Rise of Rone - 2018-02-24 - Rise of Clones (log)

Fashanos 24-25, 5118

by Leafiara Autumnwind of the [[::The_TownCrier|TownCrier]]

Summary

• A ship called the Frontiers Heart is seen approaching Wehnimer's Landing, flying the Landing's flag, but while it's still out in Darkstone Bay Rone attacks and slays everyone on board.
• Adventurers swim out to the ship and find that loresongs of the corpses reveal it was used for selling slaves to the krolvin. In the loresong, a rune along Rone's gauntlet is also seen fading after he repeatedly disappears and reappears.
• Back in town, Wintersylph uses a Symbol of Need to alert people to Rone's presence just west of North Dock, speaking with a small crowd. Rone says he didn't kill the priest from the night before and that three others are imitating him and trying to bait him out. He says he'll kill them when he finds them and tells Stormyrain that he'll expose and present Mayor Cruxophim's secrets to her before week's end.
• After Rone vanishes, fires break out near Murdos Burdos' gemcutter's shop--and eventually inside it--and dozens of bandits ambush adventurers only to ultimately be slain.

Log

Rone and the Frontiers Heart

[Town Square, East]

Here in the center of a broad plaza near the commercial area of the bazaar stands the impressive facade of the slate-roofed Moot Hall, where the citizens of Wehnimer's Landing hold various official, religious and social functions. Facing the square are some of the town's more prosperous shops, still doing business with the many customers who still frequent the streets at night.

A swirl of white mist appears on the roof of the River Tower West, and a white-cloaked figure perches silently, like a marble gargoyle, staring out towards Darkstone Bay for a few moments.

With a swirl of ethereal mist, the white-cloaked figure vanishes.

[a pursuit around town begins, but nothing is found and then...]

Breaking into view amidst the falling snow and the silver glow of the moon, a ship appears on the horizon.

[...the group heads to North Dock]

[Wehnimer's, North Dock]

The dock's planks are dull and weathered from the salt spray of many seasons. Northward beyond the massive sea gates, a flock of ice geese passes, silhouetted against the sky over the dark blue waters of Darkstone Bay. The hulk of a derelict coastal sailer is tethered to the end of the pier.

Cutting through the dark of night like a sliver on the waves, a royal blue ship appears, but its hue faded and weathered by time and elements. High above its deck flaps a flag bearing the striped warcat crest of Wehnimer's Landing.

As the faded blue ship glides through the waters of Darkstone Bay, the shapes of its crew can be seen on the deck, some huddled near a railing, others moving about. Now below the crest of the striped warcat, can be seen the name of the ship. Frontiers Heart.

As the ship glides further along the bay and seemingly towards town, a flash of white light and ethereal mist appear on the deck of the vessel.

On the deck of the ship, the white mist vanishes, then flashes into appearance again, then disappears, then reappears. Like flashes of lightning, the ship is illuminated in spotty intervals, as the men on the deck scramble and shout, slashing and striking out at the ghost among them.

Archales says, "Someone should cast water walking."

Archales says, "Then go out there and stop him."

Swaying your hips side to side in time with a hummed melody, you attempt to entice the local spirits to aid you with the Water Walking spell...

You make a complex gesture at Archales, increasing the potency of your spell.

A misty halo surrounds Archales.

Speaking to Archales, you offer, "All yours."

Archales asks, "I get the bounty dead or alive yes?"

Speaking simply to Archales, you reply, "Yep."

Archales leaps off the docks and jumps into the waters of Darkstone Bay!

Suddenly, upon the deck of the ship, the white flashes cease, and there appears to be no movement among the crew that once scrambled about. A white-cloaked figure stands at the railing of the ship, facing towards the sea gate of Wehnimer's Landing as the vessel approaches.

As the ship seems to slow and drift slightly at sea, the white-cloaked figure looks down at his gauntleted hands, seeming to wait for something.

Suddenly, the white cloaked figure vanishes on the deck of the ship.

The blue ship drifts and slows down out in the waters of Darkstone Bay.

Cryheart says, "Archales says he is boarding the ship."

[Leafiara fogs over...]

The Song of the Slavers

[Frontiers Heart, Main Deck]

The huge white-shrouded mainmast stretches out overhead, blocking off half of the deck from the moonlight. High above a flag flap about lazily, bearing the striped warcat crest of Wehnimer's Landing. You also see the Archales disk, a stacked pile of corpses and a stained wooden hatch.

