Session 3 - Don't Come Early!
General Summary
Another Day in Legacy
With the afternoon and evening remaining, Yenush and Teagan decide... to wait for Ironborn. Meanwhile, Aiaoue heads back to the theater. There she finds Madame Blythe distantly overseeing a change of set within the theater. The older woman seems quite flexible regarding available working hours though Aiaoue notes that she might die tomorrow. Taken aback by the comment, Delilah eventually recovers enough to show Aiaoue to some of her set and costume designers. She requests some larger woven pieces for the next performance, with the sea as the theme. Despite Aiaoue's weaving being "just a hobby", her skill level seems to blend right in with the others working behind set.
Milo ventures to the Church of The Void where he seeks out the enclosed temple to the Dremoran pantheon. Although not particularly religious, he does find the statue of the Great Mother (Tel'Rhea) and offers a prayer. There's a vague sense of distance as he prays. Afterward, he flags down an acolyte. That's the Void Maiden? Yes. What's your purpose here? To keep Legacy alive when the technology fails. Who's in charge when she's not around? The Void Bearers are generally the source of leadership, but one in particular has taken on the leadership role: Diamont.
Arkyn heads out to the other side of Sinner's Choice. The escort lounge is dimly light with floral decals and scent that don't quite match (but are pleasant nonetheless). He is greeted by a vaguely familiar face: Marcia. Arkyn was just exploring! What is this place? Marcia seems oddly amused by the confusion, and quickly informs Arkyn that he's come early for a place like this (Don't Come Early! you can put whatever you want wherever you want with consent. Arkyn, pulling out his collection of smut, pieces together what Marcia is implying and remarks that "ah, he can't do that". When Arkyn offers the book, Marcia gathers the escorts: they could use some entertainment. Arkyn then proceeded to give a dramatic reading of smut, which the escorts seemed to enjoy.
Yenush and Teagan watch as a massive shadow emerges from the miasma, deposits the Iron Delver at the end of the pier, and then dips off to the edge of the bay. From the Iron Delver, a construct and a dwarvish man emerge. Rune is quick to greet Ironborn as they move down the pier. Running into the waiting Teagan and Yenush, Rune introduces them. Ironborn gives a critical eye to both, but offers a hand. He grabs Yenush's offered left hand with some gusto for a man of his age. Did you make that? No. Ironborn almost scoffs. Yenush then asked about the "payment" for going down in the Iron Delver: could you make bullets? Ironborn fails horribly at masking his annoyance (and disgust) at the idea, but agrees. He does also mention that Yenush should be careful... Villám is known to react with cold water. To Teagan, Ironborn asks if he's claustrophobic. Teagan responds that... no, not at all! Ironborn then departs with his entourage, seemingly happy to get away from company.
Milo swings by the Post to drop of a letter to his wife as Yenush heads to the tavern once again. There, he finds Jinoah asleep... in the kitchen this time. Yenush puts away the knife and the half cooked piece of meet sitting on the stove, before he moves to fulfill the role of bartender. Even though Yenush has never bartended, it is quite clear that Jin's system of alcohol organization is wonky beyond measure. 4 hours later, Jin emerges from the kitchen and is confused to see Yenush. Alright man, why are you here? Why are you trying so damn hard for this? Yenush remarks that it physically pains him to witness all the thievery. He motions to his arm. If this is a religious thing, Jinoah motions to his trinkets: he's from Varoona. Yenush doesn't process. Jinoah seemed amused. After a bit of convincing, Jinoah somewhat agrees to let Yenush assist with the tavern. Yenush also manages to secure himself fiddle lessons with Bryant, the born-in-Legacy fiddle player.
Arkyn continues his exploration of Sinner's Choice, moving from the escort house to the casino. He moves over to a table in the middle of a game. Instead of gold and chips, the primary currency of gambling seems to be items, trinkets, and slips of paper with favors written on them. Arkyn inquires about the "I.O.Us". Do you leave it blank? The gambler guffaws at the prospect; you gotta have some balls to leave it blank for the other guy to fill in! When Arkyn inquires further, the gambler starts to say something, before stopping. Ya new? The gambler than called for the "Lord of the House". A moment later, a vaguely familiar woman (wearing a scowl) emerges with her arm linked with a man's. Ademar Blythe is the Yuan-Ti owner of Sinner's Choice (at least the casino) and nephew to Delilah Blythe. Ademar proposed a simple test of luck. If Arkyn wins, then he'll have one free "debt clearance" request. If Ademar wins, he gets a "blank slate favor" from Arkyn. With no hesitation, Arkyn agrees... Ademar seems quite happy to have another favor in his pocket. After Arkyn mentioned reading smut and the escorts enjoying it, Ademar's thoughts seem to drift elsewhere before he abruptly walks off towards the escort side of Sinner's Choice.
