View source for Ser Pedaryn rejoins the Case

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== Log Info ==
*Title: Ser Pedaryn rejoins the Case
*Emitter: Solar Flare
*Characters: Delilah, Donna, Ashes, Elyanna, Merek, Seldan
*Place: A16: Nobility District - Court Buildings
*Time: Monday, November 22, 2021, 9:01 PM
*Summary: The Valethor Gang and Merek continue to discuss strategy with Norrington for recapturing Veren, and now also rescuing Alvin. This task is complicated, as while the Silver and Blue Tome lists everything Veren does, it doesn't contain her thoughts or why those things are done. Nor does it specifically identify places or spells, though those can often be determined by descriptions. Veren is currently in Charn, Alvin is somewhere. Seldan is summoned, arrives, and given catch-up summaries from all involved. Norrington asks what their fighting styles are. Donna's is direct, Elyanna's is elegant and of a supporting role with her song and spells. Ash's is only in an emergency. She prefers to watch and curse. Breaking out her khopesh or crossbow only in emergencies. A few approaches for Alvin's rescue are discussed, with a 'going in hot' and a stealth option seemingly the only choices.</div> 

<pre>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Donna        5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A black-haired human girl in black robes.
Delilah      5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A golden haired human girl in white robes.
Merek        5'10"    215 Lb     Human             Male      A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Ashes        5'11"    177 Lb     Hobgoblin         Female    A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face
Elyanna      5'11"    153 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    A grim, Arvek-blooded woman in raven feathers.
Seldan       5'11"    187 Lb     Human             Male      Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  NPCs of Note  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Knight Captain Norrington        Human             Male      One of Alexandria's finest, and not very fine.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Delilah      5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A golden haired human girl in white robes.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=</pre>

==Previously==

''Norrington leads the Valethor Gang and Merek into the Courthouse breakroom, where he finds two guards taking a break. He berates them for their laziness, assigns them to the wall, and throws a few insults about, then pretends to get down to business. Donna starts by telling him he needs to believe them. Ashes isn't about to let it go however, in very direct words she tells the man he's not in charge. He's incompetent and they're saving his rear and doing his job for him. The proof is plain, they wouldn't have been deputized otherwise. Norrington throws a few more insults, attempting to establish dominance as Elyanna acts as peacemaker. Ashes throws Norrington's insults back at him, criticizing his lack of professionalism and stating they don't need him but he needs them. He proves his worth, however, by adding a complication they missed.''

''"Lady Eveyln has not given birth to her child yet, so far as I am aware," Norrington replies, "Not that I am privy to the childbearing endeavours of nobles anyway. But, yes, I am referring to Alvin." The Knight Captain flips through a few pages, "Apparently the 'deal' made with Ella was that Veren would return the boy after Delilah was laid to rest, and not before. As Delilah remains un-beheaded, the boy remains Veren's prisoner."''

''The Knight Captain shifts in his seat, and taps his lips. "I will have someone sent to the... Black Diamond, was it? To check on Ella. She cannot be withstanding this well. However, this complicates matters considerably, we cannot just... teleport and attack. It is too dangerous for him. We need a more subtle, less... violent approach, at least initially.''

''Merek thinks about it for a moment, then he nods to everyone, "I can probably try that, though we'll wait, we need to really finish the planning. The Black Diamond, that looks to be handled. Alright, what next would be important for all of us to do?" he asks, "We need to keep everything in mind."''

''"Sssshit," Donna breathes, rubbing her hands over her face. "We barely had much chance to rest, I can't believe I forgot the *kid!*"''

''"So okay, okay," she sighs, looking down at her hands. Kid's a hostage. Priority's to get him *out* of danger before the hammer drops." Pausing, she looks up and back at Ash. "...Hey any chance Chippen could put who's-ever got their knife to his throat to sleep? Veren gets drawn away, she's gonna want someone else to be there to carry through..."''

''"It's not handled Merek." Ashlee says, a tired note contaminating her usual monotone. "Vallia, Madame of the Black Diamond, said she'd rescue Alvin." She pauses.''

''"Before. We rescued Delilah. It was likely he would be killed when we did." She shrugs a little, "So I thought that happened."''

