Kai Copperspark

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> > *"I give it all my oxygen, to let the flames begin / To let the flames begin / Oh glory / Oh glory / This is how we'll dance when / When they try to take us down"* **~ Paramore, Let the Flames Begin**
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## Description

### Physical

Kai is in his prime, standing 6’2” and sporting a thick head of fiery reddish-orange hair streaked with cobalt blue. His skin is the color of copper and also bears marks of cobalt blue, almost like veins running through ore. His face is marked the same way; here the blue marks resemble woad.

Kai has seemingly balanced strength and dexterity, and those choosing to engage in combat may find him more a challenge than expected.

### Psychological

Simple. Straightforward. Naive.

These are some of the words that have been used to describe Kai Copperspark, and while each of them may be true (to some extent), none of Kai’s traits should be mistaken for weakness.

*Determination and Resilience -* Kai has persevered through adversity and setbacks, forging an unyielding will within himself.

*Compassion and Empathy -* Kai's heart is moved by the suffering of others, especially those who cannot speak for themselves.

*Justice and Morality -* Kai possesses a strong sense of justice, driven by experience both with The Cult and with the broader, outside world. He stands against oppression and cruelty, fueled by a deep-seated belief in righting wrongs and guided by a faith and devotion that provide a moral compass and a sense of purpose.

## History

Whether Kai Copperspark was born, created, or formed spontaneously in the blazing expanse of the Elemental Plane of Fire is a matter of conjecture.

What is certain is that Kai was either summoned and/or captured and/or imprisoned in Hilan by a group of cultists. How long he was under their control is unknown, but Kai appears to be in his late thirties.

A trickster rogue infiltrated the cult's stronghold, where her path intersected with Kai's in the very heart of the cult's sanctum. With illusion and deception, she incited chaos among the cultists, creating a diversion that allowed Kai to break free from his captors' grasp. Finding themselves unlikely allies of convenience in the smoke and chaos, the two fought their way out of the cult's lair, leaving destruction in their wake.

In the following months, the Rogue took it upon herself to help Kai navigate the world of Hilan. As they traveled, she became Kai's guide, introducing him to the diverse cultures, people, and creatures that inhabited Hilan - sharing stories of the world's history, its vibrant cities, and its myriad customs and aided greatly by libraries along the way. With each new story, Kai's sense of purpose deepened, and the Rogue’s insights into the intricacies of politics and power dynamics illuminated potential avenues to advocate for change. A master of adapting and blending in, she also tried to teach Kai the art of subtlety and observation, though her lessons did not always take.

Eventually, Kai found his calling in the arenas of a bustling city, where he became a gladiator known for his courage as well as his refusal to engage in battles against non-sentient animals who could not give their consent to fight in the arena.

Learning about the New Pantheon of Hilan, Kai has devoted himself to The Harmony, god of stories, roads, and workers, and set himself the goal of establishing a union to protect animal rights in Hilan. Thea’s kindness resonated deeply with Kai, and he took to heart the stories of the bear on the Wild Hunt, of her companion Butters, and how she befriended Brioche the gold dragon, Garrett the Harengon, and even Ryder (the drake of the inconstant Reiner), Chewy the Beholder, and the one known as Nyx.

Kai lives day-to-day by fighting for money in gladiatorial arenas, fighting pits, and any other place one can legally make money by providing combat as entertainment. When he is unable to find a fight (or when he comes up short in the bouts), Kai will look for odd jobs, particularly the ones that involve moving heavy objects.

As such, Kai’s standard of living often oscillates between poor and modest. However, he will let himself go without in order to provide for his donkey, Clover. Some have said Kai is hypocritical for keeping a donkey, but Kai contends his position is based on consent. He once paid a Druid to speak with Clover, who told them her name and agreed to travel with Kai so long as Kai didn’t beat, starve, or severely overwork her.

## Hilan: Legacy

### Session One

#### Prologue

Two hundred years ago, on the plains outside the capital city of Morad, the adventuring party known as the Third Family and their allies stood against the Root of War and his master, Corellon Larethian. Sending them both into oblivion at great personal risk, cost, and sacrifice, these heroes ascended into godhood, establishing the Hilanian Pantheon.

These new gods struck a bargain with the old gods: leave Hilan alone and they would not interfere in the other gods’ own realms. Most (but not all) of the gods that had directly opposed the Third Family were dead and replaced, and others had directly allied themselves with their cause and aided their apotheosis. It was an agreement mutually and unanimously agreed to.

And so Hilan changed.

There still remained small pockets of those devoted to the old gods, but they received no blessings from their service, nor did the gods received the benefit of their belief. Others chose to leave Hilan as religious refugees, choosing to follow their gods even into unknown lands and countries. And there were also those who made the opposite choice, choosing to immigrate into Hilan for a fresh start.

And thus Hilan found itself a melting pot of diverse peoples and lands and realms. The Dragonborn of Ruinglast prospered as the Emperor fulfilled his vow to investigate the curse laid upon their people, and now the city and its inhabitants thrived with booming populations and fertile lands. This was to be expected, some said, as the new god of the harvest called Ruinglast home for much of her mortal life.

For a time, the new gods were able to take part in society, but as time passed they realized the importance of stepping back. No longer did they appear in their deific forms, though it would not be hard to find those of the longer-lived races that had met them, talked to them, even learned from them. It was rumored they now walked the land in disguise. Their names began to pass from common memory, though prayers offered to them still arrived, as from the lips of the people dropped their new identities: Arcanum, Architect, Carnage, Corsair, Demise, Harmony, Matron, Muse, Shadow, Smith, Sovereign, Star, Warden, Watcher.

Unification Day had officially transformed into an important day across all Hilan, but perhaps the city that benefited most was the town of Little Grove. It had been a popular spot under the old gods for the home of a water deity of some type; now it marked the birthplace of the Third Family. Their story began here, and others now visited the town to begin their own pilgrimages - often on Unification Day. Little Grove prospered from the tourism.

#### Unification Day

As this particular Unification Day drew to a close, several individuals found themselves lodging at the Tavern of Second Chances - the largest traditionally-run inn in all Hilan and famous for being established by the gods themselves after their victory. The travelers gathered there had now way of knowing at the time, but they shared a dream:

Darkness. Emptiness. The pitch-black lack of existence. The dark beyond the dark that would make the void look like a meadow at midsummer.

Each of them found themselves there, alone.

And then, light - as a star inside the blackness and inky sky grew larger and closer until it was about the size of a fist and revealed to be a stone. Then the stone shifted and there were six of them: red, orange, green, purple, blue yellow.

In his dream, Kai Copperspark reached out and touched the orange stone. A distant rolling thunder vibrated in the distance until it came up through his feet and into his spine before settling in his chest. The stone vanished and

Kai woke up in his second-floor room with the effects of the stone still lingering.  He turned over and on an end table sat an orange stone about the size of his fist. He touched it somewhat apprehensively, half expecting it to vanish. When it did not, he picked it up from off the black velvet on which it rested and put it in his backpack - wondering first how much it was worth and second if it did anything in particular.

Donning his adventuring clothes and using his quarterstaff as a “walking stick,” Kai went downstairs to breakfast - and to check the job board. He’d already paid for room and board here at the tavern for the next six days - and stabling and feed for Clover, too. He’d need to find something between then and now: what with the festivities and all he was down to 20 silver pieces. But at least he had about a week and he certainly wouldn’t go hungry.

There was a fire in the fireplace and an individual sat so close to the fire he was almost in it: A tall man, seemingly of elvish heritage dressed in all-black utility clothing - but the most arresting feature was an eyepatch over his left eye. Kai took a chair nearby with his pancake breakfast and watched a few of the other early morning risers:

A woman in armor laboriously counting coins out of a purse

A snow elf and a halfling clearly traveling together, laughing over their own bacon and pancakes. Kai’s eye was drawn to the halfling’s prosthetic arm - a work of good artifice, it would seem.

Another halfling couldn’t seem to find a comfortable spot and kept changing seats while looking at the other empty tables, but did not order anything for herself.

Behind Kai, the woman in armor walked over to the job board. Lost wallet. Missing kid. Things like that. But there was one poster larger than the others, and was in fact posted on top of some of the older ones:

Serious Adventurers required for a quest of fame (or infamy) - see man at bar

She walked over to the man at the bar, and as they began to converse in low tones, Kai pulled his chair closer to the fire and leaned in to the man sitting there.

“You like the fire?”

A nod.

“You want to see a trick?”

This got his attention, and the man now turned his head to look at Kai with curiosity.

“You know what? I would like that very much,” he said.

Kai smiled as cast Produce Flame in the hand nearest his newfound companion. He let it flicker for a few moments and went to shake it out when the man held out his own hand to stop him.

“Would you like to see a trick of my own?”

And before Kai could reply he stuck his hand directly in the flame and held it there.

A moment passed and then they were both laughing as Kai ended the spell. The man stuck out his hand in greeting:

“Aodhán”

Kai returned the gesture, making sure to avoid the very long, pointed fingernails.

“Kai. And thank you for not stabling me with those,” he said.

Aodhán smiled. “You’re not the first to say that. And I must say I find your company positively delightful.”

“I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been called ‘delightful.”

“I’m just happy to make the hand,” came the reply. Noticing that Aodhán was not eating, Kai offered him his own. It seemed that Aodhán’s fee at the inn didn’t include meals, and Kai wondered at that.

Aodhán was able to take a few bites before the armored woman came over to them.

“Oh Aodhán. I didn’t recognize you. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Aodhán considered her. “Indeed it has,” he replied, almost as if he were uncertain of how long that while actually was.

“I find myself in a certain position, and am very interested in your adventure,” she continued. Apparently, Aodhán was the one who posted on the board.

“That’s all well and good,” he replied, “and you’ll make a good start, but I’m afraid I need more than just two.”

“You might have three, depending on the details,” Kai interjected.

“had you not offered I would have asked you directly,” Aodhán told him with a smile before turning back to the woman, who asked

“How many do you need?” And then immediately spoke in a voice loud enough to be heard throughout the tavern:

“Attention my good folk. Are there any brave adventurers willing to undertake a quest with myself and this - these - gentlemen?”

There was a scraping of a chair as the lone halfling dragged a chair across the floor before climbing up on it to examine the job board for herself.

The other halfling and her elven companion came over and introduced themselves as Prulla and Yulinda respectively, and they would be glad to join the party, thank you very much. No mention was made of Prulla’s arm.

As introductions were being made the chair scraped back across the floor as the halfling returned it to its table.

“Yeah, those other jobs don’t sound nearly as exciting,” she said. “I’m Ahri, by the way.”

As she was talking her hands seemed to reach for the leftover pancakes, almost like a cat reaching for a plate.

“You could just ask,” Kai called out as her hand closed on the plate.

