Session 058: Kobolds and Conspiracies Report

Shadow: "What's up?"   Jeets: "Interesting seeing you guys here..."   Shadow: "That's what we were thinking. What are you guys doing here?"   Jeets: "Just handling some routine business we have here. We had gotten word that someone had killed their Dragon, so trying to see how that changes some negotiations we have with them."   Bastion: "yeah... about that...   Shadow and Calliope also chime in a bit   Barlo: " you mean that Blue Dragon?   Jeets: "Yeah, the carcass over there. That has been protecting them for some time and now they're nervous if this might mean Harm to their community.   Bastion: "in our defense, it did attack us first."   Barlo/Shadow: "yeah.   Jeets: "Yeah, dragons tend to do that to those who Fly over their lands.   Shadow: "We were just flying ahead   Jeets: "I'm sure things will change as more sky ships now will inevitebly take to the air.   Bastion: "It wasn't just that, someone sent it after us   Jeets: "Someone sent the Dragon after you?   Bastion: "yeah. her words were 'someone told me you were here'   Sas: "I think it was ..   Sas/Shadow/Barlo: "it said 'she told me you were coming' or something like that.   Barlo: "We gave it all the chances to leave, but...   Jeets: "Give me a second here..   He takes Remington to the side and they talk privately. Then he returns: "That's all very fascinationg, I'm going to have to look more into who this "She" might be. I hope it didn't hurt you all too bad   Barlo/Bastion: "It tried...   Bastion: "Wait, how are you here?   Jeets: "I have a Helm of Teleportation. It's how we are able to traverse a bit quicker to handle some of the things we are involved in.   Bastion: "That makes sense." then looks at the party "no one was that interested in how he got out here so fast?   Jeets: "We had gotten a Message from their shaman who tends to Message us when situations arise as there are contracts in play.   Barlo: "so, you're working for these kobolds?   Jeets: "I don't Work for them, but there are contracts as they mine out under the Fossilized Forest some of that material is used for the experiments and Crafting done at Outding Refuge   Barlo: "oh. So the Dragon was their protection?   Jeets: "The Dragon and the kobolds here, which are actually blue kobolds, have lived with the Dragon so long they have taken on his coloring. The truth is that the population of this mining group is busting at the seams. In a normal Kobold community they would have split into two already. That Dragon kept them in a single group, so now I'm sure there will be a migration. ... some murmuring and thoughts... yeah, so there is symbiotic ecosystem that was here. the Dragon kept others out so the kobolds could continue to mine.   I mean, you have the weapons that Ursa, and I mean Lars made for you. Where it uses the Wood that was found on Outding that originally came from here.   Barlo: "So, Outding is close to this location? It's not too hard to get here from there?   Jeets: "yeah. This is one of the nearest land drops near it. But no one would come near here for a long time due to the Dragon, I was lucky that in one of our travels I had met some of these kobolds. I had told Ursa about the kobolds, so with her we made a deal to purchase some of their mining as the Wood is not that important to them and they really like the crystals found on Outding. So we are merely the middle people for these deals.   Barlo: "So you are transporting back and forth. Like a courier   Jeets: "We don't do the courieing so much anymore, but as I was saying we tend to step in on major concerns - such as their guard Dragon being killed. That's when we get called.   Barlo: "Don't bullshit me Jeets, did we just disrupt some shipping situation? What's going to be the biggest fallout from this, if any? Besides this migration of kobolds.   Jeets: "I think that is the big one, and I think there might be a bit less trade as ... I am sure that Ursa will pursuade that half of the colony to mine under Outding. Which would be to their benefit.   Shadow: "Would the kobolds know who this "she" was that sent the Dragon?   Jeets: "I'll see if there is anyone else who comes by and talks to them. As far as I know, I am one of the very few. As far as who the Dragon speaks to, I don't know. I never actually met the Dragon, so I don't know much about it. The kobolds had told it to not Harm us. I know that a lot of blue dragons tend to have henchmen and so he probably had some network. I will look to see if I can find about any females who talked with the Dragon.   Barlo: "Is there any way we can keep in touch with you?   Jeets: "I know that Ursa is working on some mirror system, but um.. (he trails off a moment in thought, but comes right back) more and more lately, I ... I'm not gonna lie, I a..   Bastion: "Let me guess, you think Ursa is the one.   Jeets: "I am having my doubts about her.   Shadow: "OH!   some insight roles   Bastion: "Out with it, what are you thinking?   Jeets, a long sigh... "There is just little things we've been picking up on... I don't know. I mean, when we met on that beach as I told you I had been to Outding many times over the years and I have known Ursa for a long time, and she has changed a lot. Including Lars who seems unable to think unless she's around.   Shadow: "like she's controlling him some how? or...   Jeets: "To a degree, I guess. I mean one could write it off as he is just that much in love with her, but ... It is just that she worked for him for so long and then out of the blue the whole dating, and marriage and...then they've grown the whole ... I mean granted a lot of it comes to how they've been able to exploit the Arcane Forge, but I mean   Barlo: "They're married now?   Jeets: "Yeah. For a few years now. Oh right you were all gone for a few years   Shadow: "They told us at the ... Barlo: "Must have been while we were away   Shadow: "They told us at the Ceremony.   Barlo: "Oh right, when we were gone for those three years.   Shadow, to Jeets: "Is Ursa a magic-type person? I know Lars has some arcane whatever   Jeets: "See, that's the thing. She seems as she doesn't but there are times where I am sure I caught some bits of magic from her. She seems to have some arcane ability, but doesn't want people to know.   Calliope's ring   Shadow: "So we haven't been to Outding in years, so what are we walking into?   Jeets: "Well, I .. what is it you are stopping there for?   Shadow: "Didn't they tell us to just stop by? (she says to the party)   Bastion: "Yeah. we got a Message were supposed to just stop by.   Shadow: "Yeah..   Jeets: "Oh, is that all? Then I don't know.   Shadow: "I think from Ursa   So they tell Jeets about the Message    

