8/20/22

Q1: Did you have to grow up fast? A1: Not at all, I had a pleasant childhood with loving parents, friends, and family. Q2: Who did you look up to? A2: Artisan luminaries professionally, HP Temperance and Diligence in faith.
 
BEGIN SESSION
Druss gets back to my shop with Charles and gives him the Blanket of Fortitude to set up as Druss isn't able to summon the whimsy required. Charles' version looks more like an actual fort that we can usually do. Druss finds himself in a room resembling Shadowfell, with a foggy darkness requiring an external light source. There is an aurora-type thing going on too. Charles is questioned about the Corruption Stone and destroying the body. He recommends tongs for touching nasty things, and Marda grabs by salad serving tong things. Melfine inquires after a storage/negation option for the stone, and Charles thinks there might be something at the Sanctum that could help, and failing that, a really good lead box with perfect seals. He notes that the veil between planes is thin, and that the last time people tried to punch through is what broke the one moon, as they were trying to get into the Celestial Plane. Moon Facts with Chuck: in the height of the Dark Ages, an entitled group of Solvene followers wanted more power than she had granted, so they were gonna trap Solvene in the Material Plane and siphon her power (this was a goal of many old houses of worship at the time). Ripping gods into this plane fucks shit up ecologically, and someone whacked most of the priests. Then the gods fucked off, and the New Gods showed up. They started off as like warlock patrons, but apotheosis happens and they transcend after a bit. He doesn't remember a ton, but has the feeling that Lady Constance was a lovely woman when she walked this earth. Staying up and talking elicits a CON check (15 - missed out on +1 to history skill, and no exhaustion for staying up).
 
The next morning, Rorin arrives at the shop bearing fruit. Rorin asks to touch Melfine in an attempt to heal her brain. A flood of memories comes back to her. Her sister has a plan to gain freedom. They go to the Nine Hells and make a deal with Asmodeus to better protect Solvene, but doesn't realizer there's a price. She hears of the plan to trap Solvene, breaks her chains to Asmodeus, and kills a ton of priests. She frees her goddess, who makes a promise, but she can't remember the promise. Now that we're in and all, I need to get to Elon to Raise Dead on a motherfucker. Rorin is ok to lead me through his trap field. Druss is going to watch the shop, and the others are going to fetch Spike and Sora from the barrel.
 
Rorin and I head out in a staggered fashion. No one appears to be suspicious. At the mansion, WIS (17 - ok?) then 4 checks (3 pass, 1 fail). Get caught in a snare but escape, take 5 damage. We are in and set to work on the spell. Used INSP to make the PER check (28) to convince Elon to come back to us. He does indeed return, and Rorin questions his last memories. We catch him up and tell him why we need him (the attack by the Crimson Dragons, the disbanding of the Bard's Guild, the coup, the martial law...). We need to have a press conference, which Vlad can set in motion for us. It is a Saturday-equivalent, so we've gotta go work to assemble everyone. Elon is going to hang out here at the mansion while we get the ball rolling.
 
Meanwhile, Melfine and Marda go to fetch Spike and Sora. They are going to traverse the tunnels for a lot of the way. They grab the barrel, the magic rug, and some other pack supplies, then head back across town. They have to travel aboveground here, so try to remain inconspicuous. They get back to the shop and clean up the animals. The animals are going to stay behind at the shop with Druss, while the girls head to the Sanctum. The main doors are closed, so they hop over the garden wall into the Sanctum, to be greeted by many monks. They tell Jericho about finding a way to contain the Stone and their other goings-on, but they weren't supposed to leave and folks are super pleased. Melfine explains the needs for containment and they go to the warehouse. PER checks, Marda notes some tiles are pressed and runes appear briefly before a doorway appears with a stairway leading down. They go down a few stories, straight down, to enter the warehouse. At the desk there, they see a bespectacled female half-elf reading a book. PER checks again, the book is The Dragon's Passion and her name is Cinder. Introductions all around, and Jericho mentions that they are approved to do this by the Marquis. They see lots of magic goodies, and arrive in an area full of chests. ARC/REL checks, they see some runes they know to be written in celestial, which are little prayers for safety, protection, and locking. There's a check-out booklet they have to fill out for the box they wanna use. It is very detailed, and takes about an hour to fill out. They head back up with the lead box and magic box, and Jericho closes the magic door. They head to the library next, SUR checks to remember the path. Jericho opens another secret path with a winding staircase down. About 1 story down, they start to see doors. One of the doors is where the body is, and Jericho is going to let them in and lock it back up. There's a special phrase they have to memorize so that he will let them out (Let me out of this door you little cunt). They smell the dead body, see the glow of the gem, there's a staff, and that's it. They're going to cut the Stone out of the body. Marda uses the tongs to grip the gem and wiggles it free. The corpse's hand grips Melfine and it says "This will never be over." They roll into initiative. Marda gets the gem into the box, then uses Action Surge to attack the body. This thing hits like a freight train. (The room is 15x15 ft). They do enough damage that she falls, but on her turn she pops right back up. After some more fighting, Marda lands a full decapitation. They say the passphrase and are let out.
 
