065: The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen.

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> A week or more passes without event in the darkness. Time becomes a nebulous concept as day and night become ever more distant memories, but progress of a sort is marked by the increasing brilliance of the gem lodged in your guide's head. Finally, it pulses like a beacon and...stops. Rover has touched down on a field of cold gray stone; visibility on the negative energy plane is too poor to allow a properly sweeping perspective, but you could discern a slight curve to the surface, as though you stood upon a great sphere. Rover's light winks out and resumes its normal, dim glow. The zombie extends one hand, points down towards his feet, and almost seems to smile with the satisfaction of a job well done.
<Steph> "We're finally here. Now things can get worse," observes Stephanie.
<Franceska> "For a change, I must agree with you."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund touches down on the rock next to Rover, looks around and looks confused.
<Julia> "Good job, Rover," Julia smiles at the zombie. "I think we'll either have to dig or look around for an entrance... I was rather expecting a more stereotypical castle, but I suppose walls and ramparts aren't much use here are they?"
* Franceska looks for magic, just in case.
<Steph> Stephanie touches down next to Rosemund. "Maybe she moved," she suggests, looking around herself.
<El-Cideon> "A typical castle would be indefensible in this environment," Istradi confirms with the air of a tactician.
<El-Cideon> Franceska does not detect anything magical in the immediate vicinity.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie sees bare stone and darkness. Nothing more.
<Julia> "Lets walk around... and put up some brighter lights so we can see?" Julia suggests before they resort to trying to break inside.
<Steph> Stephanie refrains from announcing that she can see, and there's still fucking nothing.
<El-Cideon> "Do what you like," Istradi says with a shrug. "The darkness is little bother for me."
<El-Cideon> Rover, for his part, does not look inclined to walk anywhere.
<El-Cideon> "Did we bring shovels and pickaxes?" Marina wonders, eyeing the zombie and sounding as though she hopes the answer to this question is No.
<Franceska> "There are spells for this," Franceska muses. "They're usually so useless I didn't bother with them. Ah, but I could summon an earth elemental to dig for us, if we must."
<Steph> "Can't we just teleport the nearest open space inside the sphere?"
<Franceska> "If it's not warded, yes."
<Julia> "Oh, I suppose there might be some significance about this particular spot," Julia admits.
<El-Cideon> "Ah, I suppose we could try?" Marina guesses. "I'm not much used to those spells. Do you need to know where you're going?"
<Franceska> "You make a calculated guess and it would probably hurt if you miss."
<Steph> "I bet it's warded. No doubt the digging plan is not something anyone would anticipate."
<El-Cideon> "I suppose you might as well give it a try, Franceska," Marina concludes.
* Franceska winces. "How far below do you think they might be?"
<El-Cideon> The sorceress can only shrug at this. "I couldn't make any more reasonable a guess than anyone else here, I think."
<Julia> Julia shakes her head in ignorance.
<Steph> "Hundreds of miles. Gotta be."
<El-Cideon> Alice unwraps one hand, places it on stone, then after a moment stands up and with some evident confusion withdraws one card from her deck: it is a brilliant noontime sun.
<Franceska> "Maybe the teleportation plan is not the best plan."
<Steph> "The digging plan must be the best one. It's still bad."
<Julia> "I can summon a thoqqua to dig through, but it would need to be protected against the plane rather quickly," Julia volunteers.
<El-Cideon> "Franceska, do you not have a spell for that?" Rosemund recalls. "You used it when we were on Earth!"
<Franceska> "Yes, I can certainly cast Burrow on Stephanie. Or Death Ward on whatever terrible monster Julia can summon."
<Julia> "Lets have Stephanie dig first? It'd take me a while to summon anything, anyway."
<Steph> "Wouldn't it be faster if you cast Burrow on yourself, and turned into a bear?"
<El-Cideon> "But then Franceska would be relieved of the opportunity to make you go first," Rosemund points out from some experience.
<Franceska> "By popular vote, you have been selected to dig for us," Franceska says pleasantly, casting Burrow upon Stephanie.
<Steph> Stephanie scowls, and then hunches over and gets to work, flinging waves of displaced stone and dirt in Franceska's general direction.
<Franceska> It is also Rosemund's general direction, as Franceska keeps near her.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie has some difficulty wearing through the stone shell, but then finds herself working through a complicated, layered aggregate of materials arranged in some perhaps arcane fashion. After perhaps a couple minutes of digging and boring a tunnel at least a couple hundred feet straight, Stephanie's clawed hands break out into open air, and then--
<El-Cideon> Light assails you. Not the cool, restrained blue of magelamps such as those at Coldlight Station, but the warm and suffuse brilliance of daylight--or something close enough, so unaccustomed are you after weeks in darkness that the effusive glow almost sears your eyes. It is a long moment's squint before your vision adjusts sufficiently to take in the strange panorama before you:
<El-Cideon> You find yourself some twenty feet above ground, looking out upon an emerald lawn kept rather frighteningly well in trim given the plane of residence. Gazing beyond over the landscape, you can discern patterns of agriculture tended to by distant but perhaps human minders.
<El-Cideon> You are at the edge of what looks to be a dome several miles in diameter. The countryside is arranged in broadly circular fashion, with a crystal lake central to the landscape, long low houses and a beaten track in turn ringing that. The only larger residence is a squat tower set flush against the wall on the opposite side of the dome.
<El-Cideon> Local illumination appears to emanate from the roof of the dome. From this distance it is difficult to determine whether it is one grand light source up there or, more practically speaking, a tremendous array of magically-produced small lights. Whatever the case, it is as warm and bright as a comfortable Solata afternoon within the dome. Moreover, upon reaching inside, even the malignant entropic energies of the negative energy plane feel as though they are held at bay by some unknown force.
<El-Cideon> Gravity also reasserts itself here--down, within the confines of Whitsunhold, is once again genuinely down.
<Steph> Stephanie scrambles out the hole and down the wall, looking over the confines with a rather bemused glance.
