Player Plot: Sulevin Blade Quest

[serannas]

WHO: Ellana Ashara, Galadriel, Merrill, Korrin Ataash, James Kirk, Samouel Gareth
WHAT: Tracking down the Sulevin Blade
WHEN: January 13th/Wintermarch 13th
WHERE: the Dales
NOTES: OOC Post

[ OOC: The plot starts with the first phase below in the comments section. Everybody tag into that one. There doesn't need to be a tag order; just hop in whenever. If we go maybe two full days with no tags, I'll try to hustle things along unless I was the last tagger, of course. When we reach a point that looks good to start the next phase, I'll post it as a new comment and close the previous thread. I'm pretty sure you can go ahead a track the whole entry without a paid account, and this way it'll be less confusing if we stick to one section at a time.

At certain points, I'll leave an ooc note asking for you to roll a d20 or to make some sort of choice so I can tailor the thread to your character. If anything's confusing or you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me via PM or a private plurk to lavellan. :D ]

Comments

{ PHASE ONE } I need a hero

[serannas]

The location is close by. Ellana knows it is from what she's seen in the mirror. The only problem is she never saw the entrance to the place; only the area it's located in. So unfortunately they'll have to comb the area to find some sort of door, gate, steps down into a ruin, something. She relates this to the group and they start to search. But suddenly a voice pierces the air, shrill and panicked.

"Ma halani!"

Ellana takes up her staff immediately, looking to the others. "Someone needs help!" It's probably clear from the panic in the person's voice, but Ellana knows it for sure because the words were said in elven. Suddenly an elf appears at the top of a nearby boulder and slides down, losing her balance at the bottom and tumbling forward in a somersault. She rolls back up to her feet, bow in hand to give the group a wide eyed, startled look, hand reaching for an arrow until she spots the vallaslin on Ellana's and Merrill's faces.

"They're after me," she says breathlessly, before a man's voice yells out, "Catch her!" and three men appear at the top of the boulder. Seeing the group gives them pause, but a shared look between them is all they need before they're jumping down to engage in a fight, their swords drawn.

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin hangs back while the elf woman appears, at least until those three men appear. Narrowing her eyes, she thinks fast and casts a Barrier over everyone before activating her spirit blade. Blurring forward, the Vashoth woman hopes to knock at least one of them over but regardless begins swinging as soon as the nearest one is within reach.

[el_tybs]

How did they always manage to find trouble as soon as they came to a new place? A question for another time seeing that they were now under attack. Seeing as Korrin had already put barriers up, Sam focuses on putting up an aura to help with their offensive and defensive abilities.

[universal_charm]

Kirk had started when the initial shout came, at first believe it might be some kind of trap. But then, low and behold, a real woman fell over the side, and very real men were after her. From the tone of voice and the weapons, it wasn't for good reasons. Kirk readied his staff, feeling the tingle of what he knew now to be magic on his skin ever so faintly. He guessed either Sam or Korrin had done something, which was enough for him as he charged in.

"Pick on someone your own size!" he barked at them, raising his sharded fist and firing a bolt of energy from it at the nearest of the men.

[laurenande]

The battle was underway as abruptly as the young elf had appeared. Magic flowed like water across the battlefield as Korrin, Sam, and Kirk engaged. Oddly, Galadriel did not turn to magic as the combat began. Armed with her spear, the elf charged forward in Korrin's wake. The first man was thrown as Korrin came upon him, Kirk's blast honed true on the second, though how injured either of them were, she could not say. Galadriel swept and locked blades with the third before he could raise it aloft to strike--he was stunned a moment, but that was often true of men who were charged by so eclectic and formidable a force as their group.

{ PHASE TWO } Piece by piece, undress you from your history

[serannas]

Nellas chats a little about her clan on the way. It's all familiar to Ellana, and probably Merrill too. Disease, hunger, outrunning shems while the clan just tries to carve out a life for themselves somewhere they can call home. But soon she stops and points ahead where they can see the start of a stone step. She'll go no closer and looks a little paler just looking in that direction.

"I need to return to my clan now. Ma serannas again." And then she slips back the way she came, silent as can be.

As they approach, they'll be able to tell right away that something is wrong. This ancient ruin that has scared away people for centuries for having a creepy feeling to it has a pair of front doors that were recently opened. It's easy to see the vines surrounding it have been pulled and cut away, but the plants aren't dead yet. Ellana looks to the group, a worried crease between her brows.

"Someone's in there. Or was."

But they've come all this way and Ellana isn't going to turn away now. She approaches the doors and steels herself for what might be on the other side. She feels no magic coming from the doors, but places down a barrier over as many of them as she can before she pushes open one door. It creaks loudly and she winces before scanning the entryway. It's dark; the only light being that which is streaming in from the doorway, but she thinks she sees a dim orange light in the distance. Yet as soon as she focuses on it, it's gone. Is her mind playing tricks on her? Is it the spirits Nellas mentioned? She isn't sure.

Walking further in, she sees the entrance is a small, square room with three archways leading to additional rooms: one in front of them, one to the left, and one to the right. Time to explore.

