Sariel sends a deathy glare at the Ranger, playing with the idea of conjuring her magical hand... but the dragon demands her attentions elsewhere.

"Greetings, dragon Halvangh," she says solemnly, hiding any trace of her irritation with Sureiya... as best as she can, "I fear the answer to that may be too arrogant for me to spew."

Her pointed glare at the half-orc means she thinks him just the right sort to brag about foiling the attempt on Halvangh's life.

Forgetting the tough act from some seconds ago, and impressed by the dragon magnificence, Sureiya fall in one knee, and not even trying to stand up first, he mutters
"I-is your name Halvang? We come in a mission to talk with you. Some guys from a strange cult were trying to break your mind and control you."

"The cult, yes... it's coming back to me now," the dragon replies, shaking his head briefly then assuming a more dignified pose. "Right, they have really made a mess of things. Am I to understand that you have saved me?"

Torinn dismounts from the horse, unbothered by the dragon being, well, a dragon. "That we are. We were sent here to ask for your assistance."

Sariel crosses her arms, content for now with the half-orc. "We fought the Cult," the Eladrin agrees, "but I cannot say for certain that our efforts are solely the credit to our current situation.

"If anything, though, the greatest credit to these efforts fall to the shoulders of the Dragonborn and Half-Orc here."

The Warlock, who draws his powers from others, is clearly not a running candidate for Slayer of Dragons.

The dragon looks to the group one by one, then casts his gaze around his own room, apparently distraught by the mess. Books are scattered across the ground in front of many of the bookshelves, and the books still on their shelves are in a state of upheaval. There is even an upturned vase in one corner of the room.

"I see! I thank you, heroes, for your valor, then. I am Halvangh, also called Halvangh the Finder. I am afraid I possess little in the way of material rewards which I can offer you, but instead let me offer you my help. I ask of you, what did you come to this tower seeking? Did you come merely to free me, or have you some other purpose?"

Sariel glances at the others. What reason did they have for questing here? She, herself, had undertaken the journey under the guise of a pursuit of knowledge... and she ill felt pressed to reveal she was simply worried for her old comrades.

"I came seeking knowledge," the Eladrin says. "A great deal of the arcane is still obscure to me. I was hoping you could grant me perspective."

"We were sent here on a matter of grave importance. We need to find a dangerous person, and we were told you had the means to do so."

"Knowledge? Of the arcane?" Halvangh looks quizzical for a moment, then raises one of his claws and snaps them together with a clacking sound. A small poof of smoke later, a somewhat over-sized, dusty tome appears in the adult dragon's grasp, flipping open abruptly. With his free forearm, the dragon pulls a pair of... what appear to be reading glasses from the tome and puts them on his head, adjusting them over his eyes as if he were an elderly human. He sits on his rear claws slightly and begins to thumb through the book before him, then addresses Sariel, "I have some knowledge of the arcane. How can I assist?"

"Ah, you came seeking my services in locating someone?" Halvangh replies apparently more interested now. He closes his book and refocuses his gaze on the dragonborn. "Hmm, it has been some time since I've met one of your kind. Tell me, how fares the nation of the dragonborn, Tymanther?"

>>5617
Even with the radiance and astounding features of the dragon, Michael tries to keep his cool and hide how amazing the dragon seems and says in response to Sureiya mentioning the cult,"Yes.. The cult of the dragon those idiots called themselves. After entering the tower and fighting some constructs, who I assume are yours, we ran into some of them and some evil fel dragon or something, which we dealt with easily.. Unfortunately, most of your tower has been ransacked by them it seems, and we eventually made it up to fight some sort of.. what was it called again.. dracolich or something? Before getting rid of this fool here trying to do the ritual on you, babbling about dragons ruling the world or something..." [i]Michael finishes as he gestures to the eldarin lying dead on the ground.

Sariel decides to hold quiet and let the Dragonborn engage in parley. Instead, she joins the Shaman at the Eladrin's body, poking through it with her magic to search the body for anything of interest.

>>5627
>>5626
Trying to draw attention away from the looting, Torinn gives Bernkastel and Sariel a stern look before engaging the dragon in conversation again. "Yes, Tymanther, last I saw it, was slowly building allies but hadn't established much trade. We still strive, though." Torinn grimaces, "And, unfortunately, my clan is unwelcome there at the moment."

>>5626
"Ah, yes, those cultists have really made a mess of things," the silver dragon replies, sounding a bit disappointed. "I imagine it will take me some time to get stock of things and put everything back in order. My collections of literature have likely been ransacked, by the fools looking for obscure rituals or something... as if I left anything out in the open where it could be easily looted." The dragon looks back to his book and opens it once more, saying, "With that said, if it's a person you are looking for, I may be able to assist. Perhaps you could begin by describing this someone in more detail?"

Sariel finds something magical on the deceased cultist--a set of +2 Irrefutable cloth armor (Adventurer's Vault). It's woven cloth, but glitters with a purplish metallic sheen.