“Ok thanks I’ll be right back,” Ahri called out over her shoulder as she ran out the front door.

They were left wondering what had just happened but no sooner had they expressed just how strange they found Ahri’s words and actions that she was back.

Aodhán explained that he could not offer payment on this side of the adventure, but that there would be treasure enough should they succeed. Something valuable had been taken from him, and he wanted to get it back. He didn’t know exactly where the thing was located, but he had a map to get them started: they would begin by entering the tunnels under the city via a secret entrance in a mausoleum.

Several of them needed to return to their rooms to change into more appropriate clothing. Kai donned chain mail and changed his quarterstaff for a war pick.

He noticed others looking at him.

“I’ve heard stories about those tunnels,” he said.

“What stories?” The armored woman (who name was Cere Robinahbe) asked.

“giant worms and floating eyes, if you’re to believe the rogue I traveled with,” Kai replied. He noticed her own armor bore the sigil of The Demise.

They left for the cemetery.

“It’s a good thing I’m a cleric; I can help keep you alive.” Cere said to pass the time as they walked.

“Not to tell you your business, but I’ve a little bit of that myself,” Kai replied. Both Cere and Ahri seemed to take interest in the sigil of The Harmony.

“And it looks like you can kick ass as well,” Cere said.

“Prod buttocks is more like it.”

“Prod buttock?”

“Well, this is a pick and it’s pointy, so . . .”

Ahri wanted to know if Kai had ever heard The Harmony. It seemed she was a bard and talked to her all the time but never heard a reply. At least not necessarily.

Kai replied that he could only be certain of hearing her once when he took his oath. But he had paladin magic, so . . . He was also of the notion that gods must be quite overwhelmed with the prayers of every person and so obviously they could not answer every request personally - right?

Aodhán replied that that was their job and their duty. He was a bard as well, though to which god he dedicated his music he did not divulge.

Ahri successfully changed the subject by talking about something called a beelzebuffo. Confused at first, Ahri explained it was her mount, a giant toad named Rydice.

Somehow the conversation went from horns to horned toads to horny toads and devolved from there into innuendo. Or as Ahri put it “out-you-endo” and with Aodhán seeming to indicate either end was fine with him.

They arrived at the mausoleum and found the door closed and locked. While they discussed how best to deal with the lock, Yulinda picked it and pushed the doors open.

“I’m good with my hands,” she said.

Inside, Aodhán indicated a sarcophagus said to cover a stairwell. Working together, Prulla and Kai pushed it open, revealing stairs descending into darkness. As they set themselves and pushed, Kai noticed the halfling Prulla bore the sigil of The Carnage.

Aodhán led the party down the stairs, followed by Cere who used a light cantrip to brighten their path. Kai followed at the rear so as to not block any light; standing over six feet tall he was the tallest in the party.

At the bottom of the stairs stood a door: old, and yet newer than it surroundings. It must have been placed here to prevent folks just like themselves from going where they weren’t supposed to. On it was a dial with two skulls, one looked relatively happy and the other relatively angry (or at least weary) that put Kai in mind of the happy/sad faces used by some actors.

Yulinda examined the door and dial. Of course it was locked, and looking at the skulls she determined they were real bone and not stone or plaster. It was while she was poking around that smiling skull started to laugh. Yulinda laughed back very, very nervously.

Then the skulls started talking. Happy Skull was so pleased to finally have someone to talk to since it had been so long since anyone came by that way. Weary Skull was annoyed at being woken up. The more talkative of them told them they couldn’t just open the door, there were rules that needed to be followed. Weary Skull seemed to want to just open the door and have done with it, but it was beyond his control.

Oh yes, that reminded Happy Skull there was a script . . .

*In the crypt's dark chamber, where shadows dance with one another,*

*Two skulls rest, kin in bone, challenging a clever brother.*

*One grins wide, the other's eyes seek answers,*

*Solve their riddle, unlock the gate, and prove you're no bluffer.*

The party talked with each other and with the skulls. Ok, so they would have to solve a riddle, one from each skull. They would get five wrong answers (total) before something would happen. What would happen? Oh, just a series of clicks and then stuff would reset. Yulinda noticed holes in the walls and ceiling, and as she pointed them out they glanced nervously as Happy Skull clicked through the mechanism as if to verify what it remembered was correct.

Ok, they decided, let’s hear the first riddle from Weary Skull so he can go back to sleep.

*They Call Me The King. I Have The Eyes, Hiss, And Fangs Of A Snake, But Have No Scales Or Venom*

They debated among themselves. Let’s see. There were lizards, dragons, oh that feathered thing from Chult, a lion, and maybe even a specialty chess set.

Happy Skull laughed, barely able to contain itself. “Would it help if one of you already got it right?”

They went with lion and Happy Skull said that it was right, though really he would have taken any form of feline in answer.

Weary Skull sighed as Happy Skull gave their riddle:

*Your Mother Is An Orc. Your Father Is A Dwarf. What Are You?*

Kai took the question literally. ”Someone’s child,” he said.

“So that’s exactly right while not being the answer I need. I won’t count it against you,” Happy Skull said in a singsong voice.

They sat in silence and then Ahri started laughing. “If it were me I’d say ‘dork’ but that’s a very silly answer.”

“It’s a laughing skull and we don’t have any wrong answers,” Kai pointed out. “Go for it, Ahri.”

She gave the answer and Happy Skull chuckled heartily as the door swung open.

“Have fun coming up with some new riddles,” Kai told them as he passed through the doorway.

Here the tunnels were made of earth and dirt and their lungs were hit with petrichor as the went down and down and down again. Various sarcophagi lined the walls and then the tunnel opened up into a large carved cavern -it seemed this was a sacred space, though who or what it was sacred to was a mystery to Kai. He got the feeling the had left the world of the living behind and were now somewhere else.

Light shone through a crack at the back of the cavern, and they sensed movement from above them: something large and scaly shifted among the stalactites. The atmosphere here was thick, and seemed heavier as the steady sound of dripping water reached their ears. They did not seem to be in any immediate danger, though apart from the dripping things were so still and quiet it was almost painful. And then, even quieter than the dripping of water, muffled cries of pain came from . . . somewhere.

They passed through the crack and into the light. Looking up, a gigantic snake at least one hundred yards in length was coiled among the stalactites. Its mouth hung open, forced to do so by its painfully oversized fangs - making it impossible for it to close its mouth. This, in turn, caused venom to continually drip into a shallow pool below.

This was the dripping they had heard.

And then they noticed there was more to the pool. Secured by metal chains and leather strips, a shirtless individual stood under the fangs. Only by straining to the very extent of the chains could he hope to avoid the acid coming from the ceiling. This he could not do for long, an his back bore the scars of years, perhaps even decades, of this heinous torture.

He turned this head, which was crowned by white hair, and looked at them with his one remaining eye. Give him an eyepatch and it would be Aodhán.

For his part, Aodhán seemed to have expected this. He motioned for the others to stay back while he went up to the chained man and spoke. Kai could only make out part of the conversation:

“I’m sorry it took so long.”

And then, stepping back to the rest of the party - in fact he went all the way to the back of the line - Aodhán said to them

“Free my grandson, if you please”

They didn’t even consider the logic of what he’d just said and how it matched up to what they were seeing.

Ahri considered attacking the snake, but Original Aodhán warned her off.

“Best not do that, dear one. I would hate to see my son Jörmungandr suffer more than he already does. This place is as much his prison as anyone else’s.”

Prulla and Yulinda and Kai examined the bonds holding Younger Aodhán. More specifically, Yulinda tried to get a good look at the bonds at his wrists, Prulla peered at the chains, and Kai considered the stalagmites to which the chains were anchored.

Kai thought that maybe a few good swings would loosen things up when movement from Yulinda caught his eye.

Kai’s eyes went wide with excitement as she pulled a rather large gun from under her cloak and fired at one of the cuffs. It seems to crack as the projectile hit and then turn brittle as cold magic coved it in frost.

Younger Aodhán shifted in his chains and it crumbled easily, freeing one wrist.

One down, one to go Kai thought as Original Aodhán said out loud

“It would have learned from that; I do not think it will work again.”

Younger Aodhán reached up with his now-free hand and gently scratched the snake on the nose, a look of sadness on his face despite his smile of . . .  was it determination?

“I’ve got oil and soap can we just slip him out?” Kai asked.

“Hey I’ve got that too!” Ahri said excitedly. “Nine who bars!”

There was a short moment of animated exclamation at her having nine bars of soap on her person right then, but Original Aodhán spoke over them:

“I do not know that anyone has ever thought to use that here. It would be worth attempting, I think.”

And so with a bar of Ahri’s soap and Kai’s oil he and Yulinda worked the mixture in and around the remaining manacle while from below Prulla kept steady pressure pulling down on his arm. It slid out easily, and Younger Aodhán collapsed into Yulinda’s arms as Kai produced a flame for him.

Turning back, Original Aodhán now looked very different. He had the same approximate height, but had a face with much more color it in, two eyes instead of one, and flaming red hair.

“Were you able to bring it?” Aodhán asked from Yulinda’s arms.

The Norse god Loki held out a hand with a blue diamond nestled on top of his eye patch, which Aodhán took and carefully placed both into position.

“Your other things should be in the chest by the doorway. I must warn you that things outside are not as they were two hundred years ago; the Hilanian pantheon has changed things. I must take my place as you must take yours, grandson. Shall I do it or you?”

Aodhán watched as Loki placed himself in the chains and then balanced a bowl on his grandfather’s arched back.

“You must go now,” Loki said urgently. “Do not worry; she will be here soon. But you must go before the dogs arrive.”

The draugar stirred from their resisting places and they began to beat a hasty retreat. Cere and Ahri helped heal up Aodhán as Yulinda cast longstrider on Ahri and Prulla. Kai brought up the rear to keep an eye on the advancing dead.

They seemed to gain on them when they reached the door to the mausoleum and found it closed, locked, and with no sounds from the skulls on the other side. Aodhán was frustrated; his bardic spells just weren’t working. He could feel the magic but something wasn’t right.

Prulla touched the door and found it very, very cold. Aodhán touched it and found it didn’t hurt him at all. This made him angry.

Behind them, the draugar were just about on them. Kai raised his war pick and said to the others “here they come” when the room grew very cold - cold enough to slow the draugar. Then, a blast of hoarfrost that ended just at Kai’s toes shattered them to pieces. Out of the settling frosty mists stepped a man.

“Say please,” he said, speaking to Aodhán.

