May Event Log B: Return to Einjar

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	Return to Einjar's resolution is dependent on the choices the involved players make and will affect the resolution of Song of Suffering. It is not too late to sign up There will be a comment below for plot-specific questions and exploration we encourage everyone to use to help drive the resolutions/plot of the event. After you have read through this post please respond to This Poll as soon as you feel comfortable making the choices in it. Please respond even if your character is not participating in either event as the choice made effects the game world/all players.
🜙 Trouble in Preciposte April 26th
	The first stop on the excursion is Preciposte. Arrival to the Northern Outpost is greeted by near silence. Only a handful of people remain in the deserted outpost and all of them are waiting for the excursion team within the town's tavern. Stew and Hot Mead are available to anyone who needs or wants it and the outpost's designated healer has one of the larger rooms set up with beds for rest and recovery if anyone is injured during the side mission. The mountain goat satyr and her assistants, a very short kobold and a cheerful blue orc, are around to offer their help where needed but they won't leave the tavern. Once everyone is off the airships and crammed into the building, Ser Medraut has a few of his men hand out supplies and split the group into teams with different dedicated tasks. He explains the dangers of the mountain cliffs and the creatures that live at this altitude, including the cliff hawks that do not often differentiate between an easy animal meal or a person. He says that reports from Preciposte citizens that have been relocated to Krimnos claim a large flying beast with scales has been picking people off, and that at dusk its roars and screeches can be heard throughout the outpost. As he finishes and the teams are formed up the kobold in the tavern gets up on the bar to speak to the group. He explains that the little outpost might not look like much but for a lot of folks it's home and they'll do what they can to help the team while they search for the cause of the attacks. Whatever is hunting the mountains is big enough to take on the cliff hawks and it has already carried off a few of the Krimnos mountain horses (Clydesdales). The excursion company is split up into three teams with the Defensive team being made up of people on both teams to allow them to rotate. Team Task: Team Members ⤛ Search Track down, identify, and capture or kill the creature terrorizing Preciposte. Daenerys Targaryen Nike Lemercier Lauralae Robb Stark Poe Dameron Sypha Belnades ⤛ Rescue: Find any evidence of the missing Preciposte travelers and residents and return them or their bodies to the outpost if possible Alucard Jon Snow Trevor Kylo Ren Sansa Stark ⤛ Defense Protect Preciposte and the airships/supplies from attack, provide backup for the other teams where needed. Nike Lemercier Jon Snow Robb Stark Trevor Kylo Ren Sansa Stark Poe Dameron Search team is tasked with tracking down the beast, identifying it, and making the decision to kill or capture it and put an end to the terrorizing it has been doing to the outpost. The paths through and around the mountain Preciposte rests on the precipice of and its immediate surrounding mountains are their search area. While seeking out the creature the usual mountain threats (Cliff hawks, cave spindles, frost manticores, mountain trolls, dire bears, dire wolves, dire snow leopards, avalanches, rockslides, and crumbling cliff ledges). Scorch marks cover swathes of mountain sides and deep claw marks are scored into areas of stone. Scattered weaponry, destroyed and burnt carts, and an odd assortment of crumbled stone piles line the small ravines and sloped sides of the mountains, and a series of caves to explore dot the paths and dangerous off-path areas. A portion of the team is made of trackers and beastfolk to help track down and understand how to contain or kill the creature Rescue team's job is a grim one. Recover the bodies and any evidence of lives lost from the ravines and paths. Collect any obvious personal belongings and remains and send them back to Preciposte for the loved ones of those lost or for proper burials. The same risks exist for both Search and Rescue team, but Rescue team's instructions are to get to cover and hide immediately if the threat is spotted. A portion of the team is dedicated to stealth and illusion to help the team get through their tasks without having to directly confront the creature causing the disappearances. A tracker is on the team to help locate signs of life in the mountains and avoid following beast tracks rather than people ones. The Defense team is made up of members of both teams and their job is to protect the ships and Preciposte from cliff hawk/creature attacks or thieves. A company of around 12 knights goes with Search team, 3 with Rescue team, and the other 15 knights and Ser Medraut remain in Preciposte to help with Defense team. All three teams can encounter the creature, though only search team should directly try to contain or kill it. Being bitten by the creature or looking into its gaze will cause the characters to begin slowly turning to stone from their extremities or the point of the bite. The injury starts with a slow, creeping discoloration of the skin to gray and a stiffness of the limbs. It progresses to a hardening of digits and then lower extremities followed by upper extremities and eventually the entire body will turn to stone. The whole process takes about 1-2 weeks depending on the size and health of the individual. The creature is small, only around nine feet tall with an eighteen foot wingspan. It breathes fire and unusual metal fixtures on its chest, wings, legs, and tail appear to be armor and spikes made of a golden alloy of some kind. It is highly aggressive but will attempt to flee back to the caves if wounded. When the creature is killed, or contained in the airship hold if captured, the excursion company boards the airships once more, sends word to Krimnos of their progress, and continues on to Einjar.
