OOS 82

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 Korrinoth 9, returning to Rau Deikum’s after contacting the Dark at the tower. It occurred between sessions 37 and 38.

## Transcript

Teer:

*As they walk, Teer reaches into the back of his mind.* ["So, you weren't able to move, but you're up to speed on everything that happened since arriving in the Shadowfell?"]

Akaros:

"Maybe? Probably. It was like watching TV through a dirty screen. Or with like, a bad headache." *Akaros responds*, "but I think I caught everything."

Teer:

*It takes a few seconds for Teer to connect the concept of whatever a TV is to realize it probably has a screen like the tablet. He isn't sure what a headache is like though, lacking a head.* "Any idea what that machine was actually doing?" *he asks aloud, in case someone else can also volunteer an answer.*

Lei:

*lei looks at teer* "attempting to contact the dark, if the journals are anything to go by."

*shrugs* "that's what transpired, anyway."

Teer:

*Teer hums in acknowledgement.*

Ephemera:

"I'm not sure why the signal affected Akaros. The machine was a homing beacon of sorts."

Teer:

"Right then. I suppose if he's fine now, that will probably remain a mystery. *Speaking* of."

"Akaros, where did you put my energy sword? We checked my full chassis and couldn't find it."

Akaros:

"It's safe."

Teer:

"Alright, good but, I might need it."

Akaros:

"Hm. I don't know if I should let you borrow *my* energy sword."

Teer:

*The sigh Teer gives is deep and mostly internal.*

"I... okay. *Your* energy sword then." *He shakes his head.* "Just for future reference, that was part of my original construction. You're not going to start stealing random body parts if I leave them lying around are you?"

Akaros:

"If I hadn't taken what you'd left lying around, you wouldn't exactly be able to move right now."

Teer:

*It takes him a second to process.* "I - hey that's not - I mean *yes*, but -"

"Look, I don't even want to use the sword, but this place is full of creatures that are thwarted by radiant energy. If we end up in a fight with a vampire lord, then I am going to *need* it."

Akaros:

"Then if we end up in a fight with a vampire lord, I'll think about it."

Lei:

"what do you have the energy sword for?" *curious as heck*

Akaros:

"Teer gave it to me."

Lei:

"um, i mean, what do you *want* it for?"

Teer:

"I didn't *give* it to him. He picked it up off the ground."

Akaros:

"He gave it to the ground and then the ground gave it to me."

Lei:

"okay. got that. what do you want it *for*?"

*her brain is imagining a dragon wielding giant energy swords and it is very entertaining*

Akaros:

"What do you mean?"

Lei”

"what?" *blinks a few times*

"don't you have....a purpose for taking it?"

Akaros:

"Yes, of course. It's mine now."

Lei:

*is so clearly confounded and intrigued*

Teer:

"Is it that it's shiny?" *Teer asks, only slightly bitter.*

Akaros:

"It's pretty shiny"

"Might need it to fight a ghost or something."

Teer:

"Why would you be fighting a ghost that I'm not - *argh.*"

Akaros:

"What if you're haunted?"

Ephemera:

"He is haunted."

Lei:

*dragon DOUBLE GHOST warforged combo!!!!*

Akaros:

"See-Oh."

"Well see that's what I mean, I bet you wish you had your energy sword right now."

"My energy sword."

Teer:

"It would give me something to hit you with."

Plosi”

“We missed you.”

“It’s good to have you back.”

Akaros:

*Akaros is about to retort something about not giving him the sword back **now**, but stops*.

"Uh. thanks. I didn't really go anywhere but... thanks."

Teer:

"You already knew I missed you," *Teer grumbles quietly.* "You were still living back there in my head."

Lei:

*lei's skin (and hair) pinken a bit, but she doesn't say anything because she's already met her quota on spilling her heart and embarrassing herself*

Akaros:

"It was frustrating, not being able to talk."

Lei:

"i wish we knew exactly what caused it, so you could perhaps avoid it in the future."

Teer:

"It may have just been travelling between realms. Let's not come back to the Shadowfell, if we can help it."

Plosi:

“Well, it stopped when we called on the Dark, right?”

“And they had trouble talking to us, too. Maybe it’s the same thing.”

Teer:

"So if this happens again, you're saying we should... construct a homing beacon?"

Plosi:

“...Sure.”

Teer:

*After a few more steps and a few more thoughts, Teer speaks up again.* "Alright, whatever, I don't want the sword. I got rid of it for a reason. But if we fight Strahd I hope you plan to come in swinging, or else you might have to steer this carriage yourself."

Akaros:

"You'll be fine, you've got like, twice as many hit points now."

Teer:

"What's a... I have what?"

Akaros:

"Anyway if you want a cool sword to fight Strahd with, there always were rumors and legends about any number of Cool Artifacts strewn about Barovia. Mostly from the heroes who came and failed to vanquish him."

Lei:

"what...do you know about barovia and strahd?"

Teer:

"I mean that would be quite useful, but we've got an hour and 44 minutes before Strahd arrives, and the energy sword is something we already have on hand."

"I suppose there's the other sentinels, but..."

"I don't want this plan to be predicated on them putting themselves in such danger for us."

Akaros:

"Not a lot, Strahd's one of the last of the big bads, Cursed- or blessed- by witches, dooming Barovia to serve him. I didn't pick up a lot as I was passing through."

