Sapphire:Sessions:20181201
The hallway ends in an apparent chasm some feet further along. The last door, intricately carved, seems to bulge outward. Shawna casts Dispel Magic on the doorknob. Chalker uses his Penetrating Vision and in the room he sees seven people sitting around a conference table. Two are dressed in a military style like the soldiers in the barracks on another level [Captain, Lieutenant]. One is a huge barbarian who would stand at least 7' tall [Arvie]. One is a goblin dressed in leathers [Sob]. There is a male elf dressed like a ranger [Tay]. There is a man in work clothes [Roland]. The one who must be "Lord Galen" appears tall, broad-shouldered, and very handsome.
Ahn-Lee knocks on the door; the seven start and stand up. Lord Galen's baritone voice calls, "Come in! You're expected." Instead of swinging open, the door folds up into an archway. Chalker, with Ahn-Lee and Shawna close behind, walks right up to the table. Along a far wall there seems to be blue water covering the floor. A crystal column 10' high and 3' in diameter contains a man [Cullen] dressed for combat; he appears thin and haggard. The other columns of a similar size are milky white; things can be vaguely seen inside them, moving. There are deep niches at either end of the room.
To the left is a platform 6' in diameter covered with broken red crystals surrounding a broken display case holding a glowing object. At the edge of this platform stands Shree wearing blood-red robes with the hood thrown back. Chalker senses metal on the platform, but "diffuse" and "unique". Chalker: "Shree, I'm glad you're doing better." LG: "He got here just in time."
Shawna silently prays to Cor, then casts Apportation on the artifact. The spell barely "wiggles" the item, then slides off. Shree, however, seems to be yanked backward by his neck.
Chalker: "We come searching for an object, and we have traced it to here. Shree was adamant about not letting us talk to you. ... Captain, we only had to kill one of your soldiers, and we're sorry about that." The Captain opens his mouth to respond, but LG makes some gesture with a raised fist (that the Captain could not have seen) and the Captain shuts his mouth without speaking. LG: "I will not part with that artifact."
Shawna raises the artifact a foot above the pedestal; it is blue-green and vaguely bird-shaped. Shree interrupts, "My lord --" Shawna intones, "I take this into my possession for the good of the First Chosen and the peoples of the world." Shawna senses a magic circle 9' wide spring into existence; an information-seeking spell pulses out. LG turns his attention to her. Chalker checks LG's aura: Very powerful, infused with magic, strong will, some resistance to psi and magical manipulation and control. LG is a megalomaniac, but is inexperienced and inconsistent.
Chalker steps back into Sonya and draws her arms around him. Staring at Shawna, LG says, "Shree, we have to step." Capt locks eyes with Ahn-Lee as though to stare him down; Ahn-Lee looks back, unconcerned.
Roland's left hand drops below the edge of the table. Chalker hooks onto the knife he senses there and takes control of it (despite intense, instinctive resistance from LG); he whispers to Shawna, "You need to cut LG off from that artifact." Shawna prays silently to Cor: "Let me take the artifact away from this one who would steal and abuse your power."
Ahn-Lee senses a threatening change in the ambiance of the room; Chalker and Shawna realize that reality has shifted away into another plane. They are out of phase with Erethel, though Shawna's spiritual links remain.
LG: "Will you release the artifact?" Shawna walks toward him. Tay offers his arm; she ignores him.
Chalker murmurs to Sonya: "You got the big guy."
Suddenly Chalker jumps up on the table. Ahn-Lee and Alastor each fast-draw two knives. Ahn-Lee throws and strikes Arvie but Capt dodges. Shawna prays to "break (LG's) connection to the artifact."
