Kiera's Thoughts: Tidbits and tea

[marsden_online]

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During the time it takes to trade the items we have recently taken from the Drow into items of more use to us I use the Legend Lore spell to gather more hints about the Master. This tells me
- he is an old soul and this is his 3rd time as the Master
- he is both of and not-of the Drow
- his connection to the one-who-sleeps is strong
- he will rise at the same time as the sleeping one
- he fears the death which is not death but is willing to use it against his enemies

From this we form a theory that the Master is an old drow who uses body-hopping magic to stay alive and in his position, possibly without the realisation of the rest of the Drow that it is the same person. That it is possible he has drunk of the blood of the red dragon and has become in some part subservient to it's goals.

There is a question whether the "death which is not death" refers to undeath or to ... whatever we are.

My faith in the Lady is strong and hers in me - I could ask a great boon of her. I perform a divination to find out if she would be willing to transport us to the Master despite our not knowing exactly where he is and receive an answer in the affirmative. Are we ready to take such a step?

~~~
While we consider this option a message arrives from Jean-luc. He has a lead he is willing to share although we have to travel to him to find out what it is.

Through a contact he cultivates for his own purposes he has learned that the Wayfarer (the specialist drow teleport mage behind their ability to get large and nasty surprises anywhere) has taken a leave of absence to visit with his brother the Pacifist - a drow philosopher and outcast living somewhere near Highever with his followers.

We have heard of the Pacifist previously - the King's Spymaster knows of him and indeed we sent Romulus and Remus to speak with him as emissaries, not feeling that we would be welcome. But the chance to strike at what is possibly the Drows single most powerful advantage sends us north again.

We spend the first night in the Temple of the Lady in Highever where I catch up on Church news before setting out for the caves where the Pacifist resides. There are guards and once we have made it clear that we know where we are going and not attempting to hide we stop and wait for them to approach us. My initial request for an audience is rebuffed but when I back it up by knowing (shockingly for them) -why- the Pacifist is "not taking visitors" right now and that we would like to speak with his brother as well it is reluctantly agreed to - on the condition we all take oath on and artifact in their possession not to initiate any form of violence. Lythari and Branson are reluctant to say the least but eventually agree. The artifact ruins one of Branson's gauntlets and one of my gloves as it burns through to leave our hands clearly marked with an ancient symbol of peace.

So we are taken to meet the Pacifist and the Wayfarer - and the Wayfarer's bodyguard a giant of a drow (probably) in full plate and bastard sword both of which radiate exceptionally powerful magic (possibly artifact level). It is difficult to tell who is more keen to test the limits of the peacekeeping artifacts power - he or Lythari. (Branson would come a distant third).

Putting aside the tension between our companions (which never -quite- spills over) the meeting is quite interesting. We are unable to convince the Wayfarer that he should leave the Master's cause - unlike many of the Drow he does not have to fear for an underling taking his position by force and lives quite a comfortable life in exchange for his loyalty. Several finer details of drow society and history are elaborated on - succession to the named positions was not always such a fatal affair, this Master is the third such and the Drow while united behind him by culture are certainly not of a single mind. Culturally absolute rule is the key to the survival of the drow as a society and were the Master to fall without an obvious replacement (there are none such) it would likely tear them apart in a bloody civil war.

The Wayfarer also assures us that he will not personally be teleporting any wraiths anywhere - although they have been contained every instance of teleporting one to date - no matter how contained even in an extra-dimensional space - has resulted in a dead mage appearing at the other end.

The Pacifist also has a request for us - that we petition the local lord for formal permission for he and his followers to reside here. We agree to pass this on. He also advises us that the drow are setting up an outpost on the other side of town (near, possibly in the cave where my sister had set up her shrine) in preparation for there attack - clearly he is not comfortable with their proximity. This seems rather an "enlightened" approach to self defence given his philosophy of personal non violence - but then his beliefs and title must also be taken in the context of Drow culture.

~~~
We spend another night in town before looking into the outpost - the effect of the artifact lasts 24 hours. Thsi suits me as I pray for different spells for today - I particularly prepare Earthquake intending to collapse the shrine cave if it hasn't already been done. But it has.

We easily find the entrance to the cave the drow are using although it doesn't seem like much of an outpost yet. We follow the sound of spellcasting into the depths to find a group of clerics using scrolls to construct a new tunnel in the direction of Highever and immediately set about putting a stop to it. Not having encountered many Drow clerics to this point - possibly not any living ones - we are surprised at the level of power these ones have. They are still outclassed and after the fight I make sure that these tunnels are collapsed.

The Drow seem to have an endless supply of potent items to equip their army with - probably their city is in close proximity to rich lyrium deposits. Once more we return to the Mage Tower to trade inwhat we have taken from them - then go into seclusion to plan our final move. (No point in risking them getting wind of it by mundane means although there is the distinct possibility they are performing divinations on us as I do on them).

~~~
Next: the inevitable final confrontation between us and the Master and the Dragon.