Session III: Fight and Flight
3rd of Derima - 4th of Derima, 560 AL
The party arrives in a mossy, rootbound cavern with a statue of a woman holding a bowl. The arm with the bowl is broken off. The portal summoned by Mettius slowly grows faint and disappears. Above the party, sand trickles down from three narrow openings that lead to a sunny cavern above.
Toré reveals that he kept the dragon scale that Cornelius blasted off; their only proof of having injured the beast. Melinoe determines that the statue is either Efsane, goddess of song, or Nerei, goddess of oceans and rivers. When Flint channels his divine powers, he sees the signature of an undead creature underground nearby. The creature is not moving, but the wary party decides to rest far away from its location. At dawn, Cornelius hears the dragon leave the area.
Eventually, Flint communes with the statue again. He feels it fix its eyes upon him in anger, and the undead creature under the earth begins to move. As it emerges, it is a large creature made of vine and moss with a skeletal head and glowing blue eyes. Surprisingly, the creature is relaxed and nonviolent. It expresses confusion, telling the party that it has been sleeping for a long time. It does not remember this place being so dry. Furthermore, it tells them that the woman depicted in the statue enjoyed drowning her subjects in the past. Flint backs away from the statue.
Discussing how to escape the cavern, Toré tells the party that folk say not to go beneath the earth. That Quirrach has spent years driving the dangerous wildlife from the surface, and they all ended up underground. Nesting creatures and cultists can be found beneath the King's Wall, why not here as well?
When the party inquiries about a way out of the cave to the undead creature, it tells them that there are many passageways beneath them, but that they exist out of space -- they simply 'are'. They were sung into existence by 'a woman', and they lead anywhere the party wishes. The mossy creature also explains that while there are creatures that inhabit those passageways, they are not dangerous and simply 'look a bit strange'.
The party decides to take the narrow upward passages. Before leaving, Melinoe uses a mending spell to reattach its arm. To Flint, the statue seems to close its eyes. Water pours anew from the basin, spilling onto the stone floor. The mossy creature quickly digs a channel to divert the water to the roots in the cavern walls, away from the party.
One by one, Astra lifts the party members out of the cave through the narrow gaps in the roof. As Flint leaves, he bids, 'See you later, Mossman', and the creature takes it as a new name.
After exiting the cavern, the party travels northwards toward Scintos. They sneak along the terraced steppes, magically hidden from view. Once more, they see the familiar blue dragon flying above. Eventually, three white drakes come into view in the distance. Cornelius cloaks Astra in invisibility and they fly upwards to investigate. They see that a host of Zivilon's Red Hand, a few air genasi mages, and Commander Hesperus and Archmage Acari personally journeyed there. When the drakes sniff out Astra, the Archmage dispels their invisibility immediately. Astra greets their commander and comrades, and the group descends to the earth to reunite with their allies. Toré is silent, but Flint, Strattora, and Astra all vouch for his character to the Zivil elites. Kirasum expresses indifference, but Gaius shows open contempt for the enemy soldier. The party realizes that the commander views them all as assets in the war; tools that have proved useful to the military. They then tell the newcomers about the blue dragon, which lands from afar and begins to watch them. The Zivil drakes take off after the party piles onto their backs. The dragon immediately gives chase, out-speeding the drakes considerably. The party enchant themselves and fire off a few attacks at the creature, barely able to damage it. It immediately lunges at them.
In an instant, Melinoe curses the creature and the Commander fires a roaring bullet through the creature's neck. The bullet severely wounds the dragon, bolstered by the curse. As it recoils, Kirasum captures it in a barrier of wind. The drakes tear forward as the dragon is held still. When they are far enough away, the barrier fades and the dragon flees completely.
A few more hours of flying proceed uneventfully until the party dips down into Scintos. The canyon mountains are a mile tall, casting tremendous shadows below. To the North, a tattered red Zivil flag leads the drakes to touch down on a cliff side. The makeshift portal is nearby. Beneath the cliffs, a hidden passage gives way to a small cave where a portal has been carved into the rock. The party all enters, with a reluctant Cornelius dragged through by Kirasum. Strattora stays, asking the mage, 'What's next?' and expressing concern for her.