LG jumps on his chair, bounces atop the table, pulls something (a bag of herbs?) from his belt and throws it at Chalker, missing. Shawna draws her sword and faces Tay. Chalker jumps off the table, runs at Shree to try a leg sweep, but hits something he can't see (hurting himself). Ahn-Lee leaps off a chair over LG to try to tackle Roland, who avoids him by jumping on another chair. Ahn-Lee stops himself before hitting a wall, looks over and grins, "Hey, Shawna." Valor draws blood from Lt. Sonya draws her sword while running up to Arvie, but her wild swing misses. Alastor and Dinah are searching for Sob who is hiding under the table. Out of two of the milky columns step a skeleton and a zombie. Arvie draws his longsword out of a scabbard on his back. Sob swings at Dinah who parries. Lt strikes Valor. Tay fast-draws his sword, steps and swings at Shawna who Blinks next to Ahn-Lee. Roland thrusts at Ahn-Lee but Chalker immobilizes his knife. Tara and Solant, bows drawn, are guarding the hallway. Shawna moves past Tay toward the artifact.
Shawna prays, "Cor, empower me," and tries to grasp the sphere surrounding the artifact. Some force causes the sphere to reverberate and shrink, and Shawna takes minor damage. Ahn-Lee fast-draws two knives, throws one at Roland's knee and the other at his vitals; Roland dodges both. "Dammit, Chalker!" Ahn-Lee is certain that Roland is the thief. Alastor throws a knife that hits Sob. Sonya strikes Arvie. Animated Armor1 steps out of a niche behind Alastor. Another skeleton and zombie emerge from columns. Shree says a word and ten dire wolves appear around the pedestal. LG stops between two chairs. Chalker draws Magekiller.
Ahn-Lee strikes Roland in the vitals. Tay chases after Shawna and swings wildly, missing. Roland's body shifts form (though he is still a human male and still injured). Arvie swings and Sonya dodges. Lt barely hits Valor. Dinah takes a significant wound from Sob. Armor1 swings and misses Alastor, but Armor2 hits Scout who collapses in a heap. Shree tries to wrap himself around the artifact but bounces off the barrier. Another skeleton and zombie emerge. The ten dire wolves mill around in confusion, growling and snarling. Shawna, praying "Delsa, aid me," reaches slowly through the barrier. Chalker snatches the dagger out of Roland's hand. Ahn-Lee senses an object in a pack in the small of Roland's back. LG makes a pushing gesture and Sonya sprawls, unconscious. Valor attacks; Lt parries. Alastor throws a knife at Capt who dodges.
LG runs past Sonya, turns, and raises his arms; the high-mana field is moving with him now. The barrier goes down; Shree steps away from Shawna; two wolves leap at the artifact, one of them slamming to the floor and the other impaling itself on Shawna's blade. Sob runs up and tries to stab Chalker in the back. Arvie runs up behind Shawna and readies his sword. Ahn-Lee impales Roland in the vitals and through one eye; Roland is not stunned, but is in great pain. The artifact smacks into Shawna's hand; she starts praying to block off its power from everyone. Chalker steps in front of Shawna, pivots, and stabs Shree through his raised hand. Alastor fast-draws and attacks Capt, dropping him.
Shawna, at the cost of physical damage, walls off the artifact. Shree screams in pain and frustration. Ahn-Lee reaches around Roland and pulls out the object he had sensed. LG says "Damn," stretches out one hand toward the pedestal, rotates his hand, and the red crystals leap into the air. Chalker turns the knife in Shree's hand 1/4 turn, then leaps and stabs at LG, who dodges. Dinah trips Armor1 which tumbles to the floor. Alastor attacks Lt but misses. Shawna dodges Arvie, parries Tay, and blocks a wolf. Four wolves attack Chalker; all of them miss.
Various things move around Chalker, who dodges toward LG. Shawna blinks away from a wolf and out of the circle. Shawna throws a Sunbolt at Shree, stunning him. LG raises his hand (the crystals fall to the floor) and Chalker takes damage and is knocked back against a wolf; he lands on his feet and kills the wolf. LG swears. Ahn-Lee dodges Roland's attack, stashes the object, pulls his knives out of Roland and leaps up to avoid a wolf. Chalker releases the knife stuck in Shree's hand, hooks Magekiller and throws it at LG, barely missing. Dinah is attempting to drive her sword through the prone Armor1 by jumping up and down. Valor strikes Lt, who falls. Tara and Solant step in and fire at zombies and wolves.
