17 Cuersaar 837
The Myriad | Stilben (Tal’Dorei)
Advancement of the mission to Obtain Fendril Vas’ Fortune
Llawran Thornbond, due to Rodreck’s impeccable stage presence and directing, fully believes himself to be the heir to the Vas Estate. Pandora tells him they will be handling the fortune, as he has debts to pay off and they are helping him.
Four prior staff of Fendril Vas - a cook, a butler, a nursemaid, and a tailor - are located, and bribed with 250 gp to corroborate Llawran’s claim to the estate and wealth.
Rodreck and Llawran had a journalist write an article about Llawran’s tragic tale, with corroborating statements of the prior staff and enough evidence planted that lawyers all want to aid in Llawren’s case. A Myriad lawyer who is incredibly competent but early in their career is selected, so they will also be indebted to Pandora.
While Rodreck trains Llawran, Pandora issues an order for members of the Myriad on group assignments to disguise themselves as her in an effort to conceal her movements from The Clasp. Eight end up appearing like her, and only one returns with information that the rest died and they managed to shake the tail.
Vas fortune is in the process of being obtained.
Pandora cast find familiar to summon her black cat, Orpheus.
Rumis spends the day and a half of travel (to Stilben) initially taking in the sights around him and mingling with the people aboard the airship, who are polite and distracted.
Rumis ends up exploring the layers of the ship to avoid intrusive thoughts and finds a pair of softly glowing human-looking eyes that are a deep yellow peeking out at him from the shadows.
“You long for freedom. I can sense it in you.” A hand issues forth from the darkness. There is something off about the arm, but the hand is human and very pale, pallid with overgrown and cracked nails that look as though they’ve been chewed on. The skin of it is the same as Rumis’ complexion, but the arm appears to have no bones in it.
Rumis does not respond, but waits for more information. Curious.
“Come, let me help you find your freedom.” It offers an outstretched hand, and Rumis considers whether or not to take it.
Rumis takes the hand, and the noise of crew and ship fades away as everything goes calm. He stares into an aching blackness that seems to stretch forever. The hand seems familiar, and the darkness seems very familiar, though Rumis cannot say that it is comforting.
Rumis Lore Drop: Rumis is in their mid-30’s and lost his memory 3 years ago.
Eyes regard Rumis sadly, and the hand withdraws. The voice is soft, and interested, as it speaks again. “You don’t know but you can’t remember because she’s lying to you.”
“Who?”
“The one you are following, of course. Don’t draw her attention. Think for yourself. I can help you.”
“Who are you?”
“I am the king - no, not king. The protector of all that is dark and below. I am no friend to she who worships death.” Offers Rumis a hand once more, and Rumis takes it, knowing he shouldn’t. As Rumis take the hand, two more figures appear from the darkness and clamp Rumis’ hands together. Something his the center of his palm, like a stab, and before he can scream or react to the sudden burse of pain, the hands let go and retreat.
“Now I can help you. Now I can protect you.”
Rumis is able to recall one lost memory.
Eyes blink again, again, again in a rhythmic pattern, then close.
Noise returns to Rumis’ surroundings, and he sees normal darkness. Something strange has occurred.
- Amidst the chaos of a successful hoax, Rodreck discovers a spotless porcelain mask on the ground of a dirty alleyway. He can sense spiritual energy contained within.
“A mask can be a metaphor for so many things.”
“Truly,” the mask replies, “masks are but a window into the soul of oblivion.”
“…Have I gone mad?”
“You think there was ever a time when you weren’t mad?”
- The mask presents itself and Zantris the Kingmaker, and proclaims it/they are here to help Rodreck (while informing Rodreck he’s not humble)
“What do you truly desire? The future is always in flux… Perhaps presents is a good place to start… With someone of your skills, why not share them?”
- The mask offers to silence the spirits without removing their benefits to Rodreck’s magic, and when asked what it wants, informs Rodreck in a roundabout way that it likes creating people in power. Rodreck says he doesn’t want power, and the Kingmaker argues his stories and his legacy are power.
“Don’t you want to write about your story, and not stories about other people?”
-Rodreck puts on the mask, and it sinks beneath the skin, not visible even to Pandora. Rodreck can take a level in warlock, but chooses not to.
“We will do amazing things together.”
- The mask allows Rodreck to cast disguise self at will after an hour of attuning to it.
Heroes of the Netherdeep & Dione | Stilben (Tal’Dorei)
Jon buys winged boots with money he’s been earning independently, stating that he doesn’t want to be a burden for Aida or overly reliant on her polymorphed forms for travel.
