Return to Civilization 6/1/2458 - 8/1/2458
General Summary
Connecting the Dots
- Alton peered into the partially frozen lake and observed a huge toothy fish swimming below.
- Alerted that it was safe to land, Farren, Rust, and Harold descended to the Circle of Luin.
- Rust attempted to investigate the floating orb. Touching it, he found it intangible. Sticking his head inside it, he nearly blinded himself. Harold also attempted to interact with the orb, trying to mage hand and lighting lure it but to no avail.
- Rust detected magic on the orb and in the stone making up the one warm room in the place.
- Noticing the layout of the pillars, Rust started to draw lines in the snow connecting them to form a circle and a crescent moon. This caused a slight magic circle to glow, and the orb to flash different colours briefly.
- While the party attempted to figure out how to properly activate the circle, a stranger sped back on skis. He yelled at Rust in giant to stop as he wasn't doing it right etc.
The Knower of Things, Once Named Thelar
- A tall but thin old firbolg who said his name used to be Thelar revealed himself to be the man residing in the room Alton had found.
- He was talkative, though somewhat vague and confusing. He spoke elvish and giant but not common.
- He said that he was a knower of things, spiller of secrets, spiller of tea, etc.
- He seemed to know several things he had no way to find out, claiming he had been told them or foreseen them.
- Thelar identified Farren and Alton as very far from home. He identified Rust as also far but home... "or maybe not... the war was always where you were".
- When Alton said he had no intention of returning home, Thelar said something along the lines of "maybe? maybe not." When asked why he would want to go back, Thelar said "to steal". To steal what? "A soul". Thelar also mentioned something about this being a possible future goal, or perhaps he might leave to fight Farren's enemy though Farren's foe was not necessarily in Faerun. Alton seemed suddenly very upset after the soul comment, asking where 'he' was. Thelar claimed not to know.
- When discussing Farren's enemy, Thelar indicated that his "address" was 89. Alton commented that this could be a layer of the Abyss.
- Thelar claimed that the party had to follow the directions they had to find the treasure. These directions seemed to be the poem of Gervais the Bard (whom he called a liar due to stealing credit)
- Alton demanded to know who had told him of the whole he might go back to steal a certain soul kind of thing. Thelar couldn't remember. He thought it might be the 'dawdling god to be' but no... the wanderer? no...
- When asked how anyone would even know what was going on in Faerun, Thelar revealed that the Thunderer, who left and left a piece behind, and the Wanderer, who has a piece of himself beyond, could see outside Vyaelian.
- Thelar claimed to speak with multiple gods regularly. When asked if they answered he shrugged and said 'sometimes'.
- Since the party instead discussed heading the the Halls of Thor and Milor, and gave Thelar tea and cookies (which Thelar claimed to have heard of from someone), Thelar tried to help them, claiming that what they needed from the Halls of Thor and Milor was not the hammer, but gloves.
- Thelar claimed to have heard many things but also to have some degree of foresight.
- Rust invited Rayne to tea, but Rayne, wearing a party hat, claimed to be busy.
- When Rust was attempting to stick his head in the lake, Thelar stopped him. He had a conversation with the sharklike creature and offered him a berry but the fish declined. The fish offered Thelar a gold piece with Thelar scoffed at and also declined.
- Thelar claimed that the circle was able to defend itself when activated and heal it's defenders. The party questioned it's defensive capabilities given the state of the ruin.
Rust Finishes Crafting and Alton Voices Concerns
- Back on the ship, Finn revealed that Rayne had come to take Gore the Barbarian drinking and Krumbleton had gone to keep an eye on them.
- The party waited a day on the ship so that Rust could finish crafting a set of snake scale armour for Alton.
- Rust attempted to sneak up on Alton. When Alton noticed him, he asked Alton to close his eyes. Alton eventually did so. Rust placed the armour on him. Alton asked if he wanted payment. Rust asked for 100 gp and looked at Farren who approved.
- Thelar commented to the captain that he thought he had somehow upset Alton. Farren asked Alton what was wrong.
