13th of Eleint
Chapter 1: Ending of Planning Meeting & Night
Jek: We will be standing by here ready whenever your task is completed.
Isteval: I will be staying here. My adventuring days are over. He pats his bum leg. “Darfin and I will be staying here.”
Joan: I also intend to make sure you all come back.
Sorrow: (To Atalaya) “Just make sure you don’t let Cirilli talk you into taking her with you.”
Atalaya: “No way. She stays here.”
Atalaya asks Seraphina if she knows how strong a caster Curan is? “Is he strong enough to cast a restoration spell on Vaz?”
Seraphina does not think he is strong enough to do that yet.
The meeting breaks up and our group heads back to the Green Goblin.
Wanting to get an early start we head to bed soon after arriving. Vaz and Atalaya take the single room. Nevil, Inman, Joan, Seraphina and Sorrow stay in the larger room.
14th of Eleint
Chapter 2: Return to Master Elaria’s House
We wake up eager to make our way to our Parabor house. We mostly skip breakfast, maybe getting a bit of coffee and a biscuit before leaving. Atalaya gathers everyone in a circle, holding hands and focuses on the yard in front of our Parabor house. As the mist solidifies into reality again, we find ourselves in front of Elaria’s house. Delicious smells of cooking food greets us. Atalaya releases the hands she is holding and steps towards the door, calling out to announce our arrival.
We hear Myricia’s squeal of delight and a small winged dragon-like creature flies out the front door and lands on Atalaya’s shoulder. Her voice is heard inside our heads and she seems to be broadcasting to everyone. She is excited to see us, so glad that we have come back. She has missed us. Atalaya assures her that we have come for a visit, that we have missed her and are happy to see her here. She is introduced to Nevil and Inman.
Grinda also comes running out and hugs Atalaya and then Vaz and Sorrow. Atalaya introduces him to Inman and Nevil. When we admit that we haven’t had breakfast yet and eagerly pulls us into the house, sits us down at the table and tells us that he will have food and coffee out soon. He had been making a meat pie for Myricia and this gets shared with all of us. He also assures us that he has a lot of vegetarian offerings, which he brings out while brewing a new, much larger pot of coffee. The food is great and everyone is enjoying it. Nevil asks Grinda why he didn’t stay with Atalaya’s part of the group. Grinda responds by saying that his gardens were here and that someone had to make sure everything was ready for the family to have a safe and relaxing place whenever we showed up.
Sorrow has mostly worked himself out of his shirt in anticipation of getting into the hot tub as soon as he finishes eating. Finally he can’t wait any longer, takes what is left of his breakfast and gleefully enters the hot tub. He leaves the door open to better hear the conversation at the table. Inman finishes up his own breakfast and then joins Sorrow. Nevil reports that the hot tub was added after she and Inman studied with the Master.
At the table we continue to talk. Grinda tells us that Tif and Mac are not here currently. They had gone to Riverport. He says that Mac is seeing someone there. They are getting ready to make additions to the house.
Eventually we get up from the table and Nevil begins wandering around the house, remembering her time here as the Master’s student.
[Add Nevil’s thoughts?]
Atalaya keeps an eye on Nevil, making sure that she doesn’t head outside unescorted. Finally when Inman and Sorrow finally get out of the hot tub, Atalaya takes both Inman and Nevil out to meet Avalon and to gather the weapons we are going to need to destroy The Eye. Vaz goes with them. We head out into the back of the house. When we get to the fire pit, Atalaya asks them to wait there while she notifies Avalon of our return and that we have guests. Vaz remains with them as an added precaution.
Atalaya makes her way to the vault, rounding the corner and carefully calling out a greeting to Avalon. He floats into view, his voice excited as he greets her. Atalaya asks how he is and how things have been going. There are several dead squirrels scattered around the area in front of the vault. Avalon says that it has been quiet except for the squirrels. Atalaya nods as she accepts this information. She says that she has brought some new friends for him to meet and who will be staying with us. They are to be allowed access to the vault and are not to be killed. Once she is sure that he understands, she brings him over to the fire pit and introduces Nevil and Inman. Atalaya observes the interactions and holds her breath hoping that Nevil has accepted the existence of Avalon and will not feel the need to immediately send him back to his own plane of existence.
[Add Nevil’s thoughts]
The tension noticeably flows out of her as she realizes that it is going to be alright.
