Sapphire:Sessions:20181103

Scout slips into the tunnel. Lighted torches are mounted on the walls every 10'. The first 30' is freshly dug, 7' high and 7' wide and ludicrously steep (45°). The next stretch is timbered and the earthen walls have been partly turned to stone. Then the floor levels out slightly (30°) and after 150' there is a platform covered with (somehow) living moss in front of an ornately carved oak door, 6' wide. He feels a tingle in the base of his spine and the torches momentarily flare.

Chalker checks Sonya's aura: normal willpower, "a large reservoir of energy" (meaning she tires less quickly), greedy, callous, and morally grey. She has been touched by demons, and harbors regrets from her past.

The heads of the other four factions look on with suspicion as Sonya negotiates with the newcomers. Sonya comments, "In the Troubled Lands I have a bit of a reputation." She asks, "Are we inviting the others?" Chalker replies, "Certainly. We will invite the leaders." He checks their auras:

Otto - Double-crosser, morally dark, greedy, obsessive, has made and broken deals with demons, and is just a nasty person. Part of his aura is shielded. He commands the largest troop, about 50. Wears scale mail.

Dinah - Naïve, strong-willed, has an air of "purity"; she is reverent but not connected to any of the First Chosen; somewhat greedy, extremely curious. While she is not perfect, she is a good person. She wears enchanted leather armor, bears three swords (two shortswords on her belt and a longsword strapped to her back), and carries a longbow and quiver.

Valor - Leans toward evil; has a strong psi shield and a low level of magic resistance. He told Chalker not to trust Sonya. There are 15 in his group.

Boran - Aspires to be like Otto; stubborn; has the demon taint (though no 'hook'); basically a shady mercenary. There are 24 in his group.

Chalker tells Alastor to keep an eye on Otto, "and if he does anything, stop him." Alastor evaluates Otto as a trained fighter, and carefully notes the chinks in Otto's armor.

Otto greets Shawna in "perfect" elven (though his speech lacks refinement), then in Common he says "It is an honor." He assumes a parade-rest stance. Behind him, his men "go on war footing" including saddling their horses.

Dinah has a vague memory that she had seen Chalker once in a port city in the Coastal Kingdoms. "You were with a dwarf and an elf, maybe two elves." Chalker: "I want something in Pitern. We'll have to talk." Dinah: "I'm an explorer... from here I will head up the trade route to Alpina."

Scout quietly reports to Shawna and Chalker, then trots down the hill to look for poisonous plants.

Otto and Valor have been down the tunnel already. Valor: "I advise you to be prepared. There is someone in the first room." Otto: "I burned the door down, but it was intact when I left."

Dinah, who is lined up beside Alastor, smiles at him and says, "This should be an interesting adventure. Good fortune!"

The torches, it is noted, are magic; any smoke is being drawn into niches, and Chalker sees an odd-looking pebble behind each torch.

Scout sees two of Otto's troops, a boy and a small man, watching the tunnel. He remarks to Cal, "I don't trust those two." Cal responds, "Neither do I." Scout tells Cal to go on ahead, "I'll catch you up."

The moss carpet in front of the door was "installed" about two weeks ago; it must have had sunlight since then. The magic on the door is concentrated in the carved oak leaves. The magic on the frame is different. Chalker looks through the door (with some difficulty), noting that the space beyond has a 12' ceiling, torches on the walls to the left and right, and granite columns 3' in diameter. The oaken floor matches the oaken door. Expensive-looking tapestries and paintings adorn the walls.

The lock is intricate and the keyhole quite small. Chalker shivers from head to toe -- the lock "feels" wrong and dangerous. Shawna reports a spell on the lock that generates feedback against physical efforts, psi, and magic. Alastor steps up and knocks firmly; the sound reverberates and the lock clicks open. He turns the knob and swings the door inward to the left. There is a well-lit room. A desk is 42' away. Behind the desk is a chair; a man sits in the chair. Beyond the desk another 90' is a vacant throne on a 6" platform. At the far end of the room are two doors, each with an armored man standing beside it. Ten more armored men line the walls. Five stone golems occupy space behind the desk.

Chalker takes Sonya's hand, saying "Come on." As soon as he takes a step, more armsmen are suddenly revealed, and a long couch to the left where assorted male and female mages sit.

Shawna detects the artifact, 150' ahead and another 50' down.

Chalker walks up to the desk. Suddenly the wood floor becomes marble tile. Very softly, orchestral music plays. The man smiles as Chalker and Sonya seat themselves in front of the desk. "I am Shree... This is the property of my Lord Galen. We have claimed it and are renovating it. Everything in this place belongs to Lord Galen. Nothing is for sale." Chalker: "You might think you can hold onto this.... Let us retrieve the one item we came for and be on our way. Otherwise, Mister Otto here has a lot of people and he will kill you." Shree: "He showed prudence [earlier] and walked away." Otto is visibly sweating. Shree: "I will give you a demonstration." Otto and Valor suddenly shriek and sink to the floor, their bodies jerking in agony. Otto passes out but his limbs continue to spasm.

Scout sees one of the men on the couch reach into the cushions, then look at Shree. Shawna senses a stream of mana being fed to Shree from the couch. Chalker hooks Shree's iron dagger and stands up. "We should give you a 'demonstration'," he says, abruptly pulling the knife and stabbing Shree, who screams. Chalker: "...in the spirit in which it was given. I'm glad you did Otto.... If you move a muscle, I'll push it in further." Shree: "So be it!"