20th of Elient
Chapter 1: Returning Shalendra
The fleeing group quickly steps through the portal landing in the gatehouse. When the last person comes through we get Shyranna to send us immediately to Riverport and the Lucky Lady Tavern. Curran, Mennik, Sir Istaval, and Cirdan are present when we hurry into the portal room herding Shalendra and the remaining commoners. Nevil hurriedly lays hands on Inman and Boz, to cure diseases. She is worried because both were bitten by the vampire Issem (during the last game session).
Calling out to Darfin we tell him that we have found his sister, Shalendra. She is very beaten up and looks hurt and tired. Atalaya gives her a Goodberry. She also gives one Goodberry to the other 5 commoners that we rescued. They all look to be in bad shape, Bruised, blooded and malnourished. She gives one Goodberry to each of the party (Atalaya, Nevil, Boz, Inman).
Darfin rushes over to Shalendra, fusses over her and eventually leads her upstairs to get cleaned up and to rest.
Mennik looks up. “I think I know…”
Nevil asks Mennik, “What did we release when we released Issem from his curse?”
Mennik, “I have something for you.”
Nevil, “Is it a cookie. I think I deserve a cookie.”
Mennik hands Nevil a map. Nevil looks the map over, understanding slowly flooding through her. “Is this… This is a map of where we were? Why didn’t you give it to us before we left?”
Mennik, “I didn’t have it then.
Mennik and Nevil exchange barbs. He says that he and Shyranna had been working on getting the fortress mapped out. Nevil says something having to prostitute her boyfriend.
We gather around Mennik and the map. Mennik says that the map is a combination of his and Shyranna’s memories of the fortress. He points to one area at the top left of the map. It shows the Temple of Chaos.
We question him about the ar
eas that appear to be pools of water. Mennik says that the Doomvault was used to breed atrocities to add to their army.
More conversation about Issem. Nevil says that he is a prick. “That is exactly what we are going to call him, a fiendish prick.”
Nevil eventually concedes that the map is “better than a cookie.”
A comment is made about usually getting a map to help avoid the bad areas. Mennik says that they are all bad areas.
Mennick: … “They never rest.”
Nevil: “Never? Not even to take a shit?”
Mennik: Half our army is undead.
Mennik: “So is it any wonder that there are those of us who do not go the way of Thayan?”
Nevil: “Everyone I’ve met doesn’t want to be there.
Mennik: Agrees with Nevil.
Nevil: “If you want to change, I have some pamphlets.”
Mennik: “Not everyone in Thay wants to be a thrall. Know this, I don’t either and…
Curran is worried about how tired/weak Inman appears and hearing that both he and Boz were bitten by vampires hurries them out of the room and takes them upstairs to a (shared) room they can rest in. Both fall to sleep quickly.
Nevil stays at The Lady Luck to keep track of Inman (and Boz) and to wait to see if the other team returns with Kelson.
Atalaya is worried about Cirilli and heads back to the Green Goblin to check on her and Sorrow. Atalaya seems pensive and perhaps a bit worried as she leaves. It is around noon when she gets to the other tavern. People have gathered in the tavern room having lunch. Atalaya talks to Bluebell and asks for a lunch to be brought up to us. (Atalaya, Cirilli, Sorrow, Joan and Seraphina if she is there.) Cirilli runs up to Atalaya as she enters and hugs her. She greets Joan and Sorrow also. Atalaya will tell them about what happened in the Doomvault, trying to downplay the vampiric bites to Boz and Inman, but can’t get around the fact that they stayed at the Lady Luck because they wanted to sleep immediately rather than coming back to the Green Goblin.
After lunch she takes Cirilli to the other room while Joan stays with Sorrow. She asks Cirilli if she likes having Nevil as her Swordmaster and if she would like this to continue now that the trial period (the ship ride to Candlekeep and return to Riverport/Saltmarsh) has been accomplished. Cirilli emphatically says that she wants Nevil to remain her swordsmaster. Atalaya readily agrees with this, telling her that she has been very happy with the way the two of them have interacted within with each other with regards to her mentorship of Cirilli. Steeling herself she asks Cirilli about what her wishes would be if Atalaya were to die during a mission. Cirilli gets upset about the question but eventually blurts out that she would want to stay with this group (the Maids). Atalaya agrees again, immediately. Saying that she would want Vaz to care for Cirilli if she was no longer able to. And that if both she and Vaz were killed or unable to raise her that whoever was left of the Maids would become her guardians. Cirilli, after thinking about it says that “I guess I wouldn’t mind staying with the Greenleafs.” Atalaya also agrees with that. But also reminds her that she could stay with Atalaya’s parents, her grandparents. When Cirilli asks about why they are even talking about this, Atalaya says that she needs to make sure no one can ever force her back to Parabor and her family/cult there. Cirilli says that she wouldn’t go back. And she’d leave/escape if they tried to make her. They return to the other room with Sorrow and Joan. Atalaya takes time to talk to Joan about formally overseeing Cirilli’s ranger training if anything ever happened to prevent her from being able to train Cirilli. Joan agrees to this.
