Session0038

Episode 0038 - Who You Would Have Been
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**Setting:**

Mimrinoth - Hackett Family Orchard - Dr. Dippel's Keep - May 22nd-25th, 211 AW
**Synopsis:**

* The party completes Malkoth's ritual to master his infernal power, then makes their way back to Mimrinoth.
* After speaking with the party about some of his history, Lane Coronato agrees to accompany the party to Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel's former keep to meet with Valomir Quinn, his childhood friend.
* The following morning, the party departs Mimrinoth and sets out through the Emerald Highlands toward Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel's former keep.
* Along the way, the party decides to divert to pay a visit to Hackett Family Orchard - the homestead where XVIII was purchased as an infant according to Dr. Dippel's Acquisition Ledger.
* Arriving at the orchard, the party finds the remains of XVIII's parents, who seemingly took their own lives after the events that transpired between them and Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel.
* Near the corpses of their parents, XVIII finds a note left for him by Valomir Quinn, along with a vial of vampiric blood that Valomir's note claims would free XVIII's mind and grant them power.
* After investigating the scene, the party battles and defeats a set of undead trees blighted by the Pale Death, which animate and attack them.
* After XV reveals that he has been tasked by Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel with preventing XVIII from drinking the vampiric blood, XVIII agrees not to drink it for the time being, at least until they get a chane to speak with Valomir Quinn.
* Malkoth visits Patches (Deity) using a *contact other plane* spell.
* The following day, the party travels to Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel's former keep.
* As they approach the keep, undead spirits in the courtyard demands that all but XVIII and XV leave. However, after a tense standoff, Valomir Quinn appears and dismisses the spirits, and welcomes XVIII and XV.
* With Valomir Quinn's permission, the party enters the keep, and they discuss Valomir's opinions of Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel, and the events that have transpired in XVIII's absence.

## May 22nd

The party concludes Malkoth's ritual to master his infernal magic by defeating the avatars of his infernal nature. After briefly recuperating, they set off back towards Mimrinoth to rest for the night.

Along the way, Malkoth and Lane Coronato discuss Lane's plans to eventually travel to the Nine Hells, by way of Sigil. They discuss negotiating some sort of arrangement for Malkoth to take Lane to Sigil in exchange for some sort of service or favor, and Malkoth suggests that Lane could assist him with fulfilling the deal that he made with Brook in the feywild. Malkoth also agrees to teleport Lane to Karaad in the interim, so he can return to living and working their until Malkoth has mastered the ability to *plane shift*.

Later, XVIII asks Lane Coronato if he knew Valomir Quinn, and the nature of their relationship, based on speculation regarding the information the party has learned about Valomir and Lane's past. Lane says that he has heard of Valomir, but that he was put to death many years ago. Using a *detect thoughts* spell, XVIII reads Lane's surface thoughts, and sees that the mention of Valomir causes Lane to recall a memory of beating a child to death while in a fit of uncontrolled infernal magic. XVIII grabs Lane forcefully and probes for his deeper thoughts of Valomir. They see Lane's memories of Lane and Valomir together as children, seemingly close friends, but also schoolyard bullies. In one memory, a classmate mocks Valomir's half-elven heritage. Later, Lane and Valomir chase the boy down an alleyway - presumably to rough him up - but Lane loses conotrol of his infernal magic and kills the boy. Lane flees the scene, urging Valomir to do the same, but Valomir stays behind. Later, Lane learns that Valomir was sentenced to death for the murder.

As XVIII is probing Lane Coronato's thoughts, Malkoth uses a *vortex warp* spell to free Lane from XVIII's grasp, and deescalates the situation, but XVIII demands that Lane be honest and explain what happened with Valomir Quinn. Lane admits to having killed the boy that Valomir was sentenced with murdering, and explains that he fled because he would have faced death himself if he had been caught. He expresses some guilt over the incident, but insists that it wasn't his fault, as his infernal magic took over him in the moment. Lane asks how XVIII knew Valomir, and XVIII explains that they grew up together. They tell Lane that Valomir is alive and that the party intends to meet with him at the former keep of Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel, and says that Lane should accompany them to apologize for what happened. Lane expresses some concern that Valomir might want revenge for what happened between them, but XVIII assures Lane that he will be safe, and they will talk to Valomir first. After some discussion, Lane eventually agrees.

