Dark Reflections Out of Time

REP has been awarded for this quest.

DM Name: Sorrowdusk

Quest Name: Dark Reflections Out of Time

Participants:
Gajendra Fighter 3
Julietta Barbarian 1
Myrixia Beguiler 1
Olivia Psion 3 [DROPPED]
Shayla Swordsage 1

Challenges:
2x CR3 Psionic Varoot Assassins (CR 5)

Experience:
Gajendra 450xp
Julietta 450xp
Myrixia 450xp
Shayla 450xp

Olivia 225 XP

Treasure:
Gajendra 900gp
Julietta 900gp
Myrixia 900gp
Shayla 900gp

+Olivia 900gp

Quest Summary:



The party was contracted as bodyguards by Sir Gaston Balkazar Venn-Bargyle, one of the younger of Avalon's elite. Sir Venn-Bargyle had been holed up in his mansion for the last three months. A year ago now he had it out with a rather greedy, vengeful man or as he put it a "churlish elf-skinned harpy", Sir Erlenmeyer St.Celais Winthrop, who has always been a rival of sorts for him. After a 'gentlemenly' game of cards, there was a dispute over whom cheated whom, which resulted in a "fisticuffs" and the two men stormed off.

Then there was the first attempt. While returning from a social function, he nearly died and his guards didnt make it when his carriage was immolated by some sort of magical trap; Following this a few months later someone sent him a letter coated in contact poison which simply stated "You'll Pay What You Owe." While he did not perish he was badly sickened, and remained at bedrest for some weeks. Since then he had had all of his mail opened by his servants and read to him, and had not been present in public or private gatherings. Of course, one of his status cannot remain from public life forever and he was been invited to the Kol-Korran Crystal room. very ostentatious dining hall that would hold a very important soiree, full of very important people. He was sure the Winthrop had been behind these acts and had planned something he just had a hunch, feel it in his bones as it were.

It would not be unusual for the elite gathered there to come in with personal guard, which is the role he needed them to fill, and he provided them with proper atire. He needed ythem to act as his guard for the evening, and ensure he returned to his home safely. He didnt know if Winthrop would give up or if any attempts on his part would provide enough evidence to pin it on him. That he assured them was not their concern, it was a bout he would likely have to win on his own ….hopefully without stooping to the cloak and dagger tactics he believed winthrop to employ against him.

The party met Sir Venn-Bargyle at his home, where they dressed for the evening, tabbards over armor, or new leathers, all dyed blue and marked with the Venn-Bargyle coat of arms. Along the way in transit, the party worked out some of the details of their plans, and discussed how best to protect him.

Finally the party arrived, and entered the building, which actually had several halls for rent, though at the time only the lavish Kol-Korran Crystal room was reserved. The room was a well known one, with mirrored walls and a crystal fountain, and gorgeous chandeliers. After an attendent lead them to the door, they were met by Lord Winthrop, an older man with salt and pepper hair dressed in finery dyed a vile gray-green, with black gloves, and a wolf headed cane. Sir Winthrop in the flesh, who said he was surprised to see Venn-Bargyle, mentioning in passing that he was starting to wonder whether he had suddenly died or something. The two eyed each other with great enmity, and some rather colorful, and rather wordy language was thrown back and forth. Myrixia had turned her armor into an elegent evening gown with a Glammer and played the part of Venn-Bargyle's date for the evening. Wooed by 'so bold a man' as Lord Winthrop she asked if she might have the first dance. Lord Winthrop enjoyed this very much and laughed in inane, foppish, and yet somehow maniacal way. Venn-Bargyle smiled at this, as his rival believed he was stealing his date, whereas in reality all he got was someone to keep an eye on him.

For a while things seemed to go smoothly, and quietly. Myrixia cast Charm on Lord Winthrop as if the aristocrat wasnt enamored with her already, and listened as the old man droned on, and on, and on about his villas, his possessions in them, and how everything he had to his name, was bigger, better, and more Grandiose than anything Venn-Bargyle or his ancestors owned. Myrixia questioned why a 'poser' like Venn-Bargyle 'was allowed to live' and why some one, someone like him had not yet removed Venn-Bargyle from the upper class hoping that he would slip, and leak some information some clue that would prove that it was Lord Winthrop tareting her client. He expressed that he thought Venn-Bargyle was a faker of the worst kind, not even good enough to be a fake, albeit Winthrop admitted that '-we all wear our masks, even I. But when the world is ours, there will be no masks'. He said that Venn-Bargyle would fall, but it wouldnt be the decision of anyone like him, but greater powers. Myrixia was confounded by this, asking 'But arent you amongst the highest powers in this city?'.

