Visions
General Summary
Scywky Bay
The Shenanigans staggered out of the underground chambers, and back into the temple proper. The room, once haphazardly covered in artwork, was nearly bare. A couple of dragonborn were rolling up a painting and taking a load out the door, and the last of the treasures were a couple of poorly carved stone statues and a painting by a very poor artist. The dragonborn looked a bit shocked at their appearance, and they quickly left the building.
The party left the building, headed toward the Wildflower Inn. They decided to hole up and lick their wounds, hoping to make it through the night. Sharlot decided to play for the night, and earned enough to pay for her room. Sif eventually wandered away from the others, to attempt to lay claim to the empty temple. She carved the holy symbol of Kolero into the door, and wrote a missive that she tacked to the door. In it, she extolled the virtue of Kolero, and how the church would soon be changing hands. She mentioned how the Kolero shared aspects with Jarell and Ucara, and how with Kolero's guidance, the city would grow and prosper. She returned to the inn, intending to have some people sent to man the temple when they returned.
The group spent a quiet night recovering from the day, and were prepared to head out in the morning. They left the inn and headed to the docks. The morning was bitter cold, although the sky was clear. The docks were mostly deserted, with only a couple of traders loading and a pirate frigate with a couple of dragonborn watching over the side. The group approached, and hailed the sailors, asking about passage.
The pirates laughed, and one went to get the captain. It turned out to be Gylas Erer, who looked down on them with hard eyes. He named an outrageous price, and allowed them to talk him down to only a ridiculous one. As they were escorted to the crew quarters, they learned the ship had a hold full of stolen art, and the pirates were waiting for them to travel out to the island. They stood around, bored, as the ship traversed the bay. The waters were smooth enough, and they made it to the secluded dock on the island. They left under Erer's watchful eye, and made their way into the castle.
When they made it into the castle, they felt the familiar loss of magic. The tree loomed over them, along with the Sessiloths living in it. In the throne beneath the tree, Hondo Ohnaka was talking to a human pirate, the one they had been introduced to as Jordlin. Hondo broke away upon seeing them, and bellowed at them to approach. His normal good cheer was intact, even when the group presented the head of the priest of Zorin. Mumbling something about a figure of speech, he got one of his underlings to take the gruesome trophy away. Durdeg asked about the painting, and Hondo attempted to deflect the subject. It was apparent that Hondo did not want to give up the painting, likely because he did not want to give up anything. He brought up possibilities of other trades, and did make a deal for a large number of colorful explosives with Durdeg, but in the end, he did send for the painting.
While he delayed bringing the painting, his pirates engaged in low level methods of relieving the group of a bit more money. Rigged card games, overcharging for drinks, and flat out pocket picking were the order of the day, and each member of the group came out a bit lighter for it. When the painting was finally brought out, the group clutched their coin purses, and slipped out the door. Sharlot purchased a batch of chalks for a circle before they left, and quickly created a circle. The group stepped in, and were taken back to Venfaren's tower, where it was just after lunch.
Bandar Philia
Wasting no time, the band followed the butler to Venfaren's chambers. They updated the archmage on their progress, and he inspected the artwork they had recovered. Determining he could make the spell work, he let them know he needed to begin his preparations. They could take care of any minor issues they might have, and meet him in the ritual room in an hour. Sif took the time to study her book on potions, Sharlot spent the time working on music, and Durdeg tinkered with his inventions. Kasret and Carta decided to venture quickly into the city - Kasret because he had nothing better to do, and Carta to search for information on Orchid. Investigation not being his strongest suit, Carta did not learn much, but the two found that they had certainly gotten the attention of the tieflings of the city. They returned to the tower, and joined the others in the ritual room.
