Session 27 - Kairemos is My Striker

General Summary

King Bion teleports us back to Cherianto, Ionessa reveals the interaction she had with Astrapyndircles and that we have 6 days to resurrect his granddaughter or get eaten. We definitely don’t want to use the ember, but we might need to bring her back to prevent everyone from dying. Even if we hide, it might not save the cities we have already visited. We split up to research ways to hide from/kill Astrapyndircles, or to resurrect his granddaughter. Kestor remembers that Kairemos has great enmity for dragons, perhaps due to sharing dominion over the skies. Kestor, Neo, and Ophia go to a temple of Kairemos for advice on how to take care of the Father of All Storms, while Ionessa and Xanthos go to a temple of Nypolita for advice on how to resurrect the dragon if things go bad.
Ionessa and Xanthos have a conversation about failing and how bad things have gotten, and Xanthos encourages her and says they shouldn’t give up. She thinks she shouldn’t be a hero, there’s a lot of death, but they’ve also saved a lot of people. Ionessa is not so optimistic. She’s also upset with him that he didn’t stand up to Phaedra and was willing to let her torture Kriton, Xanthos says she raised him and taught him everything he knows, he’s scared of disappointing her. He doesn’t want her to feel that training him was a waste of time, she’s the last family he has. Ionessa understands that his life must have been really hard and that he didn’t know any other way back then, but she feels like he has been lying about who he is. Xanthos doesn’t want to be that guy anymore, he wants to be the person he’s become with the party.
Xanthos dips from the conversation when Ionessa tells him he matters, then they arrive at the temple. They meet Shepard Actys, Ionessa tells them that they killed someone in self-defense and have been asked to resurrect her by their grandfather to avoid their wrath. They direct her to the cleric Phylas, to the East in Revmapol, but they will need to offer up a diamond for the ritual.
Kestor and Neo find a temple to Kairemos, a large pillar with a spiral staircase with no railing. Neo offers the five dragon scales from Aedoiphaeclus to beseech them for aid against the dragon. Neo rolls a 28 to beseech Kairemos for aid!!! On the other side of town, Ionessa and Xanthos can see storm clouds gathering in the air and a distant rumble of thunder, the storms are gathered around the temple itself. In the temple we are in the eye of the storm, the clouds morph into the shape of a humanoid head. On one side, billowing clouds of long hair, the unmistakable visage of Kairemos, God of the Skies. Words emanate from Neo’s mouth,
“You beseech my aid, ask of me what you would.”
“If it is my will, Astrapyndircles will never find you, the winds will never be in his favor, he will never find this land and never find what he seeks, but in return I ask for a gift that you can offer me.”
“My children have been wronged and thus I have been wronged. If you wish to be free of the gaze of Astra, ne’er have his wings darken your lands, then you would rid me of those who have caused this blasphemy upon me.”
“A temple neath mine domain has been sullied. I would have Korymour freed of the influence of those who would abuse it.”
“Eurydia drew the blood of a cleric on holy ground and must be made to repent for her blasphemy, lest I engulf her lands in storms.”
“Swear to me, God of the Skies, on all that you have and own that you will deliver justice unto Eurydia. That you will make it known that until death or repentance this is made right, the sun will not shine on Vas. I will not permit it, she will not know peace from the wind, and the rains will drown the countryside.”
“Then your foe shall not find you, though his vision will remain unclouded he will be cast aside by mine own might while you do my bidding on the land.”
“It is so.”
“Make it known that though the temples of my children are few, they are not to be despoiled. Now, my attention draws me elsewhere. Do your work, and I will do mine.”
A bolt of lightning strikes the altar, turning the scales to ash. WE IN THE BIG LEAGUES! We head back down and fill the others in one what happened. We pretty much agree that this is a good turn of events, and that we would prefer repentance over death for Eurydia. We are concerned about the bow, which is giving Astrapyndircles sight. Ionessa can unattune from it. We could remove Astrapyndircles’ influence but we would need to replace it with another dragon’s influence of similar strength. Ionessa wouldn’t want to replace it with her dragon’s, but maybe Rheansdorth or Audax (the dragon on the mountain).
