Session #2: The Dust Settles Report

General Summary

As the dust settles from the fight, and the applause dies down. A Lady from the Elfen Isles approaches the party and thanks them for their heroism. Praising them. The party in general doesn't seem very comfortable with the praise and seems to just be trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Elryn is determined to confront the Sovereigns and inquire why they happened to disappear at the exact right moment to be protected from the fight. Aenas intercepts Elryn and goes ahead to the Sovereigns retiring room. Led by Lady Elaypheon, the group agrees to hear from the group. The sovereigns thank the party for their heroism and for saving everyone. Seemingly uninterested in praise, Elryn pushes asking questions about what happened. King Thrimuald the dwarf speaks up and suggests that maybe the party should be sanctioned to investigate what happened. Aenas summons the captain of the guard, Samos. And then, the party sets out. On the body of one of the vultures is found a piece of parchment with a message written in illusory script. The swirling text is completely undecipherable by anyone. Til investigates the plants that the Dryads came in through and realizes that they must have entered through a form of the Transport Via Plants spell. Aenas speaks with Samos and learns that the outer city wards are intact, and that of the thirty guards on duty, several were put under a magical sleep. Oh and there were pastries. The party splits to investigate, with one group lead by Decarabia, headed to talk to the Archmage of the city about the magical defenses in place, and the other headed to the security office to talk to the guards on duty. Til, Grin, Decarabia, and Cipher make it to the Archmages office. A three story library filled with magical tomes, and arcane devices. He tries to help the group offering them what he has been able to figure out thus far. The wards failed on the third floor and roof of the palace. And the mage responsible for setting those wards were none other than the younger brother of High Prince Timtario of Arcania. Meanwhile, Aenas, Elryn, M'rgle, and Torrent talk to the guards in the security office. They speak with the two that were stationed at the main doors and tasked with guarding the entrance to the ballroom that the state dinner was set in.They learn that the two left their post to get pastries, it was just as they returned to their post that they were put under the magical sleep. The party reconvenes, first heading back to Archmage Zephram to see if he has truesight and is able to read the message that was found on the parchment. Indeed he does, and what the parchment contains is an assassination order for Ambassador Elryn and all known associates. Ordering that they also destroy any documents that she carries. The note also shares that the Sovereigns will not be at the state dinner when the assassination is to take place. Torrent remains in the library to do some studying on the origins of the note. The rest of the party continues on in their investigation. After this revelation the party heads for the third floor. Elryn notices out of the corner of her eye an elf in the shadows that seems annoyed with their presence. Following him she overhears him talking to someone who seems to be invisible.It seems that they are going to be walking straight into an ambush. As she rejoins the group she watches as the form of the elf also turns invisible. The party splits to ambush the ambush and flank them. Upon arriving on the third floor, a large dryad drops invisibility and casts wall of thorns splitting the room in half. The party fights this extra large dryad that Grin recognizes as one of the Mother dryads. Eventually a second, more average looking dryad also appears on the other side of the room. Torrent having completed his research meets up with the party mid encounter, however due to Cipher's magical darkness, and M'rgle's magical deafness, there is not much for Torrent to witness. So he hides in a corner with his decanter of endless water and waits. As the Mother dryad dies, Grin who is detecting her thoughts watches as visions of the feywild burning passes through her thoughts. Thousands of fey creatures dying. The great feyspires and fey cities falling and crumbling in ruins. The Mother dryad feels that she has failed in her mission of preventing this outcome. Grin breaks down in tears at the vision of her home in ruins. On the other side of the room, Cipher jubilantly burns the other dryad to a crisp, leaving nothing but ashes. Torrent releases a geyser of water, and M'rgle joyfully plays in the falling water and ashes. What awaits out heroes next? Is there anything to be learned from the third floor? Can the sovereigns be trusted?