Session XXXI: Herald of the Eternal Rose

Approaching the reactor, both Tropam and Del'Gado agree that it would be wise to bring back Caerlin, just in case. Following the Lantern King's instructions, Tropam aimed the rifle at the bouquet and pulled the trigger. A silly noise preceded a wand emerging from the barrel of the gun. The wizard decided to activate the wand with class, performing some unknowable dance moves, and much sooner than anticipated, Caerlin returned in his corporeal form, falling backwards from the ledge he appeared on. It became evident that Caerlin had experienced everything the rest of the party did, walking and talking alongside them. However, the bouquet was all they had seen. Nevertheless, Tropam and Del'Gado briefed Caerlin on the situation: they had found an angel held captive in a big metal cylinder deep inside the facility.   Opening the metal core was uncomplicated, and the party could now see that the angel was much taller than advertised from the outside. As resident mage and arcane expert, Tropam took a closer look at her peculiar bracelet. It had a forest motif and bore numerous magical sigils that permanently bound the 'Spirit of Adoration' to several potent spells, including Hold Monster and a version of Dream that could affect planar beings. A singular lantern was hanging from a branch on one of the trees depicted on the bracelet.   Meanwhile, Caerlin sent a message to Baldur, informing him of the angel they had found. Utter hogwash, was his reply.   Tropam formulated a hypothetical solution to try and safely remove the bracelet from the angel, seeing as he did not know the Dispel Magic spell. Instead, he would conduct an untested, unnamed, and totally original ritual. He worked with some speed and diligence and managed to finish it in an hour, at around the same time the Polymorph spell wore off on Jacqualine. She immediately summoned a celestial ally, in this case an azata, and stormed towards the opened reactor. The summoned azata, upon seeing the unresponsive angel, verbally expressed gratification towards the harengon currently in the process of freeing her, and began questioning why Jacqualine was so suspicious over the ordeal. Did she not know who this was? But before the azata told her, she ended the spell. However, it was too late: Tropam had removed the bracelet, and the planar woman regained her consciousness. In one graceful move, she freed herself from the contraptions connecting her to the machine and assumed vestments more befitting of her heritage.   The being thanked her liberators, mentioning that whilst the dream was beautiful, it was much more preferable to be anchored to reality again. She then introduced herself as the Spirit of Adoration, Herald of Shelyn, the goddess of art, beauty, love, and music, and wished to know who she was thanking. Caerlin had one look at the azata in her full glory and fell face down, being cushioned by the Spirit casting Feather Fall. In the conversation that followed, the Spirit of Adoration showcased an otherworldly-positive attitude, showing no signs of bitterness or anger at being deceived and trapped in a looping dream for five years. Jacqualine was on guard, still hearing her deity's warning. The Spirit of Adoration and the party decided to leave the premises and return to Baldur at the entrance. However, the Spirit took time on the way back to sketch her surroundings, "drawing inspiration" and "taking in the beauty." She also had a brief conversation with Jacqualine where she non-judgmentally deduced that Jacqualine's magic wasn't actually divine in nature.   On the way back, the party was attacked by nearly 30 corrupted staff members. Whilst the party managed to dispatch a few of them, the Spirit of Adoration grew wings, took flight, and began singing; her song reverberated far around, and the party could feel the aggressive vibrations cease around them. A strange red energy emerged from the corrupted staff who momentarily looked human again, before fragmenting into fine dust.   The rest of the way passed without incident, with the party kept company by the singing Spirit. They decided to try and surprise Baldur, meaning that they wouldn't announce their arrival by sending. The Spirit of Adoration went first, and Baldur used his magic to confirm that she was, in truth, a celestial being. He took her hand and happily introduced himself. The azata then expressed her full joy at the party rescuing her, and told them that they could rely on her help in the future, should they need it. She also transformed the cursed bracelet into a ring containing a single-use Plane Shift spell, specifically attuned to the Material Plane (not Tropam's native Material Plane). A discussion ensued in the party after the Spirit left to wander around the other parts of the facility: during this, Izdubar sent a message to Caerlin, asking how it was going. He told them of the enormous lengths he had gone to secure the necessary metal rods for the spell, and that he could bring them back the same evening. After some deliberation, the party decided to wait for Izdubar and save the spell in the ring.   Whilst waiting, Del'Gado and Tropam played chess, Jacqualine scavenged magazines for her weapon, and Baldur peed in a container, put a stick in it, and froze it with a spell he had learnt from Lifeguard, his new trident. He then went around and offered this devious popsicle to the others in the party. None took up his offer.   After a few hours Izdubar emerged from a portal, dressed in thicker clothes than usual. He had some news to share before he brought the party back to Kartia: namely, that treachery had come upon Malakad. The Noble Alliance Army, which had been granted passage through Gol Thurum, had instead turned its attention to the Holds, either capturing them outright or besieging them. Izdubar highlighted that it was unlikely that the NAA's leaders would do this on their own volition. However, the siege of Khuramunz, Baldur's home and the strategic northern terminus of Gol Thurum, had been broken. They agreed to be taken to the outskirts of Khuramunz. But before that, Izdubar warned the party about bringing back technologically-advanced artifacts, lest they attract the attention of yarahkuts, which was a form of Inevitable. After some grumbling and pouting, those who had procured rifles and pistols from the installation left them behind. And they finally returned home, after more than two weeks of interplanar adventures.     The party arrived on a snowy hill outside Khuramunz. They could see a massive military encampment to the north, which Jacqualine guessed belonged to the 55th Storm Division of the Unitary Mandate of Kaedra. Izdubar and Tropam had a little discussion betwixt, and the party left the former king their quantities of novamatter as compensation for his troubles. Tropam used scrying to see if his parents were on this plane: they were not. Thereafter they decided to enter Khuramunz, as it was a shorter walk. The dwarven sentries allowed the party inside after confirming with Baldur that the people travelling with him were, in fact, with him.   Entering Baldur's ancestral home, the party bore witness to a very quiet settlement. The streets were mostly clear, save for a few guards on either watch or patrol. Though the guards were black-uniformed soldiers of the 55th instead of local militia.