Ensnaring Tendrils

General Summary

Introduction

The adventurers awoke the next morning, with several still sore from the previous day's encounter with the bellowheart. Farren had been awake late into the night tinkering with her dimensional mirror and planning with her mother on how to retrieve her father. Dante had slept uneasily; thoughts of the meadow had kept him awake and even this morning he could not stop thinking out the meadow. He felt an inexplicable urge to return to the meadow. Cassandra and Tidran had finalized their plans to search for Jayvin. Mo had also spent an uneasy night. The arrival of Grazelle, another Ivannian, reminded the Jack of things she had chosen to leave behind. Sirkel was back in Beyonder's Blades; his search for the infinite cake cypher had so far been fruitless. Dariyana had slept soundly because her warrior background had taught her the importance of sleep when the opportunity arose.

After finishing breakfast, each party member drifted over to the inn where they discussed their plans for the day. Many of them wanted revenge on the bellowheart and felt that with better preparation they could slay the beast and explore the strange meadow. Farren wished to submit her cypher into the contest at the fair and continue her research into finding a Silver Orphan. Mo wished to speak further with Grazelle at the fair. Cassandra and Tidran presented their preparations to find Jayvin. After much discussion, the group agreed to all help each other with their various tasks.

Searching for Jayvin

First, the adventures would go to the Salt Marshes and attempt to find Jayven, the mysterious man who apparently was searching for Cassandra and Tidran. The group discussed Aneens but quickly realized that would take several weeks of travel. Someone mentioned that they had access to a working spaceship, and their pilot had last been seen in Northam. The group took the portal to Northam and found Finn Holden at an inn suffering from a hangover. Finn agreed to pilot the ship once again although he grumbled about the bright sunlight (it was cloudy) and loud footsteps (there were soft rugs on the floor) of his companions.

The entire party returned to Beyonder's Blades through the portal and retrieved their spaceship from the cave. Under the skillful (and non-talkative) piloting of Finn, the ship arrived in the Salt Marshes after a couple hours ride. The first thing they noticed (especially Mo!) was the pervasive fishy odor in the air. A fishing village sprawled before them, with many small fishing shacks and back alleys ending at the waters edge. Many fisherman could be seen mending their nets and going about their business. Tidran questioned several fishermen about Jayvin, and was eventually directed to look for an old man under a ramshackle wharf a few blocks away.

Jayvin Found at Last

Approaching the wharf, the group saw an old white-haired man lying down underneath of it. He was coughing and covered with a ragged blanket. Tidran approached and introduced himself and Cassandra. For a moment the old man sat as if he had not heard but then, a spark seemed to stir across his haggard face. He stood up and greeted the group warmly. He eagerly told them that he was a very good friend and business partner with Cassandra and Tidran's parents. He had looked for the two of them for a long time but had finally given up hope. The siblings were overjoyed! They both had many questions for Jayvin.

Jayvin explained that he had been business partners with their parents and ran a fleet of merchant ships in the Sere Marica. They had borrowed money from The Yellow Serpents, a group of shady people who extorted large interest rates from their clients. One morning, the sibling's parents set sail with their children aboard a small cutter. Unbeknownst to them, Jayvin had stopped paying the Yellow Serpents as he believed the company to be in a strong enough position to ignore their demands. The cutter was found several days later bogged down in the mud of the Salt Marshes with no survivors. Cassandra and Tidran however were not found among the bodies.

Jayvin had gifted their parents with a pair of transporter bracelets. He surmised that when their cutter was attacked, they had used the bracelets on their children to get them to safety. The bracelets required careful setup to reach an exact location and in their haste they activated the bracelets without inputting anywhere specific. As a result, the infants were transported randomly across the continent and ended up in a remote forested area.

Jayvin was horrified at the carnage on the boat and doubly so as he blamed himself for endangering his friends. He spent his fortune, his merchant fleet, and most of his life attempting to find Cassandra and Tidran. He fought with the Yellow Serpents, sinking several of their ships. They responded in kind with neither side able to gain an advantage. Finally, after years of searching Jayvin was a pauper in broken health. Unable to continue his search he had ended up on the streets of a fishing village in the Salt Marshes.

