51. Chaos of Clay

* The day is Sunwane 38, first day of the return-phasing moon. The Chaos of Clay would be held at the Garden of Sand that night, and the party had decided to enter. Pyt could not attend -- his 2nd round match in the poker tournament was playing that night -- so in his absence, the group asked Luciana if she wanted in. A deal was struck: Luciana would pay the 1900 gold entrance fee for the four of them, and she'd take 16,000 of the 40,000 gold prize for herself in the event they won.
* Clwyd messaged Nix to see what he was up to, planning on inviting him to the Chaos of Clay that evening. She learned that the cambion had gone to the Pirate Republic with his ward Badger, hoping to minimise the influence Dispater and the Fourth gained from the party releasing 14 imps from the Iron City of Dis into the place at a prime time for pact-forging. Further, Nix was likely going to try and capitalise on the Republic's current tumultuous state if given the chance, as was his way.
* Around midday, Pyt left the group to head to some pre-match events. He'd wouldn't be back until late in the night, but he did manage to win, this the second round of the tournament! In his absence, Aerendyl, Clwyd, and Wilfred busied themselves around Tortuga before the fight later that night.
	+ The trio's first stop is *the Drunken Dragon* at the end of Tortuga's docks.
		- A rickshaw ride later, a few gold lighter, and Wilfred went to check on Taylor, finding the man sat in front of a dragonchess board up on the ship's little quarterdeck. He was puzzling out the particular strategy that Wilfred had used to beat him back in Mackerel's hut.
		- Clwyd bought a bunch of food and started handing it out to the little brownies hidden about in the deck cabin. They ate ravenously, leaving most of them dishevelled, potbellied, and riddled with meat sweats, grinning, sleepy, and contented all the while. The one known as Poop was getting muscled off the food constantly, runt of the litter style, but Clwyd spotted it and made sure he got some eventually - resulting in some ugly, happy tears of gratitude from Poop while he ate.
		- Clwyd makes a tiny deal with Chestnut, the brownie elder: the little fey had all but ran out of things to do -- the ship had never looked better, Taylor's clothes were immaculate, and the condition of Jude's saddle looked better than new after their attention -- and she had some plans for something they could make her. She agreed to bring them some nice bottles of brandy if they made her clothes from the materials she brought. If the deal they'd made with the River King had been like a boulder plunging into a still pond, Clwyd now felt the tiny patter of a raindrop on that pond's surface; a deal again struck with a fey, small though it was.
		- Wilfred dished out a bunch of wine to the brownies after their meal that they lapped at from seated positions about the cabin.
		- Aerendyl took time to reassure Chestnut that while the party had business on Tortuga for the time being, they still intended on keeping their end of the bargain and taking the group to Bisquay. Chestnut just nodded and looked back at the elf like he'd just informed the brownie the sky was blue.
		- Before they left, they checked if there was anything Taylor needed. He was still not super talkative and didn't really want to be around people much, but he said he's happy to keep watching the ship and buy food and booze for the brownies with the money the group left for him. He did mention that if they find a 'stones board' (another strategy game) then yeah....
	+ The trio's next stop was the Iron Quarter, with Aerendyl hoping to get some new armour, and he and Clwyd both thinking shields might do them well.
		- The last time Aerendyl was on Tortuga, the Iron Quarter was in full lock down following the death of the Saint of the Forge and the process of selecting his successor. That was apparently no longer fully the case, but non-dwarves were scrutinised heavily on entry.
		- Two buff ironoars questioned the group, asking what their business was and telling them in any case they'd have to leave before nightfall. The party found out that there were no commissions being taken, but they should be free to browse and buy from what the sons of Ivaldi had produced.
		- With that, they entered the cramped streets of the Iron Quarter, overhanging roofs limiting what light made it to the floor, every building seemingly half home, half workshop, with all manner of trade on display -- metalwork, tanning, leather-work, carpentry, and many more besides. But again and again, none of the workshops were occupied, nothing was being made. Any resident dwarf they did see stared at them in gruff, ominous silence.
		- The alley-like street eventually spilled into an open square, the workshop-half of the surrounding buildings all pointing towards the open space.
		- Not knowing where to go, Aerendyl gathered his courage and asked an old ironoar man directions to the sons of Ivaldi. The man took a heavy draught, stared for a while, and eventually spat out directions to the House of Ivaldi in a Common accent that sounded like grinding gravel stones. Aerendyl said his thanks and that he hopes the man enjoys his drink, then quickly and awkwardly dashed away. The stone-faced dwarf kept staring as the group left.
		- A few more narrow alleys spilling into open courtyards and the group started hearing the ring of metalwork in the distance. Following the sounds, they came to an open square with a large crowd, mostly dwarven. They were stoically watching three dwarves each doing individual metalwork in a large workshop-home.
		- Around the side of the building, the group found all manner of metal goods - weapons, armour, shields, barrel knives, wagon wheels, barrel hoops, and more, and more still. Each item was present in triplicate, with all three excellent in craftsmanship and each of the three sporting slightly different finishes.
