Missing Persons?

A note left on a table in the Sleeping Dragon by a local citizen:

To my new friend, Kerril of Valorian's Vale,

Working with you has been enlightening, friend Kerril. I have seen much of the lands in doing these "odd jobs" as you call them.

Lately, something is troubling me. For some time, I have been talking with several interesting gnomes garbed in bright reds and greens. I have been enjoying their admittedly odd company, learning a tiny amount about gnomish culture.

For the past week or so, I have not seen any of my garishly garbed gnomish acquaintances. Could you perhaps use your connections with the various "adventurers" that frequent Valorian's Vale? I would like to know what has become of those mercurial gnomes.

-Wolf Runner, Druid of Andra

To any who look closely, a flowing script of magical origin glows a soft blue below the note:

I have some ideas on where we might search. I have heard in the past that some person or persons may have located a "strange key". If you have such a key or know where to find one, post such information below, and I shall endeavor to meet you, that we might investigate further.

~Crideas Bane

Velvet reads the note and immediately thinks of the gnome resistance "movement". She had been assuming the gnomes who occassionally popped up near the orc fort and Calithia and Watertown were playing a game. Perhaps this would require investigation. She prepared her pack and set off to investigate the areas she knew were frequented by the gnome "resistance"

After recovering from the defensive knee-jerk reaction of meeting violence with violence, Crideas realized that the new and unexpected hostility of a secretive Gnome faction must be tied to a goal, with certain motives.

The gnomish perpetrators themselves were not forthcoming with demands or rhetoric, or even condemnations of any persons or societal circumstances. They were merely attacking with lethal force on sighting travellers. Some of the gnomish conspirators were quite magically skilled.

Crideas knew that to avert this threat required knowledge of its origins and goals. Accepting the possibility that the goal could simply be chaos, Crideas began capturing, dominating, and questioning these aggressive gnomes.

First, he petrifies the attackers, and deposits them in a secure part of his sanctum. This severs any magical means of transport out, and prevents escape.



Next, he dominates the mind of the captive, and moves them to a holding cell where he can question them. The intent is to make them speak freely regarding the attacks, and the goal and reasons behind it.



When the above means are not possible due to the targets immunities and defenses, Crideas simply traps them in place, walling them in with magical force, constructing a teleportation dampening field, and then countering any magical spells the target might enact to get past the force walls. Making it impossible to escape, Crideas explains the situation calmly, and informs the captive that they will not be leaving until they share information.

With his vast knowledge of magic and his patience gained from years of experience, Crideas Bane finally learns a little from several of the strange gnomes...but that little information is almost as confusing as the gnomes' sudden open hostility.

From a "waterbringer" and a "tornado", the wizard discovers that there is potentially lethal magic involved in protecting the minds of the strange gnomes. After a week of repeatedly battering their defenses with dispelling magic, attempting to break through their silence with domination spells, and waiting patiently for natural processes like hunger to weaken their resolve, Crideas begins to see cracks form in the gnome's mental barriers...only to have such beings suddenly yell out "Viva la revolucion!" or "Viva la resistance!" before collapsing into a pool of lifeless blood-tinged water or exploding into bursts of wind and blood.

The "earthmovers" prove to be very patient themselves. After a week, these gnomes simply smile and turn into unliving statues...on which even spells like stone to flesh fail to work.

The "firemasters" seem much more intelligent and resourceful. Carrying some more protective magics, they sometimes shrug off petrification. One even manages to discreetly imbibe a magical potion of speed that enables him to cast a couple of spells faster than Crideas can counter them, disintegrating a tunnel into the ground to attempt to escape...which unfortunately ends up filled with deadly acid when the gnome disturbs a very large sleeping ankheg. Others simply choose to starve to death.

In the end, it appears that the strange gnomes are highly motivated to get rid of the "tall folk" and their "little sympathizers" (aka halflings and other gnomes). The gnomes behave almost as if they are in some sort of fanatical revolutionary cult, more than willing to die than give up further information.

