HLoM: The Firebird, Chapter 2

[NeoTiamat]

"Oh yes. Quite the most famous fortress in the country. It was built in pieces, though the modern fortress was built by Count Strahd von Zarovich the First, after the last of the Terg invasions was fought off. My family is descended from his brother, though it's been the better part of five centuries since that time. It's a very functional fortress, in a certain high, arching style..." Lena said, with every indication that she could chat amiably about Barovian history and military architecture for hours. Before she could delve into the details, however, she paused. "But I am being selfish. While I would love to see the tower, I think some of my friends would rather retire to their rooms. Cattia, you mentioned feeling tired...?"

Ushka, right on cue, curled up on the floor as if ready to sleep then and there. Lena's look towards the younger Mulani woman was eloquent. Lena would distract Craig, but Cattia and the others had best continue with their investigations. Ushka would come along. Lena cast a quick smile at Isolt as well. You are not abandoned.

[Nathan of the FoS]

]

"Indeed," Tara replies. "The Shield first, and then perhaps we can deal with...this. Let's go down, then. Gudman Boritsi, perhaps you can ready your illusion? I think we'll need cover to get where we want to go."

DeepShadow--do you want to start the illusion here and now, or wait until you're closer to/in the courtyard?



"I understand," the laird replies, giving Ushka an amused glance. "I'll need to retire myself in an hour or so."



Chatting amiably with Lena and Marcel about Castle Ravenloft, Laird ApBlanc leads you to the top of the south tower, which enjoys a very fine prospect over the lake. The low sun in the west only accentuates the red tint to the waters. After pointing out a few features of interest, including the village of Birnam to the northeast, Laird ApBlanc steps back and gives you both a long, quizzical look. "Now, I'm grateful for the honor of having such distinguished visitors, and never doubt it, but I'm sure that mere sightseeing never brought you so far from your own country. May I ask what business brought you to my home this evening?"

Loch Ness, here doing duty for the Lake of Red Tears. Castle Tristenoira is situated roughly as Castle Urquhart is, but (obviously) the towers are much higher and there's a 300' foot cliff before you reach the lake, so the drop to the lake is more than 400 feet all told.

VIEW CONTENT:

[Isabella]

"Be-be well, Leila," Richard said with a wan smile, unable to have heard her protests but seeming to sense she was displeased with the situation. "I-I-I shall be your master's guardian, until you-until you can return to us."

[NeoTiamat]

"Matters of diplomacy, Milord." Lena said with a bright and pleasant smile. She was good at smiles, and used them as a key weapon in her arsenal. "I am unlikely diplomat, to be certain, but I have served the Count Strahd XI in several distant lands. I was asked to come to Forfar and to gaze upon its people and its rulers, and if it seems appropriate, to offer them the friendship of the Barovian State." Lena glanced at the Laird ApBlanc. "Since I think it very appropriate, I will recommend that another ambassador be sent here... if the Laird is interested in the Count's friendship."

[Revka et al]

"Oh yes. Quite the most famous fortress in the country. It was built in pieces, though the modern fortress was built by Count Strahd von Zarovich the First, after the last of the Terg invasions was fought off. My family is descended from his brother, though it's been the better part of five centuries since that time. It's a very functional fortress, in a certain high, arching style..."

While Lena goes on about architecture, Cattia allows her eyes to glaze over and her shoulders to droop. The prospect of a guided tour does not appear to invigorate her in the least--quite the opposite. At a few points she gives a weary smile and nod to show that the topic itself is not the source of the weariness encroaching on her.

"Cattia, you mentioned feeling tired...?"

Cattia blinks at the sound of her name, and nods ruefully. "I'm glad some of us are able to receive of your gracious offer, milord, but I cannot count myself among them. I must turn in."

Ushka, right on cue, curled up on the floor as if ready to sleep then and there.

Cattia slips the fox up in her hands and cuddles her close. "Begging pardon, it seems my fox is even more tired that I am. My brother and I will take our servants and retire."

Cattia shoots a glance at Renhalt and Avram with the plural "servants." Among all the other things they had going on, they had best keep the druid away from the murderous, druid-hating laird. Henceforth, he should be a "servant" who was always at the back of their company.

Once secure in their quarters, Cattia sets Ushka down and slips her hands to the back of her head, tracing the Queen of the Night tattoo on her crown.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Renhalt, why don't you get to know our new friend a little better?" Cattia says lightly.

As she speaks, blackness drips down her head as if she had been drenched in ink. It slides over her ears and nose, covers the tattoos on her neck and back, and flows under and over her clothes, which seem to melt into her. In a space of three breaths, even her eyes and teeth have turned matte, smoky black.

"Well, what do you think?" she says, turning to Renhalt. "Anything to add?"