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | '
<Julia> Seeing light break through, Julia crawls in through the hole and after Stephanie.
<Franceska> "She could have made a larger hole," Franceska complains, gesturing for Rosemund to go in first.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund trundles along after, and after peering around Julia in some confusion at the light ahead, apprehends the height of your exit and passes up a coil of rope.
<El-Cideon> Marina and other sundry guests bring up the rear behind Franceska. Rover stays right where he is, smiling obliviously.
<Julia> Accepting the rope, Julia reaches the edge and looks for anything she can affix it to.
<El-Cideon> "Er, does anyone have a spare knife?" Rosemund wonders, gesturing with her mace to demonstrate the idea of bashing one in as a piton.
<Steph> Stephanie looks around at her apparent landing position to see if there's any domiciles worth visiting nearby.
<Franceska> "It would be Stephanie, of course."
<El-Cideon> Stephanie sees that the nearest longhouse is past a row of fields. A pair of elderly humans trundle through one harvesting some low-growing viney crop, each dressed in simple, white roughspun tunic and trousers. They do not appear to have noticed Stephanie's intrusion.
<Julia> "Oh, nevermind," Julia passes the rope back and then just jumps down. She can heal herself!
<Steph> "Hey! Hello!" calls Stephanie, walking towards the humans.
<El-Cideon> "Er, if that is how we are going to do this," Rosemund says with a shrug, toppling down with a crash.
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6 Julia, first d6 nonlethal
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d6 Julia, first d6 nonlethal and gets 7."12 [2d6=6, 1]
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6 Rosey, first d6 nonlethal
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d6 Rosey, first d6 nonlethal and gets 6."12 [2d6=2, 4]
<El-Cideon> Marina, bemused, casts a simple spell and floats down.
<El-Cideon> The farmers--a man and a woman, the former with one milky eye and the latter walking with a pronounced limp--look up at Stephanie's greeting uncertainly. After the loud crash of an armored Rosemund, they both turn in fright and hobble off towards the house.
* Franceska follows after Rosemund while Darrin floats down to alight upon her shoulder.
<Julia> A quick inflict spell eases all of Julia's woes!
<Julia> roll 1d8+5
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8+5 and gets 9."12 [1d8=4]
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6 Fran, first d6 nonlethal
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d6 Fran, first d6 nonlethal and gets 9."12 [2d6=6, 3]
<Steph> Stephanie whirls around to look at Rosemund and Julia, confused. "What are you doing?" she complains, walking over.
<El-Cideon> "Julia did it first," Rosemund says, not without due embarrassment.
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6 Alice, first d6 nonlethal
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d6 Alice, first d6 nonlethal and gets 8."12 [2d6=6, 2]
<Julia> "I'm not very good at climbing," Julia says without shame, dusting herself off and standing up.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15 Istradi CLIMBING!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+15 Istradi CLIMBING! and gets 22."12 [1d20=7]
<Franceska> "It wasn't that far," Franceska agrees. "Shall we?"
<El-Cideon> Istradi casually descends the wall rather than following the example set by her peers. "Do you always plan your infiltrations with such peerless precision?" she wonders.
<Steph> "I didn't hear you come up with a cunning scheme."
<Julia> "Does negative energy heal you as well?" Julia asks Alice, just in case she can't take care of herself.
<Franceska> "There was no point in trying after Stephanie approached the locals," Franceska muses. "Come to think of it, what did they have to say?"
<El-Cideon> Alice nods.
<Steph> "They ran away, of course. I'd run away from us, too. Anyway, this place can't be too bad!"
<Julia> Then she gets an inflict spell as well!
<Julia> roll 1d8+5
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8+5 and gets 9."12 [1d8=4]
<El-Cideon> Alice bows in thanks.
<Julia> "It does certainly look rather benign on the surface, doesn't it?" Julia muses as she heads after Stephanie.
<Steph> "An awful lot of work went into making this place habitable, so we might as well ask the how and why," replies Stephanie, starting towards the next closest house.
<El-Cideon> "I'm not sure how this exists here," Marina says. "It's almost...pleasant."
<El-Cideon> The house is long, low lodge with a peaked roof. It's constructed of timber and lined with open windows. The door does not appear to have a lock of any kind, but neither is anyone coming out to greet you.
<Steph> Stephanie walks towards the door and knocks on it. "Um, hello? Did we scare you? I'm real sorry about that!"
<El-Cideon> Someone within twitches aside a window curtain, gives Stephanie a frightened shooing motion, and then disappears again.
<Steph> Stephanie looks confused, and then turns around and shrugs. "You want me to go sneak ahead and look around, then?" she asks. "Don't think these guys will be in a hurry to tell anyone anything."
<Franceska> "We are looking for William Alcembron," Franceska calls out to those within the house.
<El-Cideon> "I did not mean to make such a loud noise like that," Rosemund apologizes for her part, "but, ah, there was no easy way to get down from the wall, and anyway Julia did it first," she adds, falling back on this redoubtable defense.
<Julia> "I'm a good influence," Julia adds proudly.
<El-Cideon> Franceska's query prompts a slight crack of the door. "Solanth Lodge," the half-blind man whispers. "Go on, shoo, you'll get us in trouble!" Then he shuts the door again.
<Franceska> "Ah yes. Stephanie, go find out where that is."
<El-Cideon> Alice, for her part, casts an occasional uncomfortable glance towards the "sunlight."
<Steph> "I feel less good about this place now," complains Stephanie, starting to slink her way towards the tower.
<Julia> "Why would you ever feel good about it to start with?" Julia asks. "This is clearly all just a facade to hide whatever rotten core lurks within."
<Steph> "Yeah, but it's pretty."
<Julia> "So are... wait, nevermind," Julia says, the succubus comparison lacking weight after the heroic sacrifice of Xondra.
<Steph> Stephanie winks at Julia, and then heads off.