What followed was an argument between the two, sometimes broken up by interjections from Ahri. In summary:

The man was the Prince of Frost, King of the Feydark, and Aodhan’s father. Two hundred years ago, Aodhán had been with the Third Family at the Battle of Morad. He had been imprisoned under the earth with the Dargoborn Fuego and, to free them, asked for Ragnarok - a request which was granted (if only briefly) by the Harengon Garrett (the horn of Heimdal being kept safe by the newly-ascended god of stories, Thea Chandler).  He left the field of battle riding the dragon Zasalamel when . . . something happened and he woke up here: chained under the earth under the ever-dripping poison of his uncle, held not only by magic chains but also entwined in his own wife’s intestines.

(This is where Ahri interrupted to call the Prince a piece of shit)

Out of his “generosity” (the Prince explained) he had changed the magic in Aodhán so that he was no longer a bard; instead he was a warlock - - with his father as his patron.

There was more fighting, during which it was clear the Frost Prince did his absolute best to humiliate Aodhán before telling him to “make me proud” and opening the door behind them.

On the way back to the Tavern of Second Chances, they started to fill each other in on the finer details of things. Aodhan’s wife had been killed one week before the last battle at Morad. this caused some unease as they realized this put them out of reach of Cere’s powers.

They talked a bit about the Hilanian Pantheon, with Aodhán often remarking “yeah, that sounds like the Third Family,” and when Ahri put it together that Aodhán was now technically brother to The Corsair he laughed and said “He’ll truly be insufferable now.”

There was some discussion of how Aodhán would be able to stay at the tavern; Kai kept telling them he’d paid in advance for several days and could probably work something out. But when the arrived Cere spoke out loud as if talking to the tavern itself. She not-so-tactfully described the utter destitution in which Aodhán found himself and ended by saying “if anyone deserves a second chance, doesn’t he?”

Kai asked why she said that; Cere said she’d read in a book that if you ask for it and a worthy, the tavern would provide a room and a bath and a meal (at least for one night). Which book was that? Rules and Regulations for the Running of the Tavern of Second Chances, which she’d stumbled upon here in the library.

They went upstairs to find a room for Aodhán waiting with a bath already drawn and a plate of food on a table. He climbed into the bath and Prulla went to work on his hair while Yulinda helped with the scrubbing off of many layers and Kai applied heat when and where it was needed and Ahri provided some soothing music.

### Session Two

#### Sleep

Cere shared her story with the others. She was vague on the details, but she and her . . . charge . . . had been traveling from Beggar’s Hole to Little Grove when they were waylaid by bandits. Cere had gotten them away thanks to strategic uses of expeditious retreat (and maybe haste?), but in the attack, her traveling companion had been hit with what appeared to be a sleeping curse. Though Cere had tried loud noises, splashing with water, and several spells, nothing seemed to have helped.

They had gone to her room while they had been talking, and as Kai and Ahri and Aodhán tried to formulate a plan, Prulla did her absolute best to scare her awake. Eventually Kai cast bless, anointing her temples with holy water before waving his hands as a conductor might lead an orchestra - The Harmony was the god of bards, after all - and though the magic went off it just didn’t seem to settle but rather slid off . . .

While he had been doing this, Ahri and Aodhán continues to talk about spells and curses (and Ahri brought up toads an other magical creatures) and when Aodhán tried and failed to give Ahri some bardic inspiration for her Lesser Restoration he became quite frustrated.

“So the magic didn’t work but the music still slaps,” someone remarked.

It was clear that their magic wouldn’t help the ailing woman, and so Aodhán determined to go into the courtyard and find out what, exactly, he might be able to cast. Helping the Sleeper would require tracking down the person who put the curse on her, and that would have to wait until tomorrow.

They talked briefly about how they would all get there. Kai had a wagon, Ahri had Rydice, and Yulinda and Prulla apparently had a mount named Rudolph. Between those three they should be able to make the journey in about an hour.

Kai initially offered to go outside with Aodhán so that he wouldn’t be alone, but when Ahri said she needed to go outside to take care of Rydice, Aodhán said anyone who wanted could come with him. Knowing that Aodhán would not be alone, Kai instead excused himself in order to pray to The Harmony.

He went into his room where he had set up a little shrine and cast Produce Flame and began to focus and mediate. Never before had he felt so close to the Harmony; perhaps it was because he was here, in the Tavern of Second Chances, but it was almost like she was in the room with him. He was not conducting a ritual of any kind or asking for any petitions, but he wanted her to know how his journey was progressing, and that they had found someone who claimed to know her.

He did not hear her voice audibly, but her presence was undeniable: she was pleased to hear of his progress and thankful for the reminder of this one from her past.

It was then that Kai heard footsteps and talking in the halls, and he went out to say goodnight to the others.

“Do you want someone to watch your door?” Kai asked Aodhán.

“I would hate to put you out that way; you’ve earned your sleep as well.”

“Oh, I was just going to physically lay down inside your door so that anyone opening it would have to go through me.”

Aodhán looked at Kai in what looked to be wonder. “No, that’s quite all right. I don’t think anything or anyone could easily get me here.”

That night, each of them had the same dream: intrinsically alone and disoriented in a vast, empty void until a light weakly fluttered into existence then grew until it became clear that it was not white light but rather made up of many colors and then . . .

They woke up.

#### Traveling Companions

[Current known date: 3 Deepwinter, 2800]

Kai went downstairs to find Cere already there. She was wearing her armor, and Kai wondered briefly if she’d slept in it. Her hair was obviously newly braided, so at least in that regard she was talking care of herself.  She filled Kai in with what had happened last night:

Despite what his father had told him earlier, Aodhán was not convinced he was no longer a bard. Outside, he tested other spells until, by process of elimination, he had very reluctantly and quite angrily concluded he was, in fact, a warlock under the Pact of Hoarfrost, which none of them had heard of but were (at the moment) disinclined to ask about. There had been some interesting moments when spells like Hellish Rebuke went off without warning, thankfully doing little harm in and of themselves but causing quite the stir from the others.

Yulinda had decided to test some of the colored stones they had found in their possessions, and utilized the time-honored tradition of licking them. Her own stone, the yellow one, tasted like oranges and bergamot. Prulla’s (purple) tasted like black currants and plums. It also felt like Yulinda was holding the void in her mouth and she yelped as it dealt 5 points of damage to her. Nevertheless she carried on her observations, jotting them down in a little journal. Ahri’s stone (blue) tasted like sea salt and bluebells. Aodhan’s tasted like bitter oranges and a chemical battery of some kind. Despite its comparatively unpleasant taste, it did not hurt her like Prulla’s had.

Cere then talked with Kai a but about where his wagon was and how his donkey, Clover, was stabled, and she offered to go get things ready for their trip. Kai agreed, particularly after hearing that Cere had access to Speak with Animals.

The others came down and Kai encouraged them to get breakfast if they could. Aodhan’s came with his room (for this morning at least), Prulla and Yulinda got a smaller breakfast than they’d had yesterday but still sustaining, and Ahri ate some of her rations.

The heard Cere calling from outside and went to find Clover ready to go. Ahri and Yulinda went to get their mounts and Cere and Kai talked about how Cere had moved things around for balance but hadn’t had to remove any of Kai’s belongings from the wagon. In the back they could see the Sleeper carefully wrapped in many layers. It was a cold day (between 19-31F for the day) and she wanted her as comfortable as possible.

They had been prepared by Ahri for Rydice, but they were startled at first to see Rudolph, a large mechanical deer that served as Yulinda’s mount.

“Battlesmith Artificer,” she said shrugging as Prulla climbed up with practiced skill.

Aodhán sat up front with Kai and they two made some small talk as they set out. Then Aodhán and Prulla passed some drinks between them. He heard Aodhán called his “Jotun” or something similar, and Prulla’s was her fire whiskey (which she called Holy Water). Aodhán seemed to enjoy it and stretched and spread out his legs.

“Oh, need more room over there?” Kai asked, glancing down and to his right. Without waiting for an answer, he continued “Let me scoot over some.”

Aodhán smiled as he shifted, and Kai remembered that Aodhán had a tail, which it seemed he was keeping out of sight via glamour at the time.

“If it’ll help I’ll get a hole drilled for you so you can be more comfortable. If you want, that is.”

“Am I still chained in the cave?”

“No?”

“Oh. Okay. Because this is the nicest I’ve been treated in a very long time. I’m half convinced I’ve dreamt up a delusion for myself.”

Kai smiled. “I know what it’s like to wake up in a strange world not knowing what’s going on. And I had someone I traveled with that helped me . . .”

Kai’s voice trailed off. He wanted Aodhán to know he could understand his position to some degree but not make this about himself.

Aodhán looked both relieved and concerned.

“If you don’t mind,” he said to Kai, “I’m going to sit here and have a nice existential crisis.”

Kai nodded. He’d been there before . . .

#### Lifting a Curse

Cere stopped them an hour after leaving Little Grove.

“This looks familiar,” she said, hopping out of the wagon and looking around. She spied a large stone marker. “Yes, this is definitely the place.”

To Kai it looked like a big rock, but some of the others said it looked like agate - though if it was agate, it was an incredibly large specimen. While the others looked around, he rummaged in the back of the wagon for his iron cooking pot, on which he cast Produce Flame to warm it up for Aodhan’s feet.

It was as Kai was climbing back into the wagon the he noticed the ground had been disturbed on either side of the road, and come to think of it, there wasn’t anyone else on the road - and there should have been, what with Beggar’s Hole being the first stop after Little Grove for all those making pilgrimage along the route of the Third Family.

It seemed that a magic ritual circle had been scorched into the earth and then carefully obscured by hand. Climbing on top of the marker stone to get a clear look, Prulla was able to sketch out the circle and sigil associated with it, though she herself couldn’t read the sigil.

Aodhán recognized it as a location lock, though beyond the name of the sigil he had no information.

This was obviously the site of a planned attack by some sort of highwayman, and while Ahri and Aodhán examined some of the flora around the marker stone she commented that maybe it had something to too with ransom. It was as she said this that Ahri found some aether lily around the marker stone; among other things, the flower tended to grow where portals or teleportation circles had been used.

Aodhán now turned to Cere.

“Ransom does make sense, and you’ve been rather vague about what happened. The more you tell us, the easier it will be to help.”

“I can’t break trust that easily,” Cere said as she hemmed and hawed and tried to tell the others more about her charge without telling them anything at all. She did admit that the Sleeper was nobility, and as such had many enemies just by sake of being noble.

It was clear that Cere wouldn’t say more, and though Ahri suggested casting Zone of Truth on her, Aodhán did not want to go that route just yet. Instead he walked off a short way from the others and whistled a short tune; momentarily a creature very similar to a house cat appeared  on his shoulder. Kai looked at it again and recognized it as a displacer beast, and despite its reputation or perhaps because of his Oath, Kai remained unafraid.

A voice entered his head with a genuinely happy laugh and Kai could only assume the others heard it as well as it introduced itself as Licorice and Aodhán explained what was going on and that his patience was wearing thin.