Aiaoue, having settled into her spot at the Theater, starts up conversation with "how can I talk to people without them hating me". She quickly gets a small flock of (mostly) women who provid encouragement. Be yourself! You seem so lovely! There are whispers of "Who hurt you?" in the background.
Finding Ironborn in his forge, the dwarven man offers Yenush a bag of bullets (you'll have to sort them). Seeing Arkyn, Ironborn pings him as Zver'Behepka. Arkyn responds "you knew my great-great grandfather". Ironborn scoffs; Ivan died to fucking soon, even for his race. There's a bit of pain behind the statement. Ironborn then leads the group to the Iron Delver where he explains how the submersible works: Comms, Radar, Identification, and Power Surges to the MWDs. Ironborn reminds the group that they will ideally find a town, find a temple within that town, and find a trace of divine essence, ideally a body, of the regional god. Wait... does that mean we have to swim? Ironborn remarks that Dunebrook would prefer historical artifacts be left untarnished... something that will happen with certainty if Omen tries to investigate (given his size). So yes, you will have to swim.
The massive creature that is Omen then arrives, looming over the pier. Still displeased with the mere sight of land walkers, Omen offers a talon where an oozing slime coagulates. Omen provides only the following explanation: "A gift, if you wish to not be crushed like a grape." After trying to get more information from Omen (and failing) Yenush eventually takes a shot of slime: it's an odd, gross experience. Everyone else eventually takes a shot of slime with the same disgust... except Aiaoue. It is somewhat soothing, familiar, and it honestly doesn't taste half bad. Omen then dipped below the waves and allowed the Iron Delver to attach to his back.
Sealed within the Iron Delver, Omen begins to sink and swim. Through the small window at the front of the Iron Delver, the vast expanse of Omen's neck can be seen. And although Omen is a relatively smooth swimmer, the Iron Delver rocks and sways as Omen's fins propel the eldritch horror through the water and towards the wall of miasma. The MWDs hum to life, projecting an ethereal and protective bubble that encompasses Omen... though it does little to improve the poor visibility in the miasma-infested waters. Now submerged, Aiaoue feels her limbs sting as her joints lock and freeze. Pain seizes her. After a minute, she manages to take a few deep breaths, quell the pain, and adapt.
Yenush asks if Aiaoue is alright to which she reponds that she's "just cold". Poking a bit, Yenush realizes that Aiaoue is not cold at all. Teagan braces himself in the corner of the Iron Delver as he realizes he really doesn't like this. Discussion then turns to Omen, the antagonist of Varoona. In the past, Omen was known to send all manner of creatures to torment Varoona and her city, but the sea goddess wove a Siren song that put Omen to sleep.... now he's clearly awake. Milo wants to know why Omen is here. Hey, Aiaoue, you talked to Omen, right? Why is Omen here? Aiaoue suspects that Ironborn offered to do something to slight "that bitch Varoona" in return for Omen's service. Also, Omen likes to swim - if he gets rid of the miasma, then he has more space to be himself! You seem to know a lot about Omen? Aiaoue mentions that Omen's a "friend of the family" (the resemblance might not be there). He's a very good elder and very creative!
Omen cuts off the conversation about him with a simple statement of "we are near". The group quickly find themselves pursued by a fragment of the miasma – a writhing sea snake that doesn't seem to lose them. Aiaoue sing-talks encouragement to Omen the entire time and, while never unfocused, Omen's focus sharpens as he continues to swim through the discovered obstacles. Reaching what appears to be a town, the Iron Delver lurches to a halt. Omen, perplexed by Aiaoue, inquires why she offers encouragement to him. Maybe one day you'll remember. Omen is silent.
