S1: E11: Homecomings...

Having closed the eruptions and tunnels with the help of the drow, the party makes its way back to Pathilia... and the king...

Transcript

Episode 11: Homecomings…

Encelle and Theophania immediately check the remaining drow.

[Enacelle and Theophania make medicine checks] Roll 21 and 13

They can easily tell the drow are unconscious but alive. 

[Umgurn Lays on Hands for 3 hps for each drow (12 total)] 

Umgurn joins them and touches each on the forehead, murmuring a few words and clutching his holy symbol. All four of them wake up and Enacelle gives each of them a potion of healing to drink.

[Drow are healed for 7, 8, 7, and 9 hp]

Umgurn brushes back the bloody and dirty hair of a female drow and smiles when he sees it is Raurina. Enacelle and Theophania begin cleaning their remaining wounds and giving them water.

“Umgurn. It is good to see you. Where is Dunithil? They dragged him off and then beat us until… I don’t remember.” She seems to faint slightly but recovers, wide-eyed and looking around. Feeling renewed, she bolts upright. “Where is Dunithil?”

“They are no longer with us, Raurina. I will make sure their body is taken care of but, I think it is for the best that you do not see them. I will bring you their belongings.” Enacelle strokes the woman’s hair, pulling dirt and debris from it. She walks away and vanishes into the tunnel. 

“What has happened since we last parted, Raurina.” Umgurn helps her to a boulder with a flat surface so that she can sit upright and not on the ground. Theophania and Malege are assisting the others to stand and clean themselves off.

“We returned to Ullmlona and gathered our comrades and two dozen sticks of dynamite. We spent the last several days marking where the tunneling was new and made sure that old passages and connections of the Underdark would be preserved. Then we collapsed the new tunnel. Ended up making 7 closures. We had a few magic-users and they stoneshaped the cave-ins back into solid stone and reinforced the Underdark passages. Where the eruptions started, we collapsed them for several hundred feet then sealed them with stoneshaping and earthmolding. This passage leading south-south-east is a very old section of the Underdark that was abandoned several centuries ago. Their tunneling broke through one of those passages just a few hundred feet past the eruption. As far as we can assess, that is where they entered the underdark from above.” She coughs for a few moments and drinks some water.

“Enacelle has been able to map the complete path of the tunneling and your information aligns with that. They started high in the mountains on the far frozen southern edge of Pathilia. It is remote enough that a small stealthy force could have traversed the frozen wastes and forests to the mountains. Perhaps they located a cave or other natural formation that allowed them to be more productive in that frozen cold.” Umgurn hands Raurina a strip of dragon jerky which she begins chewing slowly, then smiles, and shoves the entire piece in her mouth. “I’ll let you gather your strength.”

As soon as the battle concluded, Fodinis began stripping the bodies and piling them to one side in the opening of the eruption with help from Kace. Fodinis finds 2 bone handled scimitars, 2 rudimentary shortbows, 22 arrows, 4 leather armor, 2 fine steel longswords, 2 high quality longbows, 4 low quality leather quivers, 2 chain mail, 6 knobby metal shields, 2 spears, 2 daggers, 2 slings, jar of live grubs, a small bag of bones carved into crude runes, a necklace of linked, color lizards scales, parchment with a crude drawing of a trap design, a squirrel carcass that looks like it has makeup on its face, a heavy rock, painted with a yellow target, splattered with blood, 43 gp, 44 sp. Fodinis hands all of the coins to Kace who pockets them. Fodinis puts the longbows, longswords and arrows to the side and stacks the rest of the equipment with the bodies except for one of the shields. They take the salvaged equipment back out to the tunnel to confer with the group.

[Fodinis receives 2 fine steel longswords, 2 high quality longbows, 22 arrows, and 1 knobby metal shields]

[Kace receives 43 gp and 44 sp]

Enacelle carefully searches the mutilated body and finds a silver necklace with a moon pendant and a silver bracelet with several small beads hanging from it. She removes them and cleans them with some water. The dirt of the eruption is soft here and she is easily able to dig a lateral flat grave in the wall several feet deep. She places the body inside with flowers, herbs, and several shiny stones. Using the dirt and some heavy stones that Piece and Malege solemnly deliver, she secures the body in the wall. Before departing, she burns some herbs to cleanse the area. When she’s done, she returns to Raurina and hands her the necklace and bracelet. Raurina begins sobbing and another drow embraces her for many minutes. Theophania and Enacelle move away and to the dragon.

[Enacelle makes a Nature check assisted by Theophania (advantage)] Rolls 19

“This one looks fairly intact and we should be able to harvest a few things. There is the meat of course which Malege can cook and dry as before. I will collect some blood. Theophania, if you can remove the skin, wings, and breath pouch again, that would be great.” The two of them set about removing the various bits of the dragon and laying it out. Under the neck of the dragon, there is an ornate black leather pack, secured to its chest, which was almost invisible until Theophania began skinning the beast. Theophania removes it and throws it to Malege who catches it but he nearly falls over with the weight. He sets it down and opens it, finding a large number of coins. He examines the bag itself.

