Into the Darkness

### Wanderers Meeting

Three days before the apex of the summer solstice celebrations, in the town of **Addwood**, three wanderers met quite by chance when they stayed at the *Sheeping Inn*. *Aleida of the Trylleki Mountains*, a short and makeuped female, ordered a drink from the innkeeper and sat in what was an ideal spot for people watching. She surveyed a populated room seated clearly by class as she sipped at her ale and succeeded at being inconspicuous. Under her watchful eye the inn’s front door creaked open.

Returned from checking on his horse, *Hakkar Stream-Tail,* a strong, shield-wielding, orc-blooded male in baggy clothes, entered the inn. He was met with prejudice by Aldis the innkeeper, as he tried to order food and drink. The injustice was challenged by onlooker *Veryn Behraim Exile of Riverdown*. Veryn stood up for Hakkar without knowing the person he concluded to be a half-orc.

Once Hakkar was begrudgingly granted a large dinner at normal cost the two sat on the lower class side of the room not too far from Aleida. Hakkar and Veryn conversed mildly over dinner brought to them by Luellan, Aldis’ wife. When their conversation fell to a lull they took notice of commotion at the other end of the room. Everyone overheard Seger Gladwyn of Oakdale request the Lord Gaute Boatright of Laytondale allow him a guard or two in order to take a lesser traveled road.

When it was apparent that Lord Boatright would not spare a guard, Veryn quietly left in order to correct the second injustice he witnessed that night. Veryn hid and disguised himself as Lord Mathais Morely of LaytonHouse who was known to have been in charge of Lord Boatright. Veryn, successfully disguised, demanded Boatright offer proper protection to the poor farmer. Attempting to exit as fast as he entered, Veryn made a tell-tale mistake in his lying to the lord. Much to the shock of said lord and his guards, Veryn disappeared right in front of them.
Meanwhile farmer Seger cornered the eating Hakkar and hired him as a guard on his journey with the promise of five gold now and five on safe delivery. Seger then recruited a curious Aleida for three gold now and three gold later. Eventually Seger hired a newly disguised Veryn for three gold now and “one item” later. A disgruntled Lord Boatright offered a guard for hire but the group declined.

The scruffy group of misfits left *Addwood* the next morning. During their first day of travel they stumbled upon an abandoned and burnt cart. Unable to identify anything about it they continued on. That night Veryn discovered the reason Seger, as such a “poor farmer” had so much gold to throw around. Seger was a smuggler.

The group made camp and slept only to be attacked by three giant mosquitos. They successfully killed them and only Seger and Veryn were worse for wear.

The next day they stumbled upon a group of bandits via a small orphaned girl named Vinga. The group successfully defeated the bandits' poorly executed ambush and interrogated a sobbing Vinga. The tear stained girl admitted to knowing only tha the rogue in charge of them was named Arly. The still suspecting group tied up the bandits and took their gear as they made their way, only slightly delayed, to the edge of the peril filled woods and saw the city of **Laytondale** on the horizon.

### A Duke's Notice and a Worthy Name

The sun set as the small group exited the woods and entered Latyondale’s outer suburbs. Their sudden appearance drew the attention of three guards who demanded to know their business and bid the group hand over the bandits and receive payment via return of a ribbon which was tossed to Veryn. As they moved on, the three wanderers took Seger up on his offer of free housing.
They made their way further into Laytondale suburbia and arrived at a townhouse. Invited to dinner, the group found the house to be that of Heda and Hugh Millhouse, Seger’s sister. Over a beefy stew the group learned of Hugh’s profession as an accountant, the Millhouse’s desire for a child, Hakkar’s desire for a tattoo gun, and Aleida’s unfamiliarity of the celebrations which awaited them in the city. The next day, the party woke up and stood in line to the city before dawn.

After he bribed the guards on entry, Seger announced he’d meet the group at *the Thirsty Goat Pub* in a few hours with the rest of their wages. Seger also offered Veryn his “one item.” Veryn chose a woolen pelt and saved himself a few gold in tax.

Aleida, Hakkar, and Veryn decided to become a group for hire.

Hakkar challenged a beefy butcher to an arm wrestle. Veryn placed bets in favor of his new friend. The butcher faced off with the half orc and was defeated. Happy with their win, Veryn and Hakkar decided to test their luck for another round. A city guard, offended by Hakkar’s lineage, challenged Hakkar’s strong man title. He sat with Hakkar and the two faced off in an agonizing battle of strength and intimidation. Hakkar, and by association Veryn, lost.

The group found a Jacob's ladder and though Aleida recognized the owner of the game as a trickster she tested her balance anyways. She made it over half way before the rules of the game limited her normally feline balance. Dismayed at the loss and trick, the group searched for a potentially more profitable festival game.

They walked and enjoyed the festivities. A drunk monk locked eyes with Veryn and bumped into an unsuspecting Aleida. The Levi monk demanded payment for his spilt drink after he failed to intimidate the hooded maiden. Angered by his carelessness the group defended their shortest member and flagged down a disinterested guard. The group dropped a silver for the smug monk. In doing so they gifted the unsuspecting monk Veryn’s arcane mark. Outside of earshot, they vowed to teach the monk a lesson on social courtesy when they found him later.

The group moved on and became disheartened by a booth that encouraged bypasseres to “guess the hybrid’s weight.” Veryn led the group to an ink and quill shop and out of the public eye. Hakkar distracted the shop owner from his arcanely talented friend and bought some blue-fading tattoo ink. Veryn offered the minotaur-to-be-weighed a bribe for an upperhand in guessing. With inside information, Veryn told his friends a plan, they all wrote down a guess and Veryn disguised himself to take more guesses.

Veryn then entered into the *Battle of the Sonnets*. He took the stage against more experienced vocal artists. Unfortunately they were no match for his quick wit paired with Hakkar's tomato launching. The duo made it to the final round. But Hakkar outpaced the angry announcer who attempted to apprehend him; and Veryn was no match for the seasoned bard. Veryn took second place winnings and the group moved on to the Thirsty Goat.

Seger waited for them with ale, brandy, and gold. He lamented in parting ways and offered to put a word in with his employer for them. He also offered to sell their bandit-acquired gear. The newly formed group took both Seger’s offers and ventured back out into the city. Caught up in the fun they failed to observe any religious duties of the day, though perhaps they did not follow  the Mother of Light and meant her no offense.

The group found the nearest guard office and presented the ribbon in exchange for 13 gold for catching the bandits. Thinking of the kind Millhouses, they inquired with the sergeant on duty, Sgt Hakon, of what happened to the orphan Vinga. She’d been placed at *Lady Madaline’s House for Wayward Girls* and would be looked after. The group was questioned about an odd encounter with a drunk monk named Osbert. They denied immediate involvement and returned to the festivities.