<El-Cideon> "A facade is meant to be seen, not buried," Istradi points out. The road of beaten earth wends its way between similar houses and fields, around the lake in the general direction of the tower. You've yet to see any livestock; all agriculture here apparently is strictly fruit or vegetable. Most fields are tended, and the harvesters are mostly of a piece with those you've met--either aging or demonstrating some clear infirmity. They look up at your group's approach with varying reactions--uncertainty, worry, confusion, but never obvious welcome. Few run this time, however!
<Steph> roll 1d20+22 stealth
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+22 stealth and gets 35."12 [1d20=13]
<Steph> As fleet as ever, Stephanie hides behind buildings, trees, and occasionally casually walks past people with their heads turned elsewhere to draw closer to the tower.
<El-Cideon> roll 4#1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 4#1d20+11 and gets 95."12 [4#1d20+11 = 22, 28, 15, 30]
<El-Cideon> Stephanie reaches the longhouse nearest the tower without difficulty. It is not guarded, but something near it is--a grand and palatial door is set into the dome wall next to the tower and guarded by four men in armor. At least, one can only presume they are men--helmeted and fully clad in mail, even their eyes are shaded from casual view by the narrowness of their helmet visors. Two stand with ranseurs ready, the other pair with greatswords. All stand perfectly still and at attention, though Stephanie appears to have eluded their scrutiny. The tower itself does not look obviously secured by any means.
<El-Cideon> While waiting for Stephanie, Rosemund decides to approach another set of field hands. "Excuse me, sir," she says to a stooped man with long white hair. "We were hoping that you could direct us to William Alcembron," she says. "We were told that he is in Solanth Lodge, but not where this might be."
<Steph> Knights. Why did it have to be knights? Stephanie hates knights, mostly out of old memories of being chased by them. Sometimes they were on horses, she dimly recalls. She looks up the tower to see if there are other modes of entry.
<El-Cideon> There are both ground floor windows and one quite large picture window on the second floor.
<El-Cideon> The old man glances around from one side to another before pointing Rosemund to a specific house--nearest to the tower on the other side of the lake--and giving her a pleading glance to just be on her way already and leave him to his work.
<Franceska> "This feels like slavery, doesn't it?" Franceska muses, staying at Rosemund's side while Darrin soars up to stealthily watch for any signs of hostility.
<Steph> Stephanie turns invisible! And slinks towards and past the guards, aiming to peer in one of the windows and climb in, if it seems feasible.
<El-Cideon> "We do not mean any harm," Rosemund insists politely. "Are you mistreated in any way?" she presses. "What is wrong?"
<Franceska> roll 1d20+30 Darrin is invisible!
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+30 Darrin is invisible! and gets 50."12 [1d20=20]
<Julia> "No, it feels more like a placid village with a dark terrible secret to me," Julia says after a moment's thought.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie looks in upon what looks like a respectable clinic, presently empty. Medically useful reagants sit in jars upon shelves and an array of clean hospital beds is arrayed before the window. There is an open door across from her, and she can see a stairway leading up.
<El-Cideon> Again the man looks around. "No," he insists, quietly, "we're not. You should be on your way!" he adds.
<Steph> Stephanie slips inside, and then slinks towards the stairs whilst her invisibility lasts. OOC: 5 rounds, fyi
<Franceska> "Or else what? Who is going to come?"
<El-Cideon> Just before the stairway, to the left and to the right are: a closed door, likely the tower entrance; and what looks like a barracks, with comfortable beds curtained off from one another for some degree of privacy. A few of these are occupied by men and women, some dozing, some reading. They are dressed in white surgical robes and none appear to have noticed Stephanie.
<Steph> Stephanie opts to head up the stairs.
<El-Cideon> "The queen," the old man breathes nervously. "And if she asks, I didn't see you!" He shuffles off to emphasize this point and goes back to picking beans.
<Franceska> "We might as well get out of sight," Franceska suggests, "and into that lodge." Darrin can alert her when he spots Stephanie, most likely.
<El-Cideon> Upstairs is merely a single bedroom, but said living quarters are quite spacious by the standards of Whitsunhold. The bed is fluffy and expansive, there are dressers and, in one corner, a rather well-stocked wine cabinet. An array of logbooks sits on a desk set before a broad picture window that grants a fine and unobstructed view of the local domain. There is a woman sitting before the desk, with her back turned to Stephanie. She is busy writing, occasionally looking up to glance out the window. She is dressed much like a Solati bureaucrat and has long blonde hair.
<Julia> "Alright. I hope Stephanie's not getting into any trouble," Julia says as she starts heading around the lake.
<Franceska> "Of course she is getting into trouble."
<El-Cideon> The beaten track rounds the tower, near which Franceska, Julia and the rest see a grand gate guarded by a quartet of armed and armored knights. None take any action on your passing by.
<Steph> Stephanie walks over to peer over the woman's shoulder and see what she's writing.
<Julia> Julia nods in passing to the guards as they pass, though admittedly she finds their lack of reaction somewhat disquieting.
<El-Cideon> The woman is tracking harvest yields, it appears. She is likely in her twenties or thirties, though her long, thin face is drawn in a way that makes her look older.
<Steph> roll 1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+14 and gets 28."12 [1d20=14]
<Steph> "I think you might need better guards," Stephanie remarks, standing to the side.
<El-Cideon> The lodge the group was directed to has one figure sitting on the porch at the front, looking out over the lake. He sits in a curiously wheeled chair, the reason for which might be obvious on close examination--his legs are twisted and bent beyond any possible use. He could be anywhere in his fifties, perhaps as much as sixty, with closely-trimmed white hair, and radiates the stolid air of an old soldier. Unlike everyone else within Whitsunhold, he looks upon the group with obvious interest.
<El-Cideon> The woman whips around in Stephanie's direction with a terrified shriek!
<Julia> "William Alcembron?" Julia asks as they approach.
<Franceska> "It would make sense, being as you are the first whose spirit isn't crushed."
