Session0029

Episode 0029 - Let's Just Eat Cake
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**Setting:**

Mycorrhiza - May 6th-10th, 211 AW
**Synopsis:**

* The party spends a few days in Mycorrhiza resting, buying and selling magic items, and participating in the annual kart races.
* At a war council with King Martinet of Sibillini, the party convinces him to delay his plans to launch open war on Kameshima, and makes plans to beseech aid from the Alviren Empire and the Weavers Conclave.
* With the assistance of Aristoadle, the party uses the kingdom's magic paintings to visit Molldorf, and charge the Chaos Core with earth elemental energy.
* After concluding their business in Mycorrhiza, the party utilizes the magic paintings once again, and returns to the Taruki Jungle to search for Passeri on Nakuloko Island.

## May 6th

The party discusses their plan moving forward, and decides to spend a few days resting and recuperating in Mycorrhiza before returning to the Taruki Jungle to begin their search for Passeri.

In hopes of selling or trading some of the magic items that they've acquired over their travels, the party asks Aristoadle to help them with registering the items through the Weavers Conclave to make them legal to sell. Aristoadle assists in this endeavor, registering all of their items under his authority as a member of the Conclave. He warns that the registration documentation is likely to eventually be seen by Kamm, once it finds its way to the Conclave's headquarters in Ossidia.

At Odell's insistence, the party decides to save a few of the items to bring to the College of Mimrinoth for further study, including the flail wielded by Drez, and a presumed-cursed mace taken from the kuo-toa archpriest on Ymana.

As Aristoadle is working to register the items, the party discusses the politics of the Weavers Conclave's involvement with the Alviren Empire. Rye criticizes the Conclaves registration and licensing practices, suggesting that their high cost make it difficult for the poor to safely practice magic. Aristoadle agrees with these criticisms, but explains that some other members of the Conclave - including the Premier, Auvorix - don't share his opinions. During this conversation, Rye states that he is not a mortal, and insinuates that he isn't a denizen of the Material Plane, though he leaves the details vague.

With their magic items registered, the party spends the day traveling around Mycorrhiza selling and trading magic items. Jack also finds a buyer for the party's unwanted Material Chaos - a drug dealer and apparent criminal leader named Pluteus. During their conversations, Pluteus tells Jack to be mindful of gang territory when distributing illicit substances, warning of a drug kingpin named Potpie in Ossidia that runs a large drug distribution network throughout the continent.

At the end of the day, the party reconvenes at Mycelium Palace for the night and splits up the proceeds from the day's sales.

Later, Rye asks Frog if he can speak to Heartsong privately, to which Frog and Heartsong agree. Heartsong emerges from within Frog, and joins Rye for a private conversation. Rye asks Heartsong for permission to use the Star Road to travel to a different world with Israphel, and possibly a few other individuals. Heartsong says that such a thing could be possible, but that his priority is first to prevent Araumycos from using the Star Road to circumvent the Divine Gate. He says that if Rye continues to aid Frog, and prevents Araumycos' plot, then travel on the Star Road could be arranged for him and the others. Heartsong warns that traversing the Star Road can be complicated, particular when it comes to traveling through time, and that they would only be able to use the Star Road to travel to a destination, and could not linger on the road itself.

After their conversation, Heartsong departs and returns to Frog. Shortly thereafter, Mahadi suddenly appears before Rye, in a burst of flames which linger around him. Rye notes that the flames seems to be pulling on Mahadi, and that he seems to be attempting to resist their effects. Mahadi urges Louche that he must speak quickly, because he is acting against the orders of Asmodeus. He warns Louche that the visions of memories that he has been seeing are not entirely real, and have been altered by Asmodeus to suit his own purposes. When Louche asks about the period of time that he cannot remember at the beginning of his existence as a devil, Mahadi explains that it was Asomdeus that erased his memories, and that the process caused Louche to lose his memories for centuries. Mahadi warns Louche that he cannot trust Asmodeus, Israphel, or even himself, and urges him to find Passeri, but before he can explain further, the flames overcome him and he disappears. Just before Mahadi disappears, Louche activates a magical item that gives him *truesight*, and notes that the flame effect overcoming Mahadi seems to be illusory.

