The Sun Didn't Set

 

May 13, 2008

 

The group finds themselves in Luskan again after escaping from the Shadow Plane.  Once again, Nyth meets them and asks if they would speak to her master.  They say no.  They are looking to leave.  Nyth asks again and is again refused.  She says it would have been easier if they had said yes and pulls out a rod.  The device fires wires and tries to catch the group.  Notch side steps it but the rest are grabbed.  She then jams the rod into the ground.  Notch comes around and grabs Nyth.  She teleports him to her rooms and tries to get him to have some fun.  He is having none of it.  He wants to know what happens.  She keeps trying to seduce him.  Eventually, he tires of it, knocks her out, kicks open her locked door and starts trying to figure out where the others are. 

 

The others appear in a dungeon and a few heartbeats after they arrive, Deuce and Jaden feel the connection to magic lost.  They have no magic.  However, they still have their raw abilities.  After one failed attempt, Finn knocks down the cell door and they step into the hallway.  The hallway has magic and Jaden and Deuce feel better.  A guard is coming down the stairs, looking at a key ring.  As he looks up and sees the group, Deuce grabs in with telekinesis and holds him off the ground. 

 

"I am sorry it took me so long to come get you.  I am here to show you to the master of the Hosttower.  He wishes to speak with you." 

 

"Well, we don't want to speak to him." 

 

"Yes, that's what he thought you would say.  That's why he had to 'kidnap' you.  However, he just wants to talk." 

 

"Fine.  Take us there," snarls Deuce, wanting this over with. 

 

Notch is wondering around, carrying Nyth slung over his shoulder and no one is reacting!  In fact, a guard rolls his eyes when he sees her.  The guard even gives Notch directions on how to get out!  As he reaches the main floor, contact with the others is restored and he finds out they are coming up.  He keeps looking around, going back up a level.  Eventually, Nyth wakes up and again tries to seduce him.  He gets mad and throws her toward a wall but she teleports as soon as she leaves contact with him.  He heads back down to meet the group who are coming to the entry area.  The guard yells at him that she likes to hide up on the fifth floor and Notch only shakes his head in disgust. 

 

It takes a while to be led to the main person.  The captain of the guard, as it turns out, could only take them so far.  Then a stone golem took them the rest of the way.  When they meet the master of the tower, a mage by the name of Arklem, all he says he wants is trade with Cormyr.  He heard the Red Wizards might be getting an enclave and wanted one for Luskan there.  While they don't doubt he has other motives, they do say that they can't speak for Cormyr and aren't nobles of the country.  They suggest a meeting and do agree to mention him to others.  Arklem also asks about Finn's new area, which comes up in the course of the conversation.  Finn manages to push off any meeting with Arklem for six months, giving him time to figure things out.  Arklem agrees. 

 

Nyth then shows them out, using a teleport room to get down much faster.  The sun is still Eclipsed and it makes everything seem worse somehow.  Nyth leads them to some stables, again trying to seduce Notch who still won't agree to anything.  She leaves after they get to the stables.  After talking about it, they decide they should go to Waterdeep.  Jaden isn't completely sure but he might be from there.  So, Jaden uses the Staff of Lathander to teleport them to Waterdeep.

 

Using the staff was like stepping into a hallway with several cascading sheets of water they had to step through.  Each time they step through, they felt some loss but couldn't put their fingers on it.  They arrive in a teleport room in the temple in Lathander.

 

It's too quiet.  They don't hear anything, not even the sounds of the city.  They open the door and see the bodies.  It looks like the plague got them.  They find the main worship area to see more.  As they are close, a body explodes, sending spores and other things into the air.  Notch warns them back and, immune to disease, goes to check it out.  It's not good.  There are dozens of bodies, some of which explode with more spores when he is close.  He doesn't find anything to help them, so rejoins the others and they leave the temple. 

 

The streets are also deserted.  They walk several blocks, seeing nothing.  When they see movement, Notch runs it down and it turns out to be a man.  He yells for his freedom. 

 

"We are going to hurt you." 

 

"Let me go!  Please, let me go!  They might find me!" 

 

The others come up as Notch is trying to talk to him.  The man is so afraid, he has wet himself.  And cleaned his bowel.  Notch is not happy. 

 

"Come on!  We are trying to help!"

 

"No no no no no."

 

"We have a priest of Lathander . . ."

 

"DON'T LET HIM SACRIFICE ME!  PLEASE LET ME GO!"  And the man starts squirming more. 

 

"What are you talking about?" 

 

"Lathander caused this!  Ever since the sun eclipsed!"

 

"How long has it been?" asks Notch, suddenly suspicious. 

 

"Sixteen years!" 

 

Notch almost lets the man go, this information stuns him.  He isn't sure how this could have happened.  Notch stops thinking about it, knowing the others will figure it out long before he does. 

 

"Why did Lathander do that?" 

 

"I don't know!  He started the God's war!  He wants human sacrifice and he gives power to those who give him what he wants.  There are only five gods left and they are all evil and it's all because of Lathander." 

 

The group hears heavily booted feet coming close and the man again starts to squirm.  Notch finally lets him go and he runs off.  They run for the guards, thinking they will provide some answers.   Deuce steps out of the alley and sees on their tabards the city's heraldry.  And Bane's.  He steps back into the alley but they have been noticed.  After a short pursuit, they lose the guards and think about this. 

 

They figure out it was the staff that brought them to the future, because it was Lathander's.  They are seeing what will happen if Lathander isn't stopped. 

 

 

 

Notes

Using xp