The group found a rock toss booth where they delighted as Aleida aimed each rock with ease. They enjoyed the rest of the Summer Solstice celebrations. The guard they’d flagged down earlier brought them a mildly insulting invitation to the Duke’s. Duke Edvard LatoyonHouse requested their company for evening drinks. After the guard left, the group debated attending.

To their delight, the group won a gold and what they were told was a minipig for guessing the minotaur's weight. They named the pig *Dinner (Din for short).* Then they meandered until they rented a washroom at a less than racist bathhouse. Cleaned and full of fair food they made their way to the Duke’s secondary residence and recalled tales of his generosity and overall positive influence.

In his study, Aleida noted a lack of Tuzi blessing above the fireplace and the near invisible details of clouds in the blue wallpaper. Duke Edvard offered them a taste of his rare and imported spiced wine. While Aleida and Hakkar declined in distrust, Veryn pleasantly found it to be a watered down version of the psyched wine the group smuggled into the city with Seger.

The group introduced themselves for the first time as *The Dinner Party* after a clean Dinner whom Hakkar sat on Veryn’s lap. His grace told the Dinner Party that their actions made them an article of interest of the local guard and because of this he wished to hire them. The duke proposed they accompany his nephew to the colonist town of **Freegloomburgh, Skog**. The group declined to be hired on the spot but raised the duke’s offer to roughly 600g (which didn’t include travel expenses which his grace would pay for in total.)

Before they departed, the group made the unofficial acquaintance of the young Lord Teon Pelham of LaytonHouse. Pleased to learn they share the lord’s distaste for monk Osbert Fairclough they agreed to return on the morrow with their decision for his grace.

They headed back to the Millhouse’s residence outside the city excited to hear if Seger’s boss had better employment for them.

### Hiring A Dinner Party

The Dinner Party returned to the Millhouse residence and were ambushed with questions about how they found their ‘first’ solstice celebration. The party modestly professed few winnings, to include little Dinner who was proudly displayed by the tender-hearted Hakkar. When ogle of the wee piglet was over, they quickly asked Seger about news from his employer. Seger professed that they would have to meet him themselves, and they must go to *the Bone and Bake*, whistle, caw three times before entering, ask for a baker’s dozen of dirty scones, and suggested they bring a gift. Veryn quickly realized there was no need for such ceremony and Seger was once more pulling their legs.

The next day, with a bottle of higher-shelf brandy in hand, the group whistled outside the joint bakery-apothecary before entering. Once inside, they asked the disinterested cashier for a baker’s dozen dirty scones and were ushered into an apothecary room and told to go through the other door after a minute or two.

The cautious group opened the door and entered into what seemed to be a descending hallway used for storage. After the group began to ascend once more, they knocked at the resulting door. Just as they went to enter themselves a hurried, aproned orc opened the door and nearly toppled over them. This is was their introduction to Hamme Harrisone of Laytondale assistant baker to the dwarven Chef Osgood Strete of **redacted**.

Unimpressed with the group, Chef Osgood haggled with them about their tight-lipped capabilities, and what they’re willing to do for him. They presented him with his brandy and learned that some of his friends had gone missing in the outer colonies of Skog. The group agreed to attempt to find them and deliver a message as well as some magic items. Dinner presented the party’s official agreement, and they churned butter as a favor to their new boss. They left soon after to formally accept the Duke’s offer of employment. As his grace placed his personal seal upon their letter of endorsement Aleida and Veryn noticed that he may have more than one seal.

The group spent the rest of their time gathering supplies for their long trek to the port town of **Oarstead**. They paid the Millhouse’s for their room and board, picked up the mysterious magic items from Chef Osgood (a book-sized box and a bag), and strategized for the upcoming trip. Between them they agreed that the Duke hired a suspicious number of guards for a seemingly unimportant member of his family.

Safely in their rooms, the group tried to uncover the magical items they accepted from Osgood. After thorough investigation the party evaluated that the book-sized box was safe to open. It contained linen napkins that gave off a powerful magical aura. Despite his best efforts, Veryn wasunable to identify the napkins. The group warily turned their attention to the bag of holding. Hakkar gingerly opened the bag and peaked inside to find a shiny ring in a pile of sparkling green dust. Carefully, Veryn evaluated the contents to find that the ring was not only magical but a god blessed item. The Dinner Party had in their possession the  Annulet of Kulay. Decided against using them, the group hid the magical items and rested for the night.

The next morning, packed and prepared, the party rode up to the Duke’s guest residence, for a final time, and set off with three guards, Osbert, and the young Lord Teon.

### Guarding the Young Lord

The Dinner Party put Lord Teon’s escort into a formation and tried to enjoy their time. Veryn tried, with no subtlety, to influence the young lord’s political opinions. Lord Teon was enraptured in conversation and seemed not to care about the heresy. The first night the group made camp and Hakkar enticed one of the guards,  Sgt Faru Smedes of Yarlford to pay for a “moto” tattoo. Faru flirted with the uninterested Aleida the entire time.

On watch, in the midst of being flirted at, Aleida learned that one of the other guards,  Lt Isaacius Borunda of Davenport, was assigned to this mission as punishment for killing a non-human during a standard ID check in the city. Veryn kicked Osbert awake for his shift, and Hakkar threw water at him for waking the entire camp. The group insisted the lazy monk stand watch.

Intrigued, Veryn followed Teon who snuck out of his tent in an attempt to also stand watch. Veryn redirected the youth back to his tent but not before the two played a not so innocent joke on the begrudging monk.

The next morning, Aleida warned Hakkar of the racist guard and the two made a pact to watch the other’s back. They had most of an uneventful day until they discovered a boot in the middle of the road. Veryn evaluated it and reassured everyone was definitely just a normal boot. It was not (It was a *boot of the cat*). Concerned that anyone would seemingly leave a boot in the road the Dinner Party asked for ten minutes to investigate.

Not long into their investigation the group came upon hungry slime. They tossed a torch at the two they saw in hopes to go around them without incident. To her disgust, Aleida stepped in a stealthy garden slime and lost both her boots. The group attacked the slimes and after losing Aleida’s socks they managed to expunge most of it and capture what’s left.

They followed the trail to an eerily burnt clearing in which lay two disintegrating humanoid skeletons. Aleida used her earth sifting capabilities to learn that every animal, bug, or creature within the area had fled. She used her powers to take the boot (which matched the one on the path) off of one of the skeletons and took its crumbling foot bones with it. The group refused to step in the circle of death and desecration to investigate further and returned to find the guards had left with Teon.

Luckily the group quickly caught up after a short run. After both parties grumbled about having left they continued. They shortly made camp once again. That night they were woken by Hakkar to find a stampede of wild boar headed for their camp! Aleida soon announced that the boars were chased by a dire weasel.

