Session 37 - Deals With the Coven - Zellandria's Notes

General Summary

WEST ISLES DND 17/2/20 Hecking we’re playing a lot of deendee these days, hey kids? I am ok with this.
So there’s been more things being refurbished or whatever, I don’t know what happens in this hick town
Rakki has made sure there’s a space in the temple for whatever weird god he worships
He communes with nature or something, Zellandria doesn’t really get it
Maf’s been making Zell breakfast to try and earn some more cashola
He’s paid off more of his fine now which is nice?
Cade huffs a bit about this because that’s what he does.
Also he’s been clean for like, 5 days now which is pretty great
Zell has decided she’s the goddamn chosen one because she started vomited draconic prophecy and is definitely not going to let this go to her head.
Hettie has spent a bunch of time at the arcane lab and now
Ilalai has been going over notes at the library to see what she can learn about hags. She learns that there’s a country in the far north that’s run by a group of hags? That sounds pretty cool. Depending on the origins of the hags, some are more fiendish and some are fey.
She learns about Sea and Annis hags who are fey. The sea hags are super good at stopping your heart. That’s fine.
I wonder if there’s more than one Annis hag in this universe. I hope Beryl is doing ok.
Ilalai also learns about night hags and dusk hags - more fiendish in nature. Night hags in particular can walk through walls and are gross and will definitely kill druids in their sleep.
Diiroehn had seen a sea hag and then the other two pinged as fiends.
Cool. Cool cool cool cool.
Dusk hags are more like prophets and are disturbingly accurate at predictions.
Cornelius spends some time working on modifying his weird beak mask into a helm of teleportation or some shit
Diiroehn has some more me time at the bath house
Zell has been researching draconic prophecy at the library.
History roll!
NATURAL 20 BABY.
Here we fucking go.
Some context:
About a week ago Zell decided to touch a fiendish artefact and took 77 damage and didn’t die because she’s the fucking greatest. She temporarily blacked out and spewed out some text that sounded disturbingly like prophecy
So yeah let’s learn some shit or something, history is fucking dope, yo.
3 Dragons created the world and wrote into the fate of the entire world in a series of conditional statements because why the fuck wouldn’t you just go “this will happen”
There’s a draconic scholar who’s spent 50 years watching the heights of tides and has been translating that into letters or some nerdy shit
She finds a random piece of lore from a silver flame scholar about the prophecy saying that there were ancient evils sealed under the earth. One was freed like 700 years ago and started the silver flame and that was prophesied to happen as well so that’s all very convenient.
Zell hasn’t quite cracked the code for whatever it was she said that she definitely remembers, but she’s definitely on the case.
Oh hey the Doors of Promise are also tagged as a thing that the Sulatar fire drow are related to:
“(Translated from an ancient dialect of Giant) This world was born in fire, and in fire it shall end. Our future lies in the Land of the Promise, from whence all fire flows. In the first days, the mighty learned to bind the flames of the far lands, drawing fire from the air and blending it with blood and iron. But the clumsy hands of the giants could not weave the fine threads of true fire The stubborn minds of the giants could not understand the deepest secrets of true fire. And so the flame seared their bodies and minds and left them mad. The wisest among them sought our ancestors, seeking those with the power to embody the flame and find the Land of the Promise. They bound the fire to our blood, they burned us black as basalt. They taught us the ways of the fire and the knowledge of the Promise. And when they fell to the madness, we laid claim to the cities of glass. Many of our kindred fell to the madness and now roam the wilds, they worship vermin, they pick at ruins. But we hold destiny in our hands. We hold the secrets of the fire. One day we shall open the Gates of the Promise and spread flames across the world.
For this world was born in fire, and in fire it shall end.”
Also her hand is still burned. So good job, dickhead.
She catches up with Ilalai in the library and they look over books about hags together and have some jasmine tea
Diiroehn makes sure the sea water has been thoroughly washed out of his hair and then spends more time at the armoury
Rakki claims the plate armour from Tavek and has it resized to fit at the armoury
He gives Diiroehn 5g as payment for work on the armour and also so he can eat
Dii earns 91g for doing work
Gimme that goooooooooooooooooold
Daaaaaaaaaaaayum.
So anyway let’s go meet some cool babes or something.
Rakki: So yeah guys, wait what, your ex was a hag?
Dii: I need you to understand that at the time, the less you knew was better.
Rakki: I don’t know why you couldn’t just tell me,
Dii: Well, hags can read minds. And yours is
Rakki: readable. Just like yours.
Zell: I would like to let you know that calling a group of women living together is offensive and rude.
Dii: they have their own home, if they wanted to get in here they could get in easily and undetected.
Cornelius: They are known for making deals at high cost and coming to collect.
Zell: So they’re businesswomen.
Dii: Their trades are typically difficult to meet. Downstairs I saw.. Jars of people.. There was one not quite a serpent but there was a creature that pursues their foes endlessly.