Aida, Paige, and Jon convene on Rumis’ airship after a near miss with the airships ballista defenses (Aida approached in light-blue giant eagle form, and the crew initially felt threatened) while Pandora and Rodreck wait in the shadows for their approach and Orpheus scouts the surrounding area.
Aida races the airship to the ground, winning, and Pandora informs Rodreck that yes, this is the group they are embarking on a quest with, and no, he cannot back out. Paige seems to know where Pandora is instantly, despite her being cloaked in invisibility and shadows, and Pandora makes an appearance as she beckons Rodreck forward. to greet the group.
Rodreck’s greetings (paraphrased):
“You must be Jon…born as an adult, sinless and virginal.”
“Aida…you are just as beautiful as Pandora said.”
“Rumis…an enigma, I like that.”
“Insert the Paige greeting.”
The meeting does not go as neatly as Pandora hoped it would, with the party looking at the condition of Stilben disfavorably. Orpheus informs her that shadows are gathering, and she knows it is The Clasp looking upon this place. She tells everyone to follow Rodreck to the base while she splits from the party, either as a distraction or defense depending on the threat level of the Clasp members that were dispensed.
After observing under invisibility while cloaked in shadows once more, she notices that the Clasp is interested in the materials, drugs, and cargo aboard the airship from Kymal (Tal’Dorei). She orders some of her initiates/goons to obtain the materials and sabotage the Clasp, successfully rallying her forces before returning to the base where the others have gathered.
When the party enters the room, two things are immediately apparent: Alyxian is frozen in cloudy waters, seemingly unmoving, and Dione stands before the tank in white robes like a wannabe Jesus (as Paige would put it). Aida greets him with a misty step glomp/hug that he happily returns, and he begins to discuss the circumstances of their mission with them.
Paige takes ten minutes to cast Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum, and Pandora joins the group in the front hall of her base. They bicker about Stilben, and Pandora’s reluctance to leave it.
“Why would you all be here, of all places? You could be anywhere…perhaps I should have told you to join Rumis in Emon. Vasselheim is where you need to go.”
Pandora glares at Dione. “I had responsibilities here, loose ends to wrap up. So sorry that’s an inconvenience to the gods.”
“You’re thinking small…all of this won’t matter in an hour.”
Dione informs the group that freeing Alyxian has set off a chain reaction that is bringing about a second Calamity, one that could be more disastrous than the first. It is revealed that Predathos is trapped inside Ruidus, and since Ruidus is now inert, the trap is weakened and beginning to fail. Thus, the gods have moved Celestia between Ruidus and Exandria to hold off Predathos’ return. Predathos, Dione informs the group, is a world-eater. And they might have to fight him, but not yet.
As a result of the appearance of a third moon in the sky of Exandria, coastal cities are at risk of tsunamis, flooding, and natural disaster as the balance of the oceans is shifted in order to deal with the oncoming Calamity. Pandora, hearing this, commands her Myriad to evacuate fast as they can, and, at the prodding of the group, tells them to evacuate Stilben at large.
Dione also informs the group that Aida - as the person who knows herself best and doesn’t feel shame about who she is - is the closest to divinity, with Pandora as the second closest. Jon is furthest from divinity, most likely because he does not know himself outside of the context of his relationship with Aida.
Dione also makes implications about Pandora wanting to replace the Raven Queen, something she doesn’t entirely show how she feels about. Paige attempted to glean insight, but could not read her.
“Why do you think I want to replace the Raven Queen?”
“I can see your thirst for power…”
Pandora does not deny the accusation and steps back from the conversation.
Pandora stabs Dione, it does nothing. Dione reveals he’s on his way to becoming a god, and that he cannot be harmed nor healed in Exandria because all of his concentration is used to maintain his presence here.
Aida, who thus far has refused to look at Pandora and has avoided her eyes, is upset by the hostility.
“Divinity is not a gift…it is a burden.”
Pandora looks at Dione through narrowed eyes. “That’s what those with power always say.”
- Paige tries to finagle Dione into removing her bracelet, but he refuses.
Paige holds out her wrist with the Cobalt Soul’s bracelet on it, asking if Dione can remove it.
“I can…but I think it is a lesson you need to learn.”
Paige breaks the chimney, and comments on the shittiness of Stilben. Pandora gets defensive and tells her that the chimney doesn’t matter since everything in Stilben will soon be destroyed.
Dione defines fate-touched -The ability to grab the string of your fate and change it - and informs the group that this event will affect many planes, including the Feywild. Additionally, he tells them that the gods cannot appear or live on Exandria because of the Divine Gate. This means that if Aida ascended, or if Dione finishes his ascension, they will not be able to return to the Material Plane.
Jon is terrified when it is revealed Aida could become a deity and not be able to return.
