Session 25

Session 25

·   Session begins

·   Qo retrieves the Helm of Darkness from the treasury and is quickly ushered out of the castle by the servants who seem very relieved.

·   On the way out, he screams and cries like a lost child. He passes Langar on the street who directs him to the party at The Iron Tavern.

o    “Thank you, sir knight.”

o    “Not a knight.”

·   Langar makes his way to the castle, he meets Leonidas at the gate. Brought inside, he asks to speak to Nanna.

o    When Langar and Leonidas make their way to her, she is in the servant’s living area. Nanna is found scolding two kneeling younger servants for possession of suud(?). It’s a rock.

o    He relays to her his clothing request, a \*fancy\* dark blue cloak. He then immediately dips. Leonidas is put off that Langar went to his manager.

·   Langar wants to buy plate armor, but needs to visit the Vjengabank first.

o    Langar takes 200 PP, Jinx and Vjenga help him take it out piece by piece. 7 hands make fast work.

o    Vjenga asks what he’s buying, obvs it’s plate. She asks if he’ll wear it to the party, particularly since he seems to have friends that might allow it.

o    Langar makes a noncommittal sound.

o    Vjenga says that the Queen seems to like him, she thinks that’s a good thing.

o    Langar mentions Johannes. When pressed about them, Langar says they are someone he used to know.

o    👀

o    Vjenga Oooos.

o    As he hurriedly makes his way off, Vjenga can tell there’s a little “something something” there.

·   As Langar is on his way to the blacksmith, Ymna sees him struggle with the platinum pieces.

o    He asks if Langar needs his help. Ymna says they need some things too, and tags along.

o    Eventually they find the Blacksmith. They are an austri with a glorious beard and are smeared unusually with soot.

o    Langar asks about his plate armor, and wants it to be made the same way as his set. He leans into the smith to make a request about the helmet and weirds the smith out.

o    When Langar asks about the soot on their head, the smith responds “Fucken… Olaf.”

o    The dwarf, Olaf, appears to be born from limestone. They are using their fingers to write on a chalkboard.

o    Ymna asks for a gold inlaid vial. They wanna charge him 750. Ymna tries to haggle it down, the smith is resistant.

o    Eventually Ymna asks for a cheaper version, and gets one for 500 GP. Langar asks for him. They pop the lettering, which says “fuck you”, out and replace it with a cheaper metal.

o    The smith’s name is Sigund.

o    Ryan - summon elemental components cast 400 I believe. U still got stiffed.

o    Langar tries to remove the fur cowl on his armor so that it can be affixed to his new set. It doesn’t go well. He needs help from the blacksmith.

o    “Sorry about my smell.”

o    Langar asks for it to be finished in the next few days, before the party leaves.

o    Olaf comes over before the two leave. He plays a little flute ditty, and with jade dust and fleece, casts a spell to capture Langar’s likeness in the air. They move the silhouette of Langar into the back of the store for a reference as they make Langar’s new armor.

o    Ymna and Langar return to the tavern.

·   Sylvi heads to the castle Lumleys to visit and speak to her parents.

o    As she walks through the town, she remembers different areas where she, Kare, and other children used to play.

o    The castle is not entirely familiar to her as she reaches it. Leonidas greets her and struggles with her title.

o    She says she needs to speak to her parents.

o    Leonidas leads her up through the foyer and to the room where her mother sits speaking to a familiar face.

§  Said familiar face is pale. He has white hair and seems to be a bard. They have ringed red eyes and wear a white bolero. Beside them sits a lute.

o    Leonidas tells Morgana that her daughter wanted to see her.

o    Morgana doesn’t mind the interruption, she wanted to speak to her daughter. She introduces Eikthyr as a friend of the Lumleys. He will be joining the party thrown by the Queen as live entertainment.

o    SYLVI IS LOOOOSING HER SHIIIIIIT.

o    Eikthyr kisses the back of Sylvi’s hand as he leaves her to speak with her mother. 😳

o    Eikthyr is probably about 29, he doesn’t look over 20.

o    Eikthyr dips.

o    Morgana says that she wants to hear how Sylvi’s adventures have been, comments that she was quiet during dinner.

o    Morgana seems genuinely interested in hearing about her daughter’s friendships, or MOOOORE?