Rakki: I guess I wouldn’t have known otherwise..
Cornelius: Diiroehn neglected to mention that they dissolve the people who fail to meet their bargains.
Mafaldine: maybe they were people that had broken into their house?
Dii: Regardless, the fact they had this was nefarious at best.
Zell: That is SUPER judgy.
Cornelius: While Diiroehn was sneaking in the basement, Ilalai and I were discussing collecting some venom
Ilalai: Farmed animals of the Vulkoori
Rakki: They want venom? I heard that some of the vulkoori were trading with them in the past.
Mafaldine: It seems there’s very little we can lose by approaching them kindly, they could perhaps help us?
Cornelius: They may even be good at alleviating people from addiction? That would be good, wouldn’t it, Mafadline.
Maf: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Zell: Ok so whatever, just because Dii had an ugly break up with them and you all so rudely keep calling them hags, maybe we could mend this br
Maf:
Diiroehn: What part did you think in the last 6 months that I
Maf: I don’t know! I don’t follow you around?!
Dii: Look me in the eyes, Mafaldine, this is the last time I will say this. One of the hags, the young one, implied knowing me and Rakki, in his trusting nature, took this to mean a relationship.
Rakki: I don’t know, she called you Big D, mate… You can’t make this stuff up.
Ilalai: Big Diiroehn?
Cornelius: I don’t know if that’s what it means..
Ilalai: Oh.
Zell: GAH. MEN.
Rakki: So let’s go get some of that venom then heyo
Cornelius in this moment remembers that the drow who has been at the infirmary was one of the Splintered Pillar clan which was the one the hags were dealing with.
Cornelius: I restored a drow man from this clan who was dealing with a crippling substance problem and he may be able to provide some assistance
So anyway let’s have a fun time and definitely not kill some women who are living their best lives together.
------------------
We roll on over to the infirmary. Cornelius heads inside and the room the drow has been in has been thoroughly cleaned.
Drow: Come in!
Corndog enters and sees the drow hanging off a rafter doing some crunches or whatever, I don’t know, I don’t exercise
Cornelius: That physical therapy looks like it is working.
Rill: Yes, well! Is well word? Common is well. OH his name is Rillian? Cool
Cornelius: Are you feeling ready to return to your tribe?
Rill: I would like to home. I have not been for 6 month? Whole seasons. I know where they roam
Cornelius: We will offer you an escort to safety. I would also like to thank you for your assistance in defending my home.
Rill: The main thief.. I think he was staying a few doors down from you. I went through his room. No weapons. I do not think he is a threat.
Cornelius: We’ll keep an eye on him, but he should not be a threat to us.
Rill: I will watch very closely.
Cornelius: Whenever you’re ready we shall depart with an escort.
Rill grabs a belt and some bags
Heading outside into the daylight he cringes a little in the sun
Rill: We travel at day? It hot and stupid.
True though.
Rill: Will need triple water.
He mutters under his breath about how stupid this is to be going at day.
We meet up to head out.
Diiroehn is swinging a pretty fancy sword
A thinly dressed drow man follows Cornelius and pauses when he spots Mafaldine
Maf waves.
Rill whispers to Cornelius and quietly threatens to take out Mafaldine if he’s a problem.
Polite introductions ensue.
Rill: Shall we go?
Rakki: Yep, show us where to go mate
Yo Rill, how long is it to get there?
Like two days?
Gdi that’s soooo lonngggg
Let’s go and do the thing I guess, we want to befriend the powerful women who I refuse to call hags.
Heading off past Shiv’s house and into the forest slowly making our way past the giant sunbeam statue and pit traps
After about two hours Rill perks up and notices a distinctive fern as a marker
Side note- I’m going to name a startup business “Distinctive Fern”
Rill moves slowly and a bit sore whenever he gets caught in direct sunlight
Rill: We are about 2 days from my clan’s lands.. Will be able to get there. Will be safe.
Cornelius: I appreciate the effort to get us there.
Rill: Less than you have done for me
Rakki keeps an eye out for snakes or angry critters or something
Diiroehn tries to scout the area but can’t see any danger off to the sides
Rill ducks forward and steps towards a rotten tree trunk and is a bit annoyed about the tree stump
Ok that’s perfectly normal behaviour
Rakki in Elvish: Found something unpleasant, hey?
Rill: Oh! You speak my language? Really? A little bit?
Rakki: Yeahhh yeah I grew up with it.
Rill: What a relief. Common is such a damn terrible tongue, I can’t believe I’ve been stuck with it for weeks
Rakki: Heyy there, it’s a pretty useful language.. What can you say in elven that you can’t say in common?
Rill gestures: I know the name of every one of these plants in elven but in common they’re just.. Plants.
Rakki: Oho! You gotta tell me everything.
Rakki looks into the stump and there’s a brown scaled creature inside
A pangolin?
