The Spirit's Rise: Episode 9

### Links

***The Spirit's Rise* Episode 9** was streamed on Arcadum's Twitch channel on August 20, 2022, and premiered on Arcadum's Youtube channel on September 3, 2022.

### Summary

Effie starts of asking various loaded questions to Namalos, implying that her intention is to somehow get off of Conflux. Namalos tell's her unless it is the week of peace there is no chance they can survive. The group consults the map provided to consider the best route to the Apature. They decide to travel along the Causeway to Ridgerow which adds an additional 10 days of travel. They decided to seek out a town to acquire funds and armor for Seino since his was destroyed in the Spider fight.

Challa is able to scout and navigate successfully for 5 days until they get lost. With the help of Luka and the map, they are able to get back on course for several more days. However, on Day 9 they encounter an interesting merchant. Mr. Qz was a merchant of flesh. A humanoid creature of flesh and many eyes and mouths, walking carriage pulled by a Nightmare of shadow, Irha activates Soul Sight and notices that there are thousands of Life strands attached to this creature. Challa activates Flux sense and senses he has an aura of stasis around him.

His wares are as follows:

* Body parts of creature and humanoid origins (Flesh Grafting)
	+ Attaching the appendages, “replacing the weak with the strong”, suggesting that they could have been from once powerful people/creatures.
* Skins
	+ Allows to change race
* Crystals
	+ Contain soul essences
* Weapons and Armor

He accepts payment of Dust, Essence, and Services. However, the party only has 10 dust and he calls the group poor.

Effie requests a point of contact (if the merchant ever comes across a Changeling skin) and he gives Challa and her a Black coin. The merchant provides different items for purchase and Seino requests on the cost of leather armor. It is very expensive (400 Dust/2 Essences) but the merchant also gives a potential service that would suffice. If the party were to come across a Soul Font, they would drop a Black Coin into it. The Party does not feel comfortable with that arrangement. Challa tries to offer the Boofing crystal as payment; the merchant declines. Seino inquires about what the merchant is and does not disclose it to him. The creature is from beyond their planet from the Astral Sea.

Effie tries to defuse the situation as the party increasingly gets uncomfortable with Mr. Qz's wares and requests and with Challa potentially offending the merchant with his crystal trade. Effie offers some smooth talking and the merchant a handshake, learns his name to be “Mr. Qz” and Effie sees something as she is Fateless.

*Mr. Qz is nothing but a meat puppet*

*Behind his back is a tendril that expands into the sky, into the Astral Sea*

*She sees a dark world, purged by a great dragon.*

*One piece escaped – A terrible evil watches*

*Wriggles to return to form*

Effie, in confusion, openly states that she doesn't understand what she saw. Mr Qz, not noticing that she had seen past his visage, becomes suspicious of her. Effie tries to explain that she's having some "woman" problems and is feeling crampy. Irha comes to her aid, being that it would be the proper time to leave, and both Effie and Ihra try to descept Qz but are unsuccessful. The creature has a good sense of smell and can tell Effie is lying. Mr. Qz decides to leave and assures the group that they will meet again. Challa takes the opportunity and tails him.

While he is gone, Maelie and Irha reprimand Effie for lying but she assures them that she did it for good cause and would inform them what she saw that made them spooked. While the party tries to figure out where Challa ran off to, Luka and Maelie look at the vegetation but find nothing useful.

Qz does not travel far and Challa witnesses such:

* Qz places his hands on the Nightmare and it becomes a circular portal
* Qz vomits his organs onto the ground that takes on a fleshy form and input symbols
* The creature contacts a being known as “Absinthe”. Qz is remarked to be on a mission and has been discovered. (By Effie)
* Remarks that Effie is fateless and can not be left alive. A small squad will be sent to take care of her and Qz gives the group's location.

The creature senses that they are being watched and Challa BARELY manages to escape.

Luka witnesses Challa running back and he alerts the group to follow him quickly. Once he believes they are in the clear, Challa informs the party what he witnessed and the significance of Effie being Fateless rendering the group (and her) in danger.

Effie alerts that they should get rid of the coins (carefully). Maelie and Luka take a moment to inspect the coins and find that it was “on” with divination. Meaning that the party was being actively tracked by their pursuers.

Soon after, approx 200-300 feet away,  they note a flash of red light, and hear a crunching of trees approaching. The party does not have much time and must make a decision as they flee while they are in Overland Chase:

* Outrun/evade the creatures
	+ They move faster than the party.
* Run the risk of facing them with exhaustion if caught
* Set an Ambush
	+ Chance of catching them with exhaustion
* Hide
	+ Most difficult option, since we would have to consider rations

The group ends the episode deciding to set up an ambush.