Any enhancement spells would be welcome on this little excursion. She's mainly asking Renhalt if he has something (a jump spell would be nice!) but she won't refuse a boost from anyone. She's planning to carry Ushka as much as necessary, so no need to double up on movement spells.

[Nerit]

Nuray stared at the piece of floor where the ghost had shot through it.

"Yes, can we go now?" The growing purple under her eyes and the wide look about them made it clear the supernatural stress was beginning to take its toll on the Rashemani's nerves. Her bow was already strung, at the least, but all she could really do was keep a finger on it.

She whispered something, perhaps a prayer, or an incantation, but there was no visible effect.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

"Indeed," Tara replies. "The Shield first, and then perhaps we can deal with...this. Let's go down, then. Gudman Boritsi, perhaps you can ready your illusion? I think we'll need cover to get where we want to go."

Vasili nods and looks at Leila, who accepts Richard's promise of protection gratefully.

"Don't let him make too much of a fool of himself, either. He'll ramble on forever without my nudging on his mind--you'll have to make do with a kick to the shin."

"Indeed," Vasili murmurs gravely, "I fear that the fool must soon make his final exit."

Leila looks at him with equal parts curiosity and trepidation, but whatever she says to him is for his ears alone. Moments later she fades away like a heat haze on the desert sand. A flickering ball of light appears in the air before Vasili's face, and the air around him curdles into white fog that billows forth in all directions.

Dismiss Leila, summon archon, THEN cast the illusion, so I can maintain concentration.
The archon will do an impression of a will-o-wisp, darkening and brightening and bobbing all around. As they move forward, Vasili will add a few more floating lights and sparkles to his fog. (Leila would think the sparkles are overdoing it, so Richard may feel a sudden obligation to kick Vasili in the shin).

Whispering, the archon will greet everyone in their own language (truespeech. like a Tongues spell) and offer to cast Aid on them (+1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saves against fear effects, plus 1d8 + 2 temporary hp). The archon's Aura of Menace (Will DC 13; -2 to saves, attacks and AC for 24 hours) affects all hostile creatures within 20'.

[Nathan of the FoS]

]

Under cover of Vasili's illusion, the group goes downstairs again, briefly encountering first Colin and then two other mercenaries, talking in low tones--all three of whom make themselves scarce on catching sight of you.

The courtyard is just as dark as it was last time you came this way, and the wind and rain have, if anything, become still more fierce. The oak tree in the courtyard writhes in the night wind as if in pain, and the impression is only heightened by a low moaning which seems at first to be the wind in its branches. As you come closer to the tomb, however, the mournful sound resolves into words. "Isolt. Isolt. I loved you, Isolt. Why?"



"I'll see what I can do," Renhalt says, glancing at Avram and recruiting him for the task with a nod. "Hold still, sister." Making a pass and muttering a spell*, he says, "Darkvision may be useful--it seems likely, all things considered. Law and Light guide your steps, Catja."

*Casting darkvision on Cattia--and message, if that hasn't already been taken care of earlier? Not sure when Vasili last did it.



Placeholder here while I figure out what Cattia is doing and get my maps...this may end up being a seperate post.



"One can never have too many friends," the laird replies. "But your master the Count--his county is an independent country? How did that happen?--should send his emissary to the hall of the ApFittles, not here. I am not the master of Forfar, though in times past the ApBlancs did rule here."

Something in the set of the Laird's jaw as he says this hints that he would not be so very averse to the ApBlancs ruling Forfar again.

[NeoTiamat]

Ushka sniffed. No one was offering her night-vision. Then again, Ushka was perfectly content to rely on her nose. The problem, of course, was that she didn't have any scent samples for anyone, which was going to make this tricky. Then again, she'd sniffed Craig and she'd sniffed Isolt, and relatives tended to smell alike.

The fox stayed in Cattia's hands and moved her nose and her ears in a slow examination of the room. She was ready and raring to go.

For when we set out, here's a Perception +21 with Scent and Low-Light Vision.
[dice]0[/dice]



"It's a long tale, Milord." Lena said, mentally castigating herself for mixing up who, precisely, was in charge of Forfar at any given point. In her defense, history tended to stay still. "But Strahd the First was a Count when he defeated the Tergs and forged his land, and he chose to retain the title, though he is by all rights a king."

"And I see travel has turned my ignorance into foolishness." Lena said, blushing just a tad (on command). "Perhaps you could tell me more of this place, then? I am told that the people of Forfar are renowned for their tales."

[The Whistler]

Avram spread his hands apologetically. "I am afraid, freyin that I know nothing that would both last as long as you would require, and allow you to travel far from the one who knows it. Yet I can say 'Law and Light be with you' with the power of my words alone -- such power as they have. Return safely, freyin; I have faith that you will...for myself, I will go and wait upon the Freyin von Zarovich, while you are upon your journey. It is not good to leave such a one alone with the Freiherr ApBlanc, especially if Goodman Boudreau...well, never matter. We shall see each other soon."

