Runelords 56.0 - Preparing for the Worst

The group spent the day awkwardly hanging about and around the Foxglove townhouse; Shadliss kept strictly to Eamon's company while Luna sequestered herself away with Aldern, leaving Khyr and Virgil to meander about on their own business. By the next morning, Virgil asked for Luna's opinion on the matter of the Foxglove twins to which she replied that the matter was under control and neither of the two men threatened each other. Feeling Luna's palpable disdain, to say nothing of Lord Foxglove's aloof distaste and Shadliss' obvious turn of fancy, Virgil opted to leave and find an inn room elsewhere. Khyr declared that to be a lovely idea and followed suit. Shadliss, uncomfortable at the new level of oddity that two Foxgloves brought to the household, ended her employment arrangement; she took Eamon with her as she also looked for a hotel.
Knowing that they would need to wait at least a few days until their guide Silva could prepare, the week was spent in various pursuits. Khyr got himself a job at a local brothel, as aelurians were a rare and popular addition to any roster, and spent his remaining time wandering the city. He crossed paths not infrequently with Virgil, who spent his time mostly seeking out people who needed the assistance of an adventurer for small tasks, eschewing any pay for his help. Eamon kept company with Shadliss, exploring the city's tourist areas, while Luna stayed in the Foxglove house making a Hat of Disguise for the Aldern who was without. 
After a mid-week meeting between the three men, Eamon, Virgil and Khyr settled on their preparation plans for finding Xin Shalast. They spent the next few days hunting down magical equipment, selling their own excess to acquire items that would bolster themselves against spells, particularly transmutation. Although Virgil and Khyr resolved to teleport to wherever the Icemist Fens were to find the dryad they sought before starting their ascent of the mountains, they learned from a meeting with Silva that the fens were actually on their direct travel path to the fabled city. Considering that the group would be forced to cross the fens while climbing the mountains, they decided it was silly to make a second trip. Silva was dubious about their intended location: the mountains were notoriously deadly and she had no intention of being another casualty in the pursuit of a legend. However, Virgil was insistent that they were not actually looking for the golden city but rather looking for dangerous criminals who themselves thought that the city was real. She was warned of the danger of combat and she promised that she could take care of herself, though she was not about to throw herself into a fray for their sake's: their targets were their own. The group agreed on a price for her services and settled on leaving in three days.
Virgil had one more important task to complete before leaving for the mountains. With Khyr's assistance, the pair teleported once again to the Undead Nation: they had need of a skilled cleric and they hoped the Taiyoists of the Nation could provide. Further, they had run almost completely out of money after buying their equipment and had neglected to budget for Silva's fee; Khyr posited that they sell the cursed mummy box to Ryuji, seeing as how he had no shortage of capital and dearly wanted the box anyways. The pair met with Ryuji and discussed the situation; Ryuji understood their position and had no problems with covering the costs of Silva's retainer fee in exchange for the box that held a curse like his own. To their second request, he said merely that he was not a dictator to the people who lived in his domain, but they were welcome to petition the clerics to see if any of them were interested in joining them. Virgil continued to be extremely dodgy in regards to Ryuji's inquiries regarding his appearance and left as soon as courtesy allowed, leaving the paladin confused and concerned for his 'nephew'. 
The pair approached the Shikyo Valeriya, the same woman who had helped remove Khyr's curse months ago. They explained the situation to her and at first she dismissed them: her place was here, fulfilling the duties of her position. However, she grasped the magnitude of their mission and agreed to sleep on the issue before helping them find a suitable aide in the morning. When the morning came, she had changed her tune: she had had a vision in the night of a terrible evil brewing in the mountains. Taiyo had tasked her with aiding in the destruction of this evil force, and she prepared to join them personally. When she had gathered what things she needed, Valeriya joined Khyr and Virgil in returning to Medinipur, where they would finish their preparations to ascend the mountains towards Xin Shalast.
Category:Rise of the Runelords