Without help from the guards, the Dinner Party prepared to meet the dire weasel. Aided by some wolves, the stampede was redirected away from the Young Lord. Lt Borunda claimed interest in protecting Teon as he swung to attack the helpful wolves. Hakkar bade him stop or face punishment. The Lt turned to Hakkar and swore he’d face repercussions for his threats.

Disgusted, Veryn blasted the guard into unconsciousness. He and Hakkar then faced the dire weasel. By the end of the night the group had arrested the Lt, saved the dire weasel and killed a few boar for fresh rations. The group has yet to discuss what to do with the shamed lieutenant but were warned by the helpful Captain Marot Leonte of Brasov that they cannot kill him as he is the son of a lord.

### Friends of the Young Lord

Ever the devotee of Fold, Hakkar advocated for the release of the hungry dire weasel. The rest of his party deferred to him. They treated the large creature for mange, healed it, and left it some boar carcass.

When the group returned to camp they found Lord Teon exerting his authority over Capt. Leonte as he demanded the Lt remained bound until he faced consequences for his crimes. The group decided it was best they get a late start to traveling and rested until about noon.

Without a tent for the young lord they decided to implore a farmer for a place to stay. They were cautiously welcomed into the home of Farmer Kennard and Lari Whittlemore. The travelers did not approve of the marriage dynamic of their hosts which hinted at abuse. Determined to deal with it, Hakkar and Veryn threatened Kennard about the destination of his eternal soul while he led them to his wolverine problem.

Hakkar and Veryn came upon a den of wolverine cubs and were quickly set upon by an angry mother. With the help of Aleida, the group slew the mother and captured the pups which they determined they’d sell in Oarstead. The next morning the group loaded up their new companions and the still tied up Lt Borunda. They noticed Kennard looked shaken after he had a private talk with Lord Teon as they said adieu.

The group made it into Oarstead at the end of the day and followed Osbert to the residence which would house the young lord until the group’s ship came in.

### Barons to Gentlemen

The Dinner Party followed Osbert into the well-to-do area of Oarstead where they stopped in front of a nice townhome. The were greeted by Baron Holden and Baroness Editha Willoughbye of Oarstead. Invited to eat dinner, they learned that they’re passage was purchased for them on The Sinhgdeep which would arrive in three days, and Teon’s mother had once worked at the Trylleki royal palace as a lady-in-waiting. After a tense dinner of watching Lord Teon wilt under the matchmaking eye of the Baroness, Hakkar offered a swift - though not too tactful- escape.

The DP then escorted one traitorous guard to the nearest guard-post where they spent hours doing paperwork and were convinced to complain about religious -instead of racial- injustice. The group departed from the other two guards and sought lodging at *The Majestic Gentleman's* where they shared a drink with the young lord.

That night Aleida of the Trylleki Mountains revealed to her party the reason for her constant disguise. Aleida was, at least partially, drow natured. Veryn and Hakkar took her confession in stride and even made a group investment to help her hide her ancestral traits.

The next morning the group revisited the guard post where prosecutor Joeson Hurke tried to entice them to speed the justice system along by greasing a few palms or advertising Lord Teon’s involvement. The group was appalled and with Teon’s help put the prosecutor in his place as he scrambled to regain any decorum.

The group spent the rest of the day shopping for items they’d need for their voyage. Hakkar took Teon shopping for the more typical preparatory items while Veryn and Aleida went shopping for items more arcane in nature. As such things are banned in Tryllek, it took the pair a while to locate the last known entrance to the underground arcane society.

Aleida and Veryn made their way into the graffiti covered sewers where Veryn followed the magical symbols hidden amongst the street art. The pair evaluated that the city had once been a keep and these repurposed tunnels held more secrets than they had time for. Once they were safely in the arcane market, they quickly disguised themselves so as to match the other masked shoppers.

Veryn and Aleida entered into a larger shop where they met a deathly looking fellow who traded with for an hour with Veryn’s spell book. They bought a few items and were enticed, by a hefty discount, to take the Duckling Summoner. Not wanting to linger, the pair left with their new supplies.

The following day the group split once again to investigate the reputation of the crew. Over the course of most of the day they found the Singhdeep had an above par reputation despite its favored risky path. That night they met the first mate Tollak Jarleson Einarson the Wave-Rider of Clan Hornick a strong dwarf whose mood and wit were as buoyant as the long feather in his cap. He assured the group of the tight reins the Captain held on his crew and reminded them to prepare tithes for the ship’s Vizan priest.

The next morning the Dinner Party made their way to the docks. They waited in line to board and were stopped halfway up the gangplank by a scowling man with a deep complexion who sported an eyepatch over his right eye.Caius Lepidus of the Seas the Vizan priest, demanded a detailed log of all their belongings and valuables. They presented to him a list, as well as their tithe, a barrel of whiskey. Ciaus warned them not to get in his way when it came to offering tithes to the Sea King. They acknowledged his warning, Caius offered them one last piece of advice: stay clear of the Levi warpriest Rodmonnd Paytone of Waverrock.

The group boarded the ship, and after a quick hello from Tollak they were introduced to the ship’s captain. Captain Grel Ibron of the Singhdeep offered them a tour of their temporary home and directed them to Teon’s lodging.

### A Storm Cloud in a Bowl of Soup

The Dinner Party quickly settled into a routine aboard the Singhdeep. Lord Teon shadowed Captain Grel, Tollak, and various other members of the crew. He was eager to learn as much as he could about sailing and not afraid of blisters. Between shifts supervising their young ward Hakkar prayed, Aleida traded for then read a book about Skog, and Veryn tinkered. Each night they dined with the Captain before beginning their day anew.

On the eighth night, as they supped with Captain Grel, Lord Teon was struck by a coughing fit. Veryn quickly discerned the abnormality in Teon’s recovery time. The group rushed to interrogate the cook. Having him cornered they learned cook Ealhhere Dubisf of New Emburg, Skog was approached in port. The poor man’s family was threatened unless he slowly poisoned the young Lord. On the 11th day, if Teon hadn’t already passed from “natural symptoms” he was to use a more potent poison. The Dinner Party valued the poisonous berries in question to be worth hundreds of gold. Whoever wanted Teon dead had more pocket money than sense.

To ensure Teon’s safety, the Dinner Party subjected every crew member to a zone of truth performed first by Ciaus then by Rodmonnd. But no one had "been approached by anyone not a member of the crew, prior to the departure of the Singhdeep, to meddle with, interfere with, cause danger to, or otherwise impact the ship’s guest, Lord Teon Pelham, or any of his entourage, or the ship as a whole."

That evening, Hakkar kept watch over Teon as a storm brewed around the ship. Hakkar thought nothing of it, until the porthole burst open. Hakkar went and closed it, when he turned around he started as he saw the feathers of a dart sticking out of Teon’s night shirt.