  Message from Ursa to Bastion   "We're still looking at these jars, we think may have .. at Skola Vale we discussed those orbs, and then we heard you had one that is possibly breaking."   bastion: "yes"   Ursa: "We are genuinely curious about these things, and we heard you may be passing by. If you want we can possibly take that one off your hands to see if we can keep it safe. Just an idea. Just wanted to throw it by you. Also, We're working on a new communication device so you can keep up with others, especially as we don't trust the T.W.I.T.T.E.R. service."   Bastion: "I hear it might be terrible. Okay, ..."   He tells the others, how they think they can keep it safe. The party says they trust Ursa and Lars. Bastion also learns about the situation with the Harpy.  

— Session 55: The Siren's Call Report

  Jeets: "Yeah, that's part of it for me. They seem to keep trying to find all these different things.   Shadow: "Is there any residual magic in that cracked orb?   Bastion: "What do you mean they keep trying to find all these different things... Like, have you collected other orbs for them?   Jeets: "They already have two. One we got from Bargle, see... that's (he seems to have a bit of mummbles and thoughts).. We got that one and then we found the one Pradam Estorich happened to have in his hat. I mean they haven't been exactly looking for those, but there have been various other artifacts that they have hired us from time to time to look for, investigate or find.   Bastion: "Can you get me a list of these artifacts?   Shadow: "Maybe they all tie in together somehow...   Jeets: "I'd have to check, I don't know off the top of my head all the items. I don't recall too much connection, but I can check my notes. oh, speaking of which.   he reaches in his bag, which does appear to be a Bag of Holding, and pulls out a Sending Stone and hands it over, then says: "so we can keep in touch and I can send you that list. I know Ursa is working on a Mirror-based communication system, but now I'm not trusting that. The reason she is pushing different governments towards that is by telling people that Morenars Neyers' T.W.I.T.T.E.R. service is to not be trusted, besides just being overpriced. She has been telling people that she believes Morenars is using it to spy on all the messages being sent, but if that's possible then why wouldn't she be doing that with hers? I am getting a bit of an "accusation is a confession" thing going on. I mean she... well she - She has had us looking quite a bit into a Wizard, I'm sure you have heard of Tharros?   Bastion/Shadow: "Yes.   Jeets: "He hasn't been seen in over 3 years and yet she's having us constantly look into reports about him, with no explanations.   Shadow: "Do you know much about the orbs?   Jeets: "I had Pradam do some research on it since the one we found in his hat supposedly looks to be the one for his home realm, and so he was looking for a way to get back to it.   Shadow pulls out the cracked Orb found with Beholder and asks: "What do you think she can get out of this one? Is it still magical? Is it something she can manipulate?   Jeets: "That, I don't know. What I would say is if you told her you were going to let her have it and now decide not to, she might get suspicious. Something to be aware of as well. I've been keeping my suspicions close to the cuff. and not until this conversation have I really put some of these pieces together.   Bastion: "How soon until you can get us that list?   Jeets: "I don't have my notes on me, but I'll have to review them. I will definetily get that to you as soon as I can. But seriously, don't let her know of your suspicions, especially since we might be wrong -- I don't even... I mean there are various things I am suspicous about, but like how this whole even here works to her benefit. Now she is going to have a whole colony of kobolds to mine under Outding.   Bastion: "So she could be the one who sent the Dragon after us, huh?   Jeets: "That's what I'm wondering, what I'm worried about. It could be just that she wanted the Dragon out of the way and figured you could take it down.   Bastion: "Or it takes us down and she gains access to another orb.   Jeets: "Another orb and down goes another group of adventurers she may worry could discover what she is up to. and that's even if we are correct. For all we know it is Lars trying to put her up as the front to keep suspicions off of him, or who knows? I am just not certain of anything right now.