After some more questions and observations, Licorice concluded that he could either bring those that cast the circle here to them or go where they were. Even though going to them might yield more reward, bringing them to the party would give the party the element of surprise and allow them to choose their positions.

Kai asked where, extract they would appear, and Licorice pointed to a spot, saying “more or less here”

They took up positions in a circle around the spot, with Yulinda climbing on top of the marker stone for a vatage point with her Comet rifle. Cere and Ahri talked to Rydice and Rudolph about keeping an eye on the Sleeper. Once everything was set and they concluded they should keep at least one person alive (of an unknown number that would come through the portal), Licorice cast the spell.

The marker stone itself opened up like a curtain, revealing a cavern with no natural light lit by torches and perhaps magical light. Three bodies rushed towards them and settled on the ground: two half elves in armor of some type and a high elf woman who had been in the process of getting dressed. Wearing shift, corset, and petticoat, she was not necessarily indecently exposed, but she was most definitely unarmored.

For a moment Kai thought that someone had beaten them to the punching and that they were dead, but a quick second glance showed that they had merely been knocked prone, perhaps by the unexpectedness of Licorice’s spell.

“Good morning,” Prulla called in a singsong voice, while Cere said loudly “that’s her!”

Aodhán promptly knocked the woman out sent an eldritch blast at one of the men, dealing one point of damage.

Yulinda followed that hit up with a shot from the rock, killing the elf instantly.

Kai saw the third struggling to get up and grappled him, threatening him with “just give me a reason” as he did so.

Ahri tried calming his emotions, but it didn’t take. Perhaps if she’d wording things differently than “Hakuna Matata - that’s a threat now” . . .

Prulla now ran up to help Kai by removing the man’s shoes and tickling his feet. In a voice much lower than Kai had heard her use before, she said “cootchie-cootchie-coo, motherfucker”

Upon which the man pissed his pants and passed out. In some ways, the dead man was having a much better day than he was.

Kai jumped up. “That almost got on m!”

They secured the scene together before considering their captives. It would be necessary to either heal the woman to bring her out of unconsciousness or wait - perhaps hours - for her to come around. Ahri and Cere and Kai discussed how they could best bring her around without spending too many spell slots, and Licorice used the opportunity to excuse himself and go back to . . . wherever it was he had come from. As he did so, he shifted the dead man back into the cavern that had once been his hideout.

Kai stayed by the man he and Prulla had taken down while Aodhán, Ahri, and Cere - covered by Yulinda - woke up the woman.

“Good Morning,” Prulla called again as the woman briefly struggled before realizing her predicament and at least was not actively trying to escape her bonds (as she had been bound and gagged to prevent spellcasting to some degree).

Aodhán warned her against trying anything (with Kai interjecting that doing so may cause her to soil herself) then asked her what she had done and why.

After some brief starts and stops she admitted that it came down to money and greed: her target was rich, after all . . .

Aodhán thought he recognized her accent as being tinged with a dialect from Menzoberranzan, and used that to his advantage as he intimidated the woman with various of his apparent titles and skills.

However, the party would let her live if she would lift the curse and then leave the place, which she agreed to do, though she hesitated a bi, thinking that they were just as likely to kill her once she was finished.

Nonetheless, she reached down, pinched two fingers together over the bridge of the Sleeper’s nose, and pulled up as if pulling of a shroud.

“She should wake up in moments, by which time I plan to be long gone,” she said as she took a step away from the party.

“Are you sure?” Ahri asked, and the woman looked at the group as if her fears of being killed were about to come true. Seeing the look in her eyes, Ahri was quick to clarify

“I only meant that I don’t know how fast you can run, so that you might not be that far at all when she finally wakes up.”

“And if she does not we will be soon behind you,”  Aodhán added with a tinge of menace.

She started to walk away and passed Kai, who said “Your companion?”

The woman looked back briefly as if considering something. “You know, I don’t believe I will,” and then she walked away at a brisk pace, leaving him with party as she headed towards the horizon.

Aodhán started tying the man up shibari-style while out loud he’d started counting.

***The Sleeper had lost all concept of time. She felt as if wrapped an a warm silk cocoon that was tight - almost too tight but not enough to be overly oppressive. She saw darkness. Emptiness. The pitch-black lack of existence. The dark beyond the dark that would make the void look like a meadow at midsummer. And then, light - as a star inside the blackness and inky sky grew larger and closer until it was about the size of a fist and revealed to be a stone. Then the stone shifted and there were six of them: red, orange, green, purple, blue yellow. The stones shimmered and then began to wink out until only the red stone remained.***

***She reached out and touched it; it sparked to life with a flame that burned without pain or hurt as a warm, soothing sensation that hummed and pulsed settled in her chest . . .***

***And then she heard voices; and though the speakers were not yelling the volume of their  talking went from a whisper to normal and***

The Sleeper awoke. She immediately asked what was going on and focused on Cere as the first person she recognized. Cere blurted out all of what had happed to her since they were attacked on the road, and though most of it was what Cere had already told the others, it was clear she had not told her charge’s parents (two fathers, it turned out to be) and Kai nodded to himself - she’d been trying to fix the problem before needing to tell them about the problem in the first place.

While Cere filled her in and made introductions, it seemed she knew Aodhán but Aodhán didn’t recognize her. She probably knew the Other Aodhán, Kai thought as he went through the pockets of the man, finding 11 silver.

Loading everyone back up they began heading back to Little Grove. Once more they’d finished a mission but had nothing to show for it. Kai had paid for a week’s stay at the tavern; the others had not. He was determined that something could be negotiated, but Aodhán simply waved his hand.

“Let’s talk about all that over some food as we plan our next steps,” he said.

### Session Three

#### Bounty

As they traveled back to Little Grove, Kai reheated the iron pot of Aodhán and the two of them got to talking.

[this scene is currently in progress. Dialoge will be added when the scene is concluded]

The most pressing matter - even more pressing than their lack of funds for the time being - was their prisoner. Reasoning that his party appeared to have been operating in the area of some time, and therefore must have a bounty of some kind, they decided to go to the constabulary and see what might be done.

Kai led the way hauling the highwayman along with him with he rest of the party following; Prulla stayed at the rear just in case her presence would cause the man to suffer a relapse. Ahri used the makeup in her disguise kit to help Katarzyna (as the Sleeper was named) looked just a little more worse for wear than perhaps she was. In one way or another they talked to the local constable, one Evelyn Leclair, and more or less told the truth.

For her part, Katarzyna indicated she was f some nobly family (with Aodhán dropping that priece of information in hopes of upping his bounty). As proof, she showed Leclair a signet ring; Kai did not see the sigil engraved on it, nor would he pry.

When it came to the matter of a bounty, Leclair consulted a large, polished golden orb - a modified scrying stone of some kind - and soon came back with information. The4 highwayman was one Finnish O’Malley, pseudonym Lockjaw, and with all the charges considered his bounty was ten gold pieces.

A short conversation was had between Katarzyna and Leclair, as technically Katarzyna outranked her and could determine whether Lockjaw would face a jury trial or languish in prison until such time as Katarzyna saw fit to release him. She decided on imprisonment, and Leclair began the preparations for sending the miscreant to Morad, the capital of Hilan.

They thanked Leclair for meeting with them as she gave the bounty to Katarzyna, and she modestly replied that she had an excellent mentor named Comforte.

That afternoon found Kai making a stop at a  wainwright’s to have a hole carefully prepared for Aodhán, as well as enquiring after a portable foot warmer.

Going back to the tavern, he searched the job board; they had gone out on two short jobs and had little to show for it. There were a few random jobs on the board; two of the most promising being:

*Weed Pulling in the Cemetery*

Description: The town's cemetery is overgrown with magical weeds that disrupt the peaceful rest of the departed. Laborers are needed to clear the graveyard of these pesky plants. Payment is meager, a few copper coins per hour.

*Toadstool Collection for Apothecary*

Description: The town's apothecary is in need of a variety of toadstools found in a nearby damp cave. Gather a specified quantity, and you'll receive a small pouch of silver coins and a healing salve as compensation. Beware of cave-dwelling creatures.

Of those two, Kai was drawn more to the toadstool collection job. The caves might offer more chance of exploration than the cemetery . . .

He went up to his rooms and mediated for a bit before heading out to the practice yard; he was an athlete and had to keep in shape, after all. He found Prulla already there and, not wishing to interrupt her own practice, waited for a break to call to her from a short way away:

“Thanks for the help with that guy earlier. I almost didn’t get him down the first time and I don’t know if I’d have held on if he got a second wind.”

Prulla had taken to the pratice field shortly after the crew had returned from their adventure. She was eager to get some time in with her arm, mainly switching between the hand and the blade. It wasn't difficult to do, Yule had made sure of that, but it was maneuver that could cost her time in battle if she wasn't fluid with it.

She'd been going at it for about an hour when she saw Kai enter the field. She stopped to grab a sip of water when he approached.

"Thanks for the help..."

She caught his eye, "Yeah, sorry he wee'd himself and it almost got you. Didn't think it would be that intimidating." She grinned impishly. (She had indeed intented to be that intimidating.)

Kai laughed remembering that rather unexpected moment.

“Well it worked and that’s for sure. I’ve got to ask, though - do you normally go for the feet like that? I don’t want to get in your way should we find ourselves in a similar situation.”

She stifled a laugh. "Oh no, but when the opportunity struck, I just couldn't resist."

“I think he’ll be hearing ‘cootchie-coo motherfucker’ in his nightmares,” Kai responded. “I know I would! It was quite unexpected . . . If he even saw you coming, he was probably more concerned about your hand-axe there. Kinda like a magician, you distracted with something obvious and then . . . well, I don’t think magicians tend to reveal their secrets. All that to say: good show.”

Prulla puffed up a little at the compliment. She'd lost her arm some years back and when Yule had made her her prosthetic it had been a game changer. Now she could wield her blade with deadly precision yet still have mostly full function of her limb. The addition had endeared Yule to her, having helped make Pru whole again.

"Admittedly, the distraction was unintentional. I hadn't thought about it that way. I like the way you think." She grinned.

Kai returned the grin. He had wondered how things would go here in Little Grove, and he was glad The Harmony had seen fit to include Prulla in the ongoing story of his life. He reached out with a loose fist for a bump.

“Far be it from me to keep you; here’s to keeping our enemies on their toes,” he said with a mischievous wink.

Prulla returned the fist bump, glad to know she was in good company.

When it came to rooms for the evening, Kai once more offered to help, but was kindly rebuffed. Katarzyna, it would seem, was set up for at least one more night. Prulla and Yulinda were also good, and Ahri wasn’t very forthcoming about her own plans. Aodhán was determined to play the room and find his own way, singling out a man who appeared to be the prettiest, richest man who might also fancy a night with Aodhán . . .

With Prulla acting as his wingman, Aodhán marked one Alistair Greycastle and the two seemed to hit it off very, very well.