As they arrived, Venfaren was about to begin. He sat the companions to watch and prepare, while he began. He placed the painting of Kolero on the altar, and begin to trace out the magic symbol necessary for the magic. He continuously chanted as he lit candles and incense, beseeching the Deity for their wisdom. Smoke from the incense gradually began to fill the room, and the companions began to lose sight of the world around them. After an hour of this, the smoke became dense enough that none could see. Then it began to clear.
Kolero's Vision
The smoke began to recede, and the companions found themselves in a chamber they had never seen before. It was clearly the space of a wealthy being, with carved stone floors and well made tapestries on the walls. As their eyes cleared, they made out a desk with some papers off to one side of the room, expensive chairs against the wall opposite the desk, a single window opened to a cool night. It all finally came crashing together as they saw themselves and their companions, each holding a weapon, surrounding a dead body laying in front of a throne. They were in a private audience chamber of some highly ranked nobleman. He wore a cape with a bear in a coat of arms, and a crown that those from Helion recognized as that of the Dominus of Londe. His chest was covered in blood, and some still trickled from the slash across his throat.
The tall, muscular woman who had been standing with them unnoticed uncorked a flask of oil, and began to spread it around the room and on the body. She said they had to burn it all and flee, pointing towards a snow leopard they saw near the window. The woman raised a lantern in her hand, and the leopard climbed the chairs by the window. Durdeg stopped her, telling her they needed to look around the room first. She paused, although she seemed resistant to changing her course of action. They quickly set about investigating the room.
Sif ran to the door, which was shaking in its frame from pounding coming from the other side. She placed the immovable rod and locked it. The pounding lessened, as the door stopped moving in the middle. Durdeg searched the room, while Carta and Kasret searched the desk. Carta focused on the papers, and found that some of them were dated the following autumn. Durdeg found a trap door released by a catch in the throne, and looked down. It quickly fell into darkness, with a runged pole leading downwards. The woman began to raise the lantern again, telling them that they needed to run and to follow the leopard.
Sharlot stopped her, as they began to realize they had seen the leopard before. The leopard belonged to their former companion, Malcer, and they confirmed that she was Sabenne, the woman that he returned to. She confirmed this, and when asked why she killed the Dominus, replied it wasn't her, it was Sharlot, but it was why they all came here. Malcer was leading an attack on the walls, and they were doing their job.
The door was shaking harder, and Sif created a wall of force to block it. Kasret dumped the body of the Dominus down the trap door and shut it, as Sabenne lifted the lantern again. Realizing they were out of time, they approached the window. The great cat leapt through, soaring 15 feet through the air and landing in the top of a tree. It looked back at them, and began to climb down. Shalot leapt after it, grabbing the tree as well, then Durdeg flew through. He waited below to catch any who might fall, and Sif was lucky he did. Catching her, he flew her to the ground. Kasret followed, then Sabenne, quickly dropping down the tree. Carta leapt from the building, dropping the full 80 foot height to the ground. He landed poorly, and it looked like he did some serious damage to his leg, but he was able to keep moving. As they fled into the darkness, it began to wrap around them like smoke. As their vision faded, they smelled the incense again, and realized it had been a vision, and they were back in the tower.
The companions discussed what they had just seen with Venfaren. The contact with someone who knew Malcer was the most surprising, as those who knew him had wondered whether he made it back home. Sharlot decided to contact him through her magic, and sent him a brief message asking about the vision. He responded with a message of his own, saying, "I have organized a revolt. I will match them with a death for a death, and will not rest until all Londians can breath free." The group pondered this, and wondered what it would ultimately mean to their own futures.
Jarrell’s Vision
Rather than attempt to delve deeper, the group wanted to press on, and see what Jarrell wanted them to learn. Venfaren took the painting of Jarrell and placed it on the altar, then began again. The chanting washed over them, and the smoke from the incense began to cloud their vision. When the smoke completely blocked their sight, it again began to recede.