Ahn-Lee cartwheels over a wolf, driving his knives into its spine. The wolf sprawls; Ahn-Lee lands facing Roland, back-to-back with Shawna. "Hey," he says, and this time Shawna cracks a smile. LG casts Sunbolt and Chalker dodges. LG: "Damn." Shawna stabs Shree in the vitals. Chalker puts Magekiller at LG's back; LG is Missile Shielded. Shree tries to move but falls unconscious. Tay attacks Shawna, who parries. A wolf tries to bite Shawna's ankle. Arvie swings at Ahn-Lee and misses. Tara and Solant shoot through the eyeslots of the Armors. A skeleton swings at Chalker, who dodges. Three wolves attack Chalker, one trying to run between his legs and scraping its hide on Magekiller.
Ahn-Lee steps into Roland and stabs him in the vitals. Shawna hits Arvie with a Sunbolt. LG throws a Sunbolt at Chalker, who dodges. Chalker steps on a wolf and dives at LG who steps aside. Chalker whispers, "You should've gave me the artifact." A wolf leaps at Chalker's back and glances off. Sob closes with Alastor. Roland misses Ahn-Lee, who also dodges a wolf. Arvie swings and misses. Tay thrusts at Shawna who stares at him unmoving; the blow fails to get through her armor. A wolf bites Shawna but also cannot pierce her armor. Alastor kills a wolf and critically hits Sob. Dinah finally pierces through Armor1 and shouts "Yes!"
LG steps back and sweeps his right hand over two wolves and a skeleton. Shawna throws Lightning and hits LG, adding "Cor curse him!" Ahn-Lee stabs Roland in the head and Roland finally collapses. Chalker stabs LG with Magekiller and utters the magic words, "One Less Mage." LG wavers, a look of surprise in his eyes, but manages to say, "Not yet." Tara and Solant fire and hit wolves. Dinah dives at blinded Armor2's feet. Sob dodges Alastor. Ahn-Lee parries a wolf bite. Two wolves and a skeleton attack Chalker, doing no damage. Arvie swings and misses. Tay swings and Shawna parries.
LG staggers back, pulling away from Magekiller. Chalker stabs him again. Dinah missteps but remains on her feet. Valor kills a zombie. Shawna swings and Tay parries. Ahn-Lee hits a wolf. Alastor is hit for minor damage.
Shawna casts Sleep on Tay. LG does something "dramatic" but there is no apparent effect. Ahn-Lee slashes a wolf and stabs Arvie in the back of one knee. Arvie tries to pivot and, as his leg gives way, he throws his sword away. It flies into a chair where it sticks and vibrates. Chalker steps into LG (driving Magekiller in deeper), lifts him up, slams him down (a dire wolf scrambles out of the way), and falls atop him; LG goes limp. Chalker again whispers, "You should've given me the artifact."
All the skeletons crumble to dust. The four remaining wolves look dazed. Badly injured, Arvie shakes his head and falls back against a wall. Sob tries to get away from Alastor, who finishes him off. Ahn-Lee crosses his knives against Arvie's throat and slices, then he, Valor, and Alastor finish off the wolves. Chalker pulls Magekiller out of LG. He spares Tay for now ("I want to question him"); drawing Dink-Dink he beheads LG and Shree. Alastor, Scout, Sonya, Dinah, and Valor are all hurt. Chalker brings Sonya back to consciousness and performs first aid. Shawna administers healing to the injured, including reviving Scout and restoring him to full health. Once Alastor is healed, he examines the dire wolves.
Ahn-Lee loots a quantity of gold, several knives, rings, and pouches. Noting that Roland was a very ugly young man, he remarks, "I see why he was a shapeshifter." He checks the compass to verify that Roland was his target. He wants to search Shree's body but feels an aversion to touching him.
Chalker, seated in Tay's lap facing him, a knife to the elf's throat, slaps him awake. Tay: "Who are you?" Chalker: "The guy with the knife at your throat." Tay: "Cullen had maps to what he said was an ancient site... a place good to explore and loot... Something broke... It was a red and blue double helix... Shree said there were containment wards... Galen said he'd seen it in books, and we could sell it... They tried to move it, Shree or Galen made a mistake, Roland was trying to remove traps, something happened..."