[Malege makes an Intelligence Check and an Arcana Check] Rolls 16 and 24.

Malege fiddles with the straps and the pack for a few moments and realizes that the bag changes size and the straps expand or shrink depending on the wearer. He puts his arms through it and the pack shrinks to a 12 by 12 inch square on his chest, the same color as his shirt, almost invisible unless one knows it's there. The inside of the bag seems roomier than he would expect and he assumes this is, in fact, some sort of modified or upgraded bag of holding. He opens his own bag of holding and Piece assists in holding the opening wide. Malege inverts the pack and the coins pour out and into his own bag.

[Malege and Piece make Perception checks] Roll 21 (crit) and 22

As the coins rain down, Piece and Malege both spot a strange object within the coins.

[Piece makes a Dexterity Check] Rolls 19

Before he can even see it properly, Piece’s paw bolts into the stream of coins, grabs the item, and removes it. The coins cease falling as the pack is empty. Malege returns it to normal and looks at the item Piece is holding.

[Malege makes an Intelligence Check and an Arcana Check] Rolls 9 and 11

Malege takes the item from Piece who stares at it confused. Malege is sure this is a wand based on its size and can feel its arcane energy. The wand is silver and increases in diameter from the base to the end with 8 rings at even intervals that also increase in size. The end of the wand has a blue crystal with jagged points. 

“I am not sure what this is but it’s certainly magical. We can study it later.” He places it in his own bag of holding and calls to Enacelle. “Enacelle, I believe you would be very excited about this little pack! I think it’s some sort of stealth bag of holding! Perfect for you! I did take the liberty of emptying it.” Malege grins and tosses her the bag. She pauses in her dissection of the dragon and slips her arms through the two straps so the pack is against her chest. In a second, it shrinks and adheres to her skin, taking on the color of her skin and scales. She looks up at Malege, smiles, and sticks her thumb claw up in appreciation.

[Enacelle receives a Chameleon’s Bag of Holding - This item, the same as a regular bag of holding, has the additional property of blending in perfectly with the body of the wearing such that, when warn against the skin, it cannot be detected except by Detect Magic or if the wearer is dead; and 1 flask of black dragon blood (3 vials worth)]

[Malege receives 1250 ep and 1155 gp and a wand of unknown identity]

[Theophania receives 6 pieces of dragon meat (24 lbs), 8 lbs of black dragon skin, 2 black dragon wings (16 lbs), and a black dragon breath pouch (5 lbs)]

[The party receives 150 xp]

[Kace achieves 4th level, chooses Feat Crusher, Increases Strength by 2 (Crusher and Kai-tho)]

Once the drow are recovered, they set a few dynamite charges along the tunnel past the eruption and two more in the other direction. They give Malege 4 sticks of dynamite to plant in the lower and upper eruption point. Umgurn embraces Raurina.

“We are indebted to you for your help and we cannot express enough our sympathies for the loss of your friend. I know I am not liked or trusted by our people but if there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to call on me.” He pauses and looks at Raurina and her friends.

“Do not hesitate to call on us….” Kace stands next to Umgurn with his arms folded. The rest of the party joins behind Kace, smiling and nodding.

“You are not a blood traitor, Umgurn. You are… mzilst ditrone uss. Our people were wrong to expel you. I know that you cannot come back to the Underdark. But you will always be most welcome in Ullmlona.”

“Then… when we have settled the OTHER end of this tunnel, we will certainly pay you a visit… in friendship.” Umgurn and the party shake hands and embrace the four drow and then begin their trip up the eruption tunnel. Malege sets the charges as discussed at the bottom and near the top as with the other eruptions. Before they detonate the upper charges, they hear and feel the tunnel explosions below as sudden vibrations. The lower eruptions charges are louder. Malege launches several firebolts and the upper tunnel charges explode a few seconds later. As the bits of dust and debris flying out of the hole settle, the party pushes rocks and stones down into the hole. After an hour of hauling stones and dirt, the eruption hole is just a pile of stones. 

[The party receives 100 xp]

The party camps near the eruption scar as their emergence from the eruptions was late afternoon and, by the time they were done, Isvara was sinking below the horizon. Malege sets up his cooking oven and drying oven for the black dragon meat. The party enjoys a heavy meal and a very peaceful long rest knowing all eruption sites are sealed. The night watch, in shifts, is quiet. As dawn breaks, the party awakens, has a large breakfast, packs the wagons and carts, and begins the journey back to Pathilia. Umgurn is insistent that they move as quickly as they can to report back to the king. If they travel non-stop to the edge of night and rest for only a few hours, they can be back to Pathilia by the following evening. The travel progresses without incident and the road appears mostly empty. The following evening, just after the setting of Isvara, they cross through the city gates of Pathilia and proceed to the Salty Pig. With the horses and wagon secure, the party has a hearty meal and a solid night’s sleep.

“I will go to see the king first thing in the morning. I wish that you will all join me.” The party nods in agreement.

