Session0004

Episode 0004 - Horny For Information
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**Setting:**

Ymana - March 22nd-24th, 211 AW
**Synopsis:**

* As the Kameshiman airship flies away, the party questions the crew of the Tide King and the surviving Kameshiman, Domino, about their plot to abduct Frog.
* Frog explains to the party that his sister, Princess Porcini - the princess of Mycorrhiza - has been captured by Kameshima, and that he is on a mission to rescue her.
* After the deck mage explains that no help is actually en route, the party discusses their options for getting off of the island, ultimately deciding to attempt to gather materials and repair the Tide King.
* The following day, the party goes to investigate the ruins along the island's western shore, where they discover the remnants of an ancient infernal settlement.
* Amongst the ruins of the settlement, the party discovers a ruined temple that is occupied by harpies, which they battle and defeat.
* Investigating the ruined temple, the party finds cryptic information about an ancient infernal titan, the Imlaq Colossus.
* Nearby, the party finds a small boat that is mostly intact. They decide to salvage the boat for materials to help repair the Tide King, and they row it back to their campsite.
* While the rest of the party rests for the evening, Odell spends the night returning to the hut of Qaz the Proclaimer to ask him for proclamations related to his ongoing investigation into rune magic.
* The following day, the party spends the day working with the crew to repair the Tide King, successfully restoring it to a seaworthy state.
* After some discussion, the party decides to return to Karaad, and travel by land to Ossidia from there.
* As the party makes preparations to leave the island, they are approached by a group of kuo-toa and grung bearing a feast for them.

## March 22nd

As the party regroups after the battle with the Kameshimans, Kamm flies away towards the west aboard his airship. Acting quickly to treat his grievous injuries, XVIII manages to stabilize the kobold passenger who fought alongside the Kameshimans, narrowly saving his life.

The party binds the crew and the kobold, taking their weapons and possessions, and then begins searching through their belongings.

Searching through Captain Duncan Rivers' tent, the party finds the passenger manifest of the Tide King, as well as the ship's ownership paperwork, and the rest of the captain's belongings, including a set of keys to the ship's captain's quarters and cargo hold. Reading through the manifest, the party learns that the kobold’s name is Domino.

Jack searches the captain’s tent for evidence that Captain Rivers is a smuggler, but finds no such evidence.

Meanwhile, Frog searches through Domino’s belongings, and finds a magical sending stone, as well as an amulet depicting the face of King Daimao.

Searching Captain Rivers’ person, Gragnok finds a large coin purse containing 500 gold worth of coins and gems, emblazoned with the symbol of Kameshima. He attempts to pocket this money for himself, but hands it over to be split up after he is caught.

Odell speaks with Sybil Larou, the deck mage who fought alongside the party against the Kameshimans and the other crew member. Sybil reveals that there is not actually any rescue coming to the island. She says that Captain Rivers told her to play along with his ruse, but did not tell her the specifics of his plan. She says that she could use magic to contact the dockmaster in Karaad, but that any ship that came to their rescue would expect payment, Alternatively, she says she has military friends in Ossidia that she could contact. But she speculates that military involvement might not be in everyone’s best interest, insinuating her suspicions that some of the party members have been involved in illegal dealings.

The party questions Domino and the crew about what has happened. Captain Rivers admits that he was paid handsomely by Kamm to bring Frog to this island, with a promise of more payment to come after Frog was retrieved. He says that none of the other crew members knew of this arrangement, other than his first mate, Djundor.

Domino explains that he was tasked with creating a scenario for the Tide King to be run aground on this island, after which he was to contact Kamm using his sending stone, so that Kamm could come retrieve Frog. He does not know what the specific plan was for Frog, or what Kameshima wants with him. He expresses a fanatic loyalty in King Daimao, comparing him to an omnipotent god.

When asked, Domino says that this island has no particular significance that he is aware of, it was merely a secluded place for Frog to be retrieved. The party shows him Syn - currently glowing with Odell’s symbol - but Domino doesn’t recognize the sword or any significance of the symbol.

When asked what he knows about all of this, Frog explains that the nation of Kameshima - which has been in conflict with Mycorrhiza for many centuries - has kidnapped his sister, the Mycorrhizan princess, Princess Porcini. About six weeks ago, the gnomish kingdom of Sibillini - a close ally of Mycorrhiza - sent a regiment of soldiers to attempt to rescue the princes, led by their prince, Marcello. Based on what the party heard from Kamm, it seems that now Prince Marcello has been captured as well.

