’re welcome. When we arrived at the keep it was filled with numerous pieces of gear, weapons, and clothing. Far too much to attempt to sort, so giving things away is just a way of cleaning house.”


GM Notes:

BTW, Yusef will try to have a second pouch made for the throwing spikes just like the current one. Easier for him to keep them separate but available that way. I show 1.4 gp as the price paid for the first one; of course, that can change due to circumstances.

Karn’s Keep has an extraordinary amount of gear collected here, so much so that anyone can take anything, within reason, from the Players Handbook. Obviously, no animals or boats are present, but most weapons, clothing and miscellaneous gear can be had here. Its yours for the taking should you want it! (Sword of Doom #48 went into this as well.)

So Yusef will easily find a pouch for his throwing spikes.

[Ivy]

Ivy:

"Perhaps you misunderstood my comment, Ivy," Validar says. "She may be indeed be better suited for the task and I understand her position is very important among the Azrellans. I simply meant that you should not discount your own abilities. Nothing more."

“I am quite confident in my abilities, Validar,” Ivy answers. “I’ve been trained from a very young age to hunt and destroy undead. That is where my strengths lie.”

"You're welcome, Ivy. I hadn't known much of anything about the draconic pantheon previously, so it seemed possible they weren't well known by others either. It just seemed like those best positioned to combat such an entity should be aware of it so as not to be taken unawares."

“It was wise for you to relay this information, Yusef. It is clear from our excursion with Silvarn that we know very little about the true nature of dragons. They seem so much more advanced than we are.”

[Validar]

Baron Validar of Pyris -

Ivy:
"Perhaps you misunderstood my comment, Ivy," Validar says. "She may be indeed be better suited for the task and I understand her position is very important among the Azrellans. I simply meant that you should not discount your own abilities. Nothing more."

“I am quite confident in my abilities, Validar,” Ivy answers. “I’ve been trained from a very young age to hunt and destroy undead. That is where my strengths lie.”

Validar listens to Ivy's answer and while he doesn't show it, is somewhat confused at her response. He remembers that she apparently often takes things completely out of context. Rather than degenerate into similar other discussions in the past, he lets it slide by. "Very good," he says finally. Without further comment, he moves on to other business.

[Yusef]

Yusef:

“You’re welcome. When we arrived at the keep it was filled with numerous pieces of gear, weapons, and clothing. Far too much to attempt to sort, so giving things away is just a way of cleaning house.”

This brings a grin to Yusef's face. "Well, I'm certainly willing to help. Mayhap I should have a little look around..."

“It was wise for you to relay this information, Yusef. It is clear from our excursion with Silvarn that we know very little about the true nature of dragons. They seem so much more advanced than we are.”

"That is true. It is apparent that there is far more to them than I - at the least - had any inkling. I think it would be prudent to learn as much about them as we can. Perhaps Lord Sharadin can be of some assistance in doing so."

Yusef will seek out Lord Sharadin and review for him their experiences in Silvarn's home. He's interested in whether dragons are understood far better than he knew, or whether there is a need for further research.
_______________________________________________________
Thanks! The new spikes will go in the new pouch. If there are regular steel ones available, Yusef will make certain to fill his bolt case with them.

Yusef could probably also have found a sling and a pouch of metal 'stones' (they fly more accurately than rocks). Thus, the stuff in the other thread about having to borrow one probably isn't accurate.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

"Well... uh... How about, 'What is the key to Kalandor's doors?' 'Tenacity.'"

Sherra says simply, "Sounds good enough to me."

Yusef walks with Sherra to the shooting range that has been set up in one of the huge castle's halls. Leaving her at the shooting line, Yusef continues down to stand in front of one of the targets. Turning to face the raven-haired beauty, he settles into a stance that he has been practicing a lot lately.

"Okay, I'm ready. Shoot me," he says calmly to Sherra.

"What?" Sherra asks, not entirely positive of what he just said. When she can tell that he's serious, she shrugs and says, "Alright, just remember you asked me to shoot you."

Sherra will take aim with her bow, knowing that nearly anyone could fall out of the way, but she doubts that's what he's planning. Still, she is no slouch with a bow, so she will aim for somewhere non-vital, like a shoulder, in case whatever he's trying to do fails.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Yusef approaches Lord Sharadin on the subject of dragons.

“I can imagine that it was an eye-opening experience for you,” Lord Sharadin states. “There are things in this world that the common person is blissfully unaware of. The true nature of dragons is one of them. And the final analysis, what does it really matter if their origins are known or unknown? They are still incredibly powerful beings. Some are helpful like Silvarn, some are baneful like Ember.”