Getting to see the king today proves to be much easier than the last time Umgurn and Piece traversed the innumerable crowds because, as they learn when Umgurn approaches his confidant in the king’s guard, the king is expecting the party. The guard escorts them through a series of secluded hallways. Within a half hour, the party is ushered into a large parlor with four comfortable couches, a cozy fire, and a large window with beaming morning light illuminating the room. Everyone settles in a seat, including Theophania who sees a pile of two large cushions which perfectly fits her body. The party notes with amusement that Enacelle has donned her tribal netting with many dozens of small hand carved wooden figures hanging from it as her formal dress. After a few moments, a door near the fireplace opens and the king enters. Everyone tries to stand quickly but the king throws out his hands and waves them down.

“Please, my friends. Do not get up. You have had a long journey. Let me get you refreshments.” The king flourishes his hands and eight young men appear in identical outfits wearing golden scarves tightly wrapped around their heads and covering their eyes. Despite being blind to the room and its people, each of them delivers a glass of liquid and a plate of food to each party member and to the king. As the servants vanish, everyone observes their refreshments and realizes it is exactly what they would want, had they been asked.

“Now. Tell me everything.” The king listens intently as Umgurn explains their activities for the past  6 days, the fights, the device, and closing of the eruptions and tunnels. Enacelle explains her vision in the temple and their assessment of the threat in the mountains. The king follows as others add comments. Finally, the king sighs, drops his head, and then looks up smiling.

“Our kingdom is, of course, beholden to you and the drow who assisted you. Your contract will be paid in full, of course. As to this threat in the mountains, I am most appreciative of you bringing this to my attention and I have a solution for it. As you may or may not know, our military, working with wizards, gnomes, and some engineers from Oldestall, have developed navigable dirigibles.” The party stares at the king intently but confused except for Malege who sits up in his seat and seems almost giddy. When the king sees that his concept is not clear, he smiles.

“Flying ships.” The party gasps and their eyes widen and their jaws drop, except for Malege who claps loudly with his hair flaming. “We have built six of them, after the prototype, and they are ready, fully armed, for their first mission. My thought is that should be the… hmmm… closure of this tunnel our druid has seen a vision of. They will be able to get there in less than two days. My admiral of the sky fleet assures me that the explosives they carry should close the tunnel and they should be able to destroy any forces they find.” The king pauses and takes a long swig of his beverage and pops a few small nibbles from his plate in his mouth.

“We would be honored to accompany….” The king’s hand shot up from his lap and Umgurn immediately fell silent.

“Although I have the utmost confidence and pride in my sky fleet, I am sending them because this task does not…. require… pardon my prudence… highly talented individuals like yourselves. I am sure they will accomplish the task easily and without issue. And, of course, I have something far more important for all of you to do.” The king stops talking and drinks his beverage in several slow sips and eats a few more bits. Umgurn looks uncomfortably at everyone then back at the king.

“Sorry, sir. But, what do you need me to do?” Umgurn blushes and wrings his hands.

“You? Not you, Umgurn. All of you.” He smiles and sits up. “The prototype is not going to destroy the tunnel. You are going to take it to the Blight and examine the real risk of this… map. I’ve had the map examined and it is authentic… that is… it is a VERY OLD map but the inked dates are all new. I am sure our little fire genasi will be ecstatic about the possibility.” Malege nods excitedly, wringing his hands. The rest of the party looks curiously confused. “Based on the dates of the map, as I understand it, you have some time so you will leave in two quindays for the Blight. I suggest you prepare yourselves.” 

The king stands, nods and then bows deeply to the party. He moves towards the door he entered and vanishes.

“Well, that was exactly what I expected.” Piece laughs and finishes their milk.

[The party receives 25,000 gp and 100 xp]

The party finds themselves back at the Salty Pig less than an hour later. They sit together for a light lunch and discuss the next two quindays.

“I’ve got coins so I will be gambling.” Fodinis laughs and puts a bite of roasted chicken in his mouth.

“I want to go see the Mindflayers and Piece has to come with me. Kace, you’ll come too?” Malege eats several bites of fruit, smiling and nodding. Kace and Piece nod.

“It is unclear how long this exploration of the Blight will take. I will confirm with Umgurn but I need to upgrade our supplies.” Theophania sips her beverage and holds a deep, contemplative look. “And I’ll need to store my cart. The furrier will be happy to do that for me. And I have to pick up the cold weather gear I ordered. Umgurn, did you borrow or buy the wagon? I am happy to return it to Woodshead and return.”

“Yes, the return of the wagon and horses would be best. I can go with you, actually. The road is going to be safe. I’ll need to settle a few things. And what cold weather gear?” Umgurn sits back from the table, arms folded. Theophania smiles and taps her finger on her temple. The party laughs.

