Coro's Court 1476.06 to 1476.11

Maybellina and Kunoh return, conveniently right near where the companions have ventured to. We are now a few days from Zanji, the capital city of the Semudan Empire, on our way to deliver the mysterious ink. Tranq has business elsewhere, so he rushes off, calling out in his haste that he will catch up.
On our travels, we discover there have been 2 earthquakes in the region, as well as a lot of stars falling in the last 4 weeks - "Night of a Thousand Falling Stars"
Ruben, who has been thinking of little but the ink and his inky arm, comes up with an idea. He decides to write out a scroll, using his inky finger instead of any sort of pen. It works a little too well. Immediately, Ruben watches the future rewrite itself and realises he has just inadvertently altered the course, in Ruben's favour, of a future battle Ophion will be engaged in (+1 advantage to Ruben, -1 advantage to Ophion). Ophion remains unaware of Ruben's accidental treachery.
Ruben, not realising the dangerous path he is walking, keeps on writing. With a start, Maybellina realises something's not right just in time to stop something magical and very sinister affecting her. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to realise it is Ruben's scribing that is the cause.
As Ruben keeps writing, he realises the warning signs of his words affecting others, and he tries to put a stop to whatever is happening as it happens again, this time to Atala. He is too slow. Atala loses ... something, but Ruben does not receive whatever it was, due to his attempting to stop it from happening.
And again! This time the sinister magic is directed to Maybellina, who does not realise this time, and her future is now irrevocably changed for the worse with Ruben benefiting this time as the rewards become harder to refuse. (1 of Maybellina's future hits will automatically miss, and 1 of Ruben's future misses will instead hit)
Atala realises something's not right. She wanders over to Ruben, noting he is on his third scroll, but she was sure he'd only started with one piece of paper. She peers over his shoulder, discovers he has written up:
1) Prestidigitation, cantrip 2) A spell that would create a sigil, the elder magic sigil for luck 3) Another sigil spell, the elder magic sigil for consume
Atala tries to communicate with Ruben but he is unresponsive.
Meanwhile, Kunoh notices the world darkening, and he sees an old warrior in a ghostly form. He recognises from previous visions, it is his grandfather. The old man whispers urgently to "get him out of it". The vision then changes to Ruben falling to the ground, with a bloody nose. The vision clears. Kunoh rushes over to Ruben and smacks him in the face with the butt of his axe. Ruben falls over, nose bloody, just as Kunoh had seen in his vision. Kunoh thinks the troubles over and then ..
Ruben stands, and suddenly he is surrounded by hundreds of tiny little blood red flies everywhere.
Maybellina realises Ruben has allowed through a being from the Otherwhere. She realises this being is a single creature, but made up of a billion flies. She recognises this as a Diver.
Ruben collapses unconscious as the flies spread towards the rest of the party.
Heian suddenly falls over, taking ill with no apparent cause. He crawls to safety with Onai's help, and Onai remains on guard to protect him.
Atala uses her lantern oil and fire, spraying it all over the Diver. The fire spreads to Ruben, Mayb and Ophion, causing minor damage. The blood flies seem to get angrier in response to this, moving into a humanoid formation. The Diver swats at Atala and Ophion, surrounding them, biting and stinging them.
Kunoh roars and summons his ancestors with his axe. He swings at the flies, raging and smashing at them. Ophion follows up with some more fire, Mayb with eldritch blast, Atala with her cross bow.
The Diver splits and begins to surround everyone in a last-ditch effort to win the fight. Mayb and Ophion both cast hellish rebuke, weakening the flies, and Kunoh finishes them off with his axe.
Panting, the companions check themselves for lasting damage. Kunoh roars again, and seeks out the Professor. He is livid and he seeks answers. Ruben is disinterested and petulant in response.
Meanwhile Mayb collects the scrolls up carefully. She assures Ruben this is a temporary measure, but he is not placated, and retreats further inside himself.
The party rests.
The next day, we head off towards the next town. After a couple of days' travel, we reach the outer suburbs of Zanji. We notice many individuals - advertising themselves as prophets and psychics and such - calling themselves "the Prophets of the Revelation", talking to and ranting at the local folk about religion.
Approaching the town gates, the companions close the traveling distance between them, and it quickly becomes apparent that Nick Furry and Onai both are uncomfortable towards Ruben, perhaps even frightened. This is the final straw for Mayb and Kunoh who have already expressed their concerns to each other, and Mayb finally admits what she had been dreading, that she thinks perhaps Ruben has a "passenger".
Kunoh tries to talk to Ruben again, demands to know what is going on. Ruben reacts badly, panicked and agitated, and acts like he is being attacked. At this time, Mayb notices a sigil appearing around Ruben and she becomes even more alarmed.
The party reaches the area near the gates. Kunoh expresses concern - he doesn't trust Ruben's current state of mind and is afraid of what Ruben might inadvertently take into the city with him. Atala suggests splitting up. Atala leads Ophion, Heian, Onai and Nick Furry into the city, whilst Mayb, Kunoh and Ruben stay outside with the carpet stall. Ruben is clearly angry at this point, but thankfully does not try to attack his companions, and he stays without too much complaint.