Ohoohohoohohohoohohoohohohohhh
It’s sitting in the wreckage of a leather bag that looks like it might have been a cache once for travellers
Rakki takes out some meat scraps and tries to lure the creature out
Animal handling
NATURAL 20
It snuffles and crawls up onto the trunk and it nibbles at the meat Rakki offers it
PAN GO LIN <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Rakki reaches into the tree stump and recovers an unbroken waterskin that the pangolin had been laying on top of
It monches and curls back up to go to sleep
So sweet <3
Precious shield baby
Rill hasn’t shut the fuck up since he realised that Rakki can speak Elven.
Zell leans over to Diiroehn and is like holy shit, that guy doesn’t ever shut up, far out it’s super annoying
We set up camp for night
Cornelius and Ilalai set up alarm spells and Mafaldine gets dinner prepared
It’s meat and 3 vege.
Pretty nice.
After an uneventful night we have a long rest and get ready to go in the morning
Breakfast is eggs and some fruits.
Packing up camp we get ready to move out
Cornelius, Diiroehn and Rakki take point scouting as we walk with Rill
Ilalai and Zell notice a giant stone marker engraved that’s similar to the ones that was around the Quori fortress
That’s awkward.
Rill to Zell: In-there-dangerous
Zell: Ohhh. Ok. Danger-ous.
Man I’m a rude asshole.
Zell sighs and leans over to Ilalai: This fucking guy, right?
Rill moves over to Cornelius and lowers his voice
Rill: I don’t want to worry you, I recognise that voice. She pretended to be you during the theft
Cornelius: I had a suspicion as such. I have been keeping an eye on them.
Rill: Can I have a knife?
Cornelius gives him a scalpel.
Rill stashes it.
Mafaldine: We should totally go check out that place he said was dangerous
Zell: fuck yeah, that sounds awesome. Also did you hear how he was talking to me? Super rude. It’s like he thought I was five or something, gosh. And like, once he started talking elven it’s like he didn’t think anyone else could understand him and he just doesn’t shut up. I’m so frickin’ sick of hearing about plants. YES. I GET IT. THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLANTS HERE AND THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES. NO NEED TO LIST THEM ALL OUT. Super rude.
Mafaldine: Did Cornelius just give him a knife?
Zell: I don’t know, I was busy trying to drown out the sound of identifying different kinds of moss.
We continue
Rakki and Rill bond over their grandparents teaching them about nature and animals
Nerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrds
Heading towards sunset Rill notices some tracks
Rill: Tracks! Old but here
Zell: Yes, Rill, we can all see the tracks. Goooooooooodddddddddd.
Rill points out some more and leads us up a muddy slope
He cups his hands around his mouth and makes some bird call noises
Okay?
Rill looks through the treeline and freezes.
Rakki: You ok?
Rill pulls back.
His mouth is a thin line
Rill: Let’s go home. There’s nothing here.
Rakki: What?
Rill: We should go back to town.
Rakki: Sec. I’m just going to have a look.
He moves up to the clearing and looks through
There’s a permanent structure, a long hall
The area is covered in scorch marks.
Roof partly burned.
Rill just walks away blankly and sits down on a tree stump
Mafaldine moves forward and looks with Rakki
Looking around the long hall are fairly old wrecks
Two carts, charred and blackened and patches of grass that have been burned away
In front of the hall, dragged into a rough pile are about a dozen bodies
They appear to be drow
Not all of them are whole and they’ve probably been scavenged and eaten
On the far side of the clearing is a partly intact pen made from woven reed walls
Diiroehn sits with Rill in silence
Ilalai looks over the area and falls silent
Mafaldine turns invisible and heads towards the town
Zell scouts the edges of the clearing as stealthily as possible
Stealth and Perception checks!
Stealth - 19
Perception
NATURAL 20!
...so 19.
Rill is staring into space
Rill: That didn’t look new. How... long have I? … By the dead..
His hand is just clenched and releasing slowly
Dii: I’m sorry, I am not too familiar with your situation. Is there anything I can do?
Rill quietly: no
Dii: The others will be back soon. We can get some information as to what happened here. If it’s vengeance that you need we can discuss that.
Rill: I saw signs of fire..
Ilalai: The Sulatar? Wasn’t it?
Rill: Yes, it was. It must have been. I have.. I didn’t know they had come back. They came here about a y- wait, you know the Sulatar?
Ilalai: They attacked the blue spears to the north about two - three weeks ago?
Rill growls
Ilalai: We managed to save two children.
Rill: I haven’t been home in about 6 months. We first saw Sulatar maybe a year ago? They spoke to us. There was skirmishes. They retreated to a mountain to do whatever it is they do. They came down every now and then. Right before the end of the rainy season it stopped. Thought they had gone. This year they came back. I don’t know what they wanted.
Ilalai: They were after the children.
Rill: Why? It makes no sense.. I.. I don’t want to think about this.