Hakkar grabbed Teon and broke down the door, running into the rain and chased by an unseen assailant he ran below deck shouting for his allies to wake. Hindered by the tossing of the boat to and fro, the group healed Teon and began to escort him back to the defensible position of his quarters. Only once above deck did they realize the full scale mutiny taking place. The group fought to defend Teon and keep their footing. More than once foe and ally were tossed by the angered sea.

With the help of few beyond their own numbers, they were able to turn the battle’s tide. A wave hurled Hakkar into the sea; mutineers nearly struck Veryn down. After a risky decision by Teon to run for his weapon, Aleida came face to face with the assassinating beast, a doppelganger. With a mighty blow, Aleida separated the flesh of its neck thus saving Teon.

### Demanding Justice

The Dinner Party hauled up their crocodilian companion and healed themselves before requiring answers. They learned, from a head mutineer, that Captain Grel’s cooperation with the crew’s interrogation about the cook had affronted the previously loyal crew. They knew nothing of the doppelganger, nor the threat to Teon’s life. Caius gave two of the mutineers to the sea as living tithes; the rest would be arrested in Skog.

The remaining crew gave the Dinner Party a wide berth for the remainder of their voyage.

### Bargains, Fortunes, and Mistresses

Waiting for them at the dock was Sheriff Edmund Wescotte of Skog. He claimed the Duke had told him to expect the group’s arrival and to escort them along their journey to **Freegloomburgh**. Upon request he had the documentation to prove his claims. He offered to find a place for the party to stay the night while they conducted their business in town.

Hakkar hauled the doppelganger’s body over his shoulder as the group made their way to the city’s **Temple Square.** They first visited a temple of the Life Giver. They found her temple empty save for a priestess and her novitiate. They informed the party that due to the approaching winter season, many request blessings and spells from Eleten sects. Unless they wanted to come back tomorrow the group would have to inquire at the Földan temple.

Once in the Goodly Greenhouse, led by Hakkar, the party quickly found help. They were directed to Izaga, an odd oracle who agreed to help them for a favor. They agreed and she performed the spell for them. The dead doppelganger passed his save and his soul was not required to answer the Dinner Party but they struck a bargain. The doppelganger would give the party information about killing Teon and the Dinner Party would save him from his misery in  AlMatohher.

The Doppelganger didn’t know who hired him, only that he went by Braham. He was paid in gold, and promised a Trylleki title in the distant future. At the request of the Dinner Party the doppelganger also divulged that he had many staches of gold and supplies.

The party thanked Izaga for her time and left the temple of Föld. Hakkar was caught by the arm on his way out the door. Izaga informed him that the goddess had heard his prayers and he needed to stay on his current path. Unnerved, Hakkar thanked her and made a swift exit.

Determined to ensure the safety of the moonberries, the Dinner Party entered into the sacred house of the Two. They bargained with a cleric in charge of temple management. He granted them one divination to which the group asked: ‘’Where, precisely, is the treasure of the doppelganger assassin which they slew in combat aboard the Singhdeep

The response they got was: *In five places scattered with five different plights, in the high towers hidden in plain sight in every major port along the Vizan seas, only in towers round will you find these.*

The group walked back to the Singhdeep to find out where the Sheriff housed them for the night and discussed what they’d learned. Out of the corner of her eye, Aleida spied familiar mutineers ushered into an alley by guards. In a seemingly rehearsed sequence, the party walked by the alleyway where Veryn “bumped” into Aleida, rendering her invisible.

Aledia watched as the guards and mutineers were paid off by a masked woman in leather. She followed the woman. As the newly freed mutineers reentered the main road they were spotted by Veryn who horned for their chase. Sprinting and dodging the group lost the mutineers but managed to trap the masked woman. They bound her, disguised her as a grippli, and assisted her to the Singhdeep.

Back on the safety of the ship, the group enlisted Caius to place their new capture in a zone of truth. Unfortunately for all involved, the masked woman divulged that she was Caius’ dominatrix when she wasn’t playing messenger to *the Organization.* The group quickly found out that Caius had voiced pity for the mutineers and asked that they get help. Her masked visage and contract with “the Organization” had nothing to do with a plot against Teon. The masked dominatrix confided to the group that she’d heard someone was attempting to hire Croaker soldiers to ambush their traveling party.

### Planning a Musical Escape

The Dinner Party met with Sheriff Wescotte at ‘’The Torpid Tail’’ and quickly informed him of the imminent threat. He cursed this development but confided that he’d hoped to prevent such an easy attack by making their route unpredictable and even unconventional at times. The group agreed this was a good plan but urged him to prepare to leave as soon as possible. He agreed to send a carriage for them at dawn which would take them out of the city.

Aleida stayed in their circular roost with Teon as Hakkar and Veryn located Chef Osgood’s informant. They entered ‘’The Minstrel Kingdom’’ and met with the grippli shop owner, Sir Fionntan Sheenani of Waverrock who was much too quick to croaking jokes for their mood. He accepted their delivery of magic items and paid them. Fionntan then requested they take up another job for their network. His friend, Ruse Malbadi of Skog, went missing in **Ribbitsville**, and all parties sent to check in on her have gone missing too. Veryn and Hakkar admitted their first priority was to Teon’s safety but they’d accept the job if Fionntan was okay with a delay. He warned them of the perils but agreed to hire them once more (350gp for information and a magic item of their choice if they returned Ruse safely.) He, then, offered them both fair-ish deals on some magic items he felt they may need: a kazoo and fired whetstone. They left feeling like they had less information than when they’d set out.

### A Loot of Hidden Items

The Dinner Party gathered at ‘’The Torpid Tail’’ once more. Upon some idle observation, they noticed the second floor of their penthouse suite was circular. They deduced it must be one of the five towers in which the doppelganger hid his treasures. They scoured the tower and quickly found a hidden compartment in the bar and a doubly hidden and trapped safe. Under Veryn and Aleida’s combined wits and trap-finesse the DInner Party was able to open the safe. Most notably they found an evil and magical rosary. The religious prayer beads bore a symbol unknown to the Dinner Party though they identified it to most resemble a symbol of Masama.

Unsure of what a Masamin cult’s role was in targeting a lesser Tryellki royal, the Dinner Party decided to send a warning to the local Eleten Temple before they needed to leave in the early morning light.

### Meeting True Royalty: The Frog King

Come the morrow, the Dinner Party and their ward snuck onto the moving carriage provided by Sheriff Wescotte. They met the Sheriff a few miles outside of town and began what would be a two week long trip. The group quickly established a routine. Upon their fifth day traveling they encountered a creature much unlike any they’d expect to find within Northern temperate forests of Skog. The lone scaled traveler bid them greeting as they passed and warned them of the delicate whims of The Mad Frog King.

