Session 68: Beneath the Surface

General Summary

Session Commenced: The 10th day of Cyt, 1622 TER (Day 527 of the campaign)
Session Concluded: The 11th day of Cyt, 1622 TER (Day 528 of the campaign)

Skulk finds Phaes warming up, stepping through the motions of some sort of ritual, kata-like swordplay and attempts to emulate her. They end up sparring with Phaes the first to land a number of blows, using some sort of psionic power to both empower her own strikes and absorb the brunt of Skulk's, but Skulk was able to turn things about by the end. The battle ended with Phaes using her powers to soar almost 60 feet througn the air before conceding. The duel done, it seemed Phaes wanted to talk to the group and we all gathered to hear what was said.
She began by asking us to confirm our desires to confront Zitonai, and also why we would do such a thing. She seemed surprised that the group would risk everything for a child, a child with powers that most would exploit. When the questioning was done she pledged herself to the cause, but only if we could accept something about her that we did not know, and revealed herself as a changeling, and one that did not always have control over her powers. Surprised, the group had many questions for her. Phaes confirmed she had no connection to the changelings that the Wildcards had encountered previously or the group that Syr Galinndan was in pursuit of. Syr Galinndan cast a Zone of Truth to ask a few final questions of Phaes, and with trust allayed, Phaes relaxed slightly.
Morthak drew Gemris aside as she had wished to speak of the matter they had discussed earlier. Morthak impressed upon Gemris her desire not to be revived should she fall in the battles before us. Gemris promised to respect her wishes, but promised she would not let her go without a fight.
The camaraderie ended as we were called to dinner, and Merath discussed the Wildcards next steps. Upon hearing that they intended to travel to the Benthic Spire in the hopes that Zitonai was laired there, he suggested he might have some ability to assist with their journey. After finner, the Wildcards encountered another of the Children of Abundance, a sad looking child named Shan.
The Wildcards retreated to their quarters, where Sofia again attempted to contact some otherworldly powers. While she received the answers she sought, this time the strain of the spell overcome her mental defences, and in its aftermath she appeared to be paralyzed. Those with knowledge of medicine investigated and found her generally well, but catatonic. Hopeful that this would pass naturally, Phaes made her comfortable. Sofia's mysterious companion apparated and attempted to approach her paralyzed body before being summarily dispatched by Skulk. But it was Galinndan who prompted the second surprise of the night.
Upon laying hands upon Sofia to alleviate her paralysis, Sofia suddenly changed forms into a blustering gentleman who named himself Syr Varengoss Von Valenheim, a well to do researcher who thought the date was four hundred years earlier. He appeared to have no understanding of recent events and was only aware of the name Sofia Morozov through a treatise published by someone of that name in his time. Many questions were answered, unitl eventually Phaes prompted Morthak to summon an image of Sofia, which seemed to confuse Varengoss for a moment, who subsequently reverted back into Sofia.
In the conversation that followed we discovered that Sofia was not aware that she had changed form, nor what had transpired when she was so transformed. Phaes was struck by this situation and requested we relent with questions so as to let Sofia get some rest for now.
Come the morning we said our farewells to Mylla and Polypup. The young girl correctly surmised that we were bound for a dangerous confrontation and begged us to come back safely. Our dealings done, we were led by Merath down to see Bethadru, with Voyage and Nyllian in tow. Nyllian and Merath linked arms and Merath chanted a spell that summoned us into a dreamlike vision of the Oasis. Here Bethadru played, studiously avoiding a deep pit that seemed to exist only in her dreams. Bethadru took us soaring over the desert landscape, before ending our journey within a day's travel to the Benthic Spire. As she drifted away, her single eye and head crowned with drifting tentacle-like hair, we returned to her room within the Refuge, and with the memory fresh in his mind (and Sofia still retching from the experience), Voyage teleported us.
With any luck, Zitonai won’t be expecting us to have snuck so close this quickly...

Notable Dialogue

Is Zitonai's Lair at the Benthic Spire?

Yes

What does Skulk have in his pocket?

Trinkets, treasures

What will we find in the ruins the Zeshi were searching for?

Passage

Passage to where?

The coldest depths of darkness

Is there more of the tablet there?

Yes

Sofia and an extra planar entity

By the time I was was [Mylla's] age, I had already killed my first man.

Phaes

I'm not letting you go without a fight.

Gemris, to Morthak

Character(s) interacted with

• Merath
• Phaes
• Shan
• Voyage
• Nyllian

Campaign

Wednesday Warriors

Protagonists

Report Date

03 Nov 2021

Primary Location

Refuge

Secondary Location

Howling Sands

Related Characters

• Morthak Hornbearer