18 Cuersaar 837
Rodreck & Rumis & Paige | Stilben (Tal’Dorei)
- Rodreck, Paige, and Rumis direct the homeless members of society to the airship along with folks they pass along the way. Horse theft goes way up thanks to Paige’s suggestions, and violence begins to break out as the oncoming destruction approaches.
Paige grumbles about not wanting to be the mother of the group.
Rodreck, while patting the skull of his dead mother, says, “You’d make a fine mother.”
- Rumis pays for the airship captain to take the people aboard with minimal complaints, and the ship manages to leave in time as the group heads back to the Myriad.
Aida finds a new dog, Khaos, as she saves an abandoned kennel full of dogs with animal handling and clever usage of her broom.
Khaos appears to be a gift from the Changebringer, and she tells book Ioun to offer her thanks.
The Myriad | Stilben (Tal’Dorei)
- The Myriad, under Pandora’s orders, boards the airship along with any contacts, business associates, or less fortunate members of society to head to Kymal and avoid the floods and destruction coming for Stilben.
Stilben (Tal’Dorei) is destroyed
The Heroes of the Netherdeep climb aboard the flying carpet they last used when fighting the Storm Giants to escape the giant wave cresting over Stilben. They watch as it overtakes the Myriad headquarters (Pandora looks away), and destroys Stilben piece by piece. Paige tries not to think of Port Damali (Wildemount), while Rodreck and Rumis are entranced by the enormity of the waves (Rodreck even putting down his pen to watch rather than write).
Members of the Clasp are spotted in the streets among the rioters, and it doesn’t require any investigation to see the crowds of people left for dead as the city drowns.
Resolute in their quest, and aware of a form of transportation coming for them in three days time, the party has to figure out where to go next, and immediately decides a long rest is in order for the squishy wizards <3
Aida identifies the bracelet Greisalda Cassios placed on Paige, and discovers it is a modified form of clairvoyance that makes scrying much easier. Paige decides to put it back on so that teleporting to Westruun goes smoothly.
Aida also identifies the crystal ball Rumis was given and finds out it is a professor orb.
Pandora | Road between Stilben (Tal’Dorei) & Westruun (Tal’Dorei)
- Pandora offers to take first watch, seeing as she needs less sleep than the rest of her companions and is less tired. It’s a quiet, depressing watch, filled with unwanted thoughts and the unwelcome image of refugees from Stilben.
Yeah, and then there’s all the complicated feelings that are trying to encroach on your solitude, your peace of mind, if not sleep. The ever-present guilt, like what more could you have done to save more people. There’s definitely a sense of accomplishment, it’s not like you did nothing, and then there’s the sense of unease with what comes next. You’ve got this divine-inspired mission to Vasselheim, but then what? How do you even begin to conceive of, much less prevent, or help with the possibility of a second Calamity? It’s just an enormous thing, and you barely have a handle on being the Raven Queen’s chosen, never mind the possible responsibility of fighting other god-chosen or divinely empowered cultists…But, in that solitude, in that discomfort of, what comes next? And did you make the right call, allying yourself with the Matron, what if she’s on the losing side? Dione mentioned that the Matron, the Knowing Mentor, and the Changebringer were aligned, but that’s 3 out of the dozen? So that’s 25% you could maybe consider on your side, and that’s not even taking into account the Betrayer Gods which you know are not on your side. Do you feel like you made a good decision?
- In her moment of doubt, Pandora is approached by an entity in Orpheus’ body that doesn’t offer a name nor any identifying information beyond not being a person.
Orpheus continues to sit there, staring up at you, and says, what’s bothering you?
What…the fuck? You…talk?
When I want to. But we’re talking about you right now. What’s weighing on you? What’s weighing on your heart and mind? I can sssssee.
And you can feel that drawn out consonant, and that, if nothing else, clues you into that it’s not Orpheus you are talking to.
You’re not Orpheus.
Mmm. Clever girl.
Who are you?
A person.
Are you, now?
By technical definition.
Mmm technicalities are delicious, yes. I suppose then that I am not a person. Does that bring you comfort?
I…I’ve seen many strange things, so it doesn’t bring me discomfort, but it does put me on alert. What are you?
I’m a friend. A…concerned third-party. I see promise and opportunity in some of you. Less in others.
Some of us? Care to share?
I believe I just did.
…Fair enough. Do you have a name, or?
You can call me Orpheus, for now.
Are you just now possessing my cat, or have you always?
Always looking for that edge, aren’t we? Oh, this is a new development. It’s been some time since I spoke to one of you. But, these are strange times indeed, aren’t they?