The Dinner Party had never heard of such a person; even Sheriff Wescotte seemed confused by the title. But they continued their journey deeper into the heart of the continent. Their traveling path soon passed the edges of a sizable pond inhabited by a congregation of frogs. An unseemly toad grippli sat, with a mangled crown of leaves, upon a throne of rocks near the edge of the water. The group decided to send Hakkar to investigate.
Hakkar approached, whom he assumed to be The Mad Frog King, and inquired as to the safety of the path. Unfortunately for Hakkar, The Mad Frog King assimilated him into his delusions as he assumed Hakkar to be a diplomat of the forest come to pay him tribute. Decided against correcting the lone grippli, Hakkar played into his diplomatic station and learned of The Great War of the Pond which the Mad Frog King waged against the ducks.

Hoping to speed the process along, as well as help his friend out of a curious situation, Veryn approached and addressed the Mad Frog King. In doing so, Veryn unwittingly became a loyal subject of the Mad Frog King. The two friends signaled Aleida to stay near the horses and the young lord as they, with the Frog King’s blessing, dove into the pond so they might better advise the King on his wartime matters. Within the pond they found ‘’The Sword of Ducksummoning”.

Veryn wielded the sword and started a frogs v ducks battle as he and Hakkar swam back to shore. The two reunited with their traveling companions and set off past the pond. Veryn summoned another handful of ducks with this new sword to ensure the Mad Frog King would be too preoccupied to follow them.

### Ambush at Midnight

After nearly a week and a half of peace filled travel, the group was fairly set into a daily routine. As Aleida went to wake Veryn for his watch, the normal sounds of wildness vanished from the night air. The group had next to no warning as they were rudely jared from their rest by volleys of arrows.

The Dinner Party protected Lord Teon at all costs, and despite the disadvantage they began with they soon gained the upper hand. When it became clear that the Dinner Party were not so easily killed, their grippli attackers fled. Sheriff Wescotte slaughtered two before they could be captured; however, the Dinner Party successfully captured one of the marksmen.

Through a the difficulty of Teon’s limited Kvekke they discerned that the marksman, Chhalaang Rathin Far Arrow Shooter had limited knowledge of why he and his slaughtered outlaws were hired as he was not the group’s leader. Ever benevolent, the Dinner Party decided to spare Rathin so long as he came with them and helped Lord Teon negotiate with the grippli tribes surrounding Freegloomburg.

### Plantation of Questionable Morals

With only a few days left to their travel, Sheriff Wescotte brought the group to ‘’Muitula Plantation’’ in hopes that they might enjoy a long earned night off of the ground. They were greeted first by the help, then welcomed with open arms by Mrs. Della Debillsworth. Aunt DeeDee, as she insisted on being called, escorted Hakkar to a suite just down the hall from her own while she encouraged the Dinner Party in entirety to wash up for a nice supper.

Unused to the option of individual rooms and reminiscent of their more sudden adventures, the Dinner Party tested the safety of their rooms. They found them all to be in acceptable order, except for Teon’s room, which had a closet for his personal servant (aka Rathin) and a steep stair from there to the kitchen. Satisfied for the moment, they all washed and went down to dinner.

Over four delicious courses, the Dinner party learned that Aunt DeeDee had inherited Muitula from her late husband  Archibald Debillsworth IV. The Debillsworth family were renowned for having lost their titles for conduct unbecoming of nobility. Aunt DeeDee bragged that the plantation had a total of 50 rooms, 600 acres, 23 employees and 100 slaves on any given day. Unwilling to participate further, the Dinner Party made their excuses and left to bed early.

They crept through the kitchen passage and saddled their horses to leave early. They would have left, but Aleida refused to simply walk away from the practices of slavery, which were technically illegal in Tryllek. The group snuck around the plantation and discovered a “shipment” of new slaves entering the plantation. It was then they discovered that the Trylleki colonial jails were overcrowded, and so criminals were occasionally sentenced to years or a life of slavery.

It was despicable. The Dinner Party would burn the slave industry to the ground, consequences be damned.

### A Midnight Bonfire

They snuck outside the slavers’ quarters and scouted the building determined to commit arson properly. They found roughly five men inside and were prepared to enact their plan when in walked Sheriff Wescotte. It took them less of a minute of eavesdropping to ascertain his guilt. More determined than ever, they glued the doors shut, magically locked all of the windows and set the building ablaze.

The Dinner Party would have fled, but they realized the only way these people would truly be free was if the entire enterprise was destroyed-- and that meant dealing with Aunt DeeDee. Thus, instead of fleeing at the sound of screams as men burned alive, they ran back up to their rooms and pretended to have been resting.

When the main house was alerted to the fire the Dinner Party exited the house with Aunt DeeDee and watched her horror at the flames. It was only after watching her do sacrificial magic to stop the blaze that the Dinner Party wondered if they had the whole story.

### Demanding Improvement

The Dinner Party interrogated the, now sickly, Aunt DeeDee. As it turns out Aunt DeeDee had run a “labor fueled correctional program” with her late husband, but she retired and had given control of operations to a now crisply deceased family friend. DeeDee was surprised to learn that the operation had turned from a privatized prison system to a full on slave trade.They also learned that her sacrilegious magic was a product of her  Rombola childhood.

The Dinner Party assured Aunt DeeDee that they would check up on her and Muitula and would take drastic measures should she not begin to right the many wrongs she’d turned a blind eye to. Aunt DeeDee swore to personally oversee the necessary changes.

The Dinner Party hopped on the riverboat and left the smoldering plantation behind without a backwards glance.

### A New Governor in Freegloomburg

The dinner party came into ‘’Francois Bay’’ via their fairly uneventful riverboat ride. They met Francois Cottonwood Jr. who lead them through the humble townlet. Francois lead them straight down mainstreet to the Governor’s House.

Teon’s new majordomo, Bagdemagus Dallon “BD” Thomas, met the group at the door and welcomed them into the modest home. BD introduced them to the grippli cook, Stoc Maldue. He informed them that no one would be let in the house lest they withstand his scrutiny. And for that only one other person in the town had, the smith’s daughter a  Miss Rovyn Vortigem Malbadi who also happens to be Ruse’ daughter and aids BD in cleaning on Mondays and Thursdays.

Settled as quickly as possible, Teon was informed it would be best if he could start tomorrow. The Dinner Party, reluctant to leave their long time travel companion, decided to help as much as they could. They scoured the townlet and surrounding area for anything that may pose a threat to their frequently imperiled friend.

Of note the group found the remnants of a hydra den along with a small bag embroidered with “Property of the Lantern Accord.” The adventuring party checked what records BD had been keeping and found that the Lantern Accord had been through the town on their way to Ribbitsville. This made the group all the more determined to head there themselves.

They entrusted the safety of the young lord to his majordomo, said tearful goodbyes and ventured south.

### A Meeting’s Chance

The Dinner Party lamented the absence of Lord Teon as they traveled south, venturing off the main roads for a more direct path. They took solace in noticing the growth of their namesake. Dinner’s lower teeth began to extrude and the spots on his back began to fade as he continued to grow in size.

