The Drow of Xen'drik (part 5)

These posts are copies of the summary emails I write for our DnD group. The current mini-adventure is an Eberron tale, set in the jungles of Xen'drik, where the party are taking the roles of drow (and one dwarf). Whilst I take great effort to follow Eberron canon, there are undoubtedly bits where my story strays or contradicts stuff. I'm aware, this is my story, and we're not playing to create new canon, but to have fun. So, read on and enjoy!

 

Preparations

"Well, that's all of it, I guess," said Curra with an air of disappointment, as she glanced around the ransacked laboratory for a fourth time.  She had, together with Quayanorl and Bel'Tarayne spent the last few hours searching the room guarded by the iron golem for any scrolls that could prove useful.  So far, they had five.

The plan was simple.  They needed to get to the mountainside with haste, and interrupt whatever was going on, before the visions Curra and the other seekers had been plagued with come to fruition.  They had rested, for what little time they could spare, but now their moment of luxury was at an end.  Preparations needed to be made, plans created, and this Azure tower left.  Anything that needed doing, needed doing now.

"This one is the real blessing," she commented, touching the temporal portal ritual.  The giants had far better ability to step through the realms than mages today, and it was little surprise that such a scroll was found here.  It was a shame that it had to be used, instead of studied further, but there was no other way of getting across the distance in time.  Even if they could call the dragons back, whatever foul preparations were underway at the distant mountain would be finished before they could interfere.  "But the invisibility will come in useful as well." 

Ryltar and D'Jhudi'it might not mind charging into battle, but for Brenna and the others, the cover of magic would give them precious moments to get up to speed and work out what needed to be done - and to find cover, if needed.  Curra wasn't as excited with the other scrolls, but left the on the table for the others to peruse and use, if they so wished.
After examining one of the scrolls for a time, Quayanorl gathered the arcane experts together. “As we all know, the Quori were experts of the mind, masters of dreams and illusions. Although my ancient giantish is lacking, this scroll appears to record the experiments of a giant wizard in penetrating illusions to reveal underlying truths… which may be useful where we are headed… or so it seems to me.”

The ritual did indeed look powerful, promising to give the reader sight that surpassed all others, just as the giants' civilisation had once surpassed all others.  Quayanorl, should he finish the ritual, would be able to see all things clearly, no matter what illusions were put before him, or what darkness came across his path.  He wouldn't be able to see through objects, but this was surely the next best thing! 

As far as Curra could determine, the effects would last about an hour, so Quay would be best off triggering the ritual immediately before they used the teleportation spell.  Curra also passed the second scroll across to Kami.  The drunk dwarf still didn't quite fit into the group, but she had stood by them, healing as much as her connection with the spirits allowed.  The scroll would help that intention, providing an additional boost to the magical healings on offer.

The time was then upon them; final preparations were made, sight was given to Quay, and the cloak of invisibility was spread over everyone.  And then, the teleportation circle was finalised, and the party was whisked across to their final battle...