Chalker: "I let you stay alive, are we clear?" Tay: "Yes." "You owe me your life, are we clear?" "I understand." "Do you remember the fight?" "Mostly." "Do you remember taking swings at my lady?" "Yeah, I do." "I'm very protective of her, but I let you live. Are you going to make me regret this?" "No." Tay goes on: "The books -- Shree said someone went in the library... that's where Galen put his books, multiplied them... Once the accident happened, the entire complex was restored... 'romanticized'... fluctuating high mana. Galen realized it first. He was just a scholar... The last several weeks are a blur... A lot of bad things were done."
Shawna, meanwhile, had broken open the column containing Cullen, who is Galen's older brother and the heir to their father's throne. Cullen collapses to the floor and spends some time recovering.
Shawna communes with Delsa: Where are we, and how do we get back?
Someone offers Cullen some water and he recovers enough to sit up. He tries to get up and approach Tay, asking "May I?" but Chalker tells him "No, you may not. Do you know where we are?" "Yes." "Where are we?" "In a complex beneath a town in my father's kingdom." "You know your brother's dead, right?" "Galen deserved it, for what he did.... I mean, thank you for rescuing me...." "When the artifact broke, did you feel a change?" "Felt different, something happened, the very air shimmered, the earth moved... Galen said something in a language I didn't understand." Chalker has him repeat it, but it's just babble. Cullen asks for food, and Chalker opens up Tiny Wagon.
Solant signals, "Visitor requesting entrance. From the cavern." Tara is keeping him at the edge of the pit. Shawna steps out of the room. Standing just beyond Tara is a 6'6" male, elven-looking but with sharper cheekbones and a pronounced forehead. He is "unspeakably" beautiful and clad in shimmering dark blue silk with a silver belt and boots. A long dagger, apparently mithril, hangs from his belt.
"My lady. What brings you to our realm?" "Why were we brought here?" "We did not bring you. You arrived." "We did not come here." "It's a puzzlement. Who brought you here?" "I either don't know or can't say. All we want to do is go back." "You wish to return to which (sic) you came? Nothing else?" "Is this a trick question?" "Yes." "Who are you?" "Kykirklin." "The name means nothing. What race are you?" "What is your name, my lady?" "I am called Shawna." "In some lands we are called 'elves'. But given your appearance, your land is probably not one of them. There are powerful artifacts residing in that space (pointing toward the door). Your guards here indicate that I should not advance any further into your space." "My guards are trained well." "I request permission to come in further to see the remnants of the power that I sense within your space. I promise not to touch or otherwise impact the artifact in any way, if I may just see it." "What for, other than to satisfy your curiosity?" "To ensure the safety of our realm when you are sent back with your artifact. We will not attempt to take it from you." "But you don't know what it is." "I suspect what it is, but I do not know. The human who established contact with us recently was willing to come to an agreement, but my liege was not sure that it would be wise to do anything. And what has just happened bears out that my liege was absolutely correct." "Was it one of the humans that lie dead in yonder room?" "He went by the name of Galen. I believe he proclaimed himself High Lord of his people." "I hope your perceptions told you otherwise. Or did you believe him?" "He was young and expressing a desire of what he wished to be, not what was. But he had the power to do it, and it was our place to intervene." "Then why are you here?" "Curiosity. And to ensure the safety of my liege's realm." "Again I tell you, all we want to do is return to where we belong. And at this point, I do not care to sate your curiosity." "Then you know how to return?" "I will find out." "So I may not see the artifact?" "Did I not just say that I don't care to sate your curiosity?" "Correct. But you didn't say I couldn't see it. You said you didn't care." He smiles. Shawna: "I will not let you see the artifact. If you ask anyone else, they will not let you see the artifact."
Kykirklin turns and walks out into the cavern. He nods and says, "Thank you, ma'm." Folding his legs under him, he sits in midair as if prepared to wait her out. Shawna, unimpressed, turns and walks back into the room.
Shawna gestures to Chalker. She explains tersely that they have "a visitor from another place." "He took an attitude with me. Galen had reached out to these beings, and *they* said no. They fear the artifact." "Did they know what the artifact was?" "No. But this representative expressed curiosity to see it. I said no." "I'll take a look at him."
