Ain't Never Had An Acquaintance Like Me

==Season Twelve Episode Five==
Preceded by: Season Twelve, Episode Four: Random Battles
Followed by: Season Twelve, Episode Six: They Read Her Freaking Letter
==Summary==
: With the balor dead, the party decides to investigate the flaming town. The town has been mostly destroyed by the fire and the Awakening, and there is not much to find: a leaky barrel which will hold some water, and a tavern strongbox holding so little it isn't worth looting. There is also a silo of unmilled wheat, but this is hardly the time for spontaneous grain alcohol. The party works out a scheme to use a precious cast of Create Water into the barrel, leaving the leftovers for the horses. Once they've gathered as much water as possible, they head on. 
: Along the road they meet up with another adventuring party, this one far more standard than The Company has ever been: human fighter, halfling rogue, elf mage, dwarven barbarian. They are from the T'nari Trans-Oasis Mail Co., which Leilah knows something about because her father used to work there. The two parties pause on the road to swap stories. 
: Everywhere this party has been since the Awakening has shown signs of massive storms and earthquakes. Norgassy fell into the sea, but Xenteroth's Tower remains standing. Aether asks after Bisau. The bridges have all been swept away, and there is a lot of salt and poison in the waters. Many of the wood elves are fleeing home. There is no specific news. There is no news at all of Benin Falls. 
: The company shares their news of Port Nyasa, and the two groups part ways amicably. 
: Further down the road, the party catches sight of massive pyramids in the distance. Ashra pulls out her telescope and picks out the secret door on the south side. This area has also been devastated by the Awakening, but the pyramid itself is unharmed. It supposedly holds legendary treasures of Pelor. The stars on the pyramid are in the beginning of the first intermediate pyramid, which has some definite but unknown significance. The largest pyramid always points to the position of Laguna, even if it is not currently visible. 
: The party keeps walking. Eventually they see a figure in the distance: an enormous djinni is heading towards them, flying along the path. He will have seen them, so to avoid him might insult him. They have a quick conference about what to do. They are proud and sometimes capricious creatures, but they are usually good, so he is unlikely to attack them. The party in general decides to greet him and try to exchange information with him, and Cicero suggests they do so by offering him some of the sarasin Ashra made from the Plague Brush. 
: Leilah takes over the diplomatic negotiations, as she was trained for this at The Caltris School. It is polite not to speak directly, but to have a go-between, and social rank is determined primarily by age. Therefore, she will convey words to the djinn, and she will claim to serve Kruglor. 
: The djinn greets the party. He is large and powerful, wearing a giant golden scarab which Leilah suspects is a particular powerful magic item. Cicero and Ashra quickly set up a tent for the djinn to relax in, and Ashra sets up the sarasin for their use. Kruglor and the djinn partake together. 
: The conversation that follows is strangely disjointed, with Leilah carrying information from one ancient being to another as the rest of the party watches. The djinn's name is Al-Harani. His home and adopted lands have not been affected by this disaster. He asks about Malagasy and the Firemore Desert, but Kruglor has nothing to offer him. This is, says Al-Harani, a frightful time to walk the planes. Futurium has fallen everywhere in large chunks: the astral planes, the desert, even the bottom of the ocean. This may be the source of the planar disconnect. 
: He has met another illithid besides Ashra, but it was some time ago. This illithid had marched across the Firemore with his beasts and his ships, slowly and tirelessly, much as Ashra does. 
: He has a riddle for Ashra: "What is round, and yet flat as a board; what is an altar to the lupine lords; what is a jewel on black velvet; what is a pearl in the sea; what is unchanged but everchanging; what is eternal?"
: With an act of will, she manages not to actually cut him off with the answer "The moon." He is satisfied she is who she claims to be; Leilah represents her as a curiosity kept around by Kruglor as an advisor. 
: He gives Kruglor a piece of Futurium and a small gold key. The chunk of Futurium was found an hour ago outside the city walls. The key will find the party safe haven in the smoking den in Malagassy, though he warns there is little of the city left. 
: The djinn thanks the party for their hospitality and takes his leave. 
: The party finally makes it to Malagassy ... which is thoroughly on fire. Giant pillars of smoke rise from several districts, five djinni are circling in the air above, and the wall by the Irbid Market has been demolished. The splintered gate has been wedged open, and there is some evidence that a fissure in the ground was rent open by the Awakening. There are tent cities up all around the outside of the city. 
: The party approaches the market, aware they will need to fight their way in. A band of ogres, one of which is wielding a tree, are running around looting the market. Some civilians are trying to defend their stores; a smelter fights for his horseshoes and has his head bashed in for the trouble. 
: The party charges in. Leilah starts ramming ogres with the elephant while Cicero and Aether take them on hand to hand. A young human struggles with his horse and cart; as he drives them over the bridge, a fireball knocks them into the river. The cart's cargo roll out of the back, some cracking open: these were ghost cannonballs. Two possess Cicero and Aether. 
: Ashra floats up to where she can see the ogres and their magi. One takes aim with a giant ballista and shoots a net at her, knocking her to the ground. 
: Cicero entreats the ghost possessing him to release him with such persuasive arguments that the ghost actually does. Aether struggles against the possession. Leilah knocks down a pillar with the elephant, which is then shot to death. She jumps down and draws her sword. 
: Cicero goes back to taking out ogres. Leilah frees Ashra, who rises back up and says, "You shouldn't have made me angry." She takes out the biggest ogre with an Arcane Fire. 
: Apparently grandstanding goes pretty far with ogres, as the remaining enemies take this as time to flee. The party gathers together, Aether is exorcised, and they set to looting the ogres of their swag. They were holding a great deal of various armor and magical items, as well as plenty of semi-rotten vegetables. The party sorts out the valuables and retreats into an abandoned-looking shop. 
: Someone inside looks up with relief at Leilah, and shows her their dead. She tells them sadly that the gods can no longer reach to give spells. They let the party stay in the shop as thanks for saving them from the ogres, and tell them that the caliph is still alive. 
: The party takes shelter for the night.
Category:Episodes Category:Season Twelve Episodes