Pahhu: Shifting Sands of Time 12: The Homefront

DAY 17
 
The next day Ed, Pahhu, Jorah and Nyx regathered around the mirror, ready to seek more answers, the others off on business. This time Pahhu stood in front of the mirror, frustrated by the lack of information it had given her about her father she instead thought to try to learn of her mother. But as Ed lifted Pahhu to the mirror and squished her face against it her thoughts drifted to her big cousin, and the mirror began to recount the life of Ed.
 
The minute with the mirror showed much that was known, as Ed had spent his entire life within the orphanage that had become Hyssop Home. But there were scraps of memories from before. A clan of Yuan-Ti demanding a sacrifice of a young one, that Yuan-Ti child on an altar with a curved dagger hanging ominously over him. An explosion of chaos rocking a square based stepped pyramid. A halfling wagon driver with an aged warforged companion traveling the plains, a bundle nestled in the halfling’s arms. The halfling saying: “Well milk won’t do the trick, but rabbit’s blood seems to work…”
 
Ed went to Quinton to seek information on this halfling, and even though Quinton had some paperwork from the time they were unable to scry on the individuals. It seemed that they had long passed from this life or plane. Foiled, the group chose to take some time to rest and recover and regather themselves before continuing.
 
That night Jorah was visited by a beast in her dreams. It had 12 foot wings, a long flowing mane, and large heavy paws. It whispered a greeting to her in her dream, and Jorah called out: “Who are you?”
 
“I am one whose name you should not have known so soon. You carry knowledge forbidden to this timeline. You are one to watch, though your bold actions may be rewarded… in time.” Came the voice of the shrouded creatures, its characteristics muddled in the dream.
 
“Are you Thamisia?” Jorah spoke the name as if it was familiar, seemingly recognizing the creature.
 
“Ah, so you did read it after all. Then you know what fate awaits you?” The hint of a smile crossed the shadows. Was it a maw, a snout, a mouth?
 
“I do.” Jorah centered herself and faced the creature in her dream, not being pulled into the intrigue Thamisia wove.
 
”Do you accept it? Or do you seek to change it?” Thamisia asked with a curiosity tinged with something more, something difficult to intuit.
 
“I seek to change it. We all do.” Jorah replied simply and defiantly into the darkness.
 
“You should come find me.” The voice simply teased as it began to fade, and Jorah’s dream once again became cloudy as the presence departed.
 
DAY 18
 
Zug Zugger’s paRy banner flapped in the breeze over the square of Hyssop Home. He has prepared a grand party of some kind, though the occasion is never clear.
 
It was Ed’s turn at the mirror. He decides to use the mirror this day to find out more about the Sun-Bladed Sword they saw. They see incredible images of powerful military commanders, impressive armies and titanic battles but the whereabouts of the pommel are certainly unclear.
 
They tried to scry on Pahhu’s mother, having seen her in the mirror with her father. The scrying took Theodore to the same area and place, but a resistant force pushed him back once again. It would seem that whatever was in this place had no interest in being spied on.
 
The events that happen this day have impact related to A Darkened Star campaign, and this is the day a gate would be opened in Hyssop Home to near disastrous consequence, and trigger the events that return Hulfgar Nearwood.
 
DAY 19
 
Reunited together at last the full group once again turned to the mirror, and it was Jorah’s turn at the mirror. While the plan was to try to find out more about Pahhu’s mother, Sariandi Morvyre, Jorah instead let her thoughts focus on Thamisia, the creature that had invaded her dreams.
 
The mirror began to replay many images, a deep verdant forest with a magical aura about it. An enormous impressive spire fading into existence from invisibility. A pair of winged sphinxes taking flight over the forest, coming to land on the balcony of the spire. A venerable elf with an elegant staff coming to meet the mighty beasts.
 
The scene changed to a range of mountains near a sweeping desert, a large forest nestled against the mountain range. The mirror swooped into a mountain peak and a solitary Sphinx strode into a cave entrance.
 
The scene changed to this sphinx in a sealed room, staring into a hemispherical object embedded into a wall. Hundreds of glowing gems lighting the room and revealing the symbol of Labelas Enoreth. The sphinx takes the glowing altar upon its back and speaks parting words to an old elf nearby who replies: “Keep it well, it is the only way…”
 
The scene begins to fade as the mirror pulls back, the group recognizing the rising sun over the mountain range and identifying it as the Turnback Mountains, the range they had seen in the Anauroch weeks before when finding Habib and Lyndia’s tribe.
 
The group made plans to look into it. They had business to attend in the area. The Yuan-Ti clan still threatened the Bedine, and the Turnback Mountains were not far from the requested meeting place. It seemed the best course of action. As they descended from the clocktower though a rather flashy fellow tumbled into Hyssop Home, and began to speak to the group.
 
He introduced himself as Rasheed of the Wind, and warned them that Zhent spies had been keeping an eye on Hyssop Home from the second floor of a nearby hattery. The group realizing this is likely a credible claim immediately sets to capturing these Zhent.
 
A busted window, a twinned hold person spell and a pair of amateur tooth removals later the Zhent spies were questioned. Refusing to give anything up, the party looked to work with the watch and extract the information.
 
The watch was none too pleased to see the situation, and although the Zhent were not welcome in Lerwick they had not directly broken any laws. Allowed to leave, the two Zhent attempted to flee the city, and made their way into the wilderness, splitting to run to separate gates. Tragedy may have befallen them on the wind though as rumors say a large bird which may have been wearing a hat was patrolling the outskirts, and the one which fled from the East Gate barely heard the wind as an arrow took him by surprise. Though only the wind would know if that was true or not.
 
Regrouping in the center of Lerwick the group made their travel plans to head towards the Yuan-Ti who worshipped Sseth...