Session VI - Search and Sacrifice
5th-28th of Derima, 560 AL
At the Ram's Horn tavern, the party pours over the documents that they stole from the Erinyes Estate. They detail numerous plots and conspiracies, chief of which is the forced closure of the Ussos Gate. The Gate supplies the city with food, water, trade, and military opportunities. 
According to the papers, agents from Thrahin in the Plane of Moss successfully infiltrated the city and orchestrated the shutdown. It is mentioned that the creation of one of those infiltrators requires "a sacrifice".
Melinoe clutches her locket at this implication about her father. As she does so, a bloodcurdling scream erupts in her mind. It is silenced just as quickly. The party comforts her as best they can.
More details of the foul plot are revealed in the papers. Three of the "living roots" were created but only one was left standing; the fake Denogus. The roots are hard to fabricate, being made from corpses and powerful earth magics. They need to consume large amounts of plant matter to survive and have magical abilities of shapeshifting and shamanism. The roots originate in Thrahin. "The Doctor" created them as a means to starve Zivilon, as the Plane of Moss could not hope to fight them head-on. Before the fake Denogus's death, that plan had largely succeeded.
That night, Flint heads down to the tavern floor. He sees Toré there with a familiar face from his past. Obi, a jet-black Hirs earth genasi with skin like obsidian, is chatting Toré up before Flint arrives. They greet each other with the warmth of long-lost compatriots and indulge in many, many drinks. Tore eventually leaves drunk. Flint fills Obi in on their life and Obi explains that his smuggling business has gone belly up since the Stormfall Invasion. The Plane of Dust has been encroaching on their nearby Chorus tunnels. His airship skiff was shot down by Quirrach Kingdom vessels -- powerful flying galleons. His other two companions died in the fire. Obi brings up Strattora, and Flint tells him that she's "someone important" -- a noble client.
Meanwhile, Strattora contacts Kirasum to tell her of their findings. Kirasum is shocked and immediately asks to meet her. The master and apprentice meet up beneath the night sky. Kirasum floats down to her and they converse on the rooftop. The grave news is not something that Kirasum can hide; she tells Strattora that she must tell the Lords of the High Thrones. Though Strattora is reluctant, Kirasum tells her that they can at least trust Petreia Thallus and Dargon Hightide, two Lords of significant renown. Kirasum eventually bids Strattora farewell, floating back up into the night.
In the tavern, Obi goes into detail about his struggles -- he walked over 100 miles through Chorus on foot, with cave-dwellers constantly harrying him. He tells Flint that his attempt to get an "above the table" job with the Six-guilds was thwarted when a "bunch of people made a huge ruckus, blasting spells all over the place", referring to the party's actions at the guilds. The guilds have since clammed up, according to him. Obi tells Flint that he needs about 2,000 gold to replace his lost skiff, and in the same breath that Flint is wanted by Quirrach, and that his bounty is worth five months of his past earnings. Flint says that he will talk to his group.
Flint eventually decides to give him the money from the party's own coffers. Obi is tremendously grateful for the show of faith.
In the morning, an owlin messenger comes bearing a scroll for Cornelius. Strattora recognizes her: Lianorr Slateflock, an old friend of hers. They catch up and sympathize with each other's struggles. Strattora is saddled with a tremendous duty and Lianorr has a new love interest. Cornelius, on the other hand, receives much more grim news.
The scroll unfurls to reveal a letter of excommunication from his family.
Cornelius has been disowned from the Magellanic name. Stripped of all titles, inheritances, and any other graces that he may have had.
He is shocked and immediately begins drowning his sorrows in alcohol at the tavern. Eventually, he contacts Juno Dunefrey, his cousin and a similarly outcasted individual. She is colorful, boisterous, and irreverent: an antithesis to their family's legacy. Juno commiserates with Cornelius about the news of his exile. Strangely, she tells him, her father received no such communication when he was kicked out of the family. She muses that maybe the letter was a twisted way of showing him some respect.
As the city of Zivilon marches on, the Ussos Gate is all but completely turned off. Only the section of the portal that imports fresh water is left open. A month passes as the city prepares for a huge funeral to honor those that fell at the Stormfall Invasion. The next month sees the city grow more and more desperate for resources. Food must be imported through Chorus tunnels. Most military support to other planes has been cut off entirely. The Magellanic family grows in influence during this time, as their airships become invaluable resources to keep the city aloft. In that time, the party busy themselves with investigations, studying, and carousing. Astra is formally relieved by their commander of their position as a Red Hand of Zivilon. Commander Hesperus tells them that they would be of far greater use to the city as an Accipiter scouting outside of the storm. Astra gives him a rigid thanks and he dismisses them. Cornelius contacts Juno Dunefrey, his cousin, several times. He asks how she's doing and they give each other life updates. Through her, Cornelius learns that his brother is missing. Cornelius spends the rest of his time successfully learning the Sylvan language with tutors in the Vaulted Tower, among whom is Kirasum Acari.
