Ep 21: "Steeped"

Cyl read the book and knew that Pinbol wished to see her. She went to the park to speak with Whatever in order to try and stall the conversation. When he left, she felt a sharp pain in her foot, which gave her the final push to go see Pinbol.

Pesk had slept over at Mo’s tower. After she woke, she discovered that Lark had arrived at the tower with all his things. He planned to move into the tower to keep Mo company. Pesk was eventually able to convince Mo to let Lark in to stay with him. They settled in for breakfast and, while talking, discovered that Mo had actually been rescued by Pinbol. He didn’t want to discuss it, but said that it was a long story.

Oisin, on his way to see Pinbol, ran into Cyl and they joined the others in Mo’s tower. Lark, Oisin, and Cyl went up to Pinbol’s floating keep in order to talk with him. Pesk, meanwhile, went looking for Mari to buy sunflowers for Mo’s tower as per Lark’s request. On the way to the Tea Garden, Pesk ran into Saxi and they met up with Mari before they headed back to the tower.

Mari had just endured a very strange and revealing luncheon with Jastra. Jastra, through various conversational twists and turns, had revealed that Mari and she are Nikosta. A race usually only heard of in myths and legends. Jastra also tried to get Mari to tell her some of Seldanna’s secrets. She even went so far as to use a Zone of Truth spell. Luckily, Mari only revealed that Xylar was the name of the person that stabbed Seldanna and stressed that killing Seldanna had not been the original aim. She did not find out how Jastra learned of Seldanna’s near death incident.

At Pinbol’s floating keep, the found him working in his laboratory and he looked exhausted. They discovered that he was working very long hours trying to find a solution for Cyl and the boat lift. He examined Cyl’s feet and found black lines marbling it. He suggested washing them and she proceeded to soak her feet. They also discussed Seldanna’s impending marriage and wondered why she had not told them sooner.

Pinbol scrubbed Cyl’s feet and it removed most of the marbling. He told her to repeat the washing every morning to try and slow the spread. He also told the group that he was busy researching the DayDream drug. He was trying to find out how it went wrong, but so far had little news. Cyl asked what would happen if she took the DayDream and he admitted that he had no idea.

As they left, Oisin asked Pinbol to try and rest. Pinbol gave Oisin more of the magic powder to get into the floating keep.  Lark, Oisin, and Cyl left the keep and went back to Mo’s tower. They appeared back in the cellar as Pesk, Mari, and Saxi arrived at the tower. Mo was nowhere to be seen. The group discussed what to do next and, as they started to leave, they saw Afra approaching the tower.

Afra had come to speak with Pinbol, since he had called for her. Oisin got Pinbol from the keep and the group could hear parts of the conversation the two had. A lot of it had to do with the missing eirshale. Pinbol also revealed Tre to Afra and she became very angry and talked about it being dangerous.

It was revealed that both Afra and Pinbol were part of VKTR. Afra’s full name was actually Vasafra and Pinbol’s last name was Rexfield. The other two had been Tyrael and Kembrick Lockridge. They had been a sort of brain trust creating new things via magic and crafting technology. Unfortunately, the King had wanted them to make constructs for him and they had been betrayed by an apprentice that was known as the Keysmith. Pinbol revealed that he was under a Geas type of effect and could only tell the group so much.

He revealed as much as he could though. Tre was the most advanced artificial intelligence they had been able to create without introducing a living creature. The central hub was needed to keep the Nocturne functioning and connected to each other as needed. Itt was hinted that the brain controlling the hub might be Imelda. The group also learned that in order for the Nocturne to be as autonomous as they are required an undead being to be a part of their creation. This was where Tyrael focussed his energies. Oisin and Saxi realized that the things Pinbol described might have to do with their past and revealed the truth to the group.

Neither Oisin nor Saxi had any memories before a few months prior. They had both woken up in a cell underground together with no memories of their past lives.  They didn’t even know if Oisin and Saxi were their real names. They had been freed from their cell by Aldion and the resistance. That was how they joined the Phoenix Dawn cell. They told the group that others who had been freed with them were essentially non-functional. Some were catatonic and others had only brief periods of lucidity. Only Oisin and Saxi had been able to rejoin society and help the resistance fight.

Pinbol told them that it was likely they had been hooked up to the central brain hub of the Nocturne. He was very disturbed to hear they had experimented on Saxi and Oisin. He also revealed that those victims who were more disconnected from reality might still be hooked into the central hub and could potentially send information to the Nocturne.

Oisin and Saxi decided to try and connect with Tre. They held hands and made several attempts, but had no success. Suddenly, there was loud crashing outside the magically hidden room and Mo rushed in terrified. He told the group that the Nocturne were destroying the tower and both he and Pinbol kept the group inside the hidden room until it was safe.