Chapter 5: The Party Never Ends

Leaving the Goblin Market, the heroes ventured Northwest towards some fog shrouded hills. As they drew near, they were overtaken by a mysterious fog, and Sivelle let out a curse. Their surroundings twisted and changed, and when the fog cleared they found themselves outside the gates of a marble palace. A river flowed behind them, and before them music beckoned. Fountains overflowed with fine spirits, lifelike statues were posed in every corner, and flowered blossoms were lit with small, flickering candles.

## The First Party

The heroes stepped through the gate, finding themselves surrounded by not just one of the Arch Fey, but all of them.

It was a Masquerade Ball thrown in honor of the Monarch of all the Feywild, and evidently the heroes had managed to secure an invitation (unbeknownst to them, of course). Without masks, they drew haughty and offended looks from most present, though a few employed what magic they had in their possession to fix the problem. With no answers at the ready, they set out to mingle and learn why they were there. A little digging led to Xanthling spotting the Collector invisibly enjoying a cup of tea.

The clock struck 10:45pm, and the party ground to a halt.

A serious halt, as the heroes were the only ones moving, but it didn't last long.

Further mucking about led them to Talison Vos, the Ruler of the Summer Court, who let them know that they had brought them there to spoil the fun, as their presence would likely upset some of the more sensitive Arch Fey.

Upset they did, but the issue was rendered somewhat moot when the clock struck midnight and a massive explosion detonated and killed them all.

Their surroundings twisted and changed, and when the fog cleared they found themselves outside the gates of a marble palace. A river flowed behind them, and before them music beckoned. Fountains overflowed with fine spirits, lifelike statues were posed in every corner, and flowered blossoms were lit with small, flickering candles.

## The First Party, Again

The heroes stepped through the gate, finding themselves surrounded by not just one of the Arch Fey, but all of them.

It was a Masquerade Ball thrown in honor of the Monarch of all the Feywild, and evidently the heroes had managed to secure an invitation (courtesy, it seemed, of Talison Vos). The Ruler of the Summer Court appeared as confused by this turn of events as the heroes, though everyone else seemed quite in the dark. Talison informed the heroes that they had been forced to exert themselves, placing the mortal heroes and everyone else into a time loop in order to save all their lives. Unfortunately, the strain of it kept them entirely occupied, and they needed to rely on the mortals to discover the source of the fiery incineration.

> *"Discover the source of this destruction, contain the danger."*
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Xanthling reached out with his Booyahg to the Collector, offering them a trade. The Collector agreed to meet, so long as they guessed their riddle.

> *"Tell me the sound of a shadow and we can talk"*
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Xanthling opened a gateway to the dark between the stars, a region infested with unknown horrors, from which emerged a cacophony of soft whispers and slurping noises. It was technically correct, and thus they were granted their audience. Smooth talking Shel further ingratiated themselves by offering to get tea, though his attempts to cajole the bees into fetching some only led to him getting stung. He upped the stakes, trying to Command one, and they called his bluff, stinging him to death.

Timber took a chance to give the Monarch's presents a good smelling over, wearing the form of a wolf. One smelled of earth, another of rock, and a third of acrid coal. Arincalmoditar and Xanthling explore the garden party, discovering a gambling room under an aquarium, and witness one of the Twins win a set of pearls. Some drama occurred, to which the heroes were not wise, the party was buzzing with talk of a duel, and Tienwing, Ruler of the Court of Spring announced that they wouldn't kill Pilfer over it.

The clock struck 10:45pm, and the party ground to a halt. A serious halt, as the heroes were the only ones moving, everyone else was frozen in time. It didn't last too long, but it gave everyone a chance to do a little more scouting. When time resumed, the Blisterbeast was spotted leaving the party with Boska. Timber went searching for a remedy for Talison Vos' headache, but instead only managed to offend Pox and Pilfer when they interrupted. The heroes failed to solve the mystery of the exploding blue present, and at midnight everything went boom.

## The First Party, Again, Again

The heroes stepped through the gate, finding themselves surrounded by not just one of the Arch Fey, but all of them.

It was a Masquerade Ball thrown in honor of the Monarch of all the Feywild, and they appeared to be stuck within it forever until they managed to solve the mystery of what was causing the explosion. Timber went searching for a cure for a headache, and this time had enough grace to not offend. They traded two hours of their time on the sunniest day of the year for a remedy from Pox and Pilfer.

The rest of the heroes reacquainted themselves with the Collector.

> *"5 adventureres silly and true, what would you have me do with you?"*
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They requested the return of their names (and the body-snatched owlbear) and escape from the Monarch's Party in exchange for the necromancer's artifact.

> *"What if those who are raving mad are in the right? I'll return the things you've lost, but you must find four things for me. When you've found them, four and free."*
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The Collector wanted the heroes to find the Worm Who Eats the Moon, the Red Lion and the Green Lion, the Titan of Four Elements, the Feather of a Bird That Showers in the Tears of the Sun. They were tasked with walking to the four corners of the Feywild, avoiding the Living Light, and bringing back the four objects. The Highest Priest used Pelor's Magic to contact Sivelle, asking about the objects, to which she responded.

