After surfacing from the ocean depths, the party set out on the 3 day trip east to Brolin. Faelyn bade Arduin to get them home, so that she and the rest of the crew could get some rest. Revon noticed a strand of his hair as it fell in front of his face and realized the dye he used on his hair was fading, and quickly migrated to his cabin. When he did not emerge, his companions went in search of him, asking him if he was ok, and noticing the sharp contrast in his hair. Keeping his past as vague as possible, he admitted he had migrated from the Feywild, and that it was not on the best of term. He was worried Irabin was pursuing him, and wished to hide longer until he could get things sorted. As Irabin approached from above deck, Ember threw her cloak over Revon, allowing him to hide his hair.
After some boredom on the ship, while Ember tried out her upgraded mount, they finally landed in Brolin.
Waiting for them on the docks as they approached was an an emissary of the Many Stars. “Do not trust your allies, their intentions are their own,” she said, in a voice that seemed to come from beyond her. Her bright cloak faded, and the emissary looked around, realized where she was, and said “I’m supposed to be at the farms. Gotta run! So sorry!” Irabin stopped her, and paid her 5 gold for the inconvenience of delivering the message.
Resting for the night at the Velvet Ledger, Irabin treated them to the finest feast the city could offer, compliments of a healthy payment, and the immensely hospitable Lady Arabelle Veyrienne owner of the Velvet Ledger, with her wife Esmen Drusilla Alwen Tyranis. While there, Faelyn pulled Arabelle aside, asking for an update for anything she could share.
It’s bad Faelyn, she said, her normally cheery voice dropping somber and low. We’re getting reports of fallen academies, undead armies, and it sounds like the city of Melanii has fallen. There is panic and despair. No one knows what is coming next, and it’s terrifying. Faelyn listened, and tried to process the devastation happening to her land. Don’t worry Lady Arabelle, my companions are capable, and we will get to the bottom of this. I’ll see the Tarin circle tomorrow. Be safe and be well.
The next day the group set out to meet their contacts within the city. Their first stop was the Technomancers Guild. They approached the guild hall, which had been converted from an old saw mill, and it showed. Rather than an or ate building, it was little more than a large warehouse. Square, bland, but efficient. The only marking was a single symbol, a star within a gear.
Inside the main lobby was unmanned, and the workshop beyond silent. Drafous marched in without hesitation to investigate. The rows of work benches sat empty. The lights in the office upstairs were extinguished, save one. Korrin Vhalgrin was still home. Drafous moved upstairs and into the office, fearing the worst.
Korrin sat there, at his desk, poring over a ledger. He looked up, seeing Drafous, and the shock was evident on his face. Drafous! You’re alive! What has happened? Drafous responded, speaking into his mind, “it’s a long story friend. The world is in chaos, and for a brief time I was lost at sea. Why is the workshop dark?”
“The Landiss have put out a call for all able bodied persons to come help. After the fall of the Evoden Academy, fear has heightened, and they are looking for anyone to fight, build, or bolster them. The apprentices and lower members voted unanimously to join and create weapons and items for them, and even most of the tenfold joined as well. A few have gone off to check on friends and family. It’s just me left.” His tone and demeanor matched his grim words, leaving Drafous unsettled. “If you had been here friend, maybe you could have talked some sense into them, but I was unable to on my own… So who are your friends?”
Korrin looked behind the Shardmind to see the rest of the group in the door. “Allies who have joined me on the way. I am going to investigate the blight, and aid them as we can. Do you have means to keep in touch while I am away?” Korrin paused for a moment, thinking. Picking up one of a pair of stones on his desk, he hands it to Drafous. “This is a sending stone. Speak into it… or have a companion do so, and I will hear it on this end. I will do the same if I have news.” With that the group excused themselves, for they had more stops to make.
Pausing at the market on the way out of town, the party restocked supplies, and noticed the many fliers from the Landiss calling for recruitment. They took one, planning to pay them a visit. Ember bought Revon a new hat, taking back her cloak, while Irabin got a magical tattoo allowing him to channel Jerry’s abilities even further. It was apparent though, before Ember re-donned her garment, that she was drawing an immense amount of attention from some of the vendors of the market. Questioning one, he said “It’s weird. I’ve never seen a Planes-borne before, but now I’ve seen two in just the last week!” Ember upon hearing this got quiet, and urged the party to finish their business, and head on to their next destination, the Tarin Druids of Moonglade.
Leaving out the gate, the path to the enclave location was easy and well marked, as they had regular business with the town. The party traveled quickly, and soon stood on the edge of a grove where the council of 7 were meeting, engaged in grave conversation.
Aelthir Vaelora, leader of the circle, spotted Faelyn, and rushed over. “Faelyn! You’re alive! I’m so relieved. The world is ending, your ship went down, and we’ve all been so worried. Tell me what you can!” Faelyn gave a brief accounting of her tale ending with the question: “What can I do to help?”
“There is little you can do. Most of our order is holding the line of the forest, preventing any undead from entering, as a few have reached our borders. If you are travelling beyond the groves, please investigate the blight. I assume you are off to visit Riendaith?” “He is my next stop.” Faelyn confirmed. “I wish you speed then, little wolf.”
With that parting, the group set off , following Faelyn to the coast, then along the coast line, Faelyn changing into a unicorn and galloping while the rest of the party rose their magical steeds. They spotted some pirates on the way, but decided to leave it for now.