The party arrives back at Mimrinoth, and settles in for the night's rest.

During the evening, Louche talks with Lane Coronato, and expresses some fatherly affection for him, and regret for not having been present for him in his childhood. He gives Lane his trumpet as a family heirloom. Lane seems skeptical that the gift is some sort of play and that Louche has ulterior motives, but Louche assures him he has no such intentions. Lane asks for Louche to accompany him to Sigil when the time comes, and Louche agrees.

## May 23rd

In the morning, Odell and his parents discuss the events that have transpired at the College over the past few days, and the corruption that has been unearthed in the College's leadership. Odell tells his parents that Mordus Moonbeard intends to name him Paragon of the Rune Carvers after he retrieves Avara Wasanthi's Tome of Rune Magic from Volus.

After Louche plays a psalm for the party at the Zenith, the party briefly splits up to finish up some last errands throughout town before departing for Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel's former keep.

Pepper, with Jack's permission, goes alone to have breakfast with Lo and and bid her farewell. After about an hour, when he hasn't returned, the party goes to find him, and deduces that he and Lo were sleeping together rather than actually getting breakfast.

Having finished their business in Mimrinoth, the party sets out through the Emerald Highlands towards the former keep of Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel. As their travel begins, reviewing their map and Dr. Dippel's Acquisition Ledger, the party discusses possible also visiting Hackett Family Orchard - the family home from which XVIII was purchased as an infant. Louche mentions that during the party's previous visit to a different farming village in the Emerald Highlands a few weeks ago, he heard rumors of an unfortunate family in town by the name of Hackett, though he doesn't know their names or the specifics of their situation.

During the day's travel, Malkoth reads the journal of Natalie Shaw, which was left behind in her inheritance. He learns about her early life as a student of magic, and her days as an adventurer with Immanuel Belder, Elrah Saevel, and Ruby Rainsong. The stories insinuate an unrequited romantic relationship between Elrah, who pined after Natalie, and Natalie, who didn't return his affections. According to the journal, their adventuring party's last adventurer took them to Sigil, by way of the River Styx originating in the Shadowfell, in pursuit of an artifact called a Conjuration Anchor, made by a famed artificer in Sigil named Logic. They never found the artifact, however, as tensions erupted over who would keep the Conjuration Anchor and what it would be used for, which eventually became so heated that the party couldn't continue working together, and disbanded. Prior to leaving Sigil, Natalie had a tryst with Louche, and stole his Imlaq Amulet on a whim.

Notably, based on the description of the Conjuration Anchor, Malkoth speculates that it could potentially be used to power the Imlaq Colossus.

After a mostly uneventful day of travel, the party makes camp and rests for the evening.

## May 24th

In the morning, discussing their plan, the party decides to divert to Hackett Family Orchard before proceeding to Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel's former keep, in hopes of timing their arrival at the keep for after the Prime Zenith.

Proceeding onward, the party arrives at Hackett Family Orchard in the late afternoon. They find that the orchard and surrounding area are blighted by the Pale Death, with the vast majority of the vegetation in the area pale and dead, including all of its apple trees. In the midst of the orchard, they see a dilapidated old farmhouse, which XVIII recognizes from the brief glimpses of memories that they have somehow regained from their infancy.

The party approaches and enters the farmhouse, finding the interior mostly in a state of decay and overrun by nature. Exploring the home, XVIII finds the remains of their childhood crib and a ruined old teddy bear, which he collects.

In the back yard of the farmhouse, the party discovers the remains of two long-dead corpses - seemingly those of Daisy and Freddie Hackett, XVIII's birth parents. Daisy's remains are hanging from a noose suspended from a large tree, and Freddie's are slumped over near a gravestone at the foot of the tree. Approaching the party reads the gravestone, which is engraved in fine filigree with an inscription:

> Robin Hackett, 161 AW
> We lost you before we truly knew you, but the dream of who you would have been lives with us always.
>
>

Beneath this inscription, carved in a more hasty and unskilled hand, is an engraving reading "please forgive me."