🜙 Eroding Memories April 28th
	The flight from Preciposte to Einjar is tense. The ship crews have to call out to one another as the airships drift through dense, freezing cloud cover. Silence hangs heavy over the whole excursion team other than the echoed call outs for jutting rocks or turns. Progress is a slow drift in the blinding white and gray, and freezing condensation clings and freezes to the ships and everything on board. The air clears as they approach Einjar without hindrance, and the ships grind to a rest on stone dwarf reliefs carved out of the cliff edges. Before the excursion company, in the clearing air, is an unsettling sight. The doors to Einjar lay in crumbled ruins at their base, blocking up the rivers that flowed down Einjar's steep staircases. An overflow tunnel beneath the great landing pours forth torrents of clear water and at the base of the waterfall the lake that rests in the valley before Einjar and the river that flows from it are now visible below the clouds. The lake is a deep blackish-red, and the river sluggishly flowing from it runs red like blood. Ser Medraut calls his knights and volunteers together, the company of knights and a few hands worth of volunteers is small, but the vast landing and doors of Einjar make the team feel impossibly small. Scorch marks in arcing lightning bolt patterns and hardened ice cover the open entrance and crumbled doors to Einjar, the 3 foot deep stone doors have been smashed like clay and lie in a rubble heap blocking the lower half of the entrance in. Ser Medraut gathers Alucard, Trevor, Lauralae and two of his knights and asks them to go over the rubble and quietly, carefully, check ahead into the entrance. They will be the first group back inside of Einjar. He sends Daenerys, Sansa, Poe and Robb to seek out the kobolds the last excursion team met in the hopes of getting information from them. Medraut says Daenerys should be able to lead the group back to the kobold's home a little ways back along the mountain. Nike, Jon, Kylo, and Sypha are tasked with guard duty while the rest of the knights work to clear the rubble, and will quickly have their work cut out for them, as large dire wolves begin to appear on the cliffs to the left and right of the landing, their lips curled back in threatening snarls.
🜙 The Enemy Within April 28th-May ??
	Once the team enters Einjar they find the city bathed in an eerie reddish-purple light. The dome above the city's mountain spring fed lake is cracked and stained red, a slow and steady drip sounding from the back of the city. Many of the buildings inside Einjar have been damaged, some cracked and others now housing crumbling holes where something caved part of them in. The waterfalls barely trickle down into the river, the water pinkish-red. The river, partially drained, is at half its level leaving the heads and helms of stone kobolds and dwarves visible in the canals. Deep claw marks scour the stone floors and some of the buildings and bridges are coated in a thick, beautiful white-blue ice. Each time a drop falls from the dome and hits the lake a ripple of ringing sound echoes through the city, sending a shiver of Paranoia Reflection through anyone who hears it. Touching the water or disturbing it in any way causes the Song of Suffering to ring out, while direct contact and prolonged contact cause the excursion team members who touch or drink the water to be overtaken by Fury or Desperation. Reflection Cause & Symptoms ⤛ Paranoia Caused by exposure to the ringing song of suffering. The sound of the ringing roots out and pulls to the surface every negative, lingering, violent, uncertain, or angry thought the person has had toward or about others and amplifies it, transforming emotions over a simple comment or fleeting thought into defined certainty and righteous fury. Twisting even the clear-minded or pacifistic until they are willing to kill others to protect themselves or those they are defending. While under Paranoia's influence they are beset by an unquenchable thirst and hunger, but no other physical symptoms. The only way to 'cure' someone affected is to disable their hearing or relocate them far enough from the river that the ringing can no longer be heard. ⤛ Fury Caused by any physical exposure to the water itself. Contact with the liquid causes a surge of wild, furious power that infects those it overtakes with a fury that is not their own. This fury is undirected and will cause the affected to lash out at anything near them, living or non-living. Once a target has been found they will not stop until that target is dead or completely destroyed. While under Fury's influence their skin begins to harden and grey starting at the hands and their strength, physically and magically, doubles. Fury can only be cleansed by fresh water or light magic. ⤛ Desperation Caused by ingesting the water or prolonged exposure to the water. If submerged, the person will find their vision quickly adjusting to the water and if they open their eyes they will feel as if something is looking back at them from the depths, reaching out to them. Once they emerge from the water or cease drinking the water they will either see or feel the thick coating of red liquid that does not drip or move, clinging heavily to their skin or muscles. The liquid seeps into their skin or muscles and their eyes turn bloodshot and then solid red. While under Desperation's influence their eyes remain solid red and their movements become sluggish with erratic bursts of speed and wild strength. Until they are doused with fresh water or light magic they will be consumed by desperation and singularly focused on their last goal or thought as if letting go of it would kill them. Without direction or a goal to latch onto the desperation becomes a consuming need to stop the noise and fighting around them through any means possible.
