Winter Queen Debts

## Post Resurrections

A joyous, but somber reunion this evening. Akibeko informs him of Sera's bargain. Bart retires to a bath. Sera reads Nix Evergreen's biography of the Bard, Hyatt Nevin. It is very flowing ang gushing about the bard. Fable researches the spell of teleportation rather than telling Bart about her secrets that everyone else knows.

Akibeko and Ceiran look at maps to try to find where Ceiran might want to be back on the material plane. Akibeko offers Ceiran a place at the castle as long as he needs.

Fable pulls a skeleton from the earth.

Fable gets a searing headache, a beautiful woman with golden hair. The hair is dull and dirty and hangs limply. Her face is gaunt and drawn. Her nightgown is stained with food and bile. At the foot of her bed is a child that looks like Sera. Her small hand holds a bowl of broth and a spoon. She tries to feed the sickly woman. She is sieved by a fit of coughing and knocks the bowl to the floor shattering it. The child cleans her lips and mouth with a soiled cloth.

### Item Identification

* A Philter of Love - charmed (in love) for an hour.
* A Farmer's Coin - provides Monks the ability to use improvised weapons at a larger distance.

## Next Morning

Sera asks Fable if she has a quick exit for everyone. They talk and Fable brings up Sera's mother. Awkwardness occurs.

The party has to ask the Winter Lady for safe passage back to the material plane. If they don't get it, there could be chronal hijinks. The plan is for Bart to return with the Harvetstown Villagers, Ceiran will continue on with the party, Sera will contact the Winter lady to procure safe passage.

### The Winter Court

Sera returns to the court through a portal provided by the seneschal, The court defers to Sera as she ascends the dais. Sera hands over the Unicorn's Tear. Witty banter ensues in which the Winter Lady is EXACTLY what is expected.

A gasp arises in the crowd. Golden Elves approach the dais. They are there to reclaim the unicorn's tear for the Summer Lady. He implies that the Winter Court interfered with with the Summer Court Champion and we stole the unicorn's job.

The Winter Lady offers a competition to prove who the better champion is. The Summer Champion wants combat. Sera pushes for artistry. It is decided to be a competition of 2 out of 3. Combat starts. It was a hard fight, but Sera saves him from a pit drop death instead of killing him. The Winter Lady would have preferred dead, but Sera says she would not let him out of his apology to the Lady so easily. The Summer Champion concedes and apologizes to the Winter Lady. He turns to leave amongst the jeers of the court.

### Preparations to Leave Harrvesttown

The rest of the party helps the villagers prepare to leave. Akibeko sends the otter (Kudakeru Nami: Crushing Wave) to play with the children of the village to keep them entertained. Fable keeps studying. Ceiran drinks, but not enough to be messy. Bart rests.

Sera returns all messed up from the fight. Ceiran provides liquid pain relief. Fable grabs Brexx for healing. Akibeko walks by moving supplies and snorts.

Preparations made, everyone readies themselves to return to the material realm by way of the Fae amulet. The villagers are set up in the garden/ pools area. Sera instructs the steward of the amulet to feed the villagers. The party minus Bart return to the material realm. They are granted passage to the right time frame and with their memories intact.

### The Mind Flayer's Pit

There is a tar like ichor around where bodies used to be. Some bodies are missing. Something has searched the area. Sera sends to the duergar allies. The party receives no response. They investigate the area. There appears to be smaller boot prints, they could be the duergar or co-opted by any remaining Illithid. The party decides to message Gregory. Gregory is in a state and rather incoherent (he's gone somewhere and is sorry). Fable supposes he went into the temple he wasn't supposed to go into.

The party decides to travel back through the city. they will help the dwarves, the villagers, and then come back for Gregory. As the party leaves, there are more signs of combat (rather horrific). Outside the enclave there are piles of duergar and thralls.

In the city proper, noises of anguish in an unknown language echoes off the walls. The party's duergar allies have been captured. Sera sneaks forward and sees a Drow torturing the duergar. The party splits to attack from multiple sides. Brexx and Akibeko play "Get Help" from the front, the rest come from the back. Fable summons a gem dragon.

The fight goes in the party's favor, but it was hard on the tanks. After the fight, the lone duergar believes the party betrayed them. He tells of the spell casting Illithid fighting the Illithid in the sanctuary. there is much discussion about what to do with the duergar. Sera and Fable consider the duergar a liability. He is definitely waiting for an opportunity to gain the upper hand. Akibeko, however, believes that an ally is an ally until they act against the agreement. Fable asks Sera if her dragon can eat the duergar. Akibeko intercedes between the dragon and the duergar. He and Ceiran argue about the wisdom of the actions. While the argument continues, Fable instructs the dragon to kill the duergar.

Akibeko turns and leave the city immediately.

The group avoids the Drow hunting parties. they come upon a battle between the dwarves and duergar. They travel on and find the dwarf encampment. The party meets back up with Carass, the dwarven commander.

### The Dwarven Encampment

The party and Carass discuss the events of the last few days. Sera says there are some things that need privacy to discuss. They all cram into a small teleportation room. Turns out the duergar have been badly beaten. The Drow have also sustained losses. The Illithid threat is also dealt with. Carass did not know about the spell throwing Illithid. The party provides Carass with the amulet for reaching the dwarven king. Carass needs a few minutes to talk with his god and steps out. The party left out the bits about the Fae. Carass' god left a cryptic message saying that the party had the best chance to find the king. If the followers of Klegane were to go find the king, it would be disasterous.

Fable gets the arcane coordinates to the last dwarven city. She casts the teleportation spell.

### Return to the last Dwarven City

The party rests. the next day they prepare to send the Harvesttown villagers to the keep. Bart and Akibeko return home with the villagers. The remaining party members cast planer shift to find the king.

### Finding the Dwarven King

They find themselves on a purple and strange landscape.