Session 15

### The Gang fights some dough

The group gathers the bodies to bring them to Satierith. Once again, she accepts Skarūl's flattery and the gifted the meal. And she allows them to search her lair for the Talisman. They search the lair, taking care not to touch anything, and they find the Talisman amongst the piles of gold. But they also notice similar engravings, and a some familiar initials, on the chest situated behind Satieirth. They realize it's a chest containing one of Alard Vane's clones.

Quickly leaving Satierith's lair, they reconvene outside with Skexal. It's getting dark, so they decide to camp for the night. But instead of sleeping, their rest sends them into the Realm of Dream.

The group notice glowing transluscent tentacles protruding from the backs of their heads, and they notice their new friend Kaax seems unphased by by it. They discover that Kaax is a Kalashtar, a native of the Dream Realm, and that he mediates in Dal Quor every night for his rest. Unfortunately, the group is unable to rest there. So they all wake up and move their camp further from the Satierith's cave.

About an hour or so from the cave, they make a new camp and manage to rest for the night. In the morning, Barthus calls the First Mate of the Devil's Howl, Clinky, to warn them about their arrival. And they travel the rest of the way to the city--narrowly avoiding a fight with some giant scorpions by scaring them away with Kaax's brontosaurus form.

At the docks in Orusar, they speak with Clinky who is waiting for them at the docks. He accepts Skexal as a new member of the crew. But then Barthus also tells the group about how he was ready to go home. Clinky had offered to take Barthus up north--back to Barthus' home in the Evereach Mountains. Barthus bids the group goodbye (for now), and he sails away with the crew of the Devil's Howl.

The group heads back to their home away from home--The Lava Pit. They're greeted warmly by Frewyn and Vallarie at the bar.

As they start to order drinks and croissants, a portal opens in the ceiling and a small gnome by the name of Schmitty comes crashing through the ceiling. He seems unclear about how he got there and confused about the group he finds himself with. He doesn't seem to recognize Kaax, but knows Falgas, and throws a suspicious glance in Skarūl's direction. The group introduces themselves to Schmitty as Skar-kūl and the Gang, which confuses him even more after mentions that he's only familiar with Barthus and the Gang--not Skar-kūl.

That's when the group notices that something seems off about Frewyn and Vallarie. Frewyn seems unusually tired. And Vallarie keeps disappearing into the kitchen and forgetting to bring their food and drink. In the path that Vallarie travels, Skarūl notices a faint slime trail leading to the kitchen. He invisibly follows her into the kitchen and notices the slime trail becoming thicker and thicker until he reaches a cauldron of dough next to several incomplete croissants. The dough itself is covered in slime, and he takes a sample in a jar and brings it back to the group.

But once he returns to the group, a funny feeling washes over Skarūl. And he suddenly isn't worried about the slime, the dough, or Vallarie and Frewyn's behavior. He's not worried about anything at all. The same thing happens to several members of the group.

Schmitty decides to check in the kitchen and engages in a fight with a doughy ooze. The group, hearing his cries for help snap out of their charm and manage to run to his aid.

*Find out what happens next with Skar-kūl and the Gang.*