The Big Reveal

July 31, 2007

The group starts in Iriaebor, starting to track the men with the statue. Deuce arrives, saying he caught up as soon as his work allowed. He asked Nail if Nail knew anyway to track draconic magic. He tells them that he was working on something to trace shadow magic and draconic magic, in other words Figment. Nail says he might come up with some ideas but doesn't have anything then.

Deuce and Marcus go out, asking some questions, some about cults but mostly Marcus tries to make business contacts. Of course, this early in the morning, barely much after midnight, there aren't many looking for potions. They realize they aren't doing much good and decide to go get some sleep.

On the way back, it is obvious they are being followed. Deuce tells Marcus to keep going and hangs back, hiding, to see who is following them. However, the group behind goes a different route, not looking in their direction. Yet, they had come down an alley, the same alley as them. It didn't seem right but there was little to do.

The dart that hit Deuce numbed him but didn't knock him out. He played along, trying to see what was happening. The two ment muttered some things and dragged him along.

The dart that hit Marcus, further along the road and closer to their inn, wasn't acting as fast on him. He pulled out anti-toxin and started to drink when he slumped to the ground.

The men who had Deuce came forward. Deuce could tell someone was on the ground and assumed it to be Marcus, but still didn't react. The men took him to a different area of town, one that Deuce didn't recognize, and stopped in an alley. He heard wood on stone and then a grinding noise. As he was thrown into the opening in the wall, he tried to twist and go back but it was too late. He was sliding down a shaft, but it wasn't too fast, steep or smooth, and he stopped himself from being hurled out the end. It was into a cell that wasn't very big. Not seeing anything threatening, and seeing he could climb back up, although he couldn't see light from the other end anymore, he left the chute and went into the cell. As he approached the door, and saw a hall way beyond, more grinding sounds came from behind. The bricks were covering the opening! It was too late and he didn't know if he would be crushed. He was trapped.

Marcus awoke in the alley, surprised. He had all of his stuff. He must have managed some of the anti-toxin, as it hadn't been that long. He didn't know where Deuce was. He ran back to the inn to get the rest.

Figment revealed himself to Deuce. He had an offer for Deuce. He wanted to give Deuce another type of magic, just like he wanted. Although Deuce asked how he knew that, Figment repeated the offer. Besides, he said, it was better than having magic ripped away and replaced by nothing. After thinking about it and talking about it, Deuce agreed. Figment took him to a room with nagas, who assisted in the ritual. Soon, Deuce was ingesting gems and vile potions. Tatoos were being put on him, but he was still numb and so it didn't hurt as much as it might have had.

The group was standing outside the former opening. A vision had revealed to Marcus that Deuce was on a table, having a ritual performed on him. They didn't know how they were going to get to him. Marcus told nail to take out the wall. And Nail did. Marcus was a bit surprised but then watched even more astonished as Nail started to go through the floor as well. Soon, they were in the cell area. They heard movement and a hissing voice asked for them by name. They were invited to watch a ritual that involved Deuce.

When they arrived in the room, they saw Deuce. He assured them he was okay and had agreed to this. Marcus noticed lots of interesting components on a shelf. The components vanished, as if never there, and Marcus was surprised that they had such common place components for such an elaborate ritual.

They watched as the ritual was completed. Tendrils of shadow were extracted from Deuce but he didn't seem in much pain, so no one did anything. When it was complete, Deuce could call upon fire, ice, sound and lightning but could no longer use shadow magic. Figment then departed.

The group searched the place but it was clean and went back to their mission. They boarded a boat to follow the men, who had left earlier. Nail kept playing with the device he had gotten. Just before they reached Berdusk, Nail was playing with it in their cabin. As Deuce played with his own magic, Nail saw some gems react. He asked for Deuce to hit him with fire. Deuce did, a bit reluctantly, and the fire was absorbed by the device. Then Nail asked for sound, ice and lightning, and Deuce did them all.

"That's what it is," cried Nail and then disappeared, the device hovering in the air before dropping on the ground.

There was a moment of confusion and then a knock on the door. Figment was there.

"I missed it, didn't I?" he said, picking up and looking at the device. "It's not the same."

"What do you mean? Where is Nail?" demanded Marcus.

"He is in Undermountain," replied Figment, wistfully.

"Why?" cried Deuce? "Can we help him? What can we do?"

"Yes, if you go right now, you can help him," replied Figment. "But, it has to be all of you, it has to be now, and it is a one way journey."

The way he said it didn't seem right to Marcus. He looked at Figment and then asked, "When was Nail taken?"

"About a thousand years ago," came the soft reply.

Chills ran up and down Marcus. He stared at Figment.

"Nail?"

Figment nodded.

"You can still save me, him, if you all go now. You can change it all, probably for the better."

"Yes," cried out Deuce and Notch.

Marcus and Reece looked at each other and shook their heads, slowly. "No," said Marcus. "I won't leave my family."

"You can change things," said Figment. "Perhaps none of this has to happen."

"Yeah, besides we have to help Nail," said Deuce.

"No," replied Marcus.

"I am with Marcus," said Reece. "I won't leave my family, either."

"Is that your answer?"

"Yes."

"A pity." Figment left.

As the party soaked in everything, they realized they had to change plans. They decided to catch up to the other group quickly and take back the statue and rings. They don't know what part, if any, Figment/Nail played in it but they didn't want it to continue. They caught up with the group in Scornubel, and after a tough fight, managed to get them back.

Now, they just had to figure out what was happening.

Notes

• In this adventure, Greg was not here and Brook was back. So, same number of players but different characters of course.
• As long as this is, I still summarized the talk they had with Figment, both in the lab and on the boat. We actually called the player of Reece, who was gone, to ask if Reece would go. He said no. There was a little more about the chance of coming back or other time magic, but with no obvious way about it, they said no.
• A very good session for role playing. I had intended them not going back in time, although I would have played it out. However, they did that on their own, so I didn't have to say anything.
• Not a lot of action in these past sessions. Hopefully Bob hasn't minded that too much!
• The one fight was tough, but they did well and got some good treasure, that they put to use right away, including some protection for Notch, which he was happy about.