Afterwards, Rye tells Malkoth about what happened, and asks for his opinion about the magic effect from his perspective as a conjuration specialist. Malkoth says that it sounds like something or someone from within the Hells was trying to pull Mahadi back out of the Material Plane, but is unsure why the effect would appear as illusory.

Meanwhile, Odell spends the evening with Aristoadle and Ilex at the Fable Bearers Sanctum, continuing his work on developing a rune of the Star Road.

## May 7th

In the morning, the party meets with the royal family over breakfast. King Trumpet explains that King Martinet has been invited to Mycelium Palace for a council to discuss how to proceed with the Kameshiman conflict, in light of the return of Princess Porcini. He requests that the party - particularly Frog - attend, to explain what has happened and make their recommendations moving forward.

Afterwards, the party spends the morning shopping for magic items. In the process Odell speaks with some magic item vendors about how they produce their magic items. The vendors, however, are somewhat evasive in their explanations, insinuating that their items are simply imbued with the ambient magic of the area. When pressed for a more detailed explanation, they imply that the process is a cultural tradition not to be shared.

Malkoth, while shopping for magic items at the Pathfinders Alliance adventuring guild, end up becoming a member of the guild. Within the guild hall, he is shown a board of adventure leads, which includes a bounty for slaying some dire penguins in a village on Mycorrhiza's northern coast.

After their shopping, the party meets with Aristoadle at the Fable Bearers Sanctum. There, Aristoadle offers an update on the status of the Fable Bearers Circle's business. He explains that a new apprentice, Cannonball Connor, has begun training to replace Whitebeard Wyatt at the Psathyrella Circle. He also says that he has been in touch with Maude Mole of the Dikarya Circle, and Goronormous of the Amadou Circle, both of whom are ready to receive the party at any time to charge the Chaos Core. When asked by the party, he agrees to use the magic paintings to send the party back to Molldorf and the Dikarya Circle whenever they are ready. Ilex also reveals that she has been training under Aristoadle as his own apprentice.

Regarding the Tremella Circle in Nimbia, Aristoadle explains that he attempted to make contact with the archdruid Garro, but was unable to do so. When he attempted to use the magical painting to travel to Nimbia and check in on the Tremella Circle, he discovered that the painting was not functional - seemingly due to a problem with the corresponding painting in Nimbia.

During the day, Patches (on behalf of Odell) casts a *legend lore* spell to learn more about the Morningstar. From the visions that ensue from the spell, he learns that the Morningstar was born a mortal aasimar among the elves, and was believed to be destined to greatness. She became a prophet among the people of Shaeserin, preaching of a better future and a return of the holy kingdom of Ayn Sitael. Eventually, the elves came to worship her as a deity herself, and she began to grow in divine magical power as a result of their worship. Finally, Patches sees a small council of elves, including Avourel Orion, discussing how to use the Raven Queen's rites of ascension to rise to godhood.

Later in the afternoon, the party joins Malkoth for a brief trip to Mycorrhiza's northern coast, where they slay the dire penguins harrying a small fishing village, and collect the bounty issued by the Pathfinders Alliance. While they are in the village, Louche sends a message to Israphel with a *sending* spell, requesting that he come join him, but Israphel says that he has too much to do.

In the evening, the party reconvenes at Mycelium Palace for the war council with King Martinet. King Trumpet, Queen Chantrelle, and Princess Porcini are all also present, along with Aristoadle and Portobello, Mycorrhiza's master of war.

King Martinet begins by expressing his frustration that Princess Porcini has been rescued but his sons, Marcello and Lucio remain captives. He expresses his impatience and desire to rescue his sons by force, since the party has failed to do so, and threatens to launch an open war against Kameshima.

