The Sands of Conclusion

General Summary

A Hasty Exit

The group spent only one brief night in Astaria. The city was both dark and wondrous. There were apothecaries, inns, inventors, and a grand plaza. But Astaria was nothing like Nebalich. The citizens of the dirty, mysterious city were ruled by an oppressive, disembodied head. He watched over them constantly as he hovered above the ground and stationed himself in the plaza. The oppressive mood of the city struck everyone with an immediate desire to sleep aboard the ship and leave hurriedly. Everyone except Sih’Teel, that is. He gambled at an inn to win a few prizes and spent the night off the ship. 
Farren wanted a peek of the city’s ruler the next day. One look at the disembodied head and she agreed it was time to leave. 

Skullcrusher

The last city, before crossing the Amorphous Fields and reaching Ivannia, was Hayrest. Hayrest was a city of scholars with a population of both human and Varjellan citizens. Quite a few visitants also made their home there.  The group entered the city through the gates and came in view of shops and offices. 
Grazelle intended to arrange a guided journey across the Fields with a group of human settlers on the edge of that region. But she too wanted to enjoy a beautiful taste of civilization before being scorched by the desert winds. She asked the group if they would like to look around. But as they spoke, a strong, tall man with a snarling face walked towards Sih’Teel.
“Hey, you!” The man said angrily. “You don’t remember me, but I remember you. You cheated me of two hundred shins!”
Sih’Teel held out his hands peacefully. 
“Now, I’m sure that was just a misunderstanding...”
The angry man shook his head.
“I’m Skullcrusher,” he said, “and I’m going to crush your skull!”
Sih’Teel ducked a few blows from the man’s fists. Then there were two figures of Sih’Teel, side by side! The real Sih’Teel vanished. Skullcrusher swung at the duplicate’s head but only met air. Sih’Teel stabbed Skullcrusher in the back with a poisoned dagger.
At that point, Breaker had tipped off the constables. The man of the law came running in, prepared to arrest Sih’Teel. But he was nowhere to be seen.
The rest of the group had simply watched the scene with detached interest. As the dust settled, the constable left. Skullcrusher walked away, roaring, “I’ll see you again, Sih’Teel!”
Tidran wandered off to see the scholars debate at the Mark, the university and artisan area. Dante wandered into a furniture shop.
A simple visit. But who says decor can’t be life-altering?

