Episode 80

The session starts with Sirika charging at Seipora. Lily steps in between the two to halt the encounter, but Sirika manages to leap over her before sinking her teeth into Seipora’s shoulder. The bard is thrown away from K’s unconscious form and Sirika stands over him protectively, fangs bared and tails whipping furiously. The party backs up instinctively, but Lily steps forward and tells Sirika that they need to get him help. Ingred tries to reach Seipora to treat her wounds but is stopped by Marisol. Seipora plays dead. Lily requests that the party stay back for a while. The researchers can be seen in the background losing their shit due to the alarm being set off.

After some time Sirika settles down. She lays down beside K and watches him silently. Anthos eventually wakes up. Seipora explains the situation to him. He looks over at K with concern. Sirika keeps her eyes on Lily as she approaches, but lets her get close to K. Lily checks him over and tells Sirika that they need to get him home. She doesn’t fight it. The party discusses leaving and Seipora sets up the bubble around K so they can rest and regain spell slots.

Marisol prays. Lily suggests giving Press a heads up before they return to Gaoli. She writes him a letter and offers Anthos back his circlet. He has Lily keep it in her bag of holding until he decides what to do with it. Lily gets a response from Press stating that they could be picked up. They wouldn’t arrive at their exact location, but pretty close. After talking amongst the group, Lily decides that the best course of action would be to take the help. The sun sets. The only light to be seen is that coming from the camp’s bonfire. The researchers seem to be cooking something. Some of the party tends to K and some begin to nod off.

Ingred stands up suddenly and looks around the area. Her and Marisol notice a disturbance in the air, and soon an individual approaches the bubble. She is covered in desert attire with only her eyes left uncovered. She taps on the dome and Lily steps out to meet her. It’s Hyacinth! She gathers up the party and throws a plate on the ground, which expands large enough for her to write a teleportation sigil on. Sirika grabs K without hesitation and joins the party on the sigil. They are swiftly teleported back to Gaoli’s lyceum.

They arrive without issue. Anthos is too dehydrated to get motion sickness. The party thanks Hyacinth and they are guided back to Basalt HQ. She gives them a goodnight before walking back towards her home, but is stopped by Lily who asks if she wants to join her for breakfast in the morning. Hyacinth accepts the offer.

Entering the lobby they see Mr. Press waiting for them in his pjs. Sirika allows him to take K from her, which he does very gently. He tells the party that they have a set-up in the common room and carries him down without explaining further. Everything has been moved to the side of the room. A single bed and two unknown people dressed in medical garb stand in the center of the common room. They begin to examine K once Press lays him down.

Press turns to the party and asks that they tell him the situation. Lily fills him in on recent events. He asks Anthos if he’s ok, to which he responds that he kinda wished he had exploded. Press gives him a pat on the shoulder and tells him that K will be fine. He asks everyone else if they're ok. There are mixed messages. He stays to watch K and falls asleep after some time. The attendants work throughout the night. Marisol offers to help the individuals, Tobias and Maria. They ask her to heal them if either of them fall. She nods.

They try many different things to try and get a diagnosis, some of which involving unusual potions. The party eventually retires for the night. Press returns in the morning dressed in normal clothes and followed by Gregory. They are seen talking to Tobias and Maria as the party leaves their rooms. Food has already been prepared for the group, but everyone ignores it to instead check in on K’s condition. They are told that he won’t come out of his state anytime soon. He is in a stalemate. The clerics haven’t seen anything like it before. Press asks the party if there was anything weird that happened during their last battle.

Marisol shifts uncomfortably and tells him that he had stopped Vegzet from presumably choking her to death. Press reassures the group and tells them to come to him if anyone has any questions. Anthos asks for the room and the party is left alone with Press. Marisol puts out the anti-scrying orb.. Anthos solemnly asks what the next step is. Press tells the group that there is nothing they can do to help K. Best they can do is keep him within Basalt. He tells the party that they can trust Tobias and Maria. They occasionally leave to work in the God War Arena, but as long as K is resting they will be staying in-house. He gives them the option to have K be magically restrained to prepare for a worst case scenario or be kept alone, but guarded at all times. They choose the second.

As for the group that’s looking for him, they’re not strong enough to enter Basalt. It would be a suicide mission. Press tells them all that he has no idea if they’ll attack the party, but he would not keep his guard down. “They might be a thorn in your side”. As for Sirika, he is unsure of how long they can provide for her. Anthos says they’ll fund whatever is needed. Press says that they should still get back to work after some downtime. They’re still adventurers, after all.

Press pulls out a wad of envelopes and hands them over to Anthos, who takes them but looks white as a sheet. He pulls out a sheet of paper and says that there’s bad news. All patrons have received this:

*“To all groups and solo adventurers, by the order of your Imperial Majesty. You are forbidden to accept **any** contracts involving or taking part in **any** border skirmishes between Yaro/Sidross, Yaro/Iriden, and Yaro/Asurion. If you are caught and found guilty you will face prison time as well as a large fine.”*

Press fills them in on the details. Sidross has allied with Iriden to try and pinch Yaro into border skirmishes. Asurion has decided to abstain, but in doing so Yaro has tried to push the region into taking a side. “If you go near there, be careful.” He says. “Run. You don’t want to be caught guilty.” Tian and Royal City will not take part unless things get bad. He adds that no one wants Aima as an ally, with no offense to Ingred. She agrees with that statement.

He makes them aware that they are to avoid trouble. It isn’t the first time this has happened between regions. They all go about their own things for the day. Marisol speaks to Press in private, and Ingred does as well. Lily has her breakfast date, Anthos retires to his room, and Seipora watches over K.

K is eventually sent down to the lower floors of Basalt. Lily, Seipora, and Sirika follow the clerics down to his new chambers. Two guards stand outside the door, heavily armored and awaiting the new guests. The room inside is clinical and has a few couches, a bed in the corner, a dumbwaiter in the wall, and a cushioned table in the center. K is set up with some blankets and pillows. They try to make him comfortable. Lily leaves with the clerics to give Seipora a private moment. She gives the bard a hug and Sirika a scritch before waiting outside.

Seipora stands by K’s bedside. She says she’s sorry. “For what, take your pick. If somehow this is my fault, I’m sorry. If not, I’m sorry you have to put up with that. Sorry you had to put up with my shit until the end. Sorry I didn’t tell you enough. Sorry for keeping things hidden from you. For what it’s worth, you helped me trust everyone in the party. I’m sorry for taking that for granted. Know I do love you. No matter what anyone, anything, or even myself says, I do love you. If I ever find a way to help, you know I would in a second. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you fight it.” She gives him a kiss on the forehead and apologizes to Sirika as well. “ He meant just as much to you as he does to me. I’m sorry I can’t do more to help.” Sirika gives Seipora a head butt, but still bares her teeth.

Seipora leaves. The clerics enter back into the room and the guards shuffle to the side. Lily thanks them for guarding him and asks Seipora if she wants to get drunk. She says yes. The party meets back up in the common room. Anthos asks where K is. They tell him. The party spends the night getting drunk. Marisol retreats to her bedroom and Ingred acts as the designated sober one. Lily tells the party that she almost kissed Hyacinth. Anthos dances and sings on top of the table. It is a chaotic night.