o    Sylvi says Jinx is probably the most respectable. Morgana says she’ll “See what she can do.” Note - Jinx missed dinner with the Lumleys to try to break into their home.

o    Morgana reminds Sylvi that she loves her and is here for her no matter what.

o    Ulfred arrives, led by Leonidas. He greets Sylvi excitedly and she only half-reciprocates. He has no problem lifting her despite being shorter than her and she being fully armored.

o    Sylvi says that she loves and understands her parents but needs to know - did they kill the Vidal family?

o    There is a beat of shock and confusion before the Lumleys GET SERIOUS.

o    In a dire tone, Ulfred asks her what she knows.

o    Sylvi tries to lie and tell him that she knows nothing.

o    “Do you think if Sylvi screamed-” In unison, “No.”

o    Morgana explains that their deaths in the fire were not entirely untrue. They did what they “had to” to survive. The Lumleys are not allowed back in Arkadia.

o    Sylvi seems to believe her parents. The Lumleys have lived through too much to display emotions readably.

o    Morgana says that the family was in dire straits, and had to act to protect their children and themselves. They say they killed the Vidals to benefit the entirety of the Lumleys family. It was in line with their “other interests”.

o    The Lumleys offer to show Sylvi something to help her understand. They lead her downstairs at a raced pace. They pass servants and walk through halls Sylvi has never seen before.

o    Eventually they find themselves underneath the castle.

o    I LOST CONNECTION HERE. IF SOMEONE COULD SUPPLEMENT WHAT I MISSED I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL.

o    Sylvi would be lost if she tried to navigate the halls again.

o    Underground, Sylvi can see people working on a ziggurat. They seem to be unearthing it.

o    Sylvi asks if it’s dangerous or anything is inside it, her parents are honest when they say that they don’t know.

o    Morgana explains that it is a beacon to those in The Underdark, which is where they are located, to Vili. The Underdark is a midpoint between Midgard and Svartalfheim, which has been closed off otherwise.

o    According to Morgana, Vili was one of the three (with Odin and their brother Vé) who slew Ymir and created Midgard from their skull. Vili is the goddess of dreams.

o    The Lumleys were intrigued by the Vidal family’s head’s theories on Vili. They wanted to use the power that the Vidals had to grant their own dreams(?).

§  They believe they were right to kill the Vidals and take the castle and ziggurat for themselves.

§  Morgana says they thought they understood what Vili was capable of. She says they understand that Vili has been treated unjustly by the Aesir. Vili was told to grant the desires of people, and they think that this can protect them from Ragnarok. The Lumleys are afraid.

§  To have this power would grant all their desires. They argue that Grey Town has flourished under their rule.

§  Morgana’s mother argued that the Vidal family had criminal associations, including The Warrens. The criminal undernote of the city struggled after they died.

o    Ulfred says he understands that it’s a lot to take in. He offers his daughter a drink (uh oh).

o    Sylvi takes him up, and he leaves to get it. (uh oh)

o    Morgana asks if Sylvi has any questions, Sylvi bursts into tears. Her mother takes a knee to hug her daughter, who rests her head on her shoulder.

o    Ulfred comes back with a glass of dark juice. It is almost black, and tastes strongly of blackberry. Sylvi drinks it and makes a wisdom save. (UH OH)

o    20!

o    Elyes takes Amelia away into another channel.

o    We made some really good puns while they were away, such as

§  “The Mommy Rises”

§  And “Sylvi’s gonna ziggurot down there.”

o    Ulfred releases Sylvi, and she leaves. As she goes, she says she loves her parents.

o    Morgana shakes Sylvi’s hand and shows her the deck of cards. She asks Sylvi what the deck of cards does, Sylvi obliges. MORGANA PULLS THE FATES **AGAIN.**

o    Sylvi gives Nanna her outfit deetz.

·   Jinx and Vjenga are back at The Iron Tavern, Vjenga has a present for her.

o    Vjenga takes out her teeny platinum ring and gives it to Jinx after asking her to close her hand.

o    Jinx seems pleased with it, Vjenga explains what it does when she asks. She says it is for ensuring Jinx’s protection.

o    “Like an ankle bracelet?”

o    JINX HAS FIVE FINGERS.

o    Vjenga explains that it’s very important that Jinx keeps the ring on. She explains Warding Bond to Jinx and shows her her matching ring.