Sariel deftly proceeds with disrobing the corpse.

>>5629
"We need to find the Fell King. We don't know what he looks like, but he has strong ties to the Shadowfell and many followers."

"Sir Halvang, I think our mission was to find a way to weaken or find the fell orc. Something nasty is happening in Baldur's Gate and in other cities as well, and we have reasons to believe the Fell King is behind it. Apparently they are trying to frame the many arrows, and the situation it's quite tense"

Thankfully, underneath the magic robes the eladrin is still wearing a simple earth-colored tunic, which Sariel discovers when she strips off its clothing. In addition, she discovers a reagent pouch hidden under the robes, containing 300gp worth of alchemical compounds and powders.

Halvangh doesn't seem to notice the looting going on right under his nose. Instead, he addresses Torinn first, "I see. I'm glad to hear Tymanther is doing well, though it's unfortunate about your banishment. Nonetheless, given the nation's attitude towards dragons, I can't say that is surprising that they would outcast their own. As for this Fell King..." he switches his gaze between Sureiya and the dragonborn, and elaborates, "I understand the gravity of the situation, though if I am to track this fell orc down, I will need some more information. Perhaps you could explain to me the full details of your assignment?"

>>5633
Torinn grins mirthlessly, "It's not that simple, but my troubles are not something I wish to trouble you with." The dragonborn sighs and takes a deep breath before launching into an explanation, "We were sent here on behalf of the Duke, and told more about this place by someone named Valanor, who seemed to be acquainted with you. Our mission was to find a scrying ritual to locate this 'Fell King' so we could take the fight directly to him and see what his next moves are. Failure to stop him would, at the very least, lead to a war between the nations and the Many-Arrows. Their tie to this is due to us finding an insignia of theirs on a group that was attacking caravans outside Baldur's Gate. When we investigated further, we were led into the mountains and attacked by a fell orc who summoned a fell dragon, who 'fell' quickly enough that the caster turned tail and ran. A rogue that traveled with us, a half-orc who was part of the Many-Arrows, mentioned that the fell orc summoner was related to the Dragonsworn clan, whom, if I recall, were rather notorious. We traveled to Many-Arrows and met with Obould Many-Arrows, who gave us his blessings and promised to work with us to find the root of the problem. However, somebody attacked the leaders of the place we stayed at, leading me to believe that this 'Fell King's' network has influence in many different places."

Torinn suddenly grows more passionate in his speech as he continues, "Our choices were either to bring the fight to the Shadowfell itself, or to come find a ritual that would locate the Fell King. We chose to come here, but the Flaming Fist of Baldur's Gate chose to take the former in our absence. I do not know how they fare, but it was said to be extremely risky, which leaves me worried for the soldiers on the front lines." He gestures to the group, "So we, on behalf of Baldur's Gate, have come here to ask for your aid, Halvangh the Finder. For if the Fell King is not stopped, then the least that would happen is a pointless war between the nations and the Many-Arrows, all because of some shadowy tyrant who puts the lives of many people at risk for whatever his sick game is." The paladin grits his teeth, growling, "And if there is one thing I will not abide, that I despise more than cowardly thieves, more than evil dragons who seek to see us enslaved, it is a pointless war based on the deceptions and machinations of some craven coward who uses his influence to send soldiers to their death!"

It takes a moment for Torinn to remember where he is, lost in his rant. But he soon calms down, asking in a quiet, even tone, "It is because of this, Halvangh the Finder, that, on behalf of Baldur's Gate, and on behalf of all those who would otherwise be doomed to die in a tragic war, I humbly ask you: will you lend us your aid in our noble cause?"

Diplomacy roll for stirring, passionate speech : http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3203991/ (24)

Halvangh seems a bit taken aback by one of the early things Torinn says. "V-Valanor? He's in Baldur's Gate?" The silver looks greatly distressed for a moment, then does his best to regain his composure, though his voice is still trembling somewhat. "I-I see. Dragonsworn. The involvement is that serious, huh? Tell me where I can begin to help, and I will. I will need a little more information on the Fell King before I can possibly track him down, though."

>>5637
"So... I was curious once I found out you were a dragon.. How exactly do you and Valanor.. know each other, per se?"

>>5637
"We don't know much more than we've already told you. He's managed to tap into the power of the elemental leylines to bridge a connection between here and the Shadowfell, which the aforementioned assault used as well."

Halvangh pauses for a moment, then answers carefully, "Valanor and I know each other because we both have ties to the Dragonsworn clan of orcs. I was sworn to Gallard of the dragonsworn, and Valanor once studied under Gallard. Many times, Valanor came to me to help him find his quarry... he is a hunter, you see. A slayer of dragons. Th-though I've only ever heard of him tracking down chromatics, he will hunt down and destroy any powerful dragon that escapes Returned Aebir in an attempt to gain power here in Faerun. He is... quite persuasive, and powerful, you see."