And after a week of frustration, and countless more attacks on innocent travellers, Crideas begins to consider extreme measures.

Having walked away from the Dark Arts once, as well as having fought his way back to a semblance of sanity after falling into hateful and sadistic madness at the hands of demonic tormentors.... the last thing Crideas wants to do is go back to engaging in necromantic rituals. Too easily, he might backslide. Or worse, become captured again.

No, the need is not so dire. The clergy of Zolaras, and the Clergy of Mystara may be able to succeed where his magic has failed.

Continuing his work of attempting to dispel the protective magic and question the gnomes, he begins confiscating all their possessions, even including their clothing, before trying to dominate and interrogate them.

Offering near anything they wish of his services or donation to their temples, Crideas beseeches the Sisters of Zolaras for aid in compelling the spirits of the dead Gnomes to speak of the cause for which they so willingly sacrificed their lives. Crideas offers to provide them with ample sympathetic links to the gnomes, as he is still in possession of all their clothing, equipment and items.

Crideas also makes the same offer to the Holy Magi of Mystara, begging for their help in unweaving the magic that protects the gnomes' minds.

*bumping for input from other players or *

Velvet leans back in her chair and sips her wine, glad to be back in the vale. After scouting every location the gnomes were known to frequent, all she had found was agressive g nomes,attacking without provocation. She had even searched the rift to no avail.

OOC - I think I have checked all the old resistance spawns and have found no clues so far.

Perhaps it is time to ask Skywatcher to see if she can backtrack from one of the sites. OOC Skywatcher is going to the area near the gypsy wagon merchants to try to backtrack the gnomes.

With patience, Skywatcher manages to trail a couple of the gnomes back to a hidden cavern, in which the gnomes simply sit and stare at a wall that is roughly painted with the image of an army of gnomes with what looks like a red-eyed, winged halfling hovering over.

At regular times (every 6 hours or so), a group of gnomes leaves the cave via teleportation magic. Most return a while later, some do not.

Sir Rayvensclaw walks into the SDI and notices the note placed upon the table. Being attacked himself recently by the gnomes, sends Xeimarra ArchMage of the Night Clan to seek out Crideas, as well as Ophelia NightShadow DeathSinger of Zolaras to the Braysin homestead, knowing they are capable to handle any threat the gnomes may pose, with a message that the Clan is willing and able to bring it's swords to bear to end this threat once and for all.

Okay.. so what would the rusty pack be up to ?

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Jay Braysin ~

Has gotten himself lost somewhere in the great rift trying to befriend a family of copper dragons, in idle talk they seem to have no problems with gnomes, but are happy to keep munching orcs... they whisper something about the "quietness" of Arrowhead Keep since an incident not long ago....
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Shouri Braysin ~

Travelling the lands she has grown to resent the recent uprising just as much as she hates those damn silver stalkers... She is trying to further her studies of teleportation magics, to become a mistress of the farstep and fears that untill she does she won't likely get any further... she wants to find a gnome she can memorise well enough as she has noticed that at the end of each raid the gnomes teleport away.... she wishes to magehound one through the nether, but all memory of them just keeps getting blocked from her mind.. an image appears but it's fuzzy....

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Grace Fularras ~

After receiving word from Crideas that her services are required to help break the mental protections these gnomes have, she retreats into her library. Learning all she can about the various mental wards that are known. With her vast knowledge of both arcane and divine spells all the way to the 9th level, she hopes to find some clue as to what combination of magics these gnomes might posses.

Her daily prayers to Mystara have asked for more knowledge of the magics the mistress has granted these gnomes and why, and how to break it, she fears it may require some new epic feat of magic to achieve...

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Valoriana Nailo ~

Seems to be not too fused about the gnome uprising at present, she is currently making her way around the world on a "portal tour", to try a and fix the one she has in the basement at the Rising Sun. She can't put her finger on it but something still seems "new and fresh" about the whole portal network, like Gort has personally descended and given them all a fresh lick of paint.