Bastion looks to Remington: "Did you know this Dragon?   Remington: "No. I tend to steer away from any chromatic outside of my doppleganger of sorts at Outding doing the stand-in for that Dragon. I'll admit, when we started dealing with the kobolds I had thought we should get rid of the Blue Dragon, but the Dragon had a strong bond with the Kobolds that I didn't push for that. The Dragon side of my heritage has a fond look for kobolds who are not hurting anyone.   Bastion: "Is it possible to get a metallic Dragon to take the place and protect them?   Remington: "I'm not sure how that would Work, to be honest. I mean, it's not like all of us dragons know each other. I do tend to steer away from other dragons as I focus on my missions, which is where I am getting concerned about this matter. As it puts the Arcane Forge in the hands of the type I was trying to stop.   Bastion: "Do you think Lars is under a spell or curse?   Remington: "I've had my suspicions, as I have shared before with Jeets. And as he said, it's only in this discussion I am even starting to put some pieces together althought I am sure we are missing some large part of the puzzle. Something we are not seeing.   Shadow: "Maybe we can try to seperate them and cast something like Greater Restoration on Lars Heyton.   Bastion: "Or Dispel Magic or Remove Curse...   Shadow: "But I think we need to seperate them, obviously.   Remington: "I will say, that they have had 3 years to get their claws in them, that's the risk. They might have something strong on them.   Shadow: "Yeah.   Remington: "See, that's the thing that's odd. If there are such dwomers then they should have been spotted at your coronation as the Ceremony had all types of protections to protect from illusions and such unless she got into that... lots to think about.   Sas: "Lots.   Remington: "I think for now we should continue to be the middle for her and the kobolds. See what her plans are, if she is going to move them. See what benefit that might get for her.   Barlo: "yeah, we should get going...   Remington: "You have the Sending Stone, so you can reach us. We can talk soon.   Bastion: "Do you want to come with us?   Remington: "I Fear that may be suspicious. I don't want that kind of confrontation yet, besides who knows what safeguards she has. And what if we're wrong?   Barlo: "Besides you can just get there right away with the helmet, whereas we still have some travel ahead.   Remington: "Besides I think Jeets still has to finish some negotiations and coddling here...   Jeets: "Yeah. We're going to finish our business here, but if you do learn anything, let us know. We will need to learn more of what her plans may be.   Barlo: "Before we go, ...   he takes Jeets away: "let me speak with you a moment", and takes him away to whisperspeak   Barlo: "How well do you know the crew you're with now, and do you trust them 100%?   Jeets: "The twins have no connection to Outding. I trust them. With much of what we've done it has had nothing to do with Outding, helping others. With Remington, he is trustworthy. There are still things we haven't discussed, especially about his lineage. He's the one who was harmed from the events on Outding we first saw. The things Jacoby Drexelhand did messed up his Simulacrum so much, it put things at risk that using the Arcane Forge could wake up the Dragon That Slumbers.   Barlo: "Okay, I just wanted you to watch your back with the mistrust about Ursa.   Jeets: "That's why I had my doubts, as I have doubts about everyone I meet in my travels. I'm not going to lie, the only one I ever truly trusted was Cellymas.   Barlo: "can I see that helmet of yours?   Jeets: "Sure." and he pulls it out. The Helm of Teleportation is Metal with runes. It is not a cloth hood or the helmet of the Shadow Thieves it is also not of any resemblance to what seems to be from Lars. He asks about that. Jeets said he got it on an adventure, and it has been handy. He points to the ship and says he wants one of those.   Barlo: "If we find another, we'll let you know.   Jeets: "I'm sure we'll see more soon enough.   Barlo: "You think she wants to look at our ship?   Jeets: "If she is as bad as we are thinking, and she has the network I Fear she might -- she probably already had spies in Skola Vale when the worked on the ship. As I said, she keeps having us look for this Tharros and with the intel she has, she has to have access to some network.   Barlo returns to the group with closing salutations. He throws him a Platinum coin and thanks him for the stone. Jeets waves down his party and they return to the kobolds, as Barlo tells the party what was discussed.   Then Jeets runs back...: "Real quick, let me ask you if you know this name...   Bastion: "grognard?   Jeets: "no, we've heard of him. It was a name I heard once said in her presence and she reacted in an odd way, 'Vyerith'   Shadow: "yes.   Barlo: "Vyerith?   Shadow: "We freed her from that ... jail cell under outding.   Jeets: "you freed a 'vyerith'?   Shadow: "Yeah. She said she was on the Triboar Trail and taken by some old man Wizard. We had freed her.   Jeets: "old man Wizard?   Shadow/Barlo: "Yeah, we assumed Jacoby.   Bastion: "What do you know of Vyerith?   Jeets: "It was something that came up in one of our investigations, when it was said there was a Weird look on her face. Since then I've been trying to figure it out. And now you tell me you freed a woman named Vyerith who was held prisoner by a Wizard...   Bastion: "Was her look concern, like relieved   Shadow: "or 'uh oh'?   Jeets: "more 'uh oh'. And if this person was held by an old man Wizard yet we keep being sent to look for an old man wizards, I have to wonder.   Barlo: "Wait, didn't we meet Vyerith again? On the road to Skola Vale? . ... no that was Volo. but there were a few other instances of hearing the name...   previous mentions of Vyerith   Jeets: "well, what we had come across was about a Vyerith who was in a little town of Philander in Eushia. They also have an Arcane Forge recently uncovered. It had been found shortly before all of us had met. My understanding was that there was a Vyerith out there working with a Wizard named like 'spider' or 'the black Spider' or something like that. There was a group of heroes up there looking into some other issues, but they found the forge helping a Dwarf up there. I guess one of their party turned out to be evil or something and tried to kill them all, then some monk had to put them down. She brought up the Vyerith but the details were sketchy as she might have been connected to some underground organization or something. We didn't have much to go on, but I remember the look Ursa gave... granted you said she was an Elf.   Shadow: "Maybe Ursa had her captured?   Jeets: "We'll have to look more into it.   Bastion: "Maybe Tharros double-crossed her.   Jeets: "possible. Tharros doesn't have the greatest reputation, as much as he has helped some he has always seemed to be in it for himself. Whenever he has done a good deed it seems it was to his benefit in the end. He's not the most evil of wizards, at all -- but as I said, no one has seen him in some years.

