Session 135: Scallywags: Conduits' Invulnerability
General Summary
They stand before the Conduit of Taeil, and Mila steps forward to ask of its awarness: how many other claimants have come here, or even exist? With some clarification from its radiant eyes lasering runes into the stone around the party's feet, they are able to learn that this conduit is quite sentient, and that it has a bond with the other eleven conduits, aware of their interactions, in a way, with three other claimanats. Taeil confirms he would only give his blessing to those who have tamed his lion. They also learn that Ilknar is marked, and the other trials must follow his choice in the actions of the trial, but that at his death, another claimant to take his trial on, or restart the trials.
Mila goes to the others to inform them of this, sharing how the Queen might be using these blessings to her gain, and even thwarting the conduits' intentions. Yet, the reaction of the crowd near them, of these orc dancers and brides that were to be bargained for by the Queen, and their ire focused on the one remaining knight who was that closet loyalist to Jhusve--Lady Sasha notices the favorite, or the one orc lady who seemed to be the closest to Jhusve in protectorate but also friendship, well, she breaks away. Lady Sasha heads her off, and after some persuasive actions (you really shouldn't like to a dragon), and courtly wiles, Lady Jhastilea reveals that the Queen had another plan for the Conduit of Threev. Mila has a few epiphanies at his moment: one, why the third trial? Why skip the second? two: the conduits can be replaced, and that sacrifice can destablize the Wall and what it is meant to seal away. Three: the palace is not as important as this, for Jhusve wishes this desperately, and desperation only leads to chaos.
Oddly enough, a Kobold airship comes into view at this point, and they land, seemingly looking for the Mistress and Comrade, Compatriot of the Kobold Kollective, Veruca Salt. Sasha takes this opportunity to convinces the Kobolds--easy enough as they see the half dragoness as a demigoddess of sorts--and they are able to take the orc ladies to safer lands.
During this distration, Brimstone climbs back to face Taeil, Conduit and Former King of the Wall. He asks him, will the wall give me the power needed to protect?
Yes. Time. Choice. The Wall is not unvulnerable.
Unsure at first how to interpret that, Brimstone ponders, and with some inner guidance, he knows the trials have begun, and they soon will continue, and they will continue with or without the initial claimant. Choices must be made, and still Brimstone could make the choice, to take the Conduits power, to sacrifice and become the Warden. Any could do this. The Wall, like all things, eventually comes to an end.
All this takes a few hours to organize, and during this short rest, the decision has been made: Get ahead of the Queen, and go to Threev. Wait for her there: stop her plan. Thus, they gather around Mila, and she uses her ruby spell gem to teleport the group after getting some understanding of the area by Wulfgar and Orran, the latter forgot he had visited these woodlands at some century past, and Wulfgar having memories of the area, of he stripped down to just leathers and boots, a bow in his hand and an endless hunt and chase after some divine quarry. He was with here with his brother Borq when he was Claimant, Warden, and then King of the Grey Coasts some century passed. However, these vague descriptions force the conjuration to be slightly off course, and they land elsewhere.
At first only Orran recognizes the area, and defensively he prepares his crossbow before he states, "These are the Lands of Aestra, where wild, man-eating horses roam, lead by a crazed demigod master. We should leave quickly. Mila, another teleport?"
She agrees, sensing the elf's concern, and she conjures more mana of her own to teleport them further east, Orran describes, on the other side of the Wall. This time, luck and chance, destiny even, lend's aid, and they are conjured right in fron of the Face of Threev, she a fey, rock and stone, root and tree, now, but a leader and Warden of the Wall in millenia past, a Queen of the Faces, too. Mila and Sasha especially, but Brimstone and Wulfgar, too, try to convince Threev of her doom, of how the Queen Jhusve will come to destroy her, to yes, be willing enough to bend if not break the Seal of the Wall. The Roots and Radiant eyes laser thoughts and runes near the feet of the Scallywags. And they learn this Conduit is brave or even foolish, at first not will to accept such claims of her doom. However, soon convincing is made, and the Conduit knows their is divine protection, for even George, irritating as he is, is here, a Stone of the Seven Primordials, Sons of Obad Hai and the Lands of Barur. They confirm to the scared conduit, that they will stay, that they will protect her from Jhusve's wild and heinous actions, her wrath and desperation, a grasp at power, divine but also unstable. Threev also offers to bless them when they are able and willing, to give them insight for one whole day beyond that of a mortal's metaphysics.
