[Recap] MoM’s Intrepid Living Fable #21

Last time on MoM’s Intrepid Living Fable…
 
The Menagerie of Might arrived at the ocean shore within the feywild. There, they saw the city of Astrazalian, visible on an island a short stretch across the sea. After some bargaining, some singing, and an impolite but wise refusal of faerie food, they managed to secure transport from an eladrin ferryman named Rhistel.
 
After a short boat ride that was delightful to everyone but Endry, the group arrived in the city. They got there at noon, for it is always noon in Astrazalian. They resolved to head towards the library of the Zenith Court, to try and track the location of the Dragon Orb, hidden somewhere within the feywild.
 
As this happened, the protagonist of our story - Sir Trystan Uriel, Lord of Kheldell, Knight of the Realm, and Savior of Faerun - had just dispatched his faithful squire, Thulmand Ironheart, to fetch him a drink. A drink that failed to arrive with sufficient promptness. After all, Trystan had sent the old dwarf out at noon, and it was now… well, noon still, but a much later noon indeed.
 
Knowing that Thulmand often ran into some trouble getting the locals to acknowledge him, Trystan resolved to check up on the squire himself. As he entered the Lantern Lounge looking for him, he was greeted with one welcome and two unwelcome surprises. The first of the latter being a slap to the face, courtesy of Ai, who looked to be in a particularly bad mood, for some unknown reason. The former, of course, being the sight of his - somewhat flabbergasted - companions!
 
Ah, but you want to know about the second unwelcome surprise, yes? Well, all that Trystan would like to say about that is, no matter what rumors the old dwarf might be spouting, he is not, and has never been, a “fairy princess” of any kind.
 
While both sides obviously had some questions for each other - not the least being what the five friends had been up to during the last two months and whether a proper memorial had been built to honor our hero - they resolved to table them until they had visited the library.
 
At the Zenith Court itself they spoke with the scholar Kirral, and learned that, while the information they needed couldn’t be found in books, there were two groups that might know more: the spying network of the court of owls, and the archfey Snareshine.
 
Fortunate it was then that Endry explained that his sister knew how to find this Snareshine. To be exact, Endry explained a couple of things: that he had two sisters, how fairies are made, and that one of his sisters knew how to find Snareshine.
 
Before pursuing this lead further, the group wanted to hear of Trystan’s own heroic journey to escape the Nine Hells. He, of course, obliged.
 
As soon as they were safe from prying ears, back at his room at the White Poplar Inn, he recounted the story of how he fought his way out of the hells, and was rewarded for his bravery with a second chance to fight for the good of the multiverse, by a mysterious golden figure which might or might not be the god Tyr. It was a great and epic tale… the Deception check was a 20.
 
While the rest of the group went shopping - for a powerful eldritch staff... and a pet rock - Trystan and Endry stayed behind. There, Trystan admitted to the fairy that his “help from above” had truly been more of a “help from below”, which, of course, Endry already knew. More importantly, he wished to ask Endry everything he knew about the Queen of Air and Darkness. Trystan revealed to the fairy that he had been tasked by his infernal master to retrieve an important artifact from the aforementioned queen - by asking politely, if possible; but quite impolitely if necessary.
 
Endry promised to help Trystan in this, in exchange for the knight’s own service while in the feywild. All presumably to help him in facing a potentially uncomfortable family reunion and the displeasure of Endry’s boss... or goddess... or mother: Queen Titania.
 
Trystan, not satisfied with dealing exclusively with devils, sealed a pact with Endry the fairy, in the city of Astrazalian, at noon. Let it thus be known that, while in the Feywild, Trystan fights to protect Endry, to the exclusion of all goals except those of Trystan’s proper lord and master. In exchange, let it be known that Endry - by that name or any other - shall similarly work to obtain the required artifact from the Queen of Air and Darkness for the benefit of Trystan and his lord.
 
As the group reconvenes, Trystan’s guard duties are put to a test, as a flying projectile impacts Endry. Said projectile is small - though taller than Endry - winged, and girl-like, and impacts the fairy with a hug and a cry of “Zizzenfrix!”
 
It would soon turn out that the latter is not a spell, but Endry’s proper name. It would also turn out that the projectile was Endry’s sister, Veesa.
 
She informs her brother that he is, to all practical effects, an ass, for leaving without warning. She explains that she was concerned about his safety, and that the Archfey Titania was so devastated by him leaving that it rained for days all over the feywild. This, of course, produces an interesting puzzle piece to try and fit into Endry’s story of fleeing a mean boss where he had no freedom at all.
 
Though reluctantly, Veesa told Endry of the time she met Snareshine, and how she was forced to flee in terror from her, despite having been sent by Titania herself. While the Queen of Fey eventually got an apology, no such thing was forthcoming for her messenger. Many warnings later, Veesa pointed Endry and his bodyguard duskward, towards the sharpswood vale, where they head now to find the lair of Snareshine.
 
As such, the group leaves Astrazalian. They leave at noon, for it is always noon in Astrazalian.