Session 46: The Fates of Fortune Are Told Report
General Summary
23rd of Haelynir 1524 Continued Saryea enters the main foyer of the manor as Karl greets Erin at the door. Karl explains that Erin will be coming with them to deal with the undead circus. Saryea confesses she had been regularly checking in for Masela’s Fury to return, and she knows that boat is not currently in the dock. Karl reminds his sister that much has happened since he was last time and now is not the time to discuss such things. Saryea targets her questions to find out what she really wanted to know. Namely about Karl’s new scars, but indicates she wants to know about whatever relationship is between Karl and Erin. Karl draws the line at the questioning and sets boundaries about his sister’s behaviour to do with his relationships. He explains how he got his scars and about the night hag that attacked him. Karl confesses how he’s had a hard day and a few of the details that entails. However, these details send Erin into almost a panic as she struggles to contain her rage at finding out Karl had been turned to stone. Seeing Erin’s eyes flicker between their usual shape and their shark state of rage, Saryea grows upset at the unknown her brother keeps around him. Splitting his focus between Saryea and Erin, reassuring Saryea that this isn’t a danger to him and Erin that he is currently safe. He tries to distract his sister with showing her the puzzle sphere, but this doesn’t work as the idea of Karl being disintegrated panics both of the woman. Saryea suspects Erin is a were creature and that Karl should sever ties with his guild since it has put him in so much danger. In the end, Karl ends the conversation as he smells dinner. Caramella comes to tell them of dinner and get their drink preferences which seems to dissolve the argument.
Fargrim had been keeping Caramella company, stealing bits of food when he could before heading for the dining room. Where he tells Karl all about his new position in the household as party’s taster with Xochitl happily still hanging from his beard. Karl tells Fargrim about the poisoned tea and reflect on the what they know about Wellmore right now. Near the end of the conversation Lily comes down with Xeldarix. Caramella brings out the wine, juice and meals. During dinner, Karl takes a moment to talk with Uqaviel to ask him about his freedom in action on this plane. However, Karl distracts himself from this conversation by asking for a map to try and work out the ritual points throughout the city in order to work out what Wellmore was trying to achieve with what the apprentices were doing. This conversation is put to the side for the moment in favour of finishing eating and focusing on the circus.
When the meal is finished they briefly discuss their plans for the circus. Mainly to try and learn more about the circus. Maybe see the fortune teller and get a reading. This leads to a brief mention of Simone and how no one has contacted her since she entered the temple. Fargrim excuses himself for a moment before returning. They briefly talk about the apprentices and the situation of the missing items from the guild. Steve arrives and Karl ritually casts Telepathic Bond. He reports that Master Barnes is home safely and resting after her day of dealing with fiends. Also if the bond fails they decide that the code for attacking is “Grandma looks tired”.
Aside from a brief scuffle with a rock, the trip to the circus is uneventful. Once arriving, Karl pays and they split up to look around. The circus is pretty busy. At one of the tents where there is music but nothing inside one of the tents, Erin can see something, but can’t really seem to see whatever it is properly. Karl throws one of his mote rocks into the tent and lights it with a burst of green glitter and sparkles, a ball about 15cm in diametre can now be seen hoovering in the centre of the tent. Though it’s music stopped when it became visible. Fargrim casts Detect Evil and Good to confirm it is an aberration. Karl contacts Salma via sending to tell her about this. She replies with recommending they touch base with the paladins that will be coming with nobles they are escorting. As a result Karl and Saryea stay by the ticket booth, Erin and Fargrim go to see the fortune teller and Lily, Xeldarix and an invisible Uqaviel wonder around. Before splitting up Erin pays everyone 67 gold, 2 silver and 2 copper as shares for the shifting of ship finances in preparation for sales. The ship had bought the gems and Erin had bought the maps and there was some coin found that needed to be given out.
