Session 15: N'nchyk's Perspective

General Summary

Retiring Back to the Loft

• The session picked up on the devastated battlefield of the Stoneguard district of Lower Northedge. Torfe spoke with Sila Zakona, Sharn Watch chief, while Philip hurried off with Frederick to go check on Alice.
• Dozens of citizens, some in tears, some in shock, profusely thanked the Crypt Crew as the reinforcements of the Sharn Watch began tidying the scene and escorting innocents out. One woman, with tears streaking through the ash on her face and a pile of singed blankets in her hands, fell limply into Viribus' hands, sobbing and thanking him. Viribus caught a glance of the still-breathing baby in the pile of blankets, and awkwardly supported the woman until she was escorted out by a Watcher.
• The Harbinger orc, Zanog, spoke with the remaining crew after shutting the eyes of his fallen tortle comrades (N'nchyk had since left for ALP 567). He said it was an honor fighting by their side, and that he hopes someone finds the source, or even reason, for these Droaam attacks. Ashpin said that their friend Philip sought to speak with a Harbinger of Aegis, to which Zanog said he would love to discuss the Harbinger way, saying he'd wait for them back at the Loft the next day.
• Meanwhile, N'nchyk made it back to ALP 567 safely and promptly, and began working on obtaining skeletons from the corpses of the gnolls.
• Frederick returned in the CAG skycoach with Paven. The skycoach had been uncharacteristically outfitted with layers of pillows and blankets in order to transport the still-petrified Maleakos. Torfe and Sila said that, between the two of them, they had managed to call in a very valuable favor from one of the most powerful Jorascans of the city, since Sharn already owed the Crypt Crew a great debt.
• Upon returning to the Loft, sure enough, a female halfling with golden hair, blue eyes, and a purple-and-golden staff was waiting for them in the screening room. Sparks from her staff managed to return Maleakos to his normal cherry-red self, though rather frightened and exhausted. The halfling woman was rather forward with Maleakos, who mostly rejected the not-so-subtle advances. He did, however, accept the Wand of Enthralling Performance as a gift to him from House Jorasco, on behalf of the city.
• Torfe then led the Crew into the Loft tavern, where a few Clifftoppers were spending the night: two older gentlemen sitting by the fire, two middle-aged humans enjoying a game of chess, a warforged playing jazz music on the piano, and a human noble behind the bar cleaning glasses. As Torfe gestured for the Crew to sit and approached the platform at the head of the tavern, the room fell silent.
• He announced that Droaam had attacked Sharn once again, and that the rumors of the Red-Runed Giants were true. The Crypt Crew once again fended off the attack - even more so than the last time - showing the city what the Clifftop Adventurer's Guild represents. He then honored the group by marking off an empty frame on the tavern's back wall, alongside other past venerable heroes of the guild, including Shekkal Korranor, Torfe's uncle and the founder of the guild.
• Torfe reminded everyone not to forget what they had lost, and even invited Ashpin up to the platform to give a speech in remembrance. Ashpin's art of the word was put front and center, and as he concluded, golden and silver energy even seemed to flow from his mouth, as some divine force seemed to be with him in the moment.
• Torfe also reminded the room that King Boranel ir'Wynarn will have to now seriously reconsider his policy of peace towards Droaam after he learns of this most recent attack.
• After the impromptu "ceremony", the Crew began to talk amongst themselves. Frederick returned with Philip, who was no longer in his battle-ready armor, but a dark brown overcoat and a flat cap. Frederick spoke with Viribus about the red shield that constantly surrounded his body, who said it was never something he had ever really worked on - it had just appeared as a manifestation of his will.
• Dooturr played some chess in great style against Diggory Feeny, who had heard from Theobald about Dooturr's skill.
• Philip spoke with Maleakos and Ashpin, saying he wished to join them on their upcoming trek to Droaam. He said he hadn't felt fear in ages like he did when he heard something was attacking Northedge, and that he simply could not foresee peace upon the land until the issue of Droaam was addressed. He also said that he had arranged for Alice, his daughter Lucy, and his grandchildren to leave the city, to stay with his son Roger in Wroat.
• Philip asked Ashpin what had happened at the Phoenix Orphan Home, what with the pain he evidently went through. Ashpin discussed the voice - or, even, individual - inside him named Hareth. He says Hareth speaks to him sometimes, both encouraging and scathing at times, but told him at the orphanage that "the lineage was dying".