Recently however her Rod of the Traveller (a suspected gift from Gort himself), vibrates and hums, as if some monumental feat of teleportation magic is occurring (as that is the magic the rod is most attuned with). She wonders at what this could be.. maybe someone or something is travelling through both time, space and dimensions using teleport magics.. like some crazy cult of demon-worshiping farstep masters from ages ago are breaking free from their "time-prison" of a much failed experiment years ago.... who knows, back to the shiny new portals...
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T'setnoc Nowi~

Has not been seen or heard from in some time, presumably he is in his dungeon quarters of the Rising Sun...... ...... Since abnormally growing wings on his red scaled deformed bestial body he may have gone into minor gladiatorial combats in the Pit in Sunglory to prove his worth as a destroyer for Ragnor... It has been rumoured his favourite fans are gnomes .... It is said that in fits of confusion he screams the words "Viva La Emanlanigirosiiw" , no one is fully sure what this means however.....It is said he does have large old and archaic textbooks in his dungeon covering a large amount of unknown, forgotten or hard to find information about the world..... .... but all this could just be a large pack of lies ... ..

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Wanda Lust ~

This fledgling young paladin in service to Dalix is still really finding her feat in Aenea... If the time is right she will gladly volunteer her services to protecting the lands from any threat that may arise...

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Skywatcher meets with Velvet to discuss her find, and her suspicion that the gnomes are pawns of some greater power, and that the painting on the wall leads her to suspect Valeron's hand, that what at first glance appears to be a halfling may in fact be a "child", actually Valeron, and that the gnomes are a distraction for the defenders of the Realms while he prepares another attempt at a return.

Velvet agrees to the possiblity of her conjectures, and heads for Master Bane's Sanctum. It is time for Bane and Lyann among others to earn their keep.

Amaerillie and Ruby stumbled on Arrowhead Keep while exploring the rift. A small disorganized contingent of Orcs guarded the main approach to the keep. Despite a thorough search and various attempts at entry, the castle grounds appear deserted and the few possible entries to the keep proper were tightly sealed.

Crideas is truly impressed by the findings of Velvet and Skywatcher. Who would have thought that simply tailing the gnomes would yield such important information when even the most potent spells and techniques failed miserably.

Still waiting on word from the Clerics of both Mystara and Zolaras, Crideas is struck with a notion to attempt a different sort of solution. Where magic cannot be defeated with more magic... it is sometimes useful to simply negate all magic, removing it from the equation. His hated and reviled nemeses, the Beholders, now hold the key to Crideas' next step for making the gnomes talk.

Petrifying, capturing, and Dominating some regular beholders, Crideas bring them into his sanctum to assist in his 'interviews' with the other captured Gnomes. Knowing that there is magic protecting the minds of the gnomes, Crideas compels his new beholder servants to direct their central anti-magic eyes upon the gnomes as they stand locked in his holding cells. With the antimagic negating the magical protections of the gnomes' minds, as well as severing any link they might have to a 'controlling force' he continues questioning them, and allowing natural processes like hunger to weaken their resolve.

And in addition, he begins focusing divination magics at the importants of both the cave and the painting within that have been discovered.

It takes the combined power of a half dozen beholders focusing on each captured gnome, but there is finally some success!

Each of the gnomes suddenly becomes incredibly terrified, staring in obvious shock at their surroundings.

After careful questioning, (and perhaps placement of several simple screens to block direct vision of the beholders that look more than ready to eat the gnomes), all of the gnomes are willing to share basically the same story...

The gnomes come from all walks of life across Aenea. Many are simple farmers. Some are merchants or even alchemists. All recall having a feeling of something cold and metallic suddenly wrapping around their heads as they went about their business. After that, there are flashes of images of a winged halfling with red eyes and of various objects (ranging from a campfire to a pile of rocks to a pail of water to a dust devil), but nothing else coherent until suddenly finding themselves surrounded by salivating beholders and menaced by a wizard and his dragons.