Obvious paths: north, south, out

>look cor

The corpses are all of men, each one with scruffy faces and clothing stained by both salt and sea. Their bodies have been brutalized, many of their abdomens sliced open, and others covered with vicious wounds along their sides, arms and back. Each corpse has been haphazardly stacked in a pile on the deck of the ship, blood still seeping from their deadly wounds.

>s

[Frontiers Heart, Stern]

Rising up from a large wooden platform rests the ship's wheel, its rungs weathered and stained. A number of empty crates rest along the deck of the stern. Set into the quarter deck is an arched wooden door.

Obvious paths: north

>go door

[Frontiers Heart, Cabin]

Two round windows border an arched wooden door, providing an ample view of the deck outside. A frayed woolen tapestry has been wedged into the wall with four silver stilettos. An old wooden desk and chair sit in front of a large oak-framed painting. You also see a dusky vaporous spirit that is flying around.

>look paint

Vivid colors illustrate an oceanic landscape with a volcanic island in the distance. Miniature ships are painted sailing into the harbor of a bustling port town along the coast. The activity of the town appears oblivious to pillars of smoke rising up from the other side of the island as streams of lava pour down the sides of the giant volcano.

There appears to be something written on it.

>read paint

In the Common language, it reads:

"The Fall of Kezmon"

>look in des

There is nothing in there.

>look on des

On the wooden desk:

Food/Drink [1]: a flagon of fiery apricot rum

>look tap

The tapestry depicts a colorful image of the western coast of Elanthia, marking numerous sea routes between destinations such as Idolone, Ubl, Brisker's Cove, Vornavis and Wehnimer's Landing.

>go door

[Frontiers Heart, Stern]

Rising up from a large wooden platform rests the ship's wheel, its rungs weathered and stained. A number of empty crates rest along the deck of the stern. Set into the quarter deck is an arched wooden door.

>n

[Frontiers Heart, Main Deck]

The huge white-shrouded mainmast stretches out overhead, blocking off half of the deck from the moonlight. High above a flag flap about lazily, bearing the striped warcat crest of Wehnimer's Landing. You also see an emerald-eyed haughty black cat, a raven that is flying around, the Archales disk, a stacked pile of corpses and a stained wooden hatch.

>n

[Frontiers Heart, Forecastle]

The figurehead of the ship has been crafted into the head of a silver gremlin, its snarling face stretching out over the stem of the boat. A series of numerous notches have been carved into the timber of the foremast. You also see a glowing blue-white pylon.

[people gradually arrive and discuss the ship; Archales apparently gets the loresong from the corpses at one point, but I didn't see it and later sent a bard to get the song, which is...]

Your vision blurs and colors melt away. A group of scruffy men with leathers stained by salt and sea stand near the railing of a ship, chuckling and sometimes grumbling amongst themselves as their vessel glides along the dark waters of Darkstone Bay, the icy shores of Glaoveln not far from their vantage point. The ship continues north under the cover of night, and gets closer and closer to the island.

Your vision blurs and colors melt away. The scruffy men work silently in unison, quiet save for some of their grunting as they cart heavy crates down the gangplank of their ship and onto the frozen white sands of a beach. Not far from them, stands a powerfully built krolvin with large onyx-hued eyes and one dark blood red steel gauntlet. The imposing krolvin approaches, as the men open the crates to reveal the squirming, frightened bodies of men, women and children all chained and gagged.

Your vision blurs and colors melt away. The same group of scruffy men stand huddled near the railing of their ship as the shores of Glaoveln shrink in the distance, but the cold winds and snow of the area still chill their bones. The men seem more light-hearted now, laughing louder, and more than a few of them noting their loot sacks hanging from their belts. As the ship nears the familiar waters of Wehnimer's Landing, a swirl of white mist appears on the deck.

Your vision blurs and colors melt away. As fluid as the water below, the white cloaked figure emerges from a swirl of mist and slices the stomach of one man. He vanishes again, and attacks another, then vanishes, and attacks a third. The deck is a blaze of chaos and blood, men scrambling to fight the disappearing specter among them. Ten times, the figure reappears, and a rune along his white gauntlets fade. He stands silent, surveying the bodies around him, a sea of blood staining the ship's deck.

A Conversation With Rone

[amidst the conversation on the ship, Wintersylph sends a Symbol of Need...]

The Symbol of Need begins to burn in your mind and an image appears before you of Wintersylph...