Atalaya then turns her attention to Avalon and asks him if he is happy here or if he would like to return to his own world. A discussion followed with Atalaya explaining that we were going to remove the items that he had been guarding. If he wanted to go back to his own home, we would send him, but it was his choice. Nevil questions this. Avalon explains to her that he doesn’t remember where he came from. He remembers being in the dark library and he remembers meeting our party when we went there to retrieve The Eye. He wants to continue guarding for us. Atalaya agrees, but reminds him that it his choice and if he wants to be returned to his own world he needs only to ask and we will get him back.
Atalaya and Nevil walk back to the vault with Avalon. Atalaya quickly places the tiles and enters the vault, Nevil following. As we reach the bottom level Nevil stops to take in the room. The large tiled sunburst pattern on the floor is striking. On the dias at the back of the room three stone stands are seen. The two outer ones are empty, but on the middle one sits a wide treasure chest. There are columns along the sides of the space and scorch marks are visible on the walls and floor. On the far wall there is a map.
Atalaya walks up to the treasure chest. She opened her pack and got out the bag of holding. She pulled out all the cult items that were contained in it and the broken weapons that we had taken from vanquished foes for Nevil’s pilgrimage and placed them on the floor next to the chest support. Then, taking a deep breath, she opened the chest and picked up the first of the three weapons.
The first weapon she picks up is the Trident, Wave. They hear a sung sea shanty while Atalaya places it into the bag of holding. Then Atalaya pulls out the War Hammer, Whelm. Nothing seems to happen as she places it into the bag of holding. While both of these weapons were strikingly well made, Nevil breath catches as she sees the third weapon. Atalaya pulls out a greatsword, Blackrazor. It’s absolutely beautiful, like the night sky filled with stars. The sheath is decorated with cut obsidian. As it leaves the bag of holding there seems to be an oppressive pall over the area.
As Atalaya grasps Blackrazor she hears in her mind the sword talking to her. “It’s about time. What took you so long?” Atalaya gulps and then thinks to the sword, “While it took some time to figure out. Got a plan now.” She stuffs the sword into the bag of holding breathing a sigh of relief as she loosens her grasp on the sword.
Atalaya quickly places all the items on the floor into the treasure chest and closes it. “Avalon will keep these safe until we are ready to deal with them.”
We leave the vault and as Atalaya takes down the tiles, locking the vault’s door she realized that she didn’t show Nevil how to open the vault. She demonstrates, taking the time to explain the system and about the Master’s true name, Erris Dawnforge.
We walk back to the firepit and tell the others that the weapons have been retrieved. Everyone else has come out and are seated around the fire pit and a fire has been started. Seraphina has her pipe out and is partaking of some of her specially home grown weed. Sorrow has also enjoyed some of her produce and a wine flask is being passed around. Atalaya asks if they are ready to retrieve Cirilli in Salt Marsh. Everyone looks at her as if she was crazy. Nevil, taking in the others, noting Sorrow’s already inebriated state looks at Atalaya and says that we can go to Salt Marsh tomorrow. Atalaya isn’t sure about that. {She’s thinking that she needs these weapons destroyed as soon as possible and the thought of being this close to Blackrazor is creeping her out.} Atalaya is talked into spending the rest of the day here and going to Salt Marsh tomorrow. She gives in relatively quickly, especially as she realizes that Sorrow is well into his cups already and maybe Cirilli doesn’t need to see him like that. She gets some help to bring out the benches from the dining room table and some of the Parabor wine and we spend the day relaxing and sharing more stories about what had been happening since we last saw each other. Atalaya gets pulled onto Vaz’s lap and she doesn’t attempt to evade the position. {Grinda and Seraphina prepare both a delicious lunch and later a dinner.} We enjoy the stars that evening as the day’s overcast clouds finally clear away.
Sorrow crawls off the bench he was sitting on with Joan and lays on the ground watching the stars. Finally Joan realizes that he will stay out in the open all night if not helped to a bed. She decides it is time for him to turn in and picks him up and carries him into the house, placing him in the room that Tif is using. The rest of us turn in shortly after that. Nevil and Inman retire to the Master’s room. Joan and Seraphina to the two rooms other bedrooms. Atalaya and Vaz sleep in the curtained off area that had been set up for Cirilli. (Grinda has made a room up for himself in the cellar and has plans for digging out his own space down there during the upcoming building additions.)
