Log:The Rock of Death, Part 4

The Rock of Death 2020/10/06 Sasha Arthur 4

Arthur could swear his heart stopped for several beats at Kha-Ronem's sudden appearance, eyes widen as he just stares. He's afraid to take the candy. But he's also afraid to refuse the candy. "Y-yes, please," he finally finds his voice, hoping to appease the lich.

Kha-Ronem pats his tattered robes eventually pulling out a small crumpled leather bag. As he opens it, he murmurs, "I fear all I have is hard candies. Do you prefer arsenic mints, spearmint lozenge, or, oh, I think I have a pickled beholder eyeball as well."

The Eye of Ptah takes this moment to whisper quietly in Arthur's ear, "He is...not quite sane. I did mention that, yes?"

Sasha, dressed in all his finery, tilts his head to one side and murmurs, "Arsenic, please," in a polite tone.

Arthur gives Sasha a bewildered look, but the youth must know that's deadly. He looks back to Kha-Ronem. "A spearmint lozenge, maybe? For later."

Kha-Ronem picks out a greyish-green hard candy orb from the bag and hands it to the Sasha. He then reaches into the bag and takes out a blue wrapped lozenge and hands it to Arthur. On it is written the name Djelibelli Candy Company. "And the eye for me." He takes out a withered eyeball the size of a large strawberry and pops it into his mouth.

Sasha takes the proferred candy, lifts up his mask for a moment, and pops it into his mouth. After a minute, he murmurs, "Hmm, bubbly."

Arthur tries not to throw up at the picked eye, slipping his candy into his coat pocket for never. He double takes as he sees Sasha actually ate the lozenge and lunges for him. "What're you doing?!"

"Now, now, youngling, if you want that type of sweetie, I've more at home. You all get a move on and I'll go get one!" says Kha-Ronem. As he starts to fade away, Kha-Ronem says, "Back for your souls in a minute!"

Sasha murmurs, "I'm enjoying the taste. It's a bit bitter but no more than most black licorices." He chuckles. "Of course, it helps also that I'm immune to poison, Professor."

Arthur tries to get Sasha to spit it out, then finally stops as the youth responds. He stares at him oddly. "Oh. Right. Carry on, then," he releases Sasha and straigthens out his tie and vest. He clears his throat, then glances back at Kha-Ronem as he vanishes. "Back for our...souls? Eye of Ptah, is that literal? If so, I think we'd best move on."

"The exact limits of Kha-Ronem's powers are unknown to me. Such an attack is theoretically within his abilities especialliy given the aura of death he exudes. Caution is recommended," murmurs the Eye.

Speaking of caution, one of the dots on the projectoin indicating a Tso-Neogi seems to be mving from the concentration in the docoking ring in this general direction. It's not moving quickly thouigh.

Arthur looks at the projected dot. "Well, we can't stay unfortunately due to the Tso-Neogi coming our way," he makes it sound more imminent than it is, if only to avoid offending Kha-Ronem if he's scrying on them again. He takes one last look to make sure they got all they came for before leaving.

And you all head out of the Central Gate Station into the rest of the Rock of Bral. The buildings are in remarkable good shape overall; lack of real weather or tectonis activity does wonders for preserving the inanimate.

And speaking of inanimate, there are even more bodies clustered outside the station. Beings of many races, most unknown to even Arthur, waited in long queues to be cut down by the artifact on the Deathspider it seems. You see a number of the uniformed Giff (https://bleedingcool.com/games/tabletop/tabletop-publishers/wizards-of-the-coast/dnd/dungeons-dragons-pays-homage-to-spelljammer-with-the-giff/) who were apparently at their posts until the very end. The number of bodies drops off dramatically the further you all get away from the station, heading 'uphill' on the path laid out to avoid Tso-Neogi but also to reach security stations.

Arthur's excitement over the mystery has long since fallen into solemnity as they pass all the bodies left as evidence of the Tso-Neogi's heartlessness. He's against killing, but since the remaining Tso-Neogi are undead and continue to kill without remorse, he's determined to see them put to rest at last.

