Arc 3 - Glimmers in the Dark (Main Roleplay)

[Kowsauni]

Once the goliaths disappear into the darkness, the rest of the night passes quietly and without incident and everyone gains the benefits of an extended rest. (Congratulations, you are now level 9!)

Kuori wakes first to her room feeling unusually cold. As she looks around it seems like a different place to where she fell asleep last night. She could see it was the same room, but everything looks grayed out and warped. Vivian and Irene were still in the same room as her, but they seem faded, like they were part of the background. Vivian lies sleeping on a pile of clothes while Irene looks out the window. They both seem frozen in time and do not react to Kuori stirring. The one thing that stands out in all of this is Lady Lydia, who now stands at the entrance way to Kuori's room. She is the one thing still brilliantly colored in this drab and frozen world.

Seeing Kuori is awake, Lydia would move into the room. “I hope you don't mind, but I took us out of their time and space for a bit so we could talk in private. That little pale human girl with a hunger in her eyes never slept a wink last night, so it was difficult to approach you under normal circumstances.”

The Lydia that now stands before Kuori seems like a different person from who she had spoken to the the day before. Gone is her cheerful confidence and bravado. She looks shyly at the ground as she clutches her body with her arms. Despite her large drider body, she somehow seems small.

“This is unusual for me, but I don't know what to make of this, and I thought, perhaps, you could give me some guidance. You see, as I stated earlier, I am only a recent follower of Kuliak, and by recent, I mean only since I came to this town. I was exploring the abandoned shrine and I was struck by a vision. I didn't know what to make of it, and my past relationships with the gods have not been stellar. But, when a deity speaks to you, it's hard not to listen. The vision was fuzzy, vague, unclear in its message. Even now, it is hard to put into words, but one thing was clear. You were there. You... and another.”  

[PupSage]

"A little smaller than me, huge slash across her stomach?" Kuori mimed the cut, drawing two fingers across herself, "Or somebody else entirely?" She looked around the room. She wasn't entirely awake, or convinced that she was even awake in the first place, but this level of magic was scary enough that the best reaction was to remain calm and on the defensive.

"And I get it. I never really put a lot of stock in religion for a long time. My parents were devote followers, moreso mom." Who was apparently dead now. "But I used to pray on occasion. It wasn't until I saw this armor and this holy symbol sitting it our friend's armory that I really say any signs of divinity. Since then I've been given a lot of gifts and riding on faith. It is hard to believe in the divine when there is so much suffering in the world, especially when you come from a culture like yours where the religious doctrine is about inflicting more pain on the world. I can't blame you for having a rocky relationship with that."  

[Kowsauni]

"I'm afraid the vision wasn't that specific, for example, you were a mountain of steel an light, surrounded by three red peaks. I didn't know what that meant at first, but once you appeared with your three tieflings companions, an unusual sight to be sure, I knew who you were. You will be that path that leads your people to safety and I will show you the way. The other, well, they are a wave of blue and white that crash over the layer of a great octopus, sweeping it out to sea."

Lydia would let out a sigh. "I was once very devout, and it led me to this." Lydia would motion to her lower half and then she would muse, somewhat sadly. "I cannot tell if my peoples devotion to that mad goddess is a blessing or a curse. If we weren't so busy stabbing each other in our backs, we truly would be a force to reckon with in this world, but then, without her influence, perhaps we would be a bit more benevolent."

Lydia shakes her head. "None of that matters right now anyways. For some reason, Kuliak chose me. Perhaps because my little band of misfits and I are exiles ourselves. I do not know her rituals, or her ways, or even what it means to be her follower, but one thing is clear. To earn her devotion, I am to act as your guide."  

[PupSage]

"Huh," she muses. "I had a similar vision. You, a purple and black spider, lead us to an octopus, obviously a mindflayer, holding a bunch of stoney crabs prisoner. My guess is that the crabs are my kinsmen. A great wave swept many of them away before we could get there, and a few fled to higher ground. My guess is that the ones on higher ground are my brother and his troops. They are probably our best bet at pulling this off successfully. A small team going in will get things done, but we will need support on the outside. Meaning that we need to find a way to introduce you two without him trying to find a giant sized boot. There is a lot of hate between my tribe and the drow. I can't imagine that will be an easy alliance, but if your vision is true, something big is coming after our enemies, and if it is who I think it may be, that wave is going to take every living soul they can find." She held her head, shaking it as she fathomed the task ahead of them.  

