Chapter 13: The Fae Realm Pt 2
The emerald dragon revealed itself to be a largely benevolent creature, and asked the group to find someone who had stolen something from its hoard (its true name). the dragon's hoard was knowledge, and the knowledge of its true name was especially powerful. The group agreed, and set out to find this Laenai (the name given to the elves of the Fae) who had stolen the dragon's name. They found a group of Laenai battling werewolves nearby, and decided to help them. With the werewolves dead, they found that one of the Laenai matched the description of the thief. After learning of the theft, the others agreed to let him go in exchange for help clearing out a den of werewolves nearby. The group agreed and set out to clear the den.
Inside a nearby cave, they found several werewolves including the larger and more powerful "garou" with the power to spread lycanthropy to others. Though they killed them all eventually, the battle was long an arduous. As they were leaving after clearing out the den, they encountered a small pool of water and Kelthar was pulled in by a large tentacled creature as he investigated it. Though they tried to battle the creature, it swallowed Kelthar and nearly killed him before Jawhara and Thrain leapt into the water and were willingly swallowed by the monster so they could attack it from within. The plan worked, and the creature spat them all out before Kelthar perished.
Meeting back up with the Laenai, they told them that the deed was done and the Laenai turned over the thief to them. They returned him to the dragon, who wiped his memories and left him with the innocence of a child. As a reward, the dragon gave them a magical scale from his hide that would prevent them from getting magically lost in the Fae. He also told them of a region of corruption that seemed to be the source of the mysterious signal. Armed with this knowledge, they set out the following morning towards it.
Along the way, they encountered a faerie tea party and joined them. Jolkottr and Jawhara experienced bizarre visions and hallucinations, but Kelthar only pretended to drink. The faeries discussed various things, including outsiders who had slain an archfey and the "crimson king" who was looking for them to exact his revenge. They quickly left after this experience, with Jawhara having to bodily force Jolkottr away. As they traveled further, they were ambushed by a group of fae creatures including a Laenai of the autumn court. The faeries had betrayed them, and the servants of the crimson king had come to dispatch them. They eventually slew their fae enemies, but the battle took much from them.
As they neared the source of the signal, the trees began to appear dead and decayed. Strange fleshy vines sprawled across the ground and trees, and they found strange fruit growing on the dead trees. When cut open, the fruit revealed masses of mind flayer tadpoles. As they neared the source, waves of psychic energy washed over them and assaulted them with visions of the distant past. They saw the ancient Mardik on their desert homeworld overthrow a mad tyrant and form their ancient empire sprawling across the multiverse. They saw the Mardik empire encounter the mind flayer empire and defeat them, as well as the conquest of a thousand worlds including one populated by the gods of the north. They saw the mardik bring ancient human slaves to Arlyss and build their civilization beyond the mistwall, as well as the development of the ascension engine and the downfall of the mardik. Finally, they saw the survivors of the Mardik flee through a rift into the far realm where they were tortured and twisted for eons into the first mind flayer (a towering 12-foot mind flayer with 3 eyes). This "first" mind flayer then built the mind flayer empire through ceremorphosis, converting entire worlds into the aberrations and eventually encountering the ancient mardik empire itself. It seemed their journey to the far realm had also been a journey back in time thousands of years. At some point in time after that, the first had broken free from his empire and began searching for the world where the ascension project had begun. During his search, he became trapped in the fae realm and could only exercise his influence through tadpoled minions. They would find him beneath a massive tree at the center of the far realm corruption.
When they reached the tree, they encountered a strange mage who held vigil over the first in his weakened state. They battled him and his tadpoled redcap minions, eventually defeating him despite his powerful astral magic. As Kelthar neared the body of the first, he found him desiccated and mad--mumbling about being on the wrong "layer" and having to find a place called "mets gradaran" (which Tar'Kanis' journals described as the place where the mistlands expedition met its doom). As Kelthar tried to end his life, the radio suddenly began vibrating and the first drew it to him. His body rejuvenated, returning to its original form as he towered over Kelthar and the others. They tried to fight him as a maniacal cackle rung through their minds, but he stopped every attack with ease and stunned them with a psychic blast. He thanked them for having brought the instrument to him, allowing him to find the ascension engine and return to Arlyss. Just as he prepared to end them, a rift opened up above and a massive airship passed through. Aboard the ship were strange green-skinned creatures with silver swords who leapt into battle against them. The first opened a rift himself and stepped through it, returning to Arlyss without them. The creatures quickly captured the group, using magic to transport them to holding cells within their ship...
Aboard the ship, they were questioned about the first and how they found him. Their leader scanned the thoughts of Magni and, after failing to find answers, skewered him with her silver sword for having slain one of their "knights" in the battle. His soul appeared to leave his body, and his body disintegrated. Hours later, the creatures returned to question them. They asked about the "prime ghaik" and how they had found him. She mentioned having hunted him for generations. When questioning failed, she scanned the thoughts of Jolkottr and found all she needed there. She mentioned that they would "fetch a good price" and would be sold when they arrived. The ship traveled through the astral sea, eventually reaching a flat circular plane covered in a gray wasteland. On the perimeter were various "gate towns" to different planes, and at the center was an infinitely tall spire atop which stood a city within a circular shape. The ship landed in the city in a sort of "hangar" and the group were taken to be sold. Magical shackles prevented them from fighting back. As a potential buyer arrived, they proved to be surprise allies instead and battle erupted between them. The newcomers looked similar to the slavers, but fought using martial arts like Kelthar. The newcomers freed them with a strange device, allowing them to fight back against their captors. Jolkottr conjured a storm cloud and assaulted them with lightning, while Jawhara and Kelthar fought back unarmed at first (jawhara soon took a silver sword from a fallen slaver).
With their captors dead, their new allies introduced themselves as "githzerai" and told them of their ancient history with the "githyanki" slavers. They retrieved their equipment and told them of this place called "Sigil" and the "outlands." After learning of their search for the signal and the "prime ghaik" the githzerai leader Kharth took them to a tavern in the city where they could further discuss things. The city proved to be a bizarre place filled with creatures from all over the multiverse, where the laws of the material world held little sway. They had a meal at the tavern (called the "face of gith") and would finally find proper rest before discussing things with the githzerai the following morning...
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