Fargrim and Erin approach the caravan for the fortune teller. Inside is a dark caravan lit by a small fire from the brazer and several candles around the area. A woman sits by a small table that has many chairs. A veil covers her hair and eyes. She wears a lovely red revealing dress. She inquires if they want to know their fortunes. Fargrim select a tarot card reading for the general future. Card One: What You Aspire To. The Empress. Confronting challenges through kindness, openness and generosity while being careful not to let others use your good will for selfish purposes. Card Two: What Is Standing In Your Way. The Devil. It symbolises unhealthy attachments or addiction. Be kind to yourself or the devil will feed on your self-hatred and doubt. Card Three: How You Can Overcome This. Wheel of Fortune. Change of circumstances, often for the better but occasionally not. The wheels of fate never stop turning, and being adaptable is important. Erin gets a reading as well. Gets one for her past, present, and future. Card One: Past. Death. You lost something dear to you, but something new had replaced it. Card Two: Present. The Star. Currently you should not lose hope for something seemingly unattainable. It is closer than you think, but wishing alone is insufficient. You must act on your thoughts as well. Card Three: Future. Strength. You're directed to gather your bravery and fortitude to overcome a stubborn challenge, but you must not waste this power on trivialities. Fargrim and Erin then head for the big ten to wait for the big show.
Lily and Xeldarix go around to play the side games. They play a ring toss game and both win a prize. Lily wins a medium prize and Xeldarix wins a small one. Lily gets them both stuffed birds and gives Lily the bigger one much to Xeldarix’s delight. She tries to talk to the stuffed toy and Lily explains toys to her. Lily mentally contacts the group and discuss the fortune teller. They also talk about maybe taking out some of the zombies quietly, but dismiss the idea as they are not prepared for that type of mission. Lily takes Xeldarix to see the fortune teller. Inside Lily sees a few strange statues with some strange symbols on them. There are a few strange creatures too among them that are fire elementals and Efreeti. The symbols Lily knows are for Ifrit. One of the primal, godlike entities given form. When given the options for her fortune, Lily selects fire. However, a person item or hair is required. Having no personal items on her, she offers a hair on the condition she gets it back. The woman does something to the hair that makes it glow faintly and gets Lily to throw it into the small fire. The fire turns gold and red with the hair in it. Image one: A pyramid. A possible destination or it can sometimes symbolise hard labour ahead. Sometimes both depending on your intension. A dog runs around it. Or a wolf. It is hard to tell. He seems unable to enter. As Lily looks at the small dog and believes it to be more of a jackal. Image two: Figure with wings. Lily has a guardian angel. Someone who looks out for her. This is a common one with those who have belief in their heart to a god. Someone desires to protect them. The figure holds up a sword. The guardian will grow in strength but their strength will be contested. This could mean an end to this protection and to tread wisely. Image three: A man with horns. The devil has noticed Lily. It seems Lily have upset someone and they know who she is. However, he seems to be shrinking slightly, as if losing strength. He can be overcome if this continues. Lily communicates to the group that the fortune teller is the real deal and some of the information about her connection to fire elementals and primeval forces. The hair is returned to Lily. Lily requests a tarot reading to follow up. Lily asks what she can do to help her guardian. Card One: What Will Help You. The Jester. To help the guardian Lily needs to try something adventurous and new. Unfamiliarity can be invigorating, but she should take care not to put herself in needless danger. The guardian will not like Lily putting herself in danger no matter how tempted she may be at the time. Card Two: What Will Hinder You. The Lovers. Emotional attachment will get in the way. With Lily’s attention on one relationship another will be neglected which could have been helpful. Card Three: Unrealised Potential In The Situation. The Sun. The Sun suggests that the answer to the question is plainly before Lily like a shining light, but it is best to approach it coolly and at a certain distance, as the truth could burn her. This often means Lily can see what to do and know the answer to her situation, but if she acts too soon that can damage the situation. Timing. Timing is where her potential lies, darling. Seems she might have more time then she feared. Lily leaves with Xeldarix and head for the big tent where Xeldarix shows Fargrim her new friend.
