The Silent and The Scrying

After the long, cold night we spent in the Refuge while Boreas and the Terranimbus were pestering common folk, came the time for Sventisko to regain the Kisjans’ trust. Honestly I’m not really sure why most of my compatriots reacted as harshly as they did, but I’m not the one to understand. Between the big meeting where she decided to put forth the plan I made sure she’s ok, which she clearly wasn’t, and somehow reassure her but even I wasn’t sure if that worked. Well, you can’t win ‘em all.
Sventisko’s plan seemed easy enough - sneak out, get to undercroft, tread through, get around the refuge and meet Eluitholel after which just hussle back up. And honestly - the very start of the adventure went exactly as simple as it may sound here. While I lied my, and Meagle’s, asses off, with Ohva producing the cutest single tear in the history of single tears and Balvarax clumsily sneaking behind us, Cora charming and Watch just kinda being around we manage to almost get out without any issues. Actually come to think of it, Balvarax made enough noise to bump into Cüper, who sold us a few potions and… stuff. That’s where we split up - those who prefer their martial prowess decided to use potions and climb down - not really sure how they did on that, but I heard there were a few close calls. Those who prefer to sneak and talk, took a long, slow path down. We almost manage to not get into trouble with Watch just posing as a caretaker while Cora and I were reassuring it’s actually true, but at the very end we met a few sprites that weren’t keen on us walking around while their fey friends were interrogated and mistreated. Thankfully, having a fairy of our own, they got pinpointed in the direction of the infamous satyr bag and we scrambled as fast as possible to meet up with the rest in the undercroft.
While we were trying to establish the best way through, with a heavy thump Kilgore kinda climbed, kinda fell from the spire, but alive and shortly after - well, she spread some food and aura of confidence that we were lacking to start our journey. Sventisko in the meantime was unorthodoxly quiet, even for her standards, but she sometimes do be like that, when the job calls for it.
Treading through undercroft was a little bit more challenging, especially for me - I can’t lie to the pile of goo, now can I? Or at least I can’t reasonably get anything out of it. Hopefully. Kilgore decided to muscle through this part with Watch on her back, while the rest of us were trying to discern the most safe path. We did what we could have but still managed to prompt some shrooms or some other weird fumes. Coughing we got out of it, but Megale was already pony sized. She didn’t seem to enjoy this as much as we did the view of it.
Breaching the sphere this time was slightly different - repairs must have made it sturdier. Sven took out special tools, some sort of blood, that bent the sphere enough to get through. Long story, not worth the details. Walking around the Refuge, which was still trying to collect itself after the recent events, was painful. The streets I knew, the sites I’ve been used to seeing, the overall aura of the place was weird and unfamiliar. I was distracted enough that when I took point as we stumbled into someone I didn’t recognize Arziel. This fucker never liked me and me trying to suade him how powerful of mages we are wasn’t the smartest choice. Had I known it was him I wouldn’t even pick that up. But well… Here we were, Kisjan on the mission while this fucking nobody was picking up on me being a stray and recalling the days of past. Good thing we’ve gotten out of there before… Nevermind. The rest of the team did much better and we didn’t really have any issues with getting to our destination.
Kepesk, the apparent leader of Eluitholel turned out to be a grim blue dragonborn, which Balvarax surely will look like if he doesn’t smile every once in a while. We spoke. We bargained. We plead. They got some, we got some. They have a very secretive approach to doing things, not that we don’t. Kepesk didn’t look very pleased when I communicated with him telepathically, but he did answer what I needed to know. It was good enough, but honestly that’s some pussy talk. If they are on the path to release the dragons, the only beings that managed to get to infernal asses so far, why not go that way? I could maybe then try to dissuade the being I’m leeching on for powers to not come here? It does seem terrifying, yet a lesser evil than infernals. I’m getting out of track again…
We collected the goodies and headed back towards the Academy. Meeting was even more fruitful than anticipated. On the way back we discussed how we would want to approach getting the information off of Ioth’s office. Most of us were of the opinion that we should oversee the struggle of the four usual suspects, but Ohva with Balvarax definitely opposed that. In the end we stood on the grounds that we meet with just Alyx and we dictate the conditions and if they comply they can get gear. And if they disappoint…
Way through the Refuge was a bit easier this time. I remained focused on the task and picked my deceiving battles, the rest managed to use spells and do all kinds of shenanigans so that not only we didn’t get into trouble, but we found a picture of the Big Gob. Through the sphere we hop back to the undercroft. We made so much rawkus…Actually this time it wasn’t me, as I just bamfed with a misty step over, but the noise we made as a Kisjan, was enough to get a fey on us. And not a sprite or a redcap to frag and move on. A freaking Seeily Court emissary, self-important as if he’s the second coming of Seven Dragons. Immediately he casts his charms on Ohva and on me. Someone was with my tiefling roommate to shut her mouth before she spoke her name, I didn’t have that much of a comfort. Before Cora gracefully threw a pile of goo in my face, I had enough time to be polite and present myself and the Kisjan as an organization. Thank the gods that Ardath isn’t my name, I’d be screwed worse than I already am. Finally one fairy talked with our fairy, established some, very convoluted I’m sure, deal and the fey let us go, with Megale in absolute shock that she’s a fey. The more you know…
Now that we got back up, shrouded in fey magic, it was time to meet Alyx. And the surprises for the night weren't even close to being done, cause someone's been naughty and scried on us...