Ep 110: "Riposte"

Aruna 23, 1200

Morning

Everyone, mostly, went through a normal morning. Seldanna went shopping for components. Primeheart awakened at dawn, prayed, and spent the rest with Kali, going on a date to the Tea Garden. Kali was quiet and contemplative after the previous day’s events. Oisin went to get their pressed flower token from the previous day turned into a pendant. He then talked to Pinbol about their spring wedding. Pip dug burrows for the illithid in the Green Iron Village.
Owen woke up to a strange sword in his bed, that resembled the Mawblade. He tried to talk to it, but it was unresponsive. He covered it up in a sheet and went to the library. There he had a conversation with Ash, learning that this was not the first time that Mawblade had chosen one of Ash’s champions. The sentient sword recommended destroying Mawblade. Back in his room, Owen locked it in a chest before heading out.

The Beer Forge

The group arrived and talked with Allure for a bit. Oisin brought a green Glitter, who shared that he wanted to be “super sneaky.” Owen shared his predicament and the group suggested having the SubRosarium destroy Mawblade. Kali used Sending to contact Afra, asking to have a meeting at the Guildhall, and the group set out separately to run errands before meeting back up.

The Hooded Cobra, Mo’s Tower, Arlund’s, Owen’s Home

Oisin and Primeheart, along with a singing Glitter, made their way to the Hooded Cobra commission a coat for Pip and pants for the awakened cat. The gith at the Cobra was behind on his work due to the influx of adventurers and suggested commissioning Mo the modron. They went to Mo’s Tower, introduced Glitter, and discussed the clothing designs.
Seldanna purchased different components at Arlund’s. Kali and Owen went to his place to get Mawblade, which looked bulkier. They re-wrapped it and set off.

Guildhall

Pip trained in the specific areas for parkour until the group arrived. As the group discussed Mawblade, it grew in size and eventually began to speak as its name was invoked significantly. It told them that it deceived them before, but that they did need it to destroy the King of Secrets. It talked about another devourer, a Silver Echo, which the group eventually realized was the Ring of Spell Reflection that Pinbol had before. It was a quiet, subtle sentience.
As Afra entered, Seldanna took the blade and cast Legend Lore to learn more about the blade. The spell revealed more about the Mawblade, including a type of prophecy:

Winter breeds blood,
summer breeds pain.
Spring breeds devotion,
Autumn breeds fervor.
Hatred and dread are the road laid before he who accepts the Mawblade.
Only in the hands of the betrayer shall the whispers stop and the light shine forth.

Afra informed the group that, when VKTR worked with the King, he was just a demon of sorts and Donovan did the majority of the communing with the demon. Owen shared that he went AWOL from his post in Kiros. He had been court martialed and charged with treason. Afra offered to keep the Mawblade safe in the Sub Rosarium and Owen contemplated whether to wield it to defeat the King of Secrets.

Sub Rosarium

Kali, Primeheart, and Pip went with Afra to see the blade safely stowed and to show Pip the internal facility. They passed by several rooms and discussed various magical items. They discussed the matter with Zeknar Feddles being Din and decided to see him tomorrow to discuss his motives. Afra gifted a white tuxedo to Pip, that was enchanted with protections.

The Garden Keep (Nature Temple)

Oisin communed with nature and had visions led by a spiritual bear. He asked questions and was shown the answers:

“What are the planar influences of the city?” Feywild and even the Shadowfell can still be accessed in the tunnels below.
“Are there powerful fiends?” He was shown Mo’s Tower and was told one resided below, a silent killer destroying lives and minds and leaving nothing behind.
“Where is Donovan?” He was shown the Green Iron Village, specifically the treehouses. Donovan was not there, but did reside there.

The Library

Owen invisibly entered and went to Ash to speak. He asked about the previous champion and was told that they had taken up Mawblade and failed. They wielded the weapon with good intention, but they fed raw eirshale to the then simple creature of Mawblade, which drove it mad and changed it immensely. It had even consumed a few goa in its hunger.
The champion had been Lazir Dunhirst, an ancestor of Owen’s mother, who was lost in their journey, a fact that Ash impressed was not present within Owen’s person. Before he made his way away, Owen and Ash shared their feelings of platonic love for each other.

The Eternal Archive (Knowledge Temple)

Seldanna went to the Knowledge Temple to use spells to gather more information. She cast Legend Lore focussing on the King of Secrets and got information. She learned:

To speak his name is to invite misfortune.
It was whispered in the halls of kings and peasants.
Old men and young want to know him.
He wishes nothing, but the love of her.

As she cast Commune, she was whisked off to an empty classroom with a chalkboard. She wrote the following questions, and received answers that also rudely graded her questions. It also shared before ending, that a question which should have been asked was, “Who is the King trying to impress?”

“Do we need Mawblade to kill the King of Secrets?” You cannot kill the King of Secrets. C-
“Does the destroying of the avatars aid the King?” The power returns somewhere, yes. C+
“Is Donovan an avatar of the King?” Yes, one of them, having proven themselves. C

The Guildhall

The group converged back at the Guildhall to share their findings. Owen would not be taking up the blade. Oisin shared that the tunnels still contained a portal to the Shadowfell. Seldanna shared the Legend Lore and confirmed that Mawblade was not needed.
Afra, who was with them, had discovered that the Mawblade was its own phylactery, which essentially made it immortal. She suggested starving it to destroy it. Owen considered feeding it blightshale, which Afra found an interesting idea. She told the party to “find the clues and study them”.

Pinbol’s House

Before settling in for the night, Oisin asked Pinbol about the previous owner of the Ring of Magic Reflection, sharing its true identity with the wizard. Pinbol shared that the owner was named Jenald and that she would be coming to town soon. Oisin also shared that there was a devil nearby, calling it a “silent killer” as his spell informed him. Pinbol consoled the firbolg, saying that he would “run some tests”, which ended up inconclusive.

Full Episode

Broadcast Date

January 24, 2019

Party

Kali, Oisin , Primeheart , Owen , Pip , Seldanna

NPCs

• Ash, the Sentient Sword
• Glitter and Sparkle
• Vasafra
• Pinbòl
• Arlund
• Mo the Modron

Locations

• Pinbol's House
• The Beer Forge
• The Hooded Cobra
• Arlund's Alchemical Oddities
• Owen's Home
• Guildhall
• The Garden Keep
• The Eternal Archive
• The Library