<El-Cideon> "Yes," he confirms simply. "You have the advantage of me," he points out. "I was not expecting guests."
<Julia> "Julia Astin," Julia introduces herself. "We've been searching for you and your former companions for some time, actually."
<El-Cideon> "My former companions?" he says with interest. Looking over the rest of the group, he responds with a tight grimace at sight of both Rosemund and Alice. "For what purpose?" he adds.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund suddenly, self-consciously blushes. "I suppose that I should have put my hat back on," she admits.
<Steph> Stephanie ripples into existence, looking smug. "Hey, don't be scared! I don't talk to people if I'm gonna hurt them. Before I'm hurting them, I mean. Can we talk? I'm Steph!" She giggles.
<Julia> "Ah, don't let the appearance fool you, Rosemund there is a cleric of Pelor, we just ran afoul of a rather nasty lilitu's idea of a prank that led to her current appearance. And Alice is nice," for all that she lacks any explanation for her mummified appearance.
<Franceska> "Rosemund wants to save them," Franceska says, indicating her friend. "And there is something about your old leader and how she went crazy. There is always a slim chance one of you would know just why and a good way to stop her."
<El-Cideon> The familiar look of nervousness is soon replaced on the woman's face by determined concern. "How did you get here?" she asks. "What do you want?"
<Steph> "Magic!" Stephanie sits on the woman's desk. "After days and days and days of floating through ineffable, insufferable blackness, so will you forgive me? You're the first... normal person... I've seen. In weeks. The others are all, well, they're all a bit..." She swirls a finger around her head. "I ran out of rum, and, you should know, I usually carry enough to tend bar on Saturday."
<El-Cideon> William looks to Franceska with interest. "That sounds like a story," he says, gesturing the group forward. "Let's not loiter out here so obviously. Bailey Weaver might be bringing 'Her Majesty' out for her rounds anytime now. Wouldn't do to gather out in the open." He nods to the lodge behind him.
<Julia> "Yes, it all started when Galina Merowyn stole a magic... er, weapon, from the church Rosemund works out." Sword or a mace... maybe a hammer, she can never remember. "So we've been tracking her old comrades to try and find her. And in the process discovered that she's been stealing a lot more than weapons." At that point she nods and lets William lead them into the church.
<Franceska> "Ah yes," she says, stepping inside. "So it is Queen Auranelle? And undead, at that?"
<El-Cideon> The woman sits rigid in her seat, eyeing Stephanie with a mix of uncomfortable emotions. "Why. Are. You. Here?" she presses. "We don't often have visitors, we're not *supposed* to have any, and the last group--" She bites her lip. "They were even less polite. Tell me what you want!"
<El-Cideon> Within the lodge, which is a very modest barracks with a tolerable degree of comfort but little privacy for those who might sleep there (presently, it is unoccupied), William first turns to Franceska's question: "A cunning duplicate, I'm sure," he says with confidence. "Created for what purpose, I couldn't say, but rest assured--" And here old bitterness overtakes him, "--Queen Auranelle is dead, most heinously murdered. This imposter sullies her name by presuming to inherit it."
<Steph> Stephanie considers the woman for a moment. "I thought the tower would have a princess inside, just waiting to be rescued," she admits. "See, I'm an adventurer! I go to interesting places to see what's there. And this place is interesting." She smiles genially at the woman. "And I think you're interesting, too. Because you're the boss around here?"
<Franceska> "Being dead wouldn't preclude her from being undead," Franceska asserts, glancing over to Julia. "Would it?"
<Julia> "It's something of a prerequisite," Julia agrees with a smile.
<El-Cideon> "You just wandered in to see what was happening?" the woman says in amazement. "There are no princesses here," she says with a sharp, bitter laugh. "Something like a queen, perhaps." She pauses and looks Stephanie over. "I'm Flora Weaver. I suppose I am, nominally, in charge." She looks out the window with a distant expression.
<Franceska> "But that aside, just what is going on here?"
<Steph> "You're the queen? Queen Flora?"
<El-Cideon> William tacitly refuses to acknowledge any possibility of the queen being The Queen. "What is going on here?" he repeats. "I wonder that sometimes myself. I've tracked some seven months since I was delivered here--there's a sort of day and night. As you could guess, I'm not in much position to go looking for answers, but I can observe and draw some theories. The royal guards, for example? Certainly undead, I've seen my share before. They never falter, shift in place, or seem to breathe like a mortal man should. The fieldhands are most like me--cast-offs from across the planes. They work for their own upkeep, try best to put on the right airs when her majesty's about, and once in a while they just disappear."
<El-Cideon> Flora, with another humorless laugh, shakes her head. "No, no--my official title is Bailey. I'm just supposed to track crop yields, citizen health, that sort of thing. The queen is--" she hesitates, "--something else altogether."
<Franceska> "But why would she collect infirm and cripples?" Franceska asks bluntly. "We theorized it might be to make undead out of you all, but-- I really see no reason for any of this."
<Julia> "I still can't really imagine what her goal is from all of this," Julia says, altogether puzzled by this bizarre setup. "Still, we ought to find out, we can leave tracking down Galina till afterwards?"
<Steph> "An evil queen!" Stephanie nods with enthusiasm.
<El-Cideon> Bailey Weaver looks long and hard at Stephanie. "What is it that you mean to do here?" she asks seriously.
<Steph> "Find out what this so-called Auranelle is all about. Then, give her a spanking or ask her for help," muses Stephanie. "But our beloved monarch doesn't seem to be doing a stellar job of winning hearts and minds, hmm?"
<El-Cideon> "I don't know myself," William says. "*No one* seems to know. I've spent my time here talking to the other inmates--so I call us--and no one seems to understand anything more than the importance of keeping up appearances. Funny thing is, I can't find anyone's been here more than a couple years, either, except Bailey Weaver and her cronies, and she's not about to explain anything either. You can ask her majesty herself whenever she makes her rounds, but I don't reckon you'll get too many answers out of her either." He shakes his head grimly, and finally addresses that lingering other point: "But here, what is this about Galina? Did she send you lot?"
