Session 13

Date range of Session 13.

## 60th of Duoary

### *In Media Res*

In the aftermath of their confrontation with High Priestess Klaxi in the Obsidian Spire, the party found themselves caught in a powerful teleportation spell and soaring through the astral realm.

Archion, having grabbed Klaxi’s rings, began to taste ash in the air and saw the familiar blue-tinged waters and volcanoes of the Ahsland Isles. He glimpsed the Eldari Citadel beneath him, a city suspended above a volcano and encased in a great glass dome, and casting his eyes to the shoreline, he saw hundreds of sleek metal warships. He sensed two of the ten elemental artefacts of fire residing in the Ashlands.

With her mind on Balthazar, Zara was pulled to Morozova Manor and was met with the impression of the greying, declining household. She saw Alexander Morozova, Baghra, and Balthazar in the basement of the house. Alexander’s glowing orb was open, and Balthazar reached inside to pull out a dagger. As she left the vision behind, she saw a corrupted root following her north.

Sister Amanita found herself in the hidden home of the Celial Sisterhood: the Citadel Without Walls. But where she would have expected to see the Green Mother standing at the heart of the network, she saw an empty space. With her mind drifting to the corruption within the Sisterhood and the unknown Sister who killed Mornon, she guided herself to a vision of a carriage passing over the River Fenrir. The carriage was driven by a large fungal guardian, and she knew her quarry was within.

Finally, Electra found herself in an unfamiliar location – a dusty ruin of decaying bricks. She recalled Rum Tum Tugger’s lectures on the ruins of Necropolis, the old kingdom of the Swarm. She saw a much younger Klaxi walking among the ruins, holding something magical within a small leather cloth. Before the vision vanished, Electra’s mind wandered to Rumpleteezer, whom she saw accompanied by Bombalurina on the road to Greensgood.

After these visions, all four find themselves falling from the sky above the frozen northern wastes. Zara cast an *aura of life* and teleported into the group. Archion cast a *feather fall* spell on the group, and all four managed to land safely in the snow. However, Zara resisted the *feather fall* and would have died during the fall if not for her aura.

When they landed, Zara and Amanita shiftweaved into winter clothing, and Amanita gave Electra a blanket to keep her warm. When Amanita reached for the network, she realised they were beyond the reach of the Sisterhood’s network in the Winter Pact.

In the distance, they glimpsed a pair of dwarves: Elsa Snowforge and Jynnan Hammerrest. As the pair approached, Archion and Amanita conversed with the pair using a mixture of Draconic and Jotun. They asked the pair about their fallen comrades and noticed that they carried a hammer covered in celestial runes about the first element and clay that had been crossed out and replaced with dwarven runes. After some conversation, Electra found a well-fitting coat made for a human, and Archion found an ornate coat of vellum and fur, which upon examining a crest on the coat, he recognised as belonging to King Olf the Hammer. The party questioned Elsa and Jynnan about what had happened, and the pair freely told their story and detailed the assassination of the king. The party decided to travel with the pair to nearby Vugh Furum.

As they travelled, Amanita questioned Electra about Klaxi's staff, the "Pillar of Creation," and the cleric rambled about Klaxi's appearance and mentioned her vision of the younger Klaxi. Amanita also attempted to commune with the plant-life of the Northern Wastes, but found the sparse plants devoid of consciousness and could not feel the presence of the Network.

### Bless the Maker and His ... Snow?

That evening, as the party rested, Archion spotted a light and a figure on the hills to the south. Zahim's scythe of warning began to glow, and the party felt the ground begin to vibrate. Zahim drew his blunderbuss, Archion activated his flame shield, and Amanita tried to freeze and stabilize the ground beneath her.

The shaking only intensified. Then, in a spray of snow and ice, a great pale worm erupted from the ground, flying into the air and devouring the tent containing Elsa and Jynnan. As it disappeared back into the ground, the party saw a flash of light from underneath the snow.

The party decided that their best option was to run away. They tried to distract the worm with a *flaming sphere* and tremors, but the worm went for Amanita's ancient companion instead, devouring the unnamed servant of the Celial Sisterhood. Archion, glimpsing the Pillar of Creation in the worm's mouth, transformed into his draconic form and wrestled the hammer from the creature's mouth, and Electra teleported the creature away using a *banishment* spell.

They took their chance and fled on dogsled. But they weren't alone. The four-armed figure on the hills - whom Amanita now recognised as the frostling leader Lady Rime - began to hurl icicles at Electra. Electra responded by messaging into the frostling's head, "*Hello Lady Rime, most powerful frostling in the north. Please stop shooting icicles at me. It's not a nice way to say hello. Yours, Electra*."

Lady Rime replied to the entire party and told them that Archion had to drop the hammer. The party refused to drop the hammer and Archion and Amanita protected Electra from Lady Rime's attacks. Seeing that she would not be able to break the cleric's concentration, Lady Rime slunk back into the hills and disappeared.