Ilalai: Sorry..
Diiroehn sits with them quietly.
Rill has survivor’s guilt to the max
Dii: You would have been just one more body.. It was in some ways fortunate taht you weren’t here. It gives these people a chance at vengeance.
Rill is suddenly holding the scalpel very tight.
Dii: That doesn’t look like a drow weapon to me.
Rill glances at Cornelius
Rill: If I’m holding it, it’s a drow weapon.
Dii: I like the way you think.
Rill: I need to breathe, think then count the dead. I am no wraith.. Or cleric. But I will do this.
Whatever the hecking heck a wraith is, I don’t know, but that sounds like a pretty cool title
Meanwhile nearing the village, Mafaldine moves carefully towards the broken and burned wagons
There’s a sneaky snek hiss from the pen
He looks over the bodies and it looks like they’ve been here for about 2 weeks?
There are some large bite and claw marks on some of the bodies
It smells awful. There’s bodies slain by scorch marks, blades and one has a snapped neck.
Looks like they were dragged there at least a day after they had been slain
Markings on the bodies indicates that they’d been in seated positions
Zell moves quietly around the south, not making a sound
She spots a slight movement near the bodies where Mafaldine must be working
There’s a big ol’ hiss from the pens
She steps forward and freezes
Something is not right
Something is quite wrong.
Something is not right
THAT’S WHYYY I SING THIS SONNGGGGG.
There’s two huge animal footprints facing towards the town
A fern frond moves forward bending, touching something unseen.
Oh dear.
Maybe 10ft in front of her is an immense invisible.. Something..
It’s head shape turns away towards where the rest of the group is waiting with Rill.
This is fine.
Zell stays frozen, watching the ground and leaves around the shape move slowly
Rakki moves out into the clearing with Mafaldine
So the thing in front of Zell is breathing heavily
Zell quietly takes out her inkwell and readies it to throw it at the thing
Rakki looks over the body and notices an odd thing about the bite marks
They’re humanoid but with an extra set of canines
That’s fine.
Zell to the invisible thing: Are you enjoying the show?
The invisible creature’s laboured breathing stops and turns in her directions
Oh hi.
Rakki: Mafaldine.. This thing is big.. Bigger than a human.. Maybe a werewolf or something.. Don’t freak out. The bite marks look new..
The pattern of a very large hand grabs the door frame in the long hall.
Rakki: Maf.. just back it up.. Real.. slow..

ROLL INITIATIVE
Oh come on, I wanted to throw ink in its face before we rolled initiative
I never get to use my calligrapher’s set on the job.
Ilalai: 21 Rakki: 14 Mafaldine: 14 Diiroehn: 11 Cornelius: 6 Zell: 4
Something somethings
SURPRISE ROUND
Rakki looks up and the hand on the doorframe
Rakki: Oh Raikeen..
Maf: What? What did you sa-?
Hey Mafaldine does a 25 hit your AC?
Oh COME on, Steve.
You know it doesn’t.
Mafaldine gets smacked across the face for 10 damage
The air shimmers and the shape of a huge orange and black furred gorilla appears
A moment later a second giant fist smacks him in the stomach
Ow fucking big ol monkey man is not playing nice
It bite for 7 more damage
Mafaldine staggers to his feet and stares at the creature
Arcana check!
23
Maf: So.. oh.. That’s uh.. A balgura.
A Fernian variety! They’re resistant to cold and fire and lightning and immune to being poisoned.
Rakki howls and shifts.
He knows they can speak abyssal and are telepathic
Rakki thinks very hard and casts command
Rakki: Grovel.
It saves and does not.
Zell yeets some ink into the face of the giant invisible thing
For some reason the floating inky blue mask face with invisible body is worse than it just being invisible
The inky monster shimmers into visibility
Neat
Great
I hate it
It punches into Zell’s stomach for 11 damage and another 6
Ruuuuuuuuude
She rages and glaives him twice for 28 damage
Ilalai throws her spare dagger at Rill’s feet
Ilalai: You may one a better weapon.
She runs towards where she sees Mafaldine getting pummelled and casts her projected barrier over him
Mafaldine places the staff of magic missiles into the neck of the balgura and unloads the full amount
28 damageeeeeeeeeeeeeee
How about that staff break roll
2.
CLOSE.
But not a 1!
Mafaldine sizzles in a cloud of steam for a second and reappears
Hey Zellandria, make a wisdom, no wait, int save
Cool those are my favourites anyway
2.
Zell’s vision blurs for a second
The ground rumbles and spikes of black volcanic rocks spike out around her
Ah fuck
Pain in her back
4 psychic damage
That’s perfectly normal
The barlgura sees
Diiroehn: We probably should get in there
He picks up Blackfury’s Edge and runs into the centre of the town
It’s a bit awkward for him since he’s spent so long with daggers
He swings the large blade, cleaving into the legs of the barlgura
He swing. He smite. He Slash.