The party found themselves under a clear night sky. They had the feeling that they had been riding on these strange creatures (they eventually placed them as “camels”) across the desert for four hours, and had another four to go to reach their destination. They looked to the sky, and it was substantially different than what they normally see – familiar constellations seemed reversed from their normal appearance, and other constellations they had never seen before were present. Even the moons were unusual – this was clearest with Mesic, the golden moon, which was full and high in the sky. The familiar patterns on the surface were also upside down, and it was obvious it was the same with the others. Lanin, the red moon, was beginning to wane and was past its peak, while Nila, the fast moving silver moon, was a small crescent that had almost set. The party knew this meant something, although what would have to be held for later.
The camels trudged onwards, and the party tried to get used to the rolling gate, so unlike riding a horse. They fell into a rhythm, and began to enjoy the relatively cool night. It wasn’t cold, but they knew the sun would be hot when it rose, and they needed to complete the ride before dawn.
As time passed, they began to get glimpses of light and shadows from ahead. They spurred the beasts forward, and eventually caught up with it as they cleared a rise. Before them, well light by torches planted in the ground, was a lush oasis. Palm trees grew around a small pond, and small insects could be heard buzzing around the water. Sitting near the water in an ornate folding chair was an enormous figure, easily ten feet tall. He wore loose fitting breeches, and his chest was bare and glistening in the torchlight. He wore uncounted bracelets on his forearms and several armbands across his bulging biceps. Golden rings festooned his fingers, ears, and nose, all jingling slightly as he moved. Almost missed in all the ornamentation were two small horns emerging from his head.
The being looked up as they came over the rise, and smiled broadly at them. “Friends, it is good you have arrived!” he said. “Please, come sit, and we shall talk.” With a wave of his hands, enough chairs for them all appeared in a semicircle in front of him. The Shenanigans each took a chair, with Monty mounted on Kasret’s shoulder. The party was cautious, unsure what the being wanted from them.
”Friends,” he told them, “you are in danger here, but I am here to help. If you continue on, you won’t be returning soon, and may never return. If you turn back now, you can save yourselves, and I will grant you a boon as well!” The party was unsure of what to make of it, but they were distrustful of the being from the start. Why would he be here, in this desert, attempting to turn them back. They asked what he was offering in exchange, and he told them anything their hearts desired, he would do his best to provide.
The being seemed very eager to get them to turn aside, while they all still had the feeling that they must continue. They rebuffed his efforts, and he began to show signs of getting angry at them. This was the final straw, and they told him that they must decline. With that, the creature called forth the winds, which moved to engulf the party. He stood and pulled his scimitar from the ground, preparing to slay the heroes.
The columns of wind engulfed Kasret on one side, and Sif on the other. Both were able to hold their ground, even as they were damaged by the flying debris. Sharlot was quick to act, and used her magic to depress the power of the winds, although the being was too powerful to submit to it. Sif was freed, and immediately banished the winds back to where they came from. She kept her concentration on that, as Carta moved to large being and attempted to grapple him. The being towered over him, and was slick with sweat, but Carta finally managed to get a hold on him. Durdeg flew above the creature in preparation for a further attack, and Kasret launched a number of bolts at him. It seemed to laugh off everything, and began to cast a spell at them. Sif was quicker, and as a line of fire began to form in the dirt, she used her own spell to counter it and quench the flames in the dust. The creature’s grin turned to a snarl as it was thwarted, and it looked at Sif with hatred.
Monty looked towards the creature, and summoned his own magic to fight with. The tiny creature had grown substantially over the past several weeks, and was now a truly worthy companion to the group. He breathed fire towards the being, which laughed and turned to face Monty and take the full brunt on his chest. As he did so, Kasret channeled his blood and the power of the Jewel itself, stripping the being of its immunity to fire. As the flames hit him, one after the other, the being seemed to feel true pain and burning for the first time in its existence. It howled in pain, and began looking for a way out.