Before heading up to their respective rooms, Katarzyna placed their collective ten gold in the tavern’s safe.

#### Breakfast

They spent the night according to their own needs and desires and Kai went downstairs in the morning to find that Yulinda had ordered a very large, quite delicious charcuterie for them to share. As the breakfasted, she shared with them all what she had discovered about the stones, and used that to springboard into proposing they form an adventuring party.

This had been something Kai was considering, though unrelated to the stones. They had gone out twice together, and if they went out a third time that would be his own sign they were meant to form their own party. Kai was perfectly fine with he subject being brought up now, though he had some reservation about the proposed name “Elemental Misfits” - he was a fire genasi after all and it just seemed a little wrong.

However, most of the others seemed more concerned with what the stones were all about, and when Kai suggested to Yulinda that she wanted to try all the flavors, Katarzyna almost immediately handed over her own red stone.

True to her own recollections, Yulinda licked the stone and almost immediately began gasping and making faces. “That’s a spicy rock” she exclaimed as she took six points of damage. “Tastes like burning and cinnamon and red berries - but mainly burning.”

“There, there” Cere said as she patted Yulinda on the back and restored the lost hit points.

It seemed parts of Yulinda’s face smoked briefly and it became apparent her left eyebrow had been singed off.

Kai carefully handed his stone over, warning Yulinda not to swallow it, and she soon declared it to taste like ozone after a lightning strike mixed with a light citrus taste. Thankfully she neither swallowed the stone nor was she attacked by it.

It was as Yulinda returned the orange stone to Kai that they each became acutely aware of where each stone was stored on or about their person - almost as if the stones themselves exerted a kind a presence . . . And then everything went dark, a dark like the dreams they had each had. The tavern had disappeared and they were floating in the void. The stones in their hands glowed from the inside as they became lighter and somewhat intangible? Then they lifted up and became balls of shifting and dancing light, their individual colors become one bright flash that momentarily blinded them all.

Out of the flash came a woman cloaked in gossamer, hovering and floating and rotating above them (for a given definition of “above”). She appeared to be asleep, or at least in rest or repose of some kind, and to each of them she appeared to be a stranger, unrecognizable but whose name was just on the tip of the tongue so that one thought if they were to look carefully they might see it printed there . . .

Her presence was that of a guardian or guide and as they watched her it seemed the name “Veil” or “Veilstone” seemed to settle in their minds, though she woman still remained an unknown entity.

“Veil?” Yulinda asked as Kai also called out “Miss are you all right?”

She opened her eyes as if awakening from a pleasantly drugged stupor. “You are here . . .”

“You know us?” Akri and Aodhán asked together.

“I have been waiting for the right people to find the stones and do what needs to be done.” And then, with a calm, relieved smile on her face, she greeted each of them by name. As each name was spoken, then felt a kind of recognition of reunion. It did not override any other thoughts, feelings, or emotions in the sense they were being charmed or otherwise meddled with - it was another sensation. When she finished she said

“I know you are the ones. I can feel it this time.”

“We’re not the first? How many have there been?” Ahri asked.

“I do not know. How long have the trees grown?”

“Forever?” (They all answered)

“How long have the oceans rolled?

Since the beginning?

“How long has the wall stood?”

This one they knew. Time itself was measured from that day.

“Eight thousand two hundred years and two - no, make that three - days.” Yulinda answered.

“I remember when the wall was not . . . Now, tell me the great and glorious tale of how you came to possess the stones you now carry.”

They relayed their dreams, and the woman seemed as if she almost didn’t believe them, as if it had been too easy. “Tell me,” she said “do any of you know what an astral lock is?”

As they began talking amongst themselves she seemed to look behind and beyond them into the darkness of the void and began carrying on what appeared to be a one-sided conversation relaying their own story to another person.

Calling for her attention, she said “My mistress waits in the Syrian library.”

Ahri - with some prompting and pushing - convinced her to name her mistress: one Elatha (perhaps Alatha) but beyond that . . . Veil herself was not real (so she claimed) and was merely a construct. Prulla tried offering some whiskey but it was declined. Or rather, Veil said they were not permitted to partake. This did not sit right with many of them.

Aodhán stared into the darkness.

“Aodhán, what do your Fey eyes see?” Prulla asked.

“I’m fey’ri,” he whispered back.

Fey’ri. Half fay; half demon, and in the right light (or wrong light as the case might be) Aodhán appeared to maybe just might be graveborn - but what that might be ??

Aodhán saw not a person, but a tall, robed outline.

He squinted, smiled, and then waved.

Ahri and Prulla copied him, though Kai doubted they could see anything more than he could.

“We should go see her,” Aodhán said.

“Of course,” Veil said. “Go south; I will guide you. Your journey begins in Rapture.”

Katarzyna asked a question Kai did not hear.

“The stones and I are as one,” Veil said in a sad yet dreamy tone”

And then they woke up to Cere staring at them; from her perspective, they had all nodded off at once and jerked back awake a split second later in unison.

#### Bazaar

There was quite a bit of talk as they decided what to do; Aodhán decided to press his luck with Greycastle once more - the result being the lord offered two carriages to help carry them to Rapture. Kai wondered if his wagon could keep up, or if he would be slowing them down already.

It would take several hours for Greycastle to be ready. Kai settled accounts with the inkeep, somewhat frustrated that 4 gold would be going to waste, and yet not waste as it would help fund the tavern for other weary travelers.

Prulla and Yulinda went to talk to Prulla’s grandmother, who made Prulla promise to write often. Her grandmother was so proud of her and made her solemnly swear that they would both be the heroes they deserved to be. Their conversation included lots of hugs.

Ahri went off to conduct her own business.

Katarzyna retrieved the gold from the safe and looked at it warily. Money wasn’t quite her thing, it would seem, and she kindly asked if Kai would look after it. He took it and carefully placed it in its own separate compartment.

Then he and Aodhán and Katarzyna went to the bazaar. Two tents were open: La Mystikos, dealing in magical armor and weapons, and one whose sign appeared to read “Chuck’s and Baub’s” and was an array of trinkets.

Katarzyna was drawn to the armor and she examined the weapons and swords and robes carefully. Aodhán stood behind her, and Kai behind him. Katarzyna was drawn to one very fine set of robes in particular that would be of great benefit to the wearer, but the price of 50,000 gold was far beyond what she could afford. The shopkeep offered to make a deal, but he came across as somewhat sinister and Katarzyna declined.

However, Aodhán was intrigued, his own eye caught by a lesser ring of spell storing. The merchant asked not for money, but for a memory, and Aodhán was willing to trade the memory of the first drop of venom he felt while imprisoned. The man shuddered in a mix of pleasure and enjoyment and readily agreed to the trade: the memory for the robes and the ring and a cat trinket for Kai and a few other things for the party members not there and he would still call it a fair trade.

“Go in balance, Hel’s Consequence” the merchant said to Aodhán as Prulla and Yulinda and Ahri found them in the marketplace.

### Session Four

As they turned to go, Kai thought the shopkeeper reminded him slightly of a shader-kai. “May the god of your choosing smile upon you,” he said, but received no reply.

Aodhán had spent several minutes picking out gifts for the others and now determined to sneak them into their packs now that they had all joined up again. Seeing him act all stealthily-like, Kai gave him a big wink when he successfully deposited Yulinda’s gift. No one had noticed anything different yet, or if they did, they didn’t let on.

Now they crossed to the other stall led by Ahri. The shop here seemed to be a constant battle between order and chaos, and a series of bells tinkled, announcing their arrival.

Chuck (a dwarf) greeted them all with an almost aggressive enthusiasm, and when Ahri pulled out a list of things she was looking for they seemed to share a mutual appreciation for spices and the like. With so many customers at once, Chuck’s partner Baub (an elf) came out to help. It turned out most all the party was looking for something, with Ahri and Katarzyna both looking for the same spell components - like gum arabic and lengths of copper wire - though whether they were for the same spell was anyone’s guess).

Aodhán asked after a chip of a white stone, and Baub found a small right with a white opal set in it. This was acceptable, and then his tone changed as he asked if they might possibly have any funerary linens dedicated to Mystra. Unfortunately, given the changes over the last several hundred years, they did not have such an item, though they did have  linens not dedicated to a particular deity. Aodhán explained they were for his wife, whose remains had been used to entrap him, and how he had recently been freed. Chuck and Baub refused to take payment, but when Aodhán politely informed them that he didn’t feel right taking charity when he had means to pay, they accepted one copper piece.

Several members of the party were looking for scraps of cured leather, which Chuck had in plenty from various armorers.

Yulinda had her choice of several types of feathers, but sadly they did not have any dinosaur feathers for Ahri. She didn’t need those specific feathers, she said, but rather just wanted to see what they looked like.

Kai asked Chuck if they had any type of animal trinket - it did not matter if it was magical or not - and after a few moments rummaging about a bronze rat was brought forth. Kai declared it perfect.

As they each settled their accounts, Ahri asked where they might find an apple pie, and Baub directed them down the street a short way to a bakery she knew of. Ahri went inside and came back out with an apple pie. She broke off a little of the crust and placed it in a bottle, then sliced the pie equally and split it with the party.

They all agreed it was good, with Yulinda, Ahri, and Kai enjoying it so much they almost forgot the world around them. It wasn’t magical pie, it was just that good, and Kai could almost swear he heard Yulinda muttering under her breath “I’m definitely going to be writing this down later”.

Kai looked up at the sign and read “Flakey’s Pies” in large letters with “the stuff of legends” in smaller letters underneath. It looked to him that at least in this case there was still some truth in advertising.

Perhaps that’s why the three of them didn’t notice they were being followed, but the others did. Aodhán in particular seemed to pick out he was watching Ahri in particular, and he casually sidled up to her and asked. “So, do you know the tiefling that’s been following us since we left the tavern?”

Ahri looked up from her pie and almost dropped it. Cere had come over by now and offered her opinion: “I don’t think he’s dangerous but he doesn’t look well,”

“Well I would hope he’s not dangerous, he’s my brother! Well, half brother. That’s Carrion!”

Aodhán perked up at that name. “Which side are you related on?”

“My mother’s I think.”

And then they had each closed the gap, and with lots of back-and-forth along the lines of “what are you doing here?” The tiefling began leading Ahri down an alleyway. Half brother or not they weren’t about to let Ahri go off unattended and followed her, catching up to them just in time to hear Carrion ask “please tell me you didn’t take it.”

“Take what?”

“The stone?”

“What stone?”

“The stone from the dream, Ahri” and then he proceeded to describe almost perfectly the dream they had each shared.

“So, about that . . .”

“Oh, Ahri. All right. What kind of stone do you have?”

“Well, it’s blue.”