[ ooc: I need everyone to do two things: first claim a direction to go: ahead, left, right. Second, roll a d20 (here or by any method you want), and then put the direction (it's okay to pair up on directions if they're all picked) and number in your subject header. I know I didn't give a lot to go on yet, so feel free to write as short a tag as you want in response. ]

right, 7

[chainlightning]

This is nice and spooky. Merrill shudders, grateful for the barrier Just In Case as she picks her way over vines and rubble. Her staff is in her hand and she glances at the wall, wondering if some ancient trap will spring or if whoever entered before released them all. Her thoughts draw her closer to the wall, and as a result, Merrill is headed for the right side.

left, 8

[el_tybs]

The trip to the ruins has Sam at the back of the group, noticeably quiet and less enthusiastic then he usually is during a mission. The events from before still bother him, but the other reason he stays back is because of Nellas, who was more comfortable with Ellana, Merrill and Galadriel.

It's only when they actually get to the ruins that he looks more alert, eyes obviously noting the break in the vines. His hand immediately goes to his weapon, but doesn't draw it, instead raising a hand to produce a small globe of light when they start to enter. When they come to the split entryway he faces towards the left entrance, watching it curiously.

left, 11

[serannas]

This is the third time Ellana has led a mission to an elven ruin, and the third time Sam has volunteered to come with her. Of course she notices the change in his mood this time, and as he breaks off to the left, she follows him, letting him light the way.

"How are you doing?" she asks, hoping they can talk it over.

[ ooc: for anyone tracking the whole post, sam and ellana will thread here, and someone can tag under merrill's header and someone under galadriel's. i'll bring us all back together when it's time and link it for you just to make sure we all see it. <3 ]

I'm waiting to fail a dex save here

[el_tybs]

Looking over his shoulder, Sam notices that everyone had already gone down the other tunnels. Well, guess that's what they were doing. With a bit of a sigh he starts down the one he faced, only to stop when he hears something/someone behind him. Seeing that it is Ellana his shoulders become less tense and he continues walking.

He's not so surprised to hear the question, but for a moment he stays quiet, biting the inside of his cheek on whether this was a good time to talk. "Honestly, not so well."

right, 10

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin is mostly silent on the way, trying to push past what happened earlier in favor of focusing on the mission itself. She can unleash her feelings later, when it doesn't derail anything. Well, that's the plan, but Ellana's observation has her frowning as she looks over the ruin, standing back to place a barrier on whoever her spell didn't manage to cover. One hand on her staff and the other on her spirit blade hilt, the Vashoth mage heads for the right, within sight of Merrill but not hovering over her.

[serannas]

The room opens up before them, the typical gray stone walls and floor with small alcoves along the wall opposite them. Each alcove appears to have a box or jar situated there. On the wall to their right is a familiar sight to those who have seen elven ruins in the past. There is some loose rubble here, and as they explore, they'll find a blood splatter on the floor.

What would they like to investigate first -- the alcoves or the blood?

[chainlightning]

"Blood," says Merrill immediately, ever helpful; her voice is hushed, just for Korrin. The sight of it makes her stop in her tracks, eyes glancing between the walls again before she carefully takes another step toward the splatter.

"It can't be that old, right?"

Ahead, 14

[laurenande]

The light Sam conjures is enough to light the entryway and it casts the small room in sharp relief. Galadriel moves ahead even as Sam and his light veer off to the left. The darkness ahead is ominous but without much weight--unlike the last ruin they ventured into, Galadriel's internal light remains undimmed.

(For ease of dming should this be a new subthread?)

ahead, 7

[universal_charm]

If asked, Kirk would have said he preferred not to travel with Galadriel. It was not because he feared her, but simply because he was still upset with her. Like Samouel, he had hung back from the group on the trip to the ruins, quiet and less obviously upset than Samouel, but still not pleased. However, airing such grievances in the middle of what appeared to be a rather dangerous cave that required quite a bit of their attention didn't seem wise either.

Despite his displeasure at her previous actions, he wasn't about to let Galadriel wander off alone into the ruins either. So with Galadriel he went, hand on his staff and his shard unwrapped and ready to let loose with the magics he had spent so much time practicing.

"Feels like this is the part where the doors slam shut behind us," he said, shivering as they walked their path.

[laurenande]

"Or perhaps where the floor falls out," Galadriel replied as they continued forward. She had not felt the need to conjure a light, not at first, but the hall was dark and the ruins, while not in a terrible state, were still ruins. After a pause she lifts her ring hand and a small white glimmer appears in the palm of it. The light it gives off is watery and white and not entirely dissimilar from the one Galadriel generates at all times.

"If you wish to avoid me, you need not have followed," Galadriel said and cast Kirk a dry look. She was not so unobservant that she could not sense his ill ease--the fact that he was a step behind her with his marked hand at the ready was, well, if not suspect than at least a touch telling.

"It is not the first time I have wandered alone in the dark."

[serannas]

Within moments of walking off together, one or both will catch the scent of burning wood. There are no fires currently burning here, but the smell lingers in the air around them and perhaps Galadriel, with her keener eyes and ears, will spot a shimmer of something up ahead. The room they're in is large and dark. On either side of the room are large archways, but all is pitch black beyond them. The dim light the pair produces can't penetrate it. The ceiling has no holes in it to provide light to the outside world. It's only coming from Galadriel herself and Jim's shard right now.