The gnomes pretty much all beg to be taken to their homes after they are questioned.

Crideas is visibly elated at the gnomes information as well as their release from the controlling magic! He says more than a few grateful prayers of thanks to Mystara for her unexpected inspiration and guidance...

He returns their belongings, and then provides them all with warm baths and hot meals.

He will force no one to help him, but he asks each of the gnomes if they will assist him in recovering and freeing the rest of their enslaved brethren. He knows it will take far too long to do it alone.

Crideas sends word to all his allies (OOC: I tried to make a list, but it went over 30 names and I dont think I was even halfway done, so suffice to say they should all know who they are, if in doubt, assume Crideas contacts you), as well as posting his findings in the Sleeping Dragon Inn for new adventurers to read.

He pleads for aid in subduing and collecting the errant gnomes, to bring them to his sanctum to be freed from their enslavement and to try and gather any further information.

As he awaits delivery of the gnomes to be freed, he asks Velvet and Skywatcher to lead him to the hidden cave. His instincts tell him they may be quite right, the 'halfling' in the picture may not be a halfling at all... and Crideas will recognize the child half-fiend vampire if he sees him in the picture. A thorough search of the cave is also needed... as well as divinations regarding who painted the picture, when it was painted, and why.

The interview process of newly freed gnomes will now include more specific questioning about what time of day, what they were doing, where they were, who else was around, what they had recently eaten or drank, what they were wearing, and the sensation they felt of the 'cold and metallic' object wrapping around their heads. Pretty much every single specific detail they can recall before losing their memories. The devil now lives in such details.

Unfortunately, two to three hours after the gnomes no longer being under the collective gazes of the beholders, whatever enchantments held them enslaved before re-establish themselves. The gnomes become uncooperative, and in some cases take their own lives before they can be "subdued" again by the anti-magical gazes.

OOC: Capturing and "freeing" more gnomes leads to pretty much the same information. The gnomes were enchanted at all hours of the day and night, doing normal gnomish tasks, leading normal (if you can call it that) gnomish lives. They came from all walks of life across the lands. Besides the enchantment (which all describe similarly), the only thing they really have in common is that they are gnomes.

Skywatcher joins up with Lyann and they meet Crideas and Sky leads them to the cave to examine the wall decoration more closely. They are trying to determine if the figure is indeed a halfling or is a representation of Valeron. They also will try to determine if possible who painted the picture on the wall, does it appear to be the work of a dominated gnome or is it possibly done by another power in the realms, or is it possible it is a self portrait? Lyann and Crideas will also attempt, with every possible safeguard in place, if there is magic attached to the painting.

With the gnomes revealed as unwitting pawns, knowing very little if any useful information themselves, Crideas shifts focus to the magic controlling them.

Using his own divinations and contacting outer planar entities, scouring his libraries, as well as making sizable donations and offering prayers to the Temples of Kalas, Lord of Knowledge, and scouring their libraries as well he seeks to better understand the workings, origin, sustaining power, method of application (the cold metallic sensation on the heads of the gnomes affected), or limitations of the magic used on the unfortunate gnomes.

Such powerful magic must come from somewhere, and must have limitations. Now to find out more about it. If it stems from an artifact, there should be lore aplenty, if not.... then the magic itself, while complex, must have a way to defeat it.

EDIT: As a side note, Crideas now makes it standard procedure to petrify all hostile gnomes, and store the poor innocents in his sanctum for safekeeping until they can be permanently freed.

Going to be on vacation for a few days, internet access will be spotty, give me advance notice if you need me before Friday!

Master Crideas,

I have discovered a pit in the Northwest Prairie, Northeast of the stone sword, marked with a sign claiming it as the property of the Gnomish Revolutionary Front or some such. I entered the pit and Skywatcher examined the area around the pit,but no clues were immediatly apparent (ooc nothing happened,but be careful if you dont have wings or feather falling, I just made my saves.) Skywatcher is going to go back and examine the area VERY closely,and if she does not find anything, she is going to set up a blind and keep watch over the area for several days.

