S2 E11: Echoes of Essi
General Summary
That feeling when not enough is wrong when you return to the scene of your crimes...
- The party cuts Galadrion loose, and in their attempt to stealthily use/"liberate"/steal the raft that Cobalt, Tatiana and Galadrion took down thorugh the delta, discover the two pilots are still on it, roused by the noise from where they were evidently sleeping in the tiny central hut. A fight ensues, ending with two Thri-Kreen dead - the fight is luckily resolved quickly enough that reinforcements don't take notice. Soon after pushing off into the river they realize they really don't know how to control the raft, or the path to take on the river. They find the two poles, but either lack the strength, height or both to effectively use more than one of them. But then they raise one Thri-Kreen as a zombie - problem solved.
- While guiding the raft upriver against the mild but constant current, they are attacked by a giant constrictor snake which evades detection until it's practically in the boat. The team proves to be a spicy foe when it was looking for an easy meal, and it escapes to the muck below. They travel, slowly and with difficulty but without further incident, tossing the zombie before docking at the Bywater river bridgeway. From there they make their way back to the Beggar's dice and regroup with Slonsky. They tell him everything - or nearly so, enough that they feel like maybe they've said too much, but he takes it in stride and agrees to give them new day-passes for Herron Heights, to go after the Succubus.
- They find that the estate is actually - pretty much exactly as it was, despite what had appeared to be the bloody slaying of D'antonio Essi and several Optimate guests, and the transformation of Solara Nantez into a Succubus. The help is at first suspicious of the team, then too friendly, which is suspicious to the team. Essi is exactly as he was, to an unsettling degree; no scars or visible injuries despite having been fatally stabbed a few nights before, and no apparent memory of the event despite (after a moment) recognizing Tatiana 'Mirevale' and her servants from the party. Strong enchantment magic is detected, but without an obvioius locus or source.
- Solara, when she comes into the room, is less polite. Clearly she recognizes the team and what they did, but doesn't leap to attack, instead agreeing with them to go downstairs and take a look at things as Tatiana claims to have lost an earring. "Yes, let's go downstairs. That's a wonderful idea," Solara agrees, dripping with sarcasm. Cobalt and KC see that the door to the basement is really some kind of portal - but Eldara can't tell what they're being so weird about; Tatiana sees it as half-stairs and half-portal, uncertain which is which. A portal to where? The Hells? The Abyss? Tatiana knows that Succubi are an unaffiliated sort of fiend that can be found in quantities on either side of the blood war. The moment has come to decide - go into the portal - down the stairs - or into the unknown?
Missions/Quests Completed
- Escape the Queen's Hive
- Agatipi River Rafting
Character(s) interacted with
- Slonsky
- D'antonio Essi
- Solara Nantez
- Kresht Hingus (deceased)
- Iskrit Dingadon (deceased, zombie, whereabouts presently unknown)
Comments