Session0005

Episode 0005 - Avoiding the Question
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**Setting:**

Ymana - Karaad - March 24th-28th, 211 AW
**Synopsis:**

* The party finishes their business on the island of Ymana, and sets sail for Karaad.
* Along the way to Karaad, Malkoth reveals that there may be forces from Hartwell awaiting him there, and tells the party about the events that led to him fleeing his hometown.
* Malkoth also reveals that a man claiming to be his estranged father - Lane Coronato - has asked to meet him in Karaad. XVIII explains that they used to work for Lane at a high-end brothel in Karaad, and could introduce them.
* Arriving in Karaad, the party spends the evening resting, shopping, and avoiding detection in a safehouse provided to them by Jack.
* The following morning, the party meets with Lane Coronato. After a brief, private conversation with Malkoth, Lane charms him and convinces him to hand over his infernal amulet, then disappears with it.
* Suspecting they are no longer safe in Karaad, the party quickly makes their last preparations, then sets off on their journey through the desert toward Ossidia.
* Rye proposes a detour from the party's planned path to Ossidia, claiming that he wants to take them to the Imlaq Colossus - an ancient, divine titan from the Age of Arcana that was depicted in the temple on Ymana, bearing the same symbol as Malkoth's infernal amulet.
* Along the way towards the supposed location of the Imlaq Colossus, the party rescues a pair of stranded imperial soldiers - including a magic regulation enforcer - from burrowing sand monsters.
* As they draw near to the place where Rye is leading them, Blakjak spots a massive hand protruding from the desert a few miles away, and a group of people gathered around it - including Lane Coronato.

## March 24th

At their beach campsite on the island of Ymana, the party and crew are approached by a group of kuo-toa and grung carrying a feast of corvid, fruit, and wine. They offer this feast to the party, expressing their gratitude to them for their killing of the corvid.

One of the grung sees Patches carrying the scepter that had belonged to the kuo-toa archpriest, and warns him not to use it, saying that it will have adverse effects if wielded by anyone not faithful to Great Wiik-Wiik.

Jack apologizes to the kuo-toa and grung for the defiling of their holy site, but the kuo-toa and grung do not seem to begrudge it, expressing that the reason for their creation of Great Wiik-Wiik was to protect them from the corvid. They offer to make the party into their new gods, and offer them barrels of their young - much the same as they had to the corvid. The party rejects these offers.

Odell asks the kuo-toa and grung about their knowledge of Qaz the Proclaimer. They recognize him, and say that he has lived on the island from many years. They explain that Qaz prophesied the coming of the corvid.

After sharing their feast with the party, the kuo-toa and grung depart. The party rests for the remainder of the evening, recuperating from the events of the day.

## March 25th

In the morning, as the crew works to prepare the Tide King and load its cargo, the party spends some time trying to hunt down a displacer beast that they had seen stalking their campsite on a few occasions over the past several days. Following the tracks of the displacer beast into the jungle, they recover the remains of a long-dead explorer, but they are unable to find the displacer beast. Eventually, they give up the hunt and return to the campsite.

As the party makes preparations to depart Ymana and return to Karaad, one of the ship's passengers - a gnome merchant named Langrim Puck - says that he plans to report Captain Duncan Rivers' crimes to the authorities in hopes of being compensated for his trouble. With some threats of violence, the party convinces him to remain quiet and not report what's happened to the authorities. They also sell him a magic item and a few other valuables that they collected from the jungle, in order to make his time worthwhile.

Captain Rivers comes to an agreement with the party, agreeing that he and his crew will sail the Tide King back to Karaad, and then they will all go their separate ways when they arrive back in Karaad, and Rivers will not be reported to the authorities. Rivers seems pleased with this arrangement, as he would likely be imprisoned if reported. He apologizes to Frog for the events that took place, and offers the party his services if they're ever needed.

The party discusses what to do with the Kameshiman prisoner, Domino. XVIII expresses an interest in giving him a second chance. The others, for the most part, would rather get rid of him. But they agree to let him live, leaving him in XVIII's charge.

Their business concluded, the party departs Ymana, setting sail for Karaad.

As the party is sailing, they discuss what they should do with their magical items when they get to Karaad, not wishing to have any dealings with the Weavers Conclave or register their items. Jack offers to keep the items hidden in the trunk that he carries, explaining that it conceals magic items from detection.

Odell speaks with XVIII about their time with Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel. XVIII explains that they worked as an assistant for Dr. Dippel's experiments in medicine, alchemy, and anatomy. On one occasion, without Dr. Dippel's knowledge or permission, XVIII drank one of Dr. Dippel's alchemical concoctions, and fell unconscious. The next thing that XVIII remembers, they woke up in the desert surrounded by bodies. After wandering the desert for a time, XVIII was eventually found by a Karaadian patrol and taken back to Karaad for questioning, where they ultimately met with Frog.

