Shadow War campaign In-Game: Chapter 69- Manor of Death

[Navarre]

Anbar, you feel mobility and vitality flood back into your limbs. Unfortunately, it has all been too late to prevent Tren from betraying the plan agreed upon by you and the rest of your party.

Lyric is not with you. Being incorporeal, she intuitively avoided Helsbeth's mystifying wood shaping ability.

You stand alone. One door leading home to the world you know and hope to save. The other leads to a world about to end.

{Your actions are open. You're just outside the doors and currently unseen by anyone in the room.}

{Tren, your action is open as well.}

[Strifeter]

"Wherever it is you would have us go. Just do it. I will tamper with the events now taking place."

[Navarre]

Helsbeth smiles.

"I have a cottage across the scarecrow fields. All tucked away and tidy, it'll be our sanctuary until we step to the next step."

"Here, boy, look."

She hands you a charm from a bracelet about her bony wrist. You see another charm on it that she begins removing.

As you take the charm in your palm, you suddenly know the exact location of the place Helsbeth mentions, seeing it in your mind's eye.

"Don't dally, dearie. Those knights look a bit peeved at us."

[Strifeter]

"Lyric will you join me. Your company has always been appreciated?"

Tren prepares to teleport as soon as Lyric answers one way or the other.

[Navarre]

Lyris turns her head only once toward the onrushing knights before nodding to you.

"I'll stay with you! Save us, Tren!"

[sab39]

{Know Arc (combined with what I know of the history of Bronwyn's powers at this point) to speculate on roughly how hard she is to kill right now - how many HP she has, in other words}

[Strifeter]

"Very well."

Tren grabs hold of Hellsbeth and Lyric and teleports to the location in his head from the charm.

[Navarre]

Tren, you focus on the image of the cottage in your mind, summoning your teleportation effect. You, Lyric, and Helsbeth instantly appear inside a small home.

It is rather quaint really. You stand in a comfortable living room, complete with a small fireplace and six chairs arranged in a circle facing into each other. The chairs are made of twisted heavy vines and iron reinforcements, covered in upholstery of reds, purples, and blacks.

The area within the circle of furniture is six feet across; a bare circular stone set flush into the wooden floor. There is a closed wooden door, bound in iron, on the back right-hand wall.

From the front room, a short hall leads toward the back of the house. The far end of the hall opens into a small kitchen, painted a cheery yellow.

Helsbeth immediately moves to the heavy mahogany door. She checks the latch and bar before peeking out of the narrow vertical frosted glass windows, criss-crossed with iron-working.

Seemingly satisfied she is safe for the moment, the rubs the charm between her fingers as she removes it from her bracelet.

"The Coven is done, oh I fear! But family remains and we must protect family, mustn't we? Tee-Heee!"

As the charm is removed from the bracelet, there is a brief flash of light next to Helsbeth. You see a young blonde girl appear, wearing a bright red dress. Next to her is a skinny black house cat with orange stripes.

[Navarre]

Anbar, as you assess Bronwyn's abilities, Serena and the cat suddenly disappear in a flash of light.

"Serena??!??" cries out Bronwyn.

"What happened?? No one can teleport in or out of our house!"

The man in the black and white robe inclines his head.

"Those barriers are felled, girl, thanks to me. No mystic force is greater than mine so do not contemplate defying us."

"We will not harm you or your parents. I promise this."

Behind the man, you see the Elven ranger, who must be Silverleaf, cast a quick glance to the knight who could only be Juris Templar. The knight's face darkens as he nods in understanding to his archer companion.

[Navarre]

Anbar, you can sense the power in Bronwyn. Born a Nexus and raised by the conquering despots of an entire world, her intelligence and potential is unlimited.

Still, it is only potential, yet undeveloped in the young girl until many decades later when she is the Ravager you know. As she stands now, she is more formidable than any girl her age to be sure, but you believe her quite vulnerable to mortal harm should you get the drop on her.