- Alton revealed that he used to have a brother, and after hearing Thelar's words he was concerned that Lolth might have his soul. Farren promised that they would go and steal his soul, stopping at floor 66 on their way to floor 89 if necessary.
To the Tree
- Thelar, planning to go to the Halls of Milor as well, offered the party a faster route, though they had to leave their ship behind.
- Something had knocked down the tree nearest to the Circle of Luin (1 day by foot) so Thelar used the next tree a few steps away to transport himself and the party.
- One of his ski poles disappeared. The other was secured to his belt like a rapier.
Halls of Thor and Milor
- The temperature near the Circle of Luin was near -30. On the other side of the tree, the party was hit with +30 C and high humidity. Tall trees were everywhere, covered in glowing moss. The sound of rushing water echoed through the forest.
- There were buildings, beyond a wide vineyard, and past a giant sitting in a boat on the side of the road.
- The party spoke with a storm giant named Velthor who seemed not to believe their quest to come get the "gloves of Thor" to claim the treasure but was nice and directed them onward.
- And then they split the party.
Harold Makes Some Friends
- Unable to communicate effectively, Harold used minor image to put on a bit of a show and then play some charades to learn some words in giant and elvish.
- He befriended Andus and Goltag who brought him the the Great Hall and the Mead Hall and shared food and drink with him.
- Harold continued to perform and drew a small crowd.
- A magically inclined giantkin enlarged Harold so he could drink and eat more.
- Goltag and Harold proceeded to chug and then put on a show.
- Harold's antics attracted the attention of a giant who was at least a head taller than any of the others and whom the others seemed to reveer. He seemed to approve. He had vibrant blue eyes that seemed to have lightning flashing within them.
Rust Hears Singing
"My talking is almost as good as my sneaking"
- Hearing the waterfalls in the distance singing, Rust wandered all the way to them.
- The waterfalls were warm, almost scalding, and flowing upwards.
- Rust attempted to test the heat with a sickle from his bag but it was pulled from his grasp by the force of the waterfall. He asked for it back but the waterfall said no.
- When asked where they were going, they responded "Flow, Rush, Pour, up up up to the sun, to the light beneath the castle".
- The song was of warmth.
- Rust experienced a flashback, of elementals shouting protests, shouting hunger. He remembered fellow soldiers around him. Stalvin was in front of him. Stalvin was upset they had lost. They would win elsewhere. Stalvin had them follow him.
Farren is Left Alone
- As his party had all wandered off, Farren went to find a map. Satisfied that it matched his own and he was where he thought he was, he went to the temple to inquire about Thor's gloves.
- A friendly cleric informed him that the gauntlets of Thor were in the possession of the paramount, Dimir.
- Returning to the town square, he found a storm giant tattoo artist who had what he wanted for sale for one million shells, or 50000 gp. He refused to sell just the ink but agreed to give Farren the tattoo for 10000 gp if Farren would deliver a letter to Siraye Trero of the Lythini Remnant in the ruins of Kelpeiros.
- He wrote the letter on a "tiny" piece of paper, placed it in an envelope and sealed it with his ring which he had to shrink for it to fit.
Alton Continues the Shoe Quest and Looks for the Thieves' Guild
- Alton easily found a merchant working under the Different Strings banner. He was a blue haired satyr who enjoyed music selling decent merchandise, including several cloaks which seemed closer to Alton's own piwafwi. The merchant said that the cloaks were made by someone in Caiaryn named Neryll and the boot he had found was likely the work of Darfin.
- Alton then checked the area for theives cant signs. While he could not read all the local clues, he did find his way to the back room of a restaurant, which had a painting with hinges that opened to a passage that led to a room with a statue of three individuals (2 likely drow and one cloaked giant kin) labeled 'the thieves'. Holding a button in the hand of the cloaked giantkin spun the statue around leading to a room with 4 cloaked individuals (2 tall, 1 with a tail).
- Alton tried to convince them to let him join them. He was not persuasive. He challenged them to give him a task to prove himself, so they tasked him with retrieving Dimir's belt.
Report Date
20 Jul 2022
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