Omen assures everyone that he will not leave them. As they prepare for a swim, Aiaoue asks for Teagan to stay near her – since he seems to have some muscle. Arkyn's whole world is absolutely shattered as Aiaoue remarks that she knows "Arkyn's muscles are purely for show".
Aiaoue and Milo are taken aback by the shift. Arkyn falls right into it, however, and tries to talk to a Keresello individual floating transfixed at the edge of the cliff into the abyss. A merfolk comes by and touches the Keresello, causing them to jolt back. She remaks, in an odd version of Abyssal and Aquan: "Do the Depths speak once more? Shall we see the Shaman?" Arkyn follows them. Meanwhile, Teagan looks for a reason why people avoid the cliffs. Perched directly at the edge of the sheer drop is a statue of darkened stone... its features are hard to pin down as they seem to swim, move, and distort. The uncertainty of the design sends a chill down Teagan's spine and a feeling of dread to bubble up. When Teagan snaps out of the hallucination, the statue isn't there anymore... Teagan really doesn't like this.
Aiaoue and Arkyn continue to be consumed by hallucinations, migrating to a temple in the center of town (directed by statements of "if you seek Spring"). Built upon a smooth, blackened stone, the temple houses a statue adorned with aquatic flora. The statue is simple in design, yet it clearly depicts a young boy with a mop of hair. Antlers... or horns, sprout from his forehead and his ears are long and pointed. Flora patterns have been carved into his tunic. Aiaoue and Arkyn proceed to call out for Spring. Looking at the statue, the boy resembles and Eladrin, a race commonly associated with Tel'Rhea. Although Milo is unable to parse out the language on a tablet (Light?), Comprehend Languages does allow him to piece together what two figures are saying nearby.
The miasma suddenly surges, agitated. Everyone begins to hallucinate. The collapsed statue of a forgotten god reforms... with a distorted warped grin and glowing, foreboding eyes. Darkness floods forth from the depths, crawling up and over the edge of the cliff. There are shrieks of alarm as people pull away from the encroaching shadows. The darkness consumes the statue... and a moment later, two small beady glowing eyes emerge. Dark, slime-covered skin peels away from the darkness; drifting robes of smooth scales (or perhaps flesh) are hard to discern from the darkness as it drifts with the current. The figure that steps forth is hunched with long arms that nearly drag in the sediment as it stalks across the ground. Around the creature's neck, a pendant hangs: a smooth stone, black as night. The middle holds a gem that eerily glows, reflecting the faintest trace of light in a color (turple obvlously) you cannot place... and that uncertainty digs and twists in your gut.
The figure lfits an arm, pointing at the statue of the boy in the temple. Words, once distorted, clarify:
Milo ventures to the Church of The Void where he seeks out the enclosed temple to the Dremoran pantheon. Although not particularly religious, he does find the statue of the Great Mother (Tel'Rhea) and offers a prayer. There's a vague sense of distance as he prays. Afterward, he flags down an acolyte. That's the Void Maiden? Yes. What's your purpose here? To keep Legacy alive when the technology fails. Who's in charge when she's not around? The Void Bearers are generally the source of leadership, but one in particular has taken on the leadership role: Diamont.
Arkyn heads out to the other side of Sinner's Choice. The escort lounge is dimly light with floral decals and scent that don't quite match (but are pleasant nonetheless). He is greeted by a vaguely familiar face: Marcia. Arkyn was just exploring! What is this place? Marcia seems oddly amused by the confusion, and quickly informs Arkyn that he's come early for a place like this (Don't Come Early! you can put whatever you want wherever you want with consent. Arkyn, pulling out his collection of smut, pieces together what Marcia is implying and remarks that "ah, he can't do that". When Arkyn offers the book, Marcia gathers the escorts: they could use some entertainment. Arkyn then proceeded to give a dramatic reading of smut, which the escorts seemed to enjoy.