🜙 Einjar's End
	As the last member of the team enters Einjar a thunderous roar sounds from outside the city, and the screech of a dragon sounds, deafeningly loud through the cavern. A blast of blue and white light blinds anyone who looks back at the entrance, the sound of crystals shattering and bumping against one another accompanying it. With the muffled sound of wing beats the excursion team looks up to see the entrance barricaded by a thick wall of blue-white ice at least ten feet thick. The team is temporarily trapped within Einjar and the heavy beat of wings and further screeches and shattering sounds can just barely be heard outside the thick stone and ice walls. With the effects of Paranoia gradually increasing, affecting more and more of the excursion team more strongly with the passage of time and the trapped waters of the Einjar river gradually rising the clock is ticking. Behind the team comes the sound of cracking stone and shifting earth. From out of the broken ravine a creature crawls, leather skin pulled tight over dense bones, ancient armor hanging loosely off its thin form. It slams its axe into the stone and pulls itself up out of the ravine, glowing blue eyes fixating on the nearest knight. It pulls itself up and charges with its axe raised, taking four arrows to the head and chest without slowing before bursting into flames with a horrifying shriek. Behind the draug the familiar tall form of Monty stands, his hands glowing with yellowish-orange light. "Come on, quickly." Monty forms a ball of light in his hand, throwing it down into the ravine to the shrieks of the draugs below and waves his other hand with urgency, breaking into a sprint for one of the towers that had previously appeared to be made of solid stone in an earlier visit. He leads the excursion team along and over the river, the sounds of the emerging draugs echoing behind them until they reach the building. Monty shoves his shoulder into a large circular stone slab covered in runes at the entrance, encouraging others to help him push it. It takes the force of four of them to roll it over in time and they just barely make it, the stone slab dropping down slightly and sliding forward with a thin flash of light until it forms what looks like a solid wall between them and the draugs. A pack of frightened young kobolds are huddled in the back of the main tower room and a large table rests at its center, a single dwarf sitting at its head. Closer inspection reveals the dwarf to be entirely made of stone, a grim expression on her face, her eyes locked on the now solid former doorway and her hand clasped tight around something. Monty pulls off his hood and warily greets the knights before going to check on his siblings, looking them over for injuries and asking them questions with reassuring head pats or back rubs as he goes. A series of five doors cover one circular back wall of the cavern room and stacks of papers and books cover the table, covering dwarf history, dragons, draugs, curses, the long night, and various other events. Ser Medraut sets the volunteers to work on the documents and the kobolds to try and find some answers about what is going on. The knights and their leader climb up the tower to the upper levels, watching the draugs through the barely visible arrow slits, keeping an eye out for trouble, ready for another fight. Ser Medraut descends to give the team the good and the bad news not long after. They can't count how many draugs are out there, but the draugs don't seem to know where they are. The bad news? The river is starting to flood the city, and the ringing sound from everything the water hits is gradually growing louder.
🜙 Escape From Einjar
	After the fifth of May the dragon's roars can no longer be heard outside the city. The water's levels have risen, covering the ground in four inches of red water. The draug's numbers have been considerably cut down, and the creatures themselves seem to mill about, sloshing through water and adding to the constant ringing echoing throughout the cavern. Their weapons drag in the water and the blue glow to their eyes has lessened. They appear to have grown sluggish, but their speed will return if they realize there are still living among them. With the dragon gone, at least one way out is available to the excursion team: Through the ice wall at the city's entrance. Once out of Einjar the team will discover the wreckage of two smoldering airships, covered in ashes and ice and shattered against the stones far below the cliff. The ship whose hold contained the creature from Preciposte remains intact, listing slightly where it is anchored to the cliff. The knights immediately go to check on the ship and grow concerned when there is no sign of the creature that was captured in the ship's hold. They begin to open up the side of the vessel to search for damage and fire blasts outward from the hold, catching several of the knights in its path. The basilisk emerges from the hold, its scales shimmering back into their normal coloration. Its tail slams into part of the team, trying to sweep them off the cliff, and it makes a horrible crowing hiss as it charges out of the ship. Free of the ship the feathers around its head extend out like a mane and shake threateningly. After that display it ignores the team, running straight for Einjar's entrance and launches an attack on the stone statues that stand guard outside the city. Any dragonets present when the basilisk crows will become temporarily paralysed by fear.