26 damage’
He swing again
He smite.
15.
The Barlgura #1 collapses onto its knee and Dii cleaves its head off
It ded.
Immediately turning into bubbling tar.
Rill sprints past Ilalai, screaming in primal rage
He two handed dagger jumps onto the back of the second barlgura, frantically stabbing with the scalpel and dagger
Cornelius uses his cloak of misty step to blink behind the barlgura
Everyone says “nothing personal, kid”
Cornelius jams the rapier into the shoulder blade
Zell is still in a cage of rock and is freaking out
Int save!
5.
We’re getting there girl, we’re getting there.
Another spike spears Zell in the arm for 3 more psychic damage
Zell bamfs towards the group and is looking like a weird mime in a box flailing a bunch
Ilalai takes out a piece of clear quartz that shines brightly and it flashes and shatters into chunks
A moment later the volcanic rock prison around Zell melts away into dust
Zell: eep… Thank you..
Ilalai: Eyes on the monkey!
The barlgura roars
Rakki: dang!
Rakki swings his club into the side of the head of the monster and the roar is cut off
It melts into goo.
Gross.
We all step back.
Rakki looks over the area and can’t see any more invisible shapes
I mean, he can’t see any more invisible demons so it has to be fine, right?
Diiroehn casts divine sense and can’t sense any more fiends or undead nearby
Cornelius looks closer at the goo as it’s pooling on the floor
It has a slight rainbow oil slick like sheen and has an awful scent of embers and tar
It burns and becomes ash
Weird
He scoops up a sample of ash and a vial of goo to take back to Hettie.
Rakki moves over to the snake pen and there’s 4 left there
No wait
3
1 isn’t moving
He sits for a moment and starts to cast speak with animals
The snakes themselves are a deep forest green colour and maybe 15ft long each.
Their scales are super pretty and shimmery iridescent like
Ilalai keeps an eye on Rill
Looks like Rill has dropped both of his knives and is staring at the ooze as it burns and then turns to ash
Cornelius heads into the building and uses his wand of secrets
There’s a slight ping from the floorboards
It’s been pretty badly ransacked inside
Under the floorboards he finds a few pieces of rough cut jade stashed away
Everyone gets 20g each
Ilalai notices a large sack near the snake pit but thankfully there are no children, or bodies of children inside
Mafaldine can’t find anything magical until he moves towards the snake pen where they’re all glowing slightly with divination magic
Rakki: Me.. Rakki. You.. hungry? Yes? No?
Sneks: Ssssssssssoooooo hungry. Sssoooo hungry.
Rakki: Understand trade?
Sneks: You give, we give
Rakki: Yessss Can you give me venom.. In a little vial..
Oh man he’s going to bring this to Dahlia and sweep off her feet with this gift
Sneks: Food? You give? Foood?
Rakki takes out some and the snakes go wile
Rakki: Small food now.. Then venom.. Then big food.
Sneks: Yesss then out.. essssscape
Rakki: We’ll talk about that afterwards
He throws some dried meats in to the three snakes and they go wild getting it
Sneks: Can come get venom, yess, poisons
Rakki slowly puts the vial down
Rakki: Spit in the vial
Snek: Can’t.. Spit..?
Animal handling check!
20!
Ok that’s good because this was about to get real messy.
He successfully milks the big shiny snakes
Rakki: Good job.. You’re doing real good.. Good job.
He’s saying this half for himself and half to the snakes
Mafaldine goes over and casts minor illusion to play some snake jazz
Rakki opens the door to the pen and one of the biguns slithers out gleefully into the forest
After half an hour he’s gathered a decent amount of poison and he’s feeling pretty good about himself and the remainder of the snakes slither away
Fun fact, snakes still maintain a bite reflex for several hours after death
Subscribe to Steve’s twitter for more snake facts
Rill sits on one of the carts and just very faintly is speaking to himself
After he recovers he looks to Cornelius, Diiroehn and Ilalai
Rill: this is only the start of my course of vengeance
Dii: There is a home for you in Beacon, if you would like new purpose, we can help you find it.
Rill: Thank you for that.. When I am near I will come back. But right now I have sworn myself to fixing this. I have burials and the dead to count... It is hard to catch an entire tribe... I am sure many have survived.. I will find them.
Ilalai: WIll you head to where the priests of Vulkoor gather?
Rill: I have heard nothing of that.
Ilalai: The Wraith is heading there too.
Rill: Which one?
Mafaldine: The Wraith of the North..
Rill: He is strong, I have never met him.
Ilalai: If you meet him, could you tell him that we have helped you?
Rill: I will do as much as I can. Thank you for your kindness. I will make this right.
Cornelius: Just remember that Beacon can always be a home for you if you need
Rill: I will remember.
Cornelius: Next time I don’t want to see you in my hospital
Rill: Till next time then, doctor. Tonight I have work to do, could I ask that you leave me be?