[Kowsauni]

Lydia would put her finger to her chin and think for a moment. "Hmm I don't know how many more we should get involved. The amount of people I can guide through my secret passage and still keep it secret is rather small. In my vision, I saw only you and your three tiefling friends, but that doesn't necessary mean more cant be involved. Hmm..."

After losing herself in thought for a moment she would speak up once more. "Oh, take it you would like to go back with your brother to see what is left of your people. Yes?"  

[PupSage]

"That's be preferable. It'd be good to catch up a bit before we head off, given we might not make it back."  

[Kowsauni]

"Very well. It's a day journey back to your people's new settlement. I will send for when I feel like we must move out, if, you have not returned to me before then. I will keep my base of operations here for now. I feel the sooner we get to the Ililithid city the better. From there I believe we will get a sign to our next action. I will be in the lobby if you need to see me before you leave. "

Lydia scuttles back to the door, and just as she leaves she waves her hand. Color returns to the world as everything seems to thaw out and move again. The strange atmosphere in the room completely vanishes. Irene would turn from where she was looking out the window, and seems to surprised to Kuori was up. "Oh, wow, your up. I didn't even hear you stir. When did you get so stealthy?"  

[PupSage]

"Morning." She said as she ruffled through her bag to figure out which set of underclothes smelled the cleanest.  

[Mongooseh]

Valac woke up and went to where ever the communal area was.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

Ruin would toss his armor, boots, and bedroll into his backpack. Only to leave Revenge and go outside to eat a ration. As his mind wandered to the entity, that communed with him last night, 'Legion'.  

[Kowsauni]

Everyone wakes up from their rest in the ever present darkness of the underdark. Irene cheerfully prepares breakfast with her ever lasting provisions in the lobby, which seems to be the main gathering area. Vivian comes down late and looks a world better after getting a full nights rest. She ravenously eats breakfast and announces that she thinks she will have to strength to turn invisible again now.

Lydia's people come and go as they please and seem to pay the group of adventurers no attention. The only one who gives them notice was a scrawny old Dero which Ruin recognizes as Lydia's chief of security, but he mostly just gave them warry looks. It was quite the odd bunch that Lydia had collected here. Most everyone who walked by was from a race that Kuroi had only known hostile relationships with in her past. Lady Lydia herself mostly hung out at the front desk but would come and go to talk with with members of her group in private.

Finally, Dietrich would approach the group. "Good Mornin' everin'n'one. I feel great after gettin sm'rest. Lady Lydia has ask me to assist ya until y'get on yer way."  

[PupSage]

Having her breakfast, and actually having a bit of ale with it, which was uncharacteristic for her as of late, Kuori looked up to Lydia.

"So the deal. You help us get to my people, and we hook you up with out friends that can change you back." She takes a bite, "And if any of your friends are looking for a ticket out of the Underdark to go with you, we can probably hook that up to. The demi's need as many hands as they can get, and its not all about who can toss fireballs and swing blades." She will motion to the Derro, "Paranoid guys like him that keep tight security. Bookworms. Healers. It takes all kinds."
Taking a swig of ale Kuori will add. "So the place that you used to be, where my people are now, is that closer to or in the opposite direction from your secret entrance? I kind of got the vibe that it is the latter."  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge would not don his armor yet, joining the others in a more casual state. He would verify that Irene's breakfast was made from the everlasting provisions themselves and not something that tried to kill the party within the past week. If so, he would partake.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

Ruin stood up and walked outside, to where the goliaths had gathered the night before. This time making sure to cover his tracks, by swishing his tail behind him as he walked, as the dwarf wanted. With any luck, the goliaths didn't.

14 Perception  

[Kowsauni]

Lydia would smile and respond to Kuori. "That is the plan, though, I don't think too many of my companions would take up the chance to leave. The underdark is their home after all. Going to the surface to them would be liking traveling to a different plane. "

Lydia would continue on. "My old abode and the location of the new Lightlost settlement is in the exact opposite direction of the mind flayer citadel, so, you will be adding two days on to the journey by traveling there. My reports indicate that the soldiers from the surface are hauling some strange equipment with them that is slowing them down, however, it is currently impossible for me to estimate when they will arrive with the information I currently have."

With a lack of a changing sky the area outside the Inn looks the same as it had the night before. Nothing stands out to Ruin. The rock strewn city street looks empty as usual.

Revenge discovers that Irene had no cooked anything herself this morning, so the food was safe from her usual strange ingredients.