The party spends part of the day's travel taking turns attuning to Syn and using its properties, in hopes that doing so will cause its power to increase, based on the information that Malkoth learned with his *identify* spell. During this endeavor, Jack once again restates that he is incapable of utilizing the sword's properties.

The party spends the rest of the evening aboard the Tide King resting and recuperating. Odell inscribes his hammer and shield with runic magic, and Malkoth copies his spells into the spellbook of Varrius Quince.

## March 26th

The following day, as the party approaches Karaad, Malkoth reveals to the party that there may be trouble for him in Karaad, warning them that forces from Hartwell are searching for him. When pressed for details, he explains that a group of bandits attacked his town - a small farming town called Hillenbrook. During the attack, these bandits killed his mother, Miriam. Malkoth somehow summoned a fire elemental - an arcane feat far beyond his capability - which killed the bandits and saved the town; however, he lost control of the elemental shortly thereafter, and it ended up killing the son of the town's mayor. Malkoth was blamed for the child's death, and the mayor wanted him charged with murder, so he fled.

Hearing Malkoth's story, Jack expresses his sympathy, saying that he understands the chaotic nature of elemental magic. He vaguely insinuates that he might be able to help Malkoth if something similar were to happen again.

When asked by Odell about how he learned magic, Malkoth says he was mentored by the town wizard of Hillenbrook: a man named Immanuel Belder. Odell remarks on the oddity of a small farming town having its own wizard, and also says that Belder was a former member of the Weavers Conclave - a fact that was unknown to Malkoth.

Malkoth further reveals that he recently received a *sending* message from Immanuel Belder, stating that a letter had arrived in Hillenbrook from someone named Lane Coronato from Karaad, who claimed to be Malkoth's father, and wished to meet him in Karaad. When Rye asks, Malkoth explains that he knows nothing about his estranged father other than that, according to his late mother, he was a devil. He does not know what his father would want from him, or why he is looking for him. Nevertheless, he expresses an interest in meeting with this Lane Coronato.

XVIII reveals that they were employed by Lane Coronato in Karaad, where they worked as a courtesan at a high-end brothel called Bordello Mariposa. The brothel was owned by a wealthy land baron, Millan Watts, and operated by his employee, the souteneur Lane Coronato. By working at the brothel, XVIII explains that they were able to make a scant living, while also having a source of sustenance. When asked, XVIII confirms that they must subsist on blood - a new development for them ever since they woke up after drinking Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel's concoction. XVIII insists that the patrons whose blood they drank at the brothel were always willing.

As the party is sailing and discussing what to expect in Karaad, they spot a volcano that has risen from the ocean nearby - seemingly recently, as it wasn't there when they sailed this same route previously. Several members of the party express an interest in investigating it closer, but Gragnok objects, and Jack advises against it as well, warning of the potential dangers if there is elemental magic involved. Odell presses Jack about his knowledge of elemental magic, based on this and previous conversations. Jack explains that occurrences like the volcano are not uncommon in the part of the world where he comes from, and his tribe learned to avoid them. Ultimately, the party decides to pass by the volcano without investigating.

Around sundown, the party arrives in Karaad.

As the party is deboarding at the docks, Harper Wood telepathically asks Jack if he can accompany the party on the road to Paxeter, which lies on the way to Ossidia. When Jack asks his business in Paxeter, he is somewhat evasive, but vaguely insinuates that he is looking for a safe place to practice his innate magic abilities. Jack agrees to bring him along.

Frog's surviving Karaadian guard, Rust, requests permission to check in with the Lord of Karaad for orders. Frog releases her from her service, and thanking her for her assistance.

Langrim Puck, as agreed, goes on his way and does not report the captain's crimes to the authorities. The Tide King's deck mage, Sybil Larou, departs as well. Odell recommends that she should go to the College of Mimrinoth to continue her arcane studies, and she expresses some interest in the idea.

The party invites Ilex to join them on their journey to Ossidia, and she agrees, saying that she was otherwise going to try to join an adventuring guild.

Discussing where they should stay in the city, Jack offers to take the party to a safehouse, where he will be able to secure them discrete and private lodging with no questions asked, based on some connections that he has. Most of the party agrees to this arrangement, although a few decide to stay elsewhere.

Over the course of their evening in Karaad, the party spends some time shopping in the city bazaar, and resting in a high-end bathhouse, The Althaefolia. Gragnok makes a stop by a local fighting pit, the People's Pit, where he briefly meets with Medo Nazari, the head of a local adventuring guild called the Sunbearers.

Privately, XVIII releases Domino, and urges him to try to find a new start for himself. They also warn Domino that if he comes after Frog again, they will kill him.

