Session 21 - Loose Ends

[fraz]

Session #21:
Loose Ends
[Sunday 04 March 06]

Sprouting Grass/Egg 8:

Arlen and Mirri hang out in the tavern.
Arlen continues to act strangely. He nibbles on cheese and constantly twitches his nose whilst looking about nervously.
Mirri is concerned for her friend.

Arlen notices an Orc in the tavern socializing with the humans. How odd.
Arlen eats and then plays music and tells stories to the patrons.
He and Mirri retire for the evening to a shared common room.

Meanwhile, Valen finishes his report to Coris.
He and Zurn finally leave.
Zurn checks on Himo and Belwar who are still unconscious.
They are under safe watch in the infirmary (which is connected to the chapel).
Zurn rests.

Sprouting Grass/Egg 9: Morning:
Arlen does not sleep well and is up too early.
He tries to awaken Mirri, but she will not get up.
He heads down to look for breakfast.
All is quiet. It seems that no-one is up yet.
Arlen pokes about looking for cheese.
He is still acting strange.
Urgrosh the Orc hears someone moving about and enters the common area to investigate.
Arlen turns to find Urgrosh watching him.
They introduce themselves.
Arlen plays music to awaken innkeeper... He is hoping that once the innkeeper is up that he will fix up some breakfast.
The innkeeper appears to investigate the noise. He asks Arlen to stop, promising some breakfast soon.
Mirri rises and goes outside to exercise.

Meanwhile:
Zurn awakens and heads to the inn.
He finds Arlen, who introduces him to Urgrosh, the Orc.
Zurn is quite surprised and suspicious to find an Orc here within the keep's walls.

Meanwhile:
Valen meets Coris in courtyard.
They exchange pleasantries.
Valen searches for Lady Corryn.
When he cannot find her he decides to head to the infirmary instead, but comes across the chapel of Ehlonna (which he did not know about).
He stops to pray to Ehlonna.

Meanwhile:
Mirri returns to the inn to find Arlen talking about shape changers with Zurn.
Arlen whispers that the innkeeper could be the shape changer. He surmises that it would be the best location/identity for a spy, since most of the soldiers must come through the tavern at one time or another.
Arlen eyes the innkeeper suspiciously.
Mirri cannot believe what she's hearing...
There is definitely something wrong with her friend.
Mirri decides to leave, intending to find help for her friend who is acting very oddly.

Valen looks up from his praying to find lady Corryn in the chapel.
They talk.
Valen sits to meditate some more.

Mirri enters and stops in to check on Himo and Belwar (who are still unconscious).
Mirri approaches Valen and addresses her concern about Arlen.
Valen introduces Mirri to Lady Corryn.
Mirri: "Meow"
Valen asks Corryn if she can come and investigate Arlen's strange behavior.

Valen, Mirri and Corryn go to inn where Corryn introduces herself to Arlen.
They talk.
Arlen is increasingly suspicious of everyone.
He states that she could be a shape changer.
Any of them could be a shape shifter...
Arlen himself could be one!
Corryn asks Arlen if he will come to the infirmary.
Arlen refuses... he likes it at the inn - it is safe.

He asks for more cheese.
Corryn goes to help the innkeeper.
Arlen is suspicious of them. He whispers to Zurn that they must be leaving together to conspire.
Zurn suggests that he listen to them so that he'll know that they aren't plotting something.
Arlen follows them and listens from around the corner.
When they return with the cheese he moves quickly back to his seat.
Corryn casts remove disease.

Once outside, she explains to Valen and Zurn and that they may not know until the end of the day if the spell has worked or not.
Valen is concerned about leaving Arlen at the inn, but Corryn is not willing to force the half-elf to go anywhere against his will.
She suggests that he talk to Commander Bob.

Valen talks with the commander, but the soldier is unwilling to take Arlen out of the inn by force.

The day eventually passes and all retire for the evening.
Arlen finally sleeps soundly that evening.

Sprouting Grass/Egg 10: Morning:
Himo finally awakens!
He is very weak and eats and drinks some water.

Valen, Zurn and Urgrosh pray in chapel (they all worship Ehlonna).
Valen talks with Lady Corryn.
Brother Degan enters and announces that Himo has awakened!
Zurn goes to check on him.
They talk.

The mage reports back to Valen that both of the pendants are magical.
The wooden one (with Joshua Tree) seems to be tailor made for sorcerers [1 extra spell per day].
The other one is more powerful - it's origin is unknown.
It has a powerful dweomor, but he cannot tell exactly what it does.
it could take a long time to determine its actual use.

Arlen awakens and feels well-rested and normal again.
He goes to check on Himo and Belwar.
He then reports to Coris and apologizes for failing to deliver his request for reinforcements from Gorna.

Zurn exits the keep and collects an acorn from outside the walls.
He returns and plants it in a dirt area of the courtyard.

Sprouting Grass/Egg 11:
Rest & recover.

Sprouting Grass/Egg 12:
Himo is fully recovered now.

Belwar finally awakens - he is weak and continues to rest.
He talks to Degoba.
Degoba helps retrieve a drinking skin out of Belwar's bag for him.
Belwar explains that it is special Dwarven water - but it is really beer, of course.

Valen talks to Coris and Corryn again.
Seeking for the 'Vortok'[?] priest, Danobar
Coris and Corryn explain that "Danobar was a peaceful man" [was he their friend?]
His deeds may have been misguided somehow...

Sprouting Grass/Egg 13:
Continue to rest & recover.

Sprouting Grass/Egg 14:
Belwar is up and moving about now.
Belwar finally leaves chapel.
He heads to the tavern and meets Urgrosh, who is now sitting with the group.

A huge discussion follows about what is next...
Valen and Zurn have apparently both had visions having something to do with Danobar, the dead priest.
Valen has explained his vision in detail to the group, but was confused by its meaning[?].
Zurn has not told the group of his vision, as he did not think it relevant.

Valen believes that Danobar's remains must be retrieved and laid to rest.
Unfortunately, this requires a journey into a potentially dangerous area west of the keep.
Valen, Belwar, Zurn, and Himo are all familiar with the area, having been there before.
They once followed a tunnel though to this area. The tunnel has since been blocked to prevent anyone from coming the opposite way.
Belwar is quite skeptical of this plan... how does this interest him?
Alren is also very skeptical.... it sounds very dangerous and even foolhardy to him. He wants to know more.
Mirri is willing to follow Arlen there if necessary.

[Much of these details are covered in ICDs and e-mails.]