''The rescue or the death.''

''The Mourner nods at Donna, "He can. I can. He can cast for me. That limits my casting when he is." ''

==Now==

"Ah apologies. I thought you meant something else. Anyway, I might be able to assist with that, though I would need to work on the plan," Merek will admit. He nods a bit along to the party and looks to Ashlee. Then a nod to everyone, "I think we need to find who it would be best to assist where."

Norrington leans back in his chair, and cups his chin in his fingers. "This must be done carefully," he muses. "Partly because a child is involved, and saving the child *is* our greatest priority, but also because this Veren seems to be an exceptionally dangerous individual." He reclaims the book, sliding it over the table to rest in front of him and flips it open to the back page, then flips forward until he finds the most recent page with writing. "Does this book add more pages as necessary, I wonder?" he inquires of nobody in particular, while he observes the last few paragraphs. 
 
"Veren is not currently in Alexandria -- she teleports, apparently. We will have to wait for her to return, but at least that gives us time to prepare." He pauses, and shrugs. "I am not a magic user, but I believe to some degree, all four of you are. Do any of you think you are up to the task of dismantling any wards she may have set? Do not answer with confidence if you aren't certain. Lives are at stake, remember."

The Keeper regards the Mourner as she speaks and nods, her face a stoic mask, though there is a subtle float of shadow across the tendons of her bare fist.

Her steely gaze turns back toward Norrington as he speaks and her arms fold beneath her feathered cloak, "It does." she answers steadily.

Noble born, and, despite the marks that indicate a time to the contrary, she was largely raised as such after a fashion, and the nature of their relationship has only recently flipped, so it's only begrudgingly that the Hobkin concedes, "I am not."

A cinnibar hand emerges from the cloak with another strip of ribbon, "I dount such a trip is taken lightly. Does the page reference any objective or particular whimsy to this jaunt?" she asks, laying the improptu bookmark on the table.

"Wondered that m'self," Donna murmurs, frowning at the book. "An' wards ain't my thing, but I know who is, an' they're as trustworthy as your folk are, Captain. Mebbe more. Paladin of Eluna, name o' Seldan. You want her alive, I'm honestly thinkin' he's our best chance to make it happen."

The ashen Arvec reaches for the book and pulls it close. She glances at Elyanna, "Is there a bookmark for Ella when Alvin was taken?" Opening the book, she flips back and forth, searching.

While she does, she takes a fist-sized obsidian miniature of a horse and sets it on the table. Unlike most obsidian, it's grey-ish purple instead of a deep black. There are even some white-ish flakes. "That's my problem."

Ashes continues to search, turning page, scanning, jumping ahead, and back, trying to zero in on a topic, "It depends what she instructed. Where he's kept. If rescuing him will warn her."

Her head raises at Donna's suggestion. She nods silently.

"Actually, I do not particularly want her alive," Norrington admits. "Given what I've read so far in that," he nods towards the book, "I would be perfectly satisfied to bring her had back in a sack. However, that is not my decision to make. The Magistrate has ordained that she is to be captured alive, and that is what I shall do. Unless," he adds darkly, "It becomes a choice between getting her alive, and getting the child alive. Then I will choose the latter and Miss Valethor's appeal will have to stand without Veren as a witness." 
 
Norrington gazes at Donna for a moment, then stands from his chair and moves to the door. He exchanges a few words with a guard hanging around outside, and then returns to the table. "The book does not specify why Veren travelled. I don't think it's privy to her thoughts and motivations, just her actions. She didn't tell Alvin that she was leaving, either, but I believe she has arrived in Charn via teleportation... but she's not keeping him there. I haven't found, yet, where she *is* keeping him, but I expect it's in there somewhere."

"The small raven feather with the split quill." Elyanna replies to her countryman in the mother(Father, technically) tongue. <goblin-talk>

Her attention returns to the the book at large for a moment, her jaw set grimly, though the interlock of her choppers keeps her from actually grinding her teeth. She turns to approach the door once more, and, perhaps for a momentary distraction, or irritation spiking her paranoia, she whistles her little melody as she points to the handle to double down as it were.