After eventually reconvening at Jack's safehouse, the party discusses their path to Ossidia. Rye suggests a detour to the party's originally-planned path, saying that there is a gift he wishes to give to Odell. After some discussion, the party agrees to this, in the interest of avoiding the main road, given that Malkoth is being pursued.

Over dinner, Patches transforms into a yisho - a strange tropically-adapted subspecies of lizardfolk, which Frog recognizes as native to the Mycorrhizan satellite settlement of Lo'ihi Island.

While the rest of the party retires for the evening, Frog spends the night at Bordello Mariposa with a courtesan named Andrew.

## March 27th

In the morning, the party reconvenes, and decides to go to Bordello Mariposa in hopes of meeting with Lane Coronato. When they arrive at the Bordello, they find that Lane is there, as well as Baron Millan Watts - both figures that only XVIII recognizes. Lane welcomes XVIII back, and Baron Watts expresses some disgruntlement towards them for leaving on such short notice. Eventually, Baron Watts leaves, and the party is left to speak with Lane.

Malkoth introduces himself to Lane Coronato, who seems very excited to finally meet him. He asks Malkoth to join him for a drink and a private conversation at the nearby Chuparosa Casino so that they can discuss everything that they have to talk about. The party explains that they're in a hurry, and would rather talk here. Lane agrees, and he and Malkoth go to have a private conversation at the bar, while the rest of the party waits nearby.

Lane explains to Malkoth that he is a full devil, not actually a tiefling. He was born to a woman named Natalie Shaw - now deceased. She was an adventurer who traveled the planes of existence, and on one such adventure, had a tryst with a very powerful devil, whose child she conceived. Lane says that Natalie tried to raise him as a human, but that he always felt more akin to his fiendish nature, and resented her efforts to change him. He eventually left home, and has been in Karaad for most of the years since.

Lane asks Malkoth about his mother, Miriam. Malkoth tells him about her death, and says that he avenged her. Lane expresses his pride that Malkoth avenged Miriam's death, though he admits he never treated her well. He explains that Miriam was his first sexual partner - though he has had many more since. He admits that he had a one-night stand with Miriam, and was gone in the morning, never to see her again.

Malkoth asks Lane about his infernal amulet - which his mother told him belonged to his father. Lane explains that after his tryst with Miriam, he left the amulet behind as a memento of what he had done. He asks Malkoth to let him hold the amulet. As he does, Malkoth feels himself become magically charmed, and hands the amulet to Lane. Lane then suddenly disappears, along with the amulet.

The party quickly searches the Bordello for Lane, following XVIII's instructions to reach Lane's personal chambers, breaking down a door along the way. They find that he is not in his chambers, and doesn't seem to be anywhere near. Suspecting that they are no longer welcome in town, and fearing that they could be in trouble with the authorities, the party decides to hurry to make their last preparations and depart. Frog leaves a note behind with a few gold pieces as payment for the broken door.

As the party is making their last preparations to leave Karaad, they stop by a temple to Melora, where water is being freely distributed. Within, they find a massive crystal of magical ice, which produces a constant stream of fresh water. A placard identifies this ice as a gift of the goddess Melora. The party gathers some water to take with them on their journey.

Meanwhile, upon seeing the ice, Rye has a vision of himself walking through the streets of a small desert town. In the vision, an avatar of Asmodeus appears and creates a large crystal of ice - the same one contained in the temple of Melora - offering it as a gift for a group of loyal followers that are gathered around him, and entreating other townsfolk to join his service. In the vision, Rye accepts some of the water that is being passed out through the crowd by Asmodeus' followers.

Their preparations complete, the party hurries out of Karaad, seemingly avoiding the detection of any guards, and begins their journey into the desert - following the path recommended earlier by Rye.

In the desert, Rye tells the party that he is leading them to the Imlaq Colossus - the giant construct that was depicted in the temple on Ymana. He questions whether they should continue on to the Colossus after what happened with Lane Coronato, due to the apparent connections between the Colossus and Malkoth's amulet. Odell questions how Rye knows of this location, and also presses him about his own apparent connections to the Colossus, based on what the party learned in Ymana. Rye is evasive in his responses, insisting that it is in everyone's best interest if he doesn't say more.

Discussing the Imlaq Colossus, Odell offers the party a brief primer on the history of the Age of Arcana and the Gods' War. He explains that in an era that ended about a thousand years ago, known as the Age of Arcana, Materi was a high magic civilization. Prime Zeniths occurred at least daily, and feats of incredible magic were accomplished - such as the creation of titans such as the Imlaq Colossus. During this era, the gods themselves also resided on Materi.

He explains that the Age of Arcana ended with a great war - now known as the Gods' War - which began as a conflict between arcanists and divine magic users. This war eventually became a war between the gods themselves, and ended with the creation of the Divine Gate, and the banishing of all of the gods from Materi.