<Franceska> "She's taken to abducting mages, I'm afraid."
<El-Cideon> "Her Majesty cares deeply for her subjects," Bailey Weaver says, as if by rote, then adding with less spirit: "She reminds us every day."
<El-Cideon> William looks at Franceska with frank disbelief.
<Julia> "You remember Victoria Crane?" Julia asks. "Galina has expanded on her work, I think to make some sort of weapon or defence against the lower planes."
* Franceska stares calmly back at him. "You might remember a certain asylum on Air? She's trying to reproduce that."
<Steph> "I can feel the love," replies Stephanie, rolling her eyes. "Level with me. What's really goin' on here?"
<El-Cideon> "I can only guess," Bailey Weaver says. "I've spent nine years here and Her Majesty hasn't aged a day or seemed to take much note of any new thing. Except, well--but even that she hasn't mentioned more than the once. Really, I don't know what you expect to accomplish here, but you should leave while you can."
<El-Cideon> William's skepticism is overwhelming. "You have an undertaking ahead of you to convince me of any of that nonsense," he says firmly. "None of this sounds like the woman I knew."
<Steph> "'sokay, I can bail and leave you alone at any time," replies Stephanie. "Even if doom is literally imminent. So I feel really safe talking to you about your problems." She walks over to the wine cabinet. "So how did you end up here, anyway? You're not injured like the rest."
<El-Cideon> "Not anymore," Flora says, without elaboration. "Drow raided my town when I was a young woman. They sold me to emissaries of the Queen. And that," she concludes dispiritedly, "has been my life story."
<Julia> "Remember Wilfrid Wroclaw?" Julia asks. "He worked out a lot of the ways to adapt on Victoria's work, they've been together for decades now, setting up asylums all over the planes where they kidnap spellcasters to fuel their work. I think the holy weapon she stole is meant to act as some sort of catalyst in it, but that's just supposition. We've been to one of those asylums though, so that's
<Julia> a fact."
<El-Cideon> "But it is true!" Rosemund insists. "We found a message that she left to warn all her old friends to stay away from her. That does not sound to me like she is still the person you knew, would you not agree?"
<Steph> Stephanie peers over the vintages. "I can probably make a way for you to get back," she remarks. "Through the Queen, it sounds like she might object. What is she about?"
<Franceska> "Something clearly made her snap. And she never bothered seeking any of you out, did she?"
<Julia> "And all of you have direly needed someone to seek you out from what I've seen so far," Julia mutters.
<Franceska> "There is also the fact that we rescued your sister and after she stayed with Marina for a while, we found someone to try and help her get better."
<El-Cideon> "We parted ways," William says, "each for our own business. Brijid and I went to fend off those slavers we'd heard about moving in on Peridot--you can see how well that went, I figure to this day that someone in town must have warned them about us. Galina was supposed to take the children to one of the heavens after the castle was repaired. I've no knowledge of what she might have thought to do after that." He looks sharply at Franceska. "Brijid? She's free?" he asks with obvious relief.
<Julia> "Yes, and we liberated Marcus from a strange fairy's art collection."
<Franceska> "The slavers messed with her mind, I am sorry to say. But there is a chance of recovery, now that she is indeed safe."
<El-Cideon> "Why, she is committed only to our health and prosperity," Flora says without much conviction. "She steps out from her palace all sunshine and cheer most days to have a look around her domain and be assured that all is well in the world. What she does out of our sight, I could not guess."
<Steph> "What does she do when things aren't all well in the world?"
<El-Cideon> "A first step," William says to Franceska. "There always has to be a first step. And what in all the heavens was Marcus doing in an art collection?"
<Franceska> "Pretty much all of you lot got captured by one slaver or another. It doesn't look like parting ways was the best of choices, in retrospect."
* Franceska purses her lips. "We can brag some more about who we rescued and who we haven't gotten to yet, but first, would you happen to recognize the name Azalea Harbinger?"
<El-Cideon> Flora's left arm twitches, and she scratches at it with fierce irritation. "I've only really seen it once. We had other visitors a few weeks back. As I said, they weren't so polite--her majesty came out the next day and gave us a speech about these vile assassins and due retribution and what have you...but even then she was all wounded dignity and regal pride. Any anger there was so contained. That's the worst part, really," Flora concludes. "She is always so leveled."
<Steph> "Who were they?" asks Stephanie, curiously.
<El-Cideon> William nods in recognition. "Mage," he recalls. "Reconnaissance and scrying countermeasures. Good woman. What of her?"
<El-Cideon> "She is my aunt!" Rosemund puts in. "And she is missing. We thought that she might be here since she was looking into rumors about the queen."
<Franceska> "Yes, she was abducted in the capital for asking questions about the late, beloved Queen Auranelle. She would either be back there or here, it seems."
<El-Cideon> Flora shrugs. "They didn't stop to introduce themselves. Some of this I had to piece together asking the citizens afterwards. A gang of soldiers forced their way in--how they found us, how they entered, I still don't know, but apparently they'd an angel to guide them through the plane outside. They got through the palace gates somehow, and then--nothing. Whatever they meant to do, they clearly failed."
<El-Cideon> William shakes his head. "She's not here," he says. "I would've heard of it by now. I should say I'm sorry, but--perhaps best she's back in Solanth, yes?"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund slumps in place, just a little.
<Steph> Stephanie purses her lips. "So the Queen hangs out in the palace," she says. "But she comes out to look around from time to time?"
<Julia> "Isn't this a big place? Surely there's places someone could be kept without your knowledge?"
<Franceska> It's what always made the most sense, but Franceska sees no need to aggravate Rosemund by pointing it out. "Can you tell us more about the kind of force that the queen here commands?"