"The only legend I really remember- which isn't much of a legend because I knew the guy, sort of, was the hero Tiorbold S.....something. He had a shiny sword that pierced less than he would have liked. Apparently he was set on Strahd and lost his life. I heard he was entombed in the catacombs beneath the castle."

Teer:

"How did you know him?"

Akaros:

"He tried to kill me."

"In Tiorbold's defense, I ate his brother."

Lei:

"wait, hold on--passing through?"

"passing through barovia?"

Akaros:

"Anyway, I guess he figured he needed to redeem his honor after his humiliating defeat, so he journeyed to Barovia to vanquish Strahd. Went about as well as you could expect."

Teer:

"So, you defeated Tiorbold, but let him live? Also, yes, you've been here before?" *he bounces between questions.*

Akaros:

"Oh yeah sure," *Akaros says* "That was before it was a blighted, cursed, and doomed land. I was visiting a friend- There was a lot of noise on the way up, and on the way back down Strahd rolls up all 'I have gained the strength to defend my people, foul beast!'. I smashed the pegasus he was riding and assumed that was that. Shortly after I learned the land had been cursed and lost to shadow. Guess he *also* didn't get over it."

Teer:

"Wait, you have friends? No, nevermind, not important. Do you think Tiorbold's sword might still be entombed with him?"

Akaros:

"Probably"

Teer:

"That's doable. We might be able to make it into the catacombs... but then again the plan was hopefully not to fight Strahd at all."

*Pause.* "Then again, there's nothing stopping us from looking for the heart *in* the catacombs," *he says more cheerily.*

Lei:

“the heart is apparently in the upper or lower floors of the castle, not *below* it....probably?”

“or *are* the catacombs the basement??”

Ephemera:

"No sane person would go into the catacombs, so there wouldn't be any chance of someone accidentally stumbling upon it there. If they're part of the estate, then they're fair game."

Lei:

*to akaros* “did you, um, happen to see anna at all?”

Akaros:

"Who?"

"Oh right"

"nope"

Lei:

*to teer* “do you want a new sword?”

Teer:

"Well... I don't need one. I have this one that Rig was able to attach to me, and its about as effective as any. That being said, anything that can make us more powerful is welcome."

Lei:

"hm."

"you know, i wonder what strahd would do if he encountered akaros again?"

Teer:

"Probably try to kill us."

Akaros:

"If he's encountering Akaros he's encountering Teer, so yeah, probably." *Akaros says helpfully.*

Lei:

*giggles* "i mean, i'm sure he'll try to kill us. i was wondering more what he would think of seeing akaros as clothing."

Ephemera:

"That would require Strahd realizing Teer's clothing is Akaros."

Akaros:

"I made myself a pretty cool label, so maybe"

Teer:

"Label?"

Akaros:

"yeah, check the seam"

Teer:

*Teer starts parting random layers and folds looking for some sort of clothing tag.*

Lei:

*while teer is looking, lei says to akaros,* "you mentioned strahd was cursed by witches."

"was it him or the heart? do you know?"

Gloom:

[Investigation Check]

Akaros:

"I don't know the specifics of the curse, and I'm not sure there's much of an 'or' to it?"

Teer:

[Nat 1, total of 6]

Gloom:

*Teer finds the offending tag, or so he thinks, a simple, small, pinkish thing.*

*The seam opens into a wide, toothy mouth and the 'tag' licks Teer across his mask face. The cloak giggles*.

Teer:

*Teer makes a startled, high-pitched beeping noise. He immediately cuts it off, and looks around in a panic, to make sure he didn't draw anything's attention.*

"Heavens. Don't do that."

Lei:

*lei stifles a small giggle. she message cantrips teer,* "he was giving you a kiss."

Teer:

*Return message.* "He absolutely was not."

Ephemera:

"He kissed you."

"Weird."

Lei:

*lei giggles, unable to hold it back anymore*

Teer:

"I have seen kissing before, I am reasonably confident that is not what just happened," *Teer says flatly.*

Ephemera:

*Ephemera seems about to let it go, then smiles.* "You've seen people be kissed by their clothes? The sky elves must have been truly something else."

Lei”

*lei covers her hands over her mouth, still giggling*

*trying to be somewhat quiet about it because shadowfell*

Teer:

*Teer's neck appears to almost retract into his chassis like a turtle.* "No, of course not, they - nevermind."

*He increases his pace and walks on ahead to the front of the group. Totally focused on the path.*

Akaros:

*After a few moments of walking, Akaros asks* "What's kissing?"

Teer:

*Teer takes a second or two to answer. He is suspicious this isn't a real question, but at this point he's not sure death isn't inescapable regardless.* "It's when two people - Do you remember when we first met Concludion, and Kiono and the alleyway? And we all pretended not to look? It's like that." *He answers very quietly, because he is walking near people he is also talking about.*

Akaros:

"Oh."

"*Why though?*"

Teer:

"I think it's meant to be a display of affection? I haven't determined how."

Akaros:

"I thought it was a dominance thing."

Teer:

*It did sort of resemble an attempt to bite each other's faces, and she was holding a knife.* "*Maaaybe...?* That isn't why the elves did it, but it's been 900 years. A lot is different now."

Akaros:

*Akaros falls silent, seemingly contemplative. After a few minutes, you hear him making energy sword sounds to himself*.

Teer:

*Teer falls back a little bit so that he's walking behind Concludion, and shuts off his audio processor.*

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