Session 94: Time Warp
General Summary
We meet up at Elathera's tower after a week. She suggests we should go into the Akashic Records again to find information on the Beast of Temekus and the Far Realms. Given that the Library of Forbidden Knowledge is now the Library of No Knowledge, the Akashic Records is our only option. Security will certainly be increased, so we'll need to find a way to reverse time to our first visit to get around these measures. Industria suggests we find pockets of time flowing backwards, but Elathera mentions that the power exists in an artifact called the Scepter of Ages. While Elathera and Industria work on finding its last known location, I go into Nowhere to speak with Iolond and Pandemonius.
If we go through with releasing the Beast of Temekus, we'll need to do it in a place where it can't destroy the Material Plane. Iolond is curious about us possibly releasing it in Nowhere and Pandemonius is warned that he'll need to close the gate to Pandemonium once we do. Well, unless he wants a surprise visit from the harbinger of the apocalypse. The Scepter of Ages is continents away in a city called Lumina. Its current owner is an old tiefling named Tortoise, which gives us enough information to work with. We teleport to Lumina and upon asking for Tortoise's whereabouts, we're given attitude by the locals. Tortoise is apparently a common name in these parts, so what we did was the equivalent of asking, "Where's Dreadnought!?", to clueless bartenders all over.
Tortoise's single, gnarled horn is mentioned and we're directed to find a rundown cabin on the outskirts of the city. Tortoise allows visitors to gaze upon the Scepter of Ages, which looks like a massive key. His family told him that it was a key to the city and given that it's a family heirloom, he won't part with it. After some discussion, he agrees to let us make a replica, which we swap with the real artifact once Elathera stops time. We disappear and scurry behind the cabin to test out the scepter. We'll go fifteen minutes back in time to our arrival at the cabin. Elathera keeps the time stop going and Industria begins the ritual, though as it nears completion, I sense that this is a trap. A tear in reality blips into existence, followed by strange sounds in front of the cabin.
I'm the first to arrive on the scene and come face-to-face with a crystalline humanoid. Glimpses of the past, present, and future flash against the crystal. When the party catches up with me, we begin fighting it. It has its sights set on Industria, but Lucky manages to gain control of it, forcing it to answer whatever questions we have. It confirms that the Scepter of Ages we acquired is the authentic one, but a trap was placed upon it long ago, presumably to stop people from playing with time. We camp out in a magic mansion crafted by Elathera. I examine the key, which is covered in ancient runes, as well as a symbol of an organization I don't recognize. Industria knows that it's a symbol for an ancient mage's guild, The Order of the Tenth Circle.
Elathera gives the scepter temporary sentience so we can question it. In order to break the enchantment on it, we need to find a specific spell and recite it before three members of the order or their descendants. Some of the family names are Sibar, Molachus, Tennyson, Fletch-Wesley, Remerald, Briar-Rose, Umber, and Kimchi. Remerald and Umber are known families on the Caelsimil Peninsula. The mages directly responsible for the scepter's creation were Emry Rochester, Vitath Harrowfel, Tria Briaxis, and Britany Briar-Rose. The Order of the Tenth Circle would travel to an unknown island in order to conduct their experiments. Finding that island is now our next objective for the month.
Rikius will look over world maps and shipping charts to see if there's any areas that are avoided entirely. The Order of the Oracle's Eye, along with Industria, will scout around for signs of the mage's guild or their descendants. I'll look around the Den of Foxes' library to find historical records of them and see if I can get information from Iolond. Elathera will interrogate a sphinx and try to locate the spell we need. Jordeira and Lucky will seek out areas of occult activity in case the mage's guild is still active to some degree.
Character(s) interacted with
Report Date
15 May 2022
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