Yenush and Teagan watch as a massive shadow emerges from the miasma, deposits the Iron Delver at the end of the pier, and then dips off to the edge of the bay. From the Iron Delver, a construct and a dwarvish man emerge. Rune is quick to greet Ironborn as they move down the pier. Running into the waiting Teagan and Yenush, Rune introduces them. Ironborn gives a critical eye to both, but offers a hand. He grabs Yenush's offered left hand with some gusto for a man of his age. Did you make that? No. Ironborn almost scoffs. Yenush then asked about the "payment" for going down in the Iron Delver: could you make bullets? Ironborn fails horribly at masking his annoyance (and disgust) at the idea, but agrees. He does also mention that Yenush should be careful... Villám is known to react with cold water. To Teagan, Ironborn asks if he's claustrophobic. Teagan responds that... no, not at all! Ironborn then departs with his entourage, seemingly happy to get away from company.
Milo swings by the Post to drop of a letter to his wife as Yenush heads to the tavern once again. There, he finds Jinoah asleep... in the kitchen this time. Yenush puts away the knife and the half cooked piece of meet sitting on the stove, before he moves to fulfill the role of bartender. Even though Yenush has never bartended, it is quite clear that Jin's system of alcohol organization is wonky beyond measure. 4 hours later, Jin emerges from the kitchen and is confused to see Yenush. Alright man, why are you here? Why are you trying so damn hard for this? Yenush remarks that it physically pains him to witness all the thievery. He motions to his arm. If this is a religious thing, Jinoah motions to his trinkets: he's from Varoona. Yenush doesn't process. Jinoah seemed amused. After a bit of convincing, Jinoah somewhat agrees to let Yenush assist with the tavern. Yenush also manages to secure himself fiddle lessons with Bryant, the born-in-Legacy fiddle player.
Arkyn continues his exploration of Sinner's Choice, moving from the escort house to the casino. He moves over to a table in the middle of a game. Instead of gold and chips, the primary currency of gambling seems to be items, trinkets, and slips of paper with favors written on them. Arkyn inquires about the "I.O.Us". Do you leave it blank? The gambler guffaws at the prospect; you gotta have some balls to leave it blank for the other guy to fill in! When Arkyn inquires further, the gambler starts to say something, before stopping. Ya new? The gambler than called for the "Lord of the House". A moment later, a vaguely familiar woman (wearing a scowl) emerges with her arm linked with a man's. Ademar Blythe is the Yuan-Ti owner of Sinner's Choice (at least the casino) and nephew to Delilah Blythe. Ademar proposed a simple test of luck. If Arkyn wins, then he'll have one free "debt clearance" request. If Ademar wins, he gets a "blank slate favor" from Arkyn. With no hesitation, Arkyn agrees... Ademar seems quite happy to have another favor in his pocket. After Arkyn mentioned reading smut and the escorts enjoying it, Ademar's thoughts seem to drift elsewhere before he abruptly walks off towards the escort side of Sinner's Choice.
Aiaoue, having settled into her spot at the Theater, starts up conversation with "how can I talk to people without them hating me". She quickly gets a small flock of (mostly) women who provid encouragement. Be yourself! You seem so lovely! There are whispers of "Who hurt you?" in the background.
You Just Have to Know How to Talk to Him
In the morning, Arkyn is startled awake by his sending stone.Haythem and Mila send their regards. I plan to arrange a flower wreath for Nefeli for the Festival. Stay vigilant; find the source, destroy it.Yenush asks Teagan about Jeff. Not mining this morning? Teagan realizes that he didn't tell Jeff so they should definitely go on the Iron Delver early this morning. Arkyn mentions that he read smut to some escorts yesterday. Teagan's apparently familiar (second hand) with some of the books Arkyn likes to read. Would you like to borrow one? Teagan backs out as gracefully as he can.
Finding Ironborn in his forge, the dwarven man offers Yenush a bag of bullets (you'll have to sort them). Seeing Arkyn, Ironborn pings him as Zver'Behepka. Arkyn responds "you knew my great-great grandfather". Ironborn scoffs; Ivan died to fucking soon, even for his race. There's a bit of pain behind the statement. Ironborn then leads the group to the Iron Delver where he explains how the submersible works: Comms, Radar, Identification, and Power Surges to the MWDs. Ironborn reminds the group that they will ideally find a town, find a temple within that town, and find a trace of divine essence, ideally a body, of the regional god. Wait... does that mean we have to swim? Ironborn remarks that Dunebrook would prefer historical artifacts be left untarnished... something that will happen with certainty if Omen tries to investigate (given his size). So yes, you will have to swim.