Karl and Saryea have a heart to heart. He tells his sister in detail about what happened the night they had to abandon the boat and the fallout. This leads to them talking about Uqaviel when Saryea admits to having detected him at dinner. Then talks turn to Wellmore and how Karl intends to take some extra precautions as he moves around the city from now on as a result. Their conversation is interrupted by the approach of Lady Janae Aales, the Treasurer of Brechlen, and her escort Corey Tradd from the temple of Neira’s Sailing Song. Corey is a Brecht man. Corey has ruddy skin and brown eyes. His straight dark brown and gray hair is twisted into many short, tight braids. He has thick sideburns. He is tall and flexible, but not very strong. The Lady Aales is an older woman in expensive clothing, greying hair and green eyes. The Lady Aales is a bit condescending and dismissive of advice given to her by Karl, Saryea or Corey. She is very insistent on meeting the manager of the circus. Karl asks if she heard any music the previous night and she replies she had a great night’s sleep. They head inside the circus to check out the side games. Not long after they leave another noble approaches with an Earth Genasi. This is Lady Rose Bayle, Lady of Longrove, and Rocky Ryser. Rocky has light brown polished skin and sparkly blue gemlike eyes. His head is shaved, with hints of dark brown hair. He has a thin dark brown mustache. He has markedly excellent posture. The Lady Bayle, is a middle aged woman in slightly more modest clothing then of someone of her station. She has brown hair and eyes that are always staring off somewhere as if she is daydreaming. The Lady Bayle is generous, kind and seems to be a little bit off with the fae. Karl tries to talk her out of meeting with the Ring Leader, much like he did with the previous noble, but to no effect. Lady Bayle gives Saryea and Karl a flower as she leave, which Karl promptly burns once she is out of sight. After the nobles and the protectors have left Karl talks with his sister more. They discuss Erin and Karl convinces Saryea that she is not cursed or a threat to him. The final noble and Paladin approaches. The Paladin is Sandy Albe who is a rock gnome. The Lady Alison Lynette of Stonewalk is a female dwarf. Sandy Sandy is short, and is wearing very shiny chain armor. He has a shield on his shoulder and a war hammer at his side. He has dark skin and big, bright brown eyes. He has medium-length thinning, curly blond hair. His blond beard is elaborately twisted and pointed. Lady Lynette is stubborn and to the point when the group tries to convince her to go home. In the end she enters with Sandy at her side. The group has another mental chat just as Lily has finished having her readings. Fargrim is unset with the undead monkeys that are selling peanuts. Karl relays he has had no luck in turning away any of the nobles. Karl and Saryea go to see the Fortune Teller once the mental conversation is done. Inside they are greeted by the same woman who has seen all their companions. Karl takes the option for fire and offers up the letter Master Shyr had left for him. Karl asks specifically for “How can I find him, and bring him back?”. At this point when Karl sees the symbols on the back of the woman’s hands he knows that she is linked to Ifrit somehow. Image One: A woman with several smaller ones around the main one. There are many who stand in his way of considerable power. They will seek to stop him. Image Two: A large tree that is a willow. The place Karl seeks is in nature and is old. Beware of those who call this place home. Image Three: A carrot. It is strange. Karl will find leads at a carrot of sorts. There is an ally there who can help him. Image Four: A crystal shattering. Something needs to be broken in order to bring this man home safely. However, this will not be as simple as cracking open an egg. Doing this incorrectly will ensure he never comes back. After the reading, Karl asks how long it has been since the woman has seen the City of Brass. They have a brief chat that ends in an ominous warning. Karl will only get home safely tonight by making smart choices. Once they leave, Karl explains the images to Saryea and how they link to the witches and what Karl knows about where his Master has gone too. Most of the information wasn’t new but there was enough there to give him more of a lead. It was enough to confirm the Fortune Tellers gift. The pair head off to join the others.
