The Old Artificer

**The Old Artificer** is the fifty ninth episode of *Another Bad Side Quest.* The party discuss recent meetings as they travel to find RX's creator.

## The Old Artificer

#### **Pre-Show Shenanigans**

* Mak won Best Character Performance at the NJ Web Fest! We are incredibly proud!!
* Congratulations to Krissy who also won outstanding live stream!
* We have one more remaining live streamed episode to go before we change to recordings
* Catch *The Edensong Chronicles* on Oct 20th and 27th as Haelley, Jeremy and Sam dive into *DISASTER/WING,* a Forged in the Dark hack about mechs in space!

#### **Summary**

The party travelled over the next three days north to the *Principality of Pathu,* saw *Kra’Kash* in the distance and noticed where the city had burned there were signs of rebuilding, but didn't stop as Quincy told the party Seren told them Killian’s wife, Samara, and newborn daughter, Lucille, were no longer there. The party continued until they reached the border, easily getting through with the help of their guild paperwork, entered the *Principality of Pathu* and travelled half the day before they came to the edges of the *Sra’jess Hot Springs*. The party saw the trees grew wide and low, were heavy with fruit and glimmering with waxy leaves that shined with iridescence in the light of the two suns, along with pools of water that were scattered about and rose with steam

Sterling spoke to his horse horse, Coraline, as he had taken to more then the party, admitted after some poking he may write a novella if they made it out of this alive. Sterling asked RX if there was anything in particular, other than getting him fixed, he would like help with while meeting the person who created him. RX said he wanted to know why he was created and when Sterling agreed most things with sentience wanted such things reiterated that he did not care about his sentience and wanted to know why he was created at all. Sterling let the topic drop, told the party he was planning to cast a spell and that he needed everyone to remain within a certain radius for it to work before he took out the required diamond dust and cast *Nondetection* causing a dome of magical white noise to block out anyone attempting to look in on them. Sterling immediately told the party they were being watched all the time, removed *Ob’s Charm* and placed it in his Eldritch Scarf before he admitted that Kalistock came to see him while they were asleep in the *Galder's* *Tower* days ago, that he did exactly as they expected him to do and leveraged his mother against him. Sterling then pulled out the *Sending Stone* given to him and cast *Identify* on it to ensure there was nothing unusual about it and found nothing abnormal. Sterling added that there was nothing he could do in the moment that wouldn’t also bring harm to the party and had chosen to tell the party because he thought it was best they were all on the same page. The party asked what Kalistock wanted in return, but Sterling said he was not exactly sure other than the implication of betraying the party. RX asked if they could be found so easily why he gave it to him and Sterling said he was told he'd know when the time was right and didn't feel in a position to pressure with questions.

RX asked why Kalistock chose now as nothing appeared to had changed and Quincy suggested the death of Esmeria was a factor while Yashani believed they were impatient. Alaerith, who had been looking in the direction of *A’jigisha,* moved forward in the group, showed the envelope with his true name and the letter he had previously received, face down so they couldn't be read, asked Sterling if they was any magic coming from them and Sterling cast *Detect Magic,* found they weren't and told him such. As Alaerith retrieved them Yashani asked why he was concerned about them being magical and Alaerith he slept outside Sterling's *Tiny Hut* on their last time, not feeling safe for them in his presence, in the *Dusterburyan Lighthouse* that he was also visited by Kalistock. Sterling asked what he said and Alaerith revealed when Robert spoke to them in the *Dead Room* he saw Kalistock with someone he was very close with, alluding that they were someone else who died in the attack in *Alaskari*. Sterling stated they were breaking them and chipping away at them and Kaz added that was how the Order of Ruin did it, that they put the thing the party would burn the world for, to use it to twist them until they break.

