Session 17: The Trap

## NPC's

Font of Knowledge, Grandma Redberry, Delirium, Tia, Aster

## Summary

The party spends more time in the Library of Arbora, until closing time. They see smoke from a distance, and they go towards it. Turns out, Grandma Redberry’s house is on fire, and Cryllos gets Grandma Redberry out. It seems that the oven burned the house down, but amidst the chaos, Aster stole Maribelle. Grandma Redberry notes that Maribelle appears normal outside of her eyes. Delirium shows up and tells them Aster is in the castle. To get there as soon as possible, they climb to the Skirate Base. But there, Dichroma, Morgan, and Lady Dichroma II are missing, Tia in their place. They fly up with the help of her family's private airship.

As they approach the higher levels, Oleander and Alastor feel a strange tremor. The Silver Man says Ivy is visiting the Heart of Arbora and will fail the connection, leading to the seal breaking. At the palace, Tia, afraid, drops the party off, and they find a flight of stairs, which they sneak down. Along the way, they see carvings of guardian masks. The distance from the heart makes Oleander go wild. At the bottom, they see an opening with a doorway. It appears to be a large guardian mask, with its mouth open. Tia runs down after them, saying she needs to talk to Cryllos. He goes to talk to her, and she reveals herself to be Delirium, disguised. He traps himself and Cryllos in a barrier, and Aster emerges from the doorway to fight the others.

* Oleander, Alastor, and Garoon pit off against Aster. Oleander hears whispers urging to them to wear their mask, but, funnily enough, they already have it on. They feel a strange sensation, as the others see wood envelop them. They see them turn into a giant rat with a rat shaped guardian mask, giving them new unidentified power. Oleander uses their new ability to create another rat. Aster suddenly says, “Please stop, Illantha.” It is revealed that he disagrees with her actions and needs her to be stopped, but he's following her directions because he has nothing else to do. Oleander creates two more rats, much to the party's amusement.
* Cryllos has to fight against Delirium. During the fight, Delirium states he hates fighting Cryllos. After many thrown daggers and shot arrows, Delirium detonates many bombs, greatly injuring Cryllos. Both extremely hurt, Delirium and Cryllos have a stalemate, so Delirium removes the barrier and takes his leave.

Cryllos, unable to fight, talks to Aster, urging him to stop mindlessly following Ivy for such petty reasons. Aster says that the loser will die, and the winner will stop Ivy. But, he lets Garoon knock him out. Alastor finishes him off with his vines.

## Misc.

* Oleander burrows out of jail and now intends for their bounty to be higher than Delirium's.
* Information from the Font of Knowledge:
	+ Arbora was the greatest abominations of the sea monsters.
	+ The sea monsters around are used to bound Arbora, and the ones not on this duty are worse.
	+ The outside world is far more technologically advanced, but only a few people have powers.
	+ Lalia and Cryllos were forgotten because Ivy didn’t want commotion to occur, due to it having a chance to expose her plans.
	+ Ivy hired Delirium to kill the Old Alchemist to keep her from spreading information about Maribelle.
	+ The Silver Man’s real name is terrifying, and it must be pronounced using six tongues.
	+ Garoon can not be detected using magic due to overexposure of chemicals, but he was never experimented on.
	+ Noctis city has the most rats.
	+ Blue Moon is wearing the Eye of God, and they have seen the truth. Unlike others, they can handle it.
	+ Blue Moon can turn invisible.
	+ Delerium’s real name is unknown.
	+ The cult had no name, but they called themselves the Group. They were trying to control Arbora through the Guardians.