Kestor and Xanthos go to deliver the possibly fraudulent demon hair to Eos. It’s not fraudulent! It’s resistant to fire! This is sufficient payment for the blood spear, which has now been transformed into the blood sword. Xanthos gives this to Kestor and tells him he should stab him in the heart if he starts going crazy and attacking us. Kestor proves that he could defeat Xanthos easily with a suggestion spell (it takes 3 attempts), but in the end Kestor says he’s just not afraid of him. The two share drinks and Xanthos surmises that Kestor is going to grow a beak and talons. They then decide to go talk to Rhene, Xanthos seems to be avoiding talking to Ionessa.
Ionessa and Neo fill Bion in on the details of everything that has just happened, and that he is safe from the dragon thanks to Kairemos. Bion is concerned for our safety as we’re going up against Vas. We can probably ask people on the road whether Eurydia has returned to Vas. Ionessa asks if he can help us find Rheansdorth, we could ask about dragon sightings or consult old lore about where he has visited if we can find a suitable library. We’ll be in contact again when one of us learns more about the ember situation.
Both Adelpha and Rhene will come with us to Sideris, and Xanthos goes to have an awkward conversation with Ionessa. He wants to clear the air, he feels he disappointed and upset her. Xanthos sees now that people can change, even if he was raised differently. Ophia is a good example of that. She accepts that he knows more about demons than her, but just wants him to think a little more about it each time in case there are more people like Rhene out there. In the end, they’re okay. They’re important to each other!
In the morning we prep to leave for Sideris, we get building supplies and such. Ionessa has not unattuned from the bow because she’s cursed! Rhene is found staring at the shell of the Snail of Creteone, her sister. Kestor recounts the story for her, and she seems to remember to some extent. He offers to take it with them but she says that is not necessary. Hedylus brings out a draft horse named Chestnut to drive the cart for us! He’s a good boy! He likes regular horse things! He’s a clydesdale!
On the road we learn a little draconic and share some songs, we goad Xanthos into joining in with a chorus of Ionessa’s home’s songs, but before we can all burst into song we see some people gathering around something large that has washed up on the beach. Ionessa identifies it as part of a creature that has washed up on the beach; it is not a giant sea cucumber, as the resident beach expert thinks. Kestor tries to stop a teen from throwing rocks at it and gets pelted with pebbles for his trouble, including by Xanthos, who eventually scares the kid off. We learn that things are a little turbulent in the capital, and that Eurydia is likely in the city.
We start to see something bulging from inside the… thing. Ionessa cuts it open and Xanthos is covered by a truly putrid slime as something comes crawling out from inside! A humanoid covered in awful black ichor, it’s Iros! He was inside the stomach of a kraken for ten days! Four since it died! The kraken sank many ships and ate him, and he carved the names of all the gods, his lovers, friends, family, acquaintances, people that he met, etc. Kestor cleans him up and starts writing this new legend! First author rights baby!
Everyone except Ionessa the Kind makes fun of Kestor the Mistreated and Humble and Brave.
Kestor asks about the southern continent, land of gold, very hot, cursed masks, that sort of thing. He also hasn’t heard about Pairairi or anything strange going on at Castle Fidigos. Ionessa asks about his part in the kraken battle, it’s very grandiose. Kestor tells the story of them killing the dragon, he exaggerates but Iros seems to appreciate it. Ionessa asks if Kestor inserts lies into all of his stories, he says all but the Tales because he feels by bringing them into the world his mind stabilizes. Iros goes off to find trouble, Ionessa asks local farmers about their crops. Neo and Xanthos talk about his use of the rings to take extra damage, they come to an understanding but Xanthos is concerned that Neo needs to stay up to heal us.
We room up, Ionessa still will not give up the bow. Xanthos says she promised! She’s cursed tho!!! Xanthos gets Neo, who acts suspicious and then throws a rock at him, but then removes the curse. Ionessa’s eyes go back to normal and she’s cured! Xanthos is really jealous about Iros because he’s so perfect and he gets made fun of for it. Ionessa kisses him on the cheek.

Notes

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Report Date

16 Apr 2023