Dione gives gifts and warnings:
Rodreck gets a gilded skull worth 300gp and a warning: I like that you’re embracing your power, but you should be careful where that power comes from.
Rumis gets a crystal ball with swirling grey smoke and a warning: When you remember, you may be confused, but I hope that through that you will remember who matters.
Paige gets the bangle taken off her wrist, and the message Dione has for her is left secret.
Aida gets a charmed necklace shaped like a diamond, with half given to her and half that Dione keeps. Dione offers Aida a message and a kiss on the cheek: You do not need to remember to be brave, you already are. You just might have to remind them sometimes.
Pandora gets a small silver charm shaped like Alyxian the Aboleth, after Pandora tells Dione to get rid of it, and a warning: Power is chains, Pandora, not freedom. You cannot have both. And each time you switch, it hurts you.
- Other scattered quotes (paraphrased):
“I remember when you used to value life much more, Pandora. Even your own…You view death as a queen does.”
“I give people an opportunity to succeed. They often fail.”
Lore Drops:
Celestia chases Ruidus across the sky, shielding Exandria.
The Raven Queen, the Knowing Mentor, and the Changebringer have endowed Dione with power (as was the case with Alyxian).
There is disagreement among the gods for many reasons, though Dione specifically cites that some of them will take insult at not being consulted on moving Celestia, some might wish to flee rather than fight, and others will disagree with the plans the Raven Queen and Ioun have made.
The Dawnfather is possibly on board with the current plan, considering he allowed Celestia to be moved, and the Platinum Dragon could likely be convinced, but all the other gods are up in the air.
Pandora & Paige | Stilben (Tal’Dorei)
Paige catches up with Pandora, and they discuss Aida, why Pandora never answered the sendings, and how Pandora should go about this to ensure the party is not divided.
Rodreck later informs them via poem that Jon left and Aida is hiding.
Pandora visits her mothers to tell them to leave and informs them that she won’t be returning anytime soon in a rather dispassionate speech. They slap her and offer a hug, annoyed at her attitude but aware of how serious the situation is. They follow her instructions and leave Stilben.
Pandora has a conversation with Kallista, where she reaffirms that the Myriad of Stilben has to “scatter” and she’ll come for them if she survives this adventure she has to embark on. Pandora remarks that it’s an improvement for her to talk to Kallista before leaving, which Kallista rolls her eyes at while joking about a promotion should Pandora die. Pandora shoves her lightly, and Kallista hesitates to do the same, remarking that they aren’t “there yet”.
Pandora empties the Myriad’s safe of wealth, finding two portable holes full of it that she and her predecessor kept well stocked. She offers one to Rodreck, and keeps one at her side.
Rodreck & Rumis & Aida | Stilben (Tal’Dorei)
Rodreck enlists the help of Rumis and Aida in conducting a ritual to obtain the spell summon undead (to the approval of the mask Rodreck found on the 17th).
Aida and Rumis both see the mask Rodreck wears, and Rumis and Rodreck have to make a Wisdom saving throw for an unknown reason. Rumis fails, and hears a voice as he is lost in the ritual:
“You came from darkness. You will return to darkness. It is your home.”
Aida finds Jon after the ritual, still huddled in a shadowed corner of the roof with a thousand-yard stare.
Jon confesses to Aida that he’s been given a lot of information in the last few days that has confused him, and that he’s scared. He brings up the fact that Dione called the party fate-touched but did not extend that to Jon himself.
Aida attempts to cheer Jon up with a kite, and a declaration that they are a “package deal…like twins…” but Jon is still confused and wants to leave for Zephrah to think. He tells her being in a peaceful place and helping good people should help him find whatever it is he needs to find, and holds her tight as he gets ready to leave.
With a parting kiss on the forehead, Jon leaves.
Aida fails a perception check, so she doesn’t notice the tears in Jon’s eyes as he flies away.
Rodreck comments “awkward”, and Aida casts greater invisibility on herself so she can hide and be alone.
Quest Updates:
Obtain Fendril Vas’ Fortune is near completion, but made irrelevant by the upcoming destruction (?) of Stilben.
Gather Forces. Prepare. is completed, with preparation underway.
Reach Vasselheim & Save Exandria are in-progress, with Dione having issued them before leaving.
Rodreck’s Poem
A mask hides my face
It says it will change my fate
But I have always worn a mask
We all hide, till we are put in a cask.
Rodreck’s Poem
An angel flies away
An angel stays and cries
She wishes he would stay
But he doesn’t think it wise.
Aida’s Adventures in Romance:
- A kiss from Dione on the cheek. Get that godly gift!
- A kiss on the forehead from Jon, as he contributes to Aida’s abandonment issues. What the fuck Jon.
