Session Report 52

General Summary

As the Muskrats headed to Kenny's home, a dense bank of fog rolled across the water. The brave Muskrats with guidance of Kenny continued through the fog, but upon exiting the fog only Kenny, Chev, and Tazmeth remained. The other Muskrats had disappeared. Never fretting the disappearance of party members, they continued on. 
After a short while they reached Kenny's home. A small rocky island with a small lean constructed out of driftwood and other waste that he had scavenged from the water. Kenny choosing to be a gracious host offered the two Muskrats a delightful meal of fish and mushrooms. Tazmeth being shy as ever turned him down. Chev, however, a true connoisseur of cuisine decided to partake in the meal. The fish was served on a piece of driftwood and the white flesh of the fish had been cooked by the high acidity of the mushrooms stuffed inside. The bioluminescence of the mushroom was glowing through the flesh of the fish. Chev dug in and found it to be a unique flavor profile that he had yet to discover on the surface. 
Dinner conversation molded into discussion over how to escape from the current predicament that the Muskrats found themselves in. Kenny began to tell of the legend of the Watcher. A creature dedicated to preventing any individual from ever escaping their watery prison. Supposedly, the escape was on the island that the Watcher guarded furiously. Some say great offerings of wealth would allow someone free passage to the escape and out of the Underdark. Kenny then continued and spoke of the Underdepth, a settlement of people who had become trapped in this place and that some were researching on how to escape. A close friend of Kenny's, Zebidi, had the foremost knowledge on the subject and Kenny offered to deliver them to Zebidi to gain his assistance. The Muskrats agreed knowing this may be their only chance to learn of a way of escape. 
After a short time spent rowing the Muskrats arrived on an island that was far larger than Kenny's and had numerous structures built on it. Upon disembarking the Muskrats could see that the structures formed a maze with tight corridors to pass through. A small gnome came rushing through the maze to greet them at the water's edge. He wore pieced together clothing and a cracked monocle. He began to tell the Muskrats about the Watcher and what he had learned over the years while observing the many who had attempted to escape. It is an aquatic creature that preferred to strike from the water, but that must be amphibious because it could travel on land. Zebidi suggested attempting to fight the creature from a small rocky island near the island it guards to provide as much of an advantage as possible against it. The Muskrats finding that to be an optimal plan agreed and prepared to set off. Before they could leave a group in the Underdepths arrived bearing torches. This sect in the Underdepths were fighting to stop anyone from leaving the island believing that their fate was to remain on the island. Quickly Tazmeth and Chev began to deflect their torches as they threw them at the boat in an attempt to prevent them from leaving. With great grace the two were able to push away from the shore with minimal damage to the boat. 
A few short hours later the two Muskrats arrived at the small rocky outcropping. As they headed to the edge to begin the search for the Watcher they heard Zebidi yell, "I have brought them as you requested, Master." As the Muskrats turned to face him, Zebidi plunged into the water disappearing. Soon after great horrors began to befall the Muskrats. Chev quickly became hypnotized and walked off into the water, black tentacles began to wrap around Tazmeth, and Chev was struck by lightning. Realizing that battle was futile and escape was impossible, Chev used his second wish. "I wish for myself, Tazmeth, Itzal, Shade, Cambio, Ember, and Embry to teleport on the ground outside the Wulkan city gates." 
Suddenly the party was reunited at the gates of Wulkan. However, their sudden appearance and the gruesome sight of Embry began to draw attention. Embry had been severely tortured. Both hands had been cut off and blood soaked bandages wrapped them. A blood stained cloth was wrapped around his eyes. The dwarf was now deathly thin and unconscious. Thinking quickly Chev decided the best course of action was to head to House Vassa and seek their assistance. Rushing rapidly through the city and to the Spires the party reached House Vassa but were denied entry. As Chev interacted with the guards began to get a strange feeling and felt the party needed to flee, and to find a cleric for Embry. 
As they retreated from House Vassa, Tazmeth spotted what appeared to be a cleric heading towards House Blackpaw. The Muskrats seeing the opportunity darted towards the cleric and began to explain the situation and beg for assistance. As they explained their story, the Muskrats could see a sense of recognition and excitement. The cleric ushered the Muskrats into House Blackpaw for a meeting with Shadows in the Wind. The Muskrats were led through the dark mahogany chambers of the House and brought into a large circular chamber with an entirely glass dome ceiling. Large cushions dotted the floor and female tabaxis in sheer silk gowns were lounging in the chamber. Ferns of great height were planted at various points in the chamber and created the sense that you stood in a forest. On a raised central platform in the center, an older black tabaxi dressed in golden silks rose and stepped down to meet the Muskrats, Shadows in the Wind. 