Before the show begins, each of the Ladies of Brechlen had promised things to the circus despite their paladin escorts trying to discuss the matter with them. At times it was like the Ladies could not hear their escorts. Lady Aales promised grants and city funds, as well as personal funds. Lady Bayle promised resources from Longrove. Lady Lynette promised district and personal funds. Each of the paladins are very unhappy with this. Sandy casts detect magic and sees a magical band over the mouth and ears of the Ladies, Rocky and the civilians. He approaches Karl about this and they agree to watch the show and act if anything is off. Karl recasts Telepathic Bond ritually. He excludes Xeldarix, but includes Corey and Sandy. The show begins with flair. Once Karl can see the Ladies, he uses his wand to try and dispel the effect on Lady Aales. As a result she becomes catatonic. When Corey tries to move the Lady out of her seat, Rocky and a few civilians nearby seem to become ill as they are hit with necrotic damage. He stops as she resists his effects to move her and continues to watch the show. The show continues and many of zombies do acrobatics feats with animal assistance. The fortune teller comes in and does pyro based tricks and performances and it ends with the animals and clowns doing funny skits. At the end of the show, the Ringmaster dismisses the crowd. The Ladies wait for the Ringmaster who has promised to escort them home and the party waits for all the civilians to leave. Fargrim approaches and asks for the Ringmaster to take his circus and leave. The man agrees they will be gone by morning when they have finished what they have started. The party tries to convince him to leave and Karl tries to use Mass Suggestion to make the man leave. However, he is able to resist the effects. He doesn’t appreciate the attempt and promises to hit Karl back in kind as a fight breaks out. Corey takes the initiative to cast Protection from Evil and Good on his ward. Outside the tent the Beast Master starts to rally the animals towards the big tent. Inside the tent, three undead Burlettes come out of the ground and attack. Each hitting Lily, Fargrim and Xeldarix. Lily takes exception to his and fires back with a hellish rebuke and invokes the Guardian of Nature Power to attack back. The invisible music aberrations try to possess the crew, but Karl’s protection keeps many safe and everyone but Sandy is able to resist it. The three Ladies have musical rays that come out of them and attack their paladins. Erin moves in and attacks the leader and Xeldarix defends herself against her undead attacker. Fargrim decides that he will try and turn the undead around him and is successful on both as they start to run as he heals himself a little. Steve sees the damage everyone is taking and starts to put out his healing energy to all in the name of Erik and Sunnis. Saryea attacks the undead while Karl tries to rid the Ring Leader of his ability to cast. However, the Ring Leader is able to counterspell it, but Erin takes the moment of this distraction to attack and stun the Ring Leader. The Fortune Teller enters and casts Spirit Guardians that appears as little fire sprites as she sees the angry customers attacking her husband. Many of the jesters enter in the tent and go behind the tiered seating to try and sneak around with undead monkeys following them. The leader watches all this in frustration as he can’t do anything about this. Rocky and Corey knock out two of the ladies now he sees they are hostile. Since Saryea hit one of the undead Burlette it doesn’t run when the other one does. They continue to attack Saryea and Xeldarix. Lily takes damage from the spirit guardians from the fortune teller and loses her Guardian of Nature form. So she focuses her attacks on the leader, trying to attack him as much as she can. Two of the Ladies and now Sandy attack with the other unseen creatures. This knocks Corey and Rocky out and hurts Stevel and Saryea as Karl shields himself. Erin joins Lily in her attacks on the Leader, keeping him stunned and in place. Xeldarix continues to protect herself and Fargrim also attack the leader as they takes damage from the spirit guardians around them. Steve continues to apply as much healing magic as he can. Zombies start to run into the tent. Saryea continues to attack her attacker as Karl puts up a wall of force to prevent aid coming to those already in the tent. The fortune teller drops her guardians to try and magically hold Erin, Xeldarix, Lily and Fargrim in place but everyone resists it. Xeldarix turns her attacks on the fortune teller as the undead burlette was on the other side of wall of force. The leader can only watch as his wife is attacked and he is still stunned. Rocky tries to knock Sandy out now that they see their fellow paladin is attacking them. Saryea is attacked by her undead burlette as the other burrows undead ground to get around the wall of force. Lily re-activites her Guardian of Nature as she attacks the Leader. The musical aberrations and Sandy continue to attack their allies. Corey falls down unconscious again as Karl shields himself. Erin splits her attention between the leader and the aberration, however, the Leader resists being stunned. Xeldarix attacks her invisible attacker as many large boa snakes slither into the tent. Fargrim sees this and casts flamestrike on them. The snakes all die in the radiant fire. Steve continues and brings Corey back up and heals others. Saryea continues to try and attack the undead before her while the Ring Leader counterspells Karl’s attempts to take away his magic. The fortune teller attacks Erin with radiant flames. More zombie snakes fill into the tent over the burnt remains of their friends. Meanwhile The Jesters had climbed over one another to get over the wall of force and attack Rocky. The Leader Misty Steps away and casts Chill Touch at Erin to get a bit of revenge as he appears across the tent in the stands. With the leader finally free to rain spells down on the group, they ready themselves for the fight to continue.
Notes
| Name | XP | Running Total | Level at end of session |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fargrim | 150 | 87,540 | 11 |
| Karl | 150 | 87,540 | 11 |
| Lily | 150 | 87,540 | 11 |