Chalker checks Kykirklin's Aura. It's dazzling and blinding, like looking into the sun. Kykirklin smiles. Chalker: "What year is it?" "I don't care, I don't know." "Not knowing and not caring are two different concepts." "You are correct. I've been told it is the year 2436 of the current age. I don't keep track. We are not normally permitted interaction with your world, though we are attached. And we are not another world. It is deeply offensive. But they are very strict. And their representative does maintain that position herself." "What is the name of that representative? What is her name?" "Shawna, I think is what she said, when I told her my name." "Are you familiar with the First Chosen?" Kykirklin names "Coraroo [Coranue? Or was he conflating 'Coranue' with 'Saroorel'?], Damarot", then hesitates. Chalker: "So you're not an elf, are you? Something else, aren't you?" "Yes." "Did you bring us here?" "No." "Where is 'here'?" "Part of the Endless Lands. [pause] What do we need to do to obtain the permission of the representative to see the artifact? "Why do you want to see the artifact?" "Curious as to what it is." "What's it called? What's the name of it?" After a pause, "Is that the price of seeing it? Should we have made that bargain with the representative?" "Well, she is in charge. They don't let me in charge, much. People start dying." "Understood." "What will I see if we go up to the mouth of this cavern? What will be out there?" "The parts of your reality that were brought here were quite extensive. To go to the end of that extent you will see more of our Endless Place." "Are you here 'cause you're bored? Because if I lived in an endless land, I would be bored, probably. How old are you?" Kykirklin shrugs. Chalker: "Is time irrelevant here?" "Only when you want it to be." "Do y'all have another representative that we can talk to? I mean, you're pretty and everything, but you're not helping. Can you put the artifact back together? Do you want the artifact?" "Somewhat. And no." "You can put it back together, but you don't want it." "Somewhat. And yes, we do not want it." "You said that the First Chosen that you are most connected to is Roo and Damarot?" "Damarot and Coraroo [sic]. We have also had some connections to Mensep." "Now, I hate talking to Mensep. I'll talk to Cor." "And Yassep has been very... formal with us. We have knowledge of all the First Chosen. Enough to know that the one who makes decisions is a representative of a particular First Chosen." "Not me." Kykirklin cocks his head and says, "You're a messenger." "I am a big stone that gets thrown in the water. I'm not, well, sometimes I'm a messenger." "Do I have permission to sense the rest of your party through you?" "Nooo. Uh-uh. You have permission to sense *me*. You have permission to really look at me, if you like. That should be enough. So go ahead, take a long look. Since you tried to put my eyes out when I looked at you."
Chalker lets Kykirklin "examine" him, after which Kykirklin says, "That was informative." "Told you." "Would you do me the honor of requesting that the representative return. I have a.. request and an offer to make to her that I hope might be more to her liking." "Sure. I'm a messenger; I'll be a messenger boy. I'll be back."
Ahn-Lee's keeping an eye on Cullen and Tay. Chalker confers with Shawna. Neither is favorably impressed with Kykirklin. "Is he gone?" "Nooo, he's not going anywhere. He wants to talk to you again. He wants to be more respectful. He's recognized you as a representative of Yasseph." "But he couldn't be respectful because I was a stranger in his world... He spoke to you and me as 'lesser beings'. Although he couched it as being 'I'm oh so polite.'" "Obviously he's asking permission because he can't take it." "What did you learn from him that I didn't?" "I can't look at his aura because... it's not as bright as yours, but it's very bright. So bright that all I get is noise. Go out there and talk to him, and see if we can figure out how to get out of here." "What do you think he's going to say that's going to change my mind?" "I don't know... we're someplace called "Endless Lands'." "All he did was double-talk you, too?" "Uh-huh. He called me a 'messenger.'" "You're a prince and an ambassador." "I want to hear what he has to say to you.... They are not liked by Yasseph... After we talk to him, we're going to go in there and get all those crystals and start putting that thing back together." "Coming with?" "Yes.... I can't look at my own aura, but from what I gather, it's pretty scary.... I think it's because they see whatever it is they're looking for."