Enacelle agrees to accompany Umgurn and Theophania back to Woodshead as she wants to spend some time in the forest to gather any additional information about the entry point of the tunneling device. Before departing for Woodshead, Theophania finds several buyers for the black dragonhide, breath pouch, and wings. She receives 300 gps for them. She gives Malege the Dragon meat which he makes into jerky (24 lbs). She also visits Hadrian’s Heretics and has her breastplate magically infused for an increased armor protection (+1, 1500 gp). She also procures a fine leather quiver so her arrows are easier to draw upon.  Enacelle visits a jeweler and has all of the stones and gems they have acquired appraised and sells them all for 2493 gps which she splits evenly among the party. She has her shield upgraded at Hadrian’s Heretics for added magical protection at a cost of 1500 gps. She also sells the dragon’s blood for 50 gps. Lastly, Umgurn has his splint armor upgraded for 1500 gps magically for additional defense. Once their business in Pathilia is concluded, the three of them head to Woodshead, planning to return in a few days.

True to his word, Fodinis spends the next two quindays gambling and carrousing as much as possible. In the back of his mind, something he needed to deal with itches in his brain. But his first stop is the rogue’s den he visited before to see what the status of contracts are. He is not surprised to still see the contract for Malege but notices that the single parchment flyer is worn and covered over by other announcements and contracts. Most contracts, in his experience, get taken quickly or are just ignored. None of the other new contracts are appealing to him so he decides to stick to gambling for the week. He does stop in with Ironfeast to show him the two  fine steel longswords, two high quality longbows, and  knobby metal shield from the party of creatures with the black dragon wyrmling. Ironfeast turns them over to Fellis for examination and insights from their current intelligence and promises to have some answers in a few days.

[Fodinis makes an Insight check, Deception Check, and Dice Skill check for each quinday] Rolls 10, 18, 22 for the first quinday and rolls 20, 20, 18 for the second quinday versus 14, 19 and 16 (1 success - 500 gp) and 18, 12, 12 (three successes +1000gp)

Fodinis lucky brooch doesn’t impress him the first quinday of dice gambling as he is down 500 gp at the end. He wagers another 1000 the second quinday and, with improved luck, comes out 500 gps ahead overall. 

[Fodinis receives 500 gp]

He attends five caged fighting matches in which Kace is the last match of the evening and he be ts 50, 100, 75, 100, and 50 gps on each match, all for Kace to be the victor. He pays a visit to Hadrian’s Heretics to see if there is anyway to upgrade his armor but Hadrian unfortunately cannot do anything more with his current studded leather. He agrees to be on the lookout for something that might work but he’s not sure how long it will take. Towards the middle of the second quinday, Ironfeast sends word to Fodinis that he had information about the weapons and Felis will deliver it. Fellis finds Fodinis at the Salty Pig.

“Hello, sir! This report is for you on those weapons you delivered. You’ll find the information inside along with 30 pp in compensation for the weapons. Also, did you have any questions about the letter I passed to you before you left?” Fellis smiles politely and expectantly. Fodinis opens the envelope, deposits the 30 pp in his coat pocket, and reads the note.

Fodinis,

The swords are made of an unusual proportion of iron in the steel, much stronger than we usually see in weapons from Santernafulse. Similarly, the bows appear to be elven-made, possibly drow, but they are ancient. The shield appears to have been hammered out of some sort of existing metal structure. The metal itself is not something we believe our smiths could make or tool easily. I have enclosed 30 pp pieces for you for bringing these to us. We will continue to study them and keep their existence a secret until we know what it means. I would appreciate it if you and your colleagues can do the same. 

Sincerely,

Fedmar Belvermunk

Chief Metalsmith to King of Pathilia

Fodinis folds the letter and puts it inside his coat.

[Fodinis makes an Intelligence check, DC12] Rolls 14

“Fellis, thank you for bringing me this and for reminding me about the letter. I am anxious to hear what your metalsmiths can determine but I fear that the forces of Santernafulse may have stumbled on a cache of ancient weapons. Who knows what else they have found based on the tunneling device. Could you please relay that to them upon your return?” He hands Fellis a platinum piece.

“Of course, sir.” He nods and hurries off around a corner.

Umgurn has returned by the time Fodinis met with Fellis for the intelligence report. Fodinis finds him at the Salty Pig in the evening. 

“Umgurn! I almost forgot about the letter. Can you tell me what it says now?” He smiles nonchalantly. Umgurn sighs and drops his head. He pulls the letter from his pocket, opens it, and begins translating the goblin into common for Fodinis.

My dearest Noua,

We must beg of you to not go on this search for your brother, Nazim. Those that took him are ruthless murderers but they only take a few of the children at a time. Always at night. In secret. When no one is ready to defend us. Your mother got off one shot of her longbow before they had vanished out of sight. Likely, our dear Nazim is already dead. Perhaps his unique black skin and hair will make him more of a valued prize alive… so he does live. But we cannot know. But you are amongst the king’s army now and highly decorated. For you to sacrifice this on the whim of a rumor is too risky. We entreat you to reconsider and stay with your post. Grankhul watches over us all and is surely bringing your brother back to us if it is his will. 

Yours in love and war,

Tozak Gn’ug

“According to Ironfeast’s records, Noua received this letter about two days after she left to go looking for her brother. And she was never heard from again.” Umgurn stops talking and just stares at Fodinis with sympathy.

[Fodinis makes an Intelligence check, DC10] Rolls 8

“I don’t understand, Umgurn. What does any of this have to do with me?” Fodinis scratches his chin.

