Session 11 - "Return Triumphant" Report
General Summary
Kona 25, 1246
Alimony Symphero is dead, as are Justin and (the as of yet unnamed) other Glowbug. Thais leans down, and gifts their body a blessing of gentle repose, before taking two copper pieces and placing them over Ali's eyes, tying a strip of linen across their temple to hold the coins in place.
Foenix begins to look around for a place to stash the bodies of the Glowbugs, eventually settling on an empty grain bin. Olena helps him hoist the bodies into the bin, and mark it on a map to give to the Glowbugs.
In the meantime, Thais scouts out an empty textile factory, and settles everyone there to sleep for the night. The watches are divided up as such: Thais, Aglaia and Micaiah, and Foenix and Olena.
The first watch goes well, though Aglaia quickly discovers that there's something wrong with the water in the party's skins: it's foul-tasting and rancid, with some slimy black contaminant within.
They agree to tell the rest of the party before they left camp the next day, and Micaiah talks a bit about her youth as a servant in the de’Louvre household, and how she was essentially decoration for the home.
Aglaia questions if Micaiah is actually a bard, pointing out that she, coming from the Islands of Atropae, is quite familair with magic - and she's never met a bard who could call out familiars. Micaiah simply shrugs and smiles - the best bards can do it, she says. Aglaia gives her a suspicious look, warning that it's no good to lie to your party. Micaiah assures her that she's got it.
As Foenix and Olena watch, Olena absentmindedly draws a rune on a scrap of parchment, while Foenix picks up and throws down the same dagger again and again.
Olena is the one to break the silence, admitting that she feels that she failed Ali, but Foenix grimly states that death comes for them all eventually. The two of them split Olena's mead and Foenix's last two pink pastries for the remainder of their watch.
Meanwhile, as Thais sleeps, she has a dream: her face pressed into the mud, the sprinkling, spitting water of a barely-there storm. Only when she opens her eyes and raises her head, it's not rain. Blood has soaked into the ground, turning it to churning mud.
There is a pile of bodies, headless, to her right, and a series of chained prisoners to her left - the clothing is Karasan, she can tell. One by one they are brought to a large figure, in dark armor, who lifts his sword with one hand and grips their hair with the left. Then in a swift motion, like preparing a cow to be drained before a feast, he slits their throat, tossing them to the pile of bodies.
There's a moment where she feels like she should move, but she can't - frozen in the face of this destruction. But it doesn't stop the executioner from noticing her presence. He turns, looming form of eight feet tall - and there it is. Thais's own face staring back at her. This version of her is more beautiful than she could ever have imagined... and more terrible. Her dark hair is long and wild, stained a reddish-black from the blood that also runs down her face. The monolithic paladin stalks forward, grasping Thais by the throat and lifting her into the air.
"You thought we were something better than this?" It hisses, as Thais's feet dangle in air. "We are better like this. You look at what we are as monstrous instead of necessary."
Thais cannot respond in this dream scape, and almost as if realizing it, the paladin growls and turns, slicing down on the next prisoner in line with brutal force. Thais has just enough time to see Ali's head rolling across the ground with a stunned expression before she wakes up in a cold sweat.
Kona 26, 1246
Micaiah is the one to try and wake Thais, and asks her if she's okay when he sees her expression, but Thais brushes him off.
Foenix checks on the pearler's blade, shaking off the water and opening it up to reveal a pearl within its shell.
Thais pulls herself to her feet and walks over to Aglaia, and pulls out her sword. She gives the cleric a formal salute, thanking her for saving her life. Aglaia is rather uncomfortable with the gratitude, but accepts it.
Before they have breakfast, Aglaia calls out to everyone to empty their waterskins, and then she creates food and water to refill their waterskins and create a (bland but nutritious) breakfast. The rest is packed up to carry with them, while Thais carries Ali's body in her arms as they begin to hike out.
