Session 5 Recap: "Baewic"
General Summary
Returning victorious but subdued to Pinestrand, the group decided not to linger with the onus of their task still weighing on them. They pressed onward to Baewic, with a letter from Lapis that would grant them entry into the Darklaw's castle and to Nikolai Goodmane.
The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful until they reached the city gates where Tallow noticed that the marshalling caravan of aid heading for Darrowshore appeared to be headed up by the Aetheryn Guard. Surprised to see their forces taking action so quickly, he was spotted and flagged down by one of them and handed a letter. Meanwhile, Torivar distracted the guards so the rest of the group could enter the city without any further trouble.
Divided on how to proceed, Tallow eventually headed to Etronis Tower to handle his summons, while the rest of the group agreed to continue to Darklaw Castle to meet with Nikolai. They were met at the gates by a goliath who introduced himself as Damon Barheart, accepting Lapis' letter and inviting the group inside. They were treated to a glimpse into the life of the Darklaws within their base of operations, and eventually brought them to Nikolai himself.
With some idea of the events that had unfolded, the group was able to quickly inform Nikolai of the situation Ruby had sent them to him to resolve. He explained that the Wellspring was not an artifact to take lightly, and that to retrieve it, the group would need to seek out guidance from the history of the Dawnspire, and those who once used and created such artifacts. He suggested that the Temple of the Creator would be a place to start, a stronghold where Celia Larinth had developed a ritual to utilize a Wellspring and that there might be information there of use to them on disarming it. He also impressed upon the group that the Wellspring needed to be returned, or at the very least kept out of anyone else's hands to prevent it from being used for any further destruction.
On their way out, Aetherik mentioned to Damon that he had an interest in joining the Darklaws, asking what it would take to become a part of the odd collection of people that made up their ranks. He was assured that intent was the most important thing one needed to join the Darklaws and pulled down Aetherik's hood to prove that no one there would bother him over his appearance.
The group eventually reconvened at the Brown Herald for the evening, enjoying the wonderful drink "Coffee" the tavern was becoming known for, and discussed the possibilities ahead of them for the journey that was beginning to unfold...
Personal Matters
Upon being summoned to Mar Sera, Tallow excused himself from the group and made his way to Etronis Tower and teleported to the Aetheryn Guard Headquarters where he met with none other than the newly appointed Grandmaster Ianais. With a healthy dose of skepticism surrounding the timing of the Grandmaster's appointment, and that she intended to send him after the Wellspring rather than a more senior member of Guard, the Grandmaster took her time to explain Tallow and his companions' lower profile meant they'd be able to act without drawing the attention of the entire continent in their search for the Wellspring and warned him that even the once heroes of Iria had failed to keep the Wellspring safe and their good intentions now put an untold number of people at risk. She offered aid to Tallow and the group to help in their retrieval of the missing artifact, including a sending stone that would allow Tallow to remain in contact as he needed.
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Ash took his time to visit the Centertree of Baewic, an ancient tree planted by the Tiri Kitor and nurtured for generations by the people who would even sacrifice their own water rations to ensure the tree survived the hardships that once plagued Iria.
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Taking a moment for himself away from the group, Torevar made his way to the local smithy and bartered for some time at the forge to work through some of the thoughts in his head. Putting hammer to metal, he spent some time there, working out his thoughts and frustrations for several hours before he felt ready to rejoin the group for the night.
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Despite the relative freedom of being able to exist without the protection of his hood, Aetherik continued to have visions and flashes of memory that seemed to belong to someone else. A bottle of cider at the tavern brought back memories of an orchard and a familiar little girl stuck high in a tree, though before he could find a way to get her down, he was distracted by the arrival of a blonde girl with bright blue eyes and forgot to return to his task. It was only later he remembered his task and was left with the realization he'd left the little girl in the tree on her own before the memory faded.
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While Nikolai provided a hospitable welcome to the group, Rhysis found herself the object of his scrutiny as they tried to leave. Without prompting, Nikolai seemed to know her name and far more about her than anyone else she'd encountered thus far. Still plagued by the flashes of memory from the temple of Mithredel, she followed Nikolai in hopes he had more answers for her. And in some ways he did, explaining she had once been a squire to a storied member of the Dawnspire, Shalinthal Desdemonia. They had never found Rhysis' body, but had assumed her dead following the fragmented bits of the battle that comprised the last of Rhysis' memories. Nikolai suggested that she visit the Church of the Triad, as the clerics there might be able to restore her memory but cautioned her that the process might not come without pain. Though she thanked him for the information, Rhysis did not go to the temple, but returned to the group with far more on her mind than when she left.
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