Sapphire:Sessions:20190309
As Ahn-Lee and his squad are clearing out the palace, he catches glimpses of a lithe, hooded female figure clad in black leather, her features veiled, leading slaves to safety. He tries a couple of times to get her attention; she glances his way once but doesn't pause or respond.
Portis begins describing an old keep located in the exact center of the country. He claims that the beings from the black ships are helping rebuild it. Shortly after the dragon was freed, counsellor Dora Book, two Protectors, three mages named Cole Wingless, Nobert, and Haka, and an elite squad had left the city, headed toward the keep. (Cole gained the sobriquet 'Wingless' due to the rumor that one of his parents was of the Winged Folk, though he has no wings.) Chalker writes a quick note to Rory: Is there a gate near the exact center of Malprin?
Lugar sees a man he figures must be from the Thieves Guild in Colvin. He catches up with him and announces, "Hello, I'm a thief, too." "Oh, you're the new guy. The King's been assassinated." "Is that so? Then there's gold to be had. Let's go see!" Nearing the palace, Lugar appreciates the sight of flames and the scent of burnt flesh. Abruptly he trips on a cobblestone and stumbles into his buddy, pushing the latter into a stack of crates. "Ouch!" his buddy yelps.
Hearing the sudden outcry, Intrinsius starts toward Lugar. 'Buddy' takes to his heels. Ducking behind the crates, Lugar's first impulse is to kill the approaching man (although Intrinsius is much taller and more muscular), but a voice inside his head tells him, "That man is in a group that can make me wealthy!" So he steps into view and says, "Hello, I'm harmless." "Where's your friend?" "I didn't see anyone." However, Intrinsius can plainly see 'buddy' running away. Lugar adds, "I'm an honest thief!" "Well, then, come and sit by the fire."
Shawna sends her falcon Berenel to convey instructions to the merfolk leader, Blue, to move in on the black ship.
Alastor flips through the documents he's collected, taking notes, looking for information regarding Portis's assertions. He finds that two counsellors regularly boarded the black ship.
Chalker: "How did you get invaded -- I mean, ate -- by demons?" Portis: "The 'demons' look like halflings, but their proportions are wrong. Their limbs are long and bony. Their skin turns from white to black. It's unclear where their home country is."
Shawna recalls elven wardens' tales from hundreds of years ago of "corrupted halflings" living in an overgrown valley filled with fantastic creatures, and other stories of "sick halflings" in the eastern empire.
Chalker checks Lugar's Aura - Greedy, not religious but observant, loyal to those he considers friends. Lugar had "brushed against something demonic/evil" about a week ago. Physically he is 5'8", wiry, with large eyes and slightly protruding ears. Lugar grins and says, "I'm Lugar the Thief!" Lugar's knife slides out of its sheath and points at Lugar's head as Chalker demands, "When were you in touch with demons?" "I don't know... For the past week or more I've seen dark halflings about, particularly at the Iron Tavern, spending money, casing the area... had a military vibe." The knife returns to its sheath.
Shawna asks Chalker and Alastor, "If they've been in the city that long, how did we miss them?" Alastor remembers the waitstaff at the Iron Tavern all getting sick at once. Shawna recalls nonspecific things that she didn't really notice at the time.
Alastor queries Portis about the keep. "It's an old stronghold that was rediscovered three or four months ago. Two entire exploring parties were lost before the Protectors opened the place up." Alastor: "The dark ships first appeared a couple of years ago and remained in the harbor for a week." Portis: "There were meetings... they were turned away at that time... Eventually we made deals with them." Lugar: "What did you get in return?" Portis: "I let them borrow my consciousness." Intrinsius: "You sold your body?" Portis: "I rented it."
Alastor: "The slimy ring, what's its purpose?" Portis: "It connects me to the realm of the dark. By projecting through the ring, I can call on them for help."
Chalker writes to Ahn-Lee: I found a new thief -- cannon fodder. Come out soon. Ahn-Lee: BRT Ahn-Lee writes to Branamin: Fun's over, come on out. Tell Chun. Ahn-Lee tells Kimtri, "Take as much as you can carry -- or more."
Ahn-Lee arrives and Lugar's eyes pop as Chalker takes out Tiny Wagon, enlarging it to one-horse size to accomodate Ahn-Lee's loot.
Rory writes: There is a gate five miles from the center of the country. Chalker: Have Trace waiting.
Chalker motions for Lugar to accompany the group. Lugar asks, "How do I know you won't cut my throat?" Chalker: "I need you, why would I hurt you? Besides, I could kill you now."