“Not quite what I meant”

And then Yulinda stepped in with her notes on the stones. “It tastes like bluebells and sea salt, I can tell you that. And before you ask, yes, I did.”

And now Carrion and Aodhán seemed to recognize each other. Kai thought for certain he heard Aodhán tell Carrion “so, you’re a god now,” and Carrion rather vehemently deny such an accusation. Soon enough though, he was back to addressing them all.

“You’re all in danger. Tell me: what have you said you’d do?”

Kai filled him in on what they were doing: going to Rapture to find the Stygian library. Beyond that was anyone’s guess.

Carrion looked pale as a flux of light tried to wash over him - a light that he seemingly pushed back down.

“Do you want some pie? Ahri asked.

“Or holy water?” Prulla added. “Of course, it’s not really holy water, but it’s still good.”

Carrion shook his head. “I’ve already touched too much,” he said almost to himself before saying a bit louder “the gods are being tested.”

“Why us?” Katarzyna wondered.

“Who knows? I can only say you have been picked for an important quest to test the worthiness of the gods.”

“Oh shit” Aodhán swore loudly.

“More than you know. The Lady of Pain is permitting this to happen.”

The Lady of Pain. Kai had heard of her, who wasn’t exactly a her but was something else. She was not a god, and anyone who worshipped her soon found themselves dead. She ruled from the realm of Sigil, a city supposedly at the center of the cosmos. It was said only two beings stood over and above Sigil and and Lady: Ao, overgod of the world, and a mysterious entity known as Those Who Watch from Beyond.

“If true, this is an important quest of discovery,” Kai heard someone say, but he later could not remember who said it.

Aodhán pulled out six pieces of candy and began fiddling with them.

“Casting runes?” Kai asked.

“Not really, just trying to think. There are thirteen, maybe fourteen gods but only six stones. The stones bind us to the quest, and may either help or hinder us on the way - as Yulinda has already demonstrated. And somehow it’s connected to the Library, which keeps putting me in mind of the River Styx. . .”

“I can honestly say that while I don’t know what is in the Stygian Library, I know for certain it’s not necessarily related to that fateful river,” Carrion replied. “I also know that while the Library is a place of magic and testing, I would not trust anything inside. It is designed to test those who enter - and in this case, what you do will direct the course of the new pantheon going forward.”

“Oh so no pressure there,” Ahri and Prulla said together.

“How do our actions affect the gods?” Aodhán wanted to know, “And by what right are we bound to this quest? This is the second time in as many days that my autonomy has been taken from me, and I do not like the precedent that sets.”

Carrion shrugged. “You were picked by the universe. And you picked the stones. Now, maybe we could put some things together if we knew what god you all follow?”

“The stones seemed like a good idea a the time,” Kai offered, “but as for your question, I chose the Harmony, and she has blessed me in return.”

They listed off their chosen deities; Kai asked if Aodhán had chosen the Warden or if he, too, had been thrust upon him. Aodhán likened it to making friends with a cat in the corner at a party and Kai smiled at that. He also noted that Katarzyna seemed to indicate she followed the Demise - but he couldn’t be certain that’s what she had said.

“All right and what about the stone attributes - have you discovered those?”

Together Aodhán and Yulinda pieced it together: red = wisdom; orange = constitution; blue = strength; green = charisma; yellow = dexterity; purple = intelligence.

Of course there were other questions:

But how did Cere fit? No one quite knew.

What was the precedent? Maybe they would find it in the library.

Did the gods know? Some, but not all.

What would they find in the library? Impossible to tell, but likely something to do with the present and possible futures.

Carrions also pointed out that the could likely hear out the Keeper for the Library and then walk away. Not that that would solve anything. Someone else would fill the void if they declined. He brought up the fact that they were all likely connected to one of the gods in the new pantheon, and that anyone else brought into the quest would likely have the same “qualification.”

Ahri asked if there was anything they could do, and he suggested praying to the Arcanum at one of his temples and perhaps they would find something to aid their journey.

Then it was time to leave the alleyway, but before they parted Carrion and Ahri embraced. This time Carrion could not keep the wild magic down and Ahri came away with an immunity to the effects of alcohol and other drugs for the next two weeks.

Returning to the Tavern of Second Chances they found Lord Greycastle had taken the liberty of having stewards prepare everything for the journey. Since many in the party had their own mounts, Aodhán and Cere and Katarzyna would ride in the carriage with Greycastle.

As the shadows lengthened in the evening Kai thought something was going wrong with his eyes; their shadows started looking funny. He rubbed his eyes and Yulinda noticed.

“You see it too?” Yulinda called out, and then Kai’s eyes and brain resolved themselves and he realized their shadows were not black but rather prismatic - almost as if they were copying the colors of the stones they carried.

The journey to rapture was rather uneventful, though since it was a two-day journey they had to stop at an inn. They had a slot machine and both Yulinda and Prulla paid a few coppers to test the device and walked away with a little bit of winnings. It was as they were all settling in for a meal that they discovered their gifts from Aodhán. When all was said and done, this is what they had: Ahri had a bag of beans, Aodhán a ring of spell storing; Katarzyna owned robes of the magi, Kai bore a luckstone, Prulla had a ring of the grammarian (they all started thinking how that might be useful, since Prulla herself could not cast spells so far as anyone knew), and Yulinda had a pair of goggles of arcane reading.

It was tending toward night on the second day that they crested a hilltop and saw the town of Rapture spread out before them.

### Session Five

*Date: 6 Deepwinter*

They arrived at Rapture as the sun broke over the horizon. It was said the city never slept; Kai had no doubt there were cohorts of casters using magic to keep the city alive and bustling. There was no doubt it was a beautiful city, shining as it was like a rainbow in the middle of the desert. In fact, it had once been called Oasis before it went from a place of rest to a place of revelry. If one listened carefully, the sounds of glorious music seemed to float gently on the air like a whisper.

The beauty of the city hid what could be considered a dark underside, depending on the deity one followed. Many things - make that most things - were legal here, including those that might raise eyebrows (or the strong arm of the law) elsewhere. Of course there were temples here, mainly to the Muse, Sovereign, Star, and Watcher, though if one looked long enough they would find at least one small shrine to each of the Pantheon.

Even know, Kai could see clerics forming small groups outside the city gates to beg alms or give blessings or otherwise practice some tenet of their faith.

Ahead of him, Greycastle was talking loud enough for his voice to carry, and he could hear the lord explaining to those in his carriage that the main hotel and casino was the Silvercrest - owned and operated by the same family since time immemorial. Kai thought he had heard Rapture had needed to be entirely rebuilt after the war some two hundred years past. If so, the Silvercrests did not seem to be hurting for it.

A small group of clerics in gold cloaks caught Kai’s eye. It was odd to see clerics of the Watcher begging for alms; it wasn’t his - or their - way of doing things. Were they struggling in some unusual way? As Kai looked closer, it seemed to him there was something off about their bearing, and their holy symbols seemed to be melting . . . or twisted . . . or deliberately broken. Just looking at them made his teeth ache, and looking away the pain still lingered.

Now the clerics stepped out into the road, seemingly with the intent to stop the procession. A warning sounded in Kai’s brain. If this was a targeted ambush, as it appeared to be, it was quite ballsy to do it here at the gates to a large city. There were six of them arranged 2 - 2 - 1, with the one in back looking just different enough that perhaps he would be the leader.

Inside the carriage, Greycaste’s “training” kicked in and he rolled himself onto the floor of the carriage and into a hidden compartment. His crest might be on the carriage door, but only his guests would be seen inside.

Kai watched as Katarzyna leaded out one of the windows and carefully cast what looked like Arms of Hadar, successfully binding the two closest to the carriage.

Kai debated dismounting from the wagon and striding directly toward the leader, but fearing he might provoke an attack of opportunity he instead cast guiding bolt at the one in back. It seemed to Kai as if he turned to look directly at him as the spell was cast, and yet it also seemed as if he did nothing to prevent it. The light came down and washed over him full force (for 10 hp) and illuminated his face - revealing a series of tattoos against golden skin. Kai cast Searing Smite on his war pick and prepared to dismount.

To Kai’s right, he watched Yulinda ride Rudolph forward. He thought she pushed Prulla off, but soon realized it was a practiced maneuver as Prulla landed expertly and readied herself to strike. Yulinda now turned to fire at the leader with the Comet Rifle. It seemed the shot was perfect, but just as she squeezed the trigger one of Greycastle’s horses had enough and attempted to bolt - stepping right in front of Yulinda, taking the projectile directly in an eye, and crumbling into a frozen mess.

“What the fuck?!” Kai called out - only a little in shock at what the weapon had done and more to the fact that Yulinda had just shot down a horse who was only doing horse things.

Some of the henchmen had similar relaxations and, intimidated by what had just happened, turned to flee. They were not fast enough; Ahri did a forward-summersault off Rydice and cast Thunderwave, hitting four of them.

Prulla took aim at the one still unaffected and kneecapped him, cutting through the femoral artery and dropping him to the ground. “Bye-bye” Kai thought he heard her say. He definitely saw her wave.

Aodhán gracefully exited the carriage via one of the windows with Katarzyna and flourished an eldritch blast using his pact blade. The leader seemed unaffected and now moved into melee range relative to Aodhán.

Katarzyna attacked the one closest to her that looked the least bloody with a Chromatic Orb, inflicting fire damage for 14 points of damage. By this point the gold cloak was glowing and things seemed very, very wrong.

“Don’t hit him with magic,” she called out.

Cere now stepped out of the carriage using the door and attacked one of the bound henchmen with ray of sicknes, taking him down with 31 points of damage.

Greycastle’s footmen tried leaving, but then . . .

The leader of the (false?) clerics dropped what Kai later learned was Time Stop (a 9th level spell according to Aodhán). He walked to the center of the party as if sizing each of them up. Starting with Kai he whispered two words to each of them, including Cere, using a Twinned Spell to reach them all before his Time Stop ended.

“The End” registered in Kai’s ears as the Time Stop ended and the Power Word Kill took effect.

If it was any consolation, they all died together. They were swallowed by the darkness and depth of death. And then they all opened their eyes in the inky blackness of the void. In the directionless expanse, they found themselves in such an arrangement that their feet formed a star.

Cere was missing, but Veil was there, panicking. “It wasn’t supposed to go that way, but I can make it right. I just didn’t give you enough help, that’s all.” And so it went, with Kai thinking Veil was talking more to herself than to any of them.

Then she focused on Katarzyna. “I imagine you are wondering about Cere. She is safe, though I cannot say why. Well, I could say why, but it is not my story to tell. Now, I can help you, but you must trust me.”

Aodhán wondered what the cost of her service would be, but Veil seemed to indicate her assistance would come at no cost - though they would have to hold hands while she worked her magic.