·   Venphira is also back at the tavern, so is Sylvi by this time.

o    Vjenga asks Sylvi, when she explains that she talked to her parents, how well it went. Sylvi says that it went well. Sylvi seems to be feeling great????

o    Vjenga asks Sylvi if she’s okay and Sylvi says she doesn’t need to talk about it.

o    Venphira leans over to Vjenga to ask if Sylvi seems weird. Vjenga won’t talk about Sylvi while she’s sitting right next to them, to Venphira’s chagrin.

o    Venphira invites Vjenga to join her for book shopping after Vjenga asks.

o    Vjenga reminds the party to get their clothing situation sorted out with Nanna.

o    Ymna chimes in and surprises the party.

§  Vjenga is spooked. Jinx says “for an 8 foot tall beast you’re pretty stealthy, we could work with that.”

§  Vjenga is very unhappy with the use of the word beast :(

o    Vjenga tries to defuse the situation with a pun. Asks Ymna if he’s gotten his dress “*suit*uated”

o    The party tells Ymna what they’d like to wear when he goes to talk to Lothtr. Ymna gets the WHOLE Fucking shopping list and it is overwhelming.

o    Vjenga writes it down for him.

·   Qo is there.

o    Vjenga says she didn’t know Qo was going to be joining them at the tavern, but that she’s glad. She liked his flute tune.

o    “No lies here, I’m normal.” I wasn’t suspicious UNTIL YOU SAID THIS.

o    One of my many natural ones this session rears its ugly head.

o    Vjenga asks if Qo is still employed by the Lumleys. He says, “Yes, I haven’t told them anything.” That’s not what I asked.

o    Qo says they *are* attending the party thrown by the Queen.

·   The whole party goes with Venphira to shop for books.

o    Vjenga seems excited by the prospect of getting a joke book.

o    Before they leave, Ymna goes over to Lothtr to give him the suituation information. He tells him to give it to Nanna.

·   The party arrives at the bookstore, it is called “The Melting Plot”. A gnome with large rimmed glasses is keeping the counter.

o    The bookstore has two floors and a basement.

o    Venphira knows what she’s looking for so she takes off into the store.

o    Vjenga and Sylvi go looking for band merch, it is down in the basement. They see all sorts of bands’ merchandise. There are shirts, posters, cards, etc for the following bands.

§  There is a red shirt for a band called the 20 Inch Cats. They are a tabaxi band. There are flowers in the background. Freyja people ALL RIGHT

§  There seems to be a rival band, 20 Odd Pups. The shirt is blue. There is a pendulum with an eye hanging behind them. Odin dogz.

§  Oslo Thunderhips

§  There is a single lightning bolt in a storm, a gnome in a blue velvet shirt is riding the bolt and playing the pan flute.

§  Bathtub Running

§  Riot of the White

§  Eikthyr

§  Buffalo Springfield, naturally

o    Vjenga asks if there is a band named after Sylvi’s dog.

§  Sylvi says that she met Eikthyr just that day, Vjenga is surprised.

§  Sylvi says she is ECSTATIC.

o    Sylvi gets an Eikthyr coinpurse.

o    Vjenga and Sylvi get matching “battle of the bands” Eikthyr/Buffalo Springfield shirts. The shirt is grey, and Eikthyr is joined by a human, gnome and halfling. They are on the right, BS is on the left. Sylvi knows this was a reunion tour/competition. It’s leftover stock.

o    Vjenga gets a set of cards similar to trading cards, on the front there's a painting and on the back there is an autobiography.👀

o    Together their total is about 17gp.

·   Langar looks for books on vampirism and Hannon Forest, but he doesn't find either.

o    There is a worn-down book, however, in the corner of the store. On the spine it says “7”. The book is an extended theory on how everything relates to the number 7.