		- Aerendyl found some breastplate armour that would likely fit him, next to two similar items. Same again for the shield he picked, and again for the one Clwyd went for.
		- But with no indication of who to pay, the group awkwardly stood around for a bit. Clwyd eventually tried counting some coins out onto the table, but nobody was looking at them.
		- They eventually went to stand with the crowd, trying to ask some questions. An old, old dwarf kept shushing them, but a helpful younger male dwarf told them that the sons of Ivaldi were currently on their 127th contest: fishing hooks. More *shushes* and more questions later, and the group learned that they really just need to wait for the three brothers to finish what they're doing and the crowd's subsequent dispersal.
		- With the passing of time and the brothers' final quenches, a group of 13 old dwarves inspected the fishhooks they'd produced. A small, throaty 'hmm' from the oldest of these dwarves earned gasps from the crowd.
		- Ultimately, the 13 announced that there was still no clear winner, and they shall move on to the 128th contest in four days' time.
		- Soon after this, the crowd dispersed and the party could talk to the sons of Ivaldi. The three brothers, Snorri, Skari, and Floki, were all smiles and banter after their contest, still soaked in sweat, going about cleaning up the forge. Aerendyl and Clwyd had inadvertently not taken one of the shields Floki had produced, and his brothers made sure he knew that.
		- The party were told that they were free to leave whatever donations to the House of Ivaldi they wished in exchange for the items, since they were just the byproducts of the contest anyway.
		- Clwyd left 15 platinum for her shield and Aerendyl gave a total of 520 gold for his armour and shield.
	+ The next stop was the Small Quarter!
		- In Glittergold, the gnomish half of the quarter, Wilfred went and picked up his clothes from Smoothhands the tailor. The two gnomes enjoyed some good rapport, and there was an intimate moment while Smoothhands taught Wilfred how to tie his light scarf, cravat style; stood behind the wizard, the tailor's smooth hands were draped over Wilfred's shoulders to tie the knot. When Wilfred eventually took his leave, the tailor gave his name as Pog Smoothhands amidst chuckles, bows, and hand shakes, telling him to come again any time for the latest gnomish fashions.
		- While in the textile area of the quarter, Clwyd bought the supplies for the project she wa going to give the brownies - some fabric and sewing necessities.
		- Wilfred then headed to Glittergem's Grande Gear, an establishment ran by a middle-aged gnome (about 150 years old) and his very old father, offering magical and clockwork services -- including music boxes similar to the ones popular in Bronze Boy. Wilfred was able to pick up a *Scroll of Comprehend Languages* and a quarterstaff of natural, dark wood to serve as a spellcasting focus.
		- Clwyd collected the tiny silver birdcage she had commissioned, complete with a little hoop at the top, the upper third being solid silver rather than bars, and some inlay of black pearl about the door and latch.
		- In searching for a stones board for Taylor, the group headed from Glittergold to the halfling side of the Small Quarter. They saw a bit of community theatre taking place in an open square on a wooden stage, with two comely halfling women beating about a dirty looking buffoon character with large sacks, earning raucous laughter from the crowd.
		- The group followed the trail of someone's friend's cousin's friend's brother, eventually finding a set of stones and a board for sale at the end.
* Errands completed, the group rickshawed to Luciana's house. They all got ready for the fight ahead, donning new armour, prepping spells, and so forth. Luciana put on some fashionable studded leather, adjusted her leather gauntlets, and belted on her adamantine shortsword and the wooden knife from her display, saying the latter is high risk, high reward, so hopefully she wouldn't need it.
* Aerendyl, Clwyd, Wilfred, and Luciana headed out to the Garden of Sand. They were quickly ushered into the fighters' area, with the arena just beyond. They went over their plan one last time, Wilfred casts *Telepathic Bond* on the group, Aernedyl casts *Longstrider* on everyone and *Freedom of Movement* on Luciana, and Clwyd sets her *Fiendish Resilience* to Acid.
* The massive doors open and the roar of the crowd smacks into them. The portcullis is winched up and they rush out into the arena where pits filled with gelatinous cubes and two hulking clay golems awaited them. So began the Chaos of Clay.
	+ The fight started well for the party. Aerendyl hits both golems with a *Faerie Fire* and Luciana crits with the magic throwing knives from her gauntlets, taking off 1/4 of one of the golem's hp instantly.
	+ Wilfred tries to *Levitate* one of the golems but it proves too heavy.
	+ The crowd starts to boo as the group except Luciana hug the sides of the arena, barely stepping away from the entrance they came through.
	+ The golems split, jumping over the gelatinous cubes where necessary, and harrying different targets. Luciana gets clobbered, her max hp being reduced by 11 as part of the process (she took some of the edge off with an *Uncanny Dodge*). Wilfred gets it worse still, he's grappled, smashed into the ground (lowering his max hp by 4, after his arcane ward was eaten through in an instant), and then dropped into one of the gelatinous cubes, taking a lot of acid damage on entry and again at the start of the cube's turn.
	+ The cubes themselves lashed out with acidic pseudopods at anyone that was in an adjacent square to them. When this was a golem, they often ended up healing them with their acidic touch.