Suddenly Gajendra who was unusually alert, irritated, and scratching at annoying imaginary insects no one else could see [see At The Marshes of Madness], spotted a reflection in the polished marble of the floor, of what to him looked a little like warforged, a shimmering, quicksilver like humanoid. But…when he looked around, he could see no such construct or being like that in the room. He set the others on alert, and suddenly the image jumped, dissapearing but reapearingnot as reflection but reality atop one of the mirrored changeliers hanging from the ceiling-which only Myrixia witnessed. The light in the room was suddenly swallowed up, and their field of vision dissolved, and then there came soft mumuring as people wondered what was happening. There were several thumps, then someone shouted for someone, anyone to 'Open the d-[oors]!' cut off by their own pained cry, followed by shouts from Venn-Bargyle.

Gajendra was attacked at range by an unseen assailant, he tried to use a Sunrod, but it gave only a flash before the light was swallowed up by oppressive, and hungry darkness. In the dark Myrixia could see the magical aura that enveloped the whole space, keeping the light at bay, and also 11 other magical auras on the ground, all clustered together. Julietta moved in and tried swinging where she believed their assailaint to be, attacking only the darkness, while Shayla was able to grope in the dark and grab Venn-Bargyle, who was covered in some rank sticky unseen matter and begin dragging him to safety. Winthrop tried to lead Myrixia to safety, following the walls in the darkness, but she broke away from him and cast a spell at one of them, and was shocked, as she not only failed to penetrate its arcane resisitance, but was also made to resist her own spell-reflected back at her by some supernatural power! The group managed to find the door and drag Venn-Bargyle out who was coverd in a some unidentifiable ichor that impeded his movement. The quicksilver assailaint, and 10 others rushed out of the room at Gajendra, and while his first attack disperesed an illusion, the second found its mark. He could feel that the creature exerted its full strength to resist him, but the elephant man was a juggernaut in comparison, and could not be matched in a test of strength. Toppling over, the creature was shattered by Gajendra's mace, as were its duplications. Without warning, the light returned at a second creature, prieviously spotted only by Myrixia was revealed, in all its smooth, featureless, eyeless glory. The party watched as it interacted with the mirrored decor of the chandelier, dissapearing from space,and reappearing in the reflection of the large mirrored wall on the far side of the room in front of the party. Dropping down and running towards their reflections in some altered reality.

The crowd of guests which had since gathered outside of the room saw this, and went into a panic as that witnessed something which can not, and should be-the utterly impossible. As they ran the party fled with them, but Venn-Bargyle was still tangled in the hardening ichors, just how they were spread or emitted was never seen. The old man caught with the group as did Myrixia. As they ran they heard a crash, and then one of the doors to another hall flew open and the quicksilver creatur emerged, somehow having exited via a mirror in another room. He threw a crystalline knife, perhaps made from his own body that cut Julietta deeply, stabbing into her before shattering in the wound. Myrixia rather than risking magic, drew and threw a knife which actually pierced the creatures body, sticking in its chest near its shoulder, and cracking whatever it was made of. Channeling spiritual power, Shayla ensorcelled her sword with fire and charged at the alien thing, slashing at the weak point Myrixia had created. Her heated blade cut the creature through its shoulder, all the way down to its torso, leaving a gaping, molten wound in the creatures body. It teetered, its upper body split into a hideous "Y" shape with arms, screeching in a voice like glass being scored by a stone, spitting curses unkown. before it fell backwards, melting into a pool of liquid metal.

Wasting no time the party fled outside, doing as others did, hurrying to their carriages. As they took off, pulling away from the scene, a shaken Venn-Bargyle got one last glimpse of Winthrop as he made his way down the steps windd and leaning on his cane. The party wondered just what they had dispatched, and Gajendra and Shayla recalled a little lore…what was believed to be no more than myth, travellers tales. It is said that there are creatures that emerge from mirrors, mostly featurless except for a vague and uncertain humanoid form to steal people away for reasons unknown or even replace them, when not content to simply watch us from our mirrors, and reflecting surfaces, be they tranquil pools or polished steel. Veritable boogeymen. These creatures are said to come in many varieties, the one seen most like the 'Varoot' just one of a whole group of things, neither devil, nor demon, nor living dead- known collectively as Nerra.

"Get rid of your mirrors…anything reflective, or your locks, your gates….your riches will not be able to protect you from these things…", Gajendra warned Venn-Bargyle. Shayla simply explained them as Varoot, people that lived in a mirror world.

Sir Venn-Bargyle shuddered at this notion. "…disturbing. You know, when I was a child once I thought I saw my own relfection smile back at me in a way I didnt like. I have heard stories of things that will come from beyond, things that should not be, by the wills of-mad wizards or else of their own accord. To watch us…or else take us away, to some place out of time…"

It would be discovered later by the city guard that the 'thumps' the party heard in the dark were the bodies of Winthrop's own guard, stabbed in the back. Winthrop himself was unable to comment, as when the authorites came to question him about the events the night before they found him dead in his bed. His body was quite badly decayed, perhaps having died many moons, or more ago.


Quotes

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