Gina, I think we originally used the hall space near the other bedrooms as Cirilli’s space, but after really looking at the dynamic lighting lines and realizing where the door to the 3rd bedroom is, I think moving the space to the other side of the fireplace is a more logical place for her room. It is a bigger space and no one would have to walk through her space to get into their room. I moved Grinda to the cellar, because he shouldn’t have to wear sunglasses when relaxing in his room. If that doesn’t work for you let me know and I’ll change it. Seraphina and Joan probably usually sleep in their wagons, but they wouldn’t be here since we teleported in for Riverport. I also assumed that Mac would have taken the Master’s room for her own when she and Tif got back here.)
We sleep deeply, guarded by Avalon. Ataalya trances once Vaz falls to sleep, and then gets up. See cutscene.
15th of Eleint
Chapter 3: Visiting Ramne
Once everyone is up and Grinda feeds us breakfast we get ready to return to Salt Marsh, but first we decide to visit Ramne to see if he can perform the restoration need to return Vaz’s life force and missing years. Before we leave Atalaya goes into the room that had been Elaria’s and finding her hairbrush, takes it as the focus she will use to return to this house.
We head out to Parabor and carefully skirt the town to the south, trying to limit interactions with the townfolks. When we reach the river on the western side of town we follow the bank northwards until we reach the bridge and use it to cross the water.
On the other side an Elm forest starts and there is a path leading into it. We take that, and follow it to Ramne’s tower. We reach a ramshackle tower with an old man, his short hair a silvery white, gardening in the gardens around the tower. Atalaya calls out to Ramne to get his attention. At first he seems to have trouble placing us, but Atalaya reminds him who we are and mention that he watched Cirilli for us when we needed to leave her in a safe place. He instantly remembers as soon as Cirilli is mentioned and is happy to see us. He invites us in for coffee. We accept. Whiskers, his familiar, a weasel, peers out from under Ramne’s robes. Atalaya greets him and he chitters in response. Nigel hears and comes out to check out Whiskers. The two scamper off to play while we talk.
Nevil and Inman are introduced.
We ask if he is able to do restorations, explaining what happened to Vaz and how we are trying to undo the effect. We assure him that we are willing to pay for his assistance and Atalay adds that we have the diamond dust needed for the spell. He offers to perform the restoration for 350 gp if we provide the diamond dust.
Ramen performs the spell in a ritual casting. The diamond dust is turned into a large pill that Vaz has to swallow. We watch, Atalaya in awe, as the years seem to fall away from Vaz. His hair goes back to it’s natural color with maybe a couple of stands of grey left in. His voice loses its raspiness and returns to his normal sounding voice. Atalaya endures some gentle teasing, but replies that the older appearance wasn’t an issue to her, that in fact she thought he looked very handsome but she is not willing to lose the 10 years with him. Each is precious to her.
We ask Ramne about what has been happening in town while we were gone. He says that the cult has not been as bad or active just recently. And that they seem disorganized. We admit that we had something to do with that, taking out a cult member that seemed to be in charge of this area. Ramne is intrigued. He tells us that Cirilli’s parents are still in town and still are involved with the cult. He has not seen her brother. Sandy and Summer miss their friend Cirilli. When asked about the missing mayor Ramne is pretty sure that he is in fact deceased, but says that no one knows what has happened to his two elven guards. Atalaya looks worried. She says that we have already had to rescue them from the cult once before. She wishes that we could look for them right now, but realizes that destroying The Eye and closing the portal has to be the first priority.
Chapter 4: Return to Salt Marsh and Collecting Cirilli
We take our leave of Ramne and hike out of sight of his tower. Then gathering everyone in a circle and taking out of the paperweight from Cirdan’s house, Atalaya transports the group to the front yard near the front porch area.
We knock on the door and Raven answers it. Atalaya asks about Cirilli and Raven says that she is out playing with the cousins somewhere on the grounds.
Cirdan joins us and we head into the dining area. Seated around one of the tables Nevil tells him that the groups in Riverport are definitely interested in accepting his assistance and explain briefly that they have plans for closing the portal that the Thayians are using to reach the Sword Coast.
Cirdan asks if we can get him to Riverport. The group starts to agree, but Atalaya starts counting how many we are taking and end up with one too many. She explains that she can’t get him there this trip, but that she can come back for him tomorrow and get him there. Cirdan says not to worry about it, there are other ways that he can get there.
Once Cirilli is collected and packs (“You weren’t gone very long.”) we port to Riverport and the Green Goblin.
Game Ends