They did so, with each of them squeezing the hands of those next to them. “I trust you,” Katarzyna said - though Kai wondered to what extent that was true. He softly echoed her words, not fully trusting what she said but also convinced this was the only way forward.

Kai felt some things change inside him, as if things had become just slightly better, and then Veil said,

“Right then. Now that you’ve been “updated” to to speak, it’s time to send you back.”

“How long has it been since we . . . ?” Kai asked.

“About fifteen seconds?”

“Is that bastard still there?”

Veil disappeared for a moment and then came back.

“Not anymore,” she said.

There was a brief conversation about what, exactly, had happened. If they were supposed the be involved in a test of the New Gods, then The End was a person or cult who wanted them to fail, to bring about, well, The End - the apocalypse. Perhaps hey were targeted here, at the beginning of their quest, to prevent them from ever meeting Veil’s mistress. But whoever she was, she wanted balance, or fairness, and taking them on this way was decidedly unfair. And so they would be sent back to continue their  journey.

Were they pawns?

That was one of their main questions, but also, if they were each connected to a god as some suggested, then perhaps they should take some time and figure out each of their connections.

Their eyes opened again on the road to Rapture, and this time a whole lot of people were headed their way. No one was quite sure what had happened, but most accounts said they were ambushed, a horse was killed, and then they seemingly died and came right back.

Despite what Veil had said they could not see Cere, but a rustling in some nearby thick brush gave away a young-looking gold dragon. Amost to an individual they rushed to her side, with Aodhán and Katarzyna reaching her first. She was talking in fits and starts and focused mainly on Katarzyna while Kai and Aodhán talked with the guards that had showed up to investigate.

When they could once again give Cere their undecided attention, Cere reintroduced herself as Brioche, mount and adopted child of the Demise and the Sovereign, here to protect her traveling companion - technically her half-sister Katarzyna, daughter of the Demise and the Sovereign.

“I think I’ve heard of you,” Kai said out loud, and Brioche looked proud.

“Whole books have been written about me,” she said with a smile - and without a single trace of arrogance or superiority.

Aodhán, it seemed, had known Brioche - or of her - from his life before imprisonment.

“But didn’t you have armor, special armor?” He asked. “But knowing this . . . I’d have to say maybe you used Polymorph but dind’t quite know what to do about the clothes so you just included them with the polymorph itself?”

Brioche nodded. “That’s right, she said. And you’re right - I do have armor that the Smith made just for me, but wearing it out in public now . . . Not only would it be quite recognizable, but it’s also considered a holy relic by some folks. Not what we wanted when trying to travel unnoticed. Or mostly unnoticed, that is.”

More connections to the gods . . .

And now Greycastle’s emerged from his hiding spot. He had played his part perfectly and was now congratulating them all on a successful defense. He had missed their deaths and sudden return, and Kai wondered how long it would take before he realized . . .

“Oh great heavens what’s happened to Priscilla? Cardamom, are you all right?”

Aodhán and Yulinda offered up a version of what had happened, convincing Greycastle that Priscilla had in fact attempted to help defend the carriage and was just as much a hero today as any of them. Greycastle nodded solemnly as he talked out loud of making funerary arrangements for the fallen  Priscilla, including asking Ahri to compose a ballad.

Kai was conflicted. It was a good story, but it wasn’t the truth. However, it made Priscilla look very good and so he let it slide. He would not let Yulinda slide so easily, and determined they would both attend the funeral at the very least, and possibly get her to visit either the temple of the Harmony or the Smith to make things right.

Greycaste and Aodhán were talking; he would get another horse to help pull the carriage into Rapture and offered to see to Clover as well so that the party could stay together. They would find accommodations at the Silvercrest; all they would have to do it mention his name.

Aodhán helped explain things as they finally entered the city - where people stared at them and talked in toned both hushed and not-so-hushed. It seems that Greycastle was coming to Rapture to celebrate a wedding. Aodhán himself had been very-nearly (almost certainly) engaged to a member back in the day, and given the long lives of elves, wondered if they were still alive and still holding a grudge.

“I had heard you felled a Great House,” Kai said, “but I thought it was your uncle. And then I saw all this and it doesn’t look too felled to me . . .”

“Oh that was me and I certainly made off with a large chunk of their money. But when you have as much as they do . . .”

They looked for a temple to the Arcanum but went directly to the hotel: sixty stories of  the most extravagant high-elf baroque architecture money could buy. No expense had been spared anywhere; an obviously new family portrait hung behind the half-elf at the desk with thirty or so sending stones in front of her.

Aodhán took over, what with his being most familiar with Greycastle, and they soon found themselves with silver-grade access to the hotel. Gold was the next level up, and Platinum, it would seem, was reserved for close family.

A lift took them up to rooms decorated in silver and platinum, where a ghostly image of the woman at the desk hovered over a plate - a kind of magic form of communicating with the front desk. She was called Caelynn and no sooner had she begun describing the baths located just down the hall than Aodhán and Prulla and Katarzyna (followed by Cere [Brioche]) went in search of hot relaxation.

Yulinda took a bit longer talking with Caelynn before she too went in search of a bath with Kai close behind.

“The scent of shame,” Kai whispered somewhat loudly from behind as the doors closed on the scene.

### Episode Six

#### The Judgment

An hour or so later found the adventurers meeting back in the main sitting area. Aodhán and Cere positioned themselves near the fire; Kai cast Produce Flame for them, and soon found himself being somewhat crowded on either side.

“Making friends, making friends, la la la” Kai thought happily to himself.

Aodhán took stock of the room. This was, after all, a luxury hotel, and even the lowest silver tier in which they found themselves was exceptional. The walls were decorated with intricate ornaments and precious gems, and Prulla in particular had wrapped herself up in thick robes and luxuriant slippers.

He spoke softly to Cere, asking her to examine the room and see if there were any diamonds in the room that would meet the cost for True Resurrection: a total of 25,000 gold. She agreed, but kindly asked them all not to stare; she did not like being looked at when she was working. She sniffed and licked and climbed and crouched her way around the room and up and down the walls - mimicked carefully and without malice by Prulla. It was as if Prulla was trying to learn by doing, and either Cere did not care or did not notice.

The others talked about how they were feeling about things so far. Most everyone felt good - in fact, better for having died - and this was quite unsettling itself. They tried talking through what kind of person could cast Power Word Kill multiple times. Although far from settled, it seemed the most likely was some type of sorcerer who also had access to magic absorption.

Kai was lost in thought; he had ideas about what they had been told, but they were like strands of web or mist that he could just see the shape of something but was missing a crucial piece. He must have been very lost in thought because the next thing he knew he heard Ahi say,

“Oh, so you want Rydice to eat Greycastle?”

“You mean to say Rydice isn’t a herbivore?” Katarzyna asked.

“No, he’s a watchamacallit. A omnomnomivore.”

“Just how big can he open his mouth” Yulinda or Katarzyna wanted to know.

“Well, I’ve seen him get it about the size of half his body, so . . .”

“Maybe we can use that to intimidate our precious lordling Greycastle,” Aodhán observed. “I’d been planning to dump him soon enough, anyway. I’m not sure how much longer we can trust his generosity. And speaking of trust, to bring things back around, just how much do we trust Veil?”

“I trust her as a matter of convenience,” Kai answered, and the others seemed to echo similar sentiments.

About that time Cere came back with her report: the total value of the diamonds in the room was 50,000 gold. It might be a lot, but it was worth it, she said, claiming it was something she had learned from her dad. And there was something else she’d learned: to check for traps. The room was protected by a magic alarm system. She didn’t know it it would go off for simply taking things off the walls or if it would have to leave the room itself, but if that focused on the larger gems and gabbed them at the same time with a plan to get out, then it should work. They could take them to a cleric, where the spell would use the diamonds but leave whatever their settings might be.

That gave Kai an idea. “Why not bring a cleric here?”

“Do we know a cleric who would do that for us?” Aodhán asked. “Now might be a good time to figure out just who we’re connected to.” He seemed to have most everyone figured out either because they were already devoted to someone or related to one of them. Aodhán himself, the Warden; Ahri, the Harmony and the Arcanum; Kai, the Harmony; Katarzyna, the Sovereign and the Demise; and Yulinda, the Smith.

Kai wondered briefly if any of them had heard of his previous traveling companion, about whom he had heard rumors, but Aodhán was already moving on.

“The only real mystery is you, Prulla. I mean, yes, you’re devoted to The Carnage, but is the more? For example, is there anyone famous in your family?”

“Well, there’s Grandma,” she began.

“THE Grandma?” (Kai could hear the capital letters)

“I think so? She’s been around a very long time, and if you believe her she was in Little Grove when things changed.”

“Well there you have it,” Aodhán declared. “Might as well be connected to the core of the whole Hilantheon with a grandma like that.”

They decided that, all things considered, they should go seek out a cleric of The Star. She was the most prominent deity in the city, and theologians said she was almost as well acquainted with death as The Demise. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little luck on their side, and Aodhán more than once indicated that The Star and married his brother, who was now The Corsair (though an ocean god might not be much help this far inland).

Kai thought hard. His traveling companion had specialized knowledge, and some of her offhand comments might not have been that offhand after all. Maybe they couldn’t get a cleric and would need a scroll. Maybe they would need a quick escape. It couldn’t hurt to have a little advantage . . . The Silent Hand, that was the name she’d dropped. They were the thieve’s guild here in Rapture, and some said the largest in Hilan.

When he brought it up, the decision was made to split the party. Kai advised against it, but Katarzyna pointed out that last time they split the party they had a successful shopping trip. Kai couldn’t argue with precedent.

#### Three of Wands

Kai, Prulla, and Ahri would seek out the Silent Hand. Prulla whipped off her robes to reveal she was already fully armored underneath. Her fuzzy slippers though . . .

They helped her with her boots, and as they did so she grabbed slips of paper and put them in all her pockets. “Hello thieves, we would like a chat” they read. She put her actual valuables in her bra.

It was some minutes before they were underway, and Kai tried to seek out the symbols the guild used to communicate. He was no Rogue with knowledge of Thieve’s Cant, but maybe he could recognize it even if he couldn’t understand it. It was the worst time to find thieves out on the street; it was now high noon.

Kai walked with purpose - or tried to, anyway. Many times folks wouldn’t look twice if their first look said you belonged there.

They soon found themselves on the seedier side of town, though “seedier” was simply a matter of comparison. The tourist areas of the town were extravagant for a reason; here was where people lived. A small sign indicated the place was known as Burrow’s End, and Kai couldn’t help but get the feeling that this was an honest place, a thought he found ironic considering the purpose of their visit.

Every so often a sign caught his eye. There were the typical signs for laundry and childcare and rooms to let, but there was also one sign that stuck out: it advertised a magician and his act, and thought he artwork was dated by some fifty years, it seemed the posters were in good condition. Shows were held daily three hours past high noon, and

“Looking for something, are we?” a voice asked. “Come to see our local wonder, have you?”

