Episode 40: Solheim

General Summary

Quest Log	fin	What is up with that?	fin
Explore the Atlas of Kings and its connection to the Stone Circles		Head in a jar
House party at the Beacon		Who was Elias talking to?
Find the Pathfinder		Project Lazarus
Break Mab's hold on Astronomea

Clocks

Event	Segments
The Nightbringers reach the Sentinel (days)	3 of 30
Moonbreaker repair (HP)	211 of 250
Valan's card expertise (weeks)	1 of 100
Valan's smithing proficiency (days)	38 of 70
Pharos' Goblin lessons (days)	17 of 70

Recap

Winter's Second Turning, Twenty-Third Moon, 1511

The Flamebringers flew for three uneventful days over the lands of the Winter Court. The leaf token the Green Knight gave the party seems to have done more than grant safe passage over the wall; it has given the Sunstrider safe passage through the skies above Astronomea. Flocks of mephits passes the vessel by, icy storm elementals hanging gloomily about the ship with no interaction, and the roar of unknown beasts miles below occasionally pierced the stillness, but all appeared unaware of the party's presence. For all the danger the party went through to get here and the danger the land itself holds, it is beautiful. The rolling hills of the Wystwood have been covered in a permafrost, granting the groves the appearance of the looping whorls and spirals of hoarfrost. The night sky swirled with the Aurora in full bloom, painting the deck with a dappled array of blue, green, and pink light. On the eve of arrival, Vanderlith flew the ship, Vlask and Marx monitored the deck above, and Callisto prepared dinner. The Sunstrider had run out of rations reaching the Wall, so Callisto began to supplement his stock of ingredients from the Hollow Mountain's markets. Doromir and Galahad send their regards, bringing good tidings from the reconstruction efforts. The night's meal was a cavefisher thermidor over a bed of spiced ettercap mushrooms, all drowning in a delightful béchamel sauce and paired with malty Monk’s Saison Callisto requisitioned from one of the monasteries that dot the Red Mountains. He also brought a small handle of cavefisher blood that everyone tried. The butcher threw it in for free for the Flamebringers. Callisto remarked that the stuff could take the enamel off a tarrasque, but it's a delicacy to the dwarf lords. This sparked inquiries into what a tarrasque is, and Callisto explained it was a gargantuan creature that the Silent Order summoned during the war. While eating, Callisto also posed the question to the group inquiring what they would do when they catch up to the Nightbringers. Their motives are still unsure, but they know they're headed for Respite, with a waystop in the ruins of Kyrix for whatever reason. They've gathered allies from like-minded folks who have opposed the Flamebringers in the past (it's weird that Peter is there, but they didn't have time to unpack all that). But what is the Nightbringer's end goal? Callisto added that he's been corresponding with Dahlia, and she says that House Bouclier was unsuccessful turning over any substantial leads in their investigation of the Citadel; House Deveraux torched any meaningful notes in their flight from Arcanus. The Flamebringers were unable to come to a meaningful conclusion before their ship was lit up from outside.