### Vugh Furum

When they arrived at the city gates, they were met with a number of dwarven axe throwers and a particularly old dwarf, visibly a wizard from the Order of Abjurators.

The dwarf introduced themselves as Morgon of House Everfall and questioned the party about their possession of the Maker’s Fist. He expressed knowledge of the Sisterhood and the Shimbleshanks and recalled working with Alexander Morozova. He asked for the hammer and appeared concerned when the party accused Lady Rime of attempting to steal the hammer. Morgon insisted that they have their story verified and requested them to stay in private chambers at the prison in the meantime. The party, reluctantly, gave up the hammer and gave themselves into the custody of the city guard.

The party were marched through the city towards Folkhus prison, where they asked to surrender their weapons. Zara/Zahim surrendered their weapon, but Amanita, Electra, and Archion were more hesitant. As a show of good faith, Morgon offered to deliver messages for each party member.

Archion asked for Deitrick to be contacted and told of his whereabouts, Electra asked for Deuteronomy to be updated on her progress and to provide a glowing portrait of her exploits, Zara/Zahim asked to contact Alexander (which Morgon said he would be doing regardless), and Amanita asked for a message to be sent to Elmwood, giving them authority to vote in her stead.

Upon entering the prison, they saw a small caged area, almost like a zoo exhibit. Inside was an old dwarf dressed in restrictive plate armour. He recognised Archion's Ashlands heritage and introduced himself as Adam Valath. He claimed to be a friend of the king's during the rebellion, but he disagreed with the king politically, attempting to free the dwarves of the north from the monarchy. When Amanita attempted to read the dwarf’s thoughts, her magic was dispelled by the bars of the cage.

While the party were engaged in this conversation, Archion spoke with the consciousness of Klaxi in his ring. She recalled hearing war stories of the Hammer and the Anvil and took this conversation between them to ask Archion a favour. She wanted him to build her a new body in exchange for a great deal of information.

### Messages

As the day waned, the party relaxed in their chambers.

As she was resting, Electra received a psychic summons from Deuteronomy and found herself in the Ethereal Basin. After a tense minute of eye contact and no speech, Electra folded and told Deuteronomy about her location and the death of the king. After hearing of the king's death, the call abruptly ended.

Zahim received a *message* spell from Alexander, who said: “*I hear you have ventured north. Beware of the cold. Do not trust Morgon; they are a regret of mine from the past. Seek out the elf, Ziviah*”. He responded, “*I have book. Will trust no one in this hell-hole. Greensgood has turned to shit. Good luck*”.

Archion received a message from Deuteronomy, who claimed Deitrick was unavailable. He told the dragonborn that in the case of an emergency, he could find and rip the piece of paper in his left pocket and summon help.

Finally, Amanita received a message from the network. A root reached out from the pond towards her, and Sister Morel spoke with her. The Sister seemed hesitant and asked Amanita about Klaxi’s death. Amanita was suspicious of the message, and quickly realised that she was not seeing her friend Morel, but only the memory of Morel. Instead, something else was contacting her – the same something she had felt emerge from the cocoon in the Xeros Mine. When Amanita made her awareness of the presence’s true nature known, the spell slowly and uncomfortably faded. She cut her connection with the root which dissolved with a cloud of dark green, almost black dust.

## 64th of Duoary

### The Much Expected Inquisition

In the morning, Amanita summoned her sage companion back and learned they were a travelling lizardfolk scholar in life known as Hegan Wisefoot. She also attempted to access the Network’s memories of Morgon but could not find any trace of an individual by that name.

The party were then taken to a large auditorium. Here, they saw a number of councillors and prominent figures, including High Fleshmender Jeremy, Vugh Furum's head cleric, the crown prince Rogarth Lighthammer, and the Princess, Aurora Lighthammer.

The party were announced to the crowd and made to step into the Zone of Truth. Electra addressed the prince and apologised for wasting his time, and all four party members introduced themselves. Archion stressed his wrestling prowess, Electra tried to endear herself to the Princess, and Amanita urged expediency. Zahim seemed bored and asked for Morgon to join them in the circle. Morgon agreed and introduced himself in the circle. He did not appear to be lying.

Morgon asked about their whereabouts before their teleportation and expressed knowledge of Xyanos the Lyre, who had advised King Olf the Hammer before the war. The party also revealed their encounter with the lich Nekrosis, and Electra noticed that the Rusted Crown had found its way back into her handbag. Morgon also seemed to have knowledge of the Morozova family's custodianship of the lich.

Finally, noticing the staff they carried, he asked each party member whether they had killed the High Priestess Klaxi. Each denied killing the High Priestess. Their answers became increasingly evasive, and tension built in the auditorium. Then, a wisp of black smoke began to emanate from Electra's bag. Nekrosis was back.