** Part I: Fire and Ash **

[Chris1234]

{Spike, Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you’ve been a bit too keen in moving the story along. Evidence for this from just the last round of posts is: 1. Whisper took part in a battle that I assume Matt didn’t know about, but certainly the PC used as spell that Matt didn’t know his character had available, 2. Tristen’s “…I guess it's suddenly tomorrow now?..”, and 3. Me, where the stated intent has been re-sequenced and bits omitted. Wanting to move things along is fine but too much of it causes player to be left behind and lost. I know one player (of the elven archer I think) dropped out because of this and both Tristen and I have said, at least a couple of times each, words to the effect of: “…please slow down; let the players set the pace…”
So, I’d like to try, tactfully as possible, to and sort this out.
I don’t (and can’t) speak for the other players. If they both tell me I’m out of line then ok, I’ll roll over and go with it. I’m not about to disappear and I really don’t give up easily. But I’m not good on keeping my mouth shut. Sorry.
Here’s the view from my end:
A) Karlane has an unused spell slot for today and needs to use Identify (which drops Con by 8 )
B) Karlane will need to sleep to able to regain and memorise some spells
C) Clearly it makes sense to memorise Identify today; cast the spell today; do some (other) stuff; go to sleep (& regain some Con at the same time); wake up; pray for spells; memorise some spells; team talk; talk with (ex-)prisoners and tridents); make decisions; leave the lair.
D) In line with #C, I’d specified doing the memorisation & Identify before sleeping in the ‘sacred to Lor engraved room’ (protected and chance of help) but leaving someone on guard. This was a ~30 minute activity.
E) There’s no IG reason I can see for why that couldn’t occur. Happy to rerun that in “my thread” so it doesn’t bore the other players. I can do the two threads in parallel as they shouldn’t impact each other (unless you so choose of course.).
F) This one isn’t me directly but is worth mentioning on principle. It’s Scorching Ray which Whisper used although Matt was apparently unaware. Point here is that this is declared as a 1st Ed game with bits added in. Scorching Ray (nor Searing Ray) are not in Wizards Spell Compendium and therefore are not 1st or 2nd Ed spells. Nearest are Agannazar's Scorcher (but have to be able to see the target) and a reversed Healing Ray (4th level clerical spell for Fire Priests in the Dark Realms setting.) Of course it's fine for GMs to add whatever they want, but I suggest GMs should tell players up front of changes to RAW. }

[SARRMATT]

"Drusilla, I owe you my life." Whisper took the coin purse from his waist, emptied half of the coin into his haversack of spell components. Drawing the ties tight he placed the still heavy purse into her hand and quietly spoke into her ear out of view of the others. "You should trust your instincts more, perhaps visit a house of gambling with some of this coin. You would likely turn it into a fortune for you and your family. For I am indeed Lord Altradeaus." He hugged the woman warmly and gave her a smile.

[OoC:] Once Drusilla is out of earshot at some point in the future Whisper will as the other PC's and NPC's if she had been among the other prisoners they had encountered.

[spike]

Lucien answered Idrys 'Alas no, young master he has gone to the void, He did tell me to give you this before his spirit departed this plane' the spectre removed a hidden key out of Erodan's left bootheel, and a tiny scrawled map with notes. When you examine the map it looks to lead to a X in the middle of the Direwood forest. On the back of the tiny finger-sized scroll were his handwritten notes that reads:

I've stashed the original artworks that I forged here, and gave the fakes as the originals. There are some twenty paintings, all worth a vast fortune. It lies beneath the elven ruins of the watchtower Evereth Nuldor, beneath the statue of Correlon Larethian. Be weary, there are two statuesque guadians that will come alive and attack you if you do not speak the elven word for tranquility.

[spike]

Drusilla laughed but stared at Whisper perplexed, handing him the coins back. She said 'You need those more than myself, in fact I almost need no gold whatsoever. In my line of work it is easy enough to gain vast amounts of coin effortlessly' she furrowed her brow and examined Whisper closer but with suspicion, then said 'mmmmm, you certainly look the part boy, but sure as hell lad you aint Lord Altreadeaus. He's one of the most corrupt, ruthless, and headstrong houselords in all of Nyr. Oh, and he's also a vampire, in case you didn't know that. Few do, why do you think he dwells beneath the castle of wryms like a recluse, only to be seen on its ramparts in the deep of night? You are either a imposter, an actor, or his long lost twin brother, but rest assured before being captured and enslaved, Lord Altradeaus had visited the court of king Aubec and I discovered the truth of Altradeaus at behest of Aubec. The only reason Aubec says nothing regarding this highly guarded secret is that Altradeaus had promised him everlasting life in exchange for his allegiance. Altradeaus almost killed me when he learned I discovered his true nature, only sparing me because of his need of my former king'

[Chris1234]

"Good morning, Whisper. So you're happy to talk to me now? After ignoring my questions of you last evening? Well, let's put that to one side. There was a Drusilla, who appeared as a crone..", {OOC: GM's words not mine}, "..who claimed to be a wise woman. She talked about your cousin Do you believe you have a cousin here?" replies Karlane.