> *"What mischief have you found yourself in? those sound like fey bargains to me."*
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The heroes regrouped and made plans. Xanthling went searching for where the exploding presents came from, the elves went looking for Talison Voss (who was looking distinctly worse for wear and distinctly more Foxlike), Shel went to deliver tea to the Collector, and the Highest Priest went to the table with all the presents to start preaching the word of Pelor. Finding gifts wrapped as a yellow cylinder, a blue floating box, and a green rectangle among the boxes, Xanthling conjured an enourmous floating red arrow of light and shadow, along with the words "this present is a deadly trap." The Monarch forced the Highest Priest to open the blue present, revealing an irregularly pulsing sun.

At nine o'clock. the formal dance began. It was an insult dance, where dancers traded steps and slights. Antigone and Pox get into a scuffle, and after some back and forth, agree to a duel in the garden outside. No one else seems to pay them much mind. Timber waited out in the garden for the Blisterbeast. Shel distracted themselves by flirting with Pilfer, as Arincal spoke with Talison about the presents. The Ruler of the Court of Summer reported that the Sprigenfolk were the ones who made the exploding sun.

Xanthling went searching for the Sepal, the Fey Warden, to report what they had learned, while the Highest Priest sang the song of Pelor.

At midnight, everything went boom.

## The First Party, Again, Again, Again

The heroes stepped through the gate, finding themselves surrounded by not just one of the Arch Fey, but all of them.

It was a Masquerade Ball thrown in honor of the Monarch of all the Feywild, and they appeared to be stuck within it forever until they managed to solve the mystery of who was behind the exploding blue sun. Xanthling went running for Sepal, screaming about the exploding blue present. The Fey Warden confiscated the present, but the Monarch decided that the Highest Priest was also one of their gifts, and ordered them to similarly confiscated. The Highest Priest made a run for it, slipping past Arincal, and Shel was dispatched by the Monarch to try and retrieve them.

Sepal placed the blue present behind a barrier of time, and shared some wisdom. The gift should have been a library of five tomes and it is not. Interlocutor Pox will be questioned about it later (edited) Rowan Augustus from the mortal kingdom had sent a gift this year, correcting for the year previous where they had given offense. They also revealed that Doctor Myriarti has been working with the Springenfolk. The Warden learned the secret of Xanthling's journal, but the little goblin gave offense trying to protect the Highest Priest, and got turned into a daisy. Said priest had managed to throw the blue present which contained the sun into the river, trying to get rid of it, before he was captured.

Kerowyn turned into a small critter and jumped onto the Blisterbeast as the clock struck 10:30, overhearing the twins talk about avoiding the duel with Antigone because one sees the other's death. The Blisterbeast seeks the cause of the temporal disturbance that they are trapped in, not realizing its source, and asks Boska to meet them outside. They tested the limits of the magical field, hurling magic against it (and throwing Timber into the river, freezing him in time for seven minutes).

Arincal questioned Boska about the Springenfolk. Several members came to the party who weren’t expected. Craw was spotted complaining about appetozers despite having evidently having been sent away. Atterweed was similarly sent away to repair clockwork, and yet was there. They attempted to open a magical lock, upsetting Talison Voss. They touch the orb of protection within, almost getting knocked out in the process.

At midnight, everything went boom.

## The First Party, Again, Again, Again, Again

The heroes stepped through the gate, finding themselves surrounded by not just one of the Arch Fey, but all of them.

It was a Masquerade Ball thrown in honor of the Monarch of all the Feywild, and they were stating to feel the strain. Timber cut a deal with the Blisterbeast to save time the next loop, should it come to that, asking them "why is your aura turned off?" to prove his foresight. Arincalmoditor gained the first clue as to who the perpetrators might have been, asking Antigone the Seer who was there who wasn't supposed to be.

1. Craw Calamore had been sent away for bad behavior.
2. The good Doctor Moriarty was supposed to be away on an archeology expedition.
3. The Jester had responsibilities repairing an old clocktower.

Meanwhile, Shel tried to break the cycle by delivering an informative performance to the Monarch, warning them of what was to come.

> *"The mortals tried a merry trick*
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> *They sadly aren't very good at it.*
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> *Their gift is a trap that goes kaboom,*
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> *raise it high, to the moon.*
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> *Such a sight, a sight to see,*
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> *A trick by them, a sight for the Monarchy.*
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> *The presents three, the presents three,*
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> *Impending doom the monarchy.*
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> *Wis not a joy by murderous,*
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> *No gift for thee, no gift for us!"*
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When the song is done, Xanthling and Shel did their damndest to try and get the Monarch to raise the gifts to a great height, with little successes. They at least got a good look at the gifts.