Cornelius nods and makes his way out of the clearing
Rill leans in to Zell and looks her over: The doctor has told me that.. Do.. do you speak a real language?
Zell: I’m fluent in elvish.
Rill: Oh for gods sak- you could speak this the whole time? Why! You are a horrible woman.
Zell: Ok rude. This is why I didn’t want to engage.
Rill: I know you are a thief
Zell: Excuse me? I stole nothing.
He looks at her spear
Rill: Where did you get that? There were only 3 made.
Zell: It was a gift.
Rill: I highly doubt that.
Zell: I don’t appreciate you calling me a thief. I’m sorry for your loss.
She leaves
YIKES.
-----------
Time to head back to meet the coven!
Rakki: Heyyyy Cornelius, would we be able to maybe split this poison up into a couple of different bottles?
Cornelius decants it into 6 smaller bottles
---------
Couple of days travel back we follow the river towards the coast
Mafaldine rolls his portents for the day 19 and 17, noice
Cornelius: Ilalai, given that we spoke to them last time, shall we continue that conversation?
Ilalai: I could send a message ahead? Let them know we’re on the way
Cornelius: I have a feeling they may already know
Rakki: Greatttt…
Ilalai, who is a polite person, compared to the rest of us, casts sending to the grandmother of the coven
Ilalai: Hello Grandmother, we have returned to honour the request you made of us in exchange for a balancing of scales and information. Please expect us soon.
Damn that was good
A moment later the sending comes back
Grandmother: I know, we are expecting you now. Please come right up.
That’s not at all worrying
We make our way towards the tower
It’s a small well kept 3 storey tower with a flat top and windows around the side
Salt and moss cling to the walls
A winding stone path leads up the hill
The tower is actually quite humanoid sized instead of giant
Lounging out the window is a young drow girl
Dahlia: Hiiiii. Grandma said you’d be back soon. How are you doing?
She makes eye contact with Diiroehn and grins
Maf: You should tell her your gauntlets help you get it up now!
Diiroehn uses his gauntlets of getting it up to perform the shove action on Mafaldine.
Maf: Assaulting me only means I win!
Dii: If you say so.
Dahlia: Hey Rakki, good to see you, it was so good to hang last time
Rakki: I get it, being stuck with your family can be a pain. Should have told me, though.
Dahlia: You know what family’s like, right?
Rakki: Yeah but got to make a deal to not read our minds if we’re going ot be friends. That’s un-friend like Dahlia: Oh please, I don’t need to be able to read your mind to know what you’re thinking
She looks over his wagging tail
Mafaldine: Pleasure to meet you, I’m Mafaldine
Dahlia: Mafaldine, good to meet ya. It’s good to see new faces really.
Mafaldine: Yes!
Dahlia: Hey, I’m Dahlia
Zell: Hey! I’m Zellandria. And oh my god you have such a nice place, I like taht you’re like, living in a tower, that’s so cool out here. I mean back home there’s the whole city of towers and that’s like cool for like 5 minutes because /everyone/ is living in a tower and it’s super dull and like you want to be somewhere different and all the people there just make you want to like, walk out of the window or something but here’ it’s so sweet and unique and oh my gosh you guys have such a cute place and it’s it’s really great and this inane chatter conrtinues
Mafaldine takes out some vanilla slice and places it on the table
Zell: Do you have any jasmine tea? It’s all I’m drinking right now and it’s so refreshing.
Dahlia: Oh yeah! I could totally put some jasmine on. Thank you for this Mafaldine. I should totally come in and bring you some baked goods, that’d be neighbourly
Mafaldine: That would be lovely! You’re welcome to come for a meal Paradise

They head upstairs while Zell stays downstairs with Dahlia
They have both finally found kindred spirits on this horrible island.
Grandmother: You have recovered this from the Splintered Pillar?
Cornelius: Yes
Grandmother: Please give me what you have
Cornelius: Very well
He places one of the vials in her hands
She very gently places on the table
Grandmother: Is that all?
Cornelius: You didn’t specify a quantity.
Grandmother: The quantity was to be a monthly shipment. I take it if you are here and the drow have not been.. that.. Their serpents live but they do not.
Cornelius: A few of their serpents indeed do, but the drow are gone
Grandmother: I suppose we need a new supplier. I will happily take what you have collected
Cornelius: I wouldn’t mind keeping one dose for my own study, but I am happy to give you that I possess
He places the remainder of the bottles that he was carrying on the table
Cornelius: It is all that I had
The grandmother smiles at Cornelius and then directly looks at Rakki and grins
Grandmother: That will have to do. Now, some introductions.
Everyone (except Zell who is downstairs finally having some much needed intelligent conversation) steps into the room with the blind grandmother
The inner room is lined with bookshelves with no text on their spines
Grandmother: My name is Terez and I believe you have met my granddaughter Dahlia..