·   Sylvi looks for tarot cards. She finds a book on them that comes with a set. It’s 5 gp.

o    Vjenga gives her money to go check out. 3 PP

·   Venphira has quite a shopping list, she looks for books on the following.

o    Vampires, Werewolves, things that go bump in the night.

o    The architecture of castles and mansions

o    Dragons, specifically her patron

o    Jotnar, mountain/frost whatever.

o    A cookbook, multicultural.

o    She finds a book on shapeshifters, who shed their skin as if clothing/dangers of meeting a shapeshifter.

o    **“A Tale of Giants” by Milena Quasiv is an account of the hunt of a clan of frost giants.**

o    “To the Bottom” by Filena Ish, a mockumentary about a city at the bottom of the ocean and beyond. Hee hee.

o    “101 Mockeries”, a collection of vicious mockery insults.

o    **“99 Plants” by Herb Dingus, an unordered list of random plants.**

o    **“The Planes” by The Wayfinder.**

§  Bolded are the books she purchased.

o    Venphira purchases her books from the gnome.

·   Ymna asks for magic books.

o    Ymna finds three by an author who gets a reaction out of him, Archdruid Jire. 👀 Familiar, Ymna?

§  **“The Fir Tree” by Archdruid Jire (two syllables). An account of the way a fir tree gave druidic powers to someone named Zevan. On the back it says that the author can no longer be located after the publishing of their third book. It is old.**

§  **“Wood Versus Thatch” by Archdruid Jire. A passionate argumentative essay about using Wood Versus Thatch for roofing.**

§  **“The Radiance” by Archdruid Jire. Fiction. An orange book, with black writing. A fictional account of a woman meeting a wounded goddess and nurturing her back to health. It is romance.**

o    Ymna returns to Vjenga to get money for his purchase. Vjenga is curious about his purchases but he eschews her interest for now. He calls her mom, she asks him how old he is and he runs off.

·   Vjenga looks for romance and a book about chronic illnesses.

o    **Vjenga finds “The Radiance.”**

o    **“Significance” A book about courtship and marriage in various cultures.**

o    **“8 Eyes” a fictional account of a thief working for a beholder.**

·   Venphira looks for romance also.

o    She finds “The Radiance”

o    **“Love Unbound” a fictionalized account of a romance with a prince. Decorated with gold leaf, someone has rubbed out scribbles in the margins.**

o    “The King’s Line” A genealogical line going back 5 centuries, Hanlon the Real King’s family.

·   The gnome says the bookstore doesn’t belong to them. It was founded by a friend of their grandfather… **[[MR. BARNELL]!!!!!!!! Sorry for the noise heehee.**

o    “My dead owl made a bookstore”

o    “Who?” Not anymore he doesn’t.

o    Kicking the coals by bringing up people missing the oneshot.

·   Jinx looks for spellbooks and hopes she’s unsupervised. She isn’t.

o    “The Guide to and Origins of Illusion Magic” By Kevin Ashton

o    In the children’s section “The Beginner’s Guide to Illusion Magic” By Minnie Derova. It’s a picture book wherein a young boy is taught simple illusion magic by a wizard.

·   Solla finds an empty space in the establishment and tries to get everyone to round up in 15 minutes.

o    Solla wants to talk to the party, Vjenga wants the party to reunite with Qo and go back to the tavern.

o    On the way out, Langar sees the book “Jokes Without a Home” and debates getting it but walks by.

o    It’s getting darker as the party approaches the tavern.

·   The party shuffles into Solla’s room, Solla holds the door as they all walk in.

o    Solla asks Qo about Guldrad, as he is a dragonborn. He says that Guldrad didn’t speak much about his past.

o    Solla explains that the invitation they received was to a wedding. They are insistent about going south.

o    They explain that the wedding will be between the dragon Rösk and someone with their mother’s name, Esirar.

o    Vjenga asks how sure Solla is that that is not their mother. Solla is PRETTY SURE as they saw their corpse.

o    Jinx says that Solla must be important if their parents would be assassinated.

o    Solla seems to think that investigation this is helpful not only to them but also potentially to the party.

o    As the party is discussing how they may sneak around, the conversation veers toward shapeshifting. Vjenga puts down Jinx and flexes salmon form.

§  Langar waterboards her as she turns back. He has good intentions.

o    Solla is expected to show up. The dragonborn who invited them probably knew about the party’s plans. As the party discusses whether they have more business with the Lumleys, all eyes fall on Venphira.

o    “If you count killing them as business.”

o    Sylvi says she doesn’t want to kill her parents. Whaaat????????? No waaaay.

§  Sylvi says they explained some things, “their point of view.”

