Session 13: Tall Trees Report

General Summary

Our party returns to Hermynias after our 2 day escrow, where there is a line of people gathered trying to get some sleeping draught from Hermynia. Unfortunately, she has just about run out at this time and has become overloaded by all the requests from the past 2 days.
After reassuring and assisting Herymina; Ellisandre begins to triage and calm the crowd, and the rest of the party gets to questioning her more about the dreams of those affected by this and other possible causes or symptoms. As our adventurers speak with the crowd a new citizen with a head wound approaches, this woman says that she was doing her chores in the cellar when she found a small black box that didnt belong, it looked valuable and she opened it. The next thing she knew she woke up on the floor with a head wound, and the box no longer there. She claims she saw some smoke when opening the box and was only awoke from her unconscious state because she felt as though she was falling.
The party asks for permission to search her home and she agrees. She then is taken into Hermynias home to rest. She returns and Fabian shares what happened in the tunnels beneath the winter nexus, and tells her that he doesnt want anyone else to know about the box yet but that he believes it is the key to this whole situation. They share a breif sweet moment, before Fabian refocuses on the task at hand. She then takes care of the wounded members of the party, provides Herminyas Healing Ointment and a dose of the sleeping draught. Before taking their leave, the party inquires about Niketta, and are informed that she had been recovering well after ellisandre's dispel magic and went home to tall trees to be at home.
Finally, Hermynia makes a direct request of Fabian. In order to produce more sleeping tonic, she will need the help of her direct competition and local homeopath/naturalist, Ilia, and states that she can be found nearby in her olive grove. She would prefer that it not seem as if she is the one asking for help.
Fabian agrees and the party makes its way toward Ilia's Olive Oils, right up against the summer nexus, amidst the olive grove. Entering the open air facility it is covered in vines, and tended entirely by males, with the exception of Ilia herself. She wears loose fitting silks, jewelery and her tan skin is covered in olive oil from head to toe. After a somewhat lukewarm introduction, wine is served and ass is kissed and Ilia shares the tale of the Moriai. Explaining that the olive groves are sacred and protected by the Basara and that karametra herself gave the first olive to the mortal world, which she planted in the middle of the summer nexus. From that one twelve original trees grew around the summer nexus, and any defacement of these trees is punishable by death. She is now the only person allowed to tend or interact directly with these tweleve original trees.
Upon the conclusion of the story, Fabian shares that our adventurers are to be meeting with Karametra in the near future. Ilia shares that she too has met with Karametra previously as part of her responsibilities and with some common ground established the party begins to negotiate for her help. Fabian pulls out the good wine and sealah attempts to play on Ilia's emotions, and reminds her that karametra would surely be happy to hear that she helped the party and the town. This seems to pursuade her and she cuts to the chase. Fabian speaks frankly, and tells her that hermynia needs her help. This is amusing to Ilia, and she shares that she believes Hermynia fails to think outside of the box. She agrees to help and begins another story about a Dryad named Laurel, who planted the trees that she will use in order to create a sleeping tincture. Fabian overstepps his boundaries and invites her to our meeting with Karametra as his guest.
Following up on the lead from the woman with the head wound, the party approaches her house and calls out being answered by someone inside. Upon opening the door, a parrot flies past and despite fabians best efforts escapes his grasp and flies off. Moving on with the investigation, the scene seems to be pretty consistent with what the woman described, however Zephyra opts to cast detect magic and sees the same chaos magic as encountered in the tunnels. Tracking the source of the magic, it seems that whatever caused it left and disappeared into the city. Sealah theorizes that the woman has been possessed by the same shadowy spirits that he has and the party seems to agree for the most part. Ellisandre points out that the ghost ressurected Sealah from unconsciousness, similarly to how the woman regained consciousness after being knocked out.
An in depth discussion begins on the nature of these shadows and these possesions and it is determined that the party needs to consult with someone more knowledgable in the arcane arts. It is determined that the best person to consult will be Zephyra's master, Bileth, and the party makes its way towards Tall Trees. The elf village is shadowed by the huge trees after which it is named. The trees are the size of buildings and many have elevators or stairs to take you up to the guest level, which is accessible to all. With Anthousa's seal, the party is easily able to move through this level up into the more secluded areas despite a few nasty looks thrown Sealah and Fabians way. Zephyra leads us up to the top of one of the tallest redwoods, where the air is thin and the height is frightening, all the way up to a large cylindrical stone dome with marble engraved door and a centaur standing sentinel.
He introduces himself in a friendly manner to Zephyra, and they share in clasped hands before introducing himself to the party as Brasidon, attendant to bileth. Zephyra starts to tell Brasidon about the situation with the box, who stops her immediately to go inform Bileth. Brasidon returns and shares a private moment with Zephyra, which the rest of the party is not privy to. While they are gone, the party discusses plans the next morning to go visit niketta and ensure she is alright. Brasidon returns and welcomes the rest of the party into the halls of Bileths sanctum. As the party approaches it seems that Bileth was is some sort of multi-dimensional medidative trance, before being introduced to the jokster that is Fabian. The master seems unamused, but Zephyra quickly steps in to smooth over the situation. The two of them then share in a bladesong together and bileth reveals a technique never before seen by Zephyra or the party and gets down to business. The full story of the box and the situation with Sealah is revealed to Bileth, and is told that her wisdom and guidance is needed as it seems that the party is dealing with magics beyond their understanding. Bileth reveals that it is good the party has come, as she is now the Oracle of Kruphix and has seen the universes unfathomable truths. She says that Kruphix was in existence since the beginning of mortal thought, and due to his age and power acts as a sort of overseer for the rest of the gods. She says that Kruphix started a period of silence after the gods squabbling threatened the entire world. He then etched their names into a great tree, cutting off the Gods ability to communicate with their oracles/champions/warlocks/paladins/clerics and the people of Sinfonia did not hear a peep from them. This was especially terrible for the Nyxborn who grew insane without their connection to the Gods, Berseus was one such hero trying to fight against the crazed Nyborn of that time.
Zephyra asks about the Preist of Erebos, and Bileth decides to help by doing some Scrying on the Priest to attempt to locate him. Despite her best efforts, she states that she is unable to see the priest, but also she is unable to see any of the winter nexus. She looks frightened, and states that if Kruphix's sight is blocked than there may be something even larger at play here. She decides that she must consult with Kruphix in order to determine what this means and what could block her scrying. She asks the party "What is the nature of belief?" and tells Zephyra that it is a question asked by followers of Kruphix throughout the years. As things conclude, Brasidon ushers the party out intends to do some communing of his own and the party decides to secure temporary lodging at the garden terrace before going to visit Niketta in the morning.

Campaign

The Leviathalas Campaign

Protagonists

Zephyra Haladiin

LN Eladrin Elf (Sage)
Wizard 14

80 / 86 HP

STR
8

DEX
18

CON
14

INT
22

WIS
10

CHA
8

Fabian Lavigne

Chaotic Good Satyr (Folk Hero)
Bard 14

115 / 115 HP

STR
8

DEX
16

CON
16

INT
8

WIS
10

CHA
20

Ellisandre Duskblossom

Chaotic Neutral Wood Elf (Urchin)
Druid 9
Rogue 5

40 / 101 HP

STR
8

DEX
20

CON
14

INT
10

WIS
18

CHA
10

Stratos Sealàh

Chaotic Good Naiad (Nymph)
Sorcerer 14

44 / 111 HP

STR
8

DEX
14

CON
18

INT
16

WIS
8

CHA
20

Report Date

23 Feb 2022