After visiting with Sorrow and Joan for a bit more, Atalaya asks Cirilli to walk with her while she gets a few things she needs. While they are walking she asks her how her gift for Vasilya is going, if she has finished copying the Raven’s book for Vasilya. Cirilli says that she has. They talk about getting it bound into book form. We find a shop that has papers, pens and ink. Atalaya buys 20 pieces of parchment (sp) and a new sketch book (?) , a bottle of ink (10 gp) and a quill pen. GINA: I need to know the cost of a new sketch book, we talked about the other prices already.) We ask about getting Cirilli’s gift bound, if they will do it or know someone who can do that type of work. If they do bind books we ask how much. (GINA) When we finish that trip Atalaya escorts Cirilli back to the Green Goblin and then heads back to the Lady Luck.
Meanwhile… Nevil remains at the Lady Luck Tavern talking with Curran, Mennik and Sir Istaval watching the portal and copying the map that Mennik made.
The other team returns, looking a lot like we had. Nevil heals them. Cirdan: “I guess I’ll be tapping in.
Jekk asks Nevil: “How did it go?”
Nevil looks at Darfin and says, “We found your sister.” Then she shows them the map that Mennik had given her.
Other team member: “That would be really handy.” He looks at it and points at the ooze grotto. “That’s where we were.”
Nevil shows him where the Maids were. “They were training demons,” she says.
“Once you have a black gate you can travel to it.
Nevil says that we have our entry point key and one more, from Issem’s key.
The two groups and Mennik talk about the keys and how they word again. He shows us on the map the areas. We think the dotted circles stand for key places. We are not certain about the black gates. The map does designate different zones (red boundary lines).
Nevil and Jekk? Darfin? rub their keys together to transfer the ability to get to each of the dotted circle areas we have to each other’s keys. We now have a key to the Augmentation Chambers in the Ooze Grottos.
Nevil gets the other group to talk about where they had been in the Ooze Grottos. She is told that the Thayans are brewing oozes, jellies and puddings in that area. Jekk says that they are “brewing snot, full of gross slimy gloopy junk. Jekk says he would have rather have faced the vampires.
They tell Nevil that they didn’t find Kelson.
Nevil, Jekk and (Darfin?) discuss attacking the Predator Pools from the north and the south at the same time, once we clear our way through the sections we were sent into.
Curran sends a round of ales to everyone in the portal room who are discussing plans around the map.
Cirden asks if this means the groups are setting out first thing in the morning.
Nevil, “well, yeah.”
Cirdan: “Before dawn then.” “What time?”
Nevil says that it is up to the other team.
Cirdan: “I suppose we just go.”
Nevil says that she doesn’t want to be predictable.
Cirdan: I feel kind of helpless.
They decide that the Master’s Domain should be the ultimate destination.
Mennik says that is where they will probably find Tzz Tam or ____________.
Nevil thinks Kelson will be held in the Master’s domain, or Maybe the Prison of Filth..
Mennik: “They are draining the souls of their captives.” He hopes that Kelson is of some value to them other than that. (to drain his soul)
Nevil’s fingers are beginning to cramp from making copies of the map of the Doomvault.
Wanting a break from that task she turns towards Mennik and asks, “Where did you grow up?”
Mennik:________________________-
Nevil: _________________________–
Mennik: I’m not sure. Not as familiar with the place. I grew up in Thay, very far from here.
Mennik tells them that they want to avoid the Golem Laboratories. He also says something about avoiding Gold _______. That the Wizards won’t use the Green archways.
Nevil and Mennik continue to needle each other. Mennnik is very self focused on his own needs. (Narcistic)
Atalaya makes her way back to the Lady Luck Tavern.