Taking your best guess, she likely has the fortitude of a well-trained bard.

{Probably equivalent to a 6th level Bard.}

[Navarre]

In the cottage, the girl blinks and looks about. She gets her bearings and blurts to Helsbeth.

"Helsbeth! Juris and the Legends have invaded the manor!"

"Bron's still back there! They're going to kill her mother and father! We have to..."

The witch holds up a gnarled hand, not even looking at the girl.

"Yes, dearie. I know. The walls and Lux do whisper to me, you know."

"Dry an eye, girl. It isn't to be helped."

"What has your mother told you about..."

This time Serena interrupts.

"Kassandra hasn't told me anything! She's too busy with her Coven for that. You're the only one who taught me my lessons."

Helsbeth turns her white eyes on the girl, her voice dropping into harsh anger.

"Then remember those lessons, Miss Kane. The world owes you nothing. Nothing. You will live or die as the fates see fit."

"So you'd best see to your own fate and show some measure of gratitude that you have been spared this day. Is it my responsibility to save someone only because you wish it? Do I owe you something, girl?"

Serena drops her head and averts her eyes.

"No, Helsbeth. No one owes me anything. Least of all you."

"I just thought...hoped..."

"Bron's my best friend. I don't want to lose her."

The witch ignores her.

"These are dark days in which we live, Serena. They are all dark days unless you make a little light for yourself. The world is you and you alone."

"So make a little light and be useful. There's a good girl."

Serena quietly and obediently begins lighting the many candles throughout the room. Tears roll openly down her soft face and her bottom lip trembles but she looks to no one.

As the black cat makes three successive hops onto a tall bookcase, the candles shed light onto the cottage interior. Recognition now dawns on you as you realize you have seen this exact cottage before.

It is the cottage in Laukordia; the very one through whose front door you passed to enter Laukordia from Union Point.

[Navarre]

Helsbeth looks to you, Tren.

"So now. Tell me of this trinket you hold there. What's this all about then?"

The girl, Serena, regards you and Lyric with some interest. Her eyes are so full oftears she can barely see but she wipes them to get a better look at you as Helsbeth questions you.

[Strifeter]

"This trinket is something you do not need to know about. It may affect things....."

Tren looks down at it and decides to place it in the inside pocket of his clothing.

"All you need to know is that if it is ever destroyed. Everything around it will be as well. To be truthful I suppose. I do not know much about it either. Only that it is immensely powerful."

Tren looks at the girl Serena also with some interest.

"I have a few questions of my own. If I will be working with you for a time, I would like to know what this plan you keep speaking of is?"

[Navarre]

Helsbeth paces the room a bit. She walks in a circle behind the six wooden chairs, tracing her long bluish fingernails over the backs as she does so.

"You need know as much of my plan as I need know of your trinket, I think. Just know that the plan is coming to fruition this very minute. Some things aren't meant for the wrong ears," she says, glancing at Serena as well.

"I am afraid there is little hope for saving young miss's parents now, Serena. I am sorry, I truly am," she says, without the faintest hint of regret in her voice.

"The loss of one you love is a most terrible thing, especially at the hands of the one you trust most. Tragedy and betrayal make for a powerful grief that no poultice will sooth."

"Why, it's enough to drive even the most faithful of souls to realize what we already know. And what is that, Miss Kane?"

Serena answers, "That the world can't be controlled because there's no reason for anything. You have to do your best to get what you want, even if no one else understands or cares."

Helsbeth smiles.

"That's right. My, children do learn lessons quickly and to the heart, don't they?"

"It isn't honor or love that gives one hope to ward off the grief that would consume you, no-no. Miss Kane is right, we can't reshape all reality only to sooth our grief and longing."

"Of course, someone so powerful they would be near a god might not see it that way," she smiles to herself.

[Navarre]

{Current map for Moonshadow Manor}