Kaz added that they were certain they would be able to do it and were certain they weren't wrong, but Alaerith pointed out that he wasn’t sure what they were seemingly using against him was recent and, though her body was unrecognizable when he had last saw her that day, she looked fine as if she hadn’t aged a day. Sterling asked if she was a Sea Elf as well, noting it wasn't unreasonable, but Alaerith reminded them how old he was when the attack came, that she was a year younger and still looked like she was 11. Alaerith also added that Robert mentioned her name when he spoke to them and that he thought it was just a coincidence and wondered if she had been with them for a long time. Sterling noted it could be a trick of the *Dusterburyan Lighthouse* before asking if the letter had any more information and after a moment of hesitation confirmed it was her handwriting, pulled the letter out again, gave it to Sterling and let him explain the Elvish writing out loud. Sterling noted that it looked like the letter was before he left and Alaerith noted when he woke up, after Kalistock left, that he found the letter in front of him. Quincy asked if he believed she died and before Alaerith could answer Yashani cut in to remind them that when bodies are unrecognizable as he said earlier, rarely meant they were among the living and wasn't a far leap to say she was like the other members who also died and were given an offer for second life. Sterling asked if Darie was powerful, noting the strangeness of it, and if she experienced any trauma before then and Alaerith said he was unware of any trauma beyond her death and, noting she was a kid like he was, was skilled enough from her hard work, but wasn't the most natural either. Sterling suggested she wasn't a member of the order and was a prisoner instead and Kaz cut into note they had seen how prisoners were treated. Alaerith also added that Robert said the tower broke all of them, her included, and that he was considered the bottom of the totem pole and feared she was higher then he was. Sterling offered that maybe Darie was still in the process of being broken and wasn’t quite gone yet.

Sterling noted the spell he cast wouldn't last forever and thanked Alaerith for sharing, understanding why it wasn't immediate and admitted he had his own reasons for waiting to tell the others as well. Sterling noted they were one for three, gesturing to Kaz as he did, and when Quincy questioned what he was getting at said Kaz was taken because of Quincy and all they had to do to get her back was burn on of their members. Kaz retorted that she was taken because her grandfather wouldn't return to them and that they needed someone like him to take his place, citing she was weaker and would be particularly someone easier to break. Sterling shrunk a little before admitting he was trying to be poetic and that he knew there was extra context but they still got her back and still led them to get her. Quincy added they didn’t even know she was missing before they found her in the *Dusterburyan Lighthouse* and Sterling replied that she was back because Quincy heard her and liked to think they all backed her up in that. Sterling noted that he recognized that this wasn’t the time to help Alaerith get Darie or to get his mother, but to help RX and if they didn't have their front liner would have no chance to do anything.

Yashani changed the topic to ask how long they needed to search to find Twynn and as they looked around the area saw the winding path they had been following between pools of water had steadily come closer together to create a small river and all but Alaerith and Sterling noticed a steep, sheer cliff face and, from some unknown source, appeared to be puffs of purple smoke that carried out from over the cliff in semi-regular intervals, followed by a strange suction noise. After RX explained what they noticed Sterling suggested they put *Ob’s Charms* in an extradimensional space so they couldn't be tracked with them for the time being. Kaz reminded them if they didn't wear their charms that she couldn't help them as much due to it's connection to them and Sterling offered to do some research on them to see if they were safe to use. After putting them in the *Eldritch Scarf* and *Bag of Holding*, along with the *Sending Stone,* the party made their way and found the source of the strange sucking sound was from a pipe that appeared to pull water from one of the pools to the cliffside.

RX soon spotted a ladder that could be used to climb up the 400-500 feet of the cliffside and after seeing the coloured smoke realized they had to go up. After the party tied the horses up at the base of a tree Alaerith used *Galatea's Gift* to cast *Speak with Animals* to let the horses know they would be back soon and after learning the water was a little hot had Sterling cast *Mold Earth* to make a trough of water, while he cast *Prestidigitation* to cool it down for them. Sterling then thanked Alaerith again for backing up his point and said neither of them needed to climb. RX and Yashani managed to easily climb the ladder, while Quincy had some issues as their heeled boots get stuck on the rungs and needed to be caught by Kaz before they eventually made it as well. Meanwhile Sterling cast *Dimension Door* to get himself and Alaerith to the top of the cliff, slightly unsettling Alaerith as they travelled through *Pandemonium* to do so.