After Wulfgar helps the group find a rocky hovel to hide in, Mila creates a magical, tiny hut, and within them a simple abjuration protects them from insight and scrying from beyond. They begin to rest, and make three watches to take up the near fourteen hours of time to pass.
First Watch: Lady Sasha has a staring contest with Threev, Wulfgar sits in silent prayer, and Mila identifies Jhusve's remaining items: her cane, Catalystic tech to be sure, but also a key for some larger, much larger door; and then her mask: an item of legend, the black dragon mask, gifted only from fiendish sources devote to Tiamat herself--much can be said of Jhusve's own loyalty because of this possession. At the end of the watch, Sasha sees a strange light in the forest, and she leaves to investigate, away from the saftey of Mila's abjuration, this magical tiny hut. While gone, she sees but for a brief moment, aided by the odd sight of the third eye upon the tip of her snake-tail, the hind, the creature Threev warned must be caught, and how it is caught will define so much of the Warden's claims and actions. Sasha returns to the camp and awakes the next watch. Finding a porkchop waiting for her, a reminder? No, Mila confirms inside, a warning for the Hind.
During the second watch, Orran, Ollie, and Brimstone take over. Orran take a wide patrol around, and Ollie walks away for some space. Brimstone though, wishes to comfort Ollie, and he follows her after some time to her self, an hour or so, and she is attempting a meditation. However, he sees somethign above her, or some answer to his prayer he makes upon waking, even during a watch. Protect those of crew and land, of lost and found, of seas and land. Tritherion heard, it would seem, and lead him to a chance to save a soul, beyond fire and brimstone, beyond wrath and chains. The eye still watches above, and soon disperses, and Brimstone is thankful for the quiet and comfort, and he finds Ollie listens to his words, and knows the Right and the Wrong are often Grey like our Coasts.
They return for the switch to Third Watch, where Nethpione, Ilknar, and George will take over. The first few hours are quiet, and then about half way through, in the early hours of the morning, they see on odd flash of light. Nethpione rises up into the sky, but waits above the camp, as George waddles behind the long strides of Ilknar. The giantkin grows, and within a few minutes, through and above the woodlands about them, where George cannot see, Ilknar finds a group, and within the a familiar face and form, doused in torchlight, obvious, vulnerable.
He yells back to George: "Get the Others!" And, then he charges toward Jhusve's returned clone, and an entourage of arcana and metal, muscle and spells, ready to cinder Ilknar to dust.
Mila goes to the others to inform them of this, sharing how the Queen might be using these blessings to her gain, and even thwarting the conduits' intentions. Yet, the reaction of the crowd near them, of these orc dancers and brides that were to be bargained for by the Queen, and their ire focused on the one remaining knight who was that closet loyalist to Jhusve--Lady Sasha notices the favorite, or the one orc lady who seemed to be the closest to Jhusve in protectorate but also friendship, well, she breaks away. Lady Sasha heads her off, and after some persuasive actions (you really shouldn't like to a dragon), and courtly wiles, Lady Jhastilea reveals that the Queen had another plan for the Conduit of Threev. Mila has a few epiphanies at his moment: one, why the third trial? Why skip the second? two: the conduits can be replaced, and that sacrifice can destablize the Wall and what it is meant to seal away. Three: the palace is not as important as this, for Jhusve wishes this desperately, and desperation only leads to chaos.
Oddly enough, a Kobold airship comes into view at this point, and they land, seemingly looking for the Mistress and Comrade, Compatriot of the Kobold Kollective, Veruca Salt. Sasha takes this opportunity to convinces the Kobolds--easy enough as they see the half dragoness as a demigoddess of sorts--and they are able to take the orc ladies to safer lands.
During this distration, Brimstone climbs back to face Taeil, Conduit and Former King of the Wall. He asks him, will the wall give me the power needed to protect?
Yes. Time. Choice. The Wall is not unvulnerable.
Unsure at first how to interpret that, Brimstone ponders, and with some inner guidance, he knows the trials have begun, and they soon will continue, and they will continue with or without the initial claimant. Choices must be made, and still Brimstone could make the choice, to take the Conduits power, to sacrifice and become the Warden. Any could do this. The Wall, like all things, eventually comes to an end.
