27 - 4/4/22 : Carve Away the Stone

In-game Date: 25th-26th of Freyrmond, 3521

"This is a conceptualization of the breadth of what is known by the Stone of Golorr, made to not overwhelm your mortal minds with the information you seek. I am currently processing over four billion separate threads of lore and knowledge... but your request is very important to me." - The Tomekeeper

As Victoro Cassalanter's Rod of Lordship overwhelmed the minds of Eula and Lackie, a voice spoke to Lackie within her mind; that of her fiendish ancestor, prodding her to resist the rod's influence with the power she inherited. With great mental focus, Lackie managed to overpower the Rod's enthrallment over her and rejoin the fight on the side of her friends.
Victoro continued his frantic assault, joined by his transformed chain devil son Osvaldo. As more of his minions fell and he was further injured, Victoro realized that he risked his own death and the failure of his mission if he persisted. He ordered his remaining minions to kill the adventurers and protect the red eye of Golorr and then quickly used the spell dimension door to escape. Not willing to let him escape, Reilly unfolded the paper bird she had acquired during her first encounter with Renaer and bade it to deliver a message to Arathir Starsong, a member of the Masquerade and former adventurer, telling him that Victoro was a secret worshiper of Asmodeus and that he was attempting to escape justice for his actions. The paper bird swiftly flew away as the fight continued.
The command given by Victoro to kill her companions worked against Eula's nature and called to mind distant memories of Megumi's voice, allowing her to break free from its influence and rejoin the fight against Osvaldo and the remaining minions of the Cassalanters. Several of the remaining imps and cultists tried to make a mad dash for the altar of Asmodeus to steal the red eye of Golorr and escape, but they were stopped by Lackie and Róisín.
With the Mace of Disruption in hand, Renaer was able to slay Osvaldo with Eula's aid, prompting the devil to let out a pained 'thank you' before disappearing. With the site secured, Renaer approached the altar and used the Mace of Disruption to break through the infernal barrier surrounding it. Once he broke through, he struck it once, destroying the altar and the mace together in an explosion of radiance. With the deed done, the temple fell into darkness until a large, imposing figure appeared out of the shadows.
Asmodeus, projecting himself from the fading power of the altar, addressed the party and congratulated them on their victory. He asked how they felt about the Cassalanters and their motives, and then gave them a vision of their journey; Victoro inherited a house devastated by his father's financial downfall, and to save their fortunes he and Amalia pledged the souls of their children to Asmodeus. At first they felt little remorse, but after watching their eldest son Osvaldo transform into a devil on his ninth birthday, the reality of what they had done came to haunt them. They began to dedicate everything to saving the souls of their remaining twin children, leading them to chasing the gold and preparing the sacrifice of two-hundred innocent souls to buy back the souls of Tirenzio and Elzerina. To the end, they never knew that it was all for naught, and that the twins' souls had been saved by Megumi's heroic sacrifice.
The display did little to shake the party's confidence, which did not surprise Asmodeus. The Lord of Lies, continuing to fade away with the waning power of the destroyed altar, took one last moment to address Eula and ascertain her memory. He assured her that, while he held no power over her, he continued to hold Megumi in Nessus and would 'take good care of her'. With that, the image of Asmodeus faded away.
The party quickly took the red eye of Golorr and made their way to the nearest gondola on the surface, taking the canals to the House of Wonder to complete the Stone of Golorr. While they moved, Victoro Cassalanter was grievously injured by the Rod of Rulership exploding in his face in time with the Altar of Asmodeus' destruction. Blood trickling from his face, he was desperately tearing through his lore and records, seeking some sort of way to use his devilish contract and other arcane abilities to strike back against the Red Spirits. As he flailed through his library, the door opened before him; he lashed out, expecting it to be one of his last remaining servants, but was shocked to see a Masked Lord of Revelmoore in the doorway.
Victoro tried to plead his case, but the evidence of his devilish affiliation was literally laid bare around him, and the Masked Lord placed Victoro under arrest; a sentence which was quickly carried out by armed guards that swarmed a despondent Victoro and carried him away. As the room was cleared and the Masked Lord was left alone, they removed their mask, revealing Arathir Starsong beneath it. He took a deep breath and proclaimed his debt to the Red Spirits for killing the troll in his tavern to be finally repaid.
At the House of Wonders, the party showed Rydia the final eye. Rydia warned them that they were approaching uncharted territory and advised caution, although admitting that due to the stone's unknowable nature, caution would be mostly unhelpful. The party added the final eye to the Stone and were suddenly assailed by a powerful wave of psionic energy as the Stone floated up and produced several ghostly black orbs at the end of tendrils. All six members of the party grasped an orb, each of them attuning to the Stone and entering its 'mind'.
The party awoke on a strange platform seemingly adrift in the vast expanse of space, surrounded by wreathing tentacles, stars, and nebulae as far as the eye could see. On the platform rested several bookshelves and desks; among them sat a strange, insect-like humanoid sporting three eyes matching the colors of the Stone of Golorr's eyes. The creature identified itself as the Tomekeeper, a visual manifestation created to help the party's "feeble mortal minds" process the vast amount of knowledge contained within the stone and to help them find specific pieces of information. The Tomekeeper also identified their symbolic location as "That Which is Known". When the party attempted to talk to the Tomekeeper, it identified them by name and recited a shockingly accurate memory from their pasts.