At the foot of the tree XVIII finds a small black box sitting atop a magical cloak and set of armor. Inside the box, they find a vial of black-ish looking blood, and a note which reads:

>
> This was your home. These were your parents, Freddie and Daisy. They loved you - loved you so tremendously that they could not bear to continue living after they lost you. No, not lost. After Dr. Dippel took you from them.
>
>
> He told them you were beyond saving. That there was nothing he could do to help you. A lie, as you well know. He manipulated them at the most vulnerable time of their lives into selling you to him, and the guilt of that coerced decision killed them both.
>
>
> Dr. Dippel lied to you. He lied to your family. And then he poisoned your body and mind so that you would not remember it - so that you would never doubt or question him. My brother, I know how hard it is for you to accept what I am telling you, but here it is before you, plain to see.
>
>
> This vial contains a dose of the vampiric blood that Dr. Dippel used to create us. You, your sister Millie (who you know as XIX), and myself. But he made a mistake. He gave me too much, and it freed me. Broke his influence over my mind. It was only then that I could see the truth clearly - the same truth that I saw when I found your parents’ corpses hanging from the ruins of the life that he stole from them:
>
>
> Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel is a monster. Worse than a monster, because he knows the evil that he commits, yet chooses it anyway.
>
>
> If you choose to drink this blood, it will give you power. You will know strength and vitality and magic far surpassing anything that Dr. Dippel ever wanted for you to have. But you will also have something far more valuable: a new life. You will be free.
>
>
> Your brother,
>
>
> Valomir Quinn (XX)
>
>
>
>

XVIII takes the vial of blood and motions to put it in their bag, but XV grabs their hand and stops them. XV insists that XVIII must give the blood to him, and he was tasked by Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel with protecting XVIII by preventing them from taking the blood. XVIII assures XV that they do not currently intend to drink the blood, and convinces him to hesitantly allow them to hold on to it.

The party begins working to take Daisy's body down from the tree and investigate the bodies. But as they take disturb the bodies, several dead trees blighted with the Pale Death - including the tree from which Daisy was hung - animate and attack them, seemingly being undead. The party battles the undead trees, ultimately burning all of them after safely removing the bodies.

Afterwards, Malkoth and Lane Coronato work together to burn all of the blighted plants around the orchard. They discover some traces of new plant life beginning, and are careful to avoid burning those. At Odell's request, they leave one blighted sapling behind, which Odell transplants next to the gravestone. With XVIII's permission, he uses rune magic to scribe the gravestone with the rune of Melora, in hopes of bolstering the orchard with new growth.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party studies the remains of Freddie and Daisy, searching for their cause of death or any signs of foul play. They find that, as expected, the bodies both died by suicide - Daisy by hanging, and Freddie by cutting his wrists with a knife. The party suggests a funeral service of some sort for them, but XVIII says that it is not necessary, expressing that they did not know Freddie or Daisy, or have any relationship with them, despite them being their birth parents. Frog says that he will at least prepare a *ceremony* spell in the morning to prevent the bodies from rising as undead. The party prepares graves for the remains.

Louche contacts Agnes Renou - the village elder from the farming village that the party visited elsewhere in the Emerald Highlands - using a magical *sending*. He asks her about the Hackett family, and if she has ever heard of Robin Hackett. Agnes responds that Freddie Hackett's parents, Gilbert Hackett and Alex Hackett live in her village, though she has never heard of Robin. Louche tells XVIII about this message.

With XVIII's permission, Patches casts a *speak with dead* spell on the remains of Freddie and Daisy. XVIII asks Daisy what she would say to Robin Hackett given the chance, and she replies begging for Robin's forgiveness. XVIII asks them if they took their own lives, which they confirm. XVIII asks them what Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel told them, and they say that Dippel told them that there was no hope for Robin to survive, and nothing that he could do for the child. Louche asks if they left behind any kind of inheritance for Robin. Daisy offers her wedding ring, a family heirloom which XVIII takes. Freddie says that he hoped Robin would take over the orchard some day. Finally, the party asks about Daisy's parents, and she explains that they lived in Avallon, but dies when she was very young.