The party soon found a small square building made of metal, with a pipe that stuck out of the ground nearby that emitted the same purple smoke that they saw before. RX headed to the front door, followed by the rest of the party at a slower pace, and all took in the view from the top of the cliff where they saw the glimmer of the capital city of *Vayilcor* and a large dark block of something that sat at the edge of the coast and over the water, sprinkled with bits of light. RX, finding there was no doorbell, immediately knocked on the door and after waiting several minutes with no response from inside knocked again to no the same result. The party started to look around and above for another way in, but found no other doors or windows. RX tried finding a slot for his *Sending Stone* to go in and called out that he was there for Twynn, as one of his creations, but both to no result. Yashani looked to the pipe where the smoke came from, covered it with her bag to effectively cut off the exhaust of the purple smoke to no result. As Yashani removed the bag RX was soon smacked by the front door as it was pushed bodily out of its frame and a short older Yuan-ti man, with short salt and pepper hair, his right eye stitched closed while his left was slitted and red, with an unkempt beard, wearing a dirtied well worn dark leather coat and apron appeared, coughed his way out of the purple smoke and looked in surprised at RX. RX asked if he was going to pass out like his son did upon seeing him and when the man said no which pleased RX as excitedly continued. RX first confirmed the man was Twynn Roderick the second, which he did, and RX announced he was one of his creations. Twynn agreed and admitted he didn’t think he would see RX again before he asked the group to not cover the pipe again. Quincy said out he had no door bell and Twynn retorted that the point was he didn't wish to be disturbed and didn't often get visitors. Twynn asked Yashani to uncover the exhaust pipe, which she did, and noted the place might smell weird before he invited them in.

The party went down a long ladder and soon found themselves in a large room cut out into the rock with tables and tools, machinery and Twynn soon led them into to be a sort of living area and invited them to sit before he sat himself and first asked who found the box. RX pointed to Quincy, noting there were two originally and Quincy told him RX was on a boat in *Kra’Kash*. When Twynn didn't offer anything further Quincy asked why RX was on a boat in *Kra’Kash* Twynn admitted he didn’t purposefully send RX there. RX asked where he was supposed to go and Twynn said he was put on an associates boat going nowhere, which far as Quincy could tell was the truth. Quincy pressed further and asked why Twynn sent RX away and Twynn explained that the Holy Enclave had commissioned him 45 years ago to make an unsleeping bodyguard, with likely other purposes though he didn't try to poke any further and ask, and that a majority of his attempts were unsuccessful. RX asked why he wasn't currently their bodyguard and Twynn told him he was lightning in a bottle. RX asked him to give more then metaphors and Twynn said it wasn't a metaphor, that he was literally lightning in a bottle. Sterling asked if he referred to the elder tempest within him and Twynn confirmed he did it before explaining he made his house from metal to channel lightning to power his machines, that one day he caught a portion of an elder tempest's lightning almost on accident in RX. Twynn noted he didn't think it was a good idea to hand such power over to the *Skorian Empire* and instead put RX on a boat with a trusted acquaintance, telling them to keep moving with out him knowing the destination so it couldn’t be pried from him later. Sterling quickly asked if Twynn ever told the Enclave what RX looked like and the party was relieved to find he never did. RX asked if they were still looking and when Twynn noted he didn't know told of their meeting with members of the Enclave in *Su’Hish*

Quincy asked about who RX was sent off with originally and Twynn said it wasn’t pertinent as he was there now. Quincy noted there were a lot of stamps and knowing where RX started could be important and Twynn said a lot of stamps would show up after 45 years before restating he didn't feel it was relevant. Quincy asked if there was any way to know if RX was ever turned on in the 45 years he had been away and simply didn't remember and Twynn said he didn't believe so, that when RX powered down he didn't forgot everything and was more like a sleep. RX mentioned that the party met a man who “awakened” him and asked if that was part of Twynn’s original intentions. Twynn said he didn't, that he hoped no one would figure it out and, that he had placed a dampener as a safety precaution and sounded as though it was removed. Alaerith noted that this person claimed to know Twynn and seemed to recognize what RX was and Twynn said there were only three other people who knew about RX. Alaerith alluded to one being a man wrapped in bandages, while RX directly referred to him as RX and Twynn noted it had been some times since he had seen him. RX said he was not in a good state either and Twynn commiserated before he noted the others were his son and an old friend who worked in the castle in *Vayilcor* named Maggix, though he noted he wasn't aware if he was alive. Alaerith enquired if Maggix had a daughter by chance and when Twynn confirmed he had two Alaerith went to activate *Ob’s Charm* before remembering they were no longer wearing them and mimed 'rabbit ears' to hint maybe it might be Jelly Bean's former identity. Twynn asked what he was getting at and RX noted they might have met some form of him.

