Knightfall
World of Kulan DM
"We should probably take a ship up the coast and avoid Waterdeep, if it's under seige," Belgeon suggests. "We'd have to put in somewhere to resupply at some point, so the more supplies we can take, the better.""If we're forced to travel up the coast Waterdeep would be on the way to the Anauroch desert," Soumral says and she idly picks at her food while thinking. "The only problem with travelling past Waterdeep from here is that we'd have to go past Baldur's Gate which could pose problems."
"If we go that route I'd recommend we stock up on supplies perhaps a little more than normal as a precaution," she says looking around.
"I doubt it will be any safer traveling be sea," Loranys notes. "If we get stuck on a ship while under attack from one of those flying machines, we're as good as dead."
"If we travel together," Imoen adds. "I'd like not to drown."
"Any course we take must avoid the cities," Silhouette says quietly. "To go near them now is to risk annihilation or capture. Our only protection against eyes in the sky is the sheer size of Faerun. We must be lost in it."
"I never claimed to be an ordinary man," Landor replies. "But you did walk in part way through the conversation, so your reaction could be belated. Of course, I've had worse reactions to my heritage." He shrugs. "And I agree with you. We should avoid the cities when possible, but if the goal is Anauroch, getting there will require us going through or past a large city of town at some point. We'd have to go up the Coast Way past Baldur's Gate to cross the Chionthar but once past it, traveling up the Trade Way to Daggerford will be easier."Shayuri said:Her gaze lingers on Landor.
"Dreams of a dead god, and of the man who attempted to assassinate his way to sole rulership of Baldur's Gate...and now a prophecy as well. You're no ordinary mercenary, are you?"
Her mouth twists in a scowl and she sighs and looks away.
"We could always cut across the High Moor," Jaheira suggests. "It would be dangerous, but I doubt we'd run into these invaders there."
"No, just a bunch of icky trolls or worse," Imoen says shaking her head. "I'd rather risk drowning."
"Child, you need to grow up already," Jaheira chastizes.
"Let's not get into that old argument again," Yoshimo interrupts them and lets Silhouette continue.
"It probably best to try to discover if there is a portal that will take us directly to the desert," Belgeon suggests. "Traveling along a major road way will be hazardous with or without a full caravan."Shayuri said:"As much as I'd like to explore that further, it will have to wait. The monks are insisting I follow their forms to gain access to the library, and that means a full day of explaining and proving myself to them, in isolation. Unfortunately if anyone else wants in, they'll have to do it as well. As well, they'll be charging me handsomely for any information I take out with me so...Thrak, I'll need whatever's left of the gold."
The goliath leaned forward and put a purse on the table, which she collected and peered into before putting it into a pouch.
"So," Silhouette said, "it's probably the best use of our time if I take all of our questions in myself to research, rather than each of us going in individually. I know what I mean to look up, but have any of the rest of you information you seek from Candlekeep?"
"I'm sure there is something that monks can tell you," Landor adds. " And I will try to speak to Ulraunt on your behalf to see if I can get him to ease up a bit. He might listen to me."
"Or he might just kick you, or all of us, temporarily out of Candlekeep," Imoen notes with concern. She looks at Sil and grins like a cat. "It would be the first time."
"It's worth the risk, little mouse," Yoshimo says.
"Mouse? Boo is no mouse! He is a Hamster of Justice!" Minsc exclaims with vigor. He hadn't been paying close attention since Landor finished his tale.
"I was not speaking of your furry companion, Minsc," Yoshimo replies as one would to a child.
"All this talking makes Minsc's head hurt," the tattooed man replies. "I need to punch something!"
"Minsc, why don't you go find Zorbath and see if he'll let you do some training with the Watchers? We'll need you sharp." Zandor suggests to Minsc. The big man nods his head, gathers up his rodent, and heads out the door.
"Great idea. But those poor Watchers," Imoen muses.
"Waterdeep's importance goes well beyond that of Baldur's Gate," Landor says to Yin Hun. "It is the greatest city on the Sword Coast, but if, no, when it falls, the other major cities of the coast might as well be dominos lined up in a row. Athkatla to the south might survive Waterdeep being captured or destroyed, but my visions had it falling as well. Calimport's Fate is more murky. In my visions, I swear I saw the goddess Shar protecting the city, fanatically, but I also saw Kelemvor helping to protect Waterdeep in one dream. Yet, in that vision, the city still falls.""Soumral and Silhouette make good points," Yin Hun says to Landor. "We should avoid major settlements. And if Waterdeep is as important Baldur's Gate, then you can be sure that it'll be under assault as well. Still... it would be good to assess the situation there while we're on our way."
"Perhaps the Mulhorandi gods have something to do with it," Loranys suggests glumly. "And where were the gods when Baldur's Gate was torn asunder by a cleric that chose to go over to the enemy?" She looks at Landor. "You say the gods are protecting those two cities, yet they chose not to help us against this subsumed monstrosity. Why?"
"I don't have an answer for why, for any of us," Landor replies. "I have many friends in that city, and I've probably lost most of them. And many, many more are Fated to die if we do not do something about it. The gods cannot be everywhere, Loranys." He turns back to Yin Hun. "It is possible that Waterdeep is still under Kelemvor's protection, and it could be worth going there to find out the situation. But I suspect Ulraunt can tell you more. You are going to speak wih him later about all that has happened, correct?"
"He did mention something about us meeting with him at the temple after having ate and rested," Bentley notes. The gnomes talks while chewing on a piece of bread.
"I will try to get him to meet with you sooner," the tall warrior stands. "Imoen, stay with them and learn all you can from them. I will go talk with the Keeper and try to make him see reason." He pats Imoen on the shoulder before heading out of the eatery.