Your Obdt Svt,

Velvet

Crideas,
*I have wings, and I have promised you my sword and allegiance in the your struggle to free the gnomes. I will go to the hole and see if i can get in and find anything to help

Ruby

A letter makes its way to the travelling Fharfeg clan of gnomish exotic animal breeders... it looks to be extremely waterlogged, as if it had been brought underwater or dropped into a puddle or something of that nature.

... Strange, dark woods ... disp...er beasts... und..r cave... .rago.. eggs...

And also, mum, dad, non-parental spouses, siblings, etc, all of the clan, please be advised, some strange magic has been falling upon many of our fellow gnomes, for some reason only gnomes. Strange and terrible, they are not their own anymore, their minds taken away, serving some unknown power, exhibiting strange powers of elemental forces themselves... be on guard, observe carefully, don't let strangers get too close. I know many an uneducated magic user has discovered to their chagrin that spells often just bounce off our particular subrace, but I suspect that only the strongest of us could resist something like this, and even then... I have enclosed a number of scrolls that protect one from magic that Mr. Vizzini made for me, as well as a few spare 'Ioun Stones' that will absorb spells that I have found in my travels. Please do not hesitate to use these or ask for more, as it seems one way or another most gnomes enchanted in this way die. Aunt Harriet, I know someone is reading this to you, please observe extra carefully since I don't think most realize you're really a gnome and not a chicken and perhaps you can notice something others could not. Remember that time the tall ones were laughing about how they were going to cheat mum in front of you? Only this time don't immediately begin pecking their feet off, even you might get hurt. Just report immediately in Morse Chicken Peck.
Could you all please spread the word to the other clans as you travel? I suspect the circulation of such news might lead to a spike in the demand for spell protective items, but I'm sure the mages of the continent will only be too happy to supply as gold is gold, and enough of our own are magically inclined anyway...

Be safe,
Miow

OOC Is the pit in the prairie NE of the stone sword new and part of the ongoing event or have I just been overlooking it a while?

Skywatcher continues her vigil over the pit, watching for any sign of activity.

The gnomish jumping pits have been present for sometime prior to the outbreak of violent Gnomish resistance. One of the pits, however was recently filled in. I have my doubts as to their association with current events, but consider them more of a Gnomish joke. -- Amaerillie

Skywatcher finishes her task of tying up and gagging yet another party of gnomes for delivery to Crideas Bane. As she has been unable to find any furhter clues to the cause of the problem, all she can do is protect the Vale and environs from the depradations of the gnomes.

OOC: I'm planning an event for sometime in the next week (probably next Thor's Day, July 29th) to wrap up this thing with the gnomes.

Today's the day... got a time in mind? I don't want to miss out on this one lol

Are we still on for tonight?

usually posts at least a few days in advance to confirm plot events. My guess is, it will be postponed a bit... so folks will have enough notice after the date/time is confirmed in order to shift schedules if needed, etc.

I could be wrong, of course.... but judging by the fact that we havent heard a confirmation, this is my best guess.

Sorry, was about to post a time and reset the server in preparation, but I've got to postpone. Got a thunderstorm rolling in and I want to shut down in case of lightning. I was looking forward to a little DMing fun, too.

I'm going to say we'll go for Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon (AZ time). What do you think works best, folks?

Damn, I'll be gone. Not that I participated much in this thread except read it.

Sounds like a lot of fun. Are new players welcome too?

Of course new players are welcome!

Sooo... I was out shooting bugs today and found this little critter... and it reminded me of certain gnomes... is that bad?

Yes thats bad, but in a good way

As for the event, Sunday works best for me. Maybe we should start a poll in another thread?

Home this weekend, just need to know when and I should be good.

