September 2024

The group finds themselves, as they are trying to regroup, with two cloaked figures; one Dwarf and one Elf. S hits the Elf. The rather muscular Dwarf yells, "Ready to listen this time?". The group blinks at them. They sigh and slump their shoulders. They introduce themselves as Piotr and Bas(swell). They're with Etienne and refer to the Skyfire Church as "This Bish". They explain they've talked to us before. We all stare at each other. After some back and forth* they say they are Dragons. They had cities as monuments to them and gained their power from those people in the cities. It was going great until both had a scale taken from them by two elemental lords.  

Piotr explains that he was the Moon. He loudly exclaims he's NOT afraid of heights. He lost his power and can't fricking fly now. In our discussion we find out that Iggy (Ikira) is the Sun but she can't land. Apparently, it's complicated. Something about not being able to multitask with your power. They call Brook, Bubbles. 

Piotr and Bas proposition us to go to Treehome and acquire their scales from the elemental lords that took them from them, Calaun Waurlathal and Aunty Beryl, the Mayors. The scales are in the elemental lords. It will take a week or so by boat to get to Treehome. Etienne can provide a charter and diplomatic entry to Treehome. We'll take the river to the far western entrance. 

We find out that Piotr and Bas have met Granny. We ask about that evil Dwarf we saw thanks to Brook. They look at each other and realize a Time Dagger was used on THEM. They say some elemental lords have been seen in the north wreaking havoc weeks ago. We ask them about the mysterious city that appeared in the mountain and the demon. P & B clarify that we're asking about the town running their own stuff with a demon that's just a mayor and not even causing a problem. We tell them that our friend, Sil, was . going there. They nod, oh yeah, they know Sil and the Myconids. They say they saw Z with a locket going back toward Lichen Morells. We ask about Sapheros, the Sapphire Dragon. They look at each other and blink a few times. We watch emotions contort their faces and their eyes go wide. They inform us there can only be one Dragon of each type here and Etienne is the Sapphire Dragon here. More than one of a type of Dragon creates a power problem.

We return to Town. It is now a small city with neighborhoods being defined. There is a road to Wiikwa'ibii, with the help of the Myconids and the small earth elementals. That grouping has also been fortifying the city defenses. There are patrols from Etienne. Guilliam now looks very professional. His demeanor dissolves as he sees us and he cries out that he is so happy we are back.  He immediately asks us to take back over. There is a small cluster around Greeba's hut. It has now been determined that the city name is Lichen Morells.

We catch up to Granny. She comes across a boy in a wheelchair. Granny uses a popet and the boy starts to feel his legs. Then we find Z. He refuses to give us the locket. Lyra distracts him with a shiny coin and grabs the locket. Inside the locekt is a small note stating that Sil and Z infiltrated the cult. They were talking to us in disguise under the mountain. We actually knocked Z out. We almost blew their cover; almost killed them. Tiffany is safe, the note continues, saying she was one of the first to turn to the cult was to throw us off the trail. 

We are reminded that the Skyfire Church's army is about a month out. We find Grung blacksmiths using hammers made from graatuin forged with shells of living tissue. We have the following looking for egg laying species: Clem, Guilliam, Granny, the Grung, the Myconids. There have been reports of large spiders and big lizards.

Krockhock messages Piotr and Bas at some point. The message he receives says to wait for them here. 

There is now an education center. A real school building with rooms and grouping by age.

Lyra performs a song about the Sun. 

Rei is very quiet. She doesn't talk much anymore.

The city has a big celebration with a bonfire.

A water ship flies through the air. Ends up being Piotr and Bas.

*We ask why we don't remember them and we realize they have Time Daggers. They explain that a Time Dagger in the hands of a Time Dragon will erase whatever it cuts from existence. A Time Dagger in any other Dragon's hand can erase, trim, and change whatever it cut's memories. It can prune what we want for you to remember. We learn the mechanics of Time Daggers for party-members (i.e. It wouldn't be worth trying to obtain one.)

The party makes it to the clearing by the river. They can see the trees moving across the river. It's roughly three in the morning. It is somber as the party redistributes Booyagh's gear. He had 15 silver, 1 gold, an erotica book from the Church Mansion, 5 coats from said Mansion, 3 sabers, a light crossbow, 2 daggers, an arcane staff, weaver's tools, a crowbar, 10 torchers, 50 ft. of rope, and a bag of sunshine (15ft cone, 15 CON save, 1 use per day).

Tana sees the ship. The trebuchet is on it's side but still in one piece. Tana reaches out to Iora and lets Iora know what has happened. Iora says the spiders aren't supposed to be here now. That it's the wrong time of the year for them. Iora relays that angry people with spears got on the boat. The ship floats, but not everyone made it to the boat. Remy, the flock, healerman, Alli, Caelum, and Apple Bottom Jeans are on the ship. There is a lot of damage to the ship but the highlights are a huge hole clean through the boat, lost the foremast, and the figure-head is gone. 

There is also a stowaway in the bilge. They were found in the armory trying to salvage something. They claimed they needed to fix something. A hulking figure in split-mail wearing a giant helmet in the shape of a skull. There gauntlets have an eye on them (like Helm). However, there are points of light bleeding through there armor. They had the following on their person: a flail, a miner's pick, several strange wrought-iron fence spikes. The party discover the figure is an Astral Elf. Evie pokes a spot on the armor with her finger. The armor gives the impression of no flesh beneath it. The figure says that their name is Dezira. We ask them how they got below deck and Dezira says she knows how to get in small places good. Cotton asks where Dezira's body is and she states that in this armor is what is left of her body. Cotton and Dezira come to an agreement and she joins the crew. She easily breaks her rope in a heartbeat. Dezira helps around the ship and patches the biggest holes.

