05 - Battle at Blusterbough

General Summary

Dhumkk'd finds himself in another vivid dream, this time resting beside a relaxing pond in the middle of a forest. He hears people approaching; a young half-orc arrives and takes shelter from his pursuers behind Dhumkk'd. Three more orcs arrive in the clearing, asking Dhumkk'd gruffly where the half-orc went. Dhumkk'd says nothing, at which the largest orc says the half-orc is no longer welcome in their town. After the pursuers leave, the young half-orc thanks Dhumkk'd. He says he lived in that town all his life with his parents, but after a turn of events, he was driven out. Dhumkk'd says he should train to be stronger, and defend himself. The half-orc thanks the bugbear for his help and advice, introducing himself as Jal. The two shake hands, and the dream ends in a flash of light.

"...'Dhumkk'd?' Are you sure you weren't bullied too?"

- Jal

Waking from his 32-hour nap, Dhumkk'd reconvenes with the party just as the Moonflower finds land. Captain Snapdragon drops off the party on a northern tip of the Shallows, pointing them to the village of Blusterbough two miles north. He says the village watchman, Toben, is an old friend of his that might provide some useful advice to the party, though Snapdragon himself is less than welcome. After a warm farewell to the captain and his crew, the party departs farther north, with the Giga Gobbler as a gift.
The party arrives at the quiet, humble town of Blusterbough - almost too quiet, actually. A resident named Bill says Toben's been unreachable for two days, since a flash of light struck his house and a violent wind picked up around his island. The party goes to investigate; their boat meets an arcane barrier just before the island's shore. Kalani uses Gale Piercer to slip through the barrier while the rest of the party elects to sail to the other side. After a bit of sneaking around, Kalani finds a spectral man, verdant in hue, magic leaking from the rips and tears in his body. He identifies the man as Toben, or simply a manifestation of him. Toben speaks with Kalani in Auran, detailing the heavenly impact that ended his life, and the errant magic of Ranginui that he can no longer control for long. At Kalani's description of the events at the Isle of Veils, Toben fears the bond to the primordial gods has been greatly severed. With his final wish, he asks Kalani to end his life, and bring his existence to peace.

Kalani: "There has to be another way Tobin, I can't just kill the first Paragon I meet! What would Ranginui say?"
Toben: "...Perhaps I will never know. Her blessing...I can no longer control it."

Kalani attempts to remedy the situation by healing the spectre, but it triggers a violent reaction - the revenant lashes out, striking at Kalani with sharp bursts of wind. The rest of the party works together to force the boat through the barrier while Kalani takes the brunt of the blows. Once the boat pierces the barrier, Dhumkk'd summons an arcane apparition, surprised to see Jal the half-orc arriving at his call. With assistance from Mender and Gem, Dhumkk'd instructs Jal to strike; with a roar Jal tears through the revenant with Dhumkk'd's blade. The soul explodes in a vibrant light, and its remnants are absorbed into Gem's pendant.
As the winds die down, the party investigates Toben's home. They find his body, with a searing scar traveling from a hole in his heart across his torso. Kalani absorbs the remaining magic of Ranginui upon his frame. They collect a portrait of Toben's family and a rose-sheathed rapier tucked into the corner. The party brings the party back to Bill, who calls over Elbert (a dwarven tavernkeep) to handle the body. Elbert offers the party food and board for the evening to rest up. 
Gem tries once more to commune with the pendant, and is successful; she is sent into a trance-like state and transported to a crystalline room. Reaching out to a silvery soul, the druid from the island appears before her, traced with light. Although the druid refuses to disclose her name or any guidance, she reveals she has lived upon the island for a great many years, and that the events that occurred on the Isle of Veils were not the worst-case scenario. She offers a single name to Gem, 'Bubbaloo", before the eladrin is force to exit the pendant.
At evening time, a large and loud boat arrives at the Blusterbough harbor. Two women with vivid red and orange hair enter the tavern, searching for their brother Toben. Kalani meets them and mournfully discusses the events of the morning, and their journey thus far. The red-haired woman, Isgrid, refuses to believe it until she sees the body of her brother. With a combination of rage and tactless questions, Isgrid says she will take the party where they need to go, that she might find revenge on whoever fired the skyward lights. 

Isgrid: "You're a Paragon of Kiwa, and you can't even speak Aquan!?"
Gem: "Can you speak Aquan?"
Isgrid: "No, 'cause I'm not a Paragon!"
Ylva: "...I speak Aquan."

Ylva, the quieter sister quickly decodes the lights within Kalani's compass globe, and the party decides to journey to the Bay of Kiwa first, to uncover what the compass lights could be pointing towards. Isgrid gives the party one evening of respite before the journey northward.

Rewards Granted

• Toben's Rapier +1 (Kalani)
• Portrait of Toben's Family (Mender)
• Auran Soul, Toben (Gem)
• Echo Manifestation: Jal (Dhumkk'd)
• Offered Giga Gobbler as Gift

Character(s) interacted with

Recurring Characters: Captain Snapdragon
New Characters:

• Toben, watchman and native of Blusterbough. Was once a sailor who traveled with Captain Snapdragon before permanently returning to Blusterbough. Has refused sailing multiple times afterward. Paragon of Ranginui, well-known within the Bay of Kiwa. Has two sisters, Isgrid and Ylva.
• Bill, human male and fisherman in Blusterbough.
• Elbert, dwarven male, tavernkeep of 'The Rooster and Tooth'. Recognized Mender as warforged.
• Isgrid and Ylva, sailors and sisters of Toben, natives of Blusterbough. Owns a ship, visits the village frequently.

Notes

Points on compass globe (identified by Ylva):

• Bay of Kiwa
• Skyward Sanctums
• Location near Pool of Embers, unclear
• Eastward locale, unclear

Report Date

29 Nov 2020

Primary Location

Blusterbough

Jal, a half-orc from the northern Terraces.

Toben, an Auran revenant.

 Toben's body after the impact.

Elbert the tavernkeep.

Isgrid and Ylva, sailing sisters.