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" is 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 end 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 crops 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." Shanwa 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 swingsa 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 but there is no apparent effect. Ahn-Lee stabs 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, and falls on top of him; LG goes limp.

All the skeletons crumble to dust. The wolves look bewildered. Arvie shakes his head and falls on his butt, his back propped against a wall. Sob steps away from Alastor who finishes him off. Ahn-Lee crosses his knives against Arvie's throat and slices. Chalker spares Tay for now ("I want to question him"); he beheads LG and Shree. Alastor, Scout, Sonya, Dinah, and Valor are all hurt.

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 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 says, "Galen deserved to die." He tries to get up and approach Shawna but Chalker tells him "No." Cullen: "Galen said something in a language I don'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 from cavern." Tara is keeping him at the edge of the pit. Shawna steps out of the room. Floating beyond the edge of the floor is a 6'6" male, elven-looking but with sharper cheeks and a pronounced forehead. He is beautiful and clad in shimmering dark blue silk with a silver sash and boots. A dagger, apparently mithril, is in his sash. In formal Elvish he gives a speech to Shawna requesting permission to cross the barrier, offering to help the group if Shawna will allow him to scan her. He gives his name as Kykirklin. Shawna, unimpressed, refuses and walks back into the room. He smiles and sits down in midair as if prepared to wait her out.

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 know, don't care. I don't keep track. We are not normally allowed access to your world, though we are attached." Kykirklin claims to be familiar with the First Chosen, naming Coranue, Damarot, Mensep, and Yasseph. Chalker: "Where is 'here'?" "Part of the Endless Lands... The parts of your reality that were brought here are quite extensive... How can I get the Representative to let me see the artifact?" Chalker, unimpressed: "Do you have another representative we can talk to?" "My people can somewhat put the artifact back together." Chalker lets Kykirklin "examine" him, after which Kykirklin says, "Please bring back the Representative. I have a request and an offer."

Chalker confers with Shawna. Neither is favorably impressed with Kykirklin. Shawna prays to Yasseph, "Who is he? How have we dealt with his kind in the past?" Yasseph gives her a very brief summary, then says, "Speak with him, let him scan you... it will not be you he sees." Shawna lets Yasseph inhabit her.

Shawna emerges to face Kykirklin. He scans her 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. Chalker hears Mensep tell him, "This message is not for you; it is not to be heard except by the one it is for."

Time passes strangely. Ahn-Lee senses Jax's presence. "You can't leave me alone?" Jax's voice is faint: "This is important. You've catalyzed an ongoing event. I wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt. You should have gone out with the others, so I'm distracting you. Events are moving and I don't want them to move over me."

Yasseph tells Shawna, The artifact is in thirteen pieces, and it will blossom in you.