Session 47 - Pieces of the Puzzles

General Summary

From Laura's journal:
We know the spell they seek.
Sitting resting in the great library of Rakota this idea has not quite penetrated my brain. This; these clues, are what we came for – and there is still a dragon to slay and people to rescue. A few short months ago and I would have told anyone that my being involved in such things was the dreams of someone on strong bad wine. (Bad grub wine? I did not even know such existed then!)
I had best add to how we got here in an orderly fashion – still my flaw, this tendency to start the writing at the end rather than the beginning. Looking back at these pages I do this again and again. So. We defeated a dragon that was causing volcanic activity near the Eyrie. A horrid fight leaving us much battered, but surprisingly whole thanks to Kleeck’s heling magics, some potions and my smaller skills. We took a night back in the Eyrie to rest and recuperate further then went back to the portal, now graded by Aarakocran veterans on both sides. And we went through to the lighthouse of Rakota.
Looking off the lighthouse we could see the great sea walls and the city spread before us. We could also see another dragon – seemingly on patrol. It looked like the weather might turn sooner rather than later so we laid in our plan. Cross the wall as stealthy as possible to avoid being seen by the dragon, then navigate the city to the temple of Pluto-Osiris and find the inscription. Depending on occupancy and hazards from lizard folk we would then go after the dragon. Kleeck checked for the presents of the inscription when we got close enough, no sense in seeking/ battling into a location that does not have what we need.
Luckily the wall provided some cover, and we were able to travers it between the dragon’s circuits. We had the advantage of knowing its habits over the last day thanks to the keen observations of Kleeck’s Aarakocran kith and kin guarding the portal. The storm rolled in as we entered the city and in these hostile territories Mkali stayed with us and Ficus hid in the pot in my pack. I should probably have left him in the Eyrie, but the inclination of a squirrel to reside on that island is very (very) low. Kleeck and Heeck know he is not food, but can you tell that to a whole flock of hungry bird men? I know Kleeck doesn’t mean to, but the hungry looks communicate too well to the wee ones. The stormy conditions made it easy for me to aid my friends in keeping quiet as we snuck through the city’s back alleys and side-ways to the temple. We thought to take the front entrance, but we could see movement deep within, so Tertia found a side entrance along the ally, and we headed in that way.
Hassan went up front to soften things up with fire and we followed. Diana’s bow from the dragon’s hoard is a thing of deadly beauty. I am not so fond of all this killing, but it seems that the gods approve. It is a weapon that seems to hum with anticipation of the enemy and acts as if it might shoot something even if I had no arrows to place in it. I shall endeavor to be always well supplied but still. Each of us fought to our strengths. Mkali and Bandua ganged up on one, Tertia went for another, Hassan hurled fire magics and Kleeck set blessings on us. I think there were 4 snake folk and they fought hard, but we had surprised them. It was over blessedly quickly. And in many ways that is when the work began.
The statue of the woman and room beneath her were there as expected, but the statue was smashed and the entrance a hole in the ground. As soon as it was safe to do so I went down and found the inscription (this one labeled X) and the stela smashed to bits on the floor. We read and recorded the inscription's tale of strife between Remus and Romulus, and the goddess intervening to obscure the city’s true name. Tertia and I brought the pieces of the Stella back up and I began the work of putting it back together. Just like the shape puzzles I played with as a child … ignore the details of image and look for that gleam of edge.
The others were searching the room and finding many more riches, making Bandua happy. One of these is a Chalice of Eurybia, so we now have one of her sacred objects! A peace for the ritual to get into Kathend Irthos if that is indeed one of our destinations. They were exceedingly excited, but I was not really listening as the focus of piecing was on me. I had forgotten the calm of putting things together. Someday perhaps the world will allow more of that calm again. I miss the quite woods and talking with the wee folk of their harvest and the ways of the trees. This city bothers me. Not the same as Rome but the snake folk make it all seem off somehow. Or perhaps it is the desert? Mkali seems to feel the agitation too, but perhaps he is just following my lead?
Finally, I had the stela together Tertia had helped as well. The letter was an "I" giving us a whole word on the third line. “Milo” to be referenced, to be known as. The question is whether it will tell us both false and true names or the name of the goddess or what. Based on Tertia’s notes we now have:

.. .. M ..
.. L .. M
M I L O
.. .. .. R

There is also what looks like a portal setup in the temple, but we did not light the braziers to see where it might connect because there was still too much to do here
We hid the bodies and the stela back in the not-so-secret now room and headed out. We decided to check an area of seeming high activity to see if the lizard folk were keeping any human prisoners again working to be silent and stealthy. There seems to be a large compound and may be many Egyptians held. We decided that we cannot fight a dragon with refugees in tow, so headed to check on the museum and library.
As we traveled each of us was thinking and working on the message spelled by letters on the stelae. Mostly independently as we were also attempting stealth to avoid fights with snake folk. Perhaps not the best time for piecing clues but that doesn't seem to have impacted Kleeck and Tertia as much as it did me… I did not see what was in front of us until they laid it out… but I get ahead of myself again!
The museum is gone… all rubble. I guess they have no sense of history not their own… not so unlike many human peoples.
The library on the other hand is mostly intact. Tertia said sternly to Hassan “No Fire” but I did not expect him to remember in the heat of combat. I had never thought about where the librarians would sleep so was started that the first set of chambers, we came upon were bedrooms. The studies and work rooms were much more to my expectations and experience Once we passed the living space we came to an inner courtyard and could look into rooms though windows. One was full of maps! We were of course proceeding with caution things were tended here so snake folk must be around. We entered the map room and found an ancient map of “Darathric”- it must date before or to the beginning of the empire. It has names that are just off and achingly familiar Port Darastrix vs Port Draconis for example, and it has Roma and indicates Verthicha Okarthel as the capital right where we found the blank spot of Kathend Irthos. We took this map as it may come in handy.
We then went to explore further into the library and Bandua quickly notices 4 Yuan-Ti in one of the adjacent rooms. Hassan and Tertia tried to go round a back way, but it became a dead end, so we entered all from the same direction surprising a scholar (I supposed him to be) and his minions. I felt a bit dubious about killing one who was in pursuit of knowledge, but doubt there would have been much to gain by talking first, and my companions were engaged. Mkali had gone straight for the scholar and knocked him down to start the battle.
Diana’s bow shot true again and again. And the scholar had words of fear that set Hassan, Tertia and Bandua! To fleeing. Kleeck took wing after then shouting to Mkali and me to finish off this battle. So, we did.
As my companions slowly returned with the fear spell receding, I started to examen the room. On the table was a list of goddesses indicating this scholars work was to find the same spell we do not want them to use. We knew they were after the stella message, but this! Then there on the table too was a paper with the linking words. I will not write them here as the fewer places they are available the better. Any doubts I had about killing the scholar were now wiped away.
This on top of our earlier discovery set the words tumbling and Kleeck pawing through books. He said it first, but it was clear that Tertia knew it too. We have a strong susception that we know the true name of Rome…

Rewards Granted

8400 Experience Points

Missions/Quests Completed

• Campaign Milestone - Find the 8th Inscription
• Campaign Milestone - Obtain a sacred artifact of Eurybia
• Campaign Milestone - Discover the Linking Words of the Ritus Religati

Report Date

02 Jul 2022