The mage replies that there will be investigations, hunts, and many trials. The wrong people will be blamed and political opponents will be ousted. Kirasum tells the cleric that she enjoys a position of exalted status and that she will not be persecuted. Nodding, Strattora enters the portal.
Finally escaping the plane, the party is teleported beneath the Consecutarus in a stone cellar. They are able to quickly find a staircase upwards that leads to the main administration building. The Commander and the Red Hands bid them farewell; much work is needed. He gives Astra a pat on the shoulder as he leaves. Kirasum is introduced to the party, commenting on the lineage of both Melinoe and Cornelius. They both express some level of disdain for their upbringing, to which Kirasum responds positively -- she's cut from the same cloth. The mage bids them farewell. Flint is able to requisition a more nation-appropriate outfit for Toré. He now wears the red fatigues of the Zivil military. The party splits here, with Flint taking Toré to the Ram's Horn for a secluded room there. He also buys a bushel of wolfweed from a nearby grower. The rest of the party waits at the Ussos Gate, which has been deactivated for the first time in all of their lives. Strattora, having had formal education on the matter, shares that dial-priests were manning the Ussos Gate on the day of the invasion. There was also an older Mith'Missos member there; a possible first lead in investigating the incident. They fill Flint in on their knowledge. The party decides to freshen up before heading to Melinoe's first stop: the gambling den within the Winners, Wines, and Wiles. They hope to delve into the city's underbelly to find more information. The five of them head to the apartments furnished by the Mith'Missos to grab a change of clothes. On the way, they spot a commotion. Shattered glass and a broken roof have drawn a crowd to the apartment's courtyard. A member of the Mith'Missos has been murdered: the same genasi that Strattora saw manning the Gate has been skewered through his roof by an enormous lance.
After exiting the cavern, the party travels northwards toward Scintos. They sneak along the terraced steppes, magically hidden from view. Once more, they see the familiar blue dragon flying above. Eventually, three white drakes come into view in the distance. Cornelius cloaks Astra in invisibility and they fly upwards to investigate. They see that a host of Zivilon's Red Hand, a few air genasi mages, and Commander Hesperus and Archmage Acari personally journeyed there. When the drakes sniff out Astra, the Archmage dispels their invisibility immediately. Astra greets their commander and comrades, and the group descends to the earth to reunite with their allies. Toré is silent, but Flint, Strattora, and Astra all vouch for his character to the Zivil elites. Kirasum expresses indifference, but Gaius shows open contempt for the enemy soldier. The party realizes that the commander views them all as assets in the war; tools that have proved useful to the military. They then tell the newcomers about the blue dragon, which lands from afar and begins to watch them. The Zivil drakes take off after the party piles onto their backs. The dragon immediately gives chase, out-speeding the drakes considerably. The party enchant themselves and fire off a few attacks at the creature, barely able to damage it. It immediately lunges at them.
Finally escaping the plane, the party is teleported beneath the Consecutarus in a stone cellar. They are able to quickly find a staircase upwards that leads to the main administration building. The Commander and the Red Hands bid them farewell; much work is needed. He gives Astra a pat on the shoulder as he leaves. Kirasum is introduced to the party, commenting on the lineage of both Melinoe and Cornelius. They both express some level of disdain for their upbringing, to which Kirasum responds positively -- she's cut from the same cloth. The mage bids them farewell. Flint is able to requisition a more nation-appropriate outfit for Toré. He now wears the red fatigues of the Zivil military. The party splits here, with Flint taking Toré to the Ram's Horn for a secluded room there. He also buys a bushel of wolfweed from a nearby grower. The rest of the party waits at the Ussos Gate, which has been deactivated for the first time in all of their lives. Strattora, having had formal education on the matter, shares that dial-priests were manning the Ussos Gate on the day of the invasion. There was also an older Mith'Missos member there; a possible first lead in investigating the incident. They fill Flint in on their knowledge. The party decides to freshen up before heading to Melinoe's first stop: the gambling den within the Winners, Wines, and Wiles. They hope to delve into the city's underbelly to find more information. The five of them head to the apartments furnished by the Mith'Missos to grab a change of clothes. On the way, they spot a commotion. Shattered glass and a broken roof have drawn a crowd to the apartment's courtyard. A member of the Mith'Missos has been murdered: the same genasi that Strattora saw manning the Gate has been skewered through his roof by an enormous lance.