Regarding his specific knowledge of the Imlaq Colossus, Odell explains that there were many such titans created in the Age of Arcana, but the Imlaq Colossus was the only one powered by divine magic - supposedly by the direct intervention of Asmodeus himself. During the Gods' War, the forces of Asmodeus - including the Colossus - did battle with the forces of Pelor somewhere in the desert, though the exact location has been lost to history.

Hearing Odell's explanation of the historical eras of Materi, Patches says that he doesn't think anything that Odell is saying is true, because he's never heard of anything like that. He explains that he's been trying to get his memories back, and some things have been slowly coming back to him, but nothing that Odell is saying sounds familiar to him. He reveals that he remembers overthrowing a government under the ocean at some point in his history, and also shows the party a bag full of teeth that he carries, though he doesn't know where it came from.

Patches also asks if anyone knows about something called the Luxturrim Obelisk. Odell recognizes this term as somehow related to the ancient, fallen elven kingdom of Ayn Sitael, but he doesn't recall any specifics. Patches explains that someone has tasked him with finding it, and recovering something called the Phaelux Beacon, with is contained within it. He doesn't know what the Phaelux Beacon is, or why it's important, and expresses some resentment towards his task of retrieving it.

Around midday, the party decides to make camp, and begin traveling again after nightfall, to avoid the danger of traveling in the desert during the day.

During the rest's first watch, Blakjak reports to Malkoth that she has found a pair of humanoid figures sleeping on a large rock about a mile away. After a short discussion, the party decides that they will investigate in the evening when they start moving again.

During the next watch, Rye asks Frog to once again contact his friend, Israphel, as he unsuccessfully attempted to do back on Ymana. Rye asks Frog to tell Israphel that the amulet has been stolen "again." Malkoth presses Rye for the meaning of this, but Rye evades the question. Frog plays along, and attempts to use his divine magic to contact Israphel and leave a message buried for him in the sand, although his magic does not have any special ability to contact Israphel.

Later, Frog and XVIII attempt to sneak into Jack's tent to try to see what is hidden in his trunk. Their attempt is unsuccessful, as Jack wakes up and catches them. He relents, however, and shows them the contents of his trunk - a variety of adventuring gear and supplies, as well as some illicit paraphernalia, and arcane substances and reagents. He explains that he is smuggling these components. While looking through the trunk, Frog takes note that the trunk seems to have a false bottom and a hidden compartment, though he cannot see what is within.

While sleeping, Rye has a dream wherein he meets with Zariel, the leader of the army of the Hells, and asks to enlist in the forces of Asmodeus. When asked what he can offer to Asmodeus, Rye cites his magical prowess as a bard, explaining that he studied under the famous bard Passeri - a name which seems to impress Zariel.

## March 28th

When the party wakes up in the early morning, Rye asks if anyone knows who Passeri is. Odell and Frog both recognize him as a famous and powerful satyr bard from the Age of Arcana, who wrote his own magical songs. Odell explains that Passeri refused to participate in the Gods' War, and disappeared somewhere in the Taruki Jungle during those years, never to be seen again.

The party heads towards the two humanoid figures that Blakjak spotted in the night. As they draw near, they find that the two figures have awoken and are sitting on a large karst. Communicating through Blakjak, the party learns that they are soldiers who are stranded, after their troop was killed by burrowing sand monsters that reside nearby.

Blakjak also reports seeing a massive hand protruding from the desert in the distance, several miles away.

The party decides to try to help the stranded soldiers. As they approach, they are attacked by monsters burrowed in the sand, which they battle and defeat.

After the fight, the party speaks with the two soldiers. They are both human, adorned in the armor of the Alviren Empire - clearly imperial soldiers from Karaad. Gragnok notes that one of the soldiers is wearing the emblem of the Weavers Conclave, and is likely a magic regulation enforcer. The enforcer introduces himself as Guriant Fulton.

The soldiers express their gratitude, and explain that they were patrolling the area with their troop, searching for scouts from a band of marauders that have taken over a nearby Karaadian fort. During this patrol, they were assailed by the monsters and stranded.

Odell says that the party are all licensed spellcasters and members of the College of Mimrinoth, and Guriant seems to accept this story with little question. The soldiers say that they owe the party a favor if they need anything. The party asks them to simply not tell anyone of their meeting, to which the soldiers agree.

The party tells the soldiers about Lane Coronato having stolen Malkoth's amulet. The soldiers explain that they couldn't realistically arrest Lane, due to his connections to Baron Millan Watts. When asked, they explain that Baron Watts is the richest and most powerful person in Karaad, and they would likely lose their jobs if they interfered with his business.

Their business with the soldiers completed, the party presses on towards the hand that Blakjak spotted, while the soldiers return toward Karaad.

As the party draws within a few miles of the hand, Blakjak reports that she sees a number of people gathered around it, including Lane Coronato.