Birthright: The Worm's Supper, Chapter Four

[VAN]

Filbert and Domenica

Filbert bows slightly and says:

"As you wish your Holiness, I will accompany Termelan to Endier and will refer to the archmage your exact words hoping to get a good deal. I will ask Lady Safana if she wants to accompany us as well."

[steveflam]

"And I will continue to search for the Crone through all my resources, Sire."

She bows as well.

[ewancummins]

MEETING WITH THE ARCHPRELATE

"You have both done well. I am pleased. As for this foreign minstrel, Termelan...
Priestess Idele tells me that he has begun to gain a positive reputation among the poor of Riverside. And His Grace has sent word to the effect that the bard seems trustworthy to him.
Evidently you place faith in him, my lord."

He lays his hands flat on the table, palms down, as he faces Filbert.

"But I say that this foreigner knows too much about our plans-- and we know too little about him-- for him to be allowed to wander at will. So by all means, take him to Endier. Please keep him very close. "

He flicks his blue eyes towards Dominica, and then back to Filbert.

"You know how to handle traitors. If this bard turns out to be working against our interests, do what you think necessary and I will absolve you, if that becomes necessary."

[steveflam]

Domenica looks at the Arch Prelate

"It will be my pleasure, Sire. If i had been given the opportunity to question this elf prisoner, we may have learned more from him,"

[VAN]

"Understood Your Holiness, I will keep an eye on him. If he has managed to get a positive reputation in Riverside means that he is at least a bit charismatic and good performer which might be handy. Is there anything else I need to know about the archmage Caine? I have never met him, is it anything I should avoid to say or I should do in order to make him like me more? Well, apart of the phrase you just said that I will have to tell him of course. We need to get in his good books so we get the best deal possible for our duchy."

Turning to Domenica Filbert asks:

"Lady Domenica do you or any acquitance of yours own a boat we can get to Endier? I'm sure your men are more trustworthy than other sailors and will ask way less questions. We have already enough troubles with the cult and its spies, we don't want Rhauble to find out that we seek help in Caine. This mission should be kept a secret."

[steveflam]

"I have a boat you can use, Lord Filbert. And yes, keeping an eye on that Termelan sounds like a good idea. Trust noone. As per our agreement, Sire, I have
not told anyone of our mission."

[Adam]

CRANSTEL'S LABORATROY (thunder crash)

The old alchemist pulls a handkerchief, wiping at his balding brow as he mutters to himself in panic. "It's worse than I thought," he says, "Much, much worse."

With a nod, he comes to a decision and quickly scribes down what notes he can before slamming the book shut and putting it back in a safe storage space. He turns and hustles to the door, waving down a carriage to take him to Priestess Idele as quickly as possible.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

SEARCHERS

Renn tries to keep well away from the strange tentacled beast.

"I can scout ahead a little," he tells Roald and Cormac. "Try to find a way through the city that keeps us from getting cut to bits."

[VAN]

Filbert and Domenica

"This is great! Thank you very much, I'm sure the crew is trusted and will try to get as to Endier as soon as possible no questions asked."

[steveflam]

Filbert and Domenica

"This is great! Thank you very much, I'm sure the crew is trusted and will try to get as to Endier as soon as possible no questions asked."

Domenica merely smiles at Filbert "You are quite correct, Lord Filbert."

[ewancummins]

CRANSTEL'S LABORATROY (thunder crash)

The old alchemist pulls a handkerchief, wiping at his balding brow as he mutters to himself in panic. "It's worse than I thought," he says, "Much, much worse."

With a nod, he comes to a decision and quickly scribes down what notes he can before slamming the book shut and putting it back in a safe storage space. He turns and hustles to the door, waving down a carriage to take him to Priestess Idele as quickly as possible.