When Torinn mentions the leylines, Halvangh perks up a bit. "Ah, the elemental leylines! Scars of the Spellplague. If he is tapping into the leylines from the Shadowfell, it should be possible to use divination to find him." At this point, the silver dragon pauses, and flips open his book once more, as if frantically searching for something. He mutters, "...Though, working by myself, without Gallard, it would take quite some time. Perhaps you know of a large group of magicians that could assist me? Preferably led by someone who already understands the situation, of course."

>>5643
"I'm certain the people of the Arcanimus in Baldur's Gate would be more than willing to work with you. And some of them are already well aware of the situation. In fact, without their help we wouldn't even be able to get in this tower, or have known about it in the first place."

Shaking her head in disdain, the shaman finally gives up on the corpse. She magically wipes off bloodstains before addressing the silver dragon, notes in hand.

"Mr. Halvangh, Mr. Valanor has referred to you as one of the last sources of information on the Dragonsworn clan... remaining in Faerun?"

Meanwhile, the spirit companion joins the elemental spirit in glaring at the warlock.

>>5647

Silently observing the discussion, Myn smiles quizzically at the spirits, as if to say 'didn't he die because of your reckless overinfusing?'.

Sariel remains passive to the conversation, occupying herself with studying her ritual book, intent to refashion Talar's robes into something more suitable.

"Oh? Well, it is certainly true that I know quite a bit about the Dragonsworn clan. I was the lifebond of Gallard of the Dragonsworn, after all," Havlangh says. He puts his book aside for a moment, and folds his foreclaws on the ground before him, resting into a laying position before the party. "What is it about the Dragonsworn you want to know?"

Sariel finally turns at the mention of Gallard numerous, numerous times. A memory... she heard that before. "This Gallard," Sariel finally interrupts, "has a familiar name to me. I believe... yes, I'm sure Elayne mentioned him."

A mage hand appears to fetch the book and put it in her bag of holding. Sariel herself faces the dragon, looking at him square in the eye with impertinence.

"Dragon Halvangh, I would hear more of Gallard of the Dragonsworn."

Halvangh nods. "Gallard was an orc mage of great power that served close to the side of Ragrim Dragonsworn, chieftain of the Dragonsworn clan. Ragrim... when Ragrim Dragonsworn fell in battle to Obould Many-Arrows, the Dragonsworn clan fell into disarray, and Gallard fled here, to Baldur's Gate. For a time, he worked closely with the mages of Baldur's Gate, and I worked alongside him, keeping to the shadows. The threat of invasion from the Underdark incited Gallard to build a tower underground, and he sealed it against all entry, though he secretly came and went from the tower at times. I have stood guard over the tower ever since. However, Gallard disappeared a few decades ago. He told me he felt something calling... something strange in the Spine of the World. I have not seen him since, as he charged me with keeping an eye on his tower, no matter how long it takes him to return."

Sariel cocks an eyebrow.

"There is a discrepency," the Eladrin drawls, "as Lady Elayne knew a man named as Gallard... an Eladrin.

"Presumably, lord and master of this tower."

"Ah," the dragon notes, nodding. "That's correct, he would have been known to the people of Baldur's Gate as an eladrin. Allow me to explain." Halvangh takes his book in one of his claws once more, and thrusts it before him pointedly. "As you may well know, we dragons are able to easily assume the guise of humanoids. As part of our bond with the Dragonsworn orcs, we shared the knowledge of how, and that knowledge survives to this day, in the form of a ritual that allows one to assume the shape of another humanoid for an indefinite duration," the dragon explains, "Though the effect is cosmetic only; and you cannot drastically alter your height and weight, and your various physical attributes and abilities remain unchanged. Gallard used this ritual to blend into the populace, as he believed that an eladrin would be more easily accepted than an orc, during those times."

>>5657
... Well, this conveniently explains... just about everything.

"Is it impossible to see through the guise?"

The Eladrin blinks, then shrugs, seemly satisfied with the explanation. "Then, he traveled to research the elemental leyline at the Spine of the World, and disappeared since. A caster closely tied to a dragon, vanishing without trace.

"Thus. Attacks from the clan Gallard belonged to, the disappearance of a great caster and the emergence of a Fell King... curious events." By now, the Eladrin is moreso musing aloud, but then falls quiet, turning her thoughts to herself.

"It is not impossible," Halvangh explains. "Though it would depend on the strength of the caster, at odds with the cleverness of the observer. And the observer would likely not suspect anything to be wrong unless it was made obvious."

"You say he disappeared a few decades ago. Did you use any rituals to try and find him?"

"Unfortunately, even with my most powerful scrying rituals, I wasn't able to find him," says Halvangh sadly. "But don't worry about finding the Fell King. We'll be using a different approach to find him... we'll use his connection to the leyline in order to bypass the normal restrictions on scrying."

Sariel turns again. "Do you suppose it possible to scry for two people, either at once or in quick succession?"