The massive creature that is Omen then arrives, looming over the pier. Still displeased with the mere sight of land walkers, Omen offers a talon where an oozing slime coagulates. Omen provides only the following explanation: "A gift, if you wish to not be crushed like a grape." After trying to get more information from Omen (and failing) Yenush eventually takes a shot of slime: it's an odd, gross experience. Everyone else eventually takes a shot of slime with the same disgust... except Aiaoue. It is somewhat soothing, familiar, and it honestly doesn't taste half bad. Omen then dipped below the waves and allowed the Iron Delver to attach to his back.
Sealed within the Iron Delver, Omen begins to sink and swim. Through the small window at the front of the Iron Delver, the vast expanse of Omen's neck can be seen. And although Omen is a relatively smooth swimmer, the Iron Delver rocks and sways as Omen's fins propel the eldritch horror through the water and towards the wall of miasma. The MWDs hum to life, projecting an ethereal and protective bubble that encompasses Omen... though it does little to improve the poor visibility in the miasma-infested waters. Now submerged, Aiaoue feels her limbs sting as her joints lock and freeze. Pain seizes her. After a minute, she manages to take a few deep breaths, quell the pain, and adapt.
Yenush asks if Aiaoue is alright to which she reponds that she's "just cold". Poking a bit, Yenush realizes that Aiaoue is not cold at all. Teagan braces himself in the corner of the Iron Delver as he realizes he really doesn't like this. Discussion then turns to Omen, the antagonist of Varoona. In the past, Omen was known to send all manner of creatures to torment Varoona and her city, but the sea goddess wove a Siren song that put Omen to sleep.... now he's clearly awake. Milo wants to know why Omen is here. Hey, Aiaoue, you talked to Omen, right? Why is Omen here? Aiaoue suspects that Ironborn offered to do something to slight "that bitch Varoona" in return for Omen's service. Also, Omen likes to swim - if he gets rid of the miasma, then he has more space to be himself! You seem to know a lot about Omen? Aiaoue mentions that Omen's a "friend of the family" (the resemblance might not be there). He's a very good elder and very creative!
Omen cuts off the conversation about him with a simple statement of "we are near". The group quickly find themselves pursued by a fragment of the miasma – a writhing sea snake that doesn't seem to lose them. Aiaoue sing-talks encouragement to Omen the entire time and, while never unfocused, Omen's focus sharpens as he continues to swim through the discovered obstacles. Reaching what appears to be a town, the Iron Delver lurches to a halt. Omen, perplexed by Aiaoue, inquires why she offers encouragement to him. Maybe one day you'll remember. Omen is silent.
Omen assures everyone that he will not leave them. As they prepare for a swim, Aiaoue asks for Teagan to stay near her – since he seems to have some muscle. Arkyn's whole world is absolutely shattered as Aiaoue remarks that she knows "Arkyn's muscles are purely for show".
Teagan: I Don't Like This
Yenush and Cadence look on the ruins of a town and note that, while most has been destroyed at the hands of time and miasma, there is a portion of the town that was clearly destroyed by battle. Cadence finds a spear head and Yenush finds a large jawbone. Flagging Cadence over (the only one who seems to respond), she immediately pings it as a dragon's jaw bone. Odd. Everyone else, watches as the orange haze of the miasma is gone. Ripples of sunlight cascade down as people move about... though they seem to avoid the edge.Aiaoue and Milo are taken aback by the shift. Arkyn falls right into it, however, and tries to talk to a Keresello individual floating transfixed at the edge of the cliff into the abyss. A merfolk comes by and touches the Keresello, causing them to jolt back. She remaks, in an odd version of Abyssal and Aquan: "Do the Depths speak once more? Shall we see the Shaman?" Arkyn follows them. Meanwhile, Teagan looks for a reason why people avoid the cliffs. Perched directly at the edge of the sheer drop is a statue of darkened stone... its features are hard to pin down as they seem to swim, move, and distort. The uncertainty of the design sends a chill down Teagan's spine and a feeling of dread to bubble up. When Teagan snaps out of the hallucination, the statue isn't there anymore... Teagan really doesn't like this.
