Session Five: All this and still no airship!

General Summary

Juliona’s Home   She takes a moment to speak with her granddaughter. Trying to find out about what happened to her daughter (she thought April’s mother died 19 years ago). After a somewhat tearful reunion, Juliona takes Mia to the kitchen (Corvus comes too, with Mia’s blessing). Mia is tested by Juliona to see if she really is whom she claims to be (asking Mia what she was afraid of as a child and what her mother did to help with this fear). Mia passes the test and is given an envelope with a blue and white feather attached to the seal. She asks to read the letter it contained in private but Corvus took note of the feather   Juliona and Corvus return to the group and the now-grandmother confirms she knows quite a bit about most cultures, being an anthropologist. She even confirmed George might be the last of the Goliaths. However, she was too overwhelmed to go into greater detail. April suggests she and Juliona spend some time together so the elder Godfried asks everyone else to leave (including Mia, who finished reading her letter)   Silmer stays as he has been by April’s side through this whole ordeal.   When everyone has left, April tells her grandmother a bit TOO much. She explains her mother is in danger and that she will be joining the mission to save her. Juliona does not want April to go and get into a huge row. It ended with Silmer being kicked out and April being sent to her mother’s old room.   From the contents in the room, it’s established that her mother was a beauty queen who was hiding her intelligence. The room even has a food hatch so it seems like her mother was locked in there often. While looking around, April discovers etchings under the bed and formulas hidden between looks floor boards and behind the mirror.     On the Way to and at the Palace   When the group (sans Silmer and April) left the house, Cissa was waiting outside. She annoys Corvus for a bit and is then offered to join the group at the palace. She declines. It’s established that she’s at the Spire of Inspiration quite often. Cissa confirms to Vence that her next performance will be in a month’s time.   Mia asks Cissa to write a song about Malak but she declines, stating that she only writes about heroes. But she doesn’t mind singing songs that were written by others that are not about heroes.   The group part ways with Cissa and go to a board room in the Palace to discuss the upcoming mission.   It’s established that Mia wants to do the right thing and help, Nesza needs money to feed George (but also really just wants to help) and Corvus sees advantages in helping Wrogar (by means of access to restricted sections of the library).   Vence and Malak have their reservations. Vence mentions there are NO songs sung about Wrogar in either Thrane or Breland (which is strange as he is supposed to be considered a hero). He wants to go on the mission but doesn’t want to be associated with the crown in any way. He suggest having another patron (like Juliona, perhaps). Corvus agrees to be Vence’s fake patron as a cover.   Malak’s concern was that everyone was jumping into this too quickly and, to him, it did not seem like anyone was thinking it through. After everyone reiterated their points, the discussion got so heated that Corvus lost his temper and kicked Malak out of the room.   Once Malak left, Corvus calms down. He expresses his disappointment and feels he wasted his time helping Malak for three years. Everyone agrees to approach Malak again once everyone cooled down. Vence heads to the Drunken Dwarf while Corvus, Mia, George and Nesza head to the Spire of Knowledge.   Meanwhile, Malak actually didn’t leave the Palace. Instead, he goes to find Prince Jurian. Malak explains what happened and that he doesn’t really know what to do next.   Jurian is very amused by the thought of an angry Corvus. He advises Malak that Corvus might feel betrayed. He trusts people but if you suddenly make a 180 on him, he will immediately stop trusting you. “Show Corvus the reason why he trusted you in the first place is still there.”   They then have some cakes and tea.     The Necrotic Shroud and Mabar   Nesza and George meet Molly for the first time. It’s established that George’s last name is “Lockwood” Mia and George head to the food books section. Mia marveled at the beauty that is George’s ability to wreck books. It was masterful. George stuffs a book down his pants to take along later.   Meanwhile, Corvus and Nesza go into a private room. Nesza explains to Corvus that something in him might be broken as, since the war, whenever he gets startled, he releases some kind of aura and transforms in a way that frightens people. Nesza explains his mother and Malak’s deductions of what is up and what might need to be done. He also shows Corvus his map and tells him what the stranger told him.   Before Nesza could demonstrate his form, Corvus chimes in by saying “do you transform a bit like this?” and Misty Steps into black smoke, reappearing closer in a corporeal form. This freaks Nesza out, which sets off his Necrotic Shroud. Nesza transforms and, to both of their surprise, so does Corvus (turning gaunt and slightly twisted-looking).   Corvus is terrified and tries to back away. As he did that, he pulled a hood over his head, revealing a crow’s mask. Nesza snaps out of his freaked out state quickly, calming Corvus down as well.   Corvus explains that Nesza’s powers hail from a place called “Mabar”. This is where his powers comes from too. It’s a plane of decay and death. He doesn’t understand WHY Nesza has that power seeing as Malak’s powers come from the celestial plane. It could be that a light within Nesza has gone out. If he wants to return to his previous state, he’d need to find the light again (how… he doesn’t know).   Nesza asks Corvus if he’s ever heard of another being going through his transformation. Corvus couldn’t come up with it but the tail end of a melody started playing in his head.   Nesza then asks Molly if there were books explaining his condition. Her answer was “No” but there is a book about Aasimar (“A is for Aasimar” by Juliona Godfried). Nesza then asks Molly where George is. She explains but also that he has a book in his back pocket that he needs to take out before he leaves. (Which he does). Mia and Covus head back to the palace and George and Nesza head back to the Gold Dragon Inn     On the Way to and at the Spire of Words   As Corvus and Mia return to the palace, they bump into Malak who was leaving his tea time with Jurian. Corvus and Malak make up but Mia is still pissed at Malak. Malak then heads to the Spire of Words to speak with his wife, Kiasuh. Kiasuh, was pretty miffed at him for not contacting her in a month. But once that part was out of the way, Kiasuh states that matters at home remain unchanged. Other than Malak’s mother singing the “Traitor’s song” to “her”. It’s not doing any harm but it’s not very proper   Malak explains he and Corvus might have access to restricted books in the library if they are able to help with this mission. Kiasuh is confused why Malak would need to go but also says helping people is something Myri would do. Malak then returns to the Inn.     The Drunken Dwarf   Vence is irritated with the bard that’s playing there (the same one as the night before). He’s doing an awful job! He “inspires” the bard to join him in a challenge by having patrons toss a silver coin to each bard to switch songs. He then returns to the Inn.     The Gold Dragon Inn   Silmer has been waiting for the group to return to alert them on what has happened to April (after first waiting outside Juliona’s door for an hour).   Nesza and George are the first to return and be informed, followed by Malak and then Vence. Vence and Malak decide they might be the best qualified to help April because Vence is on friendly terms and Malak can relate as a parent. They decide to take action in the morning.     The Palace   Corvus notices that Mia is disgruntled and has been actingstrangely all day. He asks about the contents of the letter. Mia tells Corvus that it confirmed something she thought she made up as a kid.   As a young girl, Mia got sick. VERY sick. The symptoms of her sickness match the Sickness that Malak and Corvus were looking into … but she got better. She doesn’t bare the sicklemoon mark that other infected had.   Corvus then inquires about the feather Mia, Juliona and Cissa have. Mia says she just thinks it’s pretty but she suspects there’s a reason why the other two wear it.   Corvus then points out Cissa was waiting outside for them, somewhat expectantly. He thinks she was waiting for Mia to talk to her. Mia says she thinks so too. But she first wants to find more information before moving forward. That was why she has been adamant about going on the mission. It seems like the wine created in that area has “curing” properties towards an infection that’s very similar to the Sickness. She wants to test if that’s really the case. If the area is taken over by baddies then she can’t do that.