Flint spends much of his time in prayer to his god, Vedem Alla -- the Growing God. When he is unable to make a connection, his frustration boils over. One day in the Derin Woods, he erupts into flame and a figure appears before him. A nude woman wreathed in fire tells Flint, "When the Bog Man fails you again, you may call me. I will answer. And when you finally fall, your soul will join me in my palace of gold." The flaming woman disappears as quickly as she came.
Melinoe researches the stone that Petreia Thallus had tasked her with finding. She employs the cloistered scholars of Tuir as hirelings to do so. With their help, Melinoe learns that it is called the "Fatestone" and the "Rubicon". It was fashioned by Nornod artificers in the Plane of Stone. Since the West Moon is not present in that world, the stone was created to "Open the Moon".
Strattora is called upon many times to perform the Stormfeeding for the Mith'Missos. In every single instance, she fails to properly energize the storm. It leaves her drained of energy and with an entire year of her earliest memories completely taken from her. She prays at the Mitholar's temple for relief and guidance. The North Wind shows her a gruesome scene: an arguing couple from antiquity, quickly fading into a scene in which the woman hangs impaled upon a massive spear. In her frustration, Strattora visits the fighting pits to channel her rage.
Throughout the month, the party meets regularly at the Ram's Horn to discuss their lives. The day of the funeral arrives in full force.
A day shrouded by clouds meets the party as they head to Shipyard Square for the funeral. A lengthy procession of military officials is followed by the arrival of many nobles, among them one Page Erinyes. Melinoe's mother wears a revealing black dress and drapes herself over some older half-elven military officer. Eventually, the funeral is addressed by Glamene the Stormfallen, Warlady of all of Zivilon. She tells the audience of thousands that the time has come for action.
That night, Flint heads down to the tavern floor. He sees Toré there with a familiar face from his past. Obi, a jet-black Hirs earth genasi with skin like obsidian, is chatting Toré up before Flint arrives. They greet each other with the warmth of long-lost compatriots and indulge in many, many drinks. Tore eventually leaves drunk. Flint fills Obi in on their life and Obi explains that his smuggling business has gone belly up since the Stormfall Invasion. The Plane of Dust has been encroaching on their nearby Chorus tunnels. His airship skiff was shot down by Quirrach Kingdom vessels -- powerful flying galleons. His other two companions died in the fire. Obi brings up Strattora, and Flint tells him that she's "someone important" -- a noble client.
In the morning, an owlin messenger comes bearing a scroll for Cornelius. Strattora recognizes her: Lianorr Slateflock, an old friend of hers. They catch up and sympathize with each other's struggles. Strattora is saddled with a tremendous duty and Lianorr has a new love interest. Cornelius, on the other hand, receives much more grim news.
As the city of Zivilon marches on, the Ussos Gate is all but completely turned off. Only the section of the portal that imports fresh water is left open. A month passes as the city prepares for a huge funeral to honor those that fell at the Stormfall Invasion. The next month sees the city grow more and more desperate for resources. Food must be imported through Chorus tunnels. Most military support to other planes has been cut off entirely. The Magellanic family grows in influence during this time, as their airships become invaluable resources to keep the city aloft. In that time, the party busy themselves with investigations, studying, and carousing. Astra is formally relieved by their commander of their position as a Red Hand of Zivilon. Commander Hesperus tells them that they would be of far greater use to the city as an Accipiter scouting outside of the storm. Astra gives him a rigid thanks and he dismisses them. Cornelius contacts Juno Dunefrey, his cousin, several times. He asks how she's doing and they give each other life updates. Through her, Cornelius learns that his brother is missing. Cornelius spends the rest of his time successfully learning the Sylvan language with tutors in the Vaulted Tower, among whom is Kirasum Acari.
A day shrouded by clouds meets the party as they head to Shipyard Square for the funeral. A lengthy procession of military officials is followed by the arrival of many nobles, among them one Page Erinyes. Melinoe's mother wears a revealing black dress and drapes herself over some older half-elven military officer. Eventually, the funeral is addressed by Glamene the Stormfallen, Warlady of all of Zivilon. She tells the audience of thousands that the time has come for action.
"We see you now, brave citizens, on the eve of war. Our kin have fallen here upon winds of death. May their graces be carried with them beneath the skies."Warlady GlameneWar has come to Zivilon. A Principus of the army steps in and announces the invasion of Thrahin in the Plane of Moss. A new war to root out the city's infiltrators and destroy their enemy's supplies. It becomes clear that Kirasum Acari told another member of the government about the party's findings earlier that month. As the speech ends, thousands of coffins are dropped below the clouds from the hulls of airships. The many dead of the Stormfall Invasion. Melinoe feels a tremendous unease about the area in which they fall.