§  “The Vidals were equally bad”

§  Sylvi says she told her parents about the Vidals being murdered. In doing so she is breaking her promise to her father. Amelia forgot it. More geas mmm.

§  Barf bucket.

§  Sylvi seems to be in denial about how bad her family is, Langar grills her.

§  When pressed by Vjenga, Sylvi says she puts her life on her promise that she didn’t tell her parents about the plan.

§  Venphira says that if Sylvi stands in her way, she won’t hesitate. Oh Venphira u are way too much of a bleeding heart for that. All bark.

§  Sylvi says that if anything is done to her parents, “things will change.” Yeah they would be dead.

§  Langar asks what they said to her. Sylvi says she only asked if they killed the Vidals, and they said yes.

§  Sylvi gets geas’d. 16 pts of psychic damage. Venphira is all over her as soon as the party can see that she’s in pain.

§  Solla says that they are concerned about what happens to the area in the long term if they uproot the Lumleys.

§  Vjenga approaches and puts her hands on Sylvi’s head to give her a cool cure wounds.

§  “If you end up getting us killed, I’ll be very angry.” -Wise words from Langar

§  Jinx gives Sylvi a mushroom off the floor, it destroys the wood where she plucked it from and turns to wood in her hand.

o    Sylvi dips

·   Langar wants to go buy flowers that won’t die. TO GIVE TO JOHANNES MAYBE??????

·   Vjenga takes some time before bed to cast divination with her dried flowers.

o    She sets up her space, uses most of the flowers and some of her incense.

o    Langar doesn’t want her leftover flowers

o    Venphira does.

o    She asks Freyja for knowledge about how to bring about a miracle - if/what she can do in Greytown for Utr.

§  The space she sees is dark, there is no up or down. The grown is frigid and slate.

§  From the ground a figure rises. Freyja appears to be made from wood and adorned with flowers.

§  As she opens her eyes, they are amber. They are apparently mutilated by amber bubbles (to the same extent/further than The Phantom Queen?). The sight is terrifying. They scream in anguish and fear while they lash out, though they can’t reach her. When Vjenga tries to retreat she can discern the word “no” in the screaming.

§  As the communication ends, Vjenga is shaken and drenched in sweat. She extinguishes her setup and tries (poorly) to read before going to bed.

·   Venphira gets to sleep quickly.

o    She dreams of falling, spinning through time and space in an endless void.

o    She hears the voice of Nidhogg as she falls

§  “They will only betray you. You can only bring this outcome yourself. Free yourself from these shackles. They won’t side with you.” More of da same dragon babysitter.

§  She hears it on repeat for an extended period of time, and later she hits the ground.

§  There is a layer of liquid on another dark slate floor, as she lands, the session ends.

·   Ymna dreams of Lothtr.

·   Post session rabble.

o    Langar does pee

o    The book was not about necrophilia.

o    Vjenga tries to see the book on Jotnar as Venphira is checking out.

§  She asks if she can see it, Venphira says no.

§  The gnome is not paying attention.

§  Venphira explains that she’d be happy to talk about it later but she wants to do some independent reading first.

§  Vjenga advises her that some writers still hold prejudice from the time before Jotunkind was freed.

§  Venphira digs herself a hole.

§  “I need to learn how they think so I can influence them not to bother us.”

§

§  On Freyja?

§  Venphira is hard to read but Vjenga is let down by her refusal to share it.

§  Venphira tries to THROW IT THROUGH THE WINDOW.

§  It hits the window and falls, Vjenga walks over and picks it up. She is able to body Venphira out of the way despite her haste.

§  VENPHIRA COLLAPSES ON THE FLOOR when Vjenga picks it up and puts it into the bag.

§  Vjenga says she looks forward to reading the book and bids Venphira goodbye when she goes to look at the band things.

§  As Vjenga leafs through the first couple pages, she can tell that the author is not in fact a giant hunter but a PURSUER OF KNOWLEDGE! YIPEEE

§  Venphira had nothing to worry about, but I don’t know if she’d believe that lying on the floor in shame.

·   When Solla tried to steal from Barlen and got slimed, Barlen asked who Esirar was. Solla doesn’t understand how he learned that.

·   Barlen smelled like sulfur.

When she wants to know what you’re reading n you give her that 5 GP stare