• Brooke: Age 6: Hearing a choir of mermaids sing a parting song for a recently of-age merman warrior pledging himself to the Harborguard. Noticing that the third mezzosoprano from the left was off-key by a half step and that the raiments they wore were very unflattering.
• Yilani: Age 7: Watching a scorpion skirt around the edge of the oasis at the foot of the pyramid. Watching as a desert wind blew it into the water, seeing it struggle as it drowned in the harsh light. Trying to look away as the malisons forced her to watch.
• Reilly: Age 4: Witnessing the grand procession of Queen Titania as the Summer Court held a magnificent gala. While everyone else commented on the Queen's dress and hair and immaculate beauty, thinking about how the wheels of the Queen's carriage spun perfectly, and how the levers on the doors worked in several stages to create the illusion of a butterfly spreading its wings.
• Eula: Infuriatingly blank. Blurs of scenes of battle, colorful shops, splashes of red in the center field of vision, haunting piano melodies, and then nothing…
• Lackie: Age 15: Coming home to find her father passed out drunk in their decaying home yet again. Resolving to be better. Someone had to live up to the family legacy, and it would have to be her, even if she wasn't quite ready...
• Renaer: Age 12: Sparring with his father. Struggling with the weight of his practice blade. Buckling under the pressure of onlookers, striving to be the perfect son for his departed mother. Feeling his father bat him down with the flat of the practice blade again, and wanting so badly to break his leg. Staying strong, staying calm for mother.

After this disturbing procedure, the Tomekeeper became the picture of service and gladly assisted the party in learning what they came for. As they spent time doing research with the Tomekeeper, they came to understand the truth of how the Stone of Golorr worked; as an artifact-level magic item from near the dawn of time, the Stone of Golorr was capable of magically eliminating a memory or piece of knowledge from every living being on the face of Lloegyr except for the one attuned to the Stone during the process, going as far as to erase records and strike words from paper or stone. It was this power that allowed Dagult Ambermantle to perform his vaunted enigma. As summarized by the stone...

