Session 15: Clearing Names, Sniffing Ass, Finding God... Animaesus and Tarrasques: The Mores of Salt
General Summary
It is early morning, 4 or 5 am, on the 19th of Light, second Cuthbert's of the year 697, and the group (Ssech, Eros, Stryke and Cotton with Stryke's Children ) has reconvened at Squarmy's Tavern, Pio's personal drinking abode not known by all within the City of Salt. Eros awakes, undresses in all but her cloak, and begins to cook breakfast with what little Pio has on hand. Birdman is doused in beer for his awakening, and Stryke and Eros assist, with Ssech soon arriving from his own apartment soon thereafter, absorbing this oddity of morning ritual, and eyeing Cotton cuddled with the children; Mel is nowhere to be seen.
A messenger of their cleric friend Anrik, whom they asked to assist with Adira's revival and savior from the dead, soon arrives, but not until, ominously, after Stryke and Eros see Adira's face appear like a ghostly visage, and this forces them to move quicker to the young drow's new life.
They head to the 6th House District, and find Anrik's ancient church filled with iconography and symbolism of the old days of the Animaesus, of deities and powers long forgotten and now taken over by the religion of the Monad. Furthermore, as the ritual begins, Eros sings, Stryke begins a deep introspection guided by Ky'ten, and Birdman pays silent respects to Adira. It is here, that Adira, in her ghostly form, possesses her Melin father, and she and he share voice and form: she is a oath bound paladin of Ece, the ancient primordial of change, and her spirit is needed for a greater goal, a larger sacrifice. Learning this information through magical means, Eros and the other two come to the decision to let Adira be, but this devastates Stryke despite it all. Thus, Adira's spirt returns as an example of her full strength and Adira as no longer a child. She is ready for what comes next, and Stryke seems ready to say goodbye.
They then meet back up with Ssech, and they make their way to Mel's place so that they can prepare for Altopar's arrival. However, Mel the Investigator is nowhere to be seen and agents of Altopar seem already engaged and occupying Mel's abode. Thus, the group splits and engages with disguised demons, blood benders, thugs of the 10th House intimidated away, and wolves befriended and sent running with gold away from them. They catch Altopar attempting to run away, magic trying and failing to disguise him. They easily disable him before he can get away, and they drag him back unconscious but stable to Pio for interrogation.
He is tied above, the wizard Altopar, like a roasting pig hanging above a fire. Was it worth it? Eros asks, and Altopar must suffer unconsciousness a few more times before he realizes is fate. Furthermore more, it takes torture and Eros using her detect thoughts magic to finally see that Altopar has been working with the drow from within the city and the 12th House and also from outside he city, and that he was lured in to be used by the drow, a magical resource for their aims within and without the City of Salt. Finally, the chop-off Altopar's hands, so magic must be learned anew. He was being used, his soul at least, to empower an ancient artifact beneath the city.
The rest of the day, they begin to count an investigate what Altopar had on his person: a magical cloak of abjuration magic, arcane runes of shields; a staff of transmutation, conjuration and abjuration; a wand of necromancy, with a skuff for its end and a finger for hits handle.
Also, during this day, knowing Altopar's soul will be lost upon his death, the group figures out what to do, thanks to Eros, who sends a magic message to Mystra, the goddess of Magic, who eventually agrees after Eros sacrificing pages of Altopar's spell-book. Altopar will not help the drow and Death find a means to control ancient artifacts upon the Prime Material.
Birdman also goes to exchange these coins and gems recently earned, gaining gold and silver from the trades of copper.
A messenger of their cleric friend Anrik, whom they asked to assist with Adira's revival and savior from the dead, soon arrives, but not until, ominously, after Stryke and Eros see Adira's face appear like a ghostly visage, and this forces them to move quicker to the young drow's new life.
They head to the 6th House District, and find Anrik's ancient church filled with iconography and symbolism of the old days of the Animaesus, of deities and powers long forgotten and now taken over by the religion of the Monad. Furthermore, as the ritual begins, Eros sings, Stryke begins a deep introspection guided by Ky'ten, and Birdman pays silent respects to Adira. It is here, that Adira, in her ghostly form, possesses her Melin father, and she and he share voice and form: she is a oath bound paladin of Ece, the ancient primordial of change, and her spirit is needed for a greater goal, a larger sacrifice. Learning this information through magical means, Eros and the other two come to the decision to let Adira be, but this devastates Stryke despite it all. Thus, Adira's spirt returns as an example of her full strength and Adira as no longer a child. She is ready for what comes next, and Stryke seems ready to say goodbye.
They then meet back up with Ssech, and they make their way to Mel's place so that they can prepare for Altopar's arrival. However, Mel the Investigator is nowhere to be seen and agents of Altopar seem already engaged and occupying Mel's abode. Thus, the group splits and engages with disguised demons, blood benders, thugs of the 10th House intimidated away, and wolves befriended and sent running with gold away from them. They catch Altopar attempting to run away, magic trying and failing to disguise him. They easily disable him before he can get away, and they drag him back unconscious but stable to Pio for interrogation.
He is tied above, the wizard Altopar, like a roasting pig hanging above a fire. Was it worth it? Eros asks, and Altopar must suffer unconsciousness a few more times before he realizes is fate. Furthermore more, it takes torture and Eros using her detect thoughts magic to finally see that Altopar has been working with the drow from within the city and the 12th House and also from outside he city, and that he was lured in to be used by the drow, a magical resource for their aims within and without the City of Salt. Finally, the chop-off Altopar's hands, so magic must be learned anew. He was being used, his soul at least, to empower an ancient artifact beneath the city.
The rest of the day, they begin to count an investigate what Altopar had on his person: a magical cloak of abjuration magic, arcane runes of shields; a staff of transmutation, conjuration and abjuration; a wand of necromancy, with a skuff for its end and a finger for hits handle.
Also, during this day, knowing Altopar's soul will be lost upon his death, the group figures out what to do, thanks to Eros, who sends a magic message to Mystra, the goddess of Magic, who eventually agrees after Eros sacrificing pages of Altopar's spell-book. Altopar will not help the drow and Death find a means to control ancient artifacts upon the Prime Material.
Birdman also goes to exchange these coins and gems recently earned, gaining gold and silver from the trades of copper.
Report Date
05 Nov 2022
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