Good Times with Old Friends

***Zol, Eyre 17, 993 YK***

As they journeyed through the King’s Forest, Rohagar took the time to search out a new animal companion. She explored the forest until she saw a bluish-white creature dart between the trees. Approaching it, she discovered tracks, but was unable to locate the creature. As she followed the trail it left, it always seemed to be just out of sight. Rohagar managed to catch only glimpses between the trees. The tracks ended at the mouth of a cave from which she could hear whimpering. Inside was an injured wolf that she made a splint for and carried back to camp where it could be healed. When she left the cave, she noticed that the tracks she had followed there had vanished.

Back at the camp, Ixen attempted to bind a vestige, but *something* interrupted the binding. The image of a humanoid figure clad in a white cloak appeared before him, but flickered out as his vestige’s normal manifestation began. Once Rohagar returned, Siegfried, Hohenheim, and Ixen began discussing their current situation. Much of what they said made Marzena question whether or not helping them was the right thing to do. In particular, they let slip that they may be from the future. Finding out that the people who saved her may believe such a ludicrous idea was even more disconcerting, but she resolved to honor her deal.

The party arrived at Sharn’s eastern entrance of Wroann’s Gate around noon. They first found a standard Ghallanda inn and procured rooms for the night. After that, they wasted no time in locating the House Jorasco enclave in Dragon Towers and delivering the note from the dwarf Dekor to Jode d’Jorasco. The halfling was happy to help and chatted with the party before setting Gin up on the Altar of Resurrection. He spent some minutes in concentration controlling the magical device. Nearing the end, a few of the party members began to notice some light whisps of smoke that seemed to be coming off of Gin. Rohagar even thought she saw him catch on fire before she blinked and the image vanished. Moments later, the device *did* burst into flames. Gin was pulled off the altar and magewrights came in to take a look at it once Jode had powered it down. Smoke clouded the air and the faint smell of sulfur left its mark.

Fortunately, the altar had worked its magic before they had been forced to remove Gin. Slowly, but surely, he woke up. Introductions were made and stories retold for his benefit. They decided to get some food before starting to work on finding the piece of the Ashen Crown. Hohenheim, though, had another idea. He made his way to the Sivis station, accompanied by one of Ixen’s summoned birds. There, Hohenheim attempted to contact the Arcane Congress in Aundair, with the intention of speaking to his younger self. The gnome attendant informed him that he would require the appropriate forms to contact a foreign government facility during the war. Returning to the group, he attempted to convince Marzena to give him permission. She promised to consider it and would let him make his argument over dinner.

The group dined at one of Sharn’s many restaurants, eating their fill of steak and relaxing for the first time in quite a while. Gin heard the rest of their exploits and Marzena decided to help Hohenheim. They returned to the Sivis station but were again told that, even with Marzena’s permission, they would require the forms that could only be acquired through the King’s Citadel. Siegfried remembered that Gin worked there and brought this up, but Gin refused to aid Hohenheim in his scheme, assuming it would cause nothing but trouble. Hohenheim also checked one of his dead drop locations and discovered a note for him from Dr. Jones, giving a time and place to meet the following day. Ready to continue their quest for the Ashen Crown pieces, the party went to sleep, awaiting the next day’s adventures.