Editing Solace: Ascension (section)

= Date: June 22nd, 2006 =
Players Present: Dan Evan Nick Joe Andrew Chris
Characters Present: Karlth (dan) Gabriel [Tokrin] (nick) Askarius (joe) Vaenin (evan) Axell (andrew) Connor (chris)
 Game opens in Horrig's Realm, as Vaenin, Gabriel, Karlth, and Askarius awaken quite delightfully after a silent, relaxing night's rest. One by one as they gather back into the common room they were greeted by Horrig in they all discuss the happenings of their odd dreams. Gabriel tells Vaenin of his adventures, and describes what he thinks the dagger does while Karlth listens but does not join the conversation, as he is already engaged into one with Askarius. Now that the party has finally gotten to a safe house, and rested they are a bit more energetic than they were previously. Karlth requests an item from Horrig, something like a signal whistle. To let Horrig know that he's in trouble, in case something happens. Horrig gives him a signet ring enchanted with an empathic link to his own signet ring, but also warns Karlth that if he wishes to maintain any sort of secrecy, that he should only wear it when he needs to use it. After farewells, the party again departs and heads back for the main island with the new knowledge that they have acquired. They decide to go back to Solace in hopes of finding the Archdemon known as Felwithe. Unknowing to the party, they are being watched very carefully by a hired mercenary. More specifically, Karlth is being watched very carefully, by a man being paid enormous amounts for something he finds very easy to do. Axell is being paid off by some mysterious man who meets him once a week in the tavern to exchange information for money, with no words spoken. Not much more is known about the man, except that he is probably very old, as he does move a bit slower than someone trying to keep his aura of allusion [side note for anyone reading, the word is actually allusion, not illusion which means something different]. Upon entering the city of Solace, the first move the party makes is towards an Inn to rest. Sneakily, Axell also gets a room and remains hidden. The party members are all revisited by more dreams. This time however they are more cryptic if anything. Axell dreams of robbing someone's house. This is another mercenary job, he's been comissioned to steal a ring, and nothing else. Unfortunately, he is caught and the person he is stealing from as it turns out is Karlth. Startled, he tries to run but with no luck. Karlth's dream embodiment tears the poor boy into pieces with one swift lethal pierce. Vaenin dreams of being a king, in a different throne room than he was in previously, and no place he recognizes from any tales. He comes to his consciousness in the middle of a knighting ceremony, the man in front of him is knelt down waiting for the final blessing from the king himself. Vaenin gets up and lifts his sword onto either side of the man's shoulders and to the top of his head as he says a prayer aloud, then brings the sword back to his side. The man stands now and adjusts his royal guardsmen robe and Vaenin sees a small metal glint that he can only identify as a dagger on the inside of his robe. It would seem the man was not intending to use it until Vaenin shouts "drop the dagger!" in fear. The man, for a moment appears to be pulling it out to drop it but quicker than anyone could see he throws it square into the king's heart. The king fell in one fluid motion as the rest of the keep rushed forward to see what happened and the unknown man leaps away with amazing agility and disappears. Gabriel has a dream within a throne room as well, however a much different one. Gabriel is instead greeted by darkness, and a crown of bones. The solitary man in the throne is very skinny looking, and is wearing, perhaps noble clothes of a different kind of nobility. Black velvet shimmer radiates from every fold as he follows them up to the face, only to be met with a dark circle revealing nothing. The crown is made from the front of many skulls and held together by bones and dried skin. Clearly ornamental, from the looks of it. Gabriel inquires to the strange man "Who are you? Where am I?" As if he didn't hear the question the man stares straight ahead. Gabriel gets the distinct feeling that he doesn't belong here, as if he just observing something that is already happening. But then his thoughts are interrupted as the man speaks "What is it you want?" Gabriel pauses for a moment, then realizing there is in fact nobody else in the room, he answers "well......i don't know...just to keep my friends alive, get money, and fish..." Unsure of how to answer Gabriel leaves his trailing off as if there was something more to be said. "What do you /really/ want?" Gabriel now realizing the severity of the question thinks for a moment and says the answer it seems the man was waiting to hear. "Power...I want power." the man continues now "Is it so hard to believe that even the greatest of men succumb to darkness? The temptations are sometimes too hard to resist and even great men must fall. That is the way of life. If life is only one stage and Death is but another, what is the point of living so innocently? What is the point of life if you cannot do what you wish?" Interrupting his own words he suddenly turns to Gabriel as if he's said too much "Do you know who I am?" Gabriel now completely lost, as if he is intruding now, he answers carefully "......No.....who are you?" The man stands with great speed and steps into the light. His skeletal features are unmistakable. The flesh wears so thinly on his body, while he's not yet a skeleton, he is less meaty than a lich. Parts of his face are missing and bones protrude from all around. He smiles and says "My name is Gabriel." Askarius is watching two children play in a somewhat suspicious looking back alley in his dream. He tries to caution them to go inside, because it's dangerous outside. The kids both refuse to listen. Askarius, slowly getting more and more angered by the moment attempts to force them to listen, "Listen boys, this isn't a safe place to be playing around" shooting both of them a vicious look "You'd better get inside." Yet, they still manage to ignore him! Blinded by rage, Askarius picks up one of the boys and tries to get his attention, this time it works a bit more ffectively. He climbs up the wall using his razor sharp metal claws and hangs the boy over the edge. Before even giving Askarius the chance to say another word, the boy deftly lifts his feet up and wriggles loose of Askarius's grip and uses his still stiff arm to launch into the middle of the rooftop. Askarius turns to face the boy and closes in on him. Before he gets close enough however, the boy's gaze takes a startled form, and instead looks oddly surprised. Before Askarius can react he feels a sharp pain in his neck, as if somebody just stuck a massive dagger into it...or two small ones. As he turns to pry himself off blood spills everywhere as Askarius is no longer able to hold himself balanced and falls down. The last thing he sees is a monstrous looking vampire staring him right in the eye, his mouth dripping with blood.