The party buries the remains of Freddie and Daisy Hackett, and creates a gravestone for them near the gravestone of Robin Hackett. XVIII keeps the knife that Freddie used to cut his arms.

The party decides to rest at the orchard for the night, and proceed onward to Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel's former keep in the morning.

During the evening, XVIII notices that XV seems very worried and stressed by the fact that XVIII has kept the vial vampiric blood. Discussing the matter, XV explains that he was ordered by Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel not to let XVIII drink the blood. He asks if XVIII wants to drink it. XVIII says that they want to talk to XX first, but speculates that drinking it might be necessary to convince XX to come with them to meet with Dippel. XVIII offers to let XV keep the blood, but XV ultimately relaxes and tells XVIII keep it, expressing his trust in XVIII.

During their evening watch, Malkoth asks Frog for a magical boon to help cast a spell, though he doesn't divulge the exact nature of the spell. Frog agrees, but stealthily watches from afar while Malkoth casts a *contact other plane* spell, in hopes of contacting the deity worshiped by Patches.

When the spell takes effect, Malkoth finds his consciousness adrift in extraplanar space - seemingly the Star Road, where he finds himself approaching a colossal tower in the shape of a candle. Inside, he is greeted by a small tabaxi boy who introduces himself as "Patches." Malkoth asks if he is the god that Patches worships, and the tabaxi explains that Patches' real name is actually Ice, and that he himself is the real Patches.

Patches (Deity) asks Malkoth to help him rescue his father, Tamrius Grimm, from the Purgatory in the city of Volus. He explains that in Malkoth's timeline, he has not yet been conceived, and that Tamrius needs to be taken to a different world where he can father Patches in order to close a narrative causality loop. Malkoth offers to help in exchange for a magical divination item, to which Patches agrees.

Malkoth asks Patches (Deity) if there is any other way for him to visit him in extraplanar space, other than *contact other plane*. Patches says that the spell *dream of the blue veil* can be used to travel through extraplanar space, but not to linger in it.

Malkoth asks if it is possible for him to become immortal on his own plane. Patches (Deity) recommends lichdom, and explains that Tamrius Grimm pursued lichdom by making Patches himself into his phylactery.

Finally, Malkoth asks Patches (Deity) where to find Logic, and Patches says to look in Sigil.

## May 25th

In the morning, Frog prepares a *ceremony* spell, and casts a funeral rite over the graves of Freddie and Daisy Hackett. He also casts a *remove curse* spell on the tree blighted with the Pale Death, but to no effect.

The party sets out toward the former keep of Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel. Along the way, XVIII proposes that when they get there, only themself, XV, Frog, and Gragnok should approach, to avoid approaching with a large group that could cause XX apprehension. The party agrees, although Gragnok says that he will stay hidden as they approach, unwilling to openly approach the keep.

In the early afternoon, the party arrive at Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel's former keep. From a distance, they note that it appears long-abandoned and somewhat dilapidated, although they also note some evidence of recent maintenance and activity, including a stable and carriage outside and some livestock in the courtyard.

XVIII, XV, and Frog walk into the courtyard and approach the doors of the keep, while Gragnok sneak up onto the keep's walls, and the rest of the party remains a safe distance away. Upon their approach, spirits of necromantic energy appear in the courtyard, one of which warns Frog to leave. As planned, Frog casts a *dimension door* spell and escapes back to the rest of the party with XV. Meanwhile, the spirit states that its master wishes to speak with XVIII and XV, and gestures at the front door. XVIII asks if their companions can join, and telepathically connects to Frog to inform him that everything is well. Upon hearing this, XV quickly flies back to rejoin with XVIII.

The undead spirit does not reply to XVIII's question, but instead states that its master approaches, after which the doors of the keep open, revealing Valomir Quinn, along with an unfamiliar human woman and a large black dire wolf.