Frog explains the circumstances of Porcini's return, explaining that she was returned in exchange for a magic item of great value to Kamm, who threatened to kill all of the captives if they did not comply. King Martinet pushes back against this explanation, accusing the party of not following through with the plans that were agreed upon on their last meeting. Porcini, however, backs up the party, corroborating the events as they were described, expressing her mutual concern for Marcello's wellbeing, but insisting that the party had no choice but to comply with Kamm's demands. Though Frog remains elusive about the specific nature of the magic item involved, Gragnok insists that everyone should know what it is, and explains that it was an abyssal conjuration tuning fork.

The party manages to talk King Martinet out of going to war with Kameshima, with XVIII suggesting that a war is exactly what Kamm wants, and is trying to bait Martinet into. Frog also suggests that the party is working to retrieve a weapon that can be used to fight Daimao, but avoids specifics, alluding to the privacy of the Fable Bearers Circle's business.

Rye suggests that patience and strategy are the only way to counter the overwhelming hoards of demonic armies. When questioned about his qualification in terms of battling demons, he cites his own experience, stating that he is Louche - a general in the armies of Zariel in the Blood War. He suggests using spies and divination magic to try to learn more about Kameshima's schemes and strategize for how to best attack them. Odell suggests that Aristoadle could contact Grenfi Nackle - his colleague in the Weavers Conclave - and request her assistance with divination.

At XVIII's request, King Martinet provides the party a depiction of Marcello and Lucio. XVIII explains to Frog that it's possible XV could help to locate them.

King Martinet asks King Trumpet about Mycorrhiza's efforts to secure aid from the Alviren Empire for the conflict with Kameshima. Frog explains that he had been tasked with traveling to Ossidia to beseech the Empire for aid, but that his business with the Fable Bearers Circle has taken him elsewhere. At Aristoadle's suggestion, King Trumpet agrees to send a different emissary to request aid from the Empire.

At Malkoth's request, King Martinet's court mage provides the party with the teleportation sigil for Sibillini.

At Odell's request, Patches uses another *legend lore* spell to learn more information about Kamm's abyssal tuning fork. He learned that the fork was forged by a demon lord, and provided to Kamm as a means to unleash demons on the Material Plane. The spell provides Patches with a vision of Kamm attempting to use the fork to summon demons in a naval battle against forces from Ayn Sitael, before the fork is taken and Kamm is forced to retreat. The fork is then retrieved by Alusfaen Orion, and placed within the Luxturrim Obelisk.

After the war council has concluded, King Martinet departs, and the party disperses for the evening.

Several members of the party spend the remainder of the night at a high-end party hosted by a brothel owner named Toodles, where they sell her Jonathan Jones' trident for a great sum of gold.

## May 8th

In the morning, Aristoadle uses the palace's magic painting to send the party to Molldorf. In Molldorf, they visit the Dikarya Circle, where Jack charges the Chaos Core with earth elemental energy. Afterwards, with Maude Mole's assistance, they return to Mycelium Palace.

Later in the day, Louche gives XVIII a sealed letter, stating that it is for Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel when they meet again. Separately, Odell gives XVIII a *paper bird*, so that XVIII can contact XV to explain their recent teleportation.

In the afternoon, the party partakes in some kart racing at the Mushroom Town arena, where they place bets on a exhibition race, which is won by Patches. Prior to the race, Patches uses his ability to shapeshift and transforms into a tortle.

## May 9th

The party spends the day resting and relaxing in Mushroom Town, awaiting the next Prime Zenith so that Aristoadle can return them to Inika Village.

During the day, Aristoadle privately confronts Louche about his identity. He says that while the royal family may not have fully comprehended the gravity of Louche's revelation, Aristoadle did recognize the name. Louche assures Aristoadle that he has Frog's best interests at heart, and that Frog is aware of his true identity. Aristoadle concedes that the two clearly have mutual enemies, and agrees to trust Louche to the extent that Frog does.

## May 10th

With their business in Mushroom Town complete, after bidding farewell to the royal family, the party utilizes the magic painting to return to Inika Village.