[Wehnimer's, Locksmehr Way]

The faint, tangy scent of the bay mingles with the lighter smells of the river, which runs just to the northeast. The wide road leads along the riverbank through the warehouse and wharf district, where the sounds of longshoremen loading and unloading freetraders drift over from a wooden walkway to the east. You also see the Lenobia disk and a painted ashen shop.

Also here: Lady Wintersylph, Lady Lenobia, Lord Oweya, Rone, Stormyrain

[...so Leafiara fogs over to them. Some conversation happens and then...]

Sir Cryheart's group just arrived.

Cryheart glances at Rone.

Speaking to Cryheart, Stormyrain says, "He's just talking, Cryheart. Let's not be hasty."

Rone backs up near an alleyway.

You curiously ask, "How do we prove... any of this, actually?"

Cryheart nods at Rone.

Rone deeply says, "There is no need to prove it."

Rone deeply says, "I will kill the copies all the same when I find them too."

Cryheart asks, "Copies?"

Stormyrain furrows her brow.

Speaking to Cryheart, Stormyrain says, "He did not kill the priest."

Cryheart says, "Oh."

Speaking to Cryheart, Stormyrain says, "There are 3 killing in his name."

Rone deeply says, "I will have the Mayor's secrets exposed soon and presented to you."

Stormyrain says, "..and likeness."

Rone nods at Stormyrain.

Rone deeply says, "Expect it before week's end. No shadow of his will hide it much longer."

Speaking to Rone, Stormyrain says, "I will wait for this evidence, and if you have any that can bring your copycats to justice, the right way, I will take that too."

Speaking to Rone, Irar asks, "Why did you quote my sermon?"

Rone deeply says, "Someone has to hold the darkness to justice if you are unwilling to Deacon."

Rone looks down at his hands and in a swirl of ethereal white mist, he vanishes.

Irar says, "I suppose I should be about executing lawbreakers, then."

Putting Out Fires for the Gemcutter

[not too long after the discussion continues...]

Suddenly, there is some loud ruckus, and flames light up the night sky along South Ring Road!

[Wehnimer's, South Ring Rd.]

A short distance to the east lies a broad intersection. To the west, the road narrows slightly as it is impinged on by closely-spaced shops, beyond which the western and southern city walls intersect. A few townsfolk mingle under the circles of lamplight in the cobbled street. You also see a crackling fire, a crackling fire, a crackling fire, a crackling fire, a crackling fire, a crackling fire, a scorched gemcutter's shop and a large painted sign.

Also here: Stormyrain, Maags, Hlendril, Shinann, Lord Thrassus, Deckits, Lord Rekarth, Xannorath, Asunasi, Lady Lenobia, Lord Oweya, Temple Archaeologist Rhayveign, Lord Evician, Ceyrin, Master Fromer, High Lady Quintiana, Marshal Madmountan, Kapik, Pinchot, Goldstr, Chaoswynd, Starmizt, Zosopage, Maiden Balley, Alisaire, Lady Lylia, Xorus, Stonmel, Mister Tercolla, Tetreves, Matriarch Berkana, Lady Florania, Dame Evia, Irar, Grand Lady Roelaren, Dinaden, Krampton, Grand Lady Ayumia, Sir Cryheart, Albanus, High Lord Hesha

An elven mugger leaps out of his hiding place!

The evanescent shield shrouding you flares to life and absorbs the oncoming blow. Before fading, it flickers with a pale incandescence.

A human outlaw leaps out of his hiding place!

A human outlaw swings a falchion at Rekarth!

AS: +428 vs DS: +405 with AvD: +36 + d100 roll: +16 = +75

A clean miss.

[cue combat as dozens more bandits leap out to attack and people battle them while also trying to put out the fires]

Fires rage in the street and lick the walls of the Gemshop!

[thousands of lines more combat, more bandits, people getting set on fire]

From inside his shop, Murdos Burdos screams as fires rage inside!

>go shop

[Gemcutter's, Front Room]

Inside the Gemcutter's shop, you see two glass showcases holding jewelry and precious stones. Directly ahead of you is a low desk with several racks holding tools of the Gemcutter's trade. You also see the black Kapik disk, a crackling fire, a crackling fire, a crackling fire, a crackling fire, a narrow door and the gem dealer.

[a small team assembles and puts out the fires inside the shop, and likewise the outside of the shop is saved by a larger team, all bandits finally cleared out]