Session 23

[Bynw]

19:14 <~bynw> |------------------------------------------------
19:14 <~bynw> |          Session 23 - Imperial Dreams
19:14 <~bynw> |------------------------------------------------
19:14 <~bynw> |
19:14 <~bynw> | Secluded in the mountains of Brenasharr, the
19:14 <~bynw> | floating city of Hemmelhold has come to rest
19:14 <~bynw> | within a valley carved out of the mountains
19:14 <~bynw> | specifically as a landing point for the city.
19:14 <~bynw> |
19:14 <~bynw> | Here fresh water runs from the mountains
19:14 <~bynw> | through the lake of the city and out again
19:14 <~bynw> | flushing the city's water system. The trees
19:14 <~bynw> | surround the city in a canopy of green. A lesser
19:14 <~bynw> | travelled road connects the city to points
19:14 <~bynw> | elsewhere across the mountains.
19:14 <~bynw> |
19:14 <~bynw> | Other than the hustle and need for the landing,
19:14 <~bynw> | it is peaceful and even relaxing here in this
19:14 <~bynw> | city. The people of the city go about their daily
19:14 <~bynw> | business without so much a care in the world. A
19:14 <~bynw> | little nervous due to the sudden and unplanned
19:14 <~bynw> | landfall. But otherwise they are at peace. And
19:14 <~bynw> | here the Empire does not reach.
19:14 <~bynw> |
19:14 <~bynw> | But where the Empire does reach, and it's arms
19:14 <~bynw> | are long. News travels quickly between the
19:14 <~bynw> | cities connected by the Imperial gates. What
19:14 <~bynw> | passes for Imperial news is not what some would
19:14 <~bynw> | seem. The disappearance of a tower in Utha, does
19:14 <~bynw> | not pass outside of the Uthani boarder.
19:14 <~bynw> |
19:14 <~bynw> | The news of a minor Dwarven lord in the Adanian
19:14 <~bynw> | Court speaking of monsters that have murdered
19:14 <~bynw> | his clan and kin does spread beyond the Courts
19:14 <~bynw> | of the ancient kingdom. The King has ordered
19:14 <~bynw> | troops and the Spectral Magicians to investigate
19:14 <~bynw> | the tales of woe.
19:14 <~bynw> |
19:14 <~bynw> | Alderic, Alianna and Maylda will just be hearing
19:14 <~bynw> | of the news when they return from their tour of
19:14 <~bynw> | the city with Lord Hagen.
19:14 <~bynw> |
19:14 <~bynw> |------------------------------------------------
19:16 <~bynw> *the carriage contating the 3 guests and Hagen slowly winds its way back into the palace gates at the top of Hemmelhold's highest hill*
19:19 <~bynw> *the carriage stops at the doors to the palace that lead back to the large viewing room. and across the lawn still stands Chadwick's tower ... frozen in time by magic. the carriage driver opens the doors*
19:20  * Alianna gets out of the carriage.
19:22 <~bynw> *the late afternoon sun is starting to set behind the mountains, casting long shadows across the city*
19:23 <~bynw> "Tomorrow maybe a good day to go back down the hill. The market square should be up and running. I hear there are some traders starting to enter the city." ::Lord Hagen says as he gets out::
19:25  * Maylda quickly climbs out behind Lord Hagen.
19:26 < Maylda> "I would very much like to go visit the market and see everything and all the bustle of business.
19:26 < Maylda> "
19:28 <~bynw> ::Lord Hagen pauses for a moment:: "Governor Schear would like us back up in the observation room." ::he says heading for the door inside::
19:28 < Alderic> ::Climbs out last, a book in his hand. He reads while the others converse::
19:33 <~bynw> ::Hagen opens the door to the palace and heads for the obeservation room. Allowing the others to follow.::
19:33  * Alianna follows Hagen toward the observation room.
19:36 < Alderic> ::Follows the others, folding the book closed as he walks::
19:38  * Maylda wonders what Alderic is reading about.
19:39 <~bynw> ::the group enters the observation room. it is not as busy as it was earlier ... only a few aides in the room remain with Governor Schear, who sits starting out the large windows at the tower.
19:41 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "I want to be rid of that tower. Would you like to see what happens if the statis is removed?"
19:41 < Alderic> ??is there an open seat near Shear??