After a day and a half journey, they reached a cove, blocked by crashed pirate ships. Inside, they met Riendaith, sitting on a pile of treasure.
Upon seeing the group, Riendaith immediately took flight, charging straight at the group, while Faelyn changed into a wolf, and charged the incoming dragon, the met… and started to wrestle and play as old friends. The dragon paused upon seeing other outsiders, but then was too distracted fussing over Faelyn with more of the same she’d received from the druids. Faelyn gave Riendaith the friendship bracelet she had bought for her, and while conversing rapidly with one another, Faelyn mentioned they had commandeered a ship of her own, The Pale Wake, which she promptly summoned into the cove with a flourish. As the two continued to converse, and retire to the small ships cabin in the cave, Ember followed them, while the rest returned to the ship for the night.
Come morning, Irabin, who had been hunting the eladrin responsible for the Feywild Blizzard, decided that with Revon’s silver hair now showing silver, and his practice of chaos magic, ambushed him by manacling him as he exited his state room. Revon used a special eladrin trick his mentor had taught him, and fey stepped out of the manacles, and raced up the stairs. Irabin chased after him, followed by Drafous and 000Cedris who were trying to investigate the commotion, thinking they were under attack. By the time Irabin had reached the deck, Revon had managed to disappear. Drafous confronted him, and Ember, hearing the ruckus, hopped on her phoenix mount, flew to the ship, and landed. The group argued for a bit, until Faelyn finally flew over in her raven form, landed, and said “It’s time for you to get off my ship.” The group continued to argue, as Arduin watched. The ghostly captain tilted her head slightly, and a magical silence fell over the arguers. Faelyn said again “It’s time for you to get off my ship.” No one moved. Arduin tilted her head the other way, and the entire ship rotated 90 degrees. Faelyn was magically rooted to the spot, while everyone else went careening off the side of the ship. A couple of the members managed to land safely through teleporting or jumping.
Calmer now, Drafous took charge. “Revon will come out now, but you will not touch him. We will ask him, calmly, and not in manacles, what he knows about the blizzard. Understood?” Irabin agreed, and Drafous called out telepathically to Revon, who was stowed away in the captains quarters. He came down off the ship, and the group spoke, calmly. Revon admitted he had fled the Feywild because he knew trouble was coming for him, but did not know of the blizzard, the rift, or who caused it. Irabin did not detect any deception, and the two agreed to journey together to try to find the real culprit.
After everyone was satisfied, the group finally turned to the next question, where to next. They all agreed reporting to Korad-Tir should be the next step. The Landiss seemed the most informed to answer questions, and they hoped they might even be able to help. They agreed to set out by ship, pausing in Melanii to assess the validity of the rumors of it’s destruction, and possibly investigate the blight. After a brief backtrack to remove the pirates from existence (and get a little cash and build Riendaith’s horde) they set out east, staying close to the shoreline.
On the evening of the New MoonsVronHal 15, the group wandered up to the deck to see Ember on fire. Not just on fire, but in the middle of a fiery vortex. She grew wings, her eyes glowed, and she seemed to revel in the flames around her. Despite the immense heat, the ship’s magical protections held, and was unaffected by the flames. The more the party watched, the more the fire seemed to come from Ember. As they grew to an intensity they the felt would consume her, suddenly the flames pulled back within her. Her more diabolic appearance returned to her normal Tiefling self, with exception of the small wings which were still present.
“WHAT. WAS. THAT?!?” Drafous asked. Ember just looked at him and said “It’s my birthday,” as if that was explanation enough. The group looked on expecting more. “Revon is not the only one running from something. We can talk about it later, for now let’s go to bed.” The group seemed to accept her non-answer, for the time being.
A couple days later, the boat passed the edge of the blight. Getting a little further along, they stopped the boat, and Faelyn changed into her raven form, flew to shore, and went to land to get a sample of the blight for study. The much seemed to sap her magic, pulling her out of wildshape, grounding her. Determined, she scooped a handful of the bog into a bag she was holding, just to have her hand break out in excruciating pain. She decided she needed to flee, and tried to make for shore, while Ember mounted her phoenix, and bolted to rescue her. Faelyn was about halfway back, when she fell into a watery patch of muck, and sank to her waist. The pain was overwhelming, but she did not give in. She struggled, trying to climb her way out, while Ember raced to meet her.
As the halfling slowly sank, the Tiefling reached her, and with two great pulls, removed her from the mud, flew her back to the ship, and Irabin and Drafous hurried to aid her. Her lower half seemed to be rotting away, her magic armor and clothing barely withstanding the necrotic effect. Herbs from Irabin and magic salves from Drafous aided her, and she managed to shake the rot in the night. Still stiff and in pain, but fine.
From there, the group continued to Melanii, with Faelyn, Drafous, Ember, and Revon experimenting on the sample of the blight. Diluting it in water seemed to hold it at bay, and pure radiant damage seemed to counter it entirely, though the amount of energy needed would not be practical for fighting it on the wide scale to which it had spread. Drafous even broke off a piece of his living crystal, and mixed it with a sample, at which time he was struck with a migraine, and the spot where he had broken off the shard seemed to reflect the corruption.
Sitting on this unsettling thought, they rested, until the shores of Melanii were in sight, and a most unwelcome sight it was.