Their 7th day of travel passed as the others had; however, on Veryn’s watch a most natural calm overcame him. Veryn, for perhaps the first time since he could remember, felt as if his soul were at ease. He could neither explain nor fight the compulsion he had to follow that inner peace away from his small camp and into the wilderness. He managed, just barely, to wake Aleida before wandered.

Only just woken, Aleida stood no chance in fighting the same feelings that had overcome Veryn. She left camp after him, without so much as a note for the slumbering Hakkar.

The two soon stood side by side, entranced by a beautiful lightly glowing woman dancing between the trees. It was only when Veryn stepped on a tree branch, did they realize they were not alone in their study of the maiden, all manner of creatures who called the local forest their home gravitated towards her as well. The snap of twig under heel had refocused the woman’s attention onto the two adventurers.

They knew her, under the serenity of her gaze, at once. This was a manifestation of Elet upon the mortal plane. Eletens told fables of such meetings to children, but few believed those fables to be true. Now both Aleida and Veryn would forever know better.

The Life Giver whimsically inquired if they should like her to bless them with starting the journey to eternal peace. Neither adventurer wished to head start their soul’s healing in Al Matohher; both wordlessly declined her invitation. The Discarded One’scountenance turned into mourning.

As suddenly as feelings of peace had washed over Aleida and Veryn they drowned suddenly in feelings of vengeance. The calm demeanor of the goddess’ avatar gave way to a powerful visage glowing a capricious red as Veryn and Aleida beheld the goddess fight with The Madness of Soul.

Masama made clear to the stunned pair that they were beneath either goddess’ aid, though she insinuated that the Dinner Party may come of use to her with time. The Mother of Fiends summoned a delgeth from her twisted realm and the two adventurers watched in horror as it granted its life essence back to its creator. The godly presence bid them to not make waste of the creature’s body.

The twin faces of the Goddess of Soul left Veryn and Aleida with one last warning in simultaneous cadence.

Elet: *Stay true your hearts, beware the bastard son. To meddle in the interests of gods renders mortals killed. Stay the path of hearts, leave some destinies unfulfilled.*

Masama: *Stay true your souls. Heed the sniveling bastard son. To meddle in the interests of gods renders mortals killed. Stay the path of souls. Prove yourselves unskilled.*

The glowing manifestation of the goddess vanished leaving Aleida and Veryn alone in the woods.

### Stay the Path

Aleida and Veryn raced back to their camp and woke their dreaming friend. Hakkar made no complaints as he helped them carve up the carcass of the delgeth while they recounted their tale. The strange encounter left the Dinner Party wondering, were they on the right path?

They continued their way to Ribbitsville unease. As they closed in on the town, the group decided to travel by night as they began to see something watching them at the edge of their vision.

The Dinner Party rode into the village at dawn and found the entire town shutting themselves in for rest. They questioned a farmer with his family as they passed and were let in on the strange control dreams had over the town. The adventurers thanked the farmer for his time and made their way to the local inn.

There they met Sam Fultone stable hand and errand boy at ‘’The Sleepin Inn’’. Sam acquired them rooms at the inn and informed them of Ruse’s ascension up the local mountain. He knew her with some familiarity and even unlocked her room for them. They found a layer of dust collecting there along with a letter of warning and farewell she wrote to Sir Fionntan Sheenani.

The Dinner Party left immediately to meet with the local head of jurisdiction, a Mayor Emmerich Berger of the Trageron Bergers. He assured the party that their help was most needed, and he was doing all he possibly could to maintain order in such unsure times. They noted a distinctly Levi pattern to his bed-robe and asked for local religious authority.
He directed them outside of town to the local hermit. So the Dinner Party ventured out of town to meet with someone they hoped to be more morally upright.

They met Samirah Yoxal of the Oaksville Spirits at her cottage, and were quickly enraptured by the quirky blind sage. Samirah gave them tea and the tea: there was something dragging the poor folks of Oaksville (colonially known as Ribbitsville) up and into the recesses of the mountains by their dreams. Samirah gave them a limited aid to resisting said dreams.

More than satisfied with the information they’d attained, the Dinner Party was ready to leave when some snooping found a secret crawl space which branched off of Samirah’s kitchen. Aleida questioned the poor woman they found roomed within. She introduced herself as Fa’iqah and after an sign of reassurance from Samirah as the former Lady Hadia Jordi Nassara-Stildoph.

Fa’iqah had been married to Lord Radnor Stildoph against her will and had been smuggled out of a violent and loveless marriage by Ruse who also gave her a new name and life as an Eleten Priestess. The Dinner Party had stumbled upon one of Ruse’s many allied safe houses. The group promised to escort Fa’iqah to Freegloomburg when and if they returned from their investigation of the mountain.

### Alluring Dreams

Overcome with travel fatigue and an abundance of new information, The Dinner Party returned to The Sleepin Inn and rested. They kept a watch, despite being indoors, a decision which saved Veryn from the temptation of dreams. The last hour and a half of the last shift correlated with dusk and so Aleida and Hakkar fell into a dream filled sleep.

Aleida dreamt of a city of drows, where she was well enough known. Needing nothing from the marketplace she found herself in, her muscle memory took her to a place she’d never seen before, yet knew was home. There she was welcomed by her drow mother and father who gossiped excitedly at the person she would introduce to them at dinner. This was the family and society Aleida had never known, a place where she would not be shunned for her race.

Hakkar dreamt of a time past human extinction, where orcs and shapeshifters lived free of persecution. He walked down a street where there was a line formed outside a shop titled “Hakkar’s Tattooing.” He found he held the key to the door and knew exactly how to prepare the shop for opening. This was a place of his own, where he could be surrounded by culture he’d long felt was dead.

This and more was promised to Aleida and Hakkar by an unconventionally garbed Masama. They noted that this dream version of her wore a jeweled necklace which seemed to drip down her throat, a black spiked crown upon her head, and curiously a black wedding band upon her hand. This strange version of The Queen of Plague told them to ascend the mountain and follow the The Putrid King and limitless rewards would be theirs. She granted them the rest of their respected dreams to enjoy only the beginning of what their future might hold.

The two adventurers woke to a frantic Veryn who had noticed the change in their sleeping demeanors and was preparing to bring them back by any means necessary.

### Scrying is Trying

Now that two-thirds of the Dinner Party was intimately aware of the powerful seduction they might encounter within the mountain they decided Veryn aught try as he might to scry on Ruse.

After some concentration, and with the aid of items of hers, Veryn saw Ruse in a place he could only describe as rancid. She was bound to a stake, covered in blood not her own and surrounded by hundreds if not thousands in a similar state. She seemed to sense his attention and began struggling to detail what happened to her.