No buffs that don't either have a very short timeframe or require Avram to be within a certain range, unfortunately.

"And I see travel has turned my ignorance into foolishness. Perhaps you could tell me more of this place, then? I am told that the people of Forfar are renowned for their tales."

"The Freiherren Jarenberg are resting comfortably, Freyin von Zarovich...may the Light watch over them, as over us all." Well, the first part was the truth the last time he'd seen them, anyway. Avram had trudged up behind Lena and spoken as discreetly as possible -- and happened to brush against Marcel during the mumbled bit with the prayer in it. With any luck, Craig would just think he was more religious than usual....hopefully in a way that did not necessitate retaliatory murder. You couldn't tell with this guy, apparently.

Protection from Evil-ing our friendly Ezran Cleric just in case, as he just HAPPENED to vanish into nowhere and reappear on good terms with a very shady character.

[Nathan of the FoS]

]

Setting her mouth in a firm line, Tara Kolyana strides forward and opens the door of the tomb enough to glimpse what lies inside, the lantern archon sending a beam of light over her shoulder to illuminate what lies within.

A young man with wild long hair, dressed simply in a green-and-brown kilt of no particular pattern and a loose white shirt, kneels before the tomb of Lady Isolt, his face pressed to the casket and his arms outstretched along its surface, as if attempting to embrace the stone. He sobs aloud, obviously oblivious to your presence.



"By your leave, milady," Renhalt says to Isolt. "I have a magic at hand which will allow us to continue our conversation while we begin the search. Anything I whisper will be audible to all, and I can whisper to each of you, where speech at the ordinary level of conversation will go unheard by the participants in the spell. There is some danger of the whispers you receive being overheard, so warn us if your husband returns and we'll know to avoid using the message."
***
"Oh, the fox wants a scent? Try exactly one floor above your room," Isolt whispers to Cattia. "That was Brangain's room...you may get something to help you there."



"Aye, we've some fine storytellers," the laird replies, giving Avram a considering look before turning his attention back to Lena. "We like nothing so well as a ghost story. I hope you'll tell me yours. You said earlier that you saw the ghost of my son Gilan. May i ask when and where, and how he seemed to you?"

The Forfarian nobleman's voice is smooth, but something in his posture and the way his hand fumbles at the hem of his half-cloak shows the strain he feels as he awaits your reply.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

A young man with wild long hair, dressed simply in a green-and-brown kilt of no particular pattern and a loose white shirt, kneels before the tomb of Lady Isolt, his face pressed to the casket and his arms outstretched along its surface, as if attempting to embrace the stone. He sobs aloud, obviously oblivious to your presence.

Vasili whispers to Tara, "He's right on top of where we need to go, but before someone disturbs him, could you detect for magic?"

Unless anyone objects, Vasili motions for the archon to move in through the crack so as better to illuminate the young man, adding an extra will-o-wisp to the illusion in case someone outside the fog notes the disappearance. The archon moves slowly, while increasing its glow so that they might see the young man better.

Hopefully a little more light will give Tara a better look at the young man's tartan, hair, and any other clues to his identity. Should the young man prove hostile, the archon's position and brightness might make it hard to focus on anything behind it.

[NeoTiamat]

Scents! Perfect. Technically, Ushka hadn't been invited into the magic spell (no one ever remembered the fox), but with ears like hers, it scarcely mattered. No sooner had Isolt spoken than the little fox wiggled out of Cattia's grasp and started to head upstairs. There was tracking to be done!



Lena was silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. There didn't seem to be any reason to hold back here, so she spoke, and watched Craig ApBlanc as she did so. "You have met my fox, I think? It was to her that your son was first attracted to..."

Sense Motive +23 (how does Craig react?)
[dice]0[/dice]

Questions, in order of priority are...
•Is there something unusual about this person's actions or reactions?
•What is this person's mood?
Any further questions will be asked later.

[Revka et al]

"Oh, the fox wants a scent? Try exactly one floor above your room," Isolt whispers to Cattia. "That was Brangain's room...you may get something to help you there."

Picking up Ushka, Cattia slips into the darkness and heads one floor up to the room above theirs. She has her lockpicks out in case the door is locked, and once inside, she lets Ushka nose around to get a good sense of Brangain's scent. While the fox is searching, Cattia stays by the door to the room, watching for any visitors.

Taking the guard action. Cattia also scans the room as best she can with darkvision. Are there any other exits?

EDIT: Sorry, looks like we were posting at the same time, Neo!

[Isabella]

Richard crept in front of his companions, though taking care to remain behind Vasili's illusion. He waited, silently, to see what Tara might reveal, or if the ghost speak again.