30. Wild Heron Chase Report

General Summary

27th Dravago, 998 YK

• Terfel reads the Codex Anathema. He finds himself in the red room with a creature that looks like Llyr.
• The creature morphs into Terfel, and states he can receive an answer to one question.
• Terfel asks the entity why the Daelkyr allowed themselves to be sealed away, if they knew it was going to happen.
• The entity answers that, to an ageless being that perceives all of time at once, in a realm unburdened by impossibility, a cage is a novelty to be enjoyed. Should they desire to be free, they are already free.
• Terfel seems to suffer no adverse effects, unlike Warden .

• Warden returns to Fat Tusk with Batul. He excitedly rejoins the party and explains what he saw.
• There is some discussion, they're pretty sure that the prophecy fragment refers to Dah'mir.
• The party are very concerned about the Daelkyr. The Gatekeepers seem poorly equipped to handle the threat.
• Batul explains that the Gatekeepers are fractured and have never been a particularly centralized force. It's mostly a collection of traditions practiced by tribes, and most of them don't even know where the other seals are.
• There is also some discussion of the Bull Hole, the seal at Bull Hollow. Warden didn't actually see the seal fall.
• Batul will send Orshok to survey the Bull Hole, and confirm if it has fallen.
• After Dax suggests it, Batul will journey again to the Siberys Observatory, and leave a message at the other observatories, for the other gatekeepers. They need to be on guard, the Daelkyr are stirring.
• The party agrees that their next step is to head to Zarash'ak and see what they can learn.

• The party arrive in Zarash'ak in the evening, and sleep at Natrac's house.
• During the night, Singe approaches Kalshana , Terfel and Warden about getting Dax' Athla , Geth and Ashi to do something else while they speak to House Tharashk.
• They think Singe is being a bit of a dick, but he seems genuinely concerned that the more "rough and tumble" amongst them might start a fight.
• At the same time, Geth and Ashi approach Dax about doing something else whilst the others talk to House Tharashk. Geth doesn't wanna be stuck inside talking to people all day, and Ashi is uncomfortable with being indoors anyway.
• Dax is up for scouting, specifically she wants to find out if Vennet d'Lyrandar is in the city.
• Ashi tells Dax that Vennet got involved during the journey between Yrlag and Zarash'ak, months ago. She was in the hold, stalking Geth and Singe, and she got in a fight. Someone tried to touch her sword, the penalty was death.
• When Vennet heard her story, as well as Geth and Singe's side of things, he determined he was going to help Ashi, and kidnapped Natrac to lay an ambush.
• Dah'mir paid Vennet for his services, with several dragonshards. Ashi doesn't know what kind.

• In the morning, Natrac receives a letter confirming a dinner invitation for the group at his historian friend's house.
• The party splits up. Dax, Geth and Ashi are going to explore Zarash'ak and specifically go to the docks to see if Vennet is in town.
• The rest of them are going to the Great Herb Market to ask around. They'll all meet there when they're done.
• Warden does some shopping at the great herb market, as does Terfel, buying supplies for Dax.
• They ask around the market, but nobody seems to know anything about the location the party is after.
• Natrac tracks down a Tharashk bounty hunter in a gaeth'ad house. Like a teahouse mixed with a pub.
• The party goes to the Crooked Hunda Stick to speak to the bounty hunter, Kelarth Velderan d'Tharashk.
• They go in, and the gaeth'ad house is partitioned to give the patrons privacy.
• They go up to the partition they are after, and hear a deep voice discussing financials (in goblin) with a higher pitched voice.
• Entering the partition, they see Kelarth and his accountant, Preesh.
• Kelarth demands they pay him 10 silvers before he'll talk to them. Warden hands him a gold.
• He's never heard of the Spires of the Forge or the Hall of the Revered, and claims that if he doesn't know a place in Droaam, then it doesn't exist.
• They try to coach some more information out of him. He suggests that the tangled valley possibly refers to the Watching Wood or one of the mountain ranges. The only "spire" he knows of is the Great Crag, and it's literally a mountain.
• They go back to the rest of their group and buy some gaeth'ad. They each have different "flavours".
• They give Medala some "Curiosity", but she doesn't react to it other than to say it tastes bitter.
• On their own adventures, Dax, Geth and Ashi head to the docks, where they see green-eyed, black herons all over the place.
• Dax slips below the raised platforms of the city and swims up to the docks, where she sees an elemental galleon in port. She can't read, but the name has 16 letters in it.
• She gets closer, and see's Vennet on the deck conversing with Dah'mir, in his human form.
• She gets spooked and returns to Geth and Ashi. They're going to go get the others.