Session 18b: Werewolves in Skyway, 10 Eyre 998 YK

General Summary

Welcome Back to Eberron...

When we last met, the Sharn Dragons had ascended to The Skyway, a floating district built into clouds given substance above the busy streets of Sharn. You were sent by the Sharn Alliance to this paradise to find Zaeron, a lone werewolf and one of Cavallah's last lieutenants. He is believed to have killed Evix ir' Marshala, a member of the Sharn Council and owner of the Celestial Vista resturant. Upon arriving in The Skyway, you made your way to Manrick's Magical Wares to buy some items to assist you in your task before continuing on to the Celestial Vista to look for clues. After taking the table reserved for Maximillian ir'Valant (the Inquisitive that has been hunting for Therin) both Erisna and the wanted elf found themselves in a verbal altercation with the noble detective. After Maximillian departed rather quickly, Therin descended into the larder that had recently been robbed of fresh meat, finding a smear of dried sauce with a strong scent of paprika, the only clue. You all have come together at the back of the restaurant to discuss what you have learned. What do you want to do next?

Glacias spotted Maximillian ir'Valant heading off to speak to the Sharn Watch, and you all decided to split up to evade the patrol that was likely headed your way. Glittergem, growing more uncomfortable with the "heat" Therin's murder charges brought to the Sharn Dragon's mission, tried to persuade her Valenar friend to turn himself in. Therin expressed his remorse at the outcome of his actions, but was resolute in his decision to see the current enterprise through to its conclusion.

Cloudpool Park

As you approach Cloudpool Park, you see the amazing shapes of the clouds it's named for. Though most of the clouds are shaped into trees and smaller shubbery, dispersed throughout this large park are other amazing figures. Turning around one particular corner, you find yourself face-to-face with a fearsome dragon, perfectly white from its teeth to its outstretched claws. Around another corner you see the bow of a ship cutting through waves of fluffly clouds. The ships sails even seem to blow in the wind. A group of children can be seen gathering around a silent waterfall, running their hands through the misty water as it falls into the pillowy substance at its base. Finally, in the center of this park you see a clearing made of ice with a clear view of the city below. Most of the patrons don't venture onto the ice, but some of the teenagers and a few adventurous tourists have made their way to the object at the center of the park, a cloud that seems to be constantly in flux. One moment it is a pegasus, the next its a proud knight in full plate.

Making full use of Therin's psionic abilities, you kept your distance at Cloudpool Park- their rendezvous point. Posing as tourists, you took in the sights of the unique park while simultaneously avoiding the roving patrol. The cloud spire at the center of the park was the main attraction and you all braved walking on the glass-like surface high above the city to reach it. While most of the tourists to the Skyway watched the spire adopt the form of benign objects or creatures, you each had a singular experience that seemed beyond the norm:

Rare: A rotating crown

Erisna: A crowd of faceless people walking in a loose formation

Glittergem: A giant hammer striking an anvil

Therin: A double-bladed scimitar, ursurped by a large demonic creature (Demonic Overlord?) rising from the firmament

In the confusion created by Therin's apparation, Erisna was pulled aside by a sergeant of the Sharn Watch. The copper skinned Khorovar was looking for Therin, and asked Erisna pointed questions. Glittergem tried to interject, but the sergeant was clear with her intention: Therin would not leave the Skyway a free elf. The sergeant, begrudgingly, accepted the Sharn Dragons' support and provided Erisna with a Sending Stone to communicate.
From this encounter, you all decided to continue toward Evix ir' Marshala's residence. Finding it abandoned, you decided to poke around a little bit to see if you could learn anything more. While Glittergem searched the councilor's desk, Rare found the broken string of an Alarm spell on the walkway, presumedly broken by the gnome artificer on her way into the home. Pocketing a few secret letters (see sidebar), Glittergem fled out the rear exit while the rest of the party dealt with the alerted Sharn Watch and found a safe place to reconvene.
Your next stop was the residenz of Lord Ruken ir'Clarn, the member of the Brelish Parliament that you met at the Boromar Ball the week prior. You discovered that he doesn't often hold council with people that are not of the noble class, and that he is away in Wroat attending to matters of state.

The Perimeter

As you near the edge of the district you see the volumous clouds that serve as its foundation lapping into the stone like waves. The large sandstone pavers further give the impression of a beachside scene, as do the adorandak-style chairs that form a line nearly 10 feet from the edge. Beyond the chairs you can see golden panels dispersed, occasionally being overtaken by the clouds washing over the foundation. From where you're standing, you see that one panel has been ripped from its place and discarded.