>>5662
Torinn frowns, a troubling thought coming to him, "What restrictions would normally be on such rituals? Would it be impossible to normally scry on somebody who is, say, within the Shadowfell?"

"Scrying... for two people?" Halvnagh seems mystified by the question. "Conventional scrying, as in simply looking in on a person, is nearly impossible these days and requires a very powerful ritual. Even then, it is limited to a single plane only. When I attempt to "find" someone, I usually look for details of places they might have been, people they have been in contact with, and objects they might be seeking or have possessed, and work backwards using divinations and locate objects. In the case of the Fell King... well, it's better to see what the mages of the Arcanimus are working on first."

>>5665
"Nothing so complex; I was hoping to find someone unrelated to all these matters." Sariel shakes her head, then with renewed interest asks, "So, then, what details do you require to locate the Fell King?"

"True, pinpointing his location cross-plane directly would be impossible," Halvangh says, crossing his front claws once more. "However, what we will be searching for is a connection to the elemental leyline in the Shadowfell. Once we have that located, we will try and find where it is being tapped into in the Shadowfell, in particular, the strongest 'bite' on the hook, so to speak." The dragon holds up a claw and scratches his chin thoughtfully, "It is likely to be an involved process, requiring a great deal of setup. That is why I will need the help of many others to accomplish this. But it is well. Gallard was interested in the leyline as well." With that, the silver dragon rises to his feet, looking more sure of himself than before. "I believe I can be of more service to Gallard in assisting you in this matter than watching over this tower. If anything, it is my presence here that drew the attention of the Cult of the Dragon. Once I have repaired the tower's arcane defenses, I'll be fully ready to assist the Arcanimus in their efforts."

"One more thing," Sariel interjects. "At the start, I admitted to a quest for arcane knowledge. Will we be able to discuss at length your knowledge, insofar you can share it, in the interim?"

>>5665
Torinn nods, wringing his hands, "Well, I also have a personal request : if at all possible could I help myself to some of the epics on the bookshelves downstairs? I do enjoy a good story." What Torinn does not request is help finding a certain stolen item. That could wait until later.

"I am unsure that you would find me a good teacher," Halvangh admits, "But I can add some of my literature to the Arcanimus, to allow you to study as you please. If you have specific questions, I may be able to answer them." To Torinn, the dragon says, "Of course, you may borrow a number of the books. I should be departing this tower for a time anyway. Just be careful with them."

And then there's that other thing.

"Mr. Halvangh, were you acquainted with a Ragrim Dragonsworn?"

Halvangh's expression changes to a gravely serious one. "I knew him well, yes."

>>5672
"Understood." At the shaman's query, Torinn adds, "What can you tell us about him?"

>>5672
"Until today, we had thought he disappeared, as with the Dragonsworn Clan itself ... but we've just learned that Ragrim Dragonsworn really fell in battle. Did the same fate befall his tribespeople?"

"Ragrim's tale is a sad one, but I will tell you what I know," Halvangh says sagely. "Ragrim Dragonsworn was chieftain of the Dragonsworn clan, last of his line. He was a powerful and wise leader, but perhaps a bit unwilling to take decisive action. He and his people dwelt in the foothills of the Spine of the World, near the outskirts of the Luruar region. Occasionally, they came into contact with humans, though there were very few conflicts. Indeed, Ragrim ordered his people to leave the human settlements alone, and for the most part, they lived side-by-side under a somewhat uneasy peace. Ragrim continued the Dragonsworn tradition, and most of the lineages within the clan had a guardian dragon, to which they share a relationship known as a lifebond. The dragons and orcs lived side by side in such a state for a long time, though the humans were unaware of the presence of the dragons."

Halvangh looks away briefly, then continues, "Unfortunately, when Obould Many-Arrows began to unite the clans, he deemed the traditions of the Dragonsworn a sign of weakness and if that wasn't enough... well, apparently, Ragrim Dragonsworn had a human wife. Though they did not live together, they had many secret meetings, though Obould became aware of this. Ragrim held fast to the traditions of the Dragonsworn, provoking Obould into absorbing the clan by force. The now-exarch of Gruumsh was far too ferocious to overcome, even for the dragons, and the dragons were scattered, and many of the orcs killed. Ragrim himself attempted to stop Obould in single combat, but was slain, and what remained of the clan either escaped to the wilds or was absorbed into the other clans that had already united with the new nation of Many-Arrows."

"The current king of Many-Arrows is a descendant of that Obould-who-is-Gruumsh," the silver dragon says flatly. "I don't know much of the current status of the remnants of the clan, but I wonder what the current King Obould would do if he found out such remnants existed."

... ?? This isn't adding up.

"Mr. Halvangh, did you... or anyone else witness Mr. Dragonsworn's last moments?"

Halvangh seems confused by the question. "Erm... I didn't, personally, no. Obould the first did, and as for anyone else... I don't know that. I heard of the event second-hand. Why do you ask?"