Ambermantle's Enigma, Summarized

Dagult Ambermantle was told of the stolen treasure of House Brandath, the Stone of Golorr, by his father-in-law Using his position as Open Lord, Dagult Ambermantle stole back the stone and started his embezzlement scheme in the year 3500, 21 years ago, taking thousands at a time and hiding his tracks through repeated use of the stone (sparingly, to save money on the ritual's steep monetary cost). With this money, he seeked to regain the Ambermantle family's traditional noble status in Oceanus, fund a bid to become king, and work to unite the two kingdoms under his rule.
Ambermantle eventually became too greedy and was caught, putting his political career and his life in jeopardy. Even though he erased the knowledge of his crimes, the gaps in reality were not enough to cover up the massive amount of missing gold that was now being investigated, and none had the power to move such funds save for Open Lord Ambermantle himself.
As the legal case began to close around him, he attempted to close the emotional gap between himself and his son Renaer, hoping to gain Renaer's assistance in hiding the pieces of the stone of Golorr. He was mostly unsuccessful and Renaer continues to loathe him, but he was able to convince Renaer to wear a mourning locket for his mother; a locket containing the green eye.
While trying to win Renaer over, Dagult was with him at the House of Wonder where he argued with High Dragon Dezlentyr about his actions. During this, the House of Wonders was attacked by Veszaltyrr Oussndar by way of a summoned Balor, which was fought against by Galder, Solauvaire, Rydia Margaster, Renaer, and Dagult. Solauvaire was able to mortally wound the creature, but Dagult used the Stone of Golorr and his own magical knowledge to bind the balor to his service and then erase the memory of this action. Shortly after this, Dagult fled for Oceanus, where he continues to pursue the crown.
The red eye was hidden in Brandath crypt and was stolen by the Cassalanters, while the blue eye stayed on Dagult's person, only to be stolen by agents of the Xanathar guild and then by Ruven Torrel. The stone itself was left in the Palace, where Dagult was unable to recover it before the Xanathar stole it as well. Due to the actions of the Red Spirits, all the parts of Ambermantle's Enigma have finally fallen into place, and the way to the Vault of Dragons has opened.
In addition, the party learned of the keys to the Vault of Dragons...

Keys to the Vault of Dragons

In order to open the door to the Vault of Dragons, one or more creatures must present the following items before the door and speak to their authenticity, assuring that they fit the description. Should these items satisfy the spirit of the door, it will open. The items are as follows:

• A Token of Friendship From an Enemy
• A Living Creature Without a Heart
• A Gift From a Loved One Departed

...and the party also learned of the Vault's physical location and the physical specifications of the door leading to it.

Location of the Vault of Dragons & Door Specifications

• The Vault of Dragons is located behind a locked dwarven door in the Brandath family crypts where Renaer's mother lies.
• The door leads into the vicinity of the Undermountain, and thus the Vault cannot be warped in or out of by any save for Halaster.
• Constructed by dwarven runemasters in centuries past, the Vault was constructed to be the most impenetrable repository in all of Lloegyr. The door is impervious to damage, impossible to pick, and is warded against magic attempts to unlock it (and is warded against attempts to dispel its wards; in fact, the ward redundancies go on for several paragraphs, and are set to re-cast themselves if necessary).
• Even a wish spell will fail to pry the door open; nothing short of a deity's direct efforts or presenting the correct keys will force the door open.

The Stone presented them with other information, including a detailed account of the Rule of the Old Ones, the origin of the evil god Orcus, a staggering amount of ancient racial slurs, the original name of Maleficarius Towers (Kolat Towers), Halaster's personal pancake recipe, and most notably the fate of the Fang of Aurinax.

Location of the Fang of Aurinax

Xalys Marblewander was murdered by agents of House Brandath, who were angry that a gnome was chosen as High Dragon over a member of their family. They took the Fang of Aurinax and locked it away in the Vault of Dragons, intending to only release it once a Brandath mage stood as High Dragon. It remains there to this day.
Armed with this information, the party spent a brief amount of time asking after different pieces of information, leading to varying results. Sharing the party's memories of Megumi brought Eula to silent tears, even if she did not recall them. They also briefly spoke with an amalgam of Dagult Ambermantle, who had interfaced with the stone so extensively that it was able to replicate his personality and thoughts. Dagult spoke of how he feared the growing expansionist ambitions of Bard's Gate, and how he aimed to unite the crowns of Revelmoore and Oceanus together to form a great naval superpower to stop Bard's Gate's spread to the north. The party, particularly Renaer, found themselves disgusted by the man's political ruthlessness and his insistence that some people are born superior to others and are destined to lead.
With their questions somewhat sated and the Tomekeeper zeroing in on Reilly's thoughts on Fala, the party exited That Which is Known and returned to the waking world. They found that they had been unconscious for nearly two hours, with Renaer having left early since he had woken up first nearly an hour before. Armed with their newfound knowledge yet exhausted from both their encounter with the Cassalanters and their experience with the completed Stone, the Red Spirits returned home to Troll Skull Manor, where they found that Renaer had called upon the tavern's employees to gather many of the friends the party had made along the course of their adventure.
A combination of Rosie the Riveting, Solauvaire Oussndar, and Raeziel Ramrider explained that they were already formulating a plan. Once the party began moving to the Vault of Dragons, they would soon find themselves hounded by agents of Veszaltyrr and under the inquisitive eye of City Watch. To abate this, Raeziel suggested that the party wait until the end of Fleetswake, the 30th of Freyrmond, to make a final dash to the Vault; this way, most of the city would be occupied with festivities in the dock and castle wards. Meanwhile, the many friends of the party volunteered to cover their rush to the Vault, intending to fend off Veszaltyrr's forces and give the party a chance to reach the Vault uninterrupted.
Faced with four days to make their preparations and final arrangements, the party looked fondly on their associates and then went to bed for the night.

