Session 40

**Official Recap, Mostly by Jonathan Parsons**

* Archmage's Tower
* Teleportation Circle

Greyhaven

* Absolute Alchemy (Drinking establishment in the Scholar's district, Specialises in alchemically-crafted drinks)
* The Black Goat Inn (Disreputable Inn)
* Small Wonders (Store which specializes in selling small magical items The proprietor is a tiny, tiny gnome)
* (Unnamed Store specializing in Magical Clothing)
* Ferry Cakes (Patisserie specializing in tiny cakes. Owned by an Ork Baker. Has a 'cake-boat' set up)

### NPCs:

* Giana Delakin (Priestess of Kellios)
* Archmage Freyja (Female Dwarf. Head of the Faculty of Alchemy at Greyhaven University)
* Grand Archmage Ruffus Ostramus (Head of Greyhaven University)
* Archmage Chester Sparkes (Male Gnome. Head of the Faculy of Prestidigitation at Greyhaven University, Slightly dotty but pleasant-natured)
* Archmage Loramys (Non-Binary Elf. Head of the Faculty of Healing at Greyhaven University)
* Malkus Borzugh, owner of Ferry Cakes.

**Previously...**

## And Now...

While the others headed off to track down Isbet and the Scorpion, Solly remained with Ruffus and the healers.

She assisted Sparkes and the nurses where she could, and watched out for trouble. She notices that Sparkes keeps losing concentration, so she casts a spell to increase his focus. The magic goes very well, but their minds completely connect, getting lost into each others mind and memories. This mind merge reveals to Solly how difficult things have been for Sparkes. First, as the Archmage of the School of Prestidigitation, he knows his discipline is the least well-regarded of the faculties. He also knows that his old age is causing him to make mistakes; forgetting small motions or components or his mind wandering when casting difficult spells. But it is a position no one wants. Being generally well-liked, people are willing to help him, but no one wants to replace him. He is desperately motivated to do what he can to save his friend, but knows, without Solly's spell, there's no way he could keep his mind focused on the task for this long.

Solly also begins to notice that being inside the time bubble for so long is taking big toll on Sparkes . He is growing physically tired, mentally tired, and has begun drawing on his own, fastly-dwindling life energy to maintain the spells keeping the poison at bay. But he wants to do this, even knowing the risk, because Ruffus is his friend. Solly clasps his hand, adding her own life energy to his as the cumulative strain hits her like a hammer.

While working, Goldie discusses alchemy with Freyja, realising Freyja is an alchemical genius. Eventually, broaching the subject of the issue between the families, it is discovered that Goldie’s worthless cousin Dulan is the one who got her kicked out of the dwarven alchemist guild. As Goldie details the trouble their cousin has caused for them too, the two are able to bond over common ground.

Dandy, feeling at a loose end and not wanting to be underfoot, begins looking around for something she can do to help and gets given a message to deliver. Shortly after leaving the tower, she's on the verge of flagging down someone to ask for directions when she hears a faint cry down a flight of stairs. She finds a badly-injured student near a caged corridor of inky-blackness. The injuries look like those created by the eldritch horrors which emerged from the tears in space. She stabilizes him by cleaning and bandaging the most serious injuries and gives him some water. She is about to leave to find someone who can do more to help when a giant, silvery moth flies down at them, landing on the injured mage. It folds out its wings, wrapping them around the mage. A blinding bright light shines forth and, when Dandy blinks her eyesight back, the mage is covered in a silky, silvery cocoon.

Confused, she heads upstairs where she runs into an acolyte, and asks him about what's just happened. They explain to her that the moth is the familiar of one of the archmages, and is protecting him while he heals. He then says he has to leave because he needs to see the Archmage. She asks the acolyte if he knows where the place she has to deliver the message is. He says he does, so she offers to trade jobs. If he delivers her message, she can go talk to the archmage on behalf of the acolyte.

