Sessions 10 & 12: A Challenge from the Sapphire Sky

We started our time trying to solve the issue Reaper, Points, and Grace are having with nightmares of the Glass Ghost. Unfortunately, our motley crew proved itself to be highly ineffective in the interrogation of the innkeeper. After initial failures by Scar in questioning, things rapidly deteriorated with Reaper trying to rage scare her, and Pyre threatening to feed her to the ship. Things went downhill from there.
 
I’m not sure why I didn’t step in, I was trying to let our leader, Scar, do his leader things, and the others just kind of jumped in without a further plan. We got kicked out of the inn, and appear to have made an enemy of the innkeeper. As an afterthought, we should have applied one of our many charm abilities on this person to get the information she seemed to be hiding.
 
Reaper and Points are getting weaker as the Glass Ghost stalks them in their sleep. I suggested we all try to sleep at the inn to confront the ghost together, but others refused that idea. Now, I’m afraid that option is not nearly so simple as the innkeeper is not exactly inclined towards us at this point.
 
We visited the Ringwell with the new part of the cypher, but it rapidly became clear that we do not have enough information to make use of it.
 
On returning, we were presented with an invitation to a challenge by the Sapphire Sky. I’m still not clear on exactly what we are proving in accepting this challenge, but I suppose we have accepted.
 
On entering a magical portal, we found ourselves in a series of rooms.
 
The first was a banquet hall, seemingly with two groups of people, one to elicit bragging, the other to elicit compassion. We ended up serving both and acquiring two keys to pass on. I hope the bragging didn’t set us up for some kind of a judgement later.
 
The next room was a combat arena. We were invited to participate to prove our worth in combat without resorting to dishonorable actions (apparently, calling on an available external source of power).
 
We dispatched a set of unicorns first, and were offered passage out of the room, but also enticed to further combat and rewards. Scar was clearly taken by the arena combat and harkened back to other days of glory. We agreed to a second match against some knights and clerics, which we also won handily, receiving a small reward. After discussion, including my expression of doubt about the wisdom of continuing, it was determined that we press on with combat, against some flying opponents and an ogre. We also defeated these and received a reward, but I gro more concerned about continuing. We are resting now, and have come to a choice to leave or continue with the combat. I am more of the position that we should leave to complete the trials. First, some of our members have exhausted some of their power. Reaper can no longer rage. Bait has used many spells. We don’t know what other challenges there will be in the coming rooms. Also, I feel that our character is somehow being watched or tested, and that further combat does not speak well of us.
 
(session 12)
 
We held a vote to go on in the combat. While it was close among senior officers, we pressed on.
 
We faced two mages with a coatl creature shielding them. After a concerning start, we were able to take advantage. I do note that we were not in concert regarding tactics and target selection, some taking on the snake first, others aiming for the wizards (but hitting the snake, ironically).
 
Regardless, we triumphed, and we’re allowed to pass on in the trial. After deciding against facing a gold dragon for the last arena combat, thankfully.
 
We faced our final foe, an angelic being who was the representation of judgement for this trial. Again, a dangerous start, but we were able close out the fight and gain the prize for a successful trial.
 
After returning to Ptolus, we tried, again, to make progress in resolving the issue with the glass ghost. Scar and I entered the inn, which was now abandoned. Bait utilized and location spell and found that the inn owner was on a boat in the harbor. After collecting the rest of the officers, we sailed out to the boat, finding the innkeeper, Mari alone on a ship.
 
To say that she was uncooperative would be putting it lightly. She offered other things like the deed to the inn and a nearby tower, but would not engage in speaking directly about the ghost. Reaper, again, lost his cool, this time striking the woman with his fist. Big mistake. She transformed into a huge red dragon, and proceeded to dismantle us easily with her fiery breath and claws. We only live now because she chose to leave, instead of finishing us off.
 
We did find some gains on the ship, a ledger attached to some accounts. But we do not have any more idea of how to solve this problem with the ghost.