“Fodinis. Black skinned, black haired bugbears are extremely rare. Her brother went missing about a year ago when she went looking for him. She is clearly your sister.” Umgurn sits back in his chair and sighs with his arms folded across his chest.

“I had a sister. And she died looking for me. And I have parents. I’m from Oldestall. I have a home.” Fodinis sits back in his own chair, eyes closed, and breathing deeply and slowly for many minutes.

[Fodinis has reached 4th level]

[Fodinis chooses Mobile Feat]

Malege decided to spend his two quindays out of sight as Umgurn still feared Enicryn was about. In a disguise provided by Fodinis, he spent much of his time looking at nearly every shop, store, or stall in Pathilia for things he might need but usually things he might want. He ultimately decides that having his weapons upgraded would be a good use of his money. Hadrian of Hadrian’s Heretics increases the armor of his breastplate magically and then increases the damage of his shortsword, dagger, and shortbow magically. Hadrian informs him that he can upgrade his weapons no further as the limit of his skills with upgrading weapons is limited to a rudimentarily level. The total cost is 6000 gp which Malege is happy to pay.  

[Malege receives a breastplate +1, shortsword +1, dagger +1, and shortbow +1, pays 6000 gp]

Malege spends some time with the wand they found and determines it is a Wand of Magic Missiles which he thinks will serve him well. With his shortbow magically enhanced, Malege replicates a spellwrought tattoo that allows one to find a familiar. He uses it on himself and finds Vesper, a hawk which sparkles with fiery eyes and feathers. He explains how the spell works to Kace, Fodinis, and Piece who each use it in turn one day during the week to recruit Hestia (cat), Slipknot (weasel), and Thought (owl), respectively. When Umgurn, Enacelle, and Theophania return, he repeats the process with them and they recruit Vizal (raven), Sister (spider), and Filligree (snake), respectively. Happy that he has provided everyone in the party with a pair of mobile eyes and ears, he replicates the spellwrought tattoo for Hellish Rebuke which he feels will be a fitting surprise for Enicryn should he run into her. His left hand now has a black figure wrapped in flame tattooed onto the back of it.

When Piece, Kace, and Malege take their day to visit the mindflayers, Malege only has one question for Drebask and the others that’s been burning his mind since the Hall of Narvandor.

“Drebask, do you know anyone called Orilia?” Malege chews on his lip waiting for a response. Drebask seems lost in thought for a moment, his tentacles only slightly slithering, and then leans forward.

“Yes, we are aware of Orilia. Why, may we ask, do you want to know?” Rhuohim and Trastor also lean forward.

“Well, we ran into a traveling salesman, a gnome, I think, in the Hall of Narvandor who had a magical chest on his donkey that he said was a gift from Orilia. But then he got all quiet after that and left. At the time I didn’t think anything of it but, now that I’ve replayed the scenario in my mind, it seemed like he was upset he had mentioned the name.” Malege also leans forward. Piece and Kace both lay back on their plush chaise lounge that Rhuohim had brought in for them, close to napping.

“As well he should be upset that you did not gasp at the mere mention. Orilia… where to begin. She is, first off, a tiefling, which, as you well know, means she has infernal ancestry. Secondly, she is extremely intelligent and clever which, not surprisingly, makes her a powerful warlock. Her patron is an old god, one that finds joy in monstrosities and oozes devouring civilizations. But it bestowed upon her a unique gift, as we understand it. A very powerful staff which enhances her magic far beyond that of a warlock with the same experience and training. She also has found much favor with dragons of all types, imbuing her with additional protections and magics. Lastly, she is an archeologist which might be what is most dangerous about her, if we may be honest. She seeks relics from the lost ages of Angedrian and covets those prizes even above her own magic. One does not want to be between Orilia and an ancient artifact or treasure.” Drebask pauses and all three sit back in their chairs.

“The last time we were in Pathilia, I did a great deal of reading on warlocks and their patrons. One of the names I came across was The Vice of the Unclean which sounds very similar to Orilia. It was mostly writing about her notoriety for imprisoning criminals and banes of society.” Malege furrows his brow in deep thought.

“Yes, that is her. Orilia, Vice of the Unclean. She is, as our little cat friend is, extremely adherent to the law and to order. Though, in her heart, she always seeks her prizes above all else and values little beyond that, she is still steadfast in her adherence to codes and honor. For a time, she was asked to capture five of the most notorious criminals in Angedrian. She managed to capture three of them, as we understand. The last two remain unaccounted for.” Rhuohim concludes their speech and pulls a small book from under the table. They flip a few pages, open it all the way, and slide it across to Malege. He reads the paragraph aloud.