As your players' airship approaches the legendary Flying City of Outding Refuge, their breath is taken away by the awe-inspiring sight that unfolds before their eyes. The city hovers majestically above the clouds, its massive structures creating a striking silhouette against the endless sky.   As they draw closer, the three immense obelisk-like islands come into view, each distinct in its appearance and purpose.   The first island they encounter is adorned with a gleaming white obelisk. Its surface seems to reflect sunlight, making it almost glow with an ethereal radiance. Surrounding the obelisk is a vast expanse of lush green grass, stretching as far as the eye can see. The green field is dotted with colorful flowers and various magical creatures, giving this island an aura of tranquility and natural beauty.   The next island is the largest and most imposing of the three. A black Obsidian obelisk dominates the skyline, its surface as dark as the deepest night. The Obsidian is marred with faintly glowing runes and symbols, hinting at the ancient arcane power that runs through the city's core.   The third island boasts a vibrant red obelisk, adorned with intricate carvings that seem to dance with flickers of magical energy. IT is wider than the white one.

Barlo, to Captain Johnas Scott: "Captain, you weren't missing in the Feywild for three years, were you?   Captain: "no, Can't say I was.   Barlo: "So what the fuck is this?   Captain: "As I understand it, they have been doing all types of magic research here. At some point they created this larger city. I do believe they have some transport between the two, I am not sure where to park this, so I will go to the original docks.   Barlo: "Can we get a Slow fly-by of this thing? I want to get a view from above.   Captain: "Certainly.

t Milestone Experience | 1500 Total: 76,500 (Next Goal: 85,000 ) t