Meanwhile, Gragnok privately asks Sybil Larou about her military background. She explains that she served in the imperial navy for a short time, but left after taking issue with some of her superiors. She asks Gragnok about his own military background. He says that he served in the imperial military, but doesn’t go into detail. He expresses an interest keeping the military out of the party’s affairs, if it can be avoided.

As the party is discussing how they might be able to get off of the island, the ship’s chef, Ari Everbreeze, explains that she also served as the ship’s bosun, and used to be a shipwright many years ago. She says that with the right materials, and the assistance of Sybil’s magic, they might be able to repair the Tide King - at least sufficiently to return to port. The party decides to attempt to repair the ship, with Ari’s assistance, instead of sending for aid. They convince the crew to help them in this endeavor, so that they can safely return to port rather than remaining marooned.

In the evening, Malkoth and Rye spend some time searching for pearls along the coast, so that Malkoth can identify the party’s magic items. They are unsuccessful in finding any pearls; however, Rye finds the message in a bottle that he had tossed into the ocean for Israphel on the party’s first night on the island.

Odell asks XVIII for their take on the party’s situation, as well as on the bizarre nature of the island in general. XVIII expresses some confusion and discomfort With the situation, and tells Odell that they have never been lied to before the last few days. Odell asks XVIII for their age, but XVIII says they don’t know. Odell also asks XVIII why they saved Domino, and XVIII says that they wished to find out why Domino lied to them.

Over dinner, Rye passes out surveys asking the rest of the party for basic information about themselves, so that he can get to know them better. Everyone besides Gragnok fills out the surveys. Later in the evening, Jack asks Rye to read him some of the answers that he wrote on the survey, saying that he forgot what he had written.

After the party retires for the evening, during the first watch, Gragnok cautions Odell not to trust XVIII, warning that they are undead. Odell mentions an increased prevalence of undead creatures in the past several decades, and Gragnok reveals that he has had some sort of encounters with undead creatures, although he offers few details.

On the next watch, XVIII questions Domino about why he wanted to harm Frog. Domino says that all he wished to do was deliver Frog to King Daimao, as was his task. XVIII offers Domino a new fresh start and a chance at a new life, but Domino reasserts his loyalty to Kameshima, and says that all he wants to do is return to King Daimao or die loyally in his service.

On the next watch, Jack asks Patches what kind of creature he is, and why he is able to shapeshift. Patches says that he doesn’t know, and that his memory is still patchy. Jack asks Patches how old he is, and Patches replies that he is somewhere around fifty years old, but he doesn’t know for sure.

During the night, Frog has a dream in which he speaks with the astral spirit named Heartsong, who shows him the Star Road - a vast network of interconnecting pathways in some interplanar space. Heartsong explains that the Star Road connects the planes of the world, as well as connecting different worlds, and even connecting past and future. He urges Frog to stop the plot of King Daimao, warning that there are forces that seek to misuse the Star Road’s power. He also tells Frog that one of his new allies has an important role to play in protecting the Star Road.

## March 23rd

In the morning, the party prepares to set out towards the ruins on the island’s western coast, which were marked on the map given to them by Qaz the Proclaimer. They leave Ari, Harper, Sybil, and Ilex in charge of directing the crew to begin gathering materials to repair the ship. The crew agrees to help with this endeavor, for lack of a better option, and not wishing to remain marooned on the island. Captain Rivers says that he is willing to pay the price for his crimes, and suggests that the party let the authorities back at port decide how to adjudicate the situation, rather than taking justice into their own hands. The party objects to this idea, wishing to keep their arrangement out of the legal system, and they offer to let Rivers keep his ship and go free if he and his crew cooperate. Rivers seems pleased with this idea, and directs his crew to help rebuild the ship.

The party sets out towards the ruins. On the way, Malkoth receives a sending spell from his mentor, Immanuel Belder. The message informs him that a letter has come from someone named Lane Coronato in Karaad, who claims to be Malkoth's father, and wants to meet him. Belder also warns Malkoth that forces from Hartwell are pursuing him. Malkoth replies, telling Belder about his situation, and thanking him for the information. He does not tell the rest of the party about these messages.

When the party reaches the peninsula depicted on Qaz's map, they find the ruins of an ancient settlement. Within the settlement, they find a statue of Asmodeus, with a placard identifying the island as Ymana, and the settlement as Salrosza. Jack takes note that there are signs of destruction in the ruins, as if parts of the settlement were destroyed by violence. Odell mentioned that this part of Materi was the domain of Asmodeus during the Age of Arcana and the Gods' War, and speculates that Asmodeus himself might have resided in this settlement.