* Green Gift: A bonsai oak with a face. The note upon it is written on handmade paper, and reads "A gift to the health of the wilds. my acolyte and i look forward to a visit in the fall. We hope you delight in this bauble and sure you will discover all its secrets before then. - Rowan Agustus."
* Yellow Gift: A crystal statue of a mortal holding a stone of petrified wood. The note written on plain legal paper states, "With reverence and adherence, Amara, Queen of the Western Mortal Peoples, gives tribute to the ageless ones who live between light and shadow, as always we strive only for your endless grace."
* Blue Gift: A small sun- "To the esteemed Fey Monarch, Despite everything, your latest Emissary pleased us. Doctor Moriarty's visit to the Springenfolk was pleasant. we hope you remember even a handshake is the first act of trust. with respect, Interlocutor Proc, Diplomatic Herald.

At 9:00pm, the Blisterbeast and Boska try to explode the time wall, triggering a seven minute time freeze. As before, the mortal heroes were spared the effects. The Highest Priest took the opportunity to try and dump the Blue Gift into the river, before returning to where they had been standing. When time unfroze, a booming voice shouted from the direction of the Green Gift.

> **"You never lose, you either win or learn."**
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It wasn't clear if the Fey noticed the voice or not. The Monarch did notice the missing gift, and sent all the mortals to their room, save for Timber.

> **"You cannot hate the experiences that shape you."**
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Said the voice. Arincalmoditar and Shel broke into the Monarch's desk, finding a small crossbow, a collection of inks, and some darts. They weren't the only ones committing a little breaking and entering, for they witnessed Atterweed also sneak into the Monarch's rooms and steal a fire beetle named Hephaestus. Xanthling sicked up a floating eyeball to escape the room and ended up on the roof, giving him a Beholder's eye view of the gathering.

Out in the garden, Timber tried to talk to a garden tree and was attacked by a guardian flower preying mantis, some poor attempts at violence, and even poorer social skills led not to bloodshed, but an awkward hug. Craw Calamor was spotted storming out of the party, complaining of the poor quality of the food, but struck the time barrier and bounced off.

At 11:00pm, the tree with the face opened its eyes and proclaimed.

> **"The line between time and space is just a step"**
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The heroes had a chance to tell the Blisterbeast about the stolen fire beetle, but eventually the clock struck midnight and everything went boom.

From the roof, before he was consumed by fire, Xanthling saw clearly that the Sun was what had detonated.

## The First Party, Again, Again, Again, Again, Again

The heroes stepped through the gate, finding themselves surrounded by not just one of the Arch Fey, but all of them.

It was a Masquerade Ball thrown in honor of the Monarch of all the Feywild, and the heroes were fucking exhausted.

Timber sought out the Blisterbeast, baring wisdom from the future.

> *"Greetings, honored Blisterbeast. Why is your aura off tonight? I am a traveler from the future, I can prove it with specific knowledge of events to come this evening. I come with a dire warning. The Western mortals have schemed to destroy everyone at this party by means of a magical item, a trojan horse sent in the guise of a present. It is wrapped in yellow and will explode at midnight"*
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Tired and exhausted, the heroes had not quite coordinated their knowledge of which gift was going to explode, mostly Xanthling hadn't shared. Instead, the greasy little goblin set out in pursuit of the Warden, trading Booyahg to buy Sepal's time and attention. He learned that an orb of Living Light that was snuck in inside a container, and that the heroes would need to find the container to make it not explode. They would need to accuse, Craw Calamore, the good Doctor Myriarti, and the Jester, and hope that they had guessed right who the culprit was.

Shel sought out the Collector, who either wasn't aware of the time skips, or pretended not to be. The Collector still wanted the heroes to find the Worm Who Eats the Moon, the Red Lion and the Green Lion, the Titan of Four Elements, the Feather of a Bird That Showers in the Tears of the Sun. They were tasked with walking to the four corners of the Feywild, avoiding the Living Light, and bringing back the four objects. However, they got their names back this time around (except for the Highest Priest, who liked his name as it was).

Restored, Grank sent Puck to dance with Craw and Atterweed, distracting them while he read their thoughts. The Jester was concerned with.

> *"Dangerous planes and magic, I wonder if this mortal knows where they tread"*
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While Craw was scared of the Living Light. Within the mind of Doctor Myriarti, however, the answer was found.

> *"Two more hours until the deed is done."*
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Grank summoned an illusion, and with a booming voice declared.

> **"I, Grank Booyahg, accuse the thing that is possessing Dr Myriarti."**
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The Doctor proved to be a skin suit, infested by green smoke which slipped away. However, in their wake they left their clothes, and the container to trap the Living Light. The Warden Sepal tasked them with bringing the Light to the real Doctor Myriarti, who was likely still attending their archeological dig. The Highest Priest claimed the light, proudly displaying it for all to see.

The Monarch called for the attention of the entire party, and announced a boon. The heroes needed to choose between Antigone, the Monarch themselves, Sepal, or the Twins. Grank chose the Warden, and the heroes received the Bloom Mic, and a belt with Pickled Pixie Potions.

At long last, the heroes were free to leave, and so leave they did.