Branamin puts Lugar, Intrinsius, and Chun to sleep. They're loaded onto Medium-Sized Wagon and Chalker's horse hitched to it. Ahn-Lee and Chalker are alert for anyone following them. The streets are almost deserted; most of the people they see are patrols from the expeditionary force. Ahn-Lee spots a guy three blocks away, recognizing him as Lugar's buddy. Ahn-Lee slips into the shadows and 'buddy' walks right past him. Ahn-Lee needles him and drags him into an alley, removing three pouches containing a total of 15sp 4cp, a cheap set of lockpicks (which he discards), two knives and a dagger (which he tosses a few alleys away).
They near the building with the gate. Chalker unhitches the horse and shoos it away. Branamin levitates the unconscious men down to the gate chamber.
Shawna assigns two runners, a scribe, and three researchers to assist Alastor. Alastor leads them into the palace where he selects an elaborate interrogation cell in which to get set up.
Shawna returns on horseback to the harbor. A sergeant directs her to the Portmaster's office, where Blue updates her on the black ships.
General Bellington has been captured. He claims repeatedly that his troops were completely routed. He is devoted to Gauder, keeps his word, and has been in the presence of demons (possibly while slaying them?). He had been called in a few days ago and didn't know why. "Enjoy your stay," Shawna tells him.
The central Malprin gate is located in a grove of trees in the middle of a fallow field. The gate is in a small barracks with twelve beds. Footlockers have been stacked to the ceiling to make a rough stairway. Ahn-Lee suggests that Branamin disguise the gate as a door. Chaker has Branamin awaken first Lugar, then Intrinsius, then Chun. Ahn-Lee tells them cheefully, "You've been asleep for a week!" Chalker: "They've been dead for six thousand years, give or take a hundred." Trace creates a plug to disguise the entry, notes that it's near sunrise, and returns to Sapphire.
Lugar explains that he's from "the north" but neither Malprin nor a slave state. "Why are we fighting?" he asks. Intrinsius: "I was hired to free the slaves." Chalker: "We get to rob the place." Ahn-Lee claps Lugar on the shoulder while attempting to pick his pocket, an attempt which goes awry when Lugar catches him and tries to rob him in turn. Ahn-Lee nonchalantly foils that attempt by shaking Lugar's hand.
Following Rory's directions, Ahn-Lee leads the group toward the keep. By sunup they have walked three-and-a-half miles but can't yet see it. (Ahn-Lee stifles a thought about 'twilight' and Jax does not appear.) A short time later, ruined towers become visible above the trees. The keep has a square, walled courtyard with a crumbling tower at each corner. The lowest level of the nearest tower is very smooth stone. There is an iron-banded oak door which Intrinsius says is magical (the door is only 30 feet from the edge of the forest). He also sees "something magic" on the ground in the middle of the courtyard.
Having settled Portis and Atlex in an interrogation chamber, Alastor takes out his notes and addresses him. "The city is ours. The country is ours. We want to minimize bloodshed... Anger me and you may not be around much longer. If I don't like your answers, I will use my tools and some painful herbs." His words affect Portis deeply, and even Atlex is taken aback. Portis cries out, "Ask me anything you want!" He opens his mouth wide as Alastor administers a potion.
Portis: "Cole, Nobert, Dora -- Cole went directly to the stronghold. Nobert picked something up before also heading north. (Alastor sends his runners to search their quarters.) Alastor: "What treaties do you have with the dark halflings now?" Portis: "None signed. A trade alliance was drawn up, another for mutual defense -- they offered information on the binding of animal spirits -- at that time we didn't know the dragon was bound. Slavery and the procurement of slaves were ancillary topics.... I didn't think it was a good idea to activate the stronghold. I don't know its defenses, but there are no Protectors in the area -- they don't like to stay there. ... Recently Cole made a similar deal, but not Nobert... they have different connections to the First Chosen... Satterwaite might be my fault; I talked him into makig a deal... The dark halflings don't like General Bellington at all, but I can't remember why."
Atlex: "When Bellington was recalled, my force was held back. I don't know why." He refuses to reveal what his orders were. "You may as well torture me." Alastor: "Who outranks you, then?" Atlex: "Mays, or even the exile Kolton... Mays may be near the stronghold. I don't know where Kolton is. My second will take command at dawn. Satterwaite's force was on R&R in the city." (Alastor writes a note in the journal about forces near the stronghold and Mays in the area.)
A runner returns with various journals and mentions a number of artifacts. Alastor has him deliver them to the researchers.
Alastor: "I want information on the black ships." Atlex: "A longboat brought two mages aboard. The ships appeared deserted most of the time. We don't know where the dark halflings are now, or how many there are." Alastor: "Why are they given free rein?" Atlex: "They're not, but they seem to be all over, like scouts. They showed interest in the center of the country." Alastor: "What other high-level targets are there?" Atlex shakes his head, but Portis lists off several names -- some merchants, two advisors (one is a mage), four barons, and six generals (one retired). Their standing army totals 1200, with 3000 reserves.