The chatter is a little hastier, perhaps a little more angry in tone as it rolls in through and over the mutterings of her first invocation.

"I should've caught that." she notes bitterly under her breath. <Goblin-talk>

She is silent again as Norrington stands, though her head and eyes swivel toward him as he rises.

"Long as you're willin' to testify to Delilah's innocence," Donna says, narrowing her eyes up at Norrington, "I'm right there with ya. Kid first, Veren second. An' I'll follow your lead, *Captain,* but I *need* you t'be willin' t'do that much. *Please.*"
 
Letting out a breath, Donna rakes a hand through her hair. "Charn... Fffffuck, I hate Charn. Too many faces need a punchin'."

Merek does nod a little bit, "Well, it is best we find her, in any case. I don't know if capturing will be easy, but it's possible." The man does take the time to relax while he watches the people and will consider it, "Charn. Not the greatest place. Either way, we should be able to do what we need to do, I'll admit that it might be a bit difficult, we'll all need to work together."

"Her other victims' families might her want to stand for those murders too." Ashlee says in monotone, picking up her figurine and slipping it back into her satchel. She's still narrowing down time frames.

"A dimensional anchor, a swarms, dispel magic, calm emotions, charm, hold person, misfortune curse. For her."

"For Alvin..." She keeps looking, "detect magic, dispel magic. Another charm spell. A lesser globe. It depends what is there."

"And where." She frowns, looking down, "the Charn connection could be important too."

"I am." Norrington offers a curt nod to Donna. "Don't get me wrong. My opinions have not changed, but I won't see someone beheaded for something they didn't actually do. I will so testify, if and when it becomes necessary. I haven't found the spot in that book where it talks about Veren murdering Lady Bethany -- I'm sure it's one of those bookmarks -- but I don't doubt it's there." 
 
The Knight Captain steeples his fingers. "Just, remember there is a reason why the Magistrate wanted Veren alive; without her, this is an interesting book, but it is just a book. Whether or not that with testimony is enough to sway the court, well..." he shrugs. "You'd have to ask a Magistrate." 
 
"I have sent for Ser Seldan. Hopefully he will not be long. In the meantime, please describe to me how each of you fight. I know how you work," he glances towards Donna, "You lose your temper and punch whatever has irritated you into submission. But for the rest of you, I need more information." 
 
He pauses, and offers a nod towards Ashes. "Just so. And she *should* answer for those deaths."

At length, there is a firm rap on the door, and it opens shortly thereafter to admit a familiar face. Rather than his usual simple shirt and trousers, Seldan has gone with a high-collared blue jacket over the shirt and trousers, the silver buttons on it arranged to present a sartorial look. Reunion is not present on his hip, but probably isn't far off, and a simple steel band holds unruly, brought hair off of his face, the ends bound back with a leather thong. "I am sent for?" he asks quietly and soberly, but on spotting Norrington among the faces present, he immediately withdraws into a cool reserve that lends him the look of an alabaster pillar, impassive and unyielding. "Knight-Captain."

"No, I lose my temper and punch whatever's *hurting teammates the most* in the submission," Donna says, curling her lip. "I don't never forget, my job's to take worse hits than the rest. An' I got some magic to make it easier t'do. An' I'm *best* at punching faces tryin' t'do magic."
 
She starts to sit back, lacing her fingers, but the opening door has her turning to see who comes in, a wide smile blooming across her face. "Seldan! Oh man ain't *you* a sight for sore eyes, good t'see ya!"

Ashes turns and stares at the door. As usual, she has no expression, her skull markings overwhelm any other features of her face. She nods towards the Silverguard, then looks towards Elyanna, "Do you want to update him?"

She faces Norrington again, "I don't. I have a crossbow and khopesh. I use them when something goes wrong."

"I watch, cast curses and spells." She taps at the symbol on her breastplate, "keep people alive."

Norrington gestures towards the table, "Please, have a seat and join us, Ser Seldan. We are discussing the... apparent innocence of Delilah Valethor, and planning the capture of one wizardess known as Veren, who is evidently the real murderess. I will admit that I am, at this moment, sufficiently convinced that Miss Valethor was wrongly convicted. Also," he leans back in his seat, "You may consider yourself deputized in this matter. Like everyone else here, you will report to me until Veren is in a jail cell." 
 
