OttL Session 14.5: Vitae's Interrogation

General Summary

The room is cramped and dimly lit, but relatively comfortable for what it is.  Memento Vitae finds himself seated across from a buff Aarakocran guard.  The questioning starts off easy, asking for name, profession, and how Memento Vitae came to arrive in the plane.

I am Memento Vitae, a hired shield. I have been hired by Captain Izar to help escort the and ensure the safety of the merchandise for furniture sales. We were in The nine hells  trading with Penguin. When we finished business we tried to get back to the Prime Material Plane. I hit my head on the ceiling and next thing I know we are in a storm. Our machine mechanic was unsatisfied with the results of our teleporter so he gave it another go and popped us in the Shadowfell. One bone dragon later we got teleported here just trying to get back to the Prime Material Plane. We needed to set the ship down and let the engines stabilize before we tried the teleported again but we were imprisoned in this hell hole, i'd say no offense but it would be a little bit different if I was not being interrogated.

Who are you loyal to?

Well, I am loyal to myself and my crew. I have never killed anyone. I have seen many comrades die, only few of which I was able to bring back to their families. I have seen too many friends die, that is why I look the way I do.  Religion wise is a whole 'nother question. I follow The Traveler. He gave me this power.

Why Lolth?

I sent a few prayers because I wanted to know more. The book of the gods in my home town was lacking in the Lolth area. Almost all of my prayers have simply been ignored. I have only sought information and have received nothing but the cold shoulder. If you are asking if I am a fanatic I will respond with what I told you earlier. I am a hired shield for furniture salesmen. I have never killed anyone. What use would a god have with the likes of me. Just look at me. I am ugly and can barely manage to keep my comrades alive even with this blessing from The Traveler.

Has Izar been acting strangely lately?

Now I usually keep a blind fold on, so if you want to ask if Izar looked strange recently I am the last person of the crew who you should ask. I have been effectively blind for the past week or so. Time gets harder to judge when you don’t see sunrise or sunset anymore.

What were you trading with Penguin for?

I’m the guard, I don’t get payed to ask questions.

Surely you would have to have seen the goods in order to guard them?

I am not trying to be rude however I feel as if I need to keep bringing this up. If it’s visual observations your after, I am the last member of the crew you should be asking.

Do you really expect me to believe that Admiral Izar would hire a blind man to serve as a guard?  Or that a medusa with ties to Lolth is here, in the middle of a war zone, for completely innocent reasons? You wouldn't be the first medusa we have seen working for her, you know.  Not to mention that you were found in the same room as the body... decidedly not blindfolded, and covered in battle wounds.

Why don’t you ask him yourself? I’m sure the word of Izar is much more valued the the word of a numb nut with a shield.  As I told you earlier, my job is the protect the crew and I have killed no one.

Who did, then?

Even if I knew, why would I work with the people who have refused to listen to Izar and the crew and jailed me and the crew here against our will?  You have made it clear we are not welcome here but refuse to let us leave.

We did listen. That's the reason you were merely arrested and not slain on the spot. We were in the process of trying to figure out what had happened when a war arrived on our doorstep!  And even if it were as you say, that doesn't justify our dead man. He was a single parent, you know.  Two kids.  If you and your friends were truly innocent, then why break out?  If anything you would have been safer with some bars between you and the invaders.

I am sorry for the loss. The loss of life is painful no matter how it is spun. I heard conflict and I tried to help the best I could. When I got out of my cell and around the corner my comrade was bleeding out and I did my best to stabilize them.  If it makes you feel any better I gave a warning as I turned the corner, I do not with to petrify innocents with these eyes, that is why I have been effectively blind since I received this blessing.

Izar told me you were friendly. I believed him, at the time. Now I'm not so sure. If you are going to lie, at least pick something plausible. If the fight were over before you got there we would not have found you covered in blood.

I tried my best to stabilize my friend dying in my hands. I held them in my hands trying my hardest as your soldier stabbed me in the back.  I did not strike back because I am not here for violence. I am here for my crew. I am a guardian, not a mercenary.

I still don't believe you, but we will move on for now.

What do you know about the recent assassination?

Assassination?

I am referring to Drummer. An honorable kenku that was favorite to win the Election for Nadroc's replacement. We found him poisoned in his chambers two days ago. M.O. matches the methods preferred by Lolth and her people.