Sasha follows along, his gaze passing over the dead, his expression covered by the mask he wears. But you do catch him shaking his head from time to time...notably when he spots obvious child or family groupings of mummies. "This was such a...waste," he eventually murmurs as the bodies begin to thin as you all enter a more residential district, well off but not the homes of the truly wealthy. Large townhouses are built wall to wall like parts of London or New York if in a more alien style. Most of the front door stand open and more than a few look to have been broken down from the outside.

"A waste?" Arthur repeats quietly. "A tragedy. Heaped upon with more tragedy with each visitor if we don't stop this once and for all." He looks to the broken windows. Was it the invading Tso-Neogi, or just looters within the populace? It hardly seems to matter now. He continues on to their destination with his once boyish expression hardening.

You all reach the security office nearest the Council Building. In fact, its right next to the Council Building. The sign over the door reads: Security Headquarters. It's not a very friendly looking building being made out of dull grey rock with black metal bars over all the small windows. A closed porticullis seems to be the only easy entrance. And it's well guarded by the mummified remains for a squad of 8 giff armed to the tusks and armored to drive off invaders. All of them lie where the life was stripped from them by the Life Stealer weapon.

Sasha looks at the bodies. "Well, I'll check them over. See if any of them have a black key on them."

Arthur nods to Sasha and checks the map while he does so. He wants to make sure they won't get too surprised.

It seems the Tso-Neogi who are not in the docking ring as all slowly making their way towards the Council Building. None are as close as you and they seem to be taking their time as they move in meandering paths.

While you observe this, Sasha pokes about on the mummified corpses. After a minute or so, he murmurs, "No joy, Professor. Have another grey key, lots of white keys, and a bunch of more colorful keys, but no black." He adds after a moment. "I bet the grey key will open the porticullus...maybe. Depends on their level of insitiutional paranois I suppose."

"Worth a try. We have more of the Tso-Neogi heading this way. Maybe they're hungry and can sense us," Arthur tries to make light of the situation with what he thinks is an unserious hypothesis.

"These Giff also served as the Council Guards. And given the Mercane paranoia about their personal safety, I specualte the gate can only be opened from insdie. Sadly, I cannot access the sensors in the securty headquarters. Access was always denied me. Nor do I know the building layout," states the Eye of Ptah without being asked.

Arthur frowns a bit at the Eye of Ptah's assessment. "Is there a way to perhaps use a teleportation spell to get inside?"

Sasha walks up to the porticullos and tries the grey key on a keyhole next to it. A glyph forms on the wall right about it then fades away.

"Wonderful," remarks Sasha as you mention the Tso-Neogi moving. But otherwise he remains silent.

"Many high security areas on the Rock of Bral resist teleporation or extra dimensional access for safety reasons. But, if one's ability to teleport were strong, it may overcome the barriers," states the Eye of Ptah.

"And the glyph indicates 'Council Access Required'," it adds as an aside.

Arthur clucks his tongue. "Well, I'm afraid I haven't the faintest clue about overcoming those walls. And it seems we can't get access without the council, and they're dead and locked behind. Quite a pickle," he frowns and taps his chin in thought.

Arthur asks the Eye, "Where else could we check that's safe?"

"I can probably break through them, Professor," murmurs Sasha. "Let's see..." He raises his hands, makes a complicated gesture that looks like it could cause carpal tunnel if performed too often without stretching, and steps forward towawrds the porticullis. As he does, he's limned in a dark blue light that fades away as he does. He doesn't appear on the other side of the porticullis but then you hear a muffled voice shout from behind the door. "I'm in! And I don't think I'm alone in here!"

At that moment, Kha-Ronem reappears just a few feet to the side of Professor Aevus. "My, what a brave youngling. He does know there are three Tso-Neogi in there, correct?"

Arthur rushes to the porticullis. "Is it more of the Tso-Neogi?" he asks worriedly. He doesn't know of any spell that could by pass these guarded walls, but there's another trick he can try. But before he can, Kha-Ronem's appearance makes him startle. "No, he didn't! We just ran from the last room we saw you at because we knew at least one was coming our way. If you have a way to get me in there, please, do it now! He needs my help!"