Duke asks around and finds the nearest Archmage who isn’t dying or evil. At a nearby tower, he argues for a while with a belligerent doorknocker before attempting to break the door down. In frustration, Duke calls out to the archmage in the tower. A giant head illusion appears, saying why should they help when nobody rushed to help them when eldritch monsters were pouring through rifts. At this, he reveals a giant scar on him. Duke scolds him, telling him that if he doesn't help Ruffus, he will be known as selfish, a coward, and too weak to help anyone. The magi appears in front of Duke with a fire in his eyes and says, “Fine, but you will stand in for me.” At this, Duke is teleported into a circular room with a trapdoor exit, two badly wounded people and a sick dog, all clearly under the magi’s care and the worse for wear for encountering the monsters.

The elf archmage teleports into the room with Ruffus, sighs, “I wasn’t needed for this,” and starts casting a spell.

Gar asks if anyone knows where Dandy went. One of them speaks up (the one who did the message trade). Gar heads out to the elf archmage's tower to meet up with Dandy and Duke. Gar grabs Dandy, and gets a mage to activate the teleporter at the centre of the university to the Grand Archmagus' tower, and hands the Star over to Solly.

After what feels like an eternity, a party member puts something in her hand that crackles with so much energy and power it gives Solly’s mind a jolt. She begins to channel the Star’s power, adding her own healing abilities to Sparkes' efforts. The thick black veins of poison retreat back all across Ruffus, until only thin lines emanating from the wound itself. The poison has also hardened, it won’t spread for quite a while. However, the intensity of the surge being force out of of the body injures everyone. This injury breaks Sparkes out of the trance and both Sparkes and Solly collapse in exhaustion.

Meanwhile Freya has almost completed the antidote, bottling up the cure. They prepare a teleport spell, although Goldie is slightly unsure if she can manage it. The spell goes very well. So successful and fast that you feel slightly sea sick from the movement. As the elf finishes the spell, healing minor cuts, bruises and reinvigorating everyone present, and then more closely examines Ruffus.

Goldie offers the antidote vial, Gar grabs the vial and administers it to Ruffus. Ruffus mostly heals, except the initial attack’s wound. He coughs and flutters, finally opening his eyes. He shows signs of some short-term memory loss.

Then the androgynous archmagus elf casts a spell to aid Sparkes, Solly casts a healing spell on Dandy, and Duke is teleported back, with bloodied hands. He drops the healing vial he was about to administer to the injured dog. Solly tells him to clean up the spilled elixir. He does with an empty coin pouch, squeezing it back into the vial now with dog hair.

Everyone decides it is time for rest and recreation.

They tell stories of what happened to the crowd outside of the university. After this, the group decides to head to Absolute Alchemy and rest for the evening. Giana is waiting in the inn downstairs with Friar Gladwyn, a monk who hands over a book. He has written a book, compiling all the various prophecies together, with additional notes on the history and potential interpretations.

Gar turns on his heel and heads off into the city alone, annoyed that he couldn’t get a single days break from prophecy or magic shenanigans. The rest head to the many magical shops in Greyhaven. Goldie Buys some Fire-resistant robes from a magic clothing vendor. The vendor also sells Dandy a Cloak of Music (plays music). They then venture into Small Wonders, a tiny shop run by the smallest Gnome anyone has ever seen. He sells magical knick-knacks, and minor enchantments... mostly clothing accessories. He presents a display of 10 magical combs which pique the party's interest (dragon growl, shell-hair, design, colour change, lullaby, prehensile hair).

It's all far, far too much for Dandy who suffers a complete sensory overload and has to steps out to cool off. She swears that she will get enough money to come back and buy EVERYTHING!

Goldie ends up buying the prehensile hair and the colour changing combs, and gives the prehensile hair comb to Dandy.

Duke tries to drum up a crowd, but only manages to catch one person's attention. The man, a bard, offers to buy the tale from Duke, and invites him to meet at ‘Black Goat’ inn in 2 hours time.

Having done with shopping, and with Dandy still somewhat frazzled, they decide it’s time for sweet little cakes and break for food. The session ends with them eating at Ferry Cakes, a ‘cake-boat’ café, where an Orc Baker serves up a selection of tiny cakes and pastries.