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Robb Stark

[kingnamedstark]

I. The Enemy Within

Whatever beauty the city underground had, it was offset by the maddening ring that seemed to echo off the walls, rippling like the pool around them. The rocks were slick and it seemed so many little things lead to the water being disturbed. Soon the shivers seemed to emanate in his mind, letting the soft whispers that he had been ignoring since his first life rise to the surface in a cacophonous yell, made only worse now with the knowledge of how he died.

They know what you are, they see that beast in you. Do you see the way they look at you? They know it's only a matter of time before you're put down like a wild dog.

He did his best to ignore it, but each drop of water only made the paranoia grow in volume. He fell back a bit behind the group, keeping his head down and his new sword at his side, hand gripping the pommel, as though that would reassure him. But each time someone came close, he put himself in a defensive position, staring at them with almost panicked eyes.

"Just say what you're thinking! Stop looking at me like that!"

II. Einjar's End

Draugs. He had heard of them, but never had the chance to see one. They were nothing more than stories, the sort that Old Nan would tell him when he was a boy and there was a fierce storm outside. Something he teased his sister with in the crypts, acting as though it were their icy hand on his shoulder when it was his own. They slipped his mind when he grew older, but coming face to face with your childhood nightmare was a surreal thing.

While the others researched downstairs, he remained in the upper levels, using the bow that he had been lent every time a Draug came into range. The supply would only last so long and it seemed the numbers were increasing. Worse than that, the ringing seemed to threaten to grow louder and consume everyone living and dead in this place. He hadn't been brought back just to die again. He'd be damned before he let that happen.

"Any word if they've found something down there?" He asked, firing another shot and knocking a draug off his feet.

III. Wildcard

Choose your own adventure!

[apilot]

The red crossbow in Poe's hands was new to him, though he had had a few practice days with it. He was used to his longbow but the crossbow was proving more efficient for him in the close quarters of the tower. Now more than ever he wished he had spent more time in the academies, learning magic to replace or supplement his weapons when their supply of bolts and arrows ran out. The wall in Krimnos had always been well stocked, but their supplies for the trip to Einjar were far less than those meant to defend an entire city from attack.

