Five Hours a Minute

After packing up from the hot day we started to plan where to go as we walked closer to the titan. There was talk of going through the crag verses going around. Each had their points but mostly it came down to we didn't need the shade offered as we travel at night. That combined with it would be a hell of a lot easier to ambush us in there. We had already seen some denizens of the desert go in too. I told them I'd rather not chance a meeting since I couldn't tell their scale color. So we walked around.
 
About three-ish hours around the side we had a very chance happening. The entire wall of rock next to us shifted and not in the expected manner. It turned out to be a colossal rock wyvern! The majority of us were able to avoid getting knocked down or anything as the fallen pulled himself from the land. Kniana, on the other hand, was not so lucky since she still is the only one who cannot see real well at night, and was lifted away on the back of the rising wyvern. I used the telepathy stone to try to avoid notice, and told Kniana to jump as one of us would catch her. She did jump, but was met with the wing instead of ground and stared to slide down along with the sand running from it's back. She ended up sliding the whole way and landed without any serious incident... At least with the landing itself.
The great rock fallen had seen us. The curious part about it was that it acted surprised to see our little group. In a voice that sounded like the canyon itself was talking he told us to run. Right another colossal creature burst from the sand and into the side of the demi-dragon. It looked like some giant flatworm trying to hunt the fallen. The wyvern started arcing lightning from his breath weapon and fought the worm. The massive battle started with us still within their spitting distance...
We didn't have much time to react. Kniana was split from the main group and Tel was gone...again... Well time WAS the issue before Skrel cast Haste... The area we were in had weakened winds, and magic gets a little screwy when the winds are weak, you can even ask Eval that when he tested my scroll a few weeks ago. Well the spell went off, but I guess they misfired in about the best way that we could've hoped. The fight suddenly came to a near standstill with the combatants only moving inches at a time. We had entered a higher form of speed augmentation spells. It was to the point of Tamebrass merely thought to get to Kniana and was there, 180ft away... We decided to make the best of the situation and simply jog away from the commotion.
It was actually quite easy to traverse the desert when the sand doesn't even have time to deform from beneath your feet. By my estimation, we managed to cover about five hours of travel in a single minute. The perception of the event gets a little screwy to think about, but point is we got about an extra half day ahead. The wear off was a bit of an issue as we stopped quite suddenly. Most everybody stopped without problem. Lily ended up tripping at the end and cartwheeled about 40ft away from us. I ended up sliding upright across a dune myself, but it was the sonic boom that got me. It ended up messing up my hearing a bit, lots of ringing. Kniana arguably got the worst of it since she was the only one on the ground that didn't get boosted. She ended up looking like a puffball with all her hair standing on end from static. Apparently moving that fast through a dry sand builds up quite a charge according to Eval. Skrel picked me up and tried to talk to me, but I couldn't hear anything. Tel ended up floating down on his book he was flying on. Eventually I figured out that I could still kinda communicate by using the telepathy stone. Skrel repeated what he tried to tell me before about us HAVING to figure out how to do that speed up again. I remembered that I had my heal and mend pen so I stuck it in my ear and cast cure light wounds. I probably shoulda checked the winds, but I wasn't quite clear from the muffling. It ended up working as I poured a sandcastle's worth from my ears. Finally able to hear, Kniana said that the winds were stable and that a spirit called from the titan's heel. We still had a ways to go.
 