Mennik: You should know there will be Thayans in the entirety of the vault. They have glyph keys. You are going to want to attempt to get their keys. If you capture more keys, you get more access to more of the vault.
To use a key attuned to a gate, you need to hold it int othe edge of the gate, concentrate on disrupting it (on deactivating the vault) and you can disrupt the forcefield. This isn’t noticeable, but if you can disrupt enoug of them (6) the whole forcefield will be able to destroy the phalactaries of Tzz Tam. Mennik continues to explain that you attune the key the way she (Nevil) and Jekk did. The keys provide the security for the Doomvault.
The fact that we left Avalon at the entry point we went in amuses Mennik and kind of shocks the other team.
Mennik is asked what he knows about Issem. He says that Issem was there when he (Mennik) was a child. That Issem has been there a very, very, very long time. Mennik thinks that Issem was there because he lost a bet. Mennik says that Issem is a prick.
Atalaya asks about where the commoners we brought through with us are. Curran says that he has found rooms for them.
When asked, Mennik says that the Bloodgate is in a pocket dimension, it is not part of the Doomvault.
The Thayan Resurrection don’t wish to be thralls. (Of those in charge of Thay. The Red Wizards?”
Atalaya pulls Nevil aside to talk to her about Cirilli. She asks her if she wants to continue to be Cirilli’s swordmaster. Nevil is upset by the question, saying that she thought that had been decided already. Atalaya reminds her that the deal had been for their trip to and from Candlekeep. She says that Cirilli does want to continue her apprenticeship. Atalaya adds that she also very much wants them to continue as they have been doing. That she is very happy with the training Nevil has been giving Cirilli. She also talks about her plans for what she wants to happen if she is killed, showing Nevil a copy of the will she had been writing while the discussions had been going on. Nevil gets upset with Atalaya for feeling that she needed to put this information in writing. Saying that of course the group would take care of Cirilli. Atalaya tries to explain that she wants this information in writing, so that there is no way Cirilli’s parents or any of the Parabor cult members can challenge Cirilli’s right to not go back. Nevil pronounces that Atalaya needs to do 2 extra hours of prayer and meditation in the morning. She also reminds Atalaya of the cycle of life and that death is a part of that.
Cirdan and Sir Istaval overhear the conversation and when Atalaya says that she had hoped to talk to Inman about to whom she would need to give copies of her will here in Riverport, Sir Isteval says that he is on the Lord’s Council and can do that for Atalaya. Atalaya gives him one of the copies of the will she has made. She also plans to put one copy of the will and the letters about Cirilli’s apprenticeship and Joan's taking over her ranger training in the bank here in Riverport. Sir Isteval is also given copies of those papers. Atalaya has given Nevil a copy of the apprenticeship papers and a sealed letter for Master Raloris if/when she feels Cirilli needs a different Master.
Cirdan says that the Greenleafs would be happy to care for Cirilli if neither Vasilya or the Maids are able to do so. He also promises to take her to the High Forest, to Atalaya’s family to work together on determining what would be best for Cirilli if none of the Maids are left alive to do so. If he is upset or concerned about Atalaya’s sudden desire to formalize her decisions about Cirilli’s care in case of her death, it is not noticable to Atalaya. He seems to take it all in stride. Atalaya does remark that if they were all living in High Forest, the family there would just assume responsibility, without the need for a written will, but that we are not. And Atalaya realizes that the humans do things differently. She reminds Nevil that Master Elaria had made out a will. That was why we had to find and destroy the Eye. And why Atalaya has a share of the house in Parabor.
At dusk, we decide it is time to head back to the Green Goblin. Atalaya (and Nevil) think it would be better for Cirilli and Sorrow to wait for us at Cirdan’s estate, and he has offered us that. Atalaya wants to get back to Cirilli.
Nevil goes upstairs to wake up Inman and Boz so that we can all stay together. Vaz gets up, but is disorganized and puts his shirt on inside out. Nevil tells him that he needs to talk with Atalaya, now,
She then gets Inman up. She tells Inman about what Atalaya has been up to, still upset/hurt about it. She says she feels insulted. She does give Inman a copy of the map of the Doomvault that she made. Inman is enthralled with it and wants to immediately start studying it.
They head back downstairs where Atalaya had been picking up her writing supplies and getting ready to walk with them back to the Green Goblin.
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