Episode 49

K, Ingred, and Lily join Hyacinth the next morning. Everyone either spars or works for the day.

Returning to the common room the party stops by the stairs to see a performance by Seipora and two unknown figures. A human woman with long, braided blonde hair sits at a white piano and plays alongside a very tall half-orcen gentleman with peppered black hair who wears a similar “earthy”-toned outfit. He is seen playing the violin. The figures disappear into mist when the song is over. The party praises Seipora for an interesting performance. Ingred asks her who the figures were, and Seipora goes quiet after it’s mentioned that they are family. She throws a pillow at Anthos for spilling the beans.

Lily leaves after announcing that she needs to deliver a present to Bilak for his birthday. The others do their own things before the night ends. Marisol and Ingred are up early the following morning, and Marisol wakes the rest of the party up around 6:00. Press’s assistant is waiting for them in the common room, and once everyone is up, she sneaks them through various alleyways to reach the liceum.

They are swiftly teleported to the Benton Outpost. The entire liceum is built up with rough limestone. As they walk up the stairs they discover a black-furred, bipedal lion man in liceum robes who leans against the exitway. He naps, but is suddenly awoken by Marisol’s loud magic. He welcomes them to the outpost and later introduces himself as Cherton. As they enter the lobby, the source of the limestone becomes clear. The liceum is carved out of a cavern. Stalagmites and Stalactites poke out of the floors and ceiling. Seipora quickly purchases a sigil to the outpost for 800 gold before the party heads up the stairs to exit the building. The entryway is similar to that of a subway station.

There appears to be a lack of living arrangements in the outpost, the main structures here are stores and local businesses. The party goes to a stable to rent out some horses and feed, but K ends up purchasing all four horses for 600 gold. He asks directions from the stable master.

They gather their stuff and head for Posette. The changing of seasons is apparent. The trees are beginning to change colors and the air is crisp and cool. A low fog hangs over the rolling hills that make up their surroundings as they travel, but fades off later in the day. The first three days of travel go smoothly, but the fourth day is spent taking shelter from the thunder and heavy rain. The next two days go by uneventful, but a bit muddy. Six days are spent traveling altogether.

As they get closer to Posette, a few members can see the town in the distance, with high walls and armed with ballista. Marisol and Ingred, who took up the front of the team, stop the party’s trek and point out some movement in the woods to their left and right. K splits off wordlessly into the woods, followed by Anthos. The girls stick together as they also follow in. They encounter two goblins that attack the party, translated by Ingred, repeating “kill” and “reward”. Anthos kills them both despite Ingred’s request not to. She appears disturbed over it, and Marisol steps up to burn the bodies.

They are interrupted by a man clad in dark robes and a six eyed mask. He appears in the middle of the path and claps, amused from how the goblins didn’t “get their reward”. Anthos and K are quick to rush in.

Despite being surrounded by 8 or 10 other robed men, the party manages to defend themselves from the attackers. The main culprit disappears during the end of the fray, and all but one of the conclave members are killed off. The party is left to lick their wounds as the session ends, with many caught reeling from the effects of Celestial Bane.