He clasps his hands behind his head, and nods once. "Also, the child of the prostitute, Ella, remains hostage to Veren, and getting him back alive is our greatest priority. Secondarily, but also important, we need Veren alive, for Miss Valethor's appeal." He shifts his eyes towards Elyanna, and nods, "You can fill him in on the rest."

"I work by grace, primarily, trying to control the situation with my whip, though I do not fear closing in with my falchion if need be." the red woman remarks, "I can enhance the battle focus of my comrades with song."

She turns, then, toward the opening door, as it allows the reunion with, "Ser Pedaryn."

The Blarite Lady gives a respectful dip of her head, then, with a glance to Ashlee on her request, nods and steps aside, beckoning the holy blade into their base of operations as it were.

"Our travels took us to the realm of the Fieu of the Tears, where we encountered the Lady Bethany in torment. Something that twisted her feelings toward Delilah to inverse. Once freed, there were..."

She glances to the others ere her feathered cloak rises and falls in a shrug, "Reconciliations. The affliction itself became manifest, it came back with us to the living realm."

A hand, the bare one, immediately comes up in a halting posture, "It is not with us."

An oversight perhaps, but, "It feeds on, and drives the dark urges of the bearer. It has been locked away." So far as she knows.

Thankfully, she has a lot of experience singing and generally carrying on for long stretches, as she continues speaking without a discernible pause for breath, though her tone becomes slightly more grim as she continues, "We would meet an illithid necromancer whom I shall not name, who told us of her apprentice, a human woman named Veren. Her hand ended the necromancer, as well as the Lady Bethany."

She shakes her head and goes on, "As we emerged from the portal to the Grey Halls, we were beset by bounty hunters of... passing acquaintance. There was an understanding forged, and we visited the former residence of the necromancer...."

The Hobkin, still in her stiff, formalized Trade, describes several harrowing encounters, with a giant spider, assorted animated statues that would later turn out to be transmuted and enslaved members of the common races, and the liberation of a spirit, who would be the girl, Poppy, that had arrived with them, granted a second chance at life by the hand of the Grey Lady herself in the wake of her terrible, profound bondage from childhood to the death mage that usurped the body of her very mother.

The Necromancer who crafted flesh golems, zombies and other abominations to defend the manse from the group.

A Necromancer who would return via ensorcelled mirror, trapping Delilah briefly in the ealm of the dead through the hand of a m merchant who had been aiding them, who was unknowingly enslaved by the illithid's larva growing inside her

The Valenthor Gang, despite dire seemings, through their teamwork, sororital tenacity, and the wisdom of the Mourner, conquered these challenges and would free the trapped souls peopling the defenses and seeing the 'Skagslaking Zazzlesplat' taken directly by one of Vardama's servants to her final, irrevocable and by far overdue fate. The hand of the Enduring One then pointing out the existence of the mystical book of Veren's life, indicated by a point of her armoured finger where it rest upon the table.

A side trek to help some mages of Alexandria, though this tale is brief, vague, and... despite her affected stoicism, not a particularly comfortable topic for her.

The study of the book, where it writes the very actions of the assassin as she performs them, and the decision and eventual teleportation that brings them back here, to their deputization and current arrangement with the formerly antagonistic Guard Captain.

Merek will think about it a moment, "I'm a Theurge. I know Arcane and Divine magic, I am able to support a lot and assist in combat." He doesn't add a lot, at the moment he tries to listen to Ashlee, and to Elyanna. He doesn't know the whole of the story, only what he's been told, so the insight would be pretty useful.

For just a moment, the alabaster pillar cracks, long enough for an unspoken reaction to write itself plainly across the even features. _Figured that out, did you?_ it reads, for those able to read it, but Seldan gives no voice to the rest of his thoughts, whatever they may be. The explanation takes longer, and is a lot of sifting through to make sense of, but he listens in silence to first Norrington's explanation, then Elyanna's. "A mighty journey," he allows once all have finished. "I should like to hear your tale in greater detail, when we are at leisure."