Ruse had been affected by one of the dreams while in Oaksville, though not so much that she unknowingly ascended the mountain. Wanting to find the source of the evil affecting the town she’d gone into the heart of the mountain where a trap had been laid for her. She awoke in an unknown location and had been a sacrifice. Her bound state in what she knew to be a different plane would surely be her resting place. Her last intelligible words, “She’s not her.”

Veryn recounted Ruse’s information to his friends as they all came to the realization, the Dinner Party needed to stop what was happening in Oaksville or die trying.

### Here’s to Saving Sam

The Dinner Party left the town while its inhabitants tried desperately to stay awake. They ascended the mountain aware of the same eyes following their every step such as they had on their journey to town. Only at the entrance of a cave did they stop.

They found a message graffitied into a boulder just before the cave which read “Property of the Lantern Accord”. They scratched this out and magically etched their own message:

*If you’re reading this,*
*the Putrid King is a servant of Masama,*
*sacrificing Eletens for some unknown purpose.*
*Do NOT ENTER THIS CAVE,*
*regardless of what you’ve been promised;*
*you will be changed into something unrecognizable*
*or used to fuel this dark power.*

Unwilling to further delay the inevitable, the Dinner Party went against their own written advice and entered the cave.

The Dinner Party was unfooled by a decoy tunnel and found a magically hidden entrance deeper within the cave. They killed a dire ape who was fresh into a food coma and continued along the natural tunnel system. They came to a still body of water and implored Hakkar’s crocodilian senses to discern anything beneath it. He heard the rhythmic beating of drums.

Unconvinced of the water’s safety, they tied a tightrope around the surrounding stalagnates and crept their way across. That is, except for Hakkar, who fell in two-thirds of the way across.
Luckily, it seemed the distant drums were keeping anything that might have come after them occupied. Whilst Hakakr was shaking off the stale mountain water, Aleida found a statue of Elet covered in fresh blood. The Dinner Party was getting close.

The party fought off a pair of cave spiders and followed their ears as voices joined the foreboding drumming. Aleida, made invisible by Veryn, scouted ahead and found a dane made of shadow roaming a nearby tunnel. The party made noise so as to distract it, and then they crept past its guarded arch and entered into a most unholy scene.

Sam Fultone lay in a clear daze upon a gilded altar surrounded by what the Dinner Party assumed were three cultists. It was an epic battle, made most difficult by the magical dome which encased the altar and two of its cultists. The Dinner Party battled the evil doers
cutting down summoned creatures left and right and using most of their strength to attack the wall of force. Alas, that barrier ensured they could see every detail of the horrors committed upon Sam.

As they fought to get closer to the altar, the Dinner Party watched in terror as a sacrificial knife was plunged into Sam’s abdomen and a bloody figure clawed its way out. All the while an invisible force smeared Sam’s spilt blood on the wall into a symbol most unnatural, yet one familiar to the Dinner Party. Only once the bloody figure was half way emerged did they realize Sam was being turned inside out.

Aleida fought with impressive feats of archery and obliterated one of the foes with her kinetic earth blast. Veryn summoned creatures of his own, aether elementals to do their bidding behind enemy lines. All the while, Hakkar shielded the party in great feats of selflessness and sacrifice as death itself seemed to be eager for his soul. The adventures breached the magical shield and soon freed another hostage they found. Newly naked Sam was pulled into the portal created by the symbol and the Dinner Party subdued one cultist and killed the rest.

The battle was over; Sam was lost and Hakkar saved from the brink of death when Veryn’s aether elemental shared further disturbing news: Sam had been taken into a cancerous realm outside of those created and protected by The Two.

### Give Us Answers

The Dinner Party first covered the evil altar in 6 inches of lead in the hopes that it would subdue the magic therein. Then they kept watch and rested. Upon waking they decided to deal first with their prisoner. A full blooded Drow who had used his child hostage as a shield through last night’s fight.

The Dinner Party refused to untie or ungag him, so they put a quill in one of his bound hands and bid him write only answers to their questions. When he refused, they pitoned his other hand to the cavern floor. He answered their questions.

He was a servant of the Pestilent King. He’d been raised to follow his god and would after his death. The Drow had failed to obtain the crown and thus worked in what he considered to be recruiting duty. The group stopped allowing him to write as he began to encourage them all to join his evil master and insinuated that Veryn had a personal invite and should use it to sacrifice Aleida.

Exasperated with the evil propaganda, the group decided to split up. Hakkar and Aleida would check out the water system while Veryn guarded the freed hostage and their prisoner.

Aleida and Hakkar found a few treasures on the underground river bed that they kept, before Hakkar was swept up by the current and thrown over a waterfall. Aleida followed him, but managed not to fall over the waterfall and instead climbed down the side of the rockface and was able to save her crocodilian friend. A few Shaheen carried notes to Veryn and one long wet hike later, Aleida and Hakkar reunited with Veryn and the group exited the horrid cave.

To doubly ensure no one could use it for evil again, Veryn and Aledia systematically collapsed the tunnels. The group buried their prisoner alive beneath an endangered plant in keeping with Hakkar’s Földan practices.

### Where Does the Evil End

The Dinner Party returned the young girl to her family, and went directly to see Samirah. Samirah gave them safe places to rest and a good meal, while she researched what she could about the Putrid King. As far as she found, there was something other in the histories of the plane. But all historians that ventured after it for answers went mad or died a swift and cursed death.

Unable to aid them further Samirah promised to continue in this quest for knowledge, offered them personalized gifts, and sent them on their way with Fa’iqah in tow.

The adventurers reentered Oaksville with renewed energy. They sought the mayor so as to share their good news immediately; however, Mayor Berger’s distrust of their story and floundering of their suggested courses of action renewed their suspicions of him. They invited themselves to stay in his house for the night, after which they would oversee him tell the good people of Oaksville that leaving was for their best interest. Until it was time to turn in for the day, the Dinner Party acquainted themselves with Oaksville and began to let key members of the community know about tomorrow’s announcement.

An awkward moment where Mayor Berger wasn’t in fact asked to host an orgy later, the Dinner Party (and Fa’iqah) decided to snoop about the Mayor’s abode. Aleida and Veryn found letters between him and the Levi Council. In the letters Berger admitted to knowing something evil was plaguing the town and instead of taking measures to stop it he begged the council to be relocated. In his safe they also found another unholy rosary.

They woke Emmerich immediately and told him he was no longer Mayor and was now a mere figurehead controlled by them until the town of Oaksville was disbanded. Emmerich swore to know nothing of the rosary, though he still tried to maintain his legitimacy as leader of the town. Oaksville took to the warnings of the Dinner Party and the town was set to caravan to Freegloomberg in 28 hours. The Dinner Party aided everyone in packing belongings for the rest of the day.

That night Veryn’s alarm on the safe containing the unholy rosary went off. The Dinner Party flew out of their beds at the inn and ran to the Mayor’s house. They found both Emmerich and his housekeeper out of bed.