You spoke to someone before?
Oh yes.
Who?
Well…who is less important. I doubt you would have liked him much anyway.
That says both less and more than what you probably intended it to.
I always say exactly what I mean to, don’t you?
When I can.
Isn’t that how you play this little battle of wits that you enjoy?
I do enjoy a good wit battle.
So you say you’re my friend…
I think I said I could be your friend.
Could be? What’s the deciding factor?
Do you…do you need friends? It seems like you do.
I don’t but, they’re not bad to have.
Hmm. Well, perhaps I’ll check back in on you when your need is primed a little bit more.
I don’t think I’ll like what that means, but I suppose I’ll find out, won’t I?
Rumis | Road between Stilben (Tal’Dorei) & Westruun (Tal’Dorei)
- Rumis gazes into his orb with the help of Squawk, learning that he knew the raven before they met on the airship.
Yeah, so you think about Squawk and you…It’s almost like you have… Do you know what a jog control is? It’s kind of a video editing thing. It’s like a wheel where you spin it, you go backward, you rewind, and when you spin it forward, you fast forward. So it kind of allows you to move along the timeline of a video piece. And that’s what it feels like as you concentrate on Squawk as the subject of your orb delving. You kind of rewind. Starting from this moment back through your time on the ship before you got to Stillben, right up to the point where Squawk showed himself to you when you were first in Emon.
And then it kind of goes blank for a minute. And just as you’re about to maybe switch or think about something else or say something, the images start forming again. And you see Squawk just as a pair of eyes. You know it’s Squawk. You know that he has a body. But you can’t see it. Everything’s dark. And he just kind of blends into the background except for his eyes. And then…And then you see a mask. A white mask in the distance. And distance is hard to tell in this kind of unending darkness that has pulled you into this orb. And the mask kind of starts to liquefy. And that’s when you’re pulled back into your body. And you realize that you have been staring into this orb for a while. And Squawk is kind of still there watching you. He keeps bobbing his head, and though you can’t…
It’s like waking from a dream, right? It’s not like a fully formed memory. But you are 100% certain that you met Squawk before you were in Emon. Before you were on that ship. That was not the first time you have met Squawk. Your paths have crossed in the past.
Rodreck & Rumis & Paige| Road between Stilben (Tal’Dorei) & Westruun (Tal’Dorei)
Stilben is in the distance, you hear that sound, and then in your view steps this enormous hoof. A black hoof with red fur crawling up the shaggy, furred goat’s leg. And as you kind of raise your now glassed-over eyes, you are greeted with the vision of this 50-foot-tall monster. There’s not really a better word for it. Hooved, long hooved, scraggly legs. Some kind of leather skirt that is more shreds than it is fabric. And might have been soaked in blood? It’s crimson red, but like the color of dried blood. There is a wide matching leather belt that has an almost equally immense and completely unidentifiable skull hanging from it. And as you continue to raise your vision, you see…Let me show you what you see. I am going to put this in your I.C. channel. So this is the monster that you witness in the spirit realm. You can clearly tell that it is not physically here. It is a thing of spirits. But this is the thing that you see between you and Stilben. And then it starts to turn. And it turns that massive goat-skulled head directly at you. And just as its eyes seem to settle on you specifically, Rodreck, that is when the spirit session ends and you get your spell.
Paige identifies the being as Orcus by recognizing the Wand of Orcus, with one of its notable abilities being raising armies of undead.
Rodreck regains his spell, Summon Undead.
Aida & Jon | Road between Stilben (Tal’Dorei) & Westruun (Tal’Dorei)
- Jon and Aida play telephone via sending
“Aida, I made it safely. Zephra is safe. The voice of the Tempest said I could cast a sending to you. I can’t sleep without–”
And because John is very inexperienced with arcane magic, he runs out of words before he finishes the message.
“Glad to hear that. Can you cast it again? What’s the voice of the Tempest like? Can’t sleep as well.”
“I’m not actually casting. It’s her. She’s great. Big fan of yours. Sorry, I’m bad at this, but I can’t sleep without hearing you say–”
- Aida asks Ioun how the Voice of the Tempest knows her, and the Tempest responds via the book:
So it’s written in a gorgeous Elven hand, and rather than that normal kind of dark charcoal kind of ink look, this is written in golden script across two pages, and it says, actually, it starts with a list of all the heroic deeds that Aida has accomplished in Exandria, and, and then at the end, just says, “I’m actually a big fan.”
-Sendings continue!