19:42 <~bynw> !! pleanty of open seats
19:43  * Alianna takes a seat.
19:46 < Alderic> ::Takes a seat, his face a blank slate. He seems to avoid gazing at Shear:: "Does it matter what we want?" ::Opens his book and begins reading::
19:46  * Maylda feels a little tense...
19:46  * Alianna looks at Maylda and Alderic, feeling some tension as well.
19:47 < Maylda> "Is there something we should be knowing about?"
19:48 <~bynw> ::Schear turns to Alderic:: "Absolutely it does matter what you want. How else are you to find your path. You aren't going to find it being pushed by others."
19:50 <~bynw> ::Schear to everyone:: "Whoever has been attempting to scry us is using the tower as a focal point. So I wish to be rid of it. But I cannot leave this valley without risking detection."
19:50 < Alianna> "So destroy the tower. If it no longer exists, it can't be used as a focal point."
19:54 < Maylda> "Point made. Shouldn't this be a simple task?"
19:54 < Alderic> ::Closes the book with a look of distain at Shear:: "I'm curious Lord Mercenary, how long do you imagine you'll be allowed to follow your path when Chadwick's master comes calling on you? Or do you intend to cut a deal with him too?"
19:56 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "Inside the tower are two owlbears, that are more than just beasts. And Chadwick himself. Currently deceased and partially disolved by acid."
19:57 <~bynw> "I have no intentions of cutting deals with Chadwick's master. I only cut deals with dragons. They are far more honest." ::he says::
19:59 < Alianna> "So there are two owlbears and Chadwick's corpse in there.  So what?"
20:01 < Alianna> "If the owlbears were out here, they would show no mercy, to say nothing of Chadwick himself."
20:02 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "Chadwick may still be able to regrow himself if the stasis is removed. The owlbears would probably protect said process. Since the four of you will have vanished."
20:02 < Alianna> "So destroy the lot without removing the stasis."
20:05 < Alderic> "How does that help us find Leopold?"
20:06 < Maylda> "I'm with Alianna on this. Why don't you work with what you have to take out the parts you need to conceal but keep, and destroy the rest.?'
20:07 <~bynw> ::to Alderic:: "You want to find Leopold?"
20:09  * Maylda moves to the side of Alianna's seat and gently leans against the arm.
20:10 < Alderic> "Yes, the idea was to use Chadwick to lead us to him."
20:10  * Maylda to Alianna: @@ "Does it feel like something is being hidden from us to you?" @@
20:11  * Alianna to Maylda.  @@I wouldn't be surprised.  Schear is nice enough but he has his secrets to be sure.@@
20:11 < Alderic> "If indeed Leopold is the one behind all of this."
20:11 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "We can release the stasis and see if Chadwick is reborn again ... as an option. Or we could risk this enter city and rise into the sky again and be detected."
20:12 < Alianna> "Why can't you just destroy the whole tower outright without releasing the stasis?"
20:13 < Alderic> ::Laughs out loud mirthlessly:: "You, risk you hide!? Are you serious Shear?"
20:13 <~bynw> "That too is an option. But doesn't help in finding Leopold."
20:13  * Maylda shifts her weight slightly and remains silent.
20:14 < Alderic> ::To Alianna:: "Alianna, do you know who Leopold is?"
20:14 < Alianna> "Only by what you've said."
20:15 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "My own safety is irrelivant. I am responsible for every man, woman and child in this city. They are the reason we are in this valley. Hidden from detection."
20:15  * Maylda looks from Alianna to Alderic and back uncomfortably then clears her throat quietly.
20:16  * Alianna to Maylda @@ What's wrong?@@
20:16 < Alderic> ::Slowly stands, leaving his book in his seat:: "These people's only chance to is if we succeed. You know that don't you Shear?"
20:18 <~bynw> ::he turns to Maylda:: "What say you? What should our course of action be?"
20:18 < Alderic> ::Paces slowly as he talks. His tone slow and even:: "Alianna, Leopold maybe one of the most powerful and evil men in known time. He laid waste to half the world in a homicidal campaign to put all the nations of Adan under his yoke."
20:18 <~bynw> ::he turns to Alianna:: "I know yours. Destroy the tower."
20:19  * Alianna barks a short, mirthless laugh.