>>5678
"...Second-hand, yet no known witnesses? Did someone simply speculate the event's outcome?"

"From what I understand, there WERE many orc spectators," Halvangh goes on. "But the two fell into a chasm during the fight. Only Obould ever emerged, covered in blood, claiming victory over Ragrim." Halvangh considers for a moment, then says, "I suppose it is conceivable that Ragrim did not actually die, but he would have died of old age by now. And why would he have never returned to his clan, or at least to his wife, Cordelia, afterwards? Perhaps... perhaps if he was with her, she would have escaped death years later, when the village in which she lived was burned to the ground." The dragon shakes his head, "Despite how things turned out, he did love her. I do not think he would have abandoned her."

"...About how far away from Many Arrows was this village? Was it, perhaps, along the Surbin River?"

Okay, so... when the two fell into the chasm, Ragrim Dragonsworn shoved Obould Many-arrows into a one-way portal to the shadowfell, disguised himself as Mr. Many-arrows, and climbed out of the chasm; Mr. Dragonsworn became the first chieftain, while the real Obould Many-arrows went on to become the Fell King. ... Then again, maybe none of this happened. It would be a simpler story if it had been Mr. Dragonsworn who visited the Shadowfell.

No, first things first.

"Where did this duel take place? By chance, was it near any leylines or other such magical anomalies, conveniently located at the bottom of a chasm?"

"Well, actually, Cordelia lived in a village further to the east, originally," Halvangh considers, then goes on to say, "But sometime after the Spellplague, I am to understand she did move to a village along the Surbin river, which was the one in which she perished. A curious question, though, I must ask why you ask that?"

To the shaman, the dragon shakes his head. "I'm afraid I don't have those details. I was during the year in which the Spellplague began its onslaught, and there was much chaos and upheaval in the world at the time."

>>5683
"That would be because we went by there when we traveled to Many-Arrows by boat. A ruined village, where some interference caused our magically propelled craft to stop. And sitting in the back was an enormous elemental leyline. We subdued it, but it would probably be a trifle for somebody to undo what we did."

Torinn scratches his head, "Seems these things all tie together somehow. And not in a good way."

Oh well.

The shaman rummages through the bag of holding, and pulls out the pendant she received from the probably-a-dragon.

"The truth is, Mr. Valanor lent us this talisman, asking us to show it to you."

Halvangh thinks on what Torinn says for a moment, then says, "Well, if the elemental leyline popped into place, there, it must have happened after the village was burned. Such a thing did not exist there when it was attacked."

Upon seeing the talisman, Halvangh stiffens a bit, then says in a serious tone, "I see. Valanor has given you the talisman of Ragrim Dragonsworn... so he considers the matter a serious one. Well, I'd better do as he says."

Strands of silvery energy form around Halvangh, and the dragon melts its form into an average-looking human male with black hair, brown eyes, and silvery robes. His hair is cut short, and the collar of the robe is vaguely purplish. The cuffs are white, and the boots beneath the robes are brown. He carries no visible weapon or implement. His face has a black, well-groomed mustache. He nods to you, and says, "It will be easier to travel as this, though I will answer any other questions you might have before we go." He picks up his book as an afterthought, and tucks it under his arm.

"Let's just go." Sariel eyes around the room one last time, before settling her gaze on Halvangh. "Do you happen to have a more convenient mode of transport, or do we walk?"

Finally releasing his grasp on the enormous aura he had been maintaining, Myn's posture droops in fatigue.

"...indeed, some manner of teleportation circle would be most welcome."

"One more thing, Mr. Halvangh. When was the last known event the first Obould Many-Arrows performed a miracle, or used his power as an exarch?"

Halvangh seems surprised at the question, and seems lost in thought for several seconds. He then replies, "Hard to say... not all divine actions become famous. I believe the current ruler, Obould XVII claims that the exarch empowered his efforts to re-unite the warring clans during their last civil war. But as for actual manifestations of the exarch on this plane, I can't recall any."

Impressed by the conversation and by the dragon magic girl transformation, he feel a bit lost, as if he couldn't manage to understand this many information in such a short time. However something was really bugging the ranger so far, so he thought it was a good time to ask about it
"Excuse me Sir Halvang, when we just got inside of the tower some powerful dolls and giants attacked us, however the guys from the cult didn't seem to be worried about any trap inside of this place. Were all of the difficulties we encountered here planted by the cultists? If that's so maybe we shouldn't take them so lighty"

Halvangh sighs and replies, "Ah, my automatons. I suppose the cultists somehow managed to sabotage them. Of course, I never had lethal traps set up in this tower, but I imagine the cultists did."

"However, it's not a far walk. If we can retrace your steps to one of the teleportation circles, I should be able to get us back to the entrance level with ease," he quickly assures.