The party did not give it a chance, using all of their power to hold it in place. Durdeg flew down, striking with his powered gauntlets. Carta moved his grip, and with the slick sweat now dried by Monty’s flames, was able to slam the being to the ground. A final hit from Durdeg, and the being exploded in a burst of flame, turning to nothing but ash. The party looked around as the oasis disappeared, and after a brief moment returned to their camels.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully. As the sun rose behind them, they could just make out some shapes among the dunes ahead of them. They sent the owl up to look around, and Sif was able to see that there was a giant cube, hundreds of feet long on a side, surround by several domes and pyramids. In front of the cube was an enormous creature. It had the body of a lion, although one that was over ten feet long. It also had the wings of an eagle, large enough to possibly allow for the beast to take flight. And finally, a strangely human face within the lion’s mane. It appeared to be sleeping on a large slab of sandstone in front of the cube.
They approached cautiously, until they were within a few dozen feet of the beast. It looked at them through slitted eyes, with a slight smile. When they announced themselves, it complained briefly about its morning sunning being interrupted, but said it was waiting for them. They didn’t know why, and it smiled and said it knew. When they began to ask more, it said that first, they must answer him. “Never ahead, ever behind, yet flying swiftly past. For a child I last forever, to an adult I’m gone too fast.”
The party debated, but finally decided that the answer must be time. The creature, now clearly identified as the Great Sphinx, smiled at them. “A good answer, I think. I like that answer.” The party now asked about the being from the desert, to which the Sphinx ignored. They also asked why they were there, what would be the reason that Jarrell would send them to him. He chuckled a little at this, and told them, “I think you have already answered that question.” He stood up and stretched, and the air began to dim around them, and fill with smoke. The Sphinx noticed, and said to them, “Seek me out again when you’re real.” Before they could respond, the smoke engulfed them, and they came back to themselves in the tower.
The group spoke briefly with Venfaren, but were unsure of what to make of the vision. They all agreed on the answer, but did not know what it meant to them in particular. They decided to sleep on it, and come back to it later. Venfaren offered them lodging, and apart from Carta, they agreed. Carta decided to check around for more information about Orchid.
Tieflings
Carta left the tower, and headed back out to look for any trace of Orchid. It didn’t take long, however, before he ran into some representatives of Orchid’s family, “requesting” that he come and meet with Lucius, the current leader of the group. He decided to go along, and ended up in the casino that now had changed to reflect the fact that a pyramid had appeared in the middle of the gaming floor.
Carta was ushered into the pyramid, which was now a high roller suite. Lucius was there gambling, and looked up with a sneer when he was told Carta had been brought. He left the table, and motioned for Carta and his escorts to follow him to his office. Carta did so, and sat across from the man. Lucius stared at him for a moment, while he ran a golden coin across his knuckles.
Carta recognized the coin as one similar to the coin that had caused such problems for Sif. He knew there was little he could do about it at the moment, but it was a good note for the future. Lucius broke his chain of thought, as he asked why Carta was looking for Orchid. Carta played it cool, not revealing anything about the job they had taken on, or the artifact they had found. After they probed at each other to no avail for several minutes, Lucius gave Carta a bit of information he didn’t previously have, and could not possibly confirm at the time. Orchid was fine, but she had left the city to help a friend through a pregnancy. This sounded true enough to Carta, but he knew that Lucius was a liar through and through, and the presence of the coin did nothing to mitigate that. He would keep it in mind, as well as the fact that the information came from Lucius. With that, he left the casino, and went in search of his own rest for the night, at the hall of the Knights Celestial.
Anders was not in town, so he did not have his closest fellow available to talk to, but the Nelwyn woman who ran the hall was up, and invited him to join her for a drink and a game. Carta focused on looking for any jobs that might lead them to the east and Londe. He found that there were caravans with relief supplies that came from Uborum, passing by this way. They always needed escorts, and if Carta was interested, she could arrange it. With that, the day had finally been long enough, and Carta retired to the barracks.
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