Gwynfaren Session 9

Aenas wakes up and casts “find steed”! Til heads to the bar and the bartender gets a pail of coffee for Nebula, the amnesia prone halfling. Cipher orders two hangover cures called “Red Suzies” that come out looking more like Pink Susans. He brings one to Grin and they guzzle it up. Unlike anything they have used before to cure a hangover, their ails vanish immediately! Nebula later tells them that the secret ingredient is gnome stomach acid procured from “Gnome Vomit”. The owner of the establishment, Nora Goodbarrel, is the one who gave the party their drinks, begins to say that Nebula is riddled with STDs and is a raucous drunk.
 
The party begins to formulate a strategy for the day. Aenas mentions that they need to stop at Fal’s to try and procure an orb that Nebula previously sold in order to get money. Torrent first asks Cipher if he would like to play a game of cards. He says, “Later.” Grin chats with Aenas and thanks him for making sure that she got to bed safely. She also asks him why he didn’t take Nebula up on her offer to spend the night together. He replies, “She is a bit small.”
 
Til brings Nebula the pail of coffee she ordered for her, and she makes quick work of it, guzzling it in thirty seconds. Aenas asks Nebula if she pissed off the people at Fal's. She says she didn't. Aenas calls a shining black steed with fiery eyes that are a rich vibrant brown. Torrent offers a bowl of water to the steed and the horse happily drinks. Aenas tells the group that the trusty steed is called Alistor. Grin, loving all creatures, tries to speak with Alistor and introduce herself. Aenas has the horse nod to her, knowing that it will not be able to actually understand what she is saying, as it can only understand the command of its master.
 
Tilaries, freed of her brooch form, grabs Nebula and flies her around Skyward to Fal’s House of Goods as the party follows behind them. They enter the emporium and see a lavishly decorated blue storefront that is teeming with magical curios, and essentially any good an adventurer may need. A charm alarms as they enter. A storekeeper comes to help the party and asks what they may be in need of. The party asks if Nebula’s shiny ball is still in stock, or if it has been sold.
 
After moments of looking, the storekeeper brings out an item tagged as “an iridescent ball of unknown origin”. It is being sold for 6,000GP. Nebula sold it to the shop for far less. Elryn tells Grin that it is time to “put on a show” as she begins to sneak into seeming oblivion. Grin aids her exit. Seeing the need to stall, Til asks the shopkeep to grab the most expensive item in the shop for her perusal. While the employee is gone the party begins to think of a plan. M’rgle places a minor illusion on top of the ball that is sitting on the counter. Upon the clerk’s return, a magical suit of armor is presented that can protect itself and its master. Til asks the shopkeeper how they know the suit works if it hasn't been tested, other than on dummies. After some small talk, we find out that the shopkeep is indeed Fal himself! Grin asks Fal what he is most proud of in the shop, and Fal goes back to the store room to retrieve their prized item. While distracted, the team tries to think of a plan. Aenas brings up that they could earn the prize if the party can defeat the armor in battle?
 
Fal returns with a beautiful obsidian “crown of corruption”. He is very proud of the piece. Aenas uses his abilities to find that the crown is evil, and that it is considered a desecrated object. He also is surprised to find out that Fal is a celestial! While using his senses he also discovers a great evil presence in the basement of the shop. He tells the party of his findings. Elryn steals the ball and ducks into the back room Fal is using. She hides in the back room. Elryn messages Torrent telepathically and tells him that there is a trapdoor and she will wait for Fal to return to the party before she investigates. Fal returns and asks how much they know about him. The party is silent, and then Fal puts up an anti-magic field throughout the store! Torrent and Aenas both speak Celestial to Fal and reveal that they know something is off about the caster.
 
Elryn sneaks into the back room. She sees that it is a storage room. She finds another door and checks for traps. There is an alarm on the door, which makes her assume it goes directly to the outside. She goes back to the other room and peeks into the trap door. There are spiral stairis leading to the unknown. Elryn tries to communicate with Torrent, but there is nothing on the other end. She goes to the back door and opens it and shuts it. Fal hurries to the door and exits. Elryn quickly closes the door and jams it shut. Elryn then comes back and tells the party that they need to go NOW. Torrent makes the party turn around so they have plausible deniability, and Dimension Doors Elryn out of the shop with his new dagger.
 
Fal flies into the door. He is greatly unamused. His elderly wizard form twists and transforms into a lithe woman with a long black gown and a dark crown atop her head. She asks the party to be honest. Torrent asks what is going on in the basement and the mysterious woman responds, “one does not ask a God what they have in their basement.” To which Torrent responds cooly, “What is a god to a non-believer?” after that comment, the god takes the gravity out of the room. M’rgle falls to his knees and starts praying with his dagger. Torrent asks why he did not know of her? Who is she? The party is told that they stand in the Temple of Hecate. Torrent explains what has happened back in time and that it is their mission to undo it. Grin asks “How important is magic to you?” After a bit of contemplation, Hecate restores gravity to the shop. The party has amused Hecate and will be granted to live. Til gives Hecate her discount coupon and says she thinks thinks she has used it to its fill. Hecate is impressed by the marketing tool. She says she will definitely use it in the future. Did Til just invent coupons?
 
Aenas tells Til, “Don’t you know that the gods don’t help?” He has no love for the gods. He swore an oath to cut the gods down one by one from their mountain. As he leaves the shop, he promises Hecate that he shall return and it will be their last meeting. M’rgle has a dagger that is seemingly familiar to Hecate. He asks if she can tell him anything about the dagger. She smiles at him widely and says it has been a while since she saw it.
 
Til is grabbed with one hand by Aenas and is put on Alistor. They head to a cleric to heal Nebula’s memories. The cleric’s healing place is called “Granny’s Healing House.” She is an older woman called Granny Poo Poo. Nebula goes with Granny Poo Poo to get looked over. Grin and Til go to a corner to have a conversation. They make up and Grin teases Til about Cipher being nice to her. Cipher and Aenas have a side conversation where Cipher asks, "What is the horse all about?" Aenas explains that the gods used to ride on chariots on their holy mountain. Alistor was one of the steeds who pulled a godly chariot. He came to Aenas in a dream. Granny Poo Poo returns and tells the party that it will cost 750 gold pieces to heal Nebula's memories. She also tells the party that in lieu of payment, they can provide a service for Granny. Granny Poo Poo is in need of seagrass, and if the party procures it for her, the service will be free of charge. After a conversation regarding "dibbs" Granny calls dibbs on Cipher and Aenas. The party accepts the deal, and is given 4 potions of underwater breathing. Aenas asks Granny Poo Poo if she is able to take memories away and she says she can.