<El-Cideon> "In the palace, perhaps," William admits. To Franceska: "That I've seen out and about? Just the knights. They don't do more than stand about, most of the time. They keep us out of the palace and--well, sometimes there's night attacks, I don't know what by, but if the knights don't get there fast enough we find the next morning there's been a few disappearances." William frowns. "I know that's not all she's got at her command. Wasn't her majesty that bought me from the drow, was this pale sorceress acting in her name, hair cut tomboyish and all gadded up like a royal chancellor. I've never seen her visit us inmates." He shrugs. "As for how many soldiers she has, I couldn't say. There's always four on guard at the gates, at least."
<Franceska> "If we stay out here and wait, she will inevitably come out to us?"
<El-Cideon> Flora nods. "She seems...happy...to see everyone doing well. So much so that one thinks it an ill notion to appear less then happy."
<Steph> Stephanie purses her lips. "Do people get into trouble, and if so what does that mean?"
<El-Cideon> "In due time, I'm sure," William says. "She hasn't been out yet today. What is it you have in mind?"
<Franceska> "Talk to her. Likely kill her and her guards. Then find some means of sending you all back to Solata."
<El-Cideon> "That's basically my responsibility," Flora says. "But you understand, most of the citizens--they're not in a position to cause much trouble. And most of them don't because, well--the other citizens, they'll remind each other the proper way to behave. Just by example. You can't understand if you don't live here. It's just in the air, that you don't make waves."
<Julia> "We could do the last part without killing her first," Julia points out for the sake of completeness.
<El-Cideon> "And what are your martial capabilities?" William asks. "You're not the first ones to try recently, in fact. The last group didn't fare too well."
<Franceska> "There are too many here and our travel spells are too inaccurate," Franceska muses. "We'll be discovered partway, and then there won't be a chance to talk it over."
* Franceska tilts her head. "A group of undead, I presume?"
<Steph> "'strue. You sorta forget how normal people really live when you wander around as much as me," reflects Stephanie, pulling out a bottle of wine and returning to the table. "Do you want to leave?"
<Julia> "I like to think we're decently strong," Julia says, though she can't think of any impressive examples to sell it. Oh, we beat up Blackbird! He's this skinny fairy... and the time we beat up a demon girl who had tentacles coming out of her back? No, none of it really sings to her.
<El-Cideon> William shakes his head. "Didn't look it. Human soldiers with a celestial guide. Didn't run an obvious standard or announce their cause, but their uniform announced itself to me mostly by lack of uniform. Dress plain, dress for deniability, that's the uniform of the King's Shadows. My guess, at least." He nods to your group's obvious youth. "Probably you all don't remember, it was a group the Regent put together after the Queen was murdered. To quietly remove individual threats without complication."
<El-Cideon> Flora pours herself a glass of wine and takes a long swig. "Do you really think it's within your power to bring that about?" she asks skeptically.
<Franceska> "Lovely."
<Julia> "No starburst in shades of grey then?" Julia asks. Sounds like yet another faction to keep track of...
<Steph> "I killed a fallen angel once. True story."
<El-Cideon> William shakes his head.
<El-Cideon> "Then you maybe have the right experience," Flora admits. As she's speaking, a little bell dings insistently on her desk. The woman pales, stands up instantly and turns toward the stairs.
<Steph> "Should I go?" asks Stephanie, frowning.
<El-Cideon> "She's here!" Flora announces before bolting downstairs with careless haste.
<El-Cideon> Within the cabin, a bell by the door rings out. William looks up. "Ah. Inspection time again."
<Franceska> "Time for us to be presentatble, then."
<El-Cideon> "Er, should I put my hat on after all?" Rosemund wonders.
<Julia> "So are we going to make nice or just all jump on her from the get-go?" Julia asks, casting false life regardless.
<Julia> roll 1d10+10
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d10+10 and gets 18."12 [1d10=8]
<El-Cideon> "Maybe we can figure out whether she is actually the Queen first?" Rosemund wonders, with an apologetic look for William's sensibilities.
<Steph> Stephanie frowns, then clicks her heels to activate her boots. A moment later, she turns invisible again, and flies out to hide somewhere close to the palace doors.
<Franceska> "It wouldn't hurt," Franceska tells Rosemund, before adding, "We should first ask nicely and make certain Rosemund's aunt isn't here. I suppose it would help to try and find out what she is trying to accomplish as well."
<El-Cideon> OOC: roll stealthies? Even invisible, it's necessary.
<Steph> OOC: Should I roll the ridiculous +invis mod since pathfinder, or is it NA?
<El-Cideon> OOC: ridiculous mod
<Steph> roll 1d20+42
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+42 and gets 61."12 [1d20=19]
* Franceska will wait on casting anything until Darrin alerts her that something is coming their way.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie arrives outside to see the palace doors grinding shut--she can just catch a glimpse of a sumptuous entry hall within before they slide closed. Queen Auranelle has commandeered the quartet of guards, and as for the self-professed monarch herself--well, she certainly looks the part. She is dressed in a fabulous ivory and gold gown, wears a high jeweled crown, and one resplendently bejeweled ring on each hand. She looks comfortably within the bounds of normal adult age, with the somewhat fleshy appearance of someone whose living has always constituted giving orders to others, yet tempered by a motherly sort of regal dignity. Her copious black hair is bound up in a layered mass of braids, she is quite pale and also, very obviously in contradiction to some theories, corporeal. She beams a friendly smile upon Flora. "Ah, Goodlady Weaver--have the gods not blessed Us with another beautiful morning?"
<El-Cideon> OOC: appraise or K:Nobility are applicable here if you like
<Steph> As the gates grind shut, Stephanie tries to warp her way inside!
<El-Cideon> Stephanie finds herself faced with another, equally imposing door across from her. There are no other apparent exits. She also finds, as the main gate closes, that neither of them demonstrate any clear way of being opened.
<Steph> Disgruntled, Stephanie walks towards the other door and surveys it more closely.