Exploring the City

• The next morning, the latest Sharn Daily Breaking  was released.
• Naven summoned Ashpin and Viribus to the front desk, where Vishtai, Alden d'Orien's manservant was waiting. He had a brief discussion with Viribus, and a rather lengthy one with Ashpin.
• After Vishtai departed, N'nchyk returned from ALP 567 alongside, by chance, a formally-dressed human man in a top hat with extremely rigid posture. The two were let in by Naven, and the man gathered the Crew to deliver them news. He said a remembrance ceremony for those lost in the newly-dubbed Tragedy of Lower Northedge was being held on 23 Zol at 4pm, and that the Crypt Crew was invited to be honored.
• ALP traveled to Ellarian's Enchanted Emporium; N'nchyk in particular sought an item that could allow him to cast more spells of a particular kind. N'nchyk also went to an armorer to try and protect his brand-new zombie associates, Kagastar and Friendly.
• Ashpin and Viribus went to the Terminus district of Lower Tavicks Landing, where the terminal of the House Orien lightning rail was located. They were present to help escort a member of The Twelve, a bronze dragonborn named Grand Arbiter Andropov Karl Makarovich, to his temporary residence in the Mithral Tower district of Upper Central Plateau.
• It was a largely uneventful job and likely the easiest 20 galifars either of them would ever make. The Grand Arbiter was wholly unconcerned with the two Crypt Crew members, though he did speak with "Diribus" very briefly. The trip was accompanied by much fanfare; one of the trumpeters left his instrument with Ashpin after his job was complete. Viribus had a brief discussion with Vishtai about the former's intentions to begin a bodyguarding business, and then the two departed.
• Verin spent his day researching Droaam as best he could, using the resources of the Loft and his favorite local libraries. He learned of its limited history and some of its key exports, as well as rumors of a settlement located in the midst of the Graywall Mountains.
• The Crew reunited in Patty's Pancake Pandemonium of Middle Menthis Plateau, where the group was received with the vigor of minor celebrities. Even the creepiness of N'nchyk's zombie associates were no match for the joy of inebriated breakfast enjoyers that wanted to party with the Crew. And party they did, with stacks of blueberry pancakes and eggs.
• Maleakos was even dragged up to the stage - immediately after puking up said eggs. As he readied his instrument, the previously rambunctious tavern fell into incredibly uncharacteristic silence...Maleakos played his diddy, and the whole place erupted into applause.
• It was a racuous time indeed, but there was still shop to talk. After much debate, the Crew decided to strike while the iron was hot and attempt to excavate some of the Boromar Clan from one of their smuggling hideouts in The Cogs, as Starr had informed them the mafiosos were reeling after recent losses to their higher ranks, and had retreated underground to regroup.

N'nchyk and the Harbinger

• After departing from PPP, the Crew took a late-night trip to Dad's house and informed him of their plan. He supported their choice, saying ridding the city of the Boromar Clan will certainly foster peace. Though, he did warn the group that the mafiosos had their hands in places all around the city, and getting rid of them will not be easy.
• Philip also warned Dooturr, N'nchyk, and even Maleakos that if they were indeed to travel outside the city, that they need be cautious. Sharn is a place that welcomes all manners of people, but the rest of the continent often does not share such welcoming views for people they see as different.
• The group returned to Philip's house the next day, and had a nice day of board games. Dooturr played a blindfold simultaneous chess match against the rest of the Crew while waiting for the Harbinger tortle to become available. After being prompted by N'nchyk, Philip told the group that he was in fact from Cyre, and had run away as a child to start a life in the big city.
• N'nchyk discussed his past too, saying he was actually from the Eldeen Reaches, and spent his life in a cave...a maddeningly boring life. He looked very uncomfortable while he did so, and Philip tried steering the conversation away, but not in time.
• N'nchyk had yet another episode. This was one different from the others, in that a white mushroom began to sprout from his chest, as his arm unconsciously reached up to stroke it. Philip applied some of his silver healing magic, which seemed to help, and towards the end of the episode, N'nchyk's mouth opened. His mouth didn't move as a strange and unsettling language emerged from it, and an unnerving smile crept onto his face as his blank stare with the whites of his eyes turned to grin at Maleakos.
• After this episode, N'nchyk brought Maleakos into another room and had a very lengthy discussion, eventually bringing Ashpin into it as well.
• Eventually, the Harbinger arrived: an old, wrinkled, blind tortle named Zin. He gave a speech about his view of the Harbingers, reciting it from memory (see the Harbingers of Aegis article for updated history).
• N'nchyk did not like what the tortle had to say, to no one's surprise. He said that was only one side of the true history, saying that in reality, beings called Daelkyr had come from Xoriat, the Plane of Madness. Those that saw them could not understand what they were seeing, and saw them as evil, though they were not. He said he was forced to keep the Daelkyr sealed away alongside The Gatekeepers. He also referenced someone named Ymot'Zeg - the one who had guided N'nchyk, and saved his life after he was exiled from his cave.

Date begun:
21 Zarantyr, 998 YK
Date ended:
23 Zarantyr, 998 YK
Party level:
5

Report Date

30 Mar 2021