When at last everyone awakens, Karlth decides to get an adaptation made his dragontooth warhammer. He wants a 40 foot long chain attached to the base of the handle. He leaves the warhammer with an able smithy, and spends the rest of the week resting and relaxing in Solace, pondering just where Felwithe might be. Vaenin and Gabriel both take it upon themselves to individually look for answers to their dreams. They both end searching the same two places, with the same two results. The monks in the church are all busy with a special alms ceremony coming up in two weeks, and the temple yields no further information. With their unrequited thoughts, they return and waste the rest of the week tavern-hopping. Axell continues to fulfill his contracts, making large sums of money doing so. When the week is finally over Karlth is delighted with a visit to the blacksmith. A normally unfortunate incident barely even phases Karlth upon arrival. The price has gone up over 1200%!! But without spending a moment's time, he pays the blacksmith, fully satisfied that the chain is well worth the money and has already been tested by an admiring fellow named Connor. He asks to follow Karlth so he may learn too where to achieve one of these great weapons of mastery. Deciding that a good hearted human might be nice to balance this group out, he allows him without much hesitation. The party is now ready to depart Solace, because they haven't been able to get into contact with Felwithe. Since Karlth's flower does point generally east, he decides maybe they will find answers there. On exiting the blacksmith however, it would seem that the breeze has picked up. Subtly, but not subtle enough to pass off. Sensitive hearing tells the party that there is some low hissing noise far off in the distance. Askarius is almost instantly ready for a fight, but Karlth decides to wait. The rest of the party is unsure what is happening, but decidedly so practices the same apprehension as their two greater companions. As they wait the breeze begins to pick up little by little, as does the noise make a seamless transformation to a low whoosh, and eventually a humming. Karlth now seeing that this is probably the opportunity he's been waiting for, draws his weapon. Seeing that both of their masters are now battle-ready, the rest of the party quickly also makes with the drawn weapons. In defensive stances, most of the party withstands the blast of air that nearly knocks everyone off their feet. As they all regain their composure from this unexpected blast, they see clouds gathering, swirling. Lightning and thunder emitting from everywhere shooting both between clouds and to the ground. The party begins to run forward. Axell is _still_ following them from behind. When they finally reach the edge, they see a lone man walking towards solace. From the second layer it's hard to tell who it is, but Karlth and Askarius both safely assume it is in fact Felwithe, Master of the Wind. When they all finally see that this destruction radiates about this man, they are all taken offguard as suddenly a large boom is heard from above and a large streak of bright white traces throw the sky, from the south to the north. Upon glancing down the man is now gone, and the floor above is hurtling to the floor below in pieces. Dodging and missing all of them, Karlth allows his chain to drag behind him as he flies off the island. Everyone catches on really quick, and grabs onto the chain. Axell manages to grab the last link before his anxiety gets the best of him. Using Askarius's strength, Karlth manages to save the party from almost certain doom. Landing everyone on the ground they all recooperate for a moment, until they notice a newcomer has joined. Axell, an unwelcomed intruder draws two hatchets in fear of what they might think. Bantering and explanation ensues, eventually ending with Karlth's Verigatus in Axell's shoulder. Karlth's torture session is interrupted by a visitor, a welcomed one this time. Felwithe shields them with a conical twister stretched from the clouds so that nobody can hear, see or enter the magical barrier. Felwithe here decides to inform Karlth that Gabriel and Vaenin both have hidden pasts, royal lineage of sorts. But they must find out what they are capable of, because it wil jepoardize their mission. Felwithe finally paying back the favor that he owes Karlth informs him of what is happening, or at least the start of it. Felwithe leaves in somewhat of a hurry off northward again, leaving more destruction in his wake. After more inquisitions from Karlth to Axell, Karlth finally lets him live after a halting feeling, telling him that Axell must remain alive for the time being. Desperately unsatisfied, this party begins to make its way eastward following Karlth's mysterious lead.

Booboos: Towards the end, the line that begins "can hear, see or enter the magical barrier." The following should read instead "Felwithe here decides to inform Karlth that Gabriel and Vaenin both have hidden pasts, royal lineage of a sort. It is crucial that they do NOT learn what they are capable of."