It was only when Hakkar stumbled into a non lethal trap while searching the housekeeper’s rooms that the party wrestled the hag to the floor and began questioning her. Housekeeper Franziska Klossner knew about the Prince of Darkness and she worshiped him. She encouraged all to know and love him even if she didn’t follow him the same way the cult of her childhood did. Franziska had even welcomed the presence of his followers in the mountains.

The Dinner Party debated killing the woman then and there, but ever benevolent they decided she’d be tried before the townspeople tomorrow.

### This Town’s a Riot

The next morning the people of Oaksville gathered for what they assumed would be a short period of instruction before they set off from their homes. They were soon confronted by a list of Franziska Klossner’s misdeeds. The town reeled from the news and surged forward with violent anger.

The Dinner Party was able to prevent the gathering from becoming a mob and had Franziska’s fate put to an anonymous vote. Democracy saw Franziska hanged on the first tree outside of town less than an hour later.

### Stolen Birds and Life Debts

Setting on their way, Aleida sent Shaheen to warn Lord Teon of the caravan’s impending arrival. Focusing on allowing Shaheen to fly for almost a week straight placed Aleida in the care of her companions. The Dinner Party are not inexperienced as babysitters but overseeing a caravan of 107 people and their livestock was trying for them, especially when they started a member down.

On the sixth day Aleida knew Shaheen was in trouble; her dirt bird should have returned by now. This was confirmed when a falcon landed in front of Hakkar bearing two messages. The first a response from Lord Teon who awaits the party and their traveling hoard. The second was from Winduson Airetherial letting the Dinner Party know he’d “adopted the messenger.”

Aleida dropped her concentration on Shaheen and nearly collapsed before she formed him on her arm. A being of cloud had captured him and put him in a cage. Aleida vowed Shaheen would not be captured again.

During the weeks that was the caravan’s travels each member of the Dinner Party took on various roles. Veryn maintained the logistics of the caravan, taught a self defense class during lunch breaks, and tried his best to keep a small clinic running in the evening. Hakkar took to organizing the able bodied men for patrol and defense while also aiding in Veryn’s evening clinics. Hakkar’s patrolling led him to saving a grippli trapped under a fallen tree due to a terrible storm. Mridul vowed a life debt to Hakkar and despite the language barrier will not leave Hakkar’s side. Once Aleida had finished her long deserved rest, she began teaching and aiding women of the caravan to forage for various medical apothecary ingredients. Not a moment too soon for the busy adventurers, Muitula came into their view.

### Invitations to Tea

While Aunt DeeDee could not host all of the caravan in her house, she did offer her land for them to camp on. DeeDee then insisted that the Dinner Party join her and her guest for supper.
Her guest was none other than Marquis Gomric Fabel the closest local authority for her to work with to resolve the personnel issues they’d brought to her attention nearly a month and a half prior. The uninterested Dinner Party begrudgingly sat through dinner long enough to have a drink, and found out Aunt DeeDee had received orders from a cloud dragon to host a tea for them the following day.

The next morning the Dinner Party began with overseeing the caravan get to the ferry in an orderly fashion. They also sent Mirdul and a translator provided by Aunt DeeDee ahead to Lord Teon to warn him of Emmerich’s shenanigans. Then they washed up and prepared to meet their guest for tea.

They waited mere moments before a large cloud traveled near the plantation, a smaller cloud broke off from it and pummeled in their direction. With a poof, in the only empty chair sat a being of cloud who introduced themselves as Winduson Airetherial Favored son of Ommaei the Soundless-Ruler of Vapor and Keeper of Breezes. Winduson made short work of the conversation and let it be known immediately that they needed help caring for the dirt bird they’d captured.

The Dinner Party politely explained that Shaheen was Aleida’s and would not be parted from her. Veryn tried to divert Winduson with the story of the Dinner Party’s travels, in hopes that Winduson might help them. Winduson was not interested in stories as their mother was, but offered to take a written version to his mother. Veryn reluctantly agreed and the Dinner Party entertained Winduson by giving him the slime they’d captured back in Tryllek. Satisfied with the tea party, Winduson took Veryn’s written countenance and their new slime with them as he took to the sky again.

### Freegloomburg Pitstop

After their tea party, the Dinner Party finally took the last legs of the trip to Freegloomburg where they were greeted by the sight of many new townsfolk already beginning to set down roots. They tried not to get stopped for long by friends they made along the way and hurried to see Teon.

Lord Teon was overjoyed to have the Dinner Party back. He informed them that he’d been training with BD to keep up his fighting skills and he and Rathin had been making leaps and bounds with the surrounding grippli tribes. The adventurers eagerly listened to Teon’s updates before summoning BD, magically warding the office, and filling the two in on everything that had happened in Oaksville. While news of a great evil raising its head wasn’t heartening, Teon wanted to be there when they told Rovyn her mother was likely dead. The Dinner Party broke the news to her gently.

Ensured that everything was on the up in Freegloomburg, the Dinner Party decided to continue north to the ‘’Twin Islands Lake’’ where they found out part of the Lantern Accord was also headed.

### The Karakash Tribbe

The Dinner Party traveled with Rathin for five days before they were met by warriors of Karakash. Rathin continued to guide them and soon the Dinner Party found themselves in a town among the treetops. This took a bit of careful maneuvering for the group who was unused to the peril-filled consequences of uneasy footing.

They were taken immediately to the tribe's chief. The Dinner Party explained to the chieftain that they believed there to be a powerful magical item on the islands which the Karakash tribe was ill-prepared to contend with. The chieftain enlightened his frogs’ ways to the Dinner Party; the chieftain had no say in who goes on the island but their religious heads did.

Much to the dismay of the Dinner Party they met Karakash Tarun Sun Speaker, a priest of Illum, and  Karakash Iha-Ishka Shadow Whisperer, priestess of Fold. Despite the different religious philosophies beheld by the priest and priestess, both sustained that anyone let onto one of the holy islands would be killed on sight should they try to leave.

At a nightly bonfire the Dinner Party heard the young tadlings tell legends about a necklace of tears. The adventurers took it as a sign, they needed to get onto those islands.

### Foscorian Isle

The process onto the island of Illum could take anywhere from weeks to years, and while the Dinner Party admired the dedication of Candidate Kurou Quin they did not have that kind of time. So the quickest way onto one of the Twin Isles was via verbal belief in Foscor. Despite that Veryn was technically a follower of Foscor (and Illum) both Aleida and Hakkar believed he existed. At dusk they were set off in a row boat to the ‘’Foscorian Isle’’.

They arrived on a dark beach prepared to ideally bluff their way into a temporarily monastic life or fight their way into a monastery. They found no animosity in the group that greeted them and were soon swept up in a flurry of introductions and rules.