Cotton has declared the Lord Inspector will be treasurer.  

A day or two ahead of us is a drench nook hidden in back of a bay. A place for illicit trades.

Cotton now has a living wooden blade. When it is stabbed into the ground, it casts entangle.

During the night, Tana has a dream. She is in the middle of a vast body of water. A familiar hand struggles to reach up out of the water and keeps sinking down. She can't reach the hand in time and sees a murky form fade into a murky abyss. Tana wakes up drenched.

The next morning the party starts looking for the nook. It should be on the left. It's a camouflaged area, the vines part as you push trough them. They come upon the cute little bay with a couple houses and just enough room.

Once up to the dock, we meet with two individuals; a stout, stout dwarf that looks like he's never smiled in his life and a tall, thin dwarf standing behind the stout dwarf. The stout dwarf introduces himself as Gonzalo. The tall, thin dwarf does not say anything. We see Gonzalo look at Milphio and recognize him. Gonzalo seems unusually happy to see Milphio. There is talk of a fresh start. Milphio says that there are people that know scrolls nearby. A path in the woods with a hut of druids or wizards. Gonzalo says the work to the ship will cost us our supplies. We agree and they identify what materials are needed.

Milphio takes Tana and Rowan into the woods. The path dead ends into tree and goes around while a different path goes under the tree. They suddenly see the ramshackle hut. Milphio books it back towards the docks. Rowan knocks on the door and it swings open. They see it is dimly lit by the light coming in through holes in the roof. The hut looks like it had once been nice, long ago. Nature has reclaimed this hut. Rot, moss, and creatures have made nests here and then abandoned them. There are multiple holes in the floor through which the basement can be seen. They don't see any stairs. 

Rowan says out loud that they are there hoping to contact the Druid Network. A voice floats up from the basement asking who he is. Rowan responds that he's a customer looking for spell scrolls as the big spiders downriver killed an ally. He adds that he needs fire to defend himself and the crew. The voice floats up accusatory with the statement that he talks to much. Rowan and Tana realize his mouth is gone. The voice floats up again saying you, feathered one, come down, bring your friend and let us introduce ourselves. Then, Tana and Rowan hear Rowan's voice say hey guys it's pretty nice down here. They freeze for a moment then hear the voice say that they're taking too long. Rowan heads in through the door, then Tana.

As they walk in, the floor feels like it is sinking in the middle. The only light they see are the little pin pricks of sunlight that illuminates only them inside the hut. The voices start to move around erratically and come from behind their them only to suddenly shift to across the room. They say that it took them long enough and then asks what they are looking for today. They realize that it's Rowan's mouth talking to them. Unburdened by a mind, it speaks truth. Rowan's disembodied mouth hops out of the shadows with liquid trailing about behind it. It tells them that the mouth will go back in due time that the hut will be rid of the organ once the body leaves. It relays that there is no scroll of fireball but there are other fire spell scrolls. There is a hand, grotesquely long, withered with grey flesh and spindly fingers. It grasps a scroll that looks older than time itself. A voice calls out to take care dear, this one bites. They can see spell words burned into the scroll. 

The voice turns to Tana and asks her what for her. Perhaps a staff, power maybe. It notes that she seems to be touched from someone from these lands. As if she has power on loan from someone else. 

A tentable bearing a rod with suckers on it appears from the shadows. It is held aloft by wet, writhing flesh. Tentacles slither over towards Tana. It looks like its a Staff of the Kraken. The voice calls to Tana asking silent one. Tana remains silent. It asks if she desires more. She responds that she desires to leave. Not without a gift the voice insists. Several hands bearing scrolls appears. The scrolls are wet, glowing, and covered in cobwebs. 

The voice moves its focus back to Rowan and states he seeks the truth, that he wishes to identify. Rowan nods. Scrolls are given to Rowan. Then it says that you'll need something else; more power and tools to use it through. You found cold, it states, now for fire. There appears a scroll on fire before them. They can feel the warmth coming off it. Take it the voice says. Rowan reaches out and takes it. His hand is wreathed in fire (no damage). Ashardalon's Stride, the voice continues, taken from a Lord. 

The tone abruptly changes and the voice says now, goodbye. A staircase descends around them. Once they pass the door, it slams shut behind them. Once fully on the path going back to the dock they find Rowan's mouth bearing a large with pearl worth 100 gold in its teeth. Rowan quickly grabs his mouth and slaps it on his face. It adheres itself and works fine, as if it was never gone. Rowan notices that he has an ever-present taste of mint and capsaicin. Eyes from the hut watch Tana and Rowan leave.

Dezi sees something on the boat scurrying around the corner of the boat that then skitters down into the bilge. Dezi, Cotton, Evie, and Aramil go down to confront the figure. Cotton says in front of the door to the bilge that either come out of there or we will fill it and leave the door shut forever. They hear shifting but no answer and no move to open the door. Dezi jumps down first and uses Starlight Step to try and grab the figure. Dezi suceeds and the figure looks like a strangely hooded halfling with long nails. Dezi trys to give the figure bacon but it slaps the bacon out of Dezi's hand. The figure is acting much like a wild animal cornered. After a few minutes, they realize it's a rat! Evie starts to have tunnel vision but realizes it's not Razak. This rat looks like some kind of rat pirate only one that is foaming at the mouth and appears to be caring pestilence and plague. Like bad taxidermy only movable. 

Dezi searing smite a pick to its head. Cotton harpoons the rat and they work to propel the rat overboard and watch as it sinks into the water. A pool of orange liquid bubbles up to the top of the water and hisses before it turns green and spreads ever outward. Then it dilutes, succumbing to the water. Perhaps this water is magical?