She looks at Diiroehn
Grandmother: You may be acquainted with my daughter Kolya.
Diiroehn: In a manner.
Grandmother: Now, ask your question, dear
She turns to Ilalai
Ilalai: Concerning Syla - she has gone missing along with all the previous residents of what is now Beacon. I would like to ask where we could find Syla if you know where she is.
Grandmother: Syla isn’t missing, dear, she’s in the basement.
Cornelius: Given that we know that you know that we know what you know that we know that you know that we know you know that
// this goes on in my head for a while //
Diiroehn senses the presence of the fey hag outside the tower
Grandmother: Deals are typically private, I wouldn’t betray the trust of my .. clients. In this case, it was, however, selfless. Information that was critically needed or so they thought. And transportation in a time of need. In exchange we asked fora favour to be done and, at our request, a life to be taken. Syla was quite selfless.
Diiroehn: Did you move the residents of what was once Westport?
Grandmother: Of course, the ones that asked us to.. Oh. Did you mean all the residents? No. But the team that asked us to, yes. We sent them on their way.
Dii: Where did you send them?
Roll them persuasion, Diiroehn.
DON’T. fUCK IT. UP.
NATURAL
20.
Grandmother: You really are keen on getting all of our secrets..
Zaph nods violently.
Dii: It’s hardly fair if you’re getting all of ours.

Grandmother: There’s a city on the island, difficult to get to for the unprepared. They were so worried some months ago about something happening. They wouldn’t tell me. Hah. They just wanted to know where to go and how to get there in exchange for favours.
Dii: Scora Bael?
Grandmother: I believe that was a name for it. Quite far away.
Dii: How many?
Grandmother: 7. But that is all you’ll be getting for a somewhat.. meager .. donation.
Dii: I don’t have any more of your venom.. But I may just say a name..
Grandmother: Of course.
Dii: Gideon?
Grandmother: That is indeed a name, yes.
Dii: Was that one of the 7?
Grandmother: Come take a seat and we can discuss more.
Dii: I’d much rather get what I want on my own.
She leans forward to where he’s standing at the back of the room
The candles and lights in the room flicker slightly as she moves
Grandmother: What is it you want? Power? Control? Something you don’t want them to know?
Dii: I’m not here to make deals. You can loom over someone else.
She laughs and the light goes back to normal
Grandmother: Oh, dear! I’m sitting, you’re the one looming over there. If you’re not going to talk please go loom outside.
Dii: with Kolya?
Grandmother: Please. And to think that Dahlia thought you might be the one.
Ilalai has been quiet and trembling slightly in the room
Grandmother: Would anyone else like to make a deal?
Mafaldine steps forward and sits down.
Everyone goes mmmmmmmmmmmmm :/
:/
Grandmother: Young Mafaldine, pleasure to meet you
Mafaldine: Pleasure to meet you, I haven’t met you yet. Feel free to read what you want, just don’t tell the others
The blind woman smiles
Grandmother: What don’t you want them to know?
Mafaldine grins
He knows enough about detect thoughts to know it’s only on surface level
Grandmother: Shouldn’t expect to get one for free, and neither will you. Shall we chat?
Mafaldine: Perhaps this is a conversation for another time when we don’t.. Have..
Grandmother: unwanted guests?
Cornelius: Oh really, Mafaldine, what are you going to do? Come out on your own?
Grandmother: Don’t give him any for free, dear
Mafaldine: Really we just wanted to establish if you were a danger to Beacon or not..
Rakki: I mean, we’re your neighbours, we want to be on good terms
Persuasion
Mafaldine uses his portents for a 19
The woman grins
Grandmother: That was very clever!
Mafaldine: I know! It’s a very neat little thing I can do
She looks at Rakki
Grandmother: Did you feel that? Grabbing at threads of fate, this one.
Rakki: What did you do, Mafaldine?!
Maf: No no no no no no it’s just that regular thing I do where I can sort of see how things work out sometimes?
Grandmother: He’s underselling it, it’s very good. Tell me, Rakki? Would you like to know how you die?
Rakki: I er.. What. Do you know how you die?
Diiroehn has money on Rakki getting pecked to death by seagulls.
Off screen Zaph/Zell knows it will be in flames, just as it always is.
Grandmother: Come and sit, we will read your future and see what is in store
Rakki: Do you really know what Balanor has planned for me?
Grandmother: Balanor does not make your fate.. Do you want to see it’s going to be? We can argue until the crows come to roost..
Rakki: I mean, even if you’re just entertaining, I’ll have a look - unless Mafaldine you want to keep asking questions?
Grandmother: We’ll come see you or you’re welcome back to see us here.
Mafaldine: If you’re ever in need of a delicious meal, I would happily get you a table at Paradise!
Grandmother: Oh! Dahlia says the crab is very good!
Maf: Yes! I do that quite well
Never forget Big Crabs.
Rakki sits down
Grandmother: Your hand?