Kai looked and saw a cloaked woman holding an armful of pamphlets. The cloak was not menacing.

“How good is he?” Kai asked doubtfully.

“He is a veteran of the arts!”

“And what art is that?” Ahri asked almost accusingly.

“Why, prestidigitation!”

“Oh, so he does disappearing tricks?”

“Why don’t you come see him? Here, have some free passes - and bring your friends!”

“I’m not sure. You say he’s magic. Is there a lizard with eagle wings doing flying tricks through hoops of fire?”

“That’s not magic, my dear,” the woman said almost wearily.

“Well it could be!”

Kai felt that, while the woman and Ahri were using words each other knew, they were also speaking an entirely different language.  He put out a gentle hand on Ahri in an attempt to slow her down just a little.

He couldn’t figure out how she did it, but Prulla put a hand on Kai’s shoulder.

“We look forward to it,” she assured the woman “and we wouldn’t dream of missing it.”

Ahri looked confused.

“She knows who we’re looking for and has invited us to parley at 3:00”

“You understood all that?” Kai asked.

Prulla shrugged. “This time, anyway.” She examined her pockets; every piece of paper was gone. She carefully examined her hiding place; along with her valuables there was now a very carefully constructed paper ball.

#### The High Priestess

The others found easy directions to the temple of the Star. It would seem everyone wanted luck when it came to bars and bets and beds. Outside was a kind of dinosaur petting zoo, imports from Chult and representative of one of the goddess’ favored animals. They noticed a chameleon motif in gold and blues with bright gems set into even darker stone. Not only did this give them a brilliance even in the brightest day, but also harkened to another aspect of The Star: she was lord of a Dread Realm, so it was said.

The clerics and acolytes inside were quite lovely, and Aodhán asked after the high cleric or some other cleric who might be able to assist in a matter of True Resurrection.

Informed that it would take a few minutes, they found themselves waiting in a garden with a variety of mushroom dragons. It was quite calming and relaxing.

Soon a cleric approached with a galaxy at her head and a fog at her feet. It did not take any kind of a check to realize she was a person of power, and Katarzyna cast thaumaturgy to clean up their clothes, some of which had become mussed in scratching and scritching the garden dragons.

Toby Selena, Hich Cleric of the Star, Aodhán now recounted the tragic murder of his wife to yet another near-stranger. How much it must hurt his heart to bare his soul each time.

Selena must have also sensed this, as she herself remarked how much Aodhán had shown and shared with her, and invited one of them others to also share their deep desire.

Yulinda spoke of a sister, loved by all, and a tragic fire. No body was found, and she hoped one day to find her missing sibling . . . somewhere.

Selena was concerned about going against the Silvercrest family, given their riches and influence, but Aodhán picked up that this was mere pretense. She seemed to indicate both she and the god she served would get a massive laugh out of the whole thing, provided it went according to plan.

When it was suggested they meet later that night under the stars to best approach The Star herself, she said “I carry the stars in my pocket. Darkness falls at my command.” It was said without maile or anger but with such matter-of-factness that it stuck with every one who heard it as simply a badass statement of power.

They headed out and met the rest of the party, who had come looking for them. They went to see the mushroom dragons where they fed a scone to “the king of chonks” and  on the way out Yulinda made alms of contrition for the horse Priscilla.

Kai nodded in approval. “Well, that’s that, then,” he said.

They also stopped by the Dino Petting Zoo and marveled at the creatures, Kai was pleased to see them well taken care of.

#### The Magician

They made their way to the theater indicated on the pamphlet, where a fading marquee advertised The Ebonmancer.

“Tickets? Passes?”

“We’ve got passes,” Kai said. “And we were told to bring our friends?”

A nod. “Enjoy the show,” the doorman said.

“You, too!” Ahri said excitedly \*oh, wait . . .”

Inside, it was an old theater as well. The concession area was clearly abandoned long ago, and they were presented with a choice: having a seat in the main auditorium, or going backstage through a door left suspiciously open . . .

Kai and Aodhán went into the auditorium and took aisle seats. Katarzyna sat next to Aodhán and Cere sat next to Katarzyna. Prulla sat between Cere and Yulinda and Ahri sat between Yulinda and Kai.

They were not alone in the auditorium; a lone figure sat in the front row. Perhaps it was due to both her height and placement in the seating order, but Yulinda recognized it as a quite real and very well preserved skeleton of someone who appeared to be an elf. Perhaps even more disturbingly, it was not very old.

Kai began to wonder out loud if this was a very bad idea and began apologizing for making poor choices, but Cere said that technically nothing bad had happened yet and anyway, isn’t this what adventuring is all about?

Yulinda made a remark about leaving some coins for the skeleton, at which point the skeleton turned and said

“I haven’t had a coin of passage since I died.”

As he spoke, he stood up and flourished a cloak he had been sitting on and, resting on his shoulders said “I do like to get to know my audience; you’re here for magic, I take it?”

What followed was a series of pun-filled close-up magic tricks under flickering lights. There was even a sword cabinet and a skeleton assistant in a shiny, sequined outfit. The grand finale involved a spinning wheel of fire.

They applauded loudly at the conclusion of the show and the Ebonmancer came back and sat down, where he and Ahri talked about how his classic magic wasn’t what modern audiences wanted. He also knew they were looking for the guild . . .

Kai picked up the talking.

“I was told that if I ever needed help, maybe I might try the guild. we were looking for access to a certain high level spell, but that looks like it may be taken care of. Now we find ourselves perhaps needing to plan a quick escape from the city . . .”

“Escape, hmmm. You’ve seen our marks through the city, yes? Hmmm. Look for the mark. It will lead you to passageways and hideaways and secret places you might have use for. And tell no one of what you saw here.”

““why would we want to tell anyone about this musty old dump?” Kai answered with a big wink.

“Hmm yes. Why indeed.”

If skeletons could grin, Kai thought the Ebonmancer do it.

#### The Lovers (Reversed)

They returned to the Silvercrest and soon the doorbell chimed, announcing the arrival of the High Cleric of the Star. Once more she indicated her willingness to go along with the plan and embrace the chaos of it all.

“I petition my Lady the Star to open they way, to part the curtain between the worlds, to allow the guiding light to bring one home, body and mind and soul complete and in tandem to cross back over the veil. We now speak the true name of . . .

“Kerlelith of the Icewind Dale” Aodhán said clearly and softly.

The ambient light diminished and a cool wind blew as utter darkness descended in the room. The diamonds surrounding them burst into stardust and settled between Selena and Aodhán, forming a softball-sized diamond made of diamonds dust.

From the darkness there was movement, and a figure stepped forward in fully formed body and life back in her eyes.

Aodhán looked confused.

The figure looked at the diamond, then to Selena, then to Aodhán and the others, and then back to Aodhán again.

“Kerlelith, you’re young,” Aodhán finally managed to say.

“You called me back?”

“Of course”

“Why?”

“Because they killed my wife in front of me. Because they tore us apart. Because we belonged together and for two hundred years we were denied everything. Why wouldn’t I bring you back!?”

“Because I was at peace, Aodhán.”

“Oh. I . . . I didn’t know.”

“Again. Why did you bring me back?”

“Because I love you. You are my wife, regardless of what the cursed Corellon and his cohorts might do or say.”

“Love. You . . . You love me?”

“Where have you been the entirety of our lives, apart from . . .”

“Yes. Of course. I understand. But you see, I do not love you; it was all illusion. And now that I am under no obligation to lie, I am at peace. So why, again, should I come back?”

“I ended bloodlines for you. I brought Ragnarok FOR YOU”

“The beginning was fun, I will admit. I thought with time I might learn to truly love you, but . . . well . . . “

“I gave up everything for you. I gave it all up . . .”

“And that was a very foolish thing to do, Aodhán.” She now turned to Selena. “Do I have to stay?”

“Let her do as she wants,” Aodhán said, quietly and miserably.

“You are free to go.”

Kerlelith reached forward and touched the diamond. It cracked, and its light faded into pitch darkness. The moment was broken.

“I am so very very sorry,” Selena said to Aodhán. “I . . . I felt true love in you . . . I . . . Do you want me to go?”

“Yes, none of this is your fault,” Aodhán said, his voice full of sorrow.

A ringing reached their ears. It seems the magical alarm had finally been triggered. Simultaneously, a section of a wall opened up and out stepped Finriel Silvercrest. They seemed to know Aodhán.

“You should probably follow me,” he said.

“Go,” Selena agreed. “I am in a position to buy you time.”

Into the unseen passageways of the Silvercrest Hotel our band of adventurers followed one who even now was being ribbed by Aodhán, the blush rising in his face and ears.

*And that is where we will leave our intrepid adventurers until next time!*

## Relationships

### The Party

**Ahri Orpheus** - Kai is intrigued by Ahri’s roundabout way of thought, and even more impressed that she has (so far) often arrived at quite probing insights. He looks forward to getting to know both Ahri and her mount, Rydice, better, as well has hearing one of Ahri’s own compositions.

**Aodhán Helason** - Kai believes he has found a somewhat kindred spirit in Aodhán, particularly as Aodhán is now in much the same position Kai was in several years ago. Kai wonders what Loki, acting as Aodhan’s double for some two hundred years, has done to Aodhan’s reputation. Kai is determined to be a friend to him, and is pleased that his natural affinity for fire can be of some use.

Katarzyna - Kai is still forming an opinion of Katarzyna as she understandably keeps her own counsel. So far Kai views her as practical and pragmatic, essential qualities if the adventuring party actually wants to earn some coin.

**Prulla Whisperspark** - Kai is pleased to have found an ally in Prulla. While they have only discussed battle tactics, they seem to have a mutual respect and understanding - and perhaps an unspoken plan for mischief should they find themselves in other sticky situations.

**Yulinda** **Gimbel** - Kai has seen that Yulinda can be a formidable foe and has no desire to be on the other end of her “Comet Rifle”. He is also impressed by her determination to examine each of the veilstones they have discovered - even to the point of injuring herself by tasting them. Kai is also happy he wasn’t the only one to think they all should form an adventuring party,

#### Other Characters

**Cere**

**The Harmony** - As told by The Rogue, The Harmony’s story resonated with Kai. It is she to whom he has devoted himself, and she has seen fit to grant him the powers of a Paladin.

**The Rogue** - Kai was freed from his imprisonment by a Rogue. Being new to the world of Hilan, it took a while for Kai to realize “Rogue” was not her name but a description. With this realization, Kai has come to understand that while The Rogue taught him many things, it is not likely her common name was among them. Kai has heard a rumor that she is actually Feno Oberyn, a minor deity in the newly-formed Hilanian pantheon - but has not been able to verify the truth of the matter.