"So it means your defenses must be rather thin, thanks for the advice" the ranger silently remarks.
Insight check to understand the Fell King's heart (it's the roll description but I didn't expect a good result lol) (24) http://orokos.com/roll/210593

>>75502
Ramuh stares at the apparition. So this, then, the Fell King?

"I should think a threat to Luruar concerns me enough," the revenant responds. "What provoked this 'dragonsworn fury' of which you speak?"

As before, apparation does not acknowledge the response. It simply fades from view, and light slowly begins to again fill the cavern.

"Was that the Fell King...?" Elayne asks, tilting her head. "...I would imagine so. I wonder how much he's aware of?"

Ramuh feels silly for engaging in discourse with the nothing.

The shaman takes Gallard out again, wondering what the inside of the bag is like.

>>75505
>>75506
"If the ritual was meant to seal off his power, then he knows about it now. He'll also learn about Mr. Gallard when he fails to regenerate. ... Maybe I should review what we've learned, too."

Gallard appears disoriented coming out of the bag of holding, mumbling something like, "That is not a star..."

Then the skull seems to snap out of the fugue, and speaks in a somewhat annoyed tone, "You shouldn't shove me in that thing. I felt my connection to this plane weakening while trapped therein."

"Well then, as the Fell King appears aware of our location, no doubt assassins may follow suit. Shall we enter the portal, or are we yet with business here?"

With the business atop the platform settled and the rituals cast, the group descends the platform and heads towards the glowing cavern to the northeast. Nothing could go wrong with this.

As you prepare to enter the small, approximately fifty-foot diameter circular room, the shaman and the ranger notice what appears to be an arcane engraving on the floor. When it's pointed out, Elayne comments, "I can feel some faint traces of arcane power radiating from the engraving..."

There appears to be a circle engraved into the floor, lined with arcane sigils. Gallard's skull speaks up at this point, "While traveling from here to the Shadowfell through the portal is a simple task, the return trip is not as simple... it is very draining, a taxing ordeal. Though it will seem only a blink of an eye to your mental perception, your body will feel as though you've traveled for days without rest. This circle... holds a spell that fully rejuvenates all who stand within after an hour's rest. There is only one charge remaining at this time... use it once, and the spell will no longer be available."

The circle is quite large, filling most of the room, about thirty feet in diameter. On the north wall is the what appears to be the portal--most of the wall has been replaced by a swirling vortex of blue and black energies that emit a faint hum. Rather than a proper portal, it appears that the wall simply fades into the energies unevenly, but Sid confirms, "That's definitely a portal, all right! A natural one, a true rarity!"

>>75511
"If... all of this can be confirmed, and this really is a two-way portal, maybe someone should go through and see what's waiting. The magic should rejuvenate them upon their return, and we really do need to rest."

The shaman ponders for a bit before speaking up again. "Should I try sending one of my spirits through? I'm not sure what will happen."

"There is no need to worry."

Myn fastballs his imp through the portal.

>>75513
"... Shouldn't you worry at least a little bit?"

"Ha, that poor imp never gets a rest from you."
Leaving most of the fun to the warlock and the shaman, Sureiya takes a rest, keeping an eye to the outside of the cave, somewhat wary of the supposed assassins.

Last edited at 14/07/30(Wed)21:56:18

>>75514

Myn looks at the shaman as if she were crazy for a moment before composing himself with a moment of thought.

"Ah, there's no problem. I can always get another imp if necessary."

>>75515

"I have little friendship to offer a fiend after my soul, you see."

>>75516
"Oh, well, okay."

After a moment, the imp reappears, hovering over Myn's shoulder. "...yeah, I don't think that's gonna work out, boss," it reports. "All I saw before it all went dark was a really black sky and a jagged castle-like thing in the distance."

"Nothing but darkness and a castle, it seems."

Ramuh just takes a rest in the circle, unless there's pressing other business.

I'll update my sheet when I get home tonight.

>>75519
"Hopefully, it stays that way. Maybe the imp can check again later."

The shaman takes out the picnic basket again for anyone interested, and then addresses Sid this time. "Mr. Sid, Mr. Gallard doesn't seem to like the bag of holding, but I may accidentally drop him if I carry him as is. Do you have anything to help?"

If he needs to make something and needs materials, I'll offer him one of my flotation bladders. It says it's made of cured animal hide, and it would be waterproof.

I can't honestly recommend the glue option, since it seems too permanent.

Last edited at 14/07/31(Thu)12:48:23

"I-I could, possibly," Sid stammers, looking a bit confused. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

>>75522
"Maybe a satchel of some sort, one that possibly still lets him see? I have a backpack and a couple flotation bladders, if materials are a concern."

"So... you want to cut some eye holes in a backpack?" Sid asks quizzically, tilting his head. "I-I mean, I'm hardly a leatherworker, I focus in magical items, miss!"