Aiaoue and Arkyn continue to be consumed by hallucinations, migrating to a temple in the center of town (directed by statements of "if you seek Spring"). Built upon a smooth, blackened stone, the temple houses a statue adorned with aquatic flora. The statue is simple in design, yet it clearly depicts a young boy with a mop of hair. Antlers... or horns, sprout from his forehead and his ears are long and pointed. Flora patterns have been carved into his tunic. Aiaoue and Arkyn proceed to call out for Spring. Looking at the statue, the boy resembles and Eladrin, a race commonly associated with Tel'Rhea. Although Milo is unable to parse out the language on a tablet (Light?), Comprehend Languages does allow him to piece together what two figures are saying nearby.
The miasma suddenly surges, agitated. Everyone begins to hallucinate. The collapsed statue of a forgotten god reforms... with a distorted warped grin and glowing, foreboding eyes. Darkness floods forth from the depths, crawling up and over the edge of the cliff. There are shrieks of alarm as people pull away from the encroaching shadows. The darkness consumes the statue... and a moment later, two small beady glowing eyes emerge. Dark, slime-covered skin peels away from the darkness; drifting robes of smooth scales (or perhaps flesh) are hard to discern from the darkness as it drifts with the current. The figure that steps forth is hunched with long arms that nearly drag in the sediment as it stalks across the ground. Around the creature's neck, a pendant hangs: a smooth stone, black as night. The middle holds a gem that eerily glows, reflecting the faintest trace of light in a color (turple obvlously) you cannot place... and that uncertainty digs and twists in your gut.
The figure lfits an arm, pointing at the statue of the boy in the temple. Words, once distorted, clarify:
Have you forgotten who owns these waters? Whose name is adorned upon every map? Who owns this paltry, sorry excuse for a settlement? First of the Abyss. Lord of the Depths. Tyrant of Darkness. Master of the Unknown. Purveyor of Fear. You have spent too long in the embrace of light. Consorting with the Storm Charged. Pleading with Spring. No fee can be paid in recompense. No fee... short of your screams.As the darkness surges forth you hear screams... and something else.
Report Date
23 Aug 2024
Primary Location
Discovered Trinkets & Relics
A simple spear head, carved of bone. Holes are punctured in it… perhaps something was tied to it once.
The bones of a humanoid foot are stuck within manacles with a chain that vanishes into the sediment. The manacles are… bone and metal? A material you do not recognize.
An item vaguely resembling a compass made of bone and other unknown materials. It seems to have modifications to incorporate… currents?
Buried beneath a mound of bones, rusted metal, and collapsed coral and stone… is a massive jawbone lined with teeth. Draconic…
The vague outline of two landmasses have been carved onto a flexible tablet. You recognize Dremora… though it looks oC in some areas. There are arrows carved… perhaps indicating currents.
A tablet with pressed markings that create a crude depiction of… stingrays? Time has not done the image justice. Neat rows of symbols suggest writing.
Visions of the Past
With a sharp cry, a merfolk goes bolting through the water, grabbing a small merfolk child before she can fully swim out over the edge of the cliff. She hugs the child close for a moment, moving away before her face contorts to worry. She scolds them. (Aiaoue hears mention of "Abyss")
Seated at large clam shell tables, a male Triton sits with an Elvish woman with a magical bubble around her head. The Triton dons dark clothes adapted for the water with a skull – eyes glowing red – affixed to his collar. The elvish woman has ashen skin with multiple bold tattoos. (The language is not understood as they speak)
Swimming nearby is a small goblin woman (a bubble of air around her head) and a disgruntled Keresello with more colorful skin. Their body languages suggests an argument. In Sign: Keresello: "I will escort you back to the lands of prosperity at night. The stars will be bright and guide our path." Goblin: "Bah, we're staying." Keresello: "...Conflict encroaches." Goblin: "Smile more, moon boy. Money's to be had still."
A cloaked figure (with a bubble of air around their head) looks very uncomfortable in the water as they converse with a female Triton, adorned in layers of fine clothing that drift in the current. As the cloaked figure gestured, you catch sight of fur. Milo Comprehends "Gnomish": Tabaxi: "I loathe water." Triton: "...But?" Tabaxi: "But I loathe what the depths have become more. Crimes such as his must not go unanswered..." Triton: "We have an accord. Sacred love decreed by the divine is not to be scoffed at... yet the depths have made a cruel mockery of it."
From the Darkness
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