Return to Riedra

Sequel to Escape from Riedra.

## About

Players:

* Aida Ruel, half-elven paladin/bard
* Cicero d'Kundarak, dwarven wizard/warlock
* Ekt Johnsmith, bugbear cleric
* Thak of the Black Sands, halfling druid
* Ketaal, hobgoblin artificer

Notable NPCs:

* Shiaali, Chosen defector
* Miira, Riedran peasant
* Friedrich, agent of the Citadel
* The crew of the Serenity, see Welcome to the Jungle

## Summary

For the weeks ahead of the missions, Thak, Cicero and Ekt are troubled by strange dreams, apparently designed to taunt them. As they gather with Aida and Ketaal in the Wayfinder lounge, their ponderings are interrupted by Miira storming in in a panic. She says that Shiaali is in trouble, and asks them to come help. Outside Miira and Shiaali’s safehouse, the group meet Friedrichs - the Citadel agent who had been at their first meeting with Miira and Wencove. Friedrichs is holding the door against Shiaali’s telekinetic powers. It seems the magic protections have been damaged, and Shiaali has been possessed by Aktavi. The fierce battle ended when Ekt banished Aktavi from Shiaali using a scroll he had purchased earlier.

Back to her senses, Shiaali revealed that had gotten to her through her dreams, and slowly eroded the magical protections. They would need to find a way to permanently protect her. She agreed to take a poison Friedrich had prepared to render her temporarily unconscious to prevent repossession, and the Wayfinders discussed with Friedrich and Miira how to protect Shiaali for good. Their best lead, based on Shiaali’s intel, was the forbidden magics found in Ohr Kaluun. A sorcerer queen, Kel Pyruun, had apparently been able to keep the Inspired at bay for a millenium.

The Wayfinders organised passage to Ohr Kaluun on the airship Serenity, captained by Old Ren. As the ship approached the shores of the Riedran province, two shadows appeared and warned the invaders to turn away. They targeted Aida and the elemental bound within the airship, apparently being most concerned by extraplanar entities. Conscious of the warnings, and the pain caused to Serenity’s elemental, the Wayfinders touched down on the beach. They weren’t entirely alone - they witnessed an Inspired woman land her ship and lead a group of captive dwarves and duergar deeper into the jungle.

Eager to learn the lay of the land, the Wayfinders found a trail leading towards the centre of the island, and spotted a hanbalani altas under repair. They also ran across a pair of giant moas and their nest. Thak’s magic enabled him to speak with them, and they revealed that the darkness lay across the river to the northwest.

At the river, the Wayfinders found a line of dwarves and duergar panning for crystals. They were watched over the Riedran guards. After inspecting the crowd, Aida made telepathic contact with a work-weary duergar called Naraat, who had contacts with the Dream Merchants. She agreed to take them to a meeting if they can steal some of the crystal as a gift. While Thak distracted one of them in clawfoot form, Aida was rendered invisible and snuck out to take some crystal from a dwarf worker. When she touched the crystal, she dissociated, and Aveth found himself staring across the dreamscape. He was spotted by a tsucora quori surveying its domain, and managed to bluff about searching for a rogue kalashtar, before reuniting with Aida’s psyche.

As instructed, the Wayfinders took the pilfered crystal to the hanbalani altavar - a old, corrupted hanbalani altas. There they met Lhazuun, a maenad with the Dream Merchants. Pleased with their intentions and their gift, Lhazuun offered them a guide to Kel Pyruun’s labyrinth - the young and fiery Naraat or the pragmatic hunter Yutvah. The Wayfinders chose Naraat.

After resting under the hanbalani altavar, Ekt and Aida realise they cannot remember the trip from the river to the monolith. Their memory degradation will continue they closer they get to Kel Pyruun.

Naraat leads the Wayfinders to the labyrinth, but they stop outside when they notice Riedran soldiers searching the entrance. They are soon set upon by agile combatants, and a fight ensues. They leave one survivor, a human woman who they had been unable to talk down, and bind her while she’s unconscious. They carry her body with them.

Inside the labyrinth the players find six statues, each resembling one of the Dark Six. The Traveller’s plinth is empty. The statues guard six passages. Ekt says his prayers, and concludes the Traveller’s path is the natural start. His idea seems correct, for they come to a chamber with five statues remaining. Aida and Ekt forget the way from Sharn.

The Wayfinders next choose the Devourer’s path, and a rush of water floods the passage. They’re attacked by a giant shark, which nearly kills Aida and all but drowns their captive Riedran. Cicero heals the ninja, whose name is Talhana. She warns them that she won’t agree never to turn on them, but temporary non-aggression is agreeable. Talhana and Ketaal have a chat about what it means to defend against creatures from another world, and he gifts her his byeshk dagger. Aida forgets Thak.

The Wayfinders take the Fury’s path next, and come face to face with Ilir, the changeling who interviewed them in Dar Ulatesh. He invites them to tea, and goads them for their failures. Having realised the test is to embrace fury, Aida punches Ilir. Fatally. The room explodes, and our heroes pass the test. Cicero and Naraat talk about dwarves. Ekt forgets Naraat.

Down the Keeper’s path, the Wayfinders find respite. A run-down village built into the labyrinth is inhabited by horned tieflings. Their leader, Ixalos, offers them food and a bed, but says he must evaluate them. If they fail, they will not be allowed to leave. In the morning, Ixalos requires Aida, Naraat and Talhana stay behind, but relents when the Wayfinders decide they will all remain or all go. Aida is revealed as Kalashtar to everyone, even Talhana.

Following the path for the Mockery’s trials, the Wayfinders come face to face with shadowy doubles. A mirror match ensues. In an effort to end the trial, Aida stabs Thak in the back. The Wayfinders survive only barely. Then Aida forgets herself.

The final passage, belonging to the Shadow, brings the Wayfinders to Kel Pyruun’s palace. She is prepared to make a deal with the Wayfinders to provide a ritual to close Shiaali’s mind to Aktavi, in return for everything the Citadel learns from her. Kel Pyruun also agrees to return Aida and Ekt’s lost memories, though the ritual is difficult and unreliable. She sets up a magic circle and begins the spell, but they are interrupted by Talhana’s inevitable betrayal. The Inspired Takrachati appears through a portal, Talhana retreats through it, and the Wayfinders defend themselves and the ritual in a fight for their lives. They succeed, and Aida and Ekt’s memories are restored, though they are less perfect.

With Kel Pyruun’s obsidian spellshard acquired, the party head back to the beach to call back the Serenity. However, they decided to use their spare time to take a detour and attack the damaged monolith near the beach. Ketaal’s familiar Navi flutters into the crystal core and shatters it, but the familiar is found and destroyed by a guard.

At the beach, the Serenity screams in with elemental ring smoking. The Wayfinders race down the beach, but must avoid the gathered Riedran forces who had been alerted by the explosion at the hanbalani. A tsoreva Inspired blocks their way with all the psionic power he can muster, but the Wayfinders climb on deck and escape. The Inspired teleports up and stabs Washburn, but is pushed overboard. Finally free of obstacles, the Wayfinders return to Sharn.

Cicero casts Kel Pyruun’s shadow ritual, and Shiaali is finally free of Aktavi’s influence for good!