20:19  * Maylda to Alianna: @@ Leopold is... really crazy bad. I'm wondering what the ehck we are even doing here if we are going after this person. Something isnt right here."@@
20:19 < Alderic> "He is responsible for horrors that would take hours to relate and keep you awake at night."
20:20 <~bynw> ::he turns to Alderic watching him pace:: "What is your council? The safety of the city must be ensured. All else is open."
20:20 < Maylda> "Honestly... This feels like a suicide mission to me."
20:21 < Maylda> "we signed up for this, I know, but something else is under all this."
20:22 < Alderic> "My father and some of the Anadari council are convinced this man survived a mystical explosion that laid waste to almost the entire Anadari order at the end of the skylight war. And that he is manipulating events to bring himself to lichdom and possibly god-hood. Before he renews his campaign to enslave the world."
20:22 <~bynw> "In many ways it is dear lady. But I have a promise to a dragon, quid pro quo. I wish to keep it."
20:23 < Maylda> "May I be frank in my speach, Sir?"
20:23 < Maylda> speech*
20:24 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "Fine by me"
20:24 < Alderic> ::Turns to Maylda, and goes silent::
20:27 < Maylda> "I feel like there is much more to this mission you are undertaking than you are letting us know. I also feel the tension in here. I know there is more. You cannot hide it from me, even when trying; which you are I might add."
20:31 < Maylda> "While im being frank, I might as well say that  I very well could have died dealing with this last battle in the tower with Chadwick. Leopold could kill us all in a blink. There is no way to prepare for Leopold."
20:31  * Maylda directs her speech to Schear.
20:34 <~bynw> "Had you known about the danger, you wouldn't have gone. But you succeeded. You captured or killed Chadwick. And you are currently safe. Yes there are things you don't know. You don't know what my "this for that" is with Temere." ::he says back to Maylda::
20:36 < Maylda> To Schear: "Temere being your dragon?"
20:36 <~bynw> "Very much so. Temere is the dragon in question." ::Schear says winking to Alderic::
20:37  * Maylda frowns.
20:37 < Maylda> "It would be too forward for me to wish to connect with your dragon. I will say no more."
20:38  * Maylda leans carefully against Alianna's chair once again with a neutral expression.
20:40 < Alderic> "Maylda you have already met Lord Temere. Master Schear is enjoying lording knowledge over you as he did me earlier. Temere is my Grandfather, you would know him as Master Soltaari of the Anadari council in Polaris."
20:41  * Alianna smiles at Maylda.
20:41  * Maylda sighs quietly.
20:42 < Alderic> "And yes he is a Dragon, and yes that makes me half-dragon."
20:42 <~bynw> "What he wanted was to have your safety ensured. Which is why Hagen went with you. To be my eyes and ears to make sure none of you died." ::Schear says::
20:46  * Maylda to Alianna: @@ I dont feel like I am being too cautious. What say you?" @@
20:47 <~bynw> "That is half of the 'this for that' deal I have with him." :: "I get the Matrix that is here in these mountains. Thus I can ensure the safety of my city and have something else to use in defense against the darkness that Leopold brings."
20:48 <~bynw> ::Schear looks at Alderic:: "I'm hiding it from your father's attempts to locate it."
20:48  * Alianna to Maylda  @@I don't think you are, no.  If Leopold wants to attack, he'll attack, Chadwick or no.@@
20:52 <~bynw> ::a young page comes in with a stack of papers and sets it on the table next to Schear, the boy quickly turns his heals and leaves without saying a word::
20:52 < Alderic> ::shakes his head at Shear:: "Is there no one you have not betrayed Lord Mercenary? I may disagree with my father on many things, but if you think trading his friendship for this matrix is a deal your not nearly as smart as I thought."
20:54 <~bynw> ::Schear::
20:56 <~bynw> "The Matrix is not his to trade. It is sovereign to the Arrin people since it is within our lands. I am the only one capable of claiming it. And Tereme is the only one who is capable of activating it. And I've known him longer, sort of."
20:56 <~bynw> ::Schear thumbs through the papers::
20:57  * Maylda tenses visibly.
20:58  * Alianna looks at Maylda and then to Alderic, a little confused.
20:58 <~bynw> ::Schear pulls out one of the papers, the writing is in Valmari::
20:59 <~bynw> ::tosses it back on the table::
20:59 <~bynw> "So what's the plan Alderic? I am at your service."