"For now, there is a murderess to be brought in, and a child rescued. I am at your disposal, Knight-Captain." That comes out tighter than he intended. "What would you of me, and what know you of her current whereabouts, and the boy's?"
Ashlee is searching through the blue and silver book, "it's in here." A few pages ahead, a bunch more, some back. "It only documents what Veren does. If she delegates and doesn't ask, it isn't here."

Chippen, her large house centipede emerges from her sleeve and crawls over the book as she's reading. He's helping. Somehow.

While Ashes is hunting, Seldan turns his attention to Donna, blinking in some surprise. "It pleases me to see you alive and well," he answers the brawler. _Although it surprises me,_ the unspoken words hang in his statement. "Your journey sounds most eventful, and led you to the truth. This is well, and I would ask your forgiveness that I had not the time to pursue more fully."

At this, Donna waves a hand. "Ain't needed," she says. "Heard about the kinda nonsense that was goin' down while we left. I'm thinkin', a big ol' rampagin' demon lord rates a *lot* higher priority than a couple folk who can look out for themselves. 'Sides, you're here now, right? We're good, an' I'm surely glad you're here."

Norrington, for his part, is patient while Elyanna brings Seldan up to speed. He spends most of his time half listening, and half paying attention to the book when Ashes isn't doing likewise. 
 
"I think," he observes, "It should be noted that the book only records Veren's actions, not her intent. It says that she has teleported to Charn and that she is in the markets there, but does not say why. If you examine the passage wherein she murdered Lady Bethany, you'll find it states that she is casting a spell, and describes how she goes about casting it, but doesn't explicitly state what spell it *is*." 
 
The Knight Captain taps one fingertip on the table. "I expect you will find the same to be true for her hideout. I don't doubt that we will gain clues from the book, but it will take some searching -- I warn you, Ser Pedaryn, this tome is *vile* in the extreme -- but it is likely to only give us clues, not a precise location."

"Sometimes it is obvious." Ashlee says, looking at Norrington then back at the book. Her own spells are blatantly direct, Elyanna's a little more obscure but still possible to determine. The Mourner searches for a passage describing one of her casts.

"Far enough back, the Illithid would explain the spell to teach it, but there's a lot to look through." How the book has enough pages, she has no idea. She has a suspicion it's like her satchel, there are more pages than actually appear, and flipping through the physical form is more representative of how big a jump from what is currently displayed, than actually correlating.

Ashlee jumps to where the book is writing out Veren's day. "We could see when she comes back, be ready to scry where in Alexandria or teleport if it names a place, and try to capture her. The anti-magic shackles would be helpful."

"While she's away, try to locate Alvin and where he is being held, and free him first." The Mourner suggests, "Have a guard watching the writing, with telepathy, while we're rescuing?"

Merek nods a bit when Seldan comes about, though he doesn't offer a lot, he does look between people, "I am thinking about trying to look into things with scrying. I apologize, there's a lot upon my mind, and I don't really have a lot to offer as the plans are with."

Getting others in with her is the problem, hence why maybe teleporting is a solution. Even if scrying Alvin doesn't show where he is, some communication spells can be cast, and we could simply ask him 'where are you' or 'how many guards, how are they arranged around you. Scry does show 150' around a subject also, so unless he's in a completely dark dome underground, there might be something, and seeing a place through scrying does allow for accurate teleports - assuming it isn't shielded."

"The dimensional anchor is of paramount importance, does she teleport. I can protect the child. Leave that to me." Seldan puts in, having listened to the conversation swirling around him. "Knight-Captain, it is true that I am a servant of the Dreamer, but by Her grace, I am also a mage of some consequence. She does not forbid us the pursuit of Her arts, and indeed is such exploration viewed as a form of worship." A very small, very faint smile for Donna as she speaks. "Hunting a mere criminal is a refreshing change. But, I digress. Would you have me locate the boy?"

"When this is over." Elyanna concurs, but her eyes turn to the discussion with the book, citing certain of the markers in place for specific events, though her personal expertise in mystical bypass, though she does mention once more that the book lists the spells Veren prepares on a given day.

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