Session 8

Before leaving Waddlestork, Marallis "Lissie" Ophiuc gathers herbs from the swamp. Thomas Aberrich will be staying in Waddlestork for a few days and will catch up with the party in Salt Landing. The party departs with Catherine Lynn and a disguised Ekk.

As the party approaches Salt Landing they notice a large boat owned by the Ogonek Trading Company docked in the bay. Rhea Aves panics and runs towards her house to check on her family. Rhea finds most of her family is home, but Robin Aves and the twins are not. She sets out to find them.

Lissie and Caelestus Nishant, cautious about the guards at the gates, stay back and decide it is best that Lissie stay quiet. Cael and Lissie arrive at the town square and see Gracia Morafi instructing the town guards to not allow any Ogonek guards off the ship. An Ogonek Trading Company captain, named Captain Fesh, is allowed to unload cargo

Cael and Lissie approach Morafi and tell her the Baron has been disposed of. Morafi pays them 200 gold as a reward. Morafi admits that she knows who Lissie is, but promises to keep her secret safe. The party is informed they can use Morafi Manor to take care of any business they have or to use as sleeping quarters until they leave town.

At the manor Lissie has a twenty minute discussion with Cael on how to best disguise herself. After deciding that a simple hat or makeup will not do, Lissie sends Cael out to find hair dye while she, Catherine and Ekk remain at the manor. Cael stops by his father's house and has a deep and meaningful discussion on purpose and life. A true prodigal son returns moment. Aelius Nishant discusses the Dedicatedand its leader Harold. He wishes to know more about them and their true purpose.

Meanwhile, Rhea is told by an acquaintance that someone was looking for her and Piper Aves. She learns that this person arrived before the Ogonek ship arrived in the bay. She finds her missing siblings at a tavern called The Leaky Something. The someone that was looking for her, has found her siblings and is questioning Robin Aves over an ale. He is an 8-foot tall half orc named Krob. Rhea tries to usher her family out of the tavern, but Krob convinces her to sit down and hear him out as he has information about her family. Krob looking for information about their mother, Paloma Aves. She is the only member of the Aves family that he doesn't know the location of. He knows where their father, Dotterel Aves is, but relays that Paloma is not with him. Dotterel and Krob are old friends and adventuring partners, and Krob he checks up on the Aves frequently. Krob is worried something has happened to Paloma. Krob tells Rhea that Dotterel is currently in the Metrian Empire and is the chief advisor to his former wife, the Empress of Fire. Krob, Dotterel, and the Empress were once part a party that discovered something that granted them immortality. They can still die by other means, in theory, but they no longer age. They were an adventuring party before the inception of the Seekers. Krob does not believe Paloma to be immortal. Krob says that Dotterel does not seem to be looking for their mother, so he believes Dotterel is hiding something or their may be some intrigue afoot. Krob believes that Dotterel did not leave as willingly as Rhea believes.

Rhea travels with Krob and her siblings back to their home where they begin looking for any other clues about Paloma. Near their house they find a tree with an unnatural looking hidey hole. Inside is a bundle of sticks tied into a spiderweb shape with twine, and in its centre is the skill of a bird. Krob believes someone with Dyssian magic was keeping an eye on their father. Krob is going to the Council Kingdoms to speak with a friend who is more knowledgeable about specific Dyssian magics. Krob believes that Paoloma is with the person who laid the magic in the hollow in the tree. Dotterel and the Empress did not have a clean divorce, blood was spilt, figuratively and possibly literally. Krob warns not to go searching for Dotterel as it could garner unwanted attention. He has given himself a month to find more information. If he cannot, he will personally accompany them to Nayoraka for an audience with Dotterel. Krob says if he sends them correspondence, the letter will by scented with spruce, and will have a symbol of a circle with a line through it with 2 smaller circles, which means cycle in Druidic. If the party needs to contact him, they can write to the Plumeland Exploratory Guild in Corvonne and the letter will get to him.

While in the Morafi Manor, Lissie witnesses Ekk learning how to swear and decides to teach him proper manners and etiquette. While speaking with Catherine Lynn about astronomy, magics and the happenings at Waddlestork, Lissie decides to tell Catherine about the Orb of Echlune that she has carried for the last seven years. Catherine is extremely curious about the orb and convinces Lissie they must experiment with the orb. Lissie, ecstatic to be able to speak with another academic like herself, agrees - the next time there is a full moon, they will see what they can learn.