Blue is using the ballista on one of the captured Pandemonium ships to direct flaming missiles into the black ships. At first the fires go out shortly after striking the ships, but one of the black ships finally goes up in flames and begins to sink. Blue informs Shawna that she is trying to direct merfolk and whales to attack the remaining black ship, but they are forced away by aversion or nausea. Shawna gives orders to keep the ship under fire, then tries to teleport herself aboard. Instead she finds herself in a grove near Sapphire and realizes that "a master mage or a demon had worked a teleport diversion." Shawna concentrates and teleports herself back to Colvin harbor. She turns into a falcon, flies high above the black ship, and follows a ray of light down toward the black ship. But a feeling of nausea and "disruption" overwhelms her and she lands on a merchant ship instead. Shawna gains a shocking understanding, and a voice speaks inside her head, "Balance."
Alastor takes breakfast (and most of the silverware and assorted knives). He checks his reference books for "other useful concoctions" and sends a runner to one of the better herbalist shops to acquire the ingredients.
Ahn-Lee: "Lugar, are you a recon or a fighter?" Lugar: "I'm a coward!" Ahn-Lee: "They're an elite force; they have nice stuff." Lugar prepares a grapple. Ahn-Lee jumps up and catches the rough stones above the smooth walls, swings up his foot, then climbs up to a window and looks into... a bedroom containing rotted furniture and an old bearskin rug. Its only exit is through a warped door hanging by one hinge. Ahn-Lee sticks his arm inside and waves it around. When nothing happens, he motions to Lugar to throw his grapple. Ahn-Lee vaults through the window, secures the grapple, and motions for Lugar to climb up the rope, but Lugar refuses to climb. Ahn-Lee, rolling his eyes, hauls Lugar up past the smooth stone and motions him to climb the rest of the way. (Lugar resists urges to either let go or jerk the rope.)
Chalker walks out into the open and peers through the door, which is an astounding eighteen inches thick and he has some difficulty seeing through it. Three feet of the floor beyond is a different color. The door had recently had a "psychic treatment" but it was not very powerful. The door is much newer than the rest of the building. Chalker uses his metal TK to take hold of the topmost hinge pin; with a good bit of effort (-2 fatigue) he pulls it out. The second pin takes him four attempts.
Lugar hears a sound coming from the bear rug. He grabs it and starts dragging it toward the window, yelling at Ahn-Lee to help. Ahn-Lee hears a growl, sees the fur start to move on its own, and he and Lugar manage to throw it out the window. Intrinsius sees the bearskin "inflate" and quickly aims and fires his bow, but misses. He drops the bow and begins forming a Fireball. The bear lands on all fours; Intrinsius hits it with one Fireball, then another. Ahn-Lee fires his crossbow, Chun strikes with two throwing discs, and the bear turns back into a rug.
Chalker pulls the third hinge pin out, hooks onto the door's iron bands (there is mild resistance), and pushes the door in (another -4 fatigue total).
Ahn-Lee goes out into the hallway. It is dusty and there are no footprints. He and Lugar carefully descend the stairs. Nearing the ground level Ahn-Lee sees a lot of small crossbows pointed a the door, and a cow's stomach lying on the floor. He writes in his journal, "Chalker - Stand back." A few moments later Ahn-Lee shoots the cow's stomach and ducks back; there is a noisy explosion which neutralizes the other crossbows.
Intrinsius calls Branamin over. "I think there's a teleporter in the center of the courtyard." Branamin: "It might be a disintegrator circle." He offers to train Trin in magic. Branamin examines the circle and announces "It's not dangerous to me, but I can't tell if it's dangerous to Chalker."
Ahn-Lee and Lugar find a stairwell and a place where a door was being put up. Ahn-Lee waves his knife inside and a hissing cloud of gas emerges from somewhere. Ahn-Lee jumps back. The cloud dissipates after a few seconds, but the walls and floor have been scarred by acid. Lugar: "Will it do it again?" Ahn-Lee shrugs and tests it; this time the effect takes a few seconds and, he estimates, emits 20% less acid. He picks up an old broom handle and holds it in the doorway. The acid cloud appears again for some seconds, then dissipates and does not trigger again.
Intrinsius feels Santash assuring him that this is the proper way in. Chalker gets similar assurance from Mensep and Roo. He writes this to Ahn-Lee who responds, "Good, I don't think we have enough sticks."
A runner returns to Alastor with a basket of potions. Alastor sends him out again to a different shop. He prepares a special breakfast and takes it to Portis.
Shawna watches the assault on the black ship continue. Finally it is struck below the waterline with essential flame.
By 9:00am the forces of liberation have control of the city.