Tay: "Do you know what they're doing?" Ahn-Lee: "I wouldn't tell you." "Sorry." Chalker calls over, "Are you okay, Ahn-Lee?" "Oh, sure. Just getting to know our new friends, here." "Are you two okay? Y'all look alive still, so that's a good start." Shawna: "Are you of a mind to kill me and take the artifact?" Tay and Cullen chorus "Oh, no, I don't want anything to do with the artifact." Chalker: "Do you know what it looked like before it got broken?" Cullen: "Yes, I do. I'm a fair artist. If you've got some paper, I'll try to draw it." Alastor is skinning dire wolves. Scout is exploring the large room, dipping his toes in the water.
Kykirklin: "Welcome, ma'm." Chalker: "Did you give me your name?" "Kykirklin. It describes me, it suits me right now." Chalker: "Your offer?" Kykirklin: "Representative, I apologize for the misunderstanding." Shawna: "You have a request and an offer." "I request permission to take a full look at you. And for that full look, I will return your reality back to your realm. I will have to get assistance from some of my... companions. That would be the only... stipulation. Not touch, not change, not do anything except take the full look at you." Shawna: "Why is this necessary?" "Since our last contact with your reality, I think things may have shifted. And since you are a powerful representative of your First Chosen, it would give me a feel for the current... disposition... mood and... alignment." Chalker: "He's saying to you, 'I was wrong. I don't think you're a lesser being. You're more powerful than I thought.' It took him a long time to say it." Shawna: "Thank you for the translation." Chalker: "You're welcome." Kykirklin tilts his head, "Is this what some people I've talked to call 'friendly banter'?" Shawna: "You don't seem to know much about people." Kykirklin: "You're right, I don't. I'm trying to learn more." Chalker: "You're not telling the truth." Shawna: "You don't seem to have the emotion that we call 'empathy'." Kykirklin: "I do find that is one of my problems." Shawna: "Therefore, you don't seem to be a very good contact for beings from beyond your Endless Land."
Shawna prays silently to Yasseph, "Who is he? How have we dealt with his kind in the past?" "I must fully inhabit you for this, and it will be instructive to him." "Will we learn anything?" "Yes. Maybe not what you expect, however." "It seems to me to be a one-sided proposition. He did not make the same offer for me to examine him." "He is not going to examine what he thinks he's going to examine." Shawna looks over at Chalker, who murmurs, "No, I'm going to look over here." Once Chalker's eyes are focused on Kykirklin, Shawna tells Yasseph, "I am ready."
Shawna faces Kykirklin. "My permission is granted." "Then I will fulfill my part of the bargain." He stares at Shawna intently and immediately his face twists. He looks shocked and pulls back. His attitude changes completely. Apologetic words spill out of his mouth, including some that Chalker finds he can't understand and most that he immediately forgets. Chalker hears Mensep tell him, "This message is not for you; it is not to be heard except by the one that you're dealing with."
Time passes strangely. Everyone else in the room looks dazed, and Ahn-Lee senses Jax's presence. "You can't leave me alone, even all the way down here?" Jax's voice seems far away: "This is important. You've catalyzed an ongoing event." "Yeah, we have a bad habit of that. What's so important? Spit it out." "I wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt." "I don't even know how to interpret that, Jax." "Carefully." "I can look out for myself, you know." "You should have gone out with the others, but for some reason you didn't, so I'm distracting you until what's going on is over. That's the bluntness of it. You don't need to hear what's going on. Somehow you didn't go out. I'm not sure what's going on here. Events are moving and I don't want them to move over me." A smile seems to accompany these words. Ahn-Lee: "Fair enough. I believe you more when you put a selfish tone on it."
Kykirklin's body language has completely changed, from arrogance and condescension to that of a schoolboy caught misbehaving. He speaks in very formal, extremely polite high elven, as a supplicant to a ruler, "We will now return you to your proper place. Thank you for your understanding. The artifact is in thirteen pieces, and they will be useful to you, I am told. As you need it, it will blossom in you, I am told."
Ahn-Lee has "heard" this through Jax's relay and translation. He feels reality shift again, and he goes out to stand near Chalker and Shawna as Kykirklin continues speaking. "The artifact has been put in the condition that it should have been, before it was damaged, as it was stored."