I would have to say Saturday, as I have a road trip planned for Sunday

(which is technically optional, but still... I have been plannin on going and would rather not miss it if possible.... but Viva gnomes do take precendence here. We're only going to pick up my brother to stay over for a while, so it's not like it'sa mandatory thing.... )

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, is good for me (yay!) Or Saturday, either one. I am so looking forward to an event. Its been awhile since I could attend one. Yay! Yay! When is it?

Im down

When you go out shooting bugs, do you try to hit them on the fly or do you wait until they land? And do you use a handgun or shotgun? I find I have a hard time hitting them at any decent range with a handgun, but the shotgun seems like cheating, only Crideas Bane would use a shotgun on a bug, as it is like using hellball in the goblin caves.......

Thats funny

I actually have tossed a hellball in the goblin caves (I was by myself messing around).

As for shooting them in the air, or waiting till they land.... both.... depends on the type of bug and how badly I want it dead

I hope we go for sunday, I may not be able to make it saturday...

Sunday is good for me too.

Sunday is good, but I won't be back until after 1 in the afternoon, EST.

I may be able to swing sunday, but saturday is pretty much out, unless it's later on at night EST (family reunion, and all that).

Since a last minute ambush has shanghai'ed into a battle with an uber-epic enemy on sunday evening, I have been given the green light to torm... erm... tort.... ummm... to run the gnome event

I will need about an hour or two of set up time, and I plan to do this in the evening, so I am looking at starting at around 8pm Eastern time. If you wish to participate, try to be online between 8pm and 10pm.

Edit: to clarify, this is for 8pm EST on Sunday, August 1st, 2010.

Crideas,

I have a strange key. I have no idea where it came from. It says, "laboratory key"
Is this the key you were looking for?

As ever,

Faerwether Thiselward

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I tried and tried to enter the pit, but even with wings, and a ring of feather falling, I was unsuccesful.

sorry Crideas

Ruby

I have a strange key. I have no idea where it came from. It says, "laboratory key"
Is this the key you were looking for?

As ever,

Faerwether Thiselward

The Key I seek is simply "A Strange Key". OOC: that is the specific name of the item.

~Crideas

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I tried and tried to enter the pit, but even with wings, and a ring of feather falling, I was unsuccesful.

sorry Crideas

Ruby

Fear not. My investigation indicates that put is more or less a ruse, a prank of sorts.

~Crideas

After much study, Crideas strikes upon a small clue as to the nature of the magic controlling the gnomes.Various missives are sent out as well as a posting in the sleeping dragon:

My compatriots,

While I am as yet unable to permanently break the spell enslaving the gnomes, I believe I have made some sense of how it works. It is an ancient form of ritualistic Blood Magic. The gnomes are being controlled by magic that has been infused into the very blood inside their own veins. This can turn the victim into a completely mindless slave, willing to die upon command... and if the caster is powerful enough can also be used to imbue the subject(s) with great strength and magical power. This would explain why simple gnomish farmers and merchants wield such powers against us.

This type of magic requires some form of anchoring focus in a ritual circle. You must find the circle, and somehow disrupt the focus.

I shall continue my research, and I pray that you locate the focus soon,

~Crideas

The cave with the strange painting was invaded, many gnomish slaves were slain.... a schematic was found near the painting showing the layout of a ritual circle with graveyard headstones around it and a 'control vessel' in the center.

Soon, Gravelight City was the focus of the search. Once again teeming with undead, a lone gnome was helplessly trapped in a ritual circle, surrounded by 4 incredibly strong elemental crystals, with a blood-filled font nearby. As the undead were cleared, and the crystals destroyed... the gnome was release from the beams of magic entrapping him. He stood, motionless and glassy-eyed, drooling.

His mind had been utterly destroyed by the magic which had been coursing through his blood, controlling the other gnomes, and causing him excruciating pain for weeks. Soon, he slumped... and finally gained the peace he was entitled to.

As the magic crystals were shattered, the spell controlling the gnomes quickly faded... and all across Aenea, gnomish slaves awakened from their mindless states. Free at last, they struggled to understand what had happened, and to reclaim some semblance of normality again.