{ PHASE THREE } You've set it running free

[serannas]

On opening the next door, there's a sound akin to a heavy sigh, like pressure is being released. And the reason for that sound is clear as a noxious green gas billows out towards them. Within seconds, the stairway is also flooded with the gas and they're trapped, unable to back out with the rubble behind them. The gas chokes the breath from a person and makes the eyes water, but the group will notice something up ahead.

A group of people are running around in the cloudy green gas, shouting at each other; seemingly unaware that they have company.

"Quick! Find the way out!" one shouts before coughing into his fist. He's tall and clad in leather armor, carrying a bow in his free hand.

"I can't see anything now, thanks to fucking Maurice!" shouts a woman with short, cropped hair who carries two daggers. The gas does obscure everything past a few feet, though some stone columns can be made out in the haze with empty veilfire braziers on their sides at about chin height.

"I didn't mean to! Fucking elves and their traps!" says the one who can only be Maurice. He's short and stout, with sandy hair and a guilty look on his face.

But finally, someone spots our heroes on the stairs. He's older than the rest with graying hair and a full beard. He shouts to alert his group. "They're still alive! Quick, kill them!"

"But this gas is going to--"

"Now!"

[universal_charm]

Kirk managed to stumble to the stars with Sam, his head still swimming and his vision half-red. The more time went on the more he could see, but he could feel the ache in his ribs. Was one of them broken? More? If nothing else he would have heavy bruising, possibly right down to his lungs, and he obviously had a head wound. Damn it.

And now... damn it, now there was gas and people, voices he didn't recognize. Jesus, what the hell had they walked into? He fumbled at his hip, bringing out a knife, not in a position to use his staff (did he still have it?) or his shard. He pulled himself away from Sam and went to lean against the wall to free the mage up to fight.

[gatheringstorm]

Ugh, gas traps. Korrin coughs persistently, eyes watering as she curses under her breath for the presence of the morons who triggered it. She tries to blow as much of it as she can for the others, renewing her Barrier spell automatically. The shouting naturally gets her attention and she scowls, unleashing a Chain Lightning on their foes.

[chainlightning]

One hand still has a death grip on Korrin while the other is holding her still-smoking staff; Merrill is not enjoying this part of exploration very much, especially since she can still feel the red-hot burns from the fire and from the metal on her robes it had ever-so-nicely heated into a brand.

"Can we-" A cough, into her shoulder. "-kill each other somewhere with fresh air?"

Honestly.

{ PHASE FOUR } Dark twisted fantasy turned to reality

[serannas]

Bree is a bandit. She doesn't mess with any of this creepy Fade shit. She's heard of rifts in the Fade opening up and demons pouring out, but her band of thieves always steered clear of them. But it's kind of hard to avoid when you're backed up in an elven ruin by a group of mostly mage explorers on your turf and no idea where the back door is. A Revenant is completely outside of her realm of experience, plus her injuries are catching up to her. So this is how she goes out: cut down by a fucking corpse in armor. It'd make a good story, if anyone else on her team was still alive to tell it. In the end, she dies alone before anyone can reach her. At least it's quick. The pain from the fire was becoming too much.

The shades, meanwhile, glide along the ground towards the explorers still in the other room. They're especially drawn to the two Rifters in the group and raise their arms to strike.

[chainlightning]

Ellana has the second piece of the sword, the bandit is dead, and there are demons. Two out of three isn't bad. Unfortunately, her position is closer to the demons than everyone save Ellana and the now-dead Bree. Fortunately for Merrill, the shades are heading for the Rifters. Sam has been protecting Jim and Galadriel can hold her own, which means Merrill turns her eyes to the Revenant.

Great. A Revenant.

"I think I see why the Dalish don't ever come in here!"

Roots begin to emerge from the old floor, twisting and twining and reaching for the Revenant to try and hold it in place.

[el_tybs]

He had not been expecting Bree to be to spry after all that, so it takes him by surprise that she actually made it to the doors - he hadn't noticed those doors. Course so far anyone throwing open doors unexpectedly never went well. "Wait-" Before he could even finish the doors are shoved open and next thing he knows the bandit is being cut down.

By a Revenant.

"Well shit," he mutters quietly remembering the last time he's gone up against one of those. It had not been a fun fight, and... wait- "Is it me or does every other elven ruin have one of those?" Even as he asks Sam is already grabbing at Kirk to get him back to his feet, sword raised to take the incoming strike of the Shade.

[universal_charm]

Kirk can't decide if he's glad his vision has finally cleared up or horrified. He decides for glad, because the creature is coming at them, that monster that had no right existing and whose presence tore at his brain's grasp of reality. The Fade had nearly driven them all mad when they were stuck there and just a fragment of it was enough to begin forming cracks he had thought fixed.

"It's like me and animals with teeth," Kirk grunted, raising his arm as he gripped Sam with the other, grunting as a green flare shot from his shard and at the Revenant.