October 2024

Some general notes on Housekeeping from time to time.

Everyone gets their time at the table. Don't pressure players to play a certain way. Everyone plays different and everyone "wins" D&D different. Please be engaged if you are here. We all have different favorites of the game be it combat, social intrigue, etc. Be involved and keep noise to a minimum.

Piotr and Bazwell have pulled up in an airship. The airship, which is Etienne's, has these construct-type things with shifting faces. We find out that they are gollums. Rei and Nyx recognize this face immediately as Heckabus, Etienne's personal assistant and pilot of the ship. The ship, and us, will be an official envoy (meaning diplomatic immunity) to Treehome from Etienne during the festival. Etienne has created these Gollum Holographic Projectors, the GHPs. Heckabus and Etienne are in Etienne's tower. 

Etienne asks Krockhock to double his drug supply for his city. A former druid will help. Krockhock is down as mellow is his business. 

The ship is The Redundancy 2.0. We see that 1.0 is docked along with 3.0 and 2.75. Again, Etienne is all about redundancy. There are even double Captain's Quarters on the ships. There are multiple VIMs. We started assessing them. We experiment and learn that GHPs don't survive off the ship. They are immediately replaced when lost/damaged. They all seem to only have defensive capabilities, which makes sense for a diplomatic envoy.  Which also means the ship is on neutral ground. The trip will take a day and a half or two depending on if we don't stop. We are given plain ceramic masks with no eye or mouth holes and are instructed to wear these anytime we leave the ship. They are Masks of Disguise and require attunement. They become part of you while wearing them. and cannot be taken off of you. They only fool those who don't know you. If we take them off while off the ship, we'll immediately be identified. 

We will be arriving on Rebirth Day, also Digging up the Dead Day. So, lots of mulch. Swamp Aeiss wants badly to go to the festival and tries to climb onto the ship as we leave. We can't blame him. It's his Disney World. But he can't go.

Heckabus gets irritated/frustrated with Piotr and Baz when Heckabus finds out those two asked us to get their scales back. We find out that Heckabus is the Air Elemental Lord and has been hidden with Etienne as his assistant since the 2nd exodus and the beginning of this age.  He misses his followers. 

Rei speaks up about how the scales are the tributes that each Dragon Lord gave to the Time Dragon. Each Dragon is the last of their lines. These ancient wyrms are the last of their timelines. The Skyfire Church has the last egg of each Dragon Lord hidden, perhaps in a big vault. That is the Covenant. The scales give unique powers that are gained by owning them. There are no redundant Dragons.

We travel over the mountains as it starts getting very chilly. It feels very pleasant. We see snow at this altitude. Roughly 50,000ft. We take this time to attune to our masks. We each get to design our visage with the mask. We all chose to appear nondescript. The masks last for 8 hours once activated. Then a long rest is needed before they work again. Demon sight can see through them.

Treehome has permanent sunshine. The trees move to allow different light levels throughout the day. We are told more about Treehome. Calaun is the current Mayor and is beloved. Things are clean, absolutely spotless in fact, in Treehome. They are also against necromancy, as the Skyfire Church is. 

The party hears loud banging coming from the land far below, not the ship. The party sees two earth elementals hurling rocks into the cliffside and hears Heckabus scream to pull up. Then two huge elementals emerge from the cliffside and eat the smaller ones. The party hears Heckabus relay to Etienne that the twin elementals have been spotted, at least 700 kilometers from the mountains, and appear to be moving east. 

"The established cities that have paid their tithes to the Church." 

Elemental Lords enslaved and corrupted on this continent. If Heckabus is captured, lots will die. He is the air supply for the other continent. He misses his followers.  Lake Grellac is Brooke.  Yardantayl tried to take over the world.  

Heckabus reminds us not to get separated in Treehome. Treehome is one of the biggest destination cities in the world. It's the 2nd largest city in the known world. We see a tree that is as big as a snow-covered mountain top. While the trees blot out the sky, they move on a schedule to filter in and out sunlight, creating a type of day and night cycle. It's around 10am when we arrive. 

The 1.0 arrives behind us (we see they are dressed as diplomats). Heckabs tells us to give them roughly five minutes as we're the help for the envoy. Treehome makes Waterdeep look small. 

The city is incredible. It's worked from wood and worked stone, no real rock. The crafted city looks to be made from elegant Elven craft. Kinda like Rivendale on NYC scale with massive tree in the center. Like sequoias on steroids. 

We notice that we see no traces of poverty in the area. Doesn't seem to be any oppressive regime. We see Carnival Barkers hawking their wares. Plants are enormous. They've been built into society.

We receive a stipend of 50 gold, as a group, each day. We are also given a map with areas of interest, convention centers, etc., and pamphlets. There are tons of open-air stages. 

The people here seem to be genuinely happy. The air is incredibly clean, and the water is pristine. The group finds a hostel with traveling people in the athletic/port area. The kitchen closes at midnight. Lyra starts playing at 6pm and the group forgets about the masks dropping after 8 hours. Shortly after Lyra starts to play, the masks start twitching. Luckily, the lights go down to help provide cover for those who need it. 

Recap: Small town with roughly five buildings surrounded by forest and water. Cotton has accused Gonzalo over the rat that seemed diseased or plagued or something else entirely. 