As the party is traveling through the ruins, Rye and Malkoth both seem to become more overtly fiendish. Rye begins to take on his larger, horned, infernal form that he sometimes adopts during combat, and Malkoth is surrounded by embers, and his infernal amulet begins to glow. Malkoth also begins to experience overwhelming feelings of rage and anger, which he can't seem to shake.

Near the coast, the party spots a ruined temple, which is seemingly in better condition than the rest of Salrosza. Scouting overhead, Blakjak spots harpies within, as well as a boat floating in the water nearby. The party attempts to sneak into the temple stealthily, but their attempt is unsuccessful, and the harpies are alerted to their presence.

The party battles the harpies. During the fray, the harpy matriarch sings a song that charms members of the party, and also shows them visions of their deepest desires. Malkoth and Rye both find themselves unnaturally resistant to these effects.

When Malkoth attempts to cast a scorching ray spell during the battle, he inadvertently summons a pair of elemental fire serpents, which he is only briefly able to maintain control of. After this incident, his feelings of uncontrollable rage fade, and he feels more like himself. Jack is able to command one of the fire serpents to attack the harpies, using a command that he utters in primordial.

After the battle, with the harpies defeated, the party begins exploring the temple. Rye and Odell discover a carved decorative relief on one of the walls, which depicts a battle in the desert between two armies - one of Pelor, and one of Asmodeus. The army of Asmodeus is accompanied by a towering titan, which has a symbol on its forehead that perfectly matches the infernal amulet worn by Malkoth. Odell recognizes the titan as the Imlaq Colossus - a construct that fought in the armies of Asmodeus during the Gods' War, powered by Asmodeus' divine influence. An inscription, written in infernal below the relief, reads:

> "May the earth tremble, and so too its inhabitants, at the coming of the Imlaq Colossus. The armies of light shall be laid to ash in its wake, and the Lord of the Nine shall reign in glory for all time."
>
>

While examining this relief, Rye has a brief vision in which he seems himself writing a song titled the Psalm of Awakening. In the vision, he is approached by a person who looks like a smaller, diminutive version of Israphel. Israphel asks him what he is working on, but Rye evades his question, and the two go to bed together.

Rye points out the symbol on the forehead of the Imlaq Colossus to Malkoth, and asks him where he got his amulet. In infernal, Malkoth says that the amulet came from his father, but he doesn't know who his father is.

In the basement of the temple, the party finds a massive pile of corpses and humanoid remains - mostly kuo-toa and grung. One of the corpses is a human that looks to have only been dead for a few months. Looking through this individual's possessions, the party finds a spellcasting license identifying him as Varrius Quince, as well as his spellbook and a magic stone. They also find a waterlogged journal amongst his possessions. The journal is mostly ruined, but the in tact portions indicate that Varrius came to Ymana to investigate the Imlaq Colossus.

As the party spends some time digging through the corpses in the temple's basement, they uncover another relief carved into one of its walls. This relief depicts a tabaxi wearing what appears to be Malkoth's amulet, standing in front of the Imlaq Colossus and blowing into a trumpet. This relief also bears an infernal inscription, which says:

> The Archfiend has no servant more faithful, no champion more valiant. The Trumpeter of the Apocalypse, poet of the Psalm of Awakening, captain of the Imlaq Colossus, hero of Asmodeus.
>
>

Meanwhile, outside the temple, Gragnok and Patches find that the nearby boat is in decent condition, though its mast is broken. It seems to have been beached for a few months, and there are signs of a nearby struggle. The party deduces that it was likely the ship upon which Varrius Quince arrived. The party decides to salvage the boat's parts in order to help repair the Tide King.

Their business at the temple concluded, the party boards the boat and rows it back to their campsite.

Back at camp, with Ari Everbreeze's guidance, the party makes plans to repair the Tide King the following day, using a combination of magic, salvaged parts from the boat from the temple, and materials that the crew gathered during the day.

Malkoth spends the evening identifying all of the magic items that the party has gathered so far, using a pearl that he discovered at the temple earlier. When he identifies Syn - the magic longsword that the party retrieved from the mountain - it reacts strangely to the spell, only revealing that it is a +1 longsword. With his arcane expertise, Malkoth is able to determine that the sword has more properties that can be unlocked, although it is not clear exactly how. He deduces that the sword is powered by synchronicity - it draws its power from the strengths of those who wield it, imbuing itself with the strengths of its wielders. Because of this property, it benefits from changing hands and being wielded by many different bearers, and at its full potential, it could even grant the power of synchronicity back to its wielders.

Notably, Malkoth also determines that based on the power level and rarity of Syn, registering it with the Weavers Conclave would require an in-person meeting with the Conclave themselves.