They head over to a semi-cleared area of ruins, where some monks are casting. The monks are unfamiliar. The companions watch as the monks "remember" the way the tower was - what the ruins used to be. Suddenly the "tower" explodes, sending the crowd, which had been slowly gathering to watch, fleeing in all directions shrieking and screaming.
Meanwhile, Atala is seeking out her people, the Silver Order. Ophion notices graffiti on the walls they pass, in red paint. Atala recognises the symbols as directions to a Silver Order safe house. Atala blindfolds her companions, and leads them through the city, to a deep underground room. There is a huge obsidian mirror in an ornate brass frame. There is a figure inside the mirror. Atala recognises this as the First Speaker of the Silver Order.
Atala details the situation with Ruben to the First Speaker. She sends Atala's companions out of the room, speaking only to her. She tells Atala to "excise the wound", to "cauterise the injury", that only Elder magic (Sigil magic) will work, modern magic will not work on Architeuthis. She emphasises that if Architeuthis makes it through into this world, "others will follow".
She gives Atala a week to sort the situation out, otherwise she will "send the hunters" to take care of things. Atala meets up with the companions and they organise accommodations for the night, while Mayb, Kunoh and Ruben set up camp near the ruins.
The next morning Ruben's anger has dissipated, leaving behind a terror Kunoh has not seen in him before. This does little to assuage Kunoh and Mayb's concerns of possession. Mayb asks Ruben to show them his arm. He refuses. He does however explain that the incident with the scrolls has made the ink spread to the middle of his upper arm, but he has not moved any further since. He admits to his companions that he does not know much. He is still evasive and edgy, but he calms down enough to set his companions' minds at ease - together they conclude he is not possessed, but he is feeling very on edge from the awareness that something is watching him from the shadows and his fear that his companions will hurt him as a result of the inky arm situation.
Ruben decides to experiment - he cuts his upper arm, above where the ink has spread, and his flesh reacts normally, and he bleeds as he should. Then he cuts his finger ... the finger briefly bleeds ink and then the flesh knits itself back together, and in seconds there is no evidence of a wound.
At this time, a group of children approaches, sweet lovely beautiful children with puppies and kittens and flowers and sunshine. One of them offers a flower to Ruben. Mayb recognises that these children could help with Ruben's affliction, as she recognises they are surrounded by magic. The children are eager to help.
They begin to heal him, first putting him to sleep. After a short time, the smell of cooking rotten meat permeates the air, and black goop suddenly pours from all Ruben's orifices. Mayb lifts up his sleeve, the ink is gone but the arm is badly scarred. Ruben awakes, rolls over, and vomits. The children begin to take their leave, saying "The life light heals all. Go in peace, brother" but Mayb calls out to them. A small girl comes up, eager to offer further assistance. Mayb asks after their leader. Another small girl comes up, and introduces herself as Nandi. She recognises immediately that mayb is "soul sick" and she offers to banish the sickness. Mayb stiffens and replies "no thank you", changing the subject back to Ruben and his situation, as some of the other small children approach. Ruben cleans himself up and Kunoh helps him walk over to Mayb and the children. Nandi tells the companions they are conduits working for the 31, the "First Place", and their abilities are a gift from the 31.
Atala, Ophion, Heian, Onai and Nick Furry return in time to see the children leave. Mayb fills them in. Atala quickly heads back inside alone to update the Silver Order on what has happened. The rest of the party go in the usual way through the main gate, with the official letter and seal from the man who sent us on this inky mission.
A man who introduces himself as Lord Zyrell, dressed in vibrant blue robes, directs us to a building which looks much like a shrine. The walls are round, covered with the likenesses of previous lords and ladies, with torches jutting out from the wall at regular intervals. There is a lady waiting and an older man. The man introduces himself as Seneschal Kemal, and the lady as Princess of the House of Coro, Princess Zara, formerly of the House of Lamond.
We tell the Seneschal that we have a gift. The door closes behind us. Ophion announces us all by name. Ruben tells Kunoh to put the ink on the ground. Attendants rush to take it from Kunoh but Ruben insists that it must go on the ground only. Ruben shows his damaged arm as explanation of his insistence. The Seneschal gets huffy, annoyed that someone thought it appropriate to touch the Princess' gift. Ruben assures the Seneschal, and he calms. The Princess tells us that she must give us a gift in return - she insists she will give us lodging for the night and she will open her gift with an audience.
We are instructed to not enter any buildings on the estate bar our own rooms, however, we may have the run of the gardens. We follows the Seneschal out.
Ophion chats with the Marshall in charge of the troops and stables. He previously served in the Acron, High Kingdom of. He usually works for the Prince, but is currently serving the Princess. He mentions volcanoes, and rumours of whole cities in the west going suddenly silent. He says that the Sanctuary of Tal has been seiged many times recently.
Later that evening we are taken back into the palace. The rooms are dripping with opulence. We are taken to the dining room, and we feast. Then the box is brought out.
The Princess thanks us for bringing the ink to her. She is so pleased that they will soon "know the mind of Architeuthis". We start, realising the Princess' intentions, as Matron Afra shoves her hand into the ink orb.

Coro's Court

Princess Zara

Guard at Coro's Court