After a short trip by carriage through the streets from his laboratory to the PILGRIMS HOSTEL, Cranstel finds Idele working on a child patient in her infirmary.
The young priestess finishes administering a poultice to the arm of the boy.
She dismisses him with advice to keep it clean and come back the next day, and then turns round to greet Cranstel. She smiles, pushing auburn locks from her forehead.
"Welcome. You-- what is it? Are you well? You look pale."

[ewancummins]

SEARCHERS

Renn tries to keep well away from the strange tentacled beast.

"I can scout ahead a little," he tells Roald and Cormac. "Try to find a way through the city that keeps us from getting cut to bits."

Boarhort shoves the stone door open. The party gets through in a hurry, entering a huge and gloomy cavern- the roof of which is so high up that its features cannot be discerned by the light town upward from Cormac's torch.
Nearby stands a crude stone hut. More buildings of various sizes, some carved into living stone and others built of oddly matched masonry, rise within the range for the druid's light.
An angled shaft of reddish light shines an indeterminate distance across the cavern. It appears to be streaming up from the floor or else down from the ceiling. Visible in partial silhouette against this strange shaft of radiance , a tower or else a huge stalagmite rises from a spot deeper in the big cave.
The lighted area might be small and not too far, or perhaps quite wide but far distant.
It is hard to say just how big this cavern really is...

More than that, the party cannot see. If this is a village or a large city, they cannot tell, for no street lamps burn and no one goes about the narrow lanes with torches.
No one but the intruders, the party.

Renn takes point, creeping in torchlight shadows, listening as much as looking for any sign of danger.

The party moves further in, exploring the strange underground settlement. Even in the weak light, they can see that a number of the structures use blocks cut in the same style as the dwarf construction they saw days ago, in the mines. It looks as if the Orogs have moved and reassembled broken Dwarf masonry for their own purposes. But other structures show no sign of Dwarf craftsmanship, even scavenged, instead resembling anthills of splintered slabs glued together with a kind of green mortar. Anyone touching these latter structures finds that stones of feel slick and oily, while the mortar feels rubbery and oddly warm.
(Careful observers may notice that many of the buildings lack roofs. Some resemble mazes or corrals of stone more than houses built by humans)
Sneaking through the dark streets, the party meets no one. Renn does catch sight of something moving in the edge of the torch how, he directs his companions to hide behind a wall or duck into an alley.

The party hears some noises drifting down the black lanes : grinding like metal on stone, cracking whips, squealing and grunting, and echoing footfalls.

Now the party cannot see more than a faint hint of that red light in the far cavern reaches. Something blocks most of it.
Whatever that is, it must be wide and tall.

[Adam]

PILGRIM'S HOSTEL

"I've identified the...compound I was working on," he says, "Do you have a moment to discuss it in private? Its somewhat sensitive..."

He'll go with her somewhere to speak out of earshot. "The poison is demonic," he blurts out as soon as they're in private. "It's derived from undead tissue. It's traditionally made by Orcus devotees!"

[ewancummins]

PILGRIM'S HOSTEL

"I've identified the...compound I was working on," he says, "Do you have a moment to discuss it in private? Its somewhat sensitive..."

He'll go with her somewhere to speak out of earshot. "The poison is demonic," he blurts out as soon as they're in private. "It's derived from undead tissue. It's traditionally made by Orcus devotees!"

''Oh.''
Priestess Idele blinks. She frowns.
''If the Crone is connected with such things--and I think all the evidence points to that being the case--we need to learn more. Next time, we must be ready for her evil tricks."
He dark expression lightens just a little.
"The good news is that the cathedral archivist has agreed to let us look in the sealed collection. I had sent a messenger to tell you, but it seems you must have left before he arrived. Anyway, we cannot take anything out of the room, but we can look. There might be more about demon-worshippers in one of the indexed manuscripts. Should we go now?"

[Adam]

"I think that would be wise," he agrees, "If we can devise an antitoxin to this, it will be very useful. Without your magical intervention, Mistress Safana would almost certainly have died and shriveled up like a corpse. Dreadful. I'd hate to think of it happening to anyone else."