Session 2 - Everyone Has Secrets

General Summary

We start looking for snail tracks in the woods. We find a trail that looks like a boulder had moved through, which matches the description of the snail. There’s a hard substance on the trail that is a glass-like secretion of the snail due to it eating gems and such. Don’t run on the slime, it can feel it! We find a person (tiefling woman called Eos) gathering bits of the slime along the trail. We warn her that she might be in danger so she returns to the city but says we can visit her in her shop, she’s a craftswoman and can make something with the glass. She also warns us there’s another rough group out here.
We keep going, Xanthos’ shadow starts messing with Neo. We question him but he’s cagey about it and promises to discuss it in more detail over drinks later. We come across a clearing where we see the snail but no sign of the other group. We go looking for them. We take them by surprise and convince them to leave without a fight. There’s one sympathetic guy in the enemy rogue group called Allotohs (sp?) Then we tie ropes around the sleeping snail and HEAVE it over and descend upon it.
We defeat the snail in short order and head back to town. We go to Bion’s manor where Hedylus meets us. The rest of the staff doesn’t know about the assassination plot, but Bion does. We meet King Bion. He can’t act on the accusations because going after the soldiers would lead to him being deposed. He’s nervous about being in harm’s way but sees no other option. He likes the way we handled the snail. He invites us to stay at his home while we come up with a plan.
Xanthos is called aside to speak with Bion alone. He knows who Xanthos is. He tells Xanthos of a great oracle whose words will be heeded by the Vasilli and could convince them to grant Xanthos his ancestral home. He doesn’t like Vas just taking land built up by others. The people of Vas are beholden to the Oracle at Korymour, so it would be blasphemous to refuse them. This could provide Xanthos with an opportunity to start rebuilding his home rather than just burying the one Sidero tree seed. It would be useful to Bion if there was another independent town/city to draw the attention and resist Vas, but he believes this could be mutually beneficial. There are people out there who want nothing more than for these areas to fall under Vas control and will try to stop their efforts.
Aga asks Ionessa to translate the scroll he stole from the noble house he broke into. It reads:
“It was not an easy task, but I have managed to locate a manifest for a merchant vessel, the Aspro Kapélo, which set sail from Castle Fidigos but never arrived in Limpani. The manifest includes among the cargo a lockbox matching the description from our agent: sealed black stone, warm to the touch, and a warning that it should not be opened under any circumstances. There is no doubt in my mind that this is what the head spoke of, the catalyst of your rebirth.
Two paths lie before me. The first, and most likely, is that the same pirates who attacked the vessel absconded with the lockbox. Ignorant though they are of the treasure they possess, I am certain if they understood the true value of the ember word would have reached us of its use, so I must conclude that it has been sold or hoarded. No matter, I have agents infiltrating pirate crews across Koss and beyond, and while my patience is lacking it is only a matter of time before it is found.
The second path, that the lockbox sank with the Aspro Kapélo, is much easier to investigate. I have hired a crew to retrieve the lockbox, and though I have little faith they will turn anything up, I cannot afford to risk not searching. Besides, that fool Parmenion is beginning to grow suspicious of my intentions, so if he wastes his time interrogating hapless sailors then that is time not spent looking into our other operations.
My master, you will not be denied. I will see to it myself. Dorien”
Everyone is being REALLY cagey about their backgrounds. Ionessa doesn’t want to reveal any information about the warm black stone mentioned in the letter. Neo is carrying a relic staff that contains something within it but there is no way to open it to access what is inside without breaking it, which Neo considers a bad idea given it is associated with a deity. He obtained it from some religious scholars he met who considered it a puzzle to be solved, and gave it to him to solve.
We ask which god and Neo looks around first; we are being spied on by a homunculus. This is the greatest challenge we have ever faced but eventually it's removed. Neo continues, the relic is from Fytanke. Maybe burning it would help? He doesn’t know what’s been tried already. It seems he took the relic from the scholars he was traveling with and left a note to explain why he was taking it. He’s very cagey about the exact circumstances and even under a zone of truth uses vague language with lots of modifiers. He’s afraid that if he gives a straight answer we’ll kill him. Eventually he’s goaded into saying the following:
“The group of scholars worshiped Fytanke. We worshiped Fytanke. They are my family."
Xanthos doesn’t want to share the details about his shadow even though he promised. He says he’ll talk more about it down the line once we know each other better. In two weeks he has to tell us about the shadow. Ophia has snuck off and is trying to steal but we find her and convince her not to ruin a good thing and bring her back to the room. Xanthos strikes out inviting Ionessa to his bed, and he can’t hit on any servants without getting them in trouble so he goes to bed lonely.
We meet with King Bion in the morning. He thinks the attack will take place during the unveiling of the statue. We’re going to have to react as we don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but until then we are to act like everything is normal and enjoy the festival. We are offered rewards for retrieving the shell. The oracle of Korymour can help with Ophia’s curse. Bion recognises the word “Mourionos” but tries to hide it and says he will look into it. We are given LOADS OF COINS! 500 platinum pieces.
We set off from Bion's home and get ready for a day on the town!

Rewards Granted

500 platinum pieces! 83 each and 2 left over for Kovu's hoard.

Missions/Quests Completed

Defeated the Snail of Creteone and brought its shell back to King Bion.

Character(s) interacted with

King Bion - The Last King of Cherianto
Eos - A craftsperson with a shop in Cherianto, she was collecting glass from the snail's trail. She invited us to visit her to see what she can make with it.

Report Date

01 May 2022