Winedark: Concerning the Kingfisher

General Summary

Wherein Irk descends into memory, enters into a fraught relationship, and proves his worth to Kogosand to himself

Pity the Kingfisher

The sight of Kora Caskpike waiting dockside for the Vastblasters aboard the Seven Rows caused Irk to ponder a particular chain of events that has led him to this moment.
It began in Bragaki, with a brutal fight against some errant lizardfolk who were attempting some arcane and deadly experiments. Irk, along with his fellow Kogos acolytes, was tasked with eliminating this threat. It soon became clear that Irk was very much outmatched in this endeavor. Luckily, the others were not. Those more stalwart companions included:

• Grisk, a ranger of vaguely humanoid origin who could manifest swarms of gulls at will
• Rill, an astral elf druid of the storm from beyond understood planes of existence
• Lightning in Clear Skies, a monk able to harness the power of the storm
• Uul, a minotaur barbarian, reborn in the service of Kogos

These lizardfolk stood no match against these gathered heroes. And the less heroic Irk. With that done, it was time to return to Kora to see what was next.
It turned out that stopping the lizardfolk was only the start of a larger test--that of becoming an apprentice in Weathervane (the organization dedicated to all things Kogos through which Kora disseminated her tutelage). The bigger test was to seek out an erratic blue dragon named Kizeth and past whatever tests presented to them. The dragon is, apparently, an ally of Weathervane, and thus, of Kogos. Well, okay!
Irk was very much aware of the danger this particular task presented to him and inquired with Kora why he was tagging along on this venture which seemed beyond his capabilities. Her only response was that she saw something in him, could see Kogos clearly delineated in his small frame. Hopefully that will prove to be sufficient solace as he is utterly destroyed by whatever it is to come.
But perhaps it is a good thing, as the crew required transport to Kizeth's lair in The Burnpile, and wouldn't you just know if that Irk had as friend who might be able to sail them that way. Kharlo Chondricht, the friend in question, was happy to help Irk convince the captain of Kharlo's current ship, the Indignant, to make a slight detour on their next voyage. It definitely helped that Captain Thorkuhm Goblinhelm, like many sailors, lived in utter fear of the wrath of Kogos and was happy to oblige this request by his faithful.
So, that settled, it was to The Burnpile and to the feckless whims of a blue dragon.

Kizeth's Trials

After making their way to the dragon's lair, it was clear that this particular dragon was steeped in the storm. Lightning flashed across the sky seemingly at will, and thunder echoed in places where echo ought to have no purchase. After looking over these acolytes, Kizeth declared she would require them to complete two tasks designed to test their worthiness before she would bestow a "gift" upon them. Our heroes, eager for knowledge and power, readily agreed. The dragon then declared that she would monitor their progress through the weakest among them, and Irk found an unsettling presence of a dragon in his head, using his eyes.
The first was to destroy a Dragon Turtle who had the temerity to encroach upon Kizeth's territory. This was accomplished without too much difficulty. Irk, in fact, found himself a ready and able combatant, with his abilities somehow strengthened through the connection with Kizeth. Or perhaps it was the will of Kogos? Or maybe both? Anyway, it was rad.
With the first test completed, it was on to the second. This one required our adventurers to head deep into the egg creche of Kizeth and "attend to the needs" of that space. This was no mean feat, as this creche was a place of power. The storm required itself to be weathered, and our acolytes were up to the task. Laying in wait for them, however, was something decidedly not of the storm--parasitic "egg hunters" that feed on, well, eggs. Battle commenced and, once again, our heroes, with the will of Kogos, truimphed.
So, all that remained was to receive the wisdom and strength sure to be found in the gift of Kizeth.

The Gift of the Voltage

It turned out, however, that Kizeth had herself "moved beyond" the confines of Kogos and the gift she offered was emblematic of that understanding. Each of the gathered adventurers reacted to this "gift" in drastically different ways:

• Clear Skies found her corporal body to be entirely disintegrated as the gift overcame her. Perhaps another form will manifest itself for her in time. Now, though, she is one with the storm.
• Rill, having perhaps come as far as she could in her study of this particular storm deity, found herself pushed back through the folds of existence, pulled into a new veil of time and space, with a new storm's secrets to unlock.
• Grisk was just fucking yeeted into The Vast. There, he wandered for quite some time before coming across a form trapped under the wreckage of a shipwreck. What occurred there is a tale for another time.
• Uul refused this gift and was sent back to seek the guidance of Kogos while walking through the Vast.

And Irk? Well, Irk was a special case. Some sort of connection was formed between this resilient kingfisher and this terrible blue dragon. A relationship, such as it was, emerged. It would be difficult to describe this affair, given its participants, as anything but volatile and tenuous.
Many, including Kora, believed all the participants in the trials to be lost. There was one, though, who refused to give up hope. Kharlo Chondricht, aboard the Bird is the Word came to Irk's rescue and provided a method of escape.
Irk, however, was not alone. He carried with him a strange orange egg. He also carried with him the secrets of that egg.
He carries that still, as we returned to the present moment, sailing toward a reunion with Kora Caskpike and whatever that might entail.

And That's Where We Left It

We'll see how this memory might shape future events during our next session

Various & Sundry Details

• Uul did a lot of "watching and dripping." It was most disconcerting.
• Grisk named just a whole shitload of his gull swarm. Some major players include Chappy, Pretzel, Popcorn, Jeff, and the indomitable Chickpea.
• Kizeth, perhaps unaware of Irk's departure at first, is now surely aware of it. And what he carries with him. What could that mean?

Character(s) interacted with

• Kora Caskpike, cleric of Kogos
• Kizeth, of the Deathcrackle, Born in the Voltage, the Flash and the Ruination, &tc, &tc
• Kharlo Chondricht, humble sailor

Report Date

05 Dec 2021

Primary Location

The Burnpile

Secondary Location

Bragaki