Everyone in the room looks uneasy
Rakki extends his left hand
She takes it
The candles flickers and the shadows stretch in the room
A dull red glow spills slightly from under her blindfold
Her hand reaches out and brushes his cheek and a moment later whips her hand back with a drop of blood
Woodsmoke and sulphur
A scream nearby
Male?
A clang of metal on metal
Orange light is pouring from somewhere
A dull cold feeling inside and then too hot..
Rakki
Rakki: What the hell was that?
Grandmother: that is a thread of fate. A strong one. Many strands lead there and now.. It is sealed. Woven.. It will not come undone like others.. Congratulations. You will not drown. The blade will not kill you but you but your life will end in flames.
Welp, fucking called it.
YES HERE IS ANOTHER GRAND PROPHECY BROUGHT TO YOU BY ZAPH- NO- ZELLANDRIA D’ORIEN
Rakki: I don’t believe that..
Grandmother: I’m sure it will be a lovely house fire when you’re in your 70s.
She grins and looks over to Ilalai who has been standing with tense posture against one of the bookshelves
Grandmother: Dear, you’re such a lovely woman and I would so love to help you. What is it you want?
Ilalai: To keep my promise, but for now I would settle for Syla’s sending stones.
Grandmother: Ahh, I’m afraid I cannot give those to you, her friends took those with the rest of her possessions. Everyone wants something. Health? Safety? Beauty… Revenge? Surely not for one like you, you are far too sweet.
Ilalai’s mouth presses into a line
Ilalai: I was going to ask something, but I will find that out on my own
Grandmother: I am always happy to trade information.
She looks towards Cornelius
Grandmother: I could tell you so much more for the right cost.
Cornelius: What is it that you want? That is more interesting to me..
Persuasion check
3.
Well, that’s 100% on brand for Cornelius.
Grandmother: We can trade information for that, but that seems much less interesting to you.
--------
Meanwhile Dahlia and Zellandria are having the best time discussing downstairs
Dahlia: Hey gurl, this might be super weird but my grandmother is like, asking if you want to know anything, she knows like, a lot of things about everything and was like, offering a great deal right now in exchange for a kiss
Zell: I mean like, that’s not too bad, hey? Did she say like, who with?.... Was it you? ...ahaha…. I mean… unless?
Zellandria d’Orien (the “d” stands for dumbass) heads upstairs and sits down in the room full of people who are all waaaay more cluey than she is and just blissfully starts chatting and apologises for the rude people who called them hags.
Zell: I, for one, fully support this living situation and respect the bonds of sisterhood. This is like, super empowering and they don’t understand.
Meanwhile Zaph is internally screeching because we’ve done this monkey’s paw shit before, kids.
OH WELL.
This is on me for having a dumb as fuck character?
BUCKLE IN, CHILDREN, WE’RE GOING FOR A RIDE.
Today on Zaph does things stupid things she makes a deal with a hag
Sigh
Here we go again
Zell: I want to know-
EVERYTHING.
Zaph sighs
FULL DISCLOSURE, YA’LL HAD PLENTY OF CHANCES TO STOP ME HERE.
Zell: Like, I get that it might take a few sessions so maybe we’ll start small or something? I’m having these dreams you know, like they’re suuuuuper crazy and like, everything is on fire.
The old woman grins and tastes the drop of blood from Zell’s hand
Grandmother: Well, a night three weeks ago, you fell asleep at 7 minutes past 12 and the wind was blowing in from a south, south west direction and your windows were open precisely 14cm and on the sill were three ants..
Zell: Oh my god did those ants set the fire?
Rakki: Is this really necessary?
Grandmother: The first ant was tired and hungry but was marching on for the colony.
Zell: The second ant? Was he ok?
Grandmother: It was hungry and carrying a morsel of bread left over from a visit to Paradise
Zell: Oh.
Rakki: Wait, how was the third ant going?
Grandmother: I think that’s enough for now, we will need a lot more time to go through everything.
Zell: Oh yeah, totally, I can come around like, whenever.
Cornelius: So, are we going to leave here as friends?
I mean, I leave everywhere I go with new friends.
Grandmother: We can be good neighbours.. We can trade. We can talk. We can help each other.
She looks right a Diiroehn
Grandmother: Or we can be terrible neighbours. If you walk in here with blades drawn. Make sure you get all of us.
Mafaldine: that sounds very fair! But until then I’ll just keep bringing some slice.

----------
Everyone leaves the tower and heads towards the
Dahlia: Oh my gods, Mafaldine, I’ll have to come by and bring some of the really big crab next time
She catches him on the arm for a moment
Dahlia: Whenever you’re free, Grandmother is happy to have a discussion with you
Mafaldine smiles and thinks very hard in her direction that he is looking forward to it.
They wave at each other
She blows Diiroehn a kiss
He grumbles
Fuck.

Report Date

17 Feb 2020