21:03  * Maylda looks to Alderic: "It's up to you."
21:04 < Alderic> ::Looks to the Paper on the table:: "What's that say?"
21:06 <~bynw> ::Schear looks back at the paper:: "Nothing of any importance. Just news out of Utha for the past day. I was checking to see if we made the headlines. But we didn't."
21:08 < Alderic> ::Looks to Shear and back to the paper, but begins pacing again, seemingly in thought::
21:11 < Alderic> ::To Maylda and Alianna:: "I didn't come here to confront Leopold. As you put it, that would most likely end in my death, or worse. I came to find him."
21:12  * Maylda nods.
21:12 < Alianna> "So how do we find him?"
21:14 < Alderic> "Chadwick knows. His mind is powerful, even my father barely fought his way into it and Chadwick fled when he did. I know he is hiding clues we need."
21:15 < Alianna> "So we want to resurrect the asshole?!?!"
21:15 < Alderic> "He will never give up the information willingly. But if we could follow his essence when it leaves to regenerate, it might lead us to his Master, Leopold I believe."
21:15 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "So release the stasis on the tower. And see if he comes back to life?"
21:16 < Alderic> ::To Shear:: "His means of regeneration was destroyed here when we destroyed the pod."
21:17 < Alianna> "So how the everloving hell are we supposed to track Leopold?"
21:17 < Alderic> ::To All:: "I think his essence will seek out another pod. I...hope we can follow it. I hope it will lead us to or at least closer to Leopold."
21:18 <~bynw> "Hagen. I want the view changed from inside the tower. So anyone looking out will think they are still within the Uthani .... belay that order."
21:18 < Alianna> "You hope?  We're basing all this on a hope?"
21:18 -!- Maylda [Mibbit@OWIRCN-20b96deb.sc.atlanticbb.net] has quit [Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client]
21:18 < Alderic> ::Opens his palm upward and a small black flame dances in his palm and is echoed with flames in his eyes:: "magic Alianna."
21:18  * Alianna rolls her eyes at Alderic.
21:19 <~bynw> "Send a skiff up to the tower windows. Kill the owlbears. And then release the stasis"
21:21 < Alderic> ::Looks to Hagen:: "YOU are the reason we almost lost him! In your mad rush to kill him before I was ready to track him."
21:21 -!- Sarah [Mibbit@OWIRCN-20b96deb.sc.atlanticbb.net] has joined #teara-adan
21:22 < Alderic> "Now you shout orders and rush to do more killing!"
21:23 < Alderic> "Those owlbears could be of use to us you FOOL! A simple illusion that I was Chadwick and they would tell me all they knew."
21:24 < Alderic> "They must know something."
21:24 <~bynw> ::Hagen:: "Alderic is right sir. Maybe that might work. We would have to hide Chadwick's body."
21:26 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "You will have to fool the vision, the hearing and the sense of smell of the owlbears to convince them you are the reborn Chadwick."
21:26 < Alderic> "No I will fool their mind. The senses start there."
21:26 -!- Sarah is now known as Maylda
21:28 < Alderic> "Can we move them into another room set to appear as the tower room without disrupting the stasis?"
21:29 < Alderic> "We could track Chadwick after we have dealt with them."
21:30 <~bynw> "Yes we could do that. It would take a few hours to set it up." ::Schear states::
21:32 < Alderic> ::Nods:: "Alianna, you'll be my 'prisoner'." ::gives her a wry smile::
21:33 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "Hagen. Please see to the setup that Alderic is requesting."
21:35  * Alianna rolls her eyes again at Alderic.
21:39 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "So we have a mock up of the tower. Put the owlbears in it. What do we do with Chadwick?"
21:41 < Alderic> "Leave him for now. After we deal with the owlbears we will see about tracking his essence. Though I admit, it's not my expertise. Do you think you could find someone who could aid me in that while we deal with the owlbears?"
21:42 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "We have resourses. We can look around."
21:43 < Alderic> "Then we have a course of action."
21:45 <~bynw> ::Hagen leaves the observation room::
21:45 <~bynw> ::Schear:: "Probably be a few hours to get the mock up done for the owlbears. The mage may take a little longer but we will find one with those talents available."