[spike]

Chris: she already casted identify on the gem:


As morning came, Karlene was able to take some time to complete the Identification on the second lesser stargem. Some of the aura was maligned by a mixture of her own handling of it and some others, whoever perhaps hid it within the mace originally. However this is what she is able to glean from it. You expend one of the black pearls for the material component:

only 1 binding: to the temple of Lor IN Lor, specifically into a secure section called the Forbidden Archives --activation word: gazrath access to the forbidden archives is considered blasphemy unless approval of the arch-priest is granted, and typically that only happens on the most rarest of special circumstances. That said, only the arch-priest himself could have created this binding.

this gem only has a total of 3 bindings
x1 week: wind walk
x3/day: Air Walk, wind wall

[Chris1234]

Karlane emerges from the engraved room to see Drusilla & Whisper in conversion.
She observes for a short while and then advances.

[SARRMATT]

@Drusilla Whisper can not hide the expression that comes across his face. "So the head of my family has succumbed to the lure of vampirism. Does he pit his family against one another as well? In some twisted race to ascend to his favor? How do you come by such knowledge so easily my lady?"

@Karlane later "I apologize, I don't seem to recall a conversation or questions that we shared the other night. Could you refresh my memory on what it might have been about? Someone that might be my cousin may be or might have been housed here. In truth I do not know, nor can I accurately recall." The young mage thanks Karlane for her patience and for helping him to fill in the many many blanks in his memory.

[spike]

Drusilla: "Aye, lad, simply put I'm a spy. Additionally I am a priestess who venerates the Goddess of Espionage, if that helps to enlighten you to the validity of my words. I was one of the best for King Aubec of Urnst, but alas that arch fool expunged me from his service, to his own detriment. I know at least ten kings who would gladly pay me their entire kingdom for the secrets Aubec had hidden. Fortunately for Aubec I do not break oaths as easily as he does! Aye, Altradeaus is a vampire tis true, but not so evil as you might reckon. Trust me, lad, there are far fouler and more vile beings who aren't vampires in the world, who make the vampires saintly in comparison. I've met the vampire Altradeaus before, he is an interesting creature. A patron of the arts, an intellect, a renaissance man and a bit of a poet to boot. They call him the bard, for his penchant for music particularly the viola. There is something quite different about that wily fox, yet heed my words young master he was created for a purpose that has yet to be revealed, all in due time'

WHISPER: RESPONSE?

Decide what the party is/will do going forward.

[Chris1234]

Karlane advances towards Drusilla & Whisper who are in conversion. "Morning to you both. The night has treated you well, lady. As if the years have rolled off you. So, do the pair of you have anything to tell me?"

After any ensuing conversation, she focuses on Drusilla ans asks, "Would you do something for me, please? Return these to their rightful owners among the former prisoners." She hands over the pile of rings and silver spoons previously located, then adds "And please find out how many of them want to go to each of Harby, or to Targos or to Higkor. And how many have no place to go?"

When Drusilla has departed, Kalane spends a few minutes talking to Whisper. "OK, we need to talk. You start."

[spike]

DRUSILLA: 'Mmmm, aye, my Goddess in the night gave me a dream, and she said that you, all of you have dealt a decisive blow to the enemy, but you still have much to do, and do not rest for long in these dark halls. You and your brother must and shall undergo some tests from your own deity, she said that the weapons of Lor must be hammered on his anvil sufficiently before he can wield you properly. She also said be weary of a dark elf that both Lomag and Karnak have enlisted to investigate on the recent disruption to their local operations, I take it that means the pair of you mischievous devils'

[Chris1234]

"Thank you, Drusilla," Karlane acknowledges. "There is a lot to do. I'm still sorting an large amount of information in my head.* We should talk again when you've sorted out the rings and so forth and the prisoners preferred destination."

======
{OOC: *Got 45 page wod doc edited down to 10 pages. Still needs sorting and duplicates removed before prioritising.}

[SARRMATT]

@Drusilla: "I seem to recall that vampires and their half-kin are baren, unable to bear or create living children. Would you have any idea of how long the head of my family has been afflicted?" Whisper asked of the woman who he guessed to be a between jobs spy. He was beginning to wonder if he had any familial ties to the Altradeaus line. Perhaps he could locate a mirror or reflective surface to get a better view of himself? Anything that would allow him to guess at his age and if it would even be possible with the time frame provided by Drusilla. Perhaps he was something like a cousin of some sort to the families main bloodline?

[OoC:] I'm ok if it is time to move out from this location, I'm sure that there will be ample time to discover his backstory.

[TristenC]

If vampires are unable to bear or create living children, how do Dhampir come about?

[Chris1234]

When Drusilla has departed, Whisper says, “I apologize; I don't seem to recall a conversation or questions that we shared the other night. Could you refresh my memory on what it might have been about? Someone that might be my cousin may be or might have been housed here. In truth I do not know, nor can I accurately recall."

Karlane replies, “Accepted. I have some knowledge of Lord Altradeaus. So we need to talk. You can start with just exactly who are you? Why are you here? Do you have a cousin that was here? What happened to your memory? Convince me now or you will not come with me."