Portraits

The Red Spirits

Reilly Springs - A young, anxious satyr artificer and inventor, who has fashioned for herself a magic suit of armor that grants her impressive combat capabilities. Now free of the debt that hounded her, Reilly is committed to supporting her friends as she sets down roots in Revelmoore. She has taken to spending time with Fala Lefaliir, the serene gardener and proprietor of Aelbwynn’s Crown; a relationship now sealed with a kiss.

Brooke Acropora - A charming water genasi and a native of Revelmoore, who supports the party with his keen intuition concerning the fanciful and fascinating goings-on of the city. Brooke moonlights as a contributor to The Targe, a broadsheets publication that seeks out the most interesting and sauciest news scoops of the day. Currently, Brooke is focused on ensuring that Troll Skull Manor becomes an unforgettable spectacle to its visitors, but part of his mind continues to be occupied by his tryst with the mysterious Zelem Corvo.

Yilani Deniz - A severe, perceptive Yuan-ti Pureblood druid who once masqueraded as a human refugee from Khemit in order to gather information on the wealthy and powerful of Revelmoore on behalf of a Yuan-ti cult of Aapep. After coming to love the city and her new friends, Yilani has turned her back on her people and helped to drive them out of the city before their nefarious plans could be enacted. Having helped Raeziel retake her family's legacy, Yilani has joined the new Xanathar Guild as one of Raeziel's most trusted 'eyes'.

Eula Havenspire - A calm and collected azure-haired knight, who wields a blade with inhuman precision and swiftness. She is the wife of Megumi, though she currently suffers from amnesia and remembers nothing of her life before awaking in the Undermountain. The party rescued her from the Xanathar's Arena of Blood and Fortune, and after being told of Megumi's actions and sacrifice, Eula offered her blade in the pursuit for the lost gold of Dagult Ambermantle.

Lackadaisical - More commonly known as “Lackie”, this charming young tiefling woman is the daughter of the famed ex-adventurer Fomalhaut the Financier. She moonlights as a lawyer and represents members of less-than-legal enterprises in Revelmoore, including members of the Black Network. After taking a reprieve from adventuring to manage Troll Skull Manor's finances, she has rejoined the party to help them in the final stretch of their quest for the lost gold of Dagult Ambermantle.

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Violet - A strange purple cat that was purchased by Brooke at the Old Xoblob Shop. For all intents and purposes, she seems to be a completely normal cat; save for the fact that her fur is a deep shade of violet. She told Brooke her story, revealing that she was once a human adventurer that was polymorphed into a purple cat by Halaster Blackcloak, the Mad Mage of the Undermountain. She appears to be more than happy with this situation.

Róisín - A homunculus created by Reilly out of a mechanical skeleton, an enchanted crystal, and plants grown from feywild seeds. Róisín resembles a winged rabbit composed of plant matter, and is unfailingly loyal to her creator.

Renaer Ambermantle - The estranged son of Dagult Ambermantle, the previous Open Lord of Revelmoore. A skilled fighter, an agent of the Masquerade, and a man of noble standing. Renaer faces scrutiny because of his father’s legacy, but still retains friends in high places. He has befriended the party and spends most of his time fraternizing with them. He was grievously wounded by a fireball aimed at a spy working for his father, but he managed to survive with only burn scars on his face, and has returned to the field with the rest of the party.