KainG said:The soldier turns to his companions. "I think it'll be a good idea to join up on this caravan. Do you all think the same?"
Emiko slides the Biotech implantation manual over to Silhouette. "Here, you might be able to use to pay them off. It seems like something they would definitely want," she says. "I was planning on trying to access the archives as well, but you're right that only one of us needs to go. I can instead help the boss train the locals. I wanted to look up for any means to return magic to full power, or if there are any weapons of mass destruction hidden on your planet. I'll transmit the details to your communicator. In fact, while you're doing the research, we can stay in touch and update each other immediately through the comms. I can show you how."
"It might be better if we convince this caravan owner to not head to Waterdeep or to any of the major cities. He should probably take his wares somewhere isolated," Belgeon suggests. "The refugees too. Beregost is to close to both Baldur's Gate and Athkatla. If we can get them to travel down to Nashkel and then along the trail across the Greenfields, they could hide out there or cross the Fields towards the east and then take another trail through the Snakewood to Eshpurta."Silhouette glances at Yin Hun with a slight frown. "You confuse me. On the one hand, you say I'm right to avoid Waterdeep...on the next breath you propose we join a caravan traveling...to Waterdeep. No. I do not think the same. The situation in Waterdeep isn't relevant to us right now. The risks of 'assessing' it far outweighs any benefit I would expect to gain."
"We should go with them," Rodan suggests. "I don't think going to this desert is a good idea after hearing what Landor has seen. It is far away, and we have no way of knowing what we'll find once we get there. Better to flee to the safety of the woods or high mountain passes and then stay there."
"Some hero you are, raptoran," Jaheira mocks.
"Jaheira, these people are guests in my parent's home," Imoen snaps. "You will not treat them worse than the worms in the dirt you worship!"
"I, I am sorry," Jaheira says with her head down. "I cannot fathom the world being tortured in such a manner as Landor's visions predict. There could be nothing left of Toril's natural beauty."
"Think nothing of it," Rodan says. "Like I said, my world was tormented by the Imperials so I know what you are all facing. That's why you need to consider flight, flight to another world that exists far from the claws of the Red Emperor. While I am here, I will do all I can, but at a certain point, I will flee if I think your world is doomed. I am no hero."
"Jahia, I- I'm sorry I yelled at you," Imoen aplogizes.
"It's all right, child."
"Yes, I agree with Yin Hun," Rodan speaks. "We must discover if your world has any WMDs that can be used against the empire, as a last resort. While it's unlikely your world has anything truly advanced, we should discover what we can about Toril's overall defenses. As well, there is this," Rodan pulls out the metal sphere that Shazer'a discovered in the Hall of Wonders in Baldur's Gate. "The half-dragon entrusted this to Yin Hun and I before he and Nel headed south with the other caravan. Take it with you and show it to the monks and discover anything you can about its origins. Shazer'a is convinced that it is important and I agree."Shayuri said:She accepts the 'implantation manual' with a curious expression, and turns it over in her fingers. It crosses her mind to correct Emiko's assumptions...she seems under the impression that the monks could be 'bought off' with this. Similarly, there was no need to consult the libraries of Candlekeep for the answer to her question. With Mystra dead, the answer was plain; nothing. Presumably the divine mantle could be claimed by another, but how that would happen was unlikely to be in any mortal library, or a mortal could attempt to resurrect the Weave...and it just so happened that the only place that had been tried before was exactly where they were going.
But you never knew when something like this thing Emiko was giving her would come in handy. Handing it off to the monks would simply ensure no one ever got use of it. Better, perhaps, if it was looked after by someone who wasn't so eager to toss it away. And if Emiko didn't think Silhouette was going to use this, she'd probably want it back.
She pocketed the manual with a nod at Emiko.
"I'll let you know what I find. Does anyone else have any requests for me?"
"Wow, I've never seen anything like this before," Imoen picks up the strange metal sphere and turns it over and over. "Maybe it's a puzzle of some sort."
"Hmm, very interesting," Yoshimo muses while rubbing his chin. "The metal looks similar to mithral, but I don't think it is mithral."
"A composite, maybe," Rodan notes. "And there is an energy to it."
"Yes, it's warm to the touch," she passes it to Silhouette. "Ulraunt might know what it is, but don't let him take it out of your sight. He might be a scholar, but if he feels he can get away with it, he will have his monks accidentally lose it in the library's archives."
"Lady Silhouette, you should also look for any information on old trails in The North. While the easiest route would take us through Silverymoon, it might be shorter, and safer, to head south and then northeast along one of the trails leading from Nashkell to Iriaebor. maybe? There is the road that goes through Cormyr but there might be a way through the Sunset Mountains that leads to the southern edge of the desert. I can't be certain, but if I had access to the maps myself, it would be easier to remember." Belgeon taps his fingers on the table, deep in thought.
"You should go with her into the archives even if it means being questioned by the monks," Loranys suggests to her Flaming Fist. "It will be easier with the two of you."
"I guess I could try," Belgeon replies. "I don't have anything to hide from them."
"I agree," Rodan says. "You seem to have an innate knowledge of the region's geography. It's possible you have what we called on my world, a strong Visual Memory. Can you recall other things based on objects?"
"Sometimes," Belgeon replies. "But it works best with art & coins, paintings, and maps, of course."
"Interesting... Your skills would be highly prized in the empire, young one," Rodan says. "If you are ever captured, you might want to keep them from discovering what you can do. It could be used by the ISPD to serve the empire, even against your will."
"I- I'll remember that," the young guard runs his hands through his hair and then looks at Sil. "I'll go with you, Lady Silhouette, and help as best I can."