Bringing Jayvin Home

The entire party was moved by the old man's story and Mo pressed 200 shins into his hand. Jayvin inquired about how Cassandra and Tidran had made out, and was happy to hear they were a part of a settlement with plans for their future. He asked if he might return with them and see their cottage. The siblings were overjoyed at finding some answers to their past and insisted that Jayvin come back and stay with them.

The old man agreed to return with the party. His knees creaked as he bent down and retrieved his ragged blanket with several holes worn through it. He coughed a bit from the effort and then said "I am all packed up now". Cassandra removed her heavy cloak and draped it around Jayvin's shoulders. Tidran helped the old man back to their ship. Jayvin was amazed at the idea of sailing through air. While in the air, Cassandra asked if Jayvin had any pictures of her parents; Jayvin pulled out a small and battered datapad which contained an image of their parents holding Cassandra and Tidran. Jayvin happily answered their many questions during the trip and after a couple hours ride the entire group landed back in Beyonder's Blades.

Careful Scheming

After settling Jayvin into Tidran's cottage, the group turned to their next agenda item. Farren submitted her Task Drone into the cypher contest at the fair. Thomas, a representative of the Inventors Guild thanked Farren and informed her the results would be announced later that night. The group now began planning how they might defeat the powerful bellowheart encountered the previous day.

After some cypher shopping and much strategic discussion, the group decided upon a plan to defeat the bellowheart and explore the meadow. They borrowed Aneens from the yet-incomplete stables being built by Eustace. As they arrived at the fissure in the World Ship Cliffs they saw Dante pacing at the entrance. He had been happy to help his friends earlier, but found himself increasingly drawn to return to the meadow. The adventures joined Dante and they all stepped through the fissure. After an instance of feeling displaced somehow, the meadow stretched before them. The bellowheart was no-where to be seen however with some effort they group was able to perceive it in the trees on the other side of the meadow. Now, the group set their carefully orchestrated plan into action.

Revenge on the Bellowheart!

Farren stayed back and set up a trap to contain and injure the monster. The rest of the group carefully crept closer and manage to surprise the beast with several powerful cyphers. Their first one scrambled the bellowheart's mind, confusing its senses. The next cypher projected an image of the placid meadow all around the beast allowing the group to get in close for a surprise attack. Their plan succeeded and they were able to get in several hard blows before the image of the meadow dissipated. Now, Dante ran back to the trap and sprayed a silvery mist into the air. It its confused state, the monster saw Dante's motion and fixed in on the silvery cloud as a target. It began to run across the meadow, single-mindedly fixated on the shiny cloud. The group ran close behind the bellowheart and with their new weapons were able to severely damage it. The bellowheart charged into the trap and began to flounder as its cruel jaws armed with Hontri claws sank into its sides. The adventurers sensed victory and closed in! They were able to batter the monster into unconsciousness when suddenly they all heard a clear voice in their minds welcoming them and bidding them to cross the meadow.

An Odd Encounter

The group were suspicious but remembered the previous day when someone had thrown meat to distract the bellowheart. They cautiously went across the meadow. As they stepped into the woods, a woman with a fearsome countenance greeted them. She introduced herself as Mila the Mindslayer and welcomed them to her sanctuary. Mila was particularly interested in Dante (whose insatiable urge to return to the meadow was now gone). She was a bit cryptic but told Dante that he was not fully human and to beware an organization known as the Angulan Knights. She next told Dante that the meadow was a safe haven for abhumans and that he could return their for shelter whenever he wished. When Dante expressed doubts as to her claims, she laughed and simply said that she would play a part in Dante's future. With that, she slipped away into the trees and quickly out of sight.

The group explored around for a while and found a small house with several beds set up. The house was otherwise empty and apparently was designed as Mila had said; a retreat for those in need. They explored the forest surrounding the meadow and encountered some sort of invisible barrier a few hundred yards in. This barrier encased the area, and the only entrance/exit seemed to be the fissure in the World Ship Cliffs. Not finding much else of interest, the group left the unconscious bellowheart behind and returned to Beyonder's Blades.