I have to get out of the trap field again, ATH check (22 - pass). We head to the Cultural Congress to find Vlad at his office. We learn he is on patrol, down towards the Sanctum. SUR check (18) to find him on his route, and it takes awhile, but eventually we hear his voice and locate him and his deputy talking to some locals. Rorin tries to lead him into the news gently, but fobs it off to me, so I tell Vlad what's up. We need to talk to HPs Temperance and Diligence next, but first Vlad has to vent, as he is exasperated. Vlad suggests we 1-on-1 with Temperance first, then tell all of the spiritual leaders. Rorin is going to go get Elon with a security carriage. Meanwhile, I talk with Temperance about the ritual's details. When the Zitz temple head shows up, she is deeply agitated at being summoned. Everyone is assembled, and I let them know what happened, and call out Elon. They are shocked and silent, then lots of arguments break out. They can't understand why they haven't been able to do this before. Some also think Elon was maybe not a deserving recipient of this gift. Elon is growing uncomfortable, and I make it known that he needs to rest and recover. We all discuss where he should stay, and every temple head wants him to stay at their temple, which is nonsense. The Ashforge estate looks to be the choice, and the head of Daja backs this too, as well as Kusco and Dem Falic. We're going to do the press conference on the Monday-equivalent, but will be confined to the estate until then. Locomotion was boarded up and locked down, with his estate unresolved but mostly intact. His belongings are acquired and taken with him to the Ashforge estate. It is getting late, and we cut back to Druss and Co.
 
Druss has been looking after Dani, Kel, Leona, and Max in an effort to distract from his own depression. The girls also get back to my shop. Rorin and I head back to my shop, ATH checks (20 and 9, caught in a bear trap, 7 damage) to escape the traps. We get some food on the way back, but see that the Aftermath Cafe is shutdown because of restrictions, supply chain, and staffing issues. Back at the shop, the girls are obviously beat up and Druss is Mr. Poo-p-pants sad boi. After the girls tell of the zombie body, I ask Mr. Corben about the Stone and learn it has some sort of sentience and defense mechanisms. We need to address the purification of the Raven's Wood, and need a high-level druid or some clerics to do the work. Melfine is going to send off a Message to Lenny to update progress and get the purification work moving. We have some healing to do for the girls, and everyone is in need of a self-care day. I spend time with Kel, checking in with each other and just relaxing a little in this lull, while we can.
 
Heading to bed, it's dream time. I feel the proudest I've ever felt in my faith, and there is a lack of completion to it. Always, the next step, how can I do more? I have a feeling of flight, looking over the busy city no longer under martial law. It's expanding, thriving. The Cultural Congress has grown too, and incubates new ventures and business. The railway is operational, and trade thrives. There is a warmth, a familiar feeling, pushing me forwards, towards this future. Then, a sense of warning, a grip on my shoulder, drawing my gaze to Fort Ropucha, a warning there, a black plague throbbing and threatening. The future I want is on a knife's edge, and I have to push to maintain the path. I rest and am comforted, my determination renewed.
 
We wake up. Rorin's trousers have a conspicuous wet spot near his genitals.
END SESSION
 
Current Stats: 75/75 hp, +d6, +d6