The party speculates that they should try to use all of Syn's properties in order to strengthen it. Jack says that he is unable to use the properties that the sword gains when he wields it. When pressed, he explains that the sword's property when he wields it requires him to use magic, and he cannot do so. He hints that he was once able to use magic, but doesn't offer much detail.

After the party retires for the evening, on first watch, Odell tells Gragnok that he is going to speak with Qaz the Proclaimer. He gives Gragnok the book that he always keeps on hand, asking him to return it to Mimrinoth if he doesn't come back. He then leaves the camp and sets out towards Qaz's hut.

Later, when Frog and XVIII begin their watch, Gragnok tells them that Odell went to bed early. Frog suspects that this is not true, and finds Odell's tracks leading away from camp. After some discussion, he and XVIII leave to find Odell.

Later, when the rest of the party wakes up, Gragnok admits that Odell went to see Qaz. They deduce that Frog and XVIII must have gone looking for him. The rest of the party decides not to go after them, opting to keep watch over the camp instead.

On the final watch, in the early morning hours, Malkoth and Rye decide that they would also like to visit Qaz, and they set out after the others, leaving Blakjak behind to watch over the camp.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the night, Odell arrives at Qaz's hut. He asks Qaz if he can give an omen for someone who is not present - an individual named Halimath Wasanthi. When asked, Odell says that Wasanthi is dead. Qaz admits that he is unsure if such a proclamation is within his power, but offers to attempt it. Odell gives Qaz his notes about the journal of Halimath Wasanthi, and Qaz speaks the following omen:

> "You who seek knowledge from the lost past of the ancients. To find the answers you seek, follow the path of blood. His blood is not gone from this world; seek the answers written in blood. You will find what you seek in the city in the sea."
>
>

Next, Odell asks Qaz if he can offer an omen for the world itself. Qaz is again unsure if such an attempt will succeed, but is willing to try. Odell offers him a snake egg from the temple that the party explored earlier. Qaz gives an omen, but it is the same omen that he offered to Odell during the party's first visit to his hut.

Shortly thereafter, Frog and XVIII arrive at the hut. They chastise Odell for wandering off on his own. Odell insists that he was fine, but admits that his passion for his pursuit of knowledge sometimes clouds his judgment. The three begin their trek back towards the campsite.

On their way back to camp, they cross paths with Malkoth and Rye, who are headed towards Qaz's hut as well. Frog and XVIII continue on towards the camp, while Odell offers to return to Qaz's hut with Rye and Malkoth.

While they are walking back towards Qaz's hut, Odell asks Malkoth about his amulet, and its apparent connection to the Imlaq Colossus. Malkoth says that the amulet came from his father. When asked, he says that his father is some kind of devil, but he doesn't know anything more about his father, or the amulet's significance.

Back at Qaz's hut, Rye tells Qaz about the demise of Great Wiik-Wiik and the corvid, and also plays some music for him. While Qaz is speaking with Rye, Malkoth steals a small sapphire from his bowl of offerings. Meanwhile, Odell looks through Qaz's collection of books, and finds that they seem to just be various books that were given to him as offerings, and nothing of significance.

With their business concluded at Qaz's hut, the three return to camp.

## March 24th

The following day, the party works for most of the day to repair the Tide King, guided by Ari Everbreeze. At the end of the work day, the ship is sufficiently repaired, such that Ari says it would be capable of making it back to Karaad, or even all the way to Ossidia as planned, needing only minor repairs when it reaches port.

The party discusses whether to continue on to Ossidia, or return to Karaad. Several party members express an interest in getting to Ossidia. At XVIII's suggestion, they discuss returning to Karaad and then traveling by land to Ossidia from there, in order to avoid the potential dangers of sailing near Kameshima.

After some debate, with Odell expressing a preference for proceeding to Ossidia by sea, XVIII proposes that they know someone who might be able to help Odell with his research. XVIII does not know where this person is, but says that they could look for him and ask around for him while traveling by land. When asked, XVIII says the person in question is Dr. Johann Conrad Dippel. Odell and Malkoth both recognize Dr. Dippel as a former member of the Weavers Conclave - a necromancer and alchemist who was expelled from the Conclave after it was discovered that he had been performing grossly unethical experiments on children for many years. Dr. Dippel was expelled around 30 years ago, at which point he fled and was never found.

When asked, XVIII says that he used to work in service of Dr. Dippel, but was abandoned.

After some discussion, the party ultimately decides to return to Karaad, and then proceed by land to Ossidia.

As the party is making preparations to leave Ymana, they see a group of kuo-toa and grung approaching along the beach, carrying a feast of roasted corvid and fruit towards the party's camp.