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Victoro Cassalanter - The Half-elven Lord of House Cassalanter, one of Revelmoore’s founding houses and most influential families. A well-known and respected citizen, he is a successful shipping magnate and investor, who turned the failing finances inherited from his father into success and riches in little over a decade. His public persona hides his true nature; that of a devotee to Asmodeus who sold the souls of his children for money and power. Out of regret spurred by watching their son Osvaldo turn into a chain devil, he and his wife Amalia have schemed for years to recover the lost gold of Dagult Ambermantle and buy back his children's souls. Defeated by the party and stopped in his retreat by a Masked Lord of Revelmoore, Victoro has been placed under arrest and now awaits his fate.

Asmodeus - Dark Prince of the Nine Hells, Dread Tyrant of the Baator Throne, Lord of Lies, et al. The greatest of all archdevils, Asmodeus took personal interest in Megumi’s plight and offered to restore Eula to life in exchange for Megumi’s soul. He revealed the path the Cassalanters had taken to become involved in the race for the gold after his altar had been destroyed by Renaer. Now that Eula is free and the Cassalanters have been defeated, Asmodeus simply watches with interest to see how Ambermantle's enigma ends.

Arathir Starsong - The owner and proprietor of the famous Balladeer’s Eclipse inn and tavern. A retired adventurer, Arathir delights in serving his customers and ensuring their happiness. He used his resources as a member of the Masquerade and power as a Masked Lord of Revelmoore to apprehend Victoro Cassalanter as a favor to the Red Spirits for their help in subduing the troll in his tavern nearly a month ago.

Rydia Margaster - Known commonly as ‘The Seer’, this aasimar woman is the High Priestess of Jamboor and the head of the House of Wonder. She is a friend of Solauvaire and guards a two-way portal between the Tower of the High Dragon and the House of Wonder. She has been entrusted with watching over and containing the Stone of Golorr while the party pursues the stone’s remaining eyes.

Solauvaire Oussndar - The current archmage of Revelmoore, having assumed the position after his predecessor’s death four years ago. When asked about Veszaltyrr Oussndar, Solauvaire asked for the party’s faith and secrecy as he revealed himself to be Veszaltyrr’s son, and walked them through magical projections of his memories. The Fang of Aurinax, the powerful artifact that hangs around his neck and acts as his badge of office, has been revealed to be an illusion due to the real item’s disappearance over a century ago. He has placed faith in the party's ability to acquire the lost gold, preferring to stay out of his father's way to ensure he cannot be magically controlled to act against the city.

Rosie the Riveting - The master-of-ceremonies for the Sea Maiden’s Faire, a seafaring variety show that boasts high stakes gambling and thrilling plays. She is an agent of the Devil's Hand working under Zelem Corvo, and was present at Troll Skull Manor when the party returned from fighting the Cassalanters.

Raeziel Ramrider - The youngest of the three Ramrider sisters. A duergar rogue and loan shark, who worked as the Doom Raiders’ Master of Coin. Raeziel recently proclaimed herself the new Xanathar, guildmaster of the Xanathar Guild and heir to the Ramrider family legacy, making her the most powerful crime lord in the city. In return for their help in securing her new position, Raeziel is helping the party in their quest for the gold, and formulated a plan to get the party to the Vault mostly unnoticed.

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The Tomekeeper - An enigmatic figure created by the Stone of Golorr to help the mortal minds of those that attune to it to comprehend the staggering amount of information contained within. Sharp, perceptive, and obsessed with hoarding knowledge, the Tomekeeper unnerved and helped the party in equal measure, leading to them learning the location of the Vault of Dragons, among other important things.

"Dagult Ambermantle - The previous Open Lord of Revelmoore, who was dismissed from his position on counts of embezzlement and corruption. The Tomekeeper conjured a facsimile of him based on the memories and knowledge gleaned from him during his extensive time interfacing with the Stone, and this apparition spoke to the party about his true self's ambitions to unite the crowns of Revelmoore and Oceanus.

The Stone of Golorr - A greyish-green ovular stone, about six inches long from end to end, with three recesses running vertically down its length. It is covered in a thin layer of ever-present mucus. With its third and final eye restored, the Stone is now capable of sharing the information contained within itself, though it now does so through the Tomekeeper to avoid overwhelming mortal minds with its nigh-infinite collection of lore. It also possesses the ability to wipe any memory or piece of information from the minds of every living creature on Lloegyr.