Noticing Halvong took it the wrong way, Sureiya quickly apologizes.
"No, that's not what I mean. But I'm actually amazed and scared of these guys work. Anyways, I'm more impressed by your transformation. I'm sure anyone who didn't know about you would be able to recognize you"
Sureiya quickly glares at the pendant and then continue: "Do you think someone else can attempt to try to do this? What if the Fell King had such ability and was hidden somewhere in this plane already?"

"If the Fell King is already on this plane, he shouldn't be too hard to find," Halvangh comments. "You mentioned he was tapping into the power of an leyline to the Elemental Chaos. I have a great deal of experience with these leylines, and it will be easier to track down a disruption in this plane than one in the Shadowfell."

With the group apparently ready to leave, Halvangh leads them back down the spiral staircase, over the illusionary stairs and to a teleportation circle. Halvangh masterfully re-arranges a few of the runes, and the circle transports them back to the entry hall. He moves to the control console, escorted by the party, and speaks the command word, "Cordelia." The console responds, and Halvangh nods, turning to the adventurers, "If everyone is ready to depart the tower, please take the teleportation circle out. I must remain behind a while longer to reset the tower's defenses, but I shall follow in short order." He nods to the room west of the disabled golems, wherein you arrived using the stepping disk. That's likely where the armored cultist has been this whole time, though with the circle active he's likely already departed.

Sariel departs.

Before heading down, Torinn quickly takes about a dozen books and carefully sets them in his bag of holding, mentally noting where they were on the shelf in case he returns. He follows behind the rest of the group, giving Halvangh a quick rundown of what he was borrowing. This would hopefully give him some reading material while he wasn't busy, lest he try to entertain himself by singing again.

When they teleport to the main floor, Torinn heads off on Rutger toward the door they went through to go upstairs. He forces it open and mentions to the group, "I'm going to go collect that aggressor we managed to capture earlier. He should still be in this room." The dragonborn leads the horse through the expansive chamber, towards the back. Hefting the trapped cultist onto the back of the horse, he returns to the hallway, calling out, "He's still in here! Let's get this lowlife back to Baldur's Gate."

Finally, Torinn departs through the circle of teleportation.

One by one, the group reappears outside the tower, finding themselves standing on the stepping disk, with the storage cube used to transport it lying nearby and two armored guards awaiting you. They appear to be ducal guards, based on the armor you say before, both dragonborn females. One has blue-colored scales, and the other a dull green.

Once all six arrive, the blue-scaled guard nods, and the green takes the storage cube, packing the stepping disc back inside. The blue-scaled guard addresses you, "Glad to see you've come back. Come, much has happened in the many long hours since you first entered the tower."

The green one chimes in, rising to her feet, "The duke suggested that you should visit either the Arcanimus, the ducal palace, or the Flaming Fist headquarters upon your re-entry to the city. We will escort you to the destination of your choice."

Well. So will you go to the Flaming Fist, the ducal palace, or the Arcanimus?

"I'm going back to the Arcanimus," Sariel announces, eyeing the rest of the party. "What about you guys?"

>>5719
"Same here. I want to hear what progress they've made and tell them we've found Halvangh."

The Eladrin shrugs. "I didn't get to find what I was looking for, so I think this is where we part ways again."

The dragonborn guards nod, and one says, "We'll guard you. Let's get moving."

There's not much to notice on the way out of the winding caverns and the sewers, but once you return to the main part of the city of Baldur's Gate, you notice that the populace hasn't filled the streets back up yet. They look every bit as deserted as when you departed for the tower, if not more so. The ducal guards escorting you don't say anything, and it's especially disturbing to see fewer members of the Flaming Fist patrolling the streets--indeed, it might be somewhat strange that you were met by members of the ducal guard rather than the Flaming Fist.

You are led to the Arcanimus in silence, and it appears to be as busy as ever. When you enter, you are approached by a tiefling female in black and red robes, who nods at the guards and tilts her head towards the central, spiraling ramp that leads to the top. "They're waiting for you," she says in a voice that is so quiet it could almost be a whisper. At the ground level, many mages are busy moving books from one location to another, and a handful are even copying books with magically-animated pens. A pixie mage is flying from location to location, watering the foliage with an endless water decanter.

When the group arrives at the top of the spiral, they are greeted by the sight of Elayne and another humanoid sitting atop lavish-looking purple couches, fitted around a low, clear glass table that hovers a short distance above the large, hovering, circular grass-covered platform. Above you is the domed ceiling of the Arcanimus, made of a material that almost looks like blue metal, but the dome itself appears like a starry sky, with planets and other celestial body slowly circling above. Elayne is wearing a set of modest light blue robes with a silvery trim, and the other humanoid has a more... tribal appearance.

The orc male is dressed in a thick fur coat below the waist, over chain leggings and the skull of a drake on the belt that holds the furs up. The boots are thick leather, probably from a mammoth or other large, thick-skinned creature that dwells in the mountains of the Spine of the World. His armbands are spiked with bone, and cuffed with metal. He does not have any sort of shirt, just leather bands connecting to a metal ring, supporting the hefty spiked shoulder-pads. Skulls and fangs line the necklace he wears, and his hair is long, black, and braided. He stares at you with an apprehensive expression.