The Queen of Anbeth could wait no longer, for the foul deeds of the most feared five had reached the ears and eyes of every citizen. Against her better judgment, she struck a deal with Orilia, Vice of the Unclean, Eldritch Mistress Supreme, to seek out the five and rid the world of them. Orilia agreed to the request in exchange for exclusive rights to all archeological digs in Anbeth. Much to the dismay of the archeological community and academic centers in Anbeth, the Queen agreed. Within two moonturns, Orilia returned to court holding three large gems, a diamond and two rubies. She announced that Aryx, Callen, and Venira were her prisoners and that Hexian and Felcryn would be within the moonturn. The high wizards council of Anbeth examined the stones and confirmed they were, indeed, prisons for the three criminals. The Queen, satisfied, begged Orilia return as soon as the last two were captured. But, after many moonturns, Orilia did not return. However, sightings or problems with Hexian and Felcryn were no longer reported in Anbeth. Scholars debate whether Orilia struck a deal with the other two or if she continues to search for them. 

When he finishes the reading and closes the book, Rhuohim takes it back and places it back under the table. Drebask puts their four fingers together and thrums them rhythmically.  

“So, you see, little one, acknowledging that you are, in any way, friends with Orilia is an admission of power, dark power, that may not serve one well depending on the location. Your donkey-riding friend may, for example, be one of her expedition team members. Regardless, if he is so close to her, he is very dangerous. We suspect that in saying her name to you, it was a test to see if you might suddenly fear him. You did not, I assume.”

“I’m not afraid of anyone.” Malege sits forward with his shoulders high, arms crossed, and a look of determination on his face accentuated by his flaming hair.

“Sometimes, fear is a good thing, little one.” 

[Malege reaches 4th level]

[Malege choose Metamagic Adept]

Piece decided to use their two quindays to further research planar travel and perform as much as possible with their new found confidence from the king’s blessing. 

[Piece makes 2 Performance checks] Rolls 16 and 14, receives 61 gp

Having much more time than before, Piece spends a full day in each of the main four libraries with many hours of research through books, tomes, scrolls, and other sources. They learn about all sorts of teleportation magic including spells called misty step, vortex warp, dimension door, far step, teleportation circle, arcane gate, word of recall, dream of the blue veil, plane shift, teleport, astral projection, and gate.  They recognize that the gate spell was the one used by their classmates in the experiment that Piece interrupted. Based on their reading and understanding of magic, which is limited, the dream of the blue veil appears to be the only spell-based magic that would bridge Angedrian to Kace or Piece’s home worlds. The Halls of Narvandor seem like permanent bridges between multiverse locations. 

[Piece makes an Intelligence check, DC13] Rolls 15

Piece theorizes that wherever the gateways in the Hall of Narvandor takes one, the destination could have additional doors. And, that could mean that Angedrian has other doors that lead to other places. More importantly, Piece realizes that they arrived in Canville Port in the north. Why? There must be a reason that is not the permanent portals or the spell. Further researching teleportation and creatures, Piece reads about various creatures that can create teleportation rifts and tears which only they can use. They then remember something Fodinis said about the bags of holding when he found Enicryn’s. When one extradimensional object is placed inside of another, they two items are destroyed and a rip into the astral plane is made. If a creature that their classmates conjured within the gate spell tried to open a dimensional rift, the resulting tear within the gate could have opened up an aberrant portal through which Piece was pulled. That would mean the process by which they arrived cannot be safely duplicated and only the Dream of the Blue Veil is the way home for Piece and Kace.  

Piece, like Malege, spends many afternoons scanning various shops and stores for items they might need. In a small junk shop on the south side of the city, they find a set of ten darts with long, sharp tips and golden feather fletchings. 

“Madame, could you tell me about these darts?” They point with a paw at the case. The large human woman smiles with only a few teeth remaining, and leans on the counter with her generous bosom covering half of it. 

“Theys magical darts, me thinks, but a very uncommon choice of weapon so eyes has them for a long time. You want ‘um, I can let you have them for 3000 gp.” She smiles again.

[Piece makes an Arcana check and a Persuasion check versus shopkeeper’s Insight Check] Rolls 15 and then Rolls 21 versus 17

“We would be willing to pay 2000 gps for the 10 darts, madame.” Piece places their paws together pointed face down and bows slightly. He is also sure the darts are magical.

“Yeah, alright. Eyes can close early today!” She hands Piece the case of darts and they give her the coins.

Later in the quinday, Piece accompanies Kace and Malege to see the mindflayers. Malege spends a while chatting with them about warlocks which Piece finds only mildly interesting as Kace and them are curled up on a very plush, soft chaise lounge that is too comfortable not to have a nap. But Piece manages to stay awake and listen to the bulk of the conversation. When Malege seems to have come to the end of his questions, Piece sits up and addresses the three mindflayers.

“We are most delighted to finally meet you. As Malege and Kace likely told you, we are from another plane of the multiverse, as is Kace. We have spent quite a bit of time researching how this travel is possible. We understand that you, Drebask, brought Kace here via the Dream of the Blue Veil and a magical dagger that was made here in Angedrian. The spell can also carry the caster and others to another plane if one of the participants was born there. But, as we understand it, you are not a wizard or warlock and, more importantly, you loathe magic. So, how was it that you were able to cast the spell?” Drebask’s tentacles undulate and writhe gleefully and their eyes sparkle.

