Session 88, January 18, 2024 - Rescuing Rys

Session begins. Cat-Rys zones out while watching the mesmerizing purple glow behind the control panel. Savari asks Dredavex if the ship needs food, and he doesn't know really. In fact, after much questioning from Savari and Shar, it seems he knows very little of the creature that flies them through space. They figure it feeds on stars in the astral plane. Ifrea asks if they can make a plan for saving Rys, and Savari tries to wake the cat. She remains asleep. They ask if Dredavex can read human Rys' mind to help them find her and engage the kidnappers in the smartest way possible. He chooses not to invade people's minds to that extent, however. Savari turns to question Vorin after Dredavex makes it clear that he needs to fly the ship and stop being bothered. Ifrea, banging his head against the wall, feels as it gets harder and harder until it feels like stone. He watches out the window as they pick up speed. Savari picks up Rys and shakes her a bit until she comes to with a groggy meow. She asks if Vorin can read the cat's mind and he says yes if they can trade for it. She offers some human meat that he turns down (not a cut he prefers) and then offers up some poison that he does accept. The cat is feeling uncomfortable...something about a...boy? It seems very ordinary. That sounds like a problem to Savari. She has Ifrea check and as he pets the cat it seems to really enjoy it. The party begins to panic a little. Shar comes in to speak with it and confirms it is just a cat. The last thing it remembers is being in a human body, before that, he was laying on a large cushion where his slave was until he had to leave (Cair Dineval). He remembers being ushered through snow and odd glowing beams that brought them to meet with many more bulky humanoids. Confirms they went to the tower near the end...it was cold and then it wasn't anymore and he could smell icky foulness in the air, probably from the humanoid creatures. He is appalled when he learns that the human inhabited HIS body during that time. They don't learn anything more than Rys had seen and told them of already.
 
Rys awakes from her dream to the persistent sound of buzzing all around her. She feels someone tugging at the band on her arm and then breaking whatever hold it has had on her. The person says "come, we need to leave now". She recognizes the feeling of barkskin grabbing and pulling her arm. The person grabbing her is a woman with dirty blond hair, and a scar or mark on the left side of her face. After a second she recognizes them as Lulach Ennissi, and is surprised but grateful. Luloch says shes's been tracking this group after learning their intentions for Rys, but before she can explain further, they need to run. Rys hears the shout of one of the orcs that held her captive that mutes as it thuds to the ground, hit by some invisible spell. They're in the middle of a nasty swamp. It feels warm and she can see the sun, which is incredibly distracting. Lulach leads Rys to a campsite in a small cavelike depression obscured by a large willow tree. It's a bit more dry, though barely comfortable. Rys tries to connect with the cat again and is unable to find it at all, though she can understand a small cat nearby that's hunting in the marsh.
 
The party is given a 15 minute ETA by Dredavex and realizes there's confusion on what tower they're traveling to. The tower they'd seen and had described by Rys was actually in the mountains, but they know from further description that it's in the marshes south of the mountains. They decide to take the risk and convince Dredavex to travel to the marshes south of the spine and try to find a tower there. He is concerned by the visibility of it, but agrees to drop them off and fly away as quick as alienly possible. As they drop to the ground they find a small tower with an outbuilding that has a set of double doors. They're concealed by bushes and watch the Noaloid as it's tentacles reach towards the tower for a moment and then it flies off. Any outside guards were distracted by the Notaloid and the party goes unnoticed. Kethra offers to join them in the fight but she will continue on her separate journey after that. Savari sends her raven out for recon. In a jarring moment, an owl attacks the raven. It disengages, however, and the raven is able to continue to circle the tower. On the upper level there are 4-5 burly orcs looking around on high alert. She finds a window and flies in to see the interior of a one room tower on the third floor. There is a stairwell in the center that only goes down. There are a few tables and shelves around the outer walls but no way to go to the top floor that the orcs were patrolling. She goes back out and flies down to the first floor windows and sees two dark-robed figures but still no sign of Rys. She flies back to the top and spots a trapdoor leading into the windowless fourth floor, but then is hit by something and explodes into a puff of feathers. Savari relays to the party what she saw. Suddenly, Shar feels a sharp pain on his shoulder, as an owl lands on him. She asks who is his business? When he finally responds with Rys, she points him backwards into the bushes. It hops down from his shoulder and begins marching away from the tower deeper into the marsh. They follow it for a while until it hops into a den and disappears. After a moment an older woman's head pokes out of the den, looking warily at them. "Are you friend or foe?" she asks. They respond as friends and ask if she knows where Rys is. She gestures to Rys, napping near the back of the den and Savari wakes her. They reunite, finally! Rys finally asks Lulach for explanation about this group's intentions for her. "What do you know of Neverwinter?" She asks, "Only that I can't go back" Rys says. The party knows a bit of it. A very rich and prosperous city, very political, some big names have come from there. She asks if Rys wants to go back, as she used to be part of the ruling family before they were murdered. There are many who would rally behind the Nyntenel name, and she can put them in contact with those who would smuggle them into the city. Now Dagult knows she is alive he will never stop chasing her. The Nyntenel line was historically known for their creation of incredibly powerful magical weapons. They decide to go to Neverwinter and seek out those who know more and would support them. Session ends.