RX said there were more important matters before dropped his belongings and cloak, revealed the large hole still in his abdomen and explained he was impaled by an icicle. Yashani offered that she tried healing it but she was no mechanic and Twynn stated this could be disastrous. Sterling insisted he elaborate and Twynn explained that he didn't know if he could fix him, that RX’s construct was made before anything was put inside and asked how to repair what was inside when it was now unstable, calling it almost suicide. Alaerith asked if he was saying he didn't make RX's body and Twynn said he made three quarters of it while his father made the obsidian interior. Quincy likened his reasoning to touching a live wire which Twynn confirmed was the case. Twynn suggested in theory the lightning could be moved to a new bottle, noting it was risky, and Sterling added that he could contain magic in a small space if he had the space. RX asked, if not contained, would he still be himself or if the tempest would be a different entity entirely without RX as a container and Twynn admitted he doesn’t know. Sterling said he might know someone and activated *Manifest Mind* to summon Tollanessa and introduced her to Twynn to his surprise. Twynn noted Sterling was possibly right, but would need everyone's help as Sterling wouldn't be able to do so on his own, and that RX was right to be concerned as Twynn couldn't guarantee RX would be the same when this was done. Quincy, especially distressed by the idea of losing RX, asked if there was anything else they could try first, but after Twynn learned how long ago this was said the 'bottle' would eventually explode. Alaerith mentally tried to call out to the two dragons, Derithon and Oganon, having not done so since the forest if had the ability to help him channel RX's power to keep him safe and Derithon replied that they could help divert the tempest.

RX changed the topic to say he had been searching for answers for over a month and had received no answers, that whatever happened would happen as he appeared to have no control over anything and his eyes begin to tint red in a clear sign of anger and frustration. Quincy asked if leaving the room would help Twynn discuss more with RX about his creation, pointing out since RX was powered on he had questions, had travelled a long way for answers and hadn't given a lot and Twynn told them to ask the questions they wanted to ask. RX said he had and had only gotten vague answers, that he could level cities and was lightning in a bottle but didn't know what that meant and Twynn said to charge the bottle and it would release energy and that it wasn't hard to understand. As Sterling decided to go upstairs Twynn explained that RX had to will it to happen and to direct the current of charge himself. RX asked who wanted to shock him and when Yashani asked what shocking him now would do said not to expect an answer. Yashani noted that she understood his frustration, but pointed out that after being told he was a cracked bottle of lightning that could level cities he was asking to cause such a catastrophe while his friends were nearby and didn't know what to say. Alaerith asked if the lightning could be siphoned, citing that he was adept with lightning and wondered if he could draw it out and project it out without harm and Twynn warned that it was a lot of force and could kill Alaerith. Quincy asked if RX could guide the energy that he was charged up with, rather than levelling a city and just blast one horrible person, with RX targeting an order of them, and Twynn said it would take focus, but in general he could if his bottle was intact.