Over the course of our trip we had some time and everyone shared stories. I ended up taking Kniana's advice and started practicing with a metal bar for sword training. Eval told of a celestial just south of the Northern Wall in the Frostglade area purging disease with fire. It is a blinding white skeleton riding a white elk. There were rumors of creatures that got past the wall. Someone had survived the creatures from the sea and...changed like grew tentacles changed. They apparently started to spread some magical disease by accident. A village he accidently infected was wiped out by the celestial. It has been following and killing off any traces of the disease. The guy is somehow evading it and...evolving...
I told them a bit about the tunnels of Lfaen. They are primarily on the south side, but they stretch all the way to were the Coppertails are on the northern side. I told them of how deep they are, going all the way down to the Underdark. Kniana hadn't heard of it so I simplified it by saying a land were everything wants to kill you. We do manage to have some trade agreements with the denizens they have great silk ropes, and some tasty spider legs. Told them of the spider hunters a bit too. I also told them about the mystery surrounding how the tunnels came to be. No one really knows, but they seemed less interested at that point.
Skrel told a bit about the rings of Baldir and what he did. He had to explain the caste system a bit to the others. I kinda know how they work as I HAD planned on visiting during my time off. I asked him a bit about what he did. To my disappointment, he was a simple scribe. He wrote and illustrated manuals and the like. He did mention he did the paperwork for a patent of a doorstop. One that had notches in such a way that the door couldn't close ever after applied... He told of the rings of Baldir and how he was from the 3rd. The Runemaster dwarf we encountered was from the 13th. Eval was wondering if they interacted with cloud giants, apparently the dwarves have a deal with local elementals or something. He has lost much of my interest at this point. I was hoping to learn a bit about runic magics from him, but I guess I might have to talk to Tel more.
Lily was next, and of course made me like her even less. She had been a drug dealer out in Silverport. That in of itself wasn't my problem as anything can be made and sold for the right price. No, it was the string of cutpursing and petty theft that ticked me off. She had taken the sequity job at the library solely to attempt to swipe the book, The Alchemist's Guide to the Abyss. She also is still in contact with her old gang. She SAYS she steers clear of them, but now I do not trust her at all. Eval also brought up the point that she was on a wanted poster... She said she was mugging muggers... I'm glad I was able to get Maki's payment outta her so soon she'd be likely to cut and run, or even attempt to snatch something if I allowed her into the emporium again...
Skrel also made mentions of his going on's in Naan. How he busted in on one of the organized crime dealings and how he betrayed a criminal organization or something. Apparently that was part of the "shady" business he was a part of before. Some vigilante work that now has him in good with the organizations as they couldn't peddle the stuff. Neither could him after the appraiser recognized it. Only a hero because of getting caught... Now I trust him less too, but he seems to hold me in good regard due to my capabilities.
Kinana told of her not being Kniana, but rather a reincarnation situation. She sees her elven form in the reflection of the crystal weapons. The elf was from the founding of the first cities. She said that she used to have old memories, that she used to correct her elders, but they faded over time. The Dragonborn spirit of my blade recognized her even and he's from the first world or something I've never heard of.
The conversation turned to the blade I found. They all seem dubious when I told them of the transformation that had happened to me when I found it. Skrel found the enlargement aspect humorous and made some rather unsavory jokes of kobolds I only found out about later. Saying they would use wares like the one I made for him for, Elarge Person, for a brothel situation. I completely missed it and said that they typically would use them to help unload cargo from shipping that never considered our size. Tamebrass ended up clarifying the utilitarian nature of Kobolds to Skrel before I caught on.
Tamebrass also had his own story of the Giant's Brow. He told of a runaway that he helped nursed back to health. She was a celestial being with white hair, a pair of horns, and probably hoofed. She spoke of the divines, but his clan didn't really pay attention to such things normally. They found her covered in blood as she was being hunted by something not of this plane. After three months she disappeared without warning leaving only a letter behind. She had left for Valerin and she's play a large role in the future of the world. Her name was Spirus or something. Eval said that she might be both angel and demon...
After some more walking, Kniana said that walking in the darkness like this reminded her of the trials that she had to do for the Kaze. The used them to sharpen senses or something to feel the room or type of person or something strange. I only thought they were advisors, but she told me that she was a special case due to her coloration and abundant tails. She also talked about how they were connected to her past lives. One even was a guard of Talthrian much like RRRoshin. The elf incarnation ha some connection to Maldrick, the spirit of the sword.
Again, talk of the first and second worlds came up and they told me that the first world is more or less pre-history that was all destroyed. The one we have now is the second, and the major spirits from the first are imbued into these items. At least that's what Skrel mentioned.
The item he was given was one from an ancient litch who had survived the destruction of the first world. I would later learn that this litch was one of the primary causes of the destruction even. Skrel even mentioning the name Janus got the sword spirit angry. Janus had asked Skrel to help stop what he did before from happening again. The continued mention of his name got the spirit angry and speaking in some language I didn't recognize that I even started to physically get shaky. I make mention of switch subjects and what was happening to me, and Kniana started completing the spirit and some choice words. The spirit started to laugh from Kniana's words and said to me, "Hellena you cursed me then and you curse me now" and calmed down. He wasn't done yet though...
I blanked out for a sec and when I was back Skrel said that the angry guy was in the Boneyard. The place were the dead lay, and this particular group of spirits are being guarded by Pharasma according to Kniana.
 
