Chapter 19: The Aftermath

General Summary

A soft whisper behind them clued the team into Falaern standing behind them. She was slightly battered and bruised, and a bit burnt. She asked after Thydona, who they only just noticed was not with them. They retraced their steps, leaving Falaern with Evan in front of his burning home. Eventually, they found Thydona at the edge of the circle, watching the chaos and carnage. She seemed distracted and said that she was beginning to remember more. When they returned to Falaern, she gave Jacquora, Inhe, and Lenihlra notes that Wesley gave her. Lenihlra shared that hers said to take Thydona to the museum and that that was her next task. They took her and Evan both to Xhosidva. After making their way downwards, they were able to find a place to stay at The Jiggling Jellyfish after Falaern revealed who she was. Falaern was questioned by the group and revealed what she knew. She had been kept in a room, blindfolded and usually gagged. She was intensely questioned about Ilythyra, her mother, and the party. The most she revealed was about Thydona, which Wesley may have already guessed at. Eventually, she was released and woke up to her hair on fire in a side alley to the north of what was formerly The Umbral Inn. She also noted that Wesley stole her sending stone. Falaern also shared that in the time she was imprisoned she had time to think about things. She decided to leave for Ilythyra, possibly permanently. It was time for her to take her place as princess there. She told them to keep their notes that would give them leave to enter the city if they visited. Thydona added that she would join Falaern and returning to Ilythyra as she had made an oath to protect those citizens. Finally, Falaern told them about Drifandi and what happened there. Drifandi was one of the first cities that she had sent emissaries to in an attempt to introduce magic back into the Empire. After awhile, something happened and they stopped receiving messages. When she went there, she found that starting at about a mile outside of the city, all the magic users had been killed. They were strung up on makeshift crosses. Their hands and tongues had been cut off and lay in the dirt at their feet. After they talked about all this, they went to sleep. They kept a watch that night, but didn't notice anything. The next day, on the 24th, they party split up. Falaern and Jacquora visited Sapphire Ambition, a jewelry story ran by a man named Langley (or perhaps several men named Langley). There, she paid for a prosthetic silver horn to be constructed for her to replace the one that had been lost. She and Jacquora spent the rest of the day together. Inhe, Lenihlra, and Thydona went to the surface to scope out the situation after the night's riots. The air was still full of smoke as fires still raged in some areas. A mass exodus was taking place as the visitors to the city for the festivities poured out and left. They briefly spoke to Arik, who revealed that he was leaving for Arnsholdi as the capital city was no longer the 'place to be.' All three of them went to check out the museum, which was closed. A few guards told them that it was likely going to reopen in the next couple of days. Lenihlra and Thydona then went to check out the Maxilla docks, where the richer folks docked. There, they found the ship The Braithwaite that was the ship of the Luthyra family. Shenanigans ensued. Inhe went to check out The Mandible docks and found that they were extremely crowded with folks leaving the city. She also found The Glowerm and spoke briefly with Ainsworth who said that they were leaving for more southerly waters in a few days. The group regrouped at The Jiggling Jellyfish. On they way there, several of them noticed something in the shadows, possibly following them. They decided to keep watches again that night but, during Lenihlra's watch something happened...

The Coat of Arms of Arnsholdi