"Ah, it's good to see you again," Elayne says as soon as she notices you. "High shaman Mardoc, these are the adventurers I was telling you of."

The orc's expression does not change, but he nods at the group slightly. "It is good to finally meet, face to face. You are the ones that met with King Obould, are you not?" The high shaman adjusts his gaze towards the table--it is covered with a small amount of open books, at least two of which seem to be ritual books, and a large map of north-west Faerun. Mardoc points at the Troll Hills--specifically, at the location of the elemental leyline. "I believe we have a lot to discuss. I'm almost certain now, with recent events, that this 'Fell King' is both responsible for the disturbances in the elemental leyline we have been feeling in the Spine of the World, and the plot to incite war against Many-Arrows."

Elayne looks away at this words, wearing an expression of pain. "I-indeed."

"Yes, we did meet the King Obould, and we just returned from a mission from the Duke, we indeed have some stuff we need to report."

>>5726
Torinn frowns. "Recent events? What happened while we were away?"

Mardoc nods to Elayne, saying, "I think you'd best explain it. You were there, after all."

Elayne faces the adventurers and says in a hesitant voice, "The... the incursion into the Shadowfell did not go well. I don't know the details, though I do know it started well enough--for the first few hours, the Flaming Fist made progress in establishing a base camp on the other side of the portal." The eladrin picks up one of the books, and begins flipping pages idly, as if trying to take her mind off what she is saying, "But they were attacked by a rather large force of Shadar-Kai. The group appeared small at first, but more and more emerged from the shadows. I'm afraid I don't have the specifics, as those were the last reports I heard, before the Flaming Fist members changed their battle strategy to a full retreat, and screamed to shut the gate. We managed to seal it before any of the Shadowfell denizens crossed over, but..." Elayne closes her eyes and shakes her head sadly, "I'm afraid there were still people fighting on the other side when the portal closed. The Flaming Fist... most likely will be able to tell you the details."

The orcish high shaman looks to you quickly and says, "That's why we have to find this 'Fell King,'" he holds up his hand and makes a crushing motion, "and eliminate him. Before even more soldiers die because of him."

Torinn grits his teeth, biting back tears at the thought of so many brave people failing to return home.

"Understood. This cannot be allowed to continue."

Elayne perks up a bit as she asks, "Oh, lest I become so absorbed in our affairs that I forget to ask you of yours, how did the excursion into Gallard's tower go? Were you able to find anything of use?"

Sariel completely ignores anything that she wasn't party to.

"Nothing of interest there," she reports, "aside from some cultists who wanted to animate dead dragons to rule the world or something.

"No arcane books to be shared, and the dragon seems reluctant to even share his knowledge!" The eladrin throws up her hands dramatically. "Nothing at all! A wasted trip, all in all."

>>5740
Shaken out of his concern by Sariel's outburst, Torinn rolls his eyes and adds, "We did get Halvangh to offer his aid, yes. He wishes to know more about what we know first, so please fill him in when he arrives."

Elayne seems confused. "Dragon? Halvangh?"

Mardoc stares at you rather intently, but sits down once more.

>>5742
"Halvangh the Finder, a master of scrying. He's the one assisting in the ritual, as opposed to simply bringing back a spell to aid us. He said he felt it necessary he leave the tower and be involved directly when we showed him why we had come there."

Elayne looks mystified, and tilts her head, resting it on one finger. "So, you say the tower was filled with cultists... and this 'Halvangh' was not one of them? What was a powerful diviner doing in Gallard's tower?" The wizard shakes her head, and confirms, "Perhaps I'd just better let you start from the beginning. What happened in the wizard cave?"

"Dragon? What Dragon?"
"It wasn't a pleasurable travel. Right from the start we encountered some defense mechanism than the cultists activated. Those bastards attempted to take control of Halvang, the keeper of the tower. We had to fight against two dragons, some undead an a powerful Eladrin, but thanks to everyone hard work we managed to save Halvang from these guys."
Sureiya make a small pause, and then continues
"If my memory doesn't fails, our mission was the find a way to find the Fell Orc, and I trust Sir Halvang will manage to do it. I hereby think he also want to prevent another conflict to start and he is also a friend of Sir Valanor, so I don't think there's any need to mistrust him"

Elayne still looks a bit puzzled. "It's well and good that you trust him, but... the tower's caretaker? Why have I not heard of him before...? Well, Valanor was the same one who suggested investigating the tower--"

Mardoc cuts in suddenly, "Wait a moment. I know I don't know the full situation, but doesn't that sound a bit suspicious? This 'Valanor' suggests investigating the tower, and you conveniently come into contact with someone miss Elayne has never heard of--though supposedly trusted by this 'Valanor,' he was the 'caretaker' of Gallard's relics. It seems very... convenient. Why was Elayne unaware of this person until now?" The high shaman shifts his suspicious gaze to the adventurers, as if demanding an explanation.

