Embedded Files
In the Mist on the Road to Iolas, the Mournlands expanse, exterior, afternoon...
In the Mist on the Road to Iolas, the Mournlands expanse, exterior, afternoon...
Diana runs a few more steps, tyring to peer through the ever-present fog. But nothing is around her in the wasteland valley.
DIANA
(calling out into the distance)
DIANA
(calling out into the distance)
PRESTO! PRESTO-OO!
Nervously she waits, but there's no answer. Eric emerges from the mists behind her.
ERIC
ERIC
It's no good, Diana. It's been hours now. He could be anywhere.
DIANA
DIANA
This doesn't make any sense. Why did he just up and leave?
ERIC
ERIC
Question is, why am *I* still here? After you lied to us.
DIANA
(turning away, still searching the distance)
DIANA
(turning away, still searching the distance)
I didn't *lie.* Not really.
ERIC
ERIC
That's what liars always say. And? Well? Here I am. Tell me the truth, then. What really happend to Hank and Sheila and Bobby?
DIANA
(closing her eyes, averting her head)
DIANA
(closing her eyes, averting her head)
They told me to go. They *wanted* me to go. I should have stayed and helped. At least I would have known...
ERIC
ERIC
Are they dead? Just say it.
DIANA
DIANA
No. Not technically, I think. I don't know.
ERIC
(moving in front of her, grabbing her)
ERIC
(moving in front of her, grabbing her)
What the--? What the hell kind of answer is that?!
DIANA
(fighting tears, allowing herself to fall into Eric as if embraced)
DIANA
(fighting tears, allowing herself to fall into Eric as if embraced)
They held back a monster. Holding it back so that I could escape. I tried to double back, but I couldn't. I saw them... I saw...
Diana descends into sobbing. Eric frowns, but holds onto her. For once, he doesn't know what to say.
PRESTO
(unseen)
PRESTO
(unseen)
Touching.
(emerging from the fog, striding up to Diana and Eric)
DIANA
(delighted, regaining composure and stepping away from Eric)
DIANA
(delighted, regaining composure and stepping away from Eric)
Presto! You're here! Oh, thank god!
ERIC
ERIC
Yeah, buddy. Why'd you have to go and give us all heart attacks? We've been searching all morning!
PRESTO
(to Diana)
PRESTO
(to Diana)
Where's the Finding Stone?
(holding up a palm-sized metal sphere)
DIANA
(as she retreives the magic stone from her hip pocket)
DIANA
(as she retreives the magic stone from her hip pocket)
Is that a docent!
ERIC
ERIC
Whoa! Where did you get that!
Paying no heed to his friends, Presto takes the Finding Stone and pairs it with the docent, holding it up to the Eberron sky.
PRESTO
PRESTO
Does it matter? Maybe it's a *secret.*
ERIC
(admonishing)
ERIC
(admonishing)
Okay, now...
There's a flash of light, a clear metallic PING!, and the docent sprouts wings, flying in small circles around the stone in Presto's hand. A red glow appears at one end, a glow that marks a direction to the northeast.
DIANA
DIANA
Whoa! Hey! It triggered our finding stone! Let's go tell the Marthimus!
PRESTO
PRESTO
No. I don't want to do that. Let's just find the next piece of the Seven-Part Rod and get out of here.
Presto, without looking back, begins to follow the stone's pointing, leaving his friends and the flying docent.
ERIC
ERIC
What the--! Hey! wait up a sec.
DIANA
(grabbing the docent, already starting to run back)
DIANA
(grabbing the docent, already starting to run back)
Go! I gotta run this back to the Pilgrims! I'll get Ginga and our stuff and catch up!
(soflty)
Something's wrong.
ERIC
(caught between them, hurries after Presto)
ERIC
(caught between them, hurries after Presto)
(aside)
Ugh. This is going to be one of those *long* overland journeys, isn't it?
Transition to ...
Transition to ...
The edge of the Valley of Ironrot, below the giant body of Landro, exterior, night...
The edge of the Valley of Ironrot, below the giant body of Landro, exterior, night...
Giant cliffs form the edge of the valley, and a nearly equal giant metal colossus stands with half its body buried into its wall.
Far below, Presto takes the lead, striding purposefully with the Finding Stone in hand. Diana and Eric flank to the rear, with Ginga trotting along. By comparison, they look worn and tired, behind Presto's gritted determination. They strain to look upward at the colossus.
GINGA
GINGA
Yip yip! Big metal human! It looks dead! But there's a hum. Can you hear that there's a hum?
ERIC
(catching his breath)
ERIC
(catching his breath)
Are you serious?! It's in *that* thing?!
PRESTO
(shrugs)
PRESTO
(shrugs)
The stone seems to think so.
ERIC
ERIC
But we already did a going-inside-a-big-dead-body thing. What's with this Rod of Seven Parts? It's either all crypts or all giant dead bodies with that thing.
DIANA
DIANA
How are we supposed to get in? It's literally *in* the mountain. And how does a giant colossus end up merged with rock, anway?
PRESTO
PRESTO
We'll triangulate with the stone. Move upward over the natural mountain trails and take the most obvious egress that presents itself. Ginga, keep your nose out for any creatures that may have crisscrossed this area.
GINGA
GINGA
Bark!
ERIC
ERIC
Wow. Look at Mister Sunshine calling the shots!
PRESTO
(as he gathers himself and marches away toward the mountain)
PRESTO
(as he gathers himself and marches away toward the mountain)
Oh, yeah? Well, look at you-- calling your-- big face.
ERIC
(to Diana)
ERIC
(to Diana)
That doesn't even make sense. See, when *I* insult someone, it always makes sense. That's how you know it's insult-y...
Diana simply sighs and does her best to keep up with the group as they trudge forward...
to be continued in 6.12 Mountain Trails of Ironrot . . .
GM FOOTNOTES:
One of the things about doing a scriptwriting format, you get to play with TIME. I did feel some obligation to "play out" Presto and the Tourquoise Spear's final interactions, which obviously has important elements to the plot -- like figuring out which docent was active, how to react to Presto not stealing any loot, fallout between the Warforged and the Spear's ideologies... but *is* that stuff important? That can come up through the backstories when it's needed. What's more juicy is the character's interactions and the team dynamic!
The adventure sets up factions, but I'm not sure it really allows anyone but the Warforged to be "correct" in the central question of who should rightfully own the docents. Unless I'm misrepresenting what's there. Did I do a good enough job? And like I said, there was supposed to be three, but that feels too much, and I need to get through this adventure...
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