Tana and Rowan are just about to the edge of the settlement (returning from "the hut"). Tana walks out of the forest alone. She does not see Rowan. Once Tana gets back to the ship, she relays what took place. Milphio ran away. Rowan had his mouth removed but then got it back. Cotton summons Remy to try to study and replicate how to remove someone's mouth. And maybe how to return it. The crew questions a dock worker about Milphio and learns he used to be part of the team here at the settlement. Cotton announces loudly that The Lord Inspector has run off to commit horrible crimes. 

Apple Bottom Jeans and Caelum look for Rowan to no avail. The crew goes to the lodge house to look for Milphio. We come across a Dwarf with a peg-leg named Phil. Cotton invites everyone to the ship for lunch. Phil makes his way to the ship with the crew for the lunch. Dezi notices a figure dash behind a the dining hall. She sees a hooded, cloaked figure that is humanoid in shape. Appears shorter than an average Elf. There is a glint of a necklace. Dezi sees the necklace has a shield of pearl with a saber and rose crossed within a steel frame. It's reminiscent of a family crest. Dezi enters the shipwright warehouse. Inside she finds a 20ft long cuby that has a false wall with a trap door in the floor. The warehouse is quiet. The dining hall here is like a mead hall. There is, of course, a kitchen, along with an outhouse. 

Phil tells Cotton that he wants to start a rock garden and that there is stuff going on underground. Phil Says the previous Captain was Razak! Job was to kidnap people. They do stuff to them underground and they don't see them again. Phil joins the crew at Cotton’s convincing. (Probably because Cotton can now say, “Phil, my kraken.”

The crew is alerted to a small elf figure eavesdropping. The figure goes to leave. Aramil shots at them and Tana eldritch blasts them and pushes them off the plank.

Apple jumps into water to save the figure. Evie launches out of the trebuchet to attempt to be in front of the figure.

Cotton announces the figure didn't say thank you for The Fist of Benevolence hosting lunch and states he wants the figure returned unharmed. Crew sees the figure run into the barn.

We convince the figure to talk aboard the Fist of Benevolence.  

No guns, no chains. That's the deal. 

Cotton dozing in the sun as it’s a little past noon.

Dezi knows tensions are high and stays near the figure.

Cotton and the figure talk.

The figure states her name is Keltsye. Cotton goes to remove their cloak to get a good view of the figure as he’s mad since he's been nice to everyone. 

Keltsye was searching for some people and thought we were them.

Cotton takes this into consideration, accepts it, and says that everything is fine. 

Rowan comes back from a long walk around the bay. He says there is a secret entrance at the barn. He can’t talk about it but a friend in the woods gave him a task; need to find someone in Wiikwa’ibii. Someone there is holding a bird. Must give this bird a shrubbery and remind the person keeping the bird that all wish to fly free someday. 

Keltsye says they know where it is; a ways east of here, near southeast Lake Grellac.

Phil doesn't understand how Rowan made it back. He says that skittering, squeaking logs show up in the barn and Gonzalo’s not the big boss.

As it’s going to take about five days to fix the ship, Cotton & Evie try to find Gonzalo.

They find a very squinty Gonzalo at his desk (in the office building). Cotton has brought him lunch. The office shelves are littered with paperwork and knickknacks. Envelopes that have been opened are strewn about available surfaces. Gonzalo hastily shuts a drawer with paper sticking out. Cotton asks what we cannot smuggle here. Gonzalo says graatuin is off limits. Only if it’s squeaky clean can it come here. No need for narcotics unless into or out of Up North. Religious Reasons. He says Luciana wants to make some illicit purchases. He reminds us that snitches get stitches, no poaching each other's crew, and no exotic meats. While Gonzalo is occupied, Evie opens that drawer and tries to read the letter. Evie manages to put the letter back. They leave Gonzalo's office.

Keltsye, Dezi, Aaramil, Rowan, Tana went to the barn to search the hidden door and find it opens to darkness. There is a long corridor with shelves of bottles, packages, and substances. At the end of the hall is a trap door. Very squeaky hinge. Dezi pours oil (from her explorers’ pack) on the hinges. An old, ancient, well used stick ladder goes 30ft down. Packed dirt floor at bottom. Dezi uses a rope to go down. Loop where belt would be. Dezi makes a grating noise. Gives a feeling of uneasiness in the dark tunnel.

The area appears natural, not dugout. There is a shaft that seems polished to make it easier to traverse. Tana hears the chittering of something. As they go around the bend, they can see candle light and can hear talking. Rowan goes invisible and moves forward. He sees what looks like a trash heap. Bunks are haphazard, few tables in middle w/ some figures. He sees normal rats scurrying on the floor. Around a table there are four figures playing cards and two other figures in the room; one with a broom and one petting some kind of labrador sized beast. Rowan steps on a rat. The beast becomes alert and gets agitated. They hear that Georgie is the beast’s name. This room is longer than it is wide. More than 20ft square. Keltsye peeks around the corner, and sees this room is 60ft to 90ft long but narrow. The figures here look rat-faced. The broom guy has a wormy tail. They find out the trash piles are clothing, armor, and weapons.

Much like an abandoned Goodwill. There are sleeping bags on top of the trash. Goodness, they are pack rats. There is a loud noise. The rat thing yells for someone to grab a sword. Keltsye kills the broom rat. Aaramil kills another rat. They kill the remaining rats.