The Woman in the Shop

Dante entered a furniture shop. He saw beautifully carved tables, chairs, and benches. A woman in the corner of the shop had a booth set up with ceramics for sale. Dante approached her to buy one. But as he met her eyes, the woman stared for an uncomfortably long time.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman said. She was pretty, middle-aged, and robed in a golden dress with half of her face hidden in a decorative piece of jewelry. “You remind me of someone.”
Life for Dante was never boring. At this moment, the door to the meadow opened. Dante stared at it and walked into the meadow. The bellowheart stood, contained in an energy field by Mila the Mindslayer herself. The tattooed, tall guardian stood by the bellowheart and waited for Dante to approach.
“Oh, hello,” Dante said, feeling very confused.
“Do you not realize who that is?” Mila asked Dante pointedly. He looked at her, bemused.
Mila, who had taken a keen interest in Dante’s life, informed him that the woman was none other than Dante’s own birth mother.
“You might want to ask her about it,” Mila said. She seemed to be having a grumpy day. The bellowheart snarled at Dante.
“Oh, okay,” Dante said. He backed out of the door to the meadow and back into the furniture shop. The woman selling ceramics, now quite confused, stared at Dante again.
“So, I just talked to Mila. Sorry about that interruption...”
It may have been the most awkward “mother-son” meeting in the history of man, but Dante had found his mother. Her name was Calliope D’Maia. She invited Dante and his companions to her house for dinner that night. Feeling lost, Dante made his way back to his companions.
“We have a dinner invitation, guys!” He informed them.
A Hole in the Ceiling
That night, the group visited Calliope D’Maia’s house for dinner. Also, Dante learned of his true origins. 
“Come sit on the sofa,” Calliope said, “I’ll tell you the story...”
“Once,” she began, “there was a girl who lived with her tribe by the side of the Navae Marica. This tribe of visitants was known for being artists, craftsmen, and musicians. The people there were uncommonly graceful in movement. The girl was happy where she lived. Then one night, a ship carrying an Ivannian ambassador and other travelers wrecked near the shore where the girl was walking at night. She swam in and rescued the ambassador - Tristan Brox. He stayed with her tribe as he healed. They soon fell in love and eloped one night by running to an aeon priest and committing their oaths to each other in an enclave. But when the girl became pregnant and near to labor, Tristan realized that he couldn’t stay nor could he bring his young wife to Ivannia with him. So he left. The girl’s parents hated him. Once the child was born, they took him from the girl and gave him to an orphanage. So the girl, now a woman, moved to Hayrest in hopes of finding her long lost son and husband. And here you are, Dante. You’ve come.”
There was an appropriate silence as Dante processed this information. But his pause was interrupted by a crashing sound at the front door! Calliope got up off the couch hurriedly and checked through the window. She gasped. 
“It’s the decanted,” she said. “They’re automatons who out at night and hunt for heads to store in their glass chest cavities.”
“Those sound familiar,” Farren said. 
The decanted, three in number, broke through the front door. Quickly the group pulled out their weapons! It didn’t take long for the decanted to be defeated. But in the chaos, there was one more causality: Calliope’s roof. One of Dante’s bullets missed the decanted and broke through the roof instead. He winced. 
“I’m so sorry,” he called to Calliope in the middle of the fight.
“We’ll fix it!” Farren said as she dodged a robotic hand.
Calliope breathed out in relief when the robots were defeated.
“The constable is offering a reward for the people who finally defeated those monsters. You should see him in the morning about it.”
Breaker was very excited about that idea. Also, in spite of the roof issue, Calliope offered to put the group up for the night. She got out bedrolls for everyone.
“Where are you from?” She asked Mo politely. Mo shrugged uncomfortably. 
“Places,” she said as she accepted a bedroll. 
The next morning, Dante told his mother about Beyonder’s Blades and how she could send a message there if she wanted to contact him. 
“Where are you going next?” She asked.
Dante shrugged uncomfortably. “You know, around. We’ll be back in Beyonder’s Blades eventually.”
Dante hugged his mother good-bye and left with the group. 
“Why is everyone always finding their long lost parents in this group?” Breaker commented. 
Something in the datasphere winked briefly and then went unnnoticed. 

Across the Desert

 
It was time for the group to cross the Amorphous Fields! Mo described them as “very dangerous.”
“There are chasms that open up below your feet!” She said, “and unexpected quicksand. And huge cliffs.”
Grazelle led them to the human tribe living near the edge of the fields. A desert dweller approached them at their entrance. 
“Can you lead us across the desert?” Mo asked the man. The man shook his head.
“A weird creature is taking control of my people. We can’t navigate the desert until it’s gone.”
The group hemmed and hawed at this side quest. But Grazelle insisted that they needed their help to cross the desert. Finally, after Dante asked Mila for help and she turned him down, the group prepared the best they could and followed four human hunters to the Mushroom Forest.
The monster, called a Sarah, was known for its ability to take control of both humans and technology during a fight. It hid amongst the Mushrooms. The group approached cautiously. 
After leaving their technology behind, the group formulated a plan. Dante ran towards one of the giant mushrooms and leaped on top of it with the use of his grappling hook. He waited, unseen by the creature, on top of the mushroom. Farren threw a dimensional bomb at the beast. A transdimensional whacking ensued. The rest of the group attacked with aplomb.
But then an arrow appeared out of nowhere and hurtled toward Dante! He ducked and avoided it. Finally a mighty blow defeated the Sarrak. After examining the corpse, the group unearthed its treasure cache of cyphers and artifacts. 
Once back at the human settler’s camp, they informed the chief of their victory. As promised, he guided them across the sands of Ivannia.
At long last, they stood nearly below the floating city in the sky.

Report Date

02 Jun 2020