"Nothing yet. It looks like a lot of those books are in the dwarves' language." A language Poe, unfortunately, wasn't much help with. He aimed down the crossbow and lifted the end, hitting one of the draugs in the eye. With their limited supply he was making every shot count, only taking the ones he knew would hit their mark.

"We might want to consider setting our arrows alight. Fire helped with the dead soldiers that attacked Krimnos earlier this year. I don't know for sure if it will help here, but if their bodies burn they will at least have a more difficult time getting back up." He offered grimly, the beagle at his feet ran a few paces away to grab a mouthful of crossbow bolts off the nearby floor and brought them back to Poe.

[kingnamedstark]

He cursed under his breath as he glanced over his shoulder back towards the books. The dwarves' language? That would slow them down and it would make Robb more than useless. He ready another arrow, his eyes scanning the gathering masses, waiting until another approached the growing pile of corpses around the tower. With a quick shot, he managed to get the draug through the neck.

It was worth a try, though it would take a bit to start making fire arrows. With their limited supplies, it would mean they wouldn't have any oil or other things needed to make them really burn. There was a risk the fire would go out as the arrows flew into their target. But what other choice did they have.

"How good a shot are you?" He asked, trying to decide who would make what. "Do you know how to make the arrows? If you can hold them off, I can start making some. It might not work, but it might be our only chance." They could at least start by lighting those pile of corpses on fire.

[apilot]

If only he had ever had a talent for fire magic. His mother had been able to use all the elements, but Poe had only ever had luck with wind, and even then his skills were weak at best. He was better with his hands than his magic.

"I was the second best shot in my unit." When he was still in the knights. Before he had defected to join counter efforts to stop the war, and before his death. He flexed his stiff fingers and pulled away from the window for a moment, making a mental count of the stands of arrows in the tower. They hadn't anticipated being trapped. Another look at the windows they're shooting from showed there was barely enough room for him to get out, even in his other form. Getting back in would be even more difficult, and recovering lost bolts was a greater risk than it was a help. He couldn't do anything if he was dead.

"I don't have any magic, but I have this." He fished one of his earliest inventions from his pocket. It looked like a compass or a pocket watch with a button on the top. When he pressed it the flint inside the metal case spun, and sparked a flame that held for a few moments.

"I know there's at least one fire user among us that might be able to help, but we should reserve the strength of our magic users. They might be our only hope of getting out of this city, and we don't know how many more of those things are still out there." More than they had arrows for, surely.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll all drown." His tone was dry, but there was still an edge of hope to it. "I can keep them from getting too close if you make them. If they aren't too smart, setting the bodies aflame could be the distraction, or the extra dent in their numbers, that we need." He didn't mention that their time was short. His arm had grown more and more stiff with the time passing between their capture of the smaller creature and now. He didn't look beneath the bandage under his sleeves, but he could guess it was looking a lot like the injured kobold trapped there with them.

[kingnamedstark]

He would normally make a quip, something to poke fun and challenge him. It was the sort of thing that he often did with friends, someone he could spar and practice with. But this wasn't the time or place. With the draugs coming closer, their immediate focus had to be on the threat they present. It doesn't escape his notice that Poe needed to flex his stiff fingers. Having been an archer when needed, he knew those cramps rather well.

As much as he hated to do it, he grabbed a few bandages, wrapping them around the tip of the arrow. "We need oil or alcohol, unless we can find a way to keep the flame through magic." But Poe was right, they needed to conserve their powers. Not that Robb had any that could help them. "The watch will do for a flame." He nodded at it.

"I'll wrap for now, when you're arm grows tired, I'll take over and you do this. My arm is still in good shape." The cramps hadn't set in just yet, but any longer at the window and it might have. The second that it seemed Poe wasn't able to do anymore, he would volunteer to switch positions with him.

"The flames might spook them or it might catch them as they try to climb over the bodies." If only they would drown, it would make life simpler. "We can at least give the fuckers a fight."