If you think I had a part in this I ask you to just take a look at me. I am a 6’2” winged tiefling with snakes for hair and a smile that keeps me up at night. I am not physically capable of sneaking around without being noticed.

All I asked was what you knew about it. The only other outsider we have right now is the kitsune, but she was already imprisoned before the incident. Then you show up, at almost the same time as Lolth's armies. And Zae, the other candidate for our election, dies in honorable combat. The natural assumption for one to draw here is that you and your crew arrived to aid Lolth in sabotaging the election.
Izar is a good man. I am willing to believe I am wrong on this, but I need a good reason. I need to be able to justify it. You aren't helping your case by staying quiet.

I can see why we are imprisoned then. I can assure you Me and the crew had no part in this assassination. I am the only one of the crew to have ties with Lolth.  I don’t think it I can even call it ties.  I reached out to find out more information and was shunned. You’d figured I’d be used to it by now.
Who is Zae?

Zae was an Aarakocran war hero. He personally rescued 18 of his comrades that had fallen in battle with Ignan forces. Came back with half of his feathers missing and no left foot.

Shame about the foot, sounds like a cool dude.

So who killed ? And why? Why escape?Clarr

Who is Clarr?

The guard your crew killed.

Oh, I was not trying to escape. I was trying to find the rest of the crew. I may be blind but I can hear. War is not a quiet thing.

Fine. Who is ?Dave

Can you just give me a list of people so I can save us both some time. This is the third maybe fourth person in a row that I have never heard of. I grew up in a large town and still never heard the name “Dave”.

Anyone on the crew mention hearing strange voices?

I am not the type people come to talk to if they start hearing voices.

Not even the myconid?

the mushroom man who has set three fires so far today

You mean Bosgosho? he’s harmless.

I would have an easier time believing that if not for the fact he was running naked through the halls, and painting the name Dave on the walls. In blood.

What? Did you catch his name? That could not have been Bosgosho.

Exactly how many myconids do you think we see in Aaqa ?

I have no idea what you see in aqua. This is my first time visiting and I would not recommend it to my friends and family.

considering this is a military installation I would not recommend it to my friends or family, either.

This is a military installation?

The most secure one on the entire plane, yes. Today was the first time it was breached since its construction in The Age of Sacrifice 

Why the did you bring us in then? You could of just lead our clearly shambled ship down on a different island instead of bringing is inside a military base, especially if there was tension with this assassination.

when you made your appearance you were already past the main defenses.  Besides which, your engine was clearly unstable. It would likely not have survived a trip elsewhere.

Well I appreciate letting us in then. We are using teleporting tech from someone named Murdoch. Forget were he lives but we were field testing some new equipment. Should probably flag this place off as a no fly zone once he figures out how to accurately teleport first.

Tension drains from the room. The interrogator is clearly satisfied.

That would be wise, yes. The bureaucracy may take some time but I intend to recommend your release. To be blunt, I doubt a spy would attempt to feign this level of... ignorance. if you want my advice, get your crew away from this place and try to stay out of all this planar warfare business. We're the nice ones. If you arrived in such circumstances in most other planes you would be dead by now.  And while I am at it, don't chase after this Bosgosho fellow. If even half the stories I have heard are true, then the man you knew is probably gone by now.

We almost died in the Shadowfell. I just want the crew to get back to the Prime Material Plane  so we can continue our business.  You're really making me worried with Bosgosho .

Also, you should know Lolth's forces are in retreat. The attack has been repelled, thanks in part to the assistance of your crewmates.  So on the off chance you ARE working for her, tell her to quit wasting her time. It will take more than this to make us falter.

Well I’m sure next time I try to contact her it won’t be tea and biscuits. But since she doesn’t like telling me anything, would you mind telling me why in the world Lolth's forces are here?

If I were privy to that sort of information, I would not be allowed to discuss it.  But I can say this: Within the last five years, she has now attacked almost every other plane. The sole exceptions I am aware of are The Beastlands  and Vigrid.

Why would she do that? Is there something she wants or something someone else has done?

If you find out, please do let me know. I am quite curious myself.

The pair remain in the room for quite some time, until the end of Session 15: Dave.

Report Date

15 Aug 2020