Sterling called from above if everything was alright and made his way down when Twynn said they could start now and directed RX to lie down on one of the table tops. Sterling asked Tollanessa if there had ever been a way to successfully contain a tempest but even she was unsure. Alaerith pulled Sterling and Twynn aside, cast *Enhance Ability : Fox’s Cunning* to aid them both of them before Twynn explained Sterling was going to help him with the repair, Alaerith would be the loop to hold the tempest in the meantime and the rest of the party would help Alaerith while he held onto it. As Alaerith activated *Elemental Affinity* to help himself resist lightning damage Twynn told RX that he just needed to survive and Sterling in response cast *Enhance Ability : Bear’s Endurance* to make him sturdier. Quincy went to RX and less jokingly said they needed him to survive too before they gave him a kiss on his metal cheek and patted where the talisman necklace sat on his chest. Once everyone was in position and ready to begin Twynn leaned over RX and popped open a spot in RX’s chest causing smoke to immediately fill the area and a quick crack of lightning to enter the air before being directed into Alaerith and cycling through the rest of the party. Twynn began to place obsidian pieces down as Sterling aided him in welding them together through an augmentation of casting *Fabricate* and picking up that pace as they found a rhythm working together. Alaerith, feeling the current of energy rip through him, called out to the dragons, told them he would and relinquish control of his body and as his right eye changed to the draconic shape felt his body becomes better at handling the energy going through him. After what felt like only seconds yet also forever, Twynn closed the hatch and pulled away and Sterling immediately cast *Resilient Sphere* to contain whatever might happen if anything went wrong. Twynn said he believed RX was ok and when RX noted he felt fine and stressed tested himself by casting *Shocking Grasp* without issue Sterling dropped *Resilient Sphere*. Twynn explained the obsidian layer was back in place and should be fine again and Sterling and Twynn complemented each other for their work. The rest of the party, even after having channelling the lightning, appeared to be fine as well and the party decided to head outside to see about testing how RX felt and if the fix really worked.

RX and Alaerith stepped further away from the metal house while Sterling cast *Tiny Hut* to protect everyone else as they watched. Alaerith asked if he should start small or not and Quincy says it’s a good idea, snapping when RX suggested they start big, but when RX stated it was his decision Quincy backed off. Alaerith stood in front of RX, briefly recalled with him the last time he used lightning magic on him before he cast *Lightning Bolt* on RX and as RX felt the energy and the way it pooled inside him focused on redirecting it outward at a rock along the cliffside and destroyed it, with no harm to himself. Alaerith asked if he was ok and when RX confirmed he was Alaerith collapsed in front of him. RX looked at another rock and a moment later a secondary blast fired out and destroyed it as well. As Alaerith hurriedly noted he had nothing to do what just happened RX fired a third blast at another rock, but only damaged it. The party noticed that the first blast felt more then Alaerith’s initial one, while the others decreased in power and Sterling likened RX to a coil that could amplify the energy to some degree. Sterling asked RX to hold in the energy this time to see how long he could do so and after Alaerith cast *Lightning Bolt* on him again found RX could hold the energy about 30 seconds before it was randomly to be discharged. Quincy offered to try something, cast *Witch Bolt* on RX and found the amount of energy put into it was summarily expended and replaced when RX was hit with a continuous stream of energy. RX experimented by casting *Shocking Grasp* on himself, activated *Psionic Leap* and found his jumping distance was increased, then cast *Shocking Grasp* on himself again and found he could enhance his strikes with *Passus* as well. Eventually, though the party could only see minimal damage physically, RX eventually felt it get harder to move from the considerable energy he had taken in and was left with two points of *Exhaustion*. RX, realizing that six attacks caused the *Exhaustion* on himself, noted he felt terrible and the party suggested it was time to stop.

Yashani noted RX shouldn’t go down that long ladder in his and Twynn offered that there was a door that led out at the bottom of the cliff from his lab, admitting the one long ladder was there to deter visitors. The party made their way inside the metal house to return to Twynn’s workshop, except for Quincy who remained at the cliff and looked out to the ocean. RX tried to hurry Quincy along, but when they said they would follow soon left them alone and went outside, past Kaz who waited at the threshold of the doorway. Quincy stayed before eventually heading after the others and Kaz asked if they were alright. Quincy said that while *The Misty Moon* was home to them, home had to dock somewhere and they missed it very dearly. Kaz said maybe they might return there someday but Quincy laughed, said they hoped not, that it was a long story but hoped not anytime soon. Kaz said she noticed how Quincy worried how RX and reminded them they needed to let him go and try things on his own sometime and that Quincy couldn't protect everyone from everything all the time. Quincy admitted, though it was odd to say about a robot, when they and Killian turned him on for the first time RX reminded them of themself with his naivety and was disappointed that his first two months experiencing the world had been the worst of their life and all he had ever known. Kaz pointed out he also knew all of them and that he was lucky for that before the pair reconvened with the rest of the party.

1. ↑ See "At Unexpected Corners" for the letter's contents
2. ↑ Mechanically this works like temporary HP, never stacking just being replaced with the new value