Session 59: Home and Away Report

General Summary

Koba's Message

The party held their impromptu meeting with Koba Kaze who informed them of the recent developments in Bassonne:

1. The undead were still a problem in the city with Tobias haemorrhaging supporters to Wretch. There had been little violence actually as yet, though things were tense.
2. The lower city had started to become more civilised with the Red Hand effectively neutralised and the "Chainforged" much more open to external investment and helping the people of the lower city.
3. The council were in deadlock, unable to decide what to do about the Godrun Union situation and uncertain what their response to be.

He congratulated them on their successes thus far in Carderby, Slowpass and Priom Crana, but expressed concern at events coming from Nightwell, mentioning two new factors of consideration:

1. Something else, a subtle energy was also exerting force upon the weave, twisting it to unknown ends, it seemed to be coming from somewhere in the Blasted Frontier or Broken Remnants.
2. There had been a spike in energy coming from the Nightwell, and three malicious demonic creatures of driven intent had been detected emerging and heading east.

This all communicated he departed for further meetings with the council of Archmages.

Castle Sunder's Construction

Johnny Bravos was then pushed forward, clearly now the spokesmen for the builders at Sunder, and asked whether any specific rooms were to be furnished. The party gave him instructions to do the following:

1. Prepare Vitt's chamber below for the communication equipment he had requested.
2. Start moving any and all books into the northern the tower and start the process of forming a library.

Johnny agreed to do so, and would be happy to take any further instructions through Vitt and Jennifer in future.

Fulcrum Balancing

The then welcomed their retainers into court. The updates that they gave were as follows:

1. Volaar had been lost and her body obliterated by the Ankhegs nearby. That said, the Ankheg problem had been considerably reduced.
2. Several individuals had gained levels, and thus their abilities had improved: Shag (Lv.4), Arela (Lv.4), Nadaar (Lv.4), Wickan (Lv.3 - and now a retainer), Elias (Lv.3 - and now a retainer).

They also informed the party that they would be happy to do further work and it would be good to get out of the castle. The Board then made decisions on where exactly to allocate them.

A Titanic Heart

Administrative work then done, the party remained in Sunder for a few days until Aaron Schreck produced his reports on Beskus and Veritas, the latter seeming more concerning revealing a murder having taken place on the steps of the Senedd in the centre of the city, a hallowed place where no blood was to be spilt.   In addition, Hallaster called his "Bumsy" and asked her what was going on, she was pleased to hear fro him but said things were difficult in the city, it would be good for him to drop by.   They were also able to persuade Valikos val'Dissar, the indolent Aasmiar who had taken up residence that he had best make himself useful or find somewhere else to slack off. Valikos agreed to travel with the party.   They therefore set off for Veritas with haste, leaving Zartagar to mind the castle in their absence.   Travelling out of the settlement and south towards Slowpass, they then turned West and begun the long trek that could have taken over a month by road. They decided to take the roads some of the way, before turning off and heading through the wilds of the badlands.   The first few days travel were fairly uneventful, travelling through the hot, dry, barren Badlands.   Just over a week into their journey, the party began to see the Titans, huge rocky formations that looked almost humanoid, if immense.   Travelling closer to these massive rock formations, Blaize noticed one of them seemed to move, warning the party just in time before it's whole immense form began to shift and emitted a roar from its stone and sand face.   The creature was powerful, but no match for the adventurers who quickly felled it, thanks in no small part to Valikos' inner spirit who seemed to force him into combat.   The defeat of the creature revealed a large black stone heart, about 10ft in diameter and weighing more than might be expected.   Valikos attempted to strike it and, despite how firmly it was hit, did seemingly no damage to the object, instead receiving a blast of psychic energy and being sent stumbling back. A voice in his mind spoke to him in a voice he did not comprehend.   Hal opted for a more cautious approach, first identifying the object as a "Titan's Heart", which meant very little to him, and then placing his Gib-infused hand upon the rock, the ooze symbiote seemed to appreciate being shown the object, red tendrils emerging from the mark on his hand. Hal then heard a voice, speaking words in a language he did not comprehend, and felt a thrumming, a beat as if he himself were connected to the very heart of the world. This was a beat in time with the light coming from the Nightwell. Memorising the words, he let go.   The party then noticed the wind and sand picking up around them and it felt like other massive creatures were waking up around them. They fled as fast as they could, leaving the heart behind. As they glanced back, the sandstorm seemed to have worsened, but they swore they saw shapes moving in the darkness behind it.

The Thri Kreen and Gnolls

The following days went by without event, little happening of note, until as they travelled through a wide canyon, they heard a scrabbling to their right ahead of them, and a small, six-limbed creature approached, a Thri-Kreen, unarmed and seemingly to have been keeping watch. It asked for their aid, and before they really agreed, led them with him over the crest of a small dune and down into an encampment with several more of these ant-like creatures.   Before they could ask what was going on, they heard a huge howl from the west, as a horde of at least 50 gnolls charged around the cliffs nearby, led by a larger, more vicious gnoll, blood dripping from its jaws. It demanded they step aside or face death at his hands.   Ludovic hurled a retort, refusing to stand aside, and combat began.