<Steph> roll 1d20+13 look harder, Steph
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+13 look harder, Steph and gets 24."12 [1d20=11]
<El-Cideon> Shortly, the rest of the group can spy a group approaching their location--a fantastically dressed, yet basically human-looking woman guarded by a quartet of knights, and shadowed a pace behind by a nervous-looking blond woman dressed in an official's austere regalia.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie does not discern any apparent latch, lock, handle, switch, lever, or other physical means of activating the movement of these heavy doors.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund puts her hat back on, just in case, and gestures outside to the others inquisitively.
<Steph> With that seeming to not be an option, Stephanie looks over the rest of the opulent hall to see what is present.
<Julia> "So, do we hide? Attack? Grovel?" Julia asks, unsure what the plan is.
<Franceska> It seems like the best time to activate her bead of karma, and then imbue her hand with magic. Death Ward completes her preparations, and then she adjusts the gaudy crown upon her head, offering, "We can step outside and introduce ourselves, I think?"
<Julia> "Grovel it is," Julia nods, stepping outside.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie sees brilliant gold and crimson drapes; some respectable tapestries depicting battles won, deeds of valour, royal weddings, religious ceremonies; and some fine upholstered furniture. The light dimly illuminating this high-ceilinged room is torchlight.
<El-Cideon> The Queen's attention is immediately turned to her uninvited guests, a sight which sends an obvious jolt of fright through her attendant. "Ah, but who is this?" the Queen asks in a gregarious and cheerful manner, sweeping forward to greet her visitors. "Goodlady Weaver, you did not inform Us that We had foreign emmissaries present!" she chides her aide. There is nothing of suspicion or wariness in the Queen's tone as she addresses her visitors: "What brings you to Our kingdom, hearty travelers?"
<El-Cideon> OOC: Heal can be rolled here, as can K:Nobility
<Julia> roll 1d20+14 heal
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+14 heal and gets 26."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14 Heal Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14 Heal Rosey and gets 18."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+23 Alice?
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+23 Alice? and gets 29."12 [1d20=6]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+7 K:N
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+7 K:N and gets 22."12 [1d20=15]
<Steph> Stephanie walks towards the door to scrutinize it for even the smallest possible opening, or failing that, seeing where she could make a small opening.
<Julia> "Why, we are but simple travellers, your majesty," Julia says with a bow, electing to be nice and to lie. "Hearing tell of your oasis of serenity amidst this dreadful plane, how could we not come pay our respects?"
<Franceska> "The rumors clearly did not do you justice, Majesty," Franceska follows up with, curtsying.
<El-Cideon> Alice, Rosemund, Marina and Istradi all have the sense to follow Julia's example. "Dreadful?" the Queen echoes with a raised eyebrow. "But Solata dwells within the light of the sun," she gestures broadly around her, "as do all the nations of men. Does the light not shine so brightly in your kingdom as in Ours?" she teases elegantly.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie finds the meeting of the great gates nearly airtight, but it is the only conceivable opening. They slide in/out of the wall rather than being hinged.
<Julia> Oh, not allowed to mention the plane of death? She can work with that! "Sadly the swamps east of Solata lie under near perpetual shade and gloom. Truly a benighted place compared to your own realm, your majesty."
<El-Cideon> "Oh!" she brightens up. "We have said, have We not, that We must construct more proper roads 'round this blighted zone for the betterment of trade and for the health and safety of such intrepid traveles? Bailey Weaver, you must see to this project forthwith!" The Queen's aide curtseys apologetically. "Of course, Your Majesty," she says stiffly, giving the guests a warning glance. The Queen smiles. "Shall the rest of you be so good as to introduce yourselves?"
<Steph> She's certainly not going to be strong enough to open these gates, and she isn't at all sure she wants to punch a hole through them and leave a trace of her presence. This leaves Stephanie in the uneviable position of needing to wait until someone decides to open them, and in the meantime she looks for somewhere to hide in this remarkably open room.
<El-Cideon> "Rosemund Whitefall, Your Majesty," Rosemund says. Istradi and Marina introduce themselves in turn, the former sounding quite uninterested in this entire spectacle. Alice, for her part, exaggeratedly draws a finger across her mouth to suggest muteness. "Oh, you poor creature!" The Queen sympathizes.
<El-Cideon> There's chairs and sofas aplenty for Stephanie to duck behind. (OOC: feel free to roll Stealth in the event of needing it later)
<Steph> roll 1d20+22 stealth.
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+22 stealth. and gets 33."12 [1d20=11]
<Franceska> "Franceska Durant, Majesty," she introduces herself, before deciding to ask, "Might I humnly inquire if there is a sorceress in this realm?"
<El-Cideon> "We have none directly in Our employ, except to such extent that all of Solati birth are such of course. Naturally We are a kingdom of many and varied talents, and people of such abilities do thrive in Our towns and cities. Would you be so good as to tell Us, Miss Durant, how you are finding Our kingdom on this fine day? We have done the best with Our gods-given authority to do well by Our people, and We ever strive to improve their lot."
<Franceska> "As Julia has so aptly stated, your realm is a jewel amidst its surroundings, which simply pale in comparison," Franceska responds. "Ah, and amidst that varied talent, would there happen to be one Azalea Harbinger? We were quite hoping to run into her."
<El-Cideon> "We know naught of such a woman," the Queen admits, "but there are ever so many contented souls within Our happy realm. Bailey Weaver, know you anything of this woman?" The Queen's aide shakes her head and gives Franceska a nervous look. "I know of none such, Your Majesty. I may search census records if such would be of service to you." "Yes, do see to it!" the Queen agrees, seemingly immediately forgetting about the entire matter. "Is there anything that We might do to make your stay more comfortable?" she asks you. "We are only pleased to share of Our bounty with polite guests."
<Franceska> "Such a hospitable reception demands that we ask if there is any way we might repay such kindness," Franceska voices. "Majesty, does this realm have any enemies that we might deal with in your stead?"