Kona 28, 1246
The party approaches the gate into the Glowbugs' camp. At first, the Glowbugs react with well trained paranoia, scattering and hiding their presence - but when Foenix takes out a seal for the Glowbugs (taken off of Justin's corpse) and tosses it in, Jacob Sterling cautiously lets them in.
They are taken to meet with Fawn, and Foenix gives the report: of the successful clearing of the Glowbugs' path, the death of their runners... and of Ali's death. Fawn is regretful that the party has lost one of their own, and readily pays them for clearing the path.
She also assigns Jacob as their guide and assistant for the rest of the time that the party remains in Brillante.
Foenix asks for something in addition: a search for Henry Avon, Ali's father. Fawn agrees, but puts some stipulations on their services: a hundred gold pieces up front, and a hundred gold pieces once they've completed their search (regardless of the success of the mission). Foenix agrees, and the deal is struck.
The party finds a place in Havre-Ordure to stay: a little motel called Luca's, and divides up the rooms. Micaiah, Jacob, Aglaia, and Foenix all take separate rooms, while Olena and Thais share with Ali's corpse that Thais takes care to keep fresh.
Luca's, it turns out, is not the quietest place in the world (as you would expect from any tavern), and Aglaia is nearly pulling her hair out from the stress of not being able to meditate in peace. Foenix, a resident of Havre-Ordure, offers to show her a place she can be alone.
They move away from the hustle and bustle of the main slums, and as Aglaia lets out a sigh of relief, she offers a plan to Foenix as ways of thanks: to create a zone of truth around Micaiah to get some real answers out of him. Actually, out of the whole party, because as Aglaia continues to point out, none of the party will talk to each other. Foenix points out that they have only known each other for a week or so, but that doesn't matter to Aglaia. Foenix acquiesces that he would like to know more about the party, but insists that he be kept out of the circle.
Back at Luca's, as the party eats dinner (and tiramisu made by Foenix), the party begins to suggest next steps. Micaiah tells them of his sister in bondage, Babette Louvre, and her plea for his help to free her and the man meant to be her sacrifice to the public image of the Brillantan nobles.
He suggests sneaking into the party as guests, and demonstrates his point by turning into Aglaia (disguise self). But the gemstones encrusted on her face have turned to iridescent scales, which Aglaia points out. Micaiah tries again to disguise himself, which does work properly this time - but Aglaia says that the fact that his magic is unreliable is only one of the problems with this plan.
Since there's no solid information about the actual party, Aglaia suggests getting in touch with Babette using the bird, and once they've had a talk with her, they can start planning in earnest. This is generally agreed upon, and as the party retreats to their quarters after dinner, the last grim deed of the night must be done: Aglaia casts speak with dead to speak with Ali and uncover their final wishes.
The door to Olena and Thais's room is locked, and then Aglaia performs the rite. As Ali's head raises from their chest, waiting, the following exchange took place:
- Q: "Where are you from?" A: "Vakwari."
- Q: "What is your mother's name?" A: "Serenity Symphero."
- Q: "What do you want us to do with your body?" A: "I don't really care."
- Q: "What do you want done with your personal effects?" A: "Send it back with my body."
- Q: "What do you want us to do if we find your father?" A: "Tell him to go back home and apologize."
And with that final sentence, Ali's head rests back on their breast, never to move again.
Thais takes the letter that Ali wrote to their mother, and on the bottom adds a note to Serenity detailing Ali's death, with an enclosed leaf of enchanted paper with which to send a response by paper bird as to her location and wishes.
As the paper folds itself up and begins to fly up and away towards its destination, a foul, unlucky wind begins to blow - who knows what is to come (Make It Worse invoked).
Rewards Granted
- 700 gp
Character(s) interacted with
- Fawn, elf Glowbug
Thais Argyri
Paladin (Oath of Redemption) 7
18
13
16
10
11
18
Foenix Stolnent
Rogue 3
Arcane Trickster 4
14
18
19
18
13
13
Micaiah Louvre
Warlock 7
7
18
14
12
15
20
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