	+ Wilfred dimension doored out the cube and to the other side of the arena.
	+ Clwyd blasted the golem Luciana had messed up at the start, pushing it towards the centre of the arena with her *Repelling Blast*.
	+ Aerendyl threw up a *Wall of Stone* at the arena's left side, isolating himself and the other golem.
	+ Clwyd slapped down a *Sickening Radiance* on the weakened golem and then Wilfred trapped it in the dome of a *Wall of Force*, leaving the thing helplessly beating against the invisible walls for a couple rounds. Luciana and the small duo catch their breath a bit.
	+ Meanwhile, behind the *Wall of Stone*, Aerendyl can't get away from the clay golem like he hoped. It keeps using its haste ability to keep up with him, jumping over the difficult terrain he's churning up with *Erupting Earth*. It chases him down to the dead end he made with the wall of stone, gets a punch in, then chases him back the other way and gets another punch in after he *Fey Steps* away.
	+ A couple rounds later and Aerendyl has been forced to *Misty Step* to safety, sequestering himself at one of the far edges of the arena. Just before he teleported though, he felt the attempt of something trying to beguile his mind, but he was able to resist it.
	+ The golem that was harrying Aerendyl emerged from the open side of his *Wall of Stone.* The crowd's booing at the lack of action now, since the other golem is still trapped in the *Wall of Force*, *Sickening Radiance* slowly chipping away at its health.
	+ Clwyd worries the show's getting too boring and thinks Wilfred should drop the *Wall of Force*, before something external steps in. She preps a spell, waiting for him to do so. The gnome thinks it's a really bad idea but acquiesces, and Clwyd hits both golems with the *Command* to 'grovel.'
	+ Luciana is able to take advantage of the weakened golem falling prone, getting two rounds of sneak attacks in on the thing with her adamantine shortsword.
	+ Aerendyl fires another *Erupting Earth* to hit the now-prone golem that was bothering him before, the other one to Luciana's victim. This is quickly followed by Clwyd burning both golems with a *Wall of Fire*, and then Wilfred dropping another domed *Wall of Force*, this time blocking the other golem, leaving the severely weakened one out and about.
	+ All the while, the golems have been grappling and smacking them at every chance they got, and the party have had to watch their footing, since staying too close to the oozes resulted in pseudopod attacks.
	+ With the one golem nearly destroyed, it bashed its way through Luciana and dove into one of the gelatinous cubes, completely submerging into the thing. Immediately, the hard-earned cracks and breaks the group had inflicted on the thing began being patched up by the cube's acidity.
	+ The other golem should have been helpless in the *Wall of Force*, but Wilfred feels one area of the wall disappear, an area adjacent to a cube pit. The golem is able to jump through the gap and plunge into the cube.
	+ With both golems submerged, Clwyd tries *Eldritch Blasting* one of them, but the attacks just hit the cube rather than the golem, throwing up bits of acidic, colourless jelly.
	+ Hidden in the corner as he was, Aerendyl was preparing to throw down some AoE, hoping to get cube and golem both. Suddenly though, he felt himself being jerked by an unseen force and he lacked the strength to resist it. He skidded 30 feet across the arena floor and plunged into one of the cubes of ooze. Weakened as he was, he lost consciousness on contact with the cube's burning touch, and then he sank into the cube itself.
	+ Luciana moved as quick as she could to get beside the cube, plunged her hands inside the thing -- the acid burning her badly as she did so -- and hauled Aerendyl out before he succumbed to the damage. She screams over the telepathic bond that they need to yield or else Aernedyl is going to die.
	+ The cube Aerendyl was just pulled out of was still lashing at him with pseudopods, and Luciana was desperately trying to kick the things away.
	+ Wilfred stuck his hand in the air and announced that he forfeits.
	+ Luciana did the same.
	+ With half their team having yielded, their attempt at the Chaos of Clay was done. They'd failed.
	+ Luciana hauled Aerendyl away from the cube that nearly killed him and Wilfred teleported over so he could stabilise the elf before he bled out.
	+ The party quickly left the arena, the golems stayed in their cubes until fully healed, the shrouded crowd were still chanting, '*Blood! Blood! Blood!*' from the shadowed seats that looked down on the Garden of Sand. Barely a few minutes later, some other challengers were let into the arena from the other side and the chaos continued. The crowd cheered.
* The group go back to Luciana's for some commissary drinks and a smoke. When Aerendyl comes to, he tries thanking Luciana but she's having none of it. She doesn't think there's any point in them keeping score on who's saved who how many times as late in the game as the pair of them are. Moods are low. Wilfred laments not being able to buy the *roguestone* without the winnings, saying it was the only way he was going to be sure he was safe. Luciana suggests a few fun things they might do -- including Wilfred sending Lily (the young halfling on her staff that had been making eyes at the gnome) a written message with her pigeons -- but nobody's keen for much. Luciana says they're welcome to stay the night at hers rather than go back to their hotel this late, and so everyone retires.
* Nobody told Pyt they wouldn't be coming back to the hotel that night.