<El-Cideon> From behind the Queen, Bailey Weaver shakes her head vigorously at Franceska. The Queen's smile never falters, but there is something strange in the way it seems locked in place now. "None that you need worry yourself with. Oh, from time to time some dark force attempts to abduct Our countrymen for purposes We might only presume the most wicked, but Our royal guards are of course perfectly capable of repelling such barbaric criminals. But of course, the fact of Our possessing enemies should not cast an ill light upon Us. The undead are an affront that afflict all nations from time to time. Our merit is that We have never succumbed to their like!" she pronounces proudly.
* Franceska inclines her head, saying, "Certainly, Majesty."
<El-Cideon> She inclines her chin regally. "We are pleased that Our virtue is acknowledged in all lands beneath the sun near and far. We see that your nation well breeds women of quality and distinction. Tell Us, from where is it that you hail?"
<Franceska> "As it happens my parents were originally from Solata, Majesty, but we've ended up traveling quite a bit in the meantime."
<Julia> "I'm from swampy and dour Miravel," Julia replies. "Your majesty."
<El-Cideon> "Oh, you must find Our green fields quite an alien comfort!" The Queen proclaims to Julia. To Franceska, she nods. "Then it pleases Us to welcome you back to your ancestral home with open arms, Miss Durant," she says. "Well, shall We be on Our way, Goodlady Weaver?" she says to her aide. "We have much to survey, and only so many hours within the day." She moves towards the group to sweep past them, and Bailey Weaver mouths silently but plainly to all of you: No More Questions.
* Julia nods a tiny bit to show she understands.
<El-Cideon> The Queen moves on with her entourage clockwise around the lake. From his seated position by the lodge, William just shakes his head as though he expected nothing more informative.
<Franceska> "The ring is the genuine article," Franceska muses once they are left alone, before asking Julia, "So what is she, you think?"
<El-Cideon> "Is she mad?" Rosemund wonders. "She was talking and talking as though this were a great kingdom but it is, really, just a cave!"
<Franceska> "That much seems obvious."
<El-Cideon> "I should hardly think it need said that she is daft," Istradi puts in. "We might as well kill her. I see no reason why she'd be missed."
<Julia> "I don't know. I did spot her attendant had a hand grafted onto her left wrist that wasn't originally hers though," Julia says.
<El-Cideon> Alice nods in quiet confirmation.
<Franceska> "How about gaining entrance to the castle while we have this opportunity? If she is a puppet, the puppetteer would be there right now, and without some of the guards."
<Julia> "I suppose we won't get anything by standing around here," Julia agrees.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods and leads the group back down the road towards the gate. William tags along for the sake of advice: "Beats me how they open it," he says. "There must be some magical trigger, because I've never seen anyone physically haul it open. It opens when they need it to." And indeed, there is no obvious means to open the gate manually.
* Franceska studies the gate, before gesturing towards it and casting Knock.
<El-Cideon> The door grinds open, revealing an opulently decorated entry hall, and a similarly imposing doorway directly across from you.
* Franceska frowns, and then casts another Knock on the door past it.
<Steph> "Oh, you're here," says Stephanie, standing up from behind a couch. "What're you doing here?"
<Julia> "Looking around... what are you doing here?" Julia retorts.
<El-Cideon> "Er, we sort of gave the Queen the slip," Rosemund says, explaining: "She is still out making her rounds."
<Steph> "Waiting for someone to open the door," replies Stephanie, jerking a finger at the door.
<El-Cideon> The outer doors rumble closed before the grand and palatial gates swing back. Behind the luxuriant facade, the interior of the "palace" is much grimmer and astonishingly reductive:
<El-Cideon> A bare and dimly torchlit metal hallway leads some sixty feet on to a circular atrium, wherein one can see a thirty-foot circle of steel paneling slightly protruding from the floor, a raised dais or display of some sort rising to waist level at the edge of this platform. To the right of this platform a plain door is set in the wall, and some sixty feet further beyond it, at the far end of the corridor, a monstrously secure-looking metal gate looms.
<El-Cideon> The metal platform is presently guarded by another squadron of Whitsunhold's silent knights: two each with greataxes and greatswords, flanked by ranseur users. A step behind and to each side of this group is a sturdier-looking knight in ornate filigreed armor with a longbow at the ready.
<El-Cideon> The entire group stands calmly but alertly, plainly noting your appearance but taking no immediate action.
<Franceska> "We might as well go, those were the spells I had."
<Julia> "Facade," Julia says with an air of vindication.
<Steph> "Hey, Julia, can you just take these things over? They're undead or something," notes Stephanie.
<Julia> "Yes but the rest will probably get violent as soon as I start, so I'll go for the fancy one first," Julia says, casting command undead on the longbow-toting guard.
<Julia> OOC: DC 22 will
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8 and gets 20."12 [1d20=12]
<Julia> OOC: no save needed if it has no int score
<El-Cideon> One of the knight captains turns deferentially to Julia at the exact same instant all of his comrades raise weapons in his direction--
<El-Cideon> OOC: init and then we'll pause.
<Franceska> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+1 and gets 20."12 [1d20=19]
<Julia> roll 1d20+2 Julia
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 Julia and gets 13."12 [1d20=11]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+5 Alice
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+5 Alice and gets 13."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7 Marina
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+7 Marina and gets 22."12 [1d20=15]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 Istradi
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 Istradi and gets 8."12 [1d20=2]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+2 Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+2 Rosey and gets 21."12 [1d20=19]
<Steph> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+9 and gets 26."12 [1d20=17]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 ally captain
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 ally captain and gets 11."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 enemy captain
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 enemy captain and gets 21."12 [1d20=15]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 axe guards
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 axe guards and gets 9."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 sword guards
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 sword guards and gets 26."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 ranseur guards
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 ranseur guards and gets 20."12 [1d20=14]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph = sword guard x2 (26) > Marina (22) > Rosey = enemy captain (21) > Fran = ranseur guard x2 (20) > Julia = Alice (13) > Ally captain (11) > axe guard x2 (9) > Istradi (8) > '
<El-Cideon> ~