All this takes a few hours to organize, and during this short rest, the decision has been made: Get ahead of the Queen, and go to Threev. Wait for her there: stop her plan. Thus, they gather around Mila, and she uses her ruby spell gem to teleport the group after getting some understanding of the area by Wulfgar and Orran, the latter forgot he had visited these woodlands at some century past, and Wulfgar having memories of the area, of he stripped down to just leathers and boots, a bow in his hand and an endless hunt and chase after some divine quarry. He was with here with his brother Borq when he was Claimant, Warden, and then King of the Grey Coasts some century passed. However, these vague descriptions force the conjuration to be slightly off course, and they land elsewhere.
At first only Orran recognizes the area, and defensively he prepares his crossbow before he states, "These are the Lands of Aestra, where wild, man-eating horses roam, lead by a crazed demigod master. We should leave quickly. Mila, another teleport?"
She agrees, sensing the elf's concern, and she conjures more mana of her own to teleport them further east, Orran describes, on the other side of the Wall. This time, luck and chance, destiny even, lend's aid, and they are conjured right in fron of the Face of Threev, she a fey, rock and stone, root and tree, now, but a leader and Warden of the Wall in millenia past, a Queen of the Faces, too. Mila and Sasha especially, but Brimstone and Wulfgar, too, try to convince Threev of her doom, of how the Queen Jhusve will come to destroy her, to yes, be willing enough to bend if not break the Seal of the Wall. The Roots and Radiant eyes laser thoughts and runes near the feet of the Scallywags. And they learn this Conduit is brave or even foolish, at first not will to accept such claims of her doom. However, soon convincing is made, and the Conduit knows their is divine protection, for even George, irritating as he is, is here, a Stone of the Seven Primordials, Sons of Obad Hai and the Lands of Barur. They confirm to the scared conduit, that they will stay, that they will protect her from Jhusve's wild and heinous actions, her wrath and desperation, a grasp at power, divine but also unstable. Threev also offers to bless them when they are able and willing, to give them insight for one whole day beyond that of a mortal's metaphysics.
After Wulfgar helps the group find a rocky hovel to hide in, Mila creates a magical, tiny hut, and within them a simple abjuration protects them from insight and scrying from beyond. They begin to rest, and make three watches to take up the near fourteen hours of time to pass.
First Watch: Lady Sasha has a staring contest with Threev, Wulfgar sits in silent prayer, and Mila identifies Jhusve's remaining items: her cane, Catalystic tech to be sure, but also a key for some larger, much larger door; and then her mask: an item of legend, the black dragon mask, gifted only from fiendish sources devote to Tiamat herself--much can be said of Jhusve's own loyalty because of this possession. At the end of the watch, Sasha sees a strange light in the forest, and she leaves to investigate, away from the saftey of Mila's abjuration, this magical tiny hut. While gone, she sees but for a brief moment, aided by the odd sight of the third eye upon the tip of her snake-tail, the hind, the creature Threev warned must be caught, and how it is caught will define so much of the Warden's claims and actions. Sasha returns to the camp and awakes the next watch. Finding a porkchop waiting for her, a reminder? No, Mila confirms inside, a warning for the Hind.
During the second watch, Orran, Ollie, and Brimstone take over. Orran take a wide patrol around, and Ollie walks away for some space. Brimstone though, wishes to comfort Ollie, and he follows her after some time to her self, an hour or so, and she is attempting a meditation. However, he sees somethign above her, or some answer to his prayer he makes upon waking, even during a watch. Protect those of crew and land, of lost and found, of seas and land. Tritherion heard, it would seem, and lead him to a chance to save a soul, beyond fire and brimstone, beyond wrath and chains. The eye still watches above, and soon disperses, and Brimstone is thankful for the quiet and comfort, and he finds Ollie listens to his words, and knows the Right and the Wrong are often Grey like our Coasts.
They return for the switch to Third Watch, where Nethpione, Ilknar, and George will take over. The first few hours are quiet, and then about half way through, in the early hours of the morning, they see on odd flash of light. Nethpione rises up into the sky, but waits above the camp, as George waddles behind the long strides of Ilknar. The giantkin grows, and within a few minutes, through and above the woodlands about them, where George cannot see, Ilknar finds a group, and within the a familiar face and form, doused in torchlight, obvious, vulnerable.
He yells back to George: "Get the Others!" And, then he charges toward Jhusve's returned clone, and an entourage of arcana and metal, muscle and spells, ready to cinder Ilknar to dust.
Report Date
05 Oct 2025
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