In which Dan displays incredible humility.

journals/seventh/_posts/2024-12-09-stormheim-23.md

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+---
+title: Stormed Heims, S4E23
+---
+
+## Current Objectives
+- Investigate the ethereal plane room at the Giant's keep
+- Enter Stormheim
+- Join Kaldur and seek the Mantles of the Heroes
+- Aid the merfolk in attacking the Cthulu cults
+
+## Events
+- Sheila G prepares to move forward with her Test of Heritage. Our procession of misfits heads to Rivethane. We are led into the test chambers, where SG sits in a spot-light chair.
+    - SG introduces herself, and states her purpose.
+    - The council asks SG why she wants to assume leadership of the house, and asks to confirm she understands the responsibilities. SG replies that she totally does, and that the responsibilities are to do good stuff and stop the bad stuff, and that sorta stuff.
+    - The council provides SG with a rod to hold during the session; it starts flashing lights.
+    - Another councilor asks about SG's religious tendencies. They discuss the current status of Cayden Calien, the quest with Maugrim, and the shard of divinity within her. They ask if she knows what it does; she says she doesn't know. They make noises basically complaining about SG not assuming a more "appropriate" deity. SG makes arguments in favor of CC.
+    - The council reiteratees the necessity of SG to maintain her house. SG makes noises.
+    - The council asks about SG's "misfortune in no longer inhabiting her original body." SG recalls that she changed her body as a result of timey-wimey events. SG mentions it involves no blood magic. The council asks her opinion of blood magic. SG says she has none, and also that her opinion is the council's opinion. The council feels this is good enough.
+    - The council asks is SG has ever intentionally created undead. SG says she doesn't recall ever doing so, but also says she doesn't think she unintentionally did so.
+    - A councilor asks about SG's sword. SG explains how she got it.
+    - Another councilor approaches, lays out a blanked with items upon it, and instructs SG to examine each and then select one. SG picked a shard of broken glass.
+    - Another councilor asks SG a question about her changing her name from Greyshel; SG seems significantly distracted. The councilor rephrases, asking about SG's interest in Lon's Thicket. SG talks about the recent Lon's Thicket expedition.
+    - The council then asks each of the dwarves for their character testimonial. The dwarves give them.
+    - The council then welcomes Trustonious to give a character testimonial. It is rather scathing.
+    - Falinious then manages to find the test, and gives his testimony in support of SG.
+    - The council steps aside, and concludes that SG is unfit to assume leadership of her house.
+        - At that point, one of the councilors suddenly freezes, and begins bleeding from an ear. An entourage of arcitc elves enters, congratulates SG on succeeding, hands her a key and magical scroll case, and proceeds to mind-wipe everyone in the council chambers. As most of us will remember: SG was deemed worthy of assuming the legacy of her house.
+
+- While the rest of us are held in psychic stupors, SG and Falinious head to her new towers. They get to the tower, explore a bit, and discover that there are many layers of contingent magical effects that, like, respond to the proper household members. They seem to be malfunctioning currently.
+
+- Meanwhile, down in the courtyard, the leader of the arctic elves gives Chuck a very nice rock, which they agree is named Philip. They then go to meet with SG. Eventually, they gather the remaining dwarves, and return to SG's new tower. There's plenty of discussions, and eventually Gartug and Mummrah wander off to go drinking. In the morning, Marmaduke gives Gartug some stuff for SG, but he can't return to the tower. This group goes on hold!
+
+**PARTY SHIFT!**
+
+- Stackor, Harvey, and Oliver are preparing to seek the Mantles of Heroes. They travel first to Altae, and speak with the king's advisors. Then they travel to the Order of Barred Doors. There, they meet their remaining 2 allies: a rather egocentric sorcerer, and a member of the Order of Barred Doors. Finally, they meet with Kaldur and the Graven Knight to discuss the ritual and their upcoming tasks.
+    - They learn about a rival group of sojourners also heading for the Haunted Keep.
+    - They learn of the mantles for which they will be striving:
+        - Stackor: _The Mantle of the Radiant Wizard_, requiring a lit candle
+        - Oliver: _The Mantle of the Velvet Blade_, requiring a stitch of silken cloth in the shape of a dagger 
+        - Harvey: _The Mantle of the Twin Handed_, bound by a balance between the hand of light, and the hand of death, requiring a token displaying 5 points, of 2 sides - one white, and one black.
+        - Gadafthree: _The Mantle of the Caller of the Deep_, reaching out to the forces of Limbo and protean lords, requiring an insect or other vermin frozen in ice beginning to melt.
+        - Wondermich (working title): _The Mantle of the Starborn_, wielding the power of the Dark Tapestry against itself, requiring a broken cup.
+        - Kaldur: _The Mantle of the Shadow Child_
+
+## Player Characters
+- Gartug "Tugger" Ironfist, a dwarven brawler; Gadafthree, a tengu summoner (Bill)
+- Sheila G, drunken "half-elf" priest of Cayden Calien; Wondermich, a human void-touched sorcerer (Thans)
+- Chuck Dorfus, a dwarven hammer-thrower; Stackor, a dwarven wizard (James)
+- Mummrah, a dwarven cleric of Folgrit; Harvey, a tengu-ish monk (Mike)
+- Randy Van Peeples, a human cleric of Gozreh; Oliver Withatwist, a fey-sworn warpriest (Dan)
+
+## Locations
+- Lower Thane
+- Rivethane
+
+## NPCs and Notable Characters
+- Marmaduke, a human investigator/knowledge-broker in Lower Thane
+- Falinious Falnore, an elvish prissy-boy with golden boots
+
+## Upcoming Events
+- 6 days remain until the meeting with the crypt dragon
+- 1 days until we telport to help the dwarves and merfolk fight the cult of Cthulu
+
+## Other Notes
+- Be couth.