“We see, Malege, that you have friends that are as wise as you are intelligent. Very good, very good. The Dream of the Blue Veil is, indeed, a spell of magic that we do not possess the power nor talent to cast. Nor the desire. However, before our last battle with Kace, we had faced off against a very powerful sorcerer named Finderell. Finderell had no spell casting components or arcane focus available to him so his magic was limited. But when we read his mind, he confided to us that his magic could free us. We had time to study his thoughts and realized the spell alone would not do us any good as we needed to be free of the arena. We therefore defeated him in combat, ate his brain, and retained the instructions for the spell. It is a small trick we mindflayers can do should a memory be very important and we know about it before we devour the brain. Then, we waited for the best partner to escape. And that was Kace.” Piece ponders this information for a few moments.

“So, you cast it as if it were a scroll, from your memory.” Drebask nods. 

“Even if we were a wizard, to create such a scroll would take many moonturns and a large amount of gold. So, we must find a wizard who has such magic already.” Piece looks solemnly at Kace. 

“But, Piece of the Puzzle, you already know such a wizard.” Rhuohim smiles with their eyes, their tentacles writhing softly.

“Who?” Malege leans forward in his chair, elbows on the table and hands on his face.

“Ah, we see that they have not revealed themselves to you but we think you will know very soon. It is not our place to reveal such secrets if they are kept from you.” Piece thinks deeply with a furrowed brow.

[Piece makes an Insight check and an Intelligence Check] Rolls 9 and 8

“We shall have to wait.” 

[Piece receives 200 xp]

[Piece has achieved 4th level]

[Piece increases his WIS by 1 and his DEX by 1]

Kace checks in with the caged fighting matches as soon as they return to Pathilia and discovers he will be able to have bouts on five different nights. Fodinis is quite excited and bets on Kace for all five matches before the night of the first match, giving him superior odds of 35 to 1 on all five matches.

N# | Opp AC (1d10 + 9) | Opp to Hit (1d4 +2) | Hp | Opp Damage (1d6 + STR) | Opp Str (2d6 + 8) | Results
1 | 12 | 5 | 30 | 1d6 + 3 | 17 | 24(4)/23(10), 16(13);17()/*2,15(13)  = Victory
2 | 18 | 3 | 28 | 1d6+  2 | 15 | 17()/15(); 5()/17();16()/18(13);9()/*2, 13(); 23(5)/*1, 24(8); 18()/*3, 22(10)  = Victory
3 | 16 | 4 | 40 | 1d6 +3 | 16 | 21(8)/16(10); 19(7)/*1, 12(); 5()/*3, 14(); 20(4)/*4, 26(9); 23(9)/*3,24(7); 19(4)/*1, 12(); 13()/ *1, 18(10) = Victory
4 | 15 | 5 | 30 | 1d6 + 3 | 17 | 10()/16(); 17(12)/16();*3 15(13)/9();*1 11()/19(6); *3 24(7) = Victory
5 | 18 | 3 | 35 | 1d6 + 5 | 20 | 12()/23(6); 17()/*2, 24(12); 17()/*4, 17(); 7(); *4, 21(13) = Victory

After the first match, which Kace wins in two rounds with his Echo Knight talent, the fight organizer forbids him from using the skill in future matches to which Kace agrees. The odds for the subsequent matches fall to 4:1. Kace wins all five fights though one opponent is more difficult than the others. The match organizer thanks Kace for playing more fair without this special skill and awards him 600 gps for the two quindays.

[Kace receives 1500 gps]

[Fodinis receives 13,125 gps for his advanced 35:1 odds on Kace winning all 5 matches]

Kace accompanies Piece and Malege to see the Mindflayers and spends a few minutes with Traxor regarding his strength training of kai-tho and how it has made him stronger already. Traxor is impressed and happy with Kace accomplishment and encourages him to continue on this path. Kace pays little attention to Malege or Piece’s discussions with the mindflayers because the couch provided is so comfortable, he cannot help but fall fast asleep. When he awakens, Malege and Piece are ready to go and the mindflayers seem to be chuckling to themselves as the big, sleepy cat stretches and wakes up. 

Kace also practices his kai-thoo every morning and Piece usually joins him practicing their ki. On the fourth morning, Kace has notices many similarities between what they are doing and how they focus but not much difference. 

“Piece, tell me, please. What is the difference between your practice of ki and my practice of kai-thoo.” Piece looks up from a handstand where their spear is balanced on their rear paws high in the air. They dismount from that position, catch their spear, and sit with their legs crossed.

“We are a monk of ki and see ourselves as part of the natural world, moving through it to observe and be bent by its will. Ours is not to bend things to our will unless forced to. For example, let us assume we come to a large boulder blocking a tunnel through which we need to pass. Near to the top of the tunnel, there is space on either side of the boulder but at the base, it is fully block. Ki teaches us to use our strenght and agility the climb through the passages on the left or right at the top of the boulder, leaving the boulder undisturbed. Because, the boulder has done nothing out of the ordinary and is behaving exactly as we would expect. Kai-thoo would teach you to use your strength, before anything else, to deal with the boulder. You might roll it, split it, push it, or lift it out of the way. But Kai-thoo would never except that the boulder in your way, or anyone’s way, is an acceptable state. Imagine now that, not a boulder, but a large angry ogre stands in the same place. Both Ki and Kai-thoo teach us how to use our skills to deal with the ogre, because it is trying to impose its will on us unnaturally. Does that make sense?” Piece pauses and stretches their arms high above their head with their speark between their claws. 

