Ordim (prime)/Leiffenthroughthepast
Huge thank you to all who contributed to this: Jaderain, Kalyrra, Sirona, Tabubu and Yardie.
“Leiffen through the past”
Thick rainforest unnaturally gave way to a large manicured clearing causing the short, heavily robed figure to raise their hand in silence and stop those following behind them. The figure turned around abruptly, causing the penguin mask on their face to slide enough to reveal Ordim as the wearer. He adjusted the mask with an annoyed giggle and whispered to the group “This is as far as we can go on foot. Behold, the Leiffen Mansion!”.
Ordim theatrically waved his arms in the direction of the large structure that sprawled almost endlessly in the center of the clearing, surrounded by fountains, gardens, and various statues that indicated the wealth of the inhabitants.
“I managed to modify a transportation spell to reduce the sound it makes, but it comes at the cost of only lasting a few minutes… and uh… everyone who goes through will be forcibly returned at the end of the spell.” Another nervous giggle punctuated the stuttered delivery before it seamlessly transitioned to further instructions. “It should be exactly five minutes, so find something useful quick! I’ll be opening the portal to the office right about…” A blur of hands fluttered in the darkness before a dim point of light appeared in the darkness and then quickly expanded to a large circular opening before the group. “..Now”.
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Sirona slipped quietly into the nearby office, quickly making her way to a spectacular carved mahogany desk in the center of the room. She briefly scanned the items on top trying to take note of everything she could while rounding the desk to begin opening drawers. The first few side drawers seemed to hold nothing of consequence as she hastily rifled through various folders, papers, cards and office paraphernalia. The top middle drawer was securely locked with no key in sight, however, one of the bottom drawers held only an ornate mithril box crested with a gilded coat of arms.
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Watching as the others moved forward, Tabubu’s mind constantly questioning once again, what in flames was she doing trusting a halfling in this matter. Especially this one. However, he was resourceful and clever, so here the Warlord was. Without hesitation she stepped forward, gazing about with intense interest at her surroundings, the moonlight silver eyes pausing briefly on everything nearby. Each one of the party managed to pick a different direction to look. With little hope, she moved towards what she hoped would be the library.
She glided silently through the halls peaking through each door. This place was massive, how did they expect to find anything, especially just laying out. Knowing time was short she just picked a room and went in. The west wall was lined with bookcases filled with tomes, guides, parchments, and many oddities. Tabubu breathed in deep, taking in the ancient and musky smell of long forgotten pages. As she began to peruse a tug pulled at her. A tug of something powerful calling to her. The more she moved down the wall the stronger the urge grew. Something was here.
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Quick and quiet. This is just another job.
It was the first breaking and entry did not require slipping through a window or cracking open a door. The wizard’s portal granted access, making him wonder, Why aren’t there enough Wizard thieves? They’re missing out on a gold mine!
Enough obstacles and dim lighting allowed the Panicky Phantom to slip through the raindrops of light, his form never spotted, his footsteps never detected. Several items came to his mind as he passed through the Mansion: plaques of gold, heirlooms of value, even fancy silverware fetched a hefty price. None of this drew Yardie’s concern. The documents. The proof of lineage. That was all that mattered.
Focus. Petty thieves reacted like rabid squirrels at the first shift of moment, the first glint of light on something shiny. Instead, Yardie made for the typical places where something of note would be kept. Even the kitchen. Rookie thieves ignore the possibility of pearls and jewels in the kitchen. Thus far, nothing. Careful, cautious fingers scanned through drawers before placing them as if they had been undisturbed.
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Ordim nodded to the masked figures that appeared before him silently. A crow, a peacock, an owl, and a raven adorned the mask of the visitors while the glint of gold flickered in the night from the hand of one of them.
“Brother Ordim, how goes the activities?” The authoritative but hushed tone of the lead figure was hard to hear as if the jungle itself absorbed the sound.
Ordim fidgeted before answering, “They have just a few more moments to find anything of use, then I’ll pull them back through. We wouldn’t want them finding too much.”
The group nodded in approval before departing one by one. The lead figure seemed to inspect Ordim and his magic a moment, “Be sure that they don’t, Brother Ordim. We would not want them to become too independent of our knowledge.” A golden hand waved towards Ordim in a stiff display of dismal before it and the figure it was attached to disappeared into the jungle growth, leaving Ordim in silence again. Ordim gazed out into the clearing and groaned as a guard slowed down and began inspecting the mansion exterior. They were going to have less time then he had hoped.
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Stepping quickly to the side of the hall, Jaderain angled her way into the small parlor. Gingerly lifting the top parchment off a stack lying on a small table, she scanned the page quickly. She continued to peruse pages, finding nothing but bills of lading and hastily scribbled memos. A torn page under the edge of the lamp caught her eye. She barely made out the word “Center” before a sudden sharp pain had her flying through blackness.
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Sirona’s heart raced with excitement at the find, her hand reached for the box just as her body was violently ripped from the room and back through the portal whence she came. In disbelief, she glanced down at her empty hands, and then quickly clenched them into tight fists as she turned her head to glare at Ordim in a flash of anger.
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Tabubu moved quicker, the pull almost overwhelming her now as she searched for what it could be. Then her eyes met with the glint of another's. A pair of obsidian eyes within a strange skull. Then before she could blink. She was outside, standing next to the halfling again. The companions all bored the same look she was looking at him with. As if he was soon to be roasted like a suckling pig.
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Yardie made a move towards the Leiffen bedroom when the whistles cut through. Now’s my chance! Someone had tipped the guards, which bought the Faendryl time. The door was in sight, the entry point of a study a few paces away.
His ambitions met an untimely demise. Another portal opened, its vacuum well beyond the strength and balance of well-toned legs. No. No!
Strength always gave way to magic. Always. Before he could set his feet, his body lurched backward and plunged into the dark, swirling aperture, his final words echoing throughout the mansion.
“Unprofessional!”
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What had started as one curious guard had quickly grown to several talking and waving their lanterns at the Mansion, searching for something. Ordim couldn’t hear their voices, but as he spotted another group of guards coming around from the far end of the clearing, he knew nothing good was about to happen. Turning to the portal he whispered “I hope they are all ready for this” as another blur of hands caused a series of ethereal strings to stretch quickly into the portal. Within the blink of an eye, the strings pulled several bodies from parts unknown before the portal itself closed silently.
Ordim turned to the jumble as he raised a finger to his lips, “The guards know something is”. He was cut short though as the shrill piercing noise of whistles filled the night air. Shouts followed, with “Over there!”, “I see them” and similar calls erupted from the guards. “We’ll go over the loot at the Penguin, quick, everyone back to the Harbor!”
Darkness cloaked the group as they escaped deep into the jungle, far away from the alarms and shouts of the guards searching for them.