Chev quickly began to tell Shadows in the Wind about the party's recent struggles and why they were in Ashenfall. Chev attempted to hide the fact that House Vassa had hired the party to go retrieve Embry and deal with Tritemeus. Then the realization hit Shadows in the Wind regarding who Chev was. When Chev had drawn the card from the Deck of Many Things that caused someone to become an enemy of his, the new enemy was Zorron, the head of House Vassa. The House revoked Chev's title and placed a bounty on his head of one hundred thousand gold pieces. Seeing a new opportunity, Shadows in the Wind immediately ordered for Embry to be healed and offered his assistance to the party on certain conditions. When asked what the party could do for him, Shadows in the Wind responded simply that he wanted his son found and then the party could go from there. 
Over thirty years ago, Shadows in the Wind's son disappeared. Ever since his disappearance Shadows in the Wind has attempted to sire another heir but has always failed. Believing that his line and House Blackpaw were doomed to fall with his death, he had become withdrawn and obsessive about finding his lost son. Then a couple days ago a miracle occurred. As he laid in the Great Hall resting, there was a bright flash of light and a bow appeared. Black wood with gold veins running through it. He had taken this as a sign that his son was still alive and would return home one day. 
Upon hearing the tale, both Chev and Tazmeth realized that this bow belonged to Shade and that the two tabaxi shared a great resemblance. The two shared their deduction with Shadows in the Wind who expressed great excitement and disbelief at the news. He refused to hand over the bow until further proof of their claim was revealed, but he decided that the objectives of this newly forged relationship could shift so soon. That discussion would take place the following day and Chev and Tazmeth were forced to retire to chambers guarded until a further conversation could take place in the morning. 
Early the next morning Chev and Tazmeth were escorted to a high tower in the mansion where they were met with Ember, Embry, and Shadows in the Wind. There Embry began to share what he had learned about Tritemeus and what secret he was guarding so fiercely. Tritemeus had sought out Embry because Embry had constructed the lair of a beholder named the Eater of Planes, a creature obsessed with merging all planes into the Far Realms and under his control. The Eater has the unique ability to consume other creatures and add their power to his own. To further their goals, the Eater operates the Bronzedawn to generate wealth and collect information on creatures he wishes to consume. Tritemeus desires to kill the Eater and steal the power it holds to further his own ends. To do so he needed Embry, the architect of the Eater's lair. 
Embry is blessed by Moradin and can create spectral smithing tools that allows him forge what are essentially mini planes. He performed this service for the Eater and Embry considers the Hall of Endless Eyes his greatest work. The Hall consists of two spaces: fixed and unfixed. Fixed spaces are spaces that do not change within the Hall and are stable structures within the Hall. The fixed points within the Hall shift within the Hall but they are all linked together with teleportation magic. Moving through the fixed points is a linear process, and the most interior point of the Hall, where the Eater resides is the final point. Unfixed structures is all the space between the fixed points. Here, Embry gave the Eater the power to control these spaces with his imagination. He can change many aspects of the space such as what creatures reside there, the terrain, weather, and much more. Besides where the Eater resides in the Hall, the unfixed points are where they have the greatest control in the Hall. Someone could save substantial amount of time by traveling through the unfixed points to reach the Eater but it is far riskier. 
Embry was able to endure the torture and not reveal any details about the Hall, where it appears, or what is held in his magical adamantine vault. Questioning the last two points, the Muskrats inquired about them. First, the additional benefit of the Hall is that it travels and entrances to it open typically once a year. The possible locations are Nordbrann, Sorbrann, Mount Udaka, Sorra's Storm, Flu'Toquoa Lake, and the Zordordens. Second, Embry only told the party that there great wealth and magical items contained in the vault and that they could claim it as payment. 
Finally, Embry shared that Tritemeus would succeed in his goal of awakening Rorn and unleashing chaos on the continent in roughly seven days. Upon hearing this news Shadows in the Wind started to prepare a plan to deal with the possible destruction. He informed the Muskrats that he would send for Diendrum the Marvelous to sell items to the party in the comfort of House Blackpaw and that he would prepare a teleportation circle to send the party back to Ashenfall. This would provide Chev with the necessary time to rest after using two Wish spells in rapid succession. With the plans in motion everyone departed to begin preparations

Report Date

02 Jul 2022