“Possibly. Can you give me another example?” Kace scratches his head trying to make sure the concepts are clear.

“Of course. We are at a river crossing and there is a ferryman who is demanding 100 gps to cross today because a horde of angry creatures is heading this way. The ferry will clearly hold 10 people safely and there are only 5 people on shore, including us, who wish to cross. Ki would teach us to seek the compassion within the ferryman and convince him that we can all easily go, and we will all survive. If we do not go, we will all be killed and our 5 families will hunt him down to kill him for abandoning us. Kai-thoo would teach you to bludgeon the man and take control of the ferry, saving all of us and the ferryman. The result is the same. It is the path that differs.” Piece is now on their knees with their arms stretched out far in front of them. 

“Yes, I see it now. For me, I think kai-thoo is best because, unlike you, I am not so clever with words nor do I see a way around a problem that doesn’t involve violence. But, I would like to see ways without violence. I would like to be more like you, Piece.” Piece smiles very thoughtfully at Kace and purrs loudly.

The travel from Pathilia to Woodshead is brisk with only the three of them and basic supplies. They chose to sleep only for a few hours and continue through the night as the roads seem very quiet and safe for their journey. They arrive in Woodshead on the afternoon of the fourth day, having spent one day in Pathilia, and break off to complete their tasks. They plan to reconvene in two days to return.

Theophania visits the furrier who is happy to see her and inspects her new saddle bags. He makes some adjustments to them which include adding a soft fur lining to the underside and straps as well as adding several secured leather straps to allow for packing additional items on the back and sides. He provides Theophania’s seven fur-lined leather heavy winter coats as requested which he secures into a tight bundle for easy transport. He agrees to store her cart and she transfers the things she needs from the cart to her saddlebags easily with plenty of room left inside. 

Theophania returns to the plains to check on the deer population and culls a few. She works with the constable to have a new person assigned to the contract and concludes her contract for 200 gps. During her time in the woods and plains, she could find no trace of abnormal activity and the two closest eruption sites were still closed.

[Theophania receives 50 gps]

[Theophania receives 4th level]

[Theophania chooses the feat Sharpshooter]

Enacelle immediately departs from Umgurn and Theophania to reenter East Mournwood. She only has two days to explore and wants to attempt to learn anything she can about the entry point of the tunneling device in the mountains. She spends two full days and 1 night in the forest wildshaping into various beasts and using her speak with animals abilities. She cannot physically make it anywhere near the supposed entry point due to the distance but she hopes that information travels through the animals as easily as it travels through people. She is able to wildshape and speak to animals twelve times during this period.

[Enacelle makes 12 Persuasion checks DC15] Rolls 16, 6, 5, 5, 15, 7, 6, 10, 13, 8, 14, 9 (2 successes, 10 failures)

Despite her best efforts, Enacelle learns nothing from the animals of the forest that she didn’t already know. She does note that nothing like Enicryn’s large stag has been seen since the first time Theophania spotted her. But there is no information about abnormal activity to the south. She does add a few additional wildshapes to her repertoire. Before departing for Pathilia, she acquires some new clothes from the furrier including a leather shirt and skirt, leather belt, and a dark brown robe. She works with a large acorn she found in the forest in which she places a feather, a bit of fur, and a fish tail before sealing it and having it encased in gold. Lastly, she purchases two platinum rings from a local jeweler and stocks up on healer’s kits.

[Enacelle achieves 4th level]

[Enacelle chooses the feat Healer]

Umgurn visits with the Constable after returning the wagon and horses to his colleague. He requests an extended leave of absence which the constable happily grants. He speaks to as many of the citizens of Woodshead as he can because he is sad to be leaving them for a long time. They impart many words of thanks and gratitude and tell him honestly that they hope he will return to them soon. 

[Umgurn makes two Insight checks] Rolls 18 and 3

While listening to idle gossip, rumors, and stories at the various taverns over two days, he learns that the mysterious women that his party apprehended has not been seen since in Woodshead. He also learns that the road to Pathilia had been very quiet for several days but just today someone reported bandits on the road. He is not surprised by this because the explosions of the eruptions have likely driven any creatures away from the roads and bandits are always looking for easy targets. Umgurn visits a local jeweler and acquires 100 gps worth of silver powder for various spells. He also visits the local church to ask the priest about the holy rituals of foreknowledge which the priest explains in detail. He also gives Umgurn a set of thinly carved human bones which have various runes etched into them to practice with.  He packs the last of his things and gives the Constable a goodbye hug which Umgurn feels is quite sincere.

[Umgurn receives 275 xp]

[Umgurn has achieved 4th level]

[Umgurn chooses Divinely Favored, Word of Radiance, and Guiding Bolt]