“Silvarn is here to help us deal with the problems caused by other dragons. She is not here to tell us how we should live our lives or to give us tools or knowledge that we are not ready to deal with. Cynalon is a relatively young nation and is nowhere near as advanced as say Alphatia is. It will take time to grow and mature and this will not happen within our lifetimes. Let us just take things at a natural pace and remember that some matters are just better left unsaid when it comes to the general public. Silvarn trusted you enough to reveal her secrets. She’ll also trust you to keep them wisely.”


Now what?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

Sherra approves his suggestion for a personal codephrase, so that is taken care of. It is good to know that they can be sure of one another in the situation they will be entering soon.

"What?" Sherra asks, not entirely positive of what he just said. When she can tell that he's serious, she shrugs and says, "Alright, just remember you asked me to shoot you."

Sherra appears uncertain of what he has asked. "Shoot at me, with your bow, or at the target behind me if you prefer," Yusef repeats, enunciating clearly in an attempt to be clearer about his request. Of course, since he's standing directly in front of the target, it amounts to the same thing. She seems to understand this time and prepares to fire.

Readying himself, he prepares to deflect the incoming arrow while moving his body just out of the way.

---

Yusef considers Sharadin's words carefully. "Ah, so those that really need to know more about the dragons do. That is good to know. Thank you, Lord Sharadin." His mind settled on the issue, Yusef will excuse himself and depart.

[Yusef]

Yusef:

She hesitates for a moment, seemingly unsure if Yusef is serious, but then fires her arrow, aiming for a non-vital area. Just as the arrow it about to puncture his shoulder, Yusef slaps it away with one economical gesture.

"More please. And keep them coming," Yusef says with a beckoning gesture.

Sherra obliges him, shooting through her quiver, the arrows coming faster and faster as she tests to see the limits of what he can do. Not one arrow pierces his flesh. Most are deflected away harmlessly, some he simply slips out of the way of, and one he actually succeeds in snatching out of the air.

When Sherra runs out of arrows, Yusef smiles at her. "Thank you. I have been preparing and training myself for this for quite a while, but it is good to see that it works in live practice." He hands her the arrow he caught, then assists her in collecting the others.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

She hesitates for a moment, seemingly unsure if Yusef is serious, but then fires her arrow, aiming for a non-vital area. Just as the arrow it about to puncture his shoulder, Yusef slaps it away with one economical gesture.

"More please. And keep them coming," Yusef says with a beckoning gesture.

Sherra is quite suprised as Yusef merely slaps away the arrow. She expected him to dodge but not that!

Sherra obliges him, shooting through her quiver, the arrows coming faster and faster as she tests to see the limits of what he can do. Not one arrow pierces his flesh. Most are deflected away harmlessly, some he simply slips out of the way of, and one he actually succeeds in snatching out of the air.

She continues to fire, the next couple are still shot with caution in mind. Once Sherra sees that Yusef doesn't even appear to be struggling, she makes her shots a little more accurate. Realizing that this could quickly turn deadly, she's amazed that he snatches one right out of the air.

"Alright, now you're just showing off!" Sherra calls out playfully.

When Sherra runs out of arrows, Yusef smiles at her. "Thank you. I have been preparing and training myself for this for quite a while, but it is good to see that it works in live practice." He hands her the arrow he caught, then assists her in collecting the others.

"I must say, that is quite impressive," Sherra tells him. As she begins collecting her arrows, she asks, "How long have you been training to do that?"

[Yusef]

Yusef:

She continues to fire, the next couple are still shot with caution in mind. Once Sherra sees that Yusef doesn't even appear to be struggling, she makes her shots a little more accurate. Realizing that this could quickly turn deadly, she's amazed that he snatches one right out of the air.

"Alright, now you're just showing off!" Sherra calls out playfully.

Yusef chuckles in reply, not relaxing his stance at all. "Actually, I wasn't certain I could actually do that. This particular arrow just happened to be in just the right place for me to snatch it. It probably wouldn't happen that often, at least not until I get better at this."

"I must say, that is quite impressive," Sherra tells him. As she begins collecting her arrows, she asks, "How long have you been training to do that?"

"Thank you," Yusef replies, "I'm somewhat impressed that I was able to do it successfully, myself.

"In a sense, I've been training for this ever since I joined Celestian's brotherhood. This technique is a natural outgrowth of the techniques on which our fighting style is founded. I have been doing preparatory drills and other forms of training designed to enable this particular technique for over a year now. Still, this is the first time I have done with real missles being fired at me. And you were perfect, starting slowly and allowing me to build confidence in my ability to execute the technique. For that, I thank you, lovely lady," Yusef says with a bow.

[GM Mad]

Post Closed