The lich skull itself makes a sound like a "harumff."

>>75524
The shaman looks a bit surprised. "Are you not? Still, even a crude strap of some sort would serve until we can arrange for better transport."

Ramuh's contribution to all this is complete disinterest.

"I mean, I'd be no more skilled at cutting holes in a backpack as any of you," the gnome explains, looking a bit exasperated at being asked to do something so mundane.

>>75527
"I'm sorry to have bothered you."

Have to do everything myself etc. Using whatever knowledge she has about animal snares, the shaman cuts a flotation bladder into a harness to fit around Gallard, ties straps into it, and calls it a day after checking its strength.

Craft skull harness, using up a flotation bladder and some tent parts.

It's not pretty, but Bernkastel is able to make a capable enough harness to strap the skull to her back.

"Mr. Gallard, how much do you know about Mr. Ragrim and his circumstances?" the shaman asks the skull, still working on the harness.

"I know that Ragrim Dragonsworn lost in single combat with Obould-who-is-Gruumsh, nearly a century ago, in the Spine of the World... likely not too far from where we are now, in fact," the skull replies. "With the following subjugation of the remainder of the clan shamans and chiefs by Many-Arrows, the fate of the Dragonsworn was sealed, and the tribe was scattered and absorbed into others. Its traditions were soon forgotten... Obould made sure of that."

>>75531
"Right, him. We've been thinking he might be the Fell King."

The skull hesitates a moment, then replies, "...there is little point in denying it at this juncture. Ragrim Dragonsworn did indeed become the Fell King."

>>75533
"He wants revenge for his wife, right? Does he know about his living descendant?"

By now, both spirits are listening nearby.

"And probably for his village too" adds the ranger, finally stopping his meditation and joining the conversation.

Last edited at 14/08/01(Fri)23:09:06

"While the death of Cordelia pushed him over the edge, this is about more than that..." Gallard says, his glowing eyes narrowing to slits. "Rage has taken him. In his grief over the loss of clan and kin, he sought to commune with the spirits--and yet, I speculate a bit on this point, doing so in the Shadowfell created undesired results... rather than contacting the spirits of the natural world, I suspect that he contacted the spirits of hundreds of slain Dragonsworn warriors."

The glow returns to Gallard's eyes, and he goes on to say, "Do not underestimate the Fell King. His rage has made him powerful even as it has twisted his spirit. As for knowing of the survival of one of his kin, I do not know. He no longer confides in me... I do know that the spirits of the Dragonsworn call out for vengeance against Luruar, against Many-Arrows. It seems their goals have become the Fell King's... this is the basis for my theory."

>>75536
"I see. What are the charges against Luruar and Many-arrows?"

"Against Many-Arrows, that is obvious, destroying the tribe and its traditions..." Gallard explains. "As for Luruar, there have been hostilities between the orc tribes of the north and Luruar for ages. The tentative peace between Many-Arrows and Luruar is only something that came about recently... and these souls never knew that peace."

>>75538
Finishing up with the harness, the shaman takes out her notes, recording new information. "... If the Luruar thing is just the usual for them, then isn't it strange to call it vengeance? Are you sure there isn't something else?"

Last edited at 14/08/02(Sat)00:28:51

"...it's possible the Fell King himself holds Luruar as a whole responsible, along with Many-Arrows, for the unrest between them, which has led to the deaths of many, and general instability of the area," Gallard speculates. "I merely point out it's not unusual for a northern orc to hold a grudge against Luruar, many of them likely lost friends to battles with them, or were raised to seek vengeance against Luruar for a variety of reasons."

>>75540
"One last thing. What did he say about us?"

"Not much," Gallard confirms. "Only that you had to be stopped if you attempted to access the leyline..."

As the group rests, the ward surrounding them glows faintly, and it fades after roughly an hour's time. The group is left feeling completely rejuvenated and ready for action. "With luck, we'll be able to reunite with some of our allies once we're in the Shadowfell," Elayne says.

Myn casually tosses his imp through the portal again.

Myn's tossing of the imp has a similar effect to before. When the imp reappears, it seems disoriented, and says, "Boss, that ain't gonna work. I'm too dizzy from the transition to recover before the universe catches up with itself and throws me back here."

>>75544

Thinking to himself for a moment, Myn shrugs and tosses the imp in again.

>>75545
"At some point, it might alert enemies."

>>75546

Myn dissatisfiedly halts his pitching.

"In any case, there is little sense in waiting. We would do well to pass through ourselves."

>>75547
"Yes, let's go." The shaman packs up the basket, puts on Gallard, and after confirming everyone is ready, walks into the portal.

Torinn resummons his tiger and, after climbing on, follows behind the shaman.

With sufficient meatshielding on the other side, Myn likewise enters the portal.

Sureiya stands up and follows the group.

Ramuh follows into the portal.

>>75553
Continued~