Upon seeing and recognizing XVIII and XV, Valomir Quinn commands the undead spirits to stand down, and they all disappear. He greets XVIII and XV warmly, and notes that XVIII is wearing the cloak that he left for them at the orchard. XVIII asks how Valomir knew that they were alive, and he replies that he did not know for certain, merely hoped. Visibly uncomfortable in the sun, Valomir invites XVIII and XV inside. XVIII asks if their companions can join, and admits that one of them might be an unpleasant meeting (referencing Lane Coronato). Valomir expresses some hesitation, and explains that he uses the undead spirits for protection from greedy adventurers and the like. XVIII asasures him that their companions are not of this nature, and that they just want to speak. Valomir eventually welcomes them to join as well, and XVIII communicates this telepathically to the party, who begin to approach. While they are waiting, the human woman with Valomir introduces herself as Berty, and warmly greets XVIII and XV as Valomir's brothers. XVIII makes note that she has seemingly vampiric bite marks on her neck.

Notably, Gragnok remains hidden, and does not approach with the rest of the party.

The rest of the party arrives at the courtyard. Valomir Quinn seems to recognize and take notice of Lane Coronato, as expected, but does not say anything to him as of yet.

Inside the keep, XVIII explains what has happened since their apparent death thirty years ago, including their time in Karaad working for Lane Coronato, and their time with the party since. They ask why Valomir Quinn left the corpses of his birth parents out at the orchard instead of properly burying them. Valomir says that he felt it was important for XVIII to see them as they were, as an example of the destruction and sorrow that Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel created.

XVIII asks Valomir Quinn if their time together with Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel was really all that bad. Valomir says that he understands that XVIII cannot see the events that transpired for what they were, by no fault of his own, but he characterizes their lives under Dippel as torture and inhumane experimentation, stating that Dippel did not care for them as people, only as experiment subjects. He explains that the course of experimentation that took place with himself, XVIII, and XIX involved injections of varying degrees of vampiric blood. XIX was given very small doses, and it caused her to become a bloodthirsty, inhuman monster. XVIII was given a moderate dose, as a middle ground between XIX and XX. And XX was given the greatest dose, which he explains eventually freed his mind from Dr. Dippel's mind-altering magic that he used to keep them compliant, and gave him back his memories that Dippel had erased using magic.

XVIII asks what happened after their apparent death. Valomir Quinn says that things went on as usual for a short period of time, but after the events that transpired with Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel's acquisition and experimentation on XXI, he saw Dippel for who he truly was, and understood that he was only using them all for his experiments. He stole Dr. Dippel's Acquisition Ledger, and took it to the Weavers Conclave to report his crimes. Afterward, he went into hiding for a time, before eventually returning to the keep after Dr. Dippel had fled, having nowhere else to go. He explains that he has sent spent years trying to find any of the other children that might have survived, and leaving behind clues to their true pasts in hopes that they might find them - such as the note at Hackett Family Orchard.

Valomir Quinn asks XVIII if they have drank the vampiric blood that he left behind for them. XVIII says that they have not. Valomir says that it is XVIII's choice, but that he will see things more clearly if he drinks it.

XVIII, with Valomir Quinn's consent, casts a *detect thoughts* spell and him and sees his memories of all of the worst parts of their life under Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel, and the reasons why he left and reported Dr. Dippel to the Weavers Conclave. In Valomir's memories, XVIII sees him being acquired by Dr. Dippel from Lady Arlette Ivoire of Avallon after his being sentenced to death, and the subsequent experimentation that was performed on him by Dr. Dippel. He also sees Valomir's memories of other gruesome and cruel experiments being performed on the other children. And though Valomir rationalized Dr. Dippel's actions for many years, he eventually came to see Dr. Dippel as a monster, particularly after Dippel acquired XXI. XVIII sees Valomir's memories of Dippel bringing XXI to the keep, badly beaten but still alive, and seemingly euthanizing her and later experimenting on her. After this event, Valomir stole Dr. Dippel's Acquisition Ledger and snuck out under cover of night.

Next, XVIII probes Valomir Quinn's thoughts for any pleasant or happier times that they had living under Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel. He sees memories of the children playing games together, having family meals, and reading books in Dr. Dippel's library.

Meanwhile, Patches transforms into an ettercap.

While the rest of the party is inside talking to Valomir Quinn, Gragnok sneaks around the exterior walls of the keep, and eventually finds a window on the keeps second floor that he is able to open, so he can begin exploring the keep.