“Jon, congratulations. Sending is 25 words. Use them wisely. Send my regards to the Voice of the Tempest.”
“She says hi. Also that this is the absolute last time she’ll send for me today. I will try again tomorrow. I can’t sleep without goodnight.”
“It’s okay. We’ll hopefully meet up sometime in the future. Please don’t ask more of the Tempest. She needs her energy to look after her people.”
- Aida also aggressively pets Khaos, and feigns sleep to avoid getting sucked into another Rodreck ritual.
Heroes of the Netherdeep | Westruun (Tal’Dorei)
The Gang goes out shopping, dropping gold like it’s going out of style.
Pandora: gentleman’s saber, amulet of the devout +2, blood fury tattoo, 1 potion of greater healing, 1 potion of superior healing, 2 purple worm, 3 wyvern, 3 midnight tears, gas mask.
Rumis: 20 assassin arrows, 20 alchemist arrows, 3 detonating arrows, 10 grappling arrows, 20 shield arrows, gas mask (don’t worry about it), cloak of protection + 2, 1 potion of greater healing, 1 potion of superior healing
Rodreck: 20 assassin bolts, 5 explosive bolts, hair kit of holding, cli lyre of the bards, gas mask (shhh don’t worry about it), cloak of protection +2, 1 potion of greater healing, 1 potion of superior healing
Paige: cloak of displacement, gas mask (don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to), barrier tattoo, 1 potion of superior healing, 1 potion of greater healing, amulet of the drunkard
Aida: cloak of protection +2, gas mask (trust me, it’ll be necessary), 1 potion of greater healing, 1 potion of superior healing, spell scribing for comprehend languages
Jon: gas mask (just take it, damnit)
The group also encounters Harley, a tattoo shop owner who Pandora and Paige receive tattoos from.
Harley demonstrates a romantic interest in Aida, expressing disappointment when he is informed her offer of drinks some other time was not her asking him out.
Pandora gives him 50k (gp) to get a new shop, or expand his current one.
Rodreck’s Poem
Death looms over the drowned remains
The souls of the lost scream in rage
I feel as though I wear many chains
Is this really the start of a new age?
- Aida speaks to Harley and suggests temporary tattoos as a business venture, recommending Gilmore’s Glorious Goods as a point of contact to help in acquiring the materials and potentially selling them. Harley also shows Aida many of his tattoos, shirtless, at her request.
Heroes of the Netherdeep (minus Aida) | Westruun (Tal’Dorei)
- Research ensues at Curious Curios, a shop owned by a wizard named Honor Kinibari.
- Pandora investigates Vespin Chloras, a name Dione gave her, and discovers information about anything pertaining to The Betrayer Gods is not widely available. Honor suggests the Cobalt Soul might have more information, and that libraries in Emon might also contain books Pandora could read. Pandora also flirts with Honor to help Paige in her investigating.
- Rodreck, Paige, and Rumis investigate the smut section, discovering a joke gift for Aida, Honor’s size kink, and that Rodreck has a thing for goo girls in-between literary criticisms.
- Aida is too embarrassed to come inside.
- Honor reveals her ties with the League of Miracles as an explanation for why there aren’t any spellbook she can let Paige see.
- Pandora spots a symbol for The Clasp on the side of the building, and tells the party they should leave shortly before splitting to take care of business.
- Pandora leave two 1k (platinum) deposits in Westruun (Tal’Dorei) with a contact along with two messages in code:
The pithos managed to remain intact and should be able to return to its proper place soon enough. There is a buyer at the cradle, and a deposit has been left North of ruin. Travel in the shadows of night, where no light can reach.
The craftsmanship was adequate, and superior to those with similar opportunities. Greenery can be found in a place west and north of all that was once known.
- Pandora also asks her contact some questions:
Q: Are there green pastures in the cradled beginning?
A: The cat is in the cradle, but has no milk.
Q: Does the rot and horde linger in the grass as insects do?
A: The rot runs deep, but the ship is still good.
While Pandora does her business, the others come into contact with the Dauntless Crew, who they discover are contracted to help them and act as transportation to Vasselheim (Issylra).
Paige impatiently contacts Pandora, who tells her she’ll come along shortly.
Pandora manages to sneak up on Zook, but Sentinel perceives her and interrupts her fun.
Paige reaches out to Jon via sending at Pandora’s suggestion, and Jon leaves to meet the airship halfway between Zephrah and Westruun.
Aida’s Adventures in Romance:
- Harley shows interest in a date with Aida, calling her sweet and saying she’s welcome by any time. He takes her suggestion of temporary tattoos eagerly.