With hardly any other leads to go on, you all decided to walk near the perimeter of the district where Evix would take her evening walks. There you found that the golden panels that decorated the edge of the district were imbued with magical runes. Glittergem, after analyzing the rune on a panel that she found discarded nearby, determined that the panels that were removed were designed to decrease the descent of the district if the Syranian manifest zone beneath the city were to fail.
Next, you found the scene of the crime- an alley near the perimeter with broken pallets and dried blood. If you were unsure that this could be the site you were looking for, your doubts were swept away by the pièce de résistance: a crust of bread smeared with paprika! Relaying this information to the Sharn Watch sergeant, you followed your gut (and the smell of paprika) to the Azure Gateway.

Azure Gateway

You are drawn in to the beauty of this building long before you discover its purpose. Polished blue stones of all types adorn the walls that are designed in the flowing patterns of waves. Amidst these "waves" you see thick pillars with large, wide windows that offer patrons a view of the park from their tables. These pillars seem to ascend from the base of the building, wrapping around to the tallest peak, where a solitary dining table with the finest place settings can be seen.

Glittergem and Rare entered the restaurant, and were met by a waiter named Gillifred who convinced them to follow him (with Therin) to the larder beneath the restaurant. Once there, he sereptitiously cast Gust to extinguish the flames on the torches and hid. While you prepared for the coming attack, "Gillifred" assumed his true form as Zaeran and attacked. Being a lone werewolf against three adventurers, he didn't even last long enough for Erisna and Hogarth to join the fray. Using his ability to frighten his opponent, Therin began to interrogate the werewolf lieutenant while Glittergem searched for (and found) Evix ir' Marshala. Fearing that the councilor had succumbed to lycanthropy, Glittergem shared what she knew about curing the condition with Evix.

Zaeran

The werewolf was sent to the Skyway as a quiet observer of the city's elite, while using his time off from the restaurant to attack other parts of the city and satiating his lycanthropic bloodlust. Though a monster in every sense of the word, Zaeran was drawn to Cavallah's cause for philosophic reasons. He saw the hostility and pogroms against werewolves outside of Droaam and the Daask districts of Lower Sharn, and felt that the rest of his pack (including Hanna Grubr and the rest of the werewolves/ shifters that attacked the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame on Initiation Day) deserved a place where they could live without the oppressive views of the Church of the Silver Flame. His work with Cavallah has been monsterous, but for a cause that he believes in.
His work in the Skyway was a bit more nuanced. He received renderings of the glyph that Cavallah wanted removed from the perimeter, and set out to remove them at night while most of the district was elsewhere. The previous night he was removing the final glyphs when he was discovered by Evix on her evening walk. He attacked her in a nearby alley and hid her in the basement of the Azure Gateway until he could find an opportunity to escape to the Lower City. Blocked in by the cordon established by the Sharn Watch, Zaeran was on edge and fearing capture when the Sharn Dragons arrived at the restaurant.

Conclusion

After handing Glittergem all of his prized possessions, Therin held his ground when the Sharn Watch arrived. Turning himself in to the shocked Khorovar sergeant, he was led away in manacles to be imprisoned in the same building that the tragic murder took place. The rest of the Sharn Dragons returned to the city, awaiting the return of Archbishop Eingelmann in two days' time.

Loot:

10,000 galifar reward for defeating Zaeran (Party)

Box (5 servings) of a rare tea from the Lhazaar Principalities (Glittergem)

Loose Threads:

Glittergem found two letters in Evix ir'Marshala's residence. The first was a simple, if enigmatic letter, thanking the councilor for her insights into the Brelish Parliament- signed with the symbol of a red owl. The second letter was sent by "Bastinu", asking/ instructing her to hire two members to her staff.

Therin mentioned concern for Canon, the halfing boy that helped him during his lethal heist. No one has seen the boy, or sought him out, in several weeks. (Haven't seen him since 18 Therendor).

Flamewind still expects Professor Nigel Teller to be returned to her. As a nearly immortal being, she can be patient- for a time...

Harash is out there somewhere. He alone may know where Cavallah is, but no one has seen him since the Battle at the Boromar Ball.

Cavallah is deep beneath the city, possibly finding a way to break the connection between the manifest zone and the plane of Syrannia. If this is her goal, and she is successful, the results would be catastrophic for the city.

Report Date

31 Mar 2021

Enduring Issues:

Therin is imprisoned at the Citadel in the Upper City. Though there are allies that may be able to speak to the elf's good deeds, he may need the assistance of a prominent member of Sharn society.

The "Cursed Crew" (Erisna and Rare are cursed with lycanthropy, and Gem has an ancient goblin curse placed on her) need help from Archbishop Deterich Eingelmann to remove their curses before they take their full effect. He is expected to return in two days (12 Eyre 998 YK).

Next Session

Our next session is on the 11th of April at 1200 (PST). We'll pick up after two days of downtime on the 12th of Eyre, 998 YK in the Archbishop's office. I might be able to meet for a Side Quest (Glittergem or Rare) next weekend if you have something you're excited about.