Star of the North

A burst of blinding light surged past the navigation quarters and Vlask, followed by Marx, hurtled down the stairway into the galley to announce that the Sunstrider is under attack. However, the light outside stayed fixed in the sky, and an imperious feminine voice called out from the flair saying "Crew of the Sunstrider, this is a warning. State your business approaching the borders of Solheim or be regarded an enemy of our city and be met as such." Tyra responded, naming themself a member of House Dawnbreaker coming home with their companions. The light bid them follow its bearing to land and prepare to disembark on arrival. The Flamebringers took a moment to clean themselves up, putting on their noble outfits. Valan disguised himself as Terron the Terrible, a golden dragonborn. Approaching the landing site, the party was able to see the wreckage of war surrounding the tree. Fortification walls have been drawn up, marked with the design touches of elven craftsmanship, dwarven ingenuity, and human instruments of war. In the field beyond, the green grass is choked with ruined siege weapons pockmarked by burned out craters. It is also of not that there are no major gates on the wall, with the only means of egress being stairs and ramps set into the inner side. The section the Sunstrider is guided to is in front of the main bulk of fortification, thick enough to drive four horse drawn carriages side by side with room to spare and built directly into the tree with a large staircase descending into the roots. A large entourage was assembled to meet the Flamebringers; in the front, a row of dwarven soldiers clad in plate armor and shields, stood at parade rest with hammers drawn. Behind them, elves in their elegant armor held spears similarly pointed to the sky, but their eyes betrayed that they were tensed for combat at any moment. At the center of the line, an honor guard of Spring eladrin break the defensive lines, approaching the gangplank of the Sunstrider as it hovered above the wall, splitting their phalanx on arrival to reveal two figures. One, dressed in fine golden robes with silken red lining and white platinum stitching, catches the floating orb that dims its light as she reached up to receive it. Tyra recognized Ilyana Dawnbringer, headmaster of the Academy Divine, though she did not appear to recognize them. The other is the one who spoke, with a voice like rolling thunder, saying “Crew of the Sunstrider, make yourselves known. Who are you, and why are you here? More importantly, why does your arrival carry such weight as the very sight of your ship caused the agents of Winter to withdraw from our walls?” He was human, with a well kempt beard and medium length brown hair swept behind his ears. Dressed in leather armor of dwarven make that leaves his forearms elxposed. Standing before him, those arms almost seemed to crackle with energy. He is the one they call Stormfist; Dexter Adonis, Warden of Solheim. Tyra explained who the Flamebringers are and why they are here, and the line of warriors was again broken as a familiar figure in white robes stumbled through the defense. Robes a little worse for wear from the last time you saw him, but blond hair as tightly laced with elven braids and coif as ever, Remnik Dawnbreaker rushed forward to wrap Tyra in a twirling embrace. The two groups parted for the night. Remnik filled the group in on what had happened at Solheim, formerly Franrider. He told them of the events of the Silent Year; the wall rising, the year of time dilation, the Flesh Pit, the piece of the Tower that fell here and revealed the mechanism to move Big Boulder, the arcane knowledge it held for creating the fields that now sustain them, the rash of Darkblight that bloomed beneath the surface, the members of the Spring Court that forged an alliance with them to plant the Tree, an attempt by the Aristocrat Zachariah Comstock to poison the water supply for reasons unknown, Barnebas’ death, the siege they’ve been in since their wards went up. He also told them of a more recent attack they suffered, which he didn't speak on in detail since Dexter and Ilyana would brief them tomorrow. Listening to the story of the Lords Flamebringer, Remnik advised them not to bring up their role in the creation of the Wall when they speak with the two tomorrow. He also told Tyra to be wary, unsure of what sort of path they follow if the Devil deemed it worthy and necessary to bestow a pact-less revival upon them; "acts of good faith" from the Devil are rare.

The Council of Nine

In the morning, the Flamebringers again prepared to entreat with the leaders of Solheim. Dexter and Ilyana met them at the top of the wall and escorted them inside with their honor guard of Spring eladrin. The Vault that the citizens of Solheim live in is comparable in size to the Hollow Mountain, however much more claustrophobic than the Hollow Mountain; where they had vast empty caverns crisscrossed by walkways, this fortress lacks the open space between its tunnels and remains a dense, unadorned network of passages and atriums. Roots from the tree above light the walkways along with buzzing arcane duergar lights. It is marked by evidence of battles, both ancient and recent. People crowd the hallways, moving back and forth between doors that open to enormous rooms, demiplanes filled with wheat fields and windmills, large barracks of cots for soldiers and commoners alike, great machines of industry that turn out arms and armor. Ilyana and Dexter led the group to one such demiplane that holds a finely manicured garden with a small stream running through it, creating an island at the center. Two lines of wisteria trees create acanopy above a circular table of gnarled dark oak, set for nine. In the distance, an illusory sunrise matched that of the one outside, overlooking fields of marsh grass that bleed into wisteria trees in the distance. Sitting in the chairs, Tyra first told Ilyana and Dexter the story of the Lords Flamebringer, ommitting certain parts as advised. Ilyana attempted to read their thoughts as they did, but she was unsuccessful. Tyra very gracefully did not directly respond to the attempt, but they did hold Ilyana's gaze as they did so. In exchange, after recapping how the Vault came to be, Ilyana and Dexter recounted Remnik's story as he did, but fill in with the details of the recent attack. They began by asking if the Flamebringers knew of the Nightbringers, which they did. The attack came from within and without. A coordinated strike between Zantelar, Onvyr, Comstock and their ilk they call the Nightbringers, and a madman astride a nautiloid. The vessel swept over their wall in an instant and inside the Nightbringers locked the portals to fields and workshops, slaying any who got in their way as they left. From the ship, assailants dropped down, harrying out guards on the wall while the cohort of Nightbringers left to join them aboard the fell ship. Dexter remarked that Solheim lost good people that day. Too many to count. Ilyana put her hand on his and the two exchanged a look that really heightened the sexual tension in the whole room. Ilyana spoke to Tyra saying "It would seem our fathers owe us a great debt to be paid in blood." To close out, Ilyana asked if the Flamebringers had come to melt the icy wall that cages Solheim. They have affairs in the greater world that call to their attention. Dexter adds "What's more, what do you plan to do about the Nightbringers, and how can the people of Solheim help you?"