A flash of light went off in the distance after our walk and talk. The flash reviled the silhouette of a bridge over the ravine we came to. It looked like one of Tel's runic teleportation circles. We saw a torch in the distance being held for a group of six catfolk. Using my goggles' lenses I was able to get a good enough look to guess they were clan dire members. The quickly went around the side of the building as a creepily lanky ratfolk crawled out the window of the back and onto the house. Eval shoots an arrow and actually managed to hit one at 1k ft. Then the rest came out.
About seven more of the lanky ratfolk burst outta the back of the house. One of them had bony protrusions from the elbows and it's spine. They were running in the general direction toward us doing bout 60. (ft movement) A few of them even disappeared into the sand after getting across the ravine still between us and the house. Tamebrass took off after the things with Kniana in tow, of course... She had cast levitate on herself to keep up with him and not stumble in the dark. All the rest of my allies stared to fight the rats as I approached a bit more slowly. In the back of my mind I heard the sword spirit tell me, "If you need me, I'm here. I sense the abyss and not from your friend". (Skrel)
About that time Kniana replaced one of the ratkin's head with the head of her hammer. The other rats responded by hucking alchemical vials at us. An acid one hit the bridge on the ravine trying to get Skrel. It didn't do anything to him, but it did prevent Eval and I from getting over the ravine easily. A fire vile got tossed at Kniana and Tamebrass, but it didn't seem to do too much. I decided that I was better off staying back and let off a volley of Magic Missiles from one of my trinkets. I tried to hit one on the roof, tried. To my surprise he ratkin didn't take any hits, but rather had a Shielding Medallion. I ended up making some false assumptions about it and then a transformation happened.
Knowing that we were to meet up again out here, I had thought that they had either stolen it, or killed Maki. Either way I got royaly mad. So much that I guess I convinced Maldrick that my actions were appropriate and he decided to help me. The spirit of my blade used it's power to transform me yet again into a Dragonborn and even used his divine favor to drop a Pillar of gray Flame on one of the rats. I then charged across the bridge. Well, I tried. Since this was only my second time in this form I didn't realize the change of armor or the heavier self, and only made it half way before the bridge gave out. The acid had weakened it too much for me to easily make it, but I dove forward and barely caught the ledge. "Well, this is embarrassing" the spirit chimed in as we were hanging for a second. Yeah, I had let my emotion get the better of me, but for a good reason to me.
Kniana floated over and helped lift us from the ledge. From there I charged forward to the closed rat I could find with Kniana now holding onto me. The hit ended the rat just in time for us to see what I would later learn was a Barbed devil come through a portal that the heel of the titan. The ratkin had been Watchers of the Abyss that were working to open the portal. After seeing the tide turning in our favor they decided to dive into it. The last one to make it to the portal had gotten caught by the demon, and had its blood drank from a slit in it's throat the demon made. Right then RRRoshin and Maki show up. Maki was surprised to see me in my current form. I was relieved, but was distracted long enough for the demon to disappear.
RRRoshin called out to us to get the necklaces and close the portal. Taking the clue, I cast Dimension Door and pulled Kniana to were she was needed. I then braced for anything that might try to come through. The portal had other plans though. The necklaces protected Kniana form the magical forces, but they hit me and the remaining Clan Dire pushing us all back. Maki got as close as he could to read off the ritual to Kniana so she could perform it. Then, just as I had thought, some large demon had just started to claw it's way out.
It only really managed to get part way as the portal was closing, but it was enough to send it's lava whip right at Kniana. Suddenly an axe came flying from behind us and Tamebrass teleported right in front of Kniana. The whole thing happened in slow motion while he gently kissed her on the forehead as the demon's whip caught him instead dragging him into the abyss. The portal closed behind him while the titan started to turn into dust.
 
After coming to our senses, Kniana immediately started at RRRoshin and Maki. She asked Maki about another ritual to try to get Tamebrass back. Maki said it would take time and research. She then turned to RRRoshin asking what the hell we had just witnessed. It was a demon lord that was trying to escape. He then went on to explain himself and the reasoning for his deceit mostly from withheld information of the hells and whatnot. I guess we truly were never supposed to get caught in all of this. We only had to deliver the necklace. Now that this is over though we were free to do what we wanted with both the necklaces, and his promised rewards. The home and access to the vaults he had tempted us with what seems like so long ago. He said that his loyalty lies with survival and his king, Taltharian. He was to meet with king Garrick at Svendio but had to survive the bounties hunters after him from when he killed the prince that was trying to incite a coup. Taltharian would be back at the howling hour and that he hosted the party or something strange that I didn't understand. I was further lost when he talked of how the Lord of Eden walks in the first world and Taltarian was banished. History hasn't been recorded accurately as Islomon hadn't been the only one to survive the blast from shattering the heart. He, The Lord of Eden, Taltarian, and Garrick all did.
Islomon, now has evil energies. History is doomed to repeat because of a deal with the patient one. One of the nine demon lords who resides in the dungeon of Islomon. He allowing the use of his blood to empower the soldiers. RRRoshin went on to say, "You become that which you want to destroy, you can see the silver lining"...the knights... Islomon is falling into the same mistake as the queen from the first world. Back then Maldrick was a tiefling by birth. He was resurrected after a great deed as a Dragonborn he always claimed to be. Skrel, Eval, and Lily showed up about this point.
The barbed demon they were chasing had gotten away behind a runic wall. Skrel's patron had apparently demanded that RRRoshin die. Skrel is refusing and symbolist shove one of his swords into the ground. He is now looking to free his soul from his patron. RRRoshin told him of the Traveler being a contract devil like Kniana said before. That he made a deal with the Lord of the Void, Skrel's patron, the hungry one. The winds of connection to Skrell are weak at the moment. His book is one of two contracts with the other being held by the Traveler. If he could manage to break both in a specific manner, he could be free. This is possible due to the traveler favoring Skrel.
RRRoshin said he was heading to Svendio with a rune gate. I made mention of the vault of Naan having books about the planes and planar travel. Also turns out the Clan Dire was here from Baldir to shut down the Azure Spider Silk production from Kniana's mention to the dwarf.