"Well Sir, I did not know about Sir Halvang until today. However if you still think the situation looks way too convenient I believe it would be wise to contact Valanor himself. I believe the Duke trust him enough to take his suggestion to inspect the tower."

"Hmf. So Valanor has connections to the palace, is that it...?" mutters Mardoc. That seems to quiet him down, at least for now.

Elanye resumes speaking, saying, "So this Halvangh will assist us? Diviners are quite rare in this era... but I suppose with access to Gallard's tower, it's no surprise that someone possesses such power. Though to trust a matter of such importance to someone I do not know well... what can you tell me of this Halvangh, besides the fact that he is a master of divination magic and the caretaker of Gallard's tower?"

"Well, we saved him, so he owes us one," Sariel mumbles. All this hodgepodge about whether to trust someone or not... clearly they should just believe in Sariel, who believes in Halvangh!

"You could say," Torinn says with unease, "That he is not of this era, but also many eras prior. From what I heard, he was very long lived. But he was a caretaker of the tower who seemed to know a lot about it. He'd even set up some type of animated guardians to protect against intruders, although the cult seemed to have gotten past them."

"In fact, the cultists were trying to subjugate him using a ritual that we were just in time to stop. I should mention that the aforementioned cultists were from something called the Cult of the Dragon, and that they were interested in Halvangh because..." Torinn clears his throat, "Because he is a giant silver dragon. A benevolent one, mind you. Else I'd have his head in my pouch instead of talking to you people. But as such, he has many years of wisdom that he is willing to lend to us, and believes he can harness the power of the leylines to peer into the Shadowfell and find the Fell King's location."

"I trust him, at least."

Diplomacy : http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3211571/ (17)

There is a moment of silence, before Elayne says in a quiet, somewhat apprehensive voice, "I-if what you say is true, and a mature silver dragon is here in Baldur's Gate... well, it would be an honor to work alongside such a noble being."

The high shaman crosses his arms and looks troubled, but can only nod as a response to Elayne's words.

"You've done us a great service in recruiting the aid of such a magnificent ally... after he arrives, I will see to it that you are given an additional reward," the eladrin continues, apparently somewhat recovered from her initial surprise.

Making a distressed expression, Sureiya touch his forehead with his right hand.
"However, I believe Sir Halvang intention was to keep this as a secret, he took he shape of a human so he could fit better around."

>>5761
"I understand his concern, but we are all allies in this. As we should place our faith in him, so too should he place his faith in us."

Torinn does make a mental note to explain this to Halvangh when he returns.

Sariel mimicks the half-orc's gesture, shaking her head. She doesn't say anything though, because as it goes, Paladins never were seen as being the best keepers of secrets.

Elayne nods thoughtfully, placing a hand under her chin. "True, it would behoove us not to advertise to all of Baldur's Gate that a dragon is present in the city."

"A dragon emerging from hiding to aid in a crisis is one of the least unusual that has happened in the history of Faerun, anyway" Mardoc grunts in response. "Desperate times call for desperate measures." Saying that, he turns to the gathered adventurers and addresses them directly, "By the way, if you're heading to the Flaming Fist headquarters anytime soon, I have a favor to ask. They're holding an orc there by the name of Kraag Bloodspire. Obould sent him with me as an escort, but shortly after we arrived, he got into some trouble with some rabble-rousers who thought it would be a good idea to pick a fight with a heavily-armed and short-tempered orc warlord. With all the panic going down at the headquarters due to the current situation, they've just ended up holding him indefinitely, so see if you can't get the stiffs down there to cut him some slack."

>>5761
>>5765
Michael makes the exact same gesture at almost the same time as the Paladin mentions all those things (possibly without thinking), before saying,"Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag on that, then.." He thinks inwardly about the Dragon's reluctance to even give out that information, which was understandable, and now the blasted Paladin had gone and blabbed it out!

He also thinks about the failed attack on the Shadowfell and can't help but think out loud,"I wonder how that attack would have fared on the Shadowfell had we went, though I'm sure if we had, Halvangh would be subjugated which could have been just as dangerous if not more dangerous, and maybe we would have been trapped on the Shadowfell too. Not to say that the soldiers didn't die for a good cause or anything, but even with all the warnings and reassurances that things would go alright, it still turned out pretty bad for them, but who could have predicted that.. Regardless, we will find a way to end this "Fell King", and hopefully if there's survivors on the other side, save them."


He then remembers at the mention of the cult and Flaming Fist, mentions the cultist they had managed to capture. Michael figures if this much has been blabbed out, what's another pieces of information at this point."Speaking of those cultists, we did manage to capture one which we were going to bring to the Flaming Fist anyway, but I doubt he's going to speak much anyway. As for your escort, Kraag Bloodspire, we will try our best, High Shaman Mardoc." Though, Michael thinks inwardly again, we're probably still not on very good terms with them considering what went on..