Mo seeks Answers

As the group congratulated themselves on their victory over the bellowheart, Mo slipped out and then went altogether invisible. Cassandra had attempted to follow Mo but was forced to give up when Mo disappeared from sight. Mo walked over to the fair and sought out Grazelle's tent. Mo, still invisible, walked in through the tents open door. Grazelle looked up as Mo walked in and said "M'lady Morganna, welcome to my humble tent". Mo was surprised the other woman could see/sense her and became fully visible once again.

Morganna had many questions, and Grazelle seemed eager to talk. Grazelle explained many things about the politics of Ivannia and how Morganna fit into them. Grazelle herself was an advanced Nano who served as the lead teacher and numenera consultant for the Ivannian council.

Ivannia Background

The rulers of Ivannia consist of the king (or queen) and a ruling council. The king/queen may cast 5 votes on the council while each of the 7 council-members cast 1 vote. Therefore, the King/queen pretty much rules the country but may be overridden by the combined vote of the council.

The entire populace of the floating cities have access to the gravity altering numenera and are by and large kept well-fed and happy by the rulers. Much more advanced numenera abilities are taught to the ruling class which consists of the king/queen, the council-members, their families, the ambassadors, the guards, and Ivannia’s military/special forces.

Even as a ruling class member, the advanced numenera and training in how to use it as well as any political or civic training is withheld until one reaches the age of inheritance. Once the person reaches the age of inheritance, they will receive the more advanced abilities and training, provided they swear a loyalty oath to Ivannia. To be considered for the ruling class, one must be either a family member of a current ruler, or show particularly good skills at certain things. Even if one is a member of a ruling family they are not guaranteed a position, they must also show a good skill set to be considered.

In addition to the rulers and the military/guards, Ivannia also maintains ambassadors to all the major cities/areas of the ninth world. These ambassadors speak directly for Ivannia, and are a key part of protecting Ivannia from jealous countries. Many people desire the wealth and ease of life of the floating cities and would take them by force if given the chance.

Because Ivannia so tightly controls access, rumors of Mo caused diplomatic strain in the ninth world. There is a slow-moving war in place between several of the countries, and Morganna’s presence in the Beyond has been taken as interest in that region.

Several months ago the floating sphere which purported to be looking for general info on the ninth world citizens was actually coded to recognize Morganna and transmit her location back to Ivannia. Once the sphere in Beyonder’s Blades reported back, the Ivannian council funded the fair and sent Grazelle to it as a magic performer. Her purpose was to both show Morganna some of the abilities she was missing and ask Morganna to come back to Ivannia.

A Difficult Decision

Finally, Grazelle offered these choices to Morganna:
• Morganna could come back to Ivannia, be trained as a ruler, and one day have a seat on the ruling council (or even become queen!)
• Morganna could come back to Ivannia, be trained as an Ambassador, and then leave the city as an ambassador. Currently, there is no ambassador to the Beyond region, so Mo could come back to Beyonder’s Blades as Morganna, princess of Ivannia and Ambassador to the Beyond
• Morganna could choose to stay away from the city in which case Grazelle will offer to become Morganna’s bodyguard
• Morganna could refuse all offers of aid in which case Grazelle will leave Morganna and report back to Ivannia.
• Grazelle made it clear that the choice is up to Morganna; Ivannia will respect her family background and not attempt to force her into any one choice.

Mo (or Morganna as her name properly is) was a bit overcome by all of this. She once again turned invisible and began to leave the tent. Grazelle chuckled a bit when Mo disappeared but nonetheless graciously bid her good night and asked her to return when she had made her decision.

Cypher Contest!

Meanwhile, Farren had gone back to the fair to find out about the cypher contest results! Thomas thanked all the the contestants for their submissions and announced that Farren won first place! He handed back her Task Drone and spoke with her briefly. Apparently not all of the submissions were as advanced as Farren's; someone had submitted a perfectly square rock which was just a square rock! Thomas also awarded Farren 300 shins and mentioned that she would be welcome in any branch of the Inventors Guild in the future.

Rewards Granted

• Farren received 300 shins for winning the cypher contest
• Cassandra and Tidran finally found some answers to their past and a picture of their parents

Missions/Quests Completed

• The group had their revenge on the bellowheart!
• Jayvin was successfully located
• Dante was able to stop thinking about the meadow

Character(s) interacted with

• Grazell
• Jayvin
• Thomas

Report Date

18 Apr 2020

Primary Location

Beyonder's Blades