ToA: Session 51

## The Market Place of Ideas

As Neb makes his appearance, he speaks out against the ghoul magistrate. He gives an impassioned speech about how the actions of the ghouls go against the very balance and unity that the tribes live by, and that those who turn their eyes away from the injustices before them-- such as the enforcer who beat the old man or the guards snaking their way through the crowd to silence a dissenter, are enabling the erosion of the balance. He challenges the magistrate, bringing to light the illness, the use of fine words to sweep issues under the rug, and the apparent crimes they have committed, riling up others in the crowd to partial success. The ghoul magistrate subtely uses his magic to contain the crowd and demands to know who Neb is, so they can speak like reasonable people, to which Neb takes on a new guise; Ligzar Scaledawn, a gold and red lizardfolk from a famed family of outspoken, even at times perhaps infamous, individuals.

The Magistrate attempts to smooth things over, and openly invites Ligzar to debate him, while he and his guards subtely cast feeble mind. But Ligzar resists it, and though others cannot see the magic itself, the cartridge that charged it is physical evidence enough. And so Ligzar cries out that the magistrate has assaulted him with a spell, and just as Kinlek appears besides him, the area erupts into battle.

## A Civil and Reasonable Debate

Kinlek, having seen the magic and realizing the cartridges are each an entrapped spirit, casts dispel magic in a rage. The device in the magistrate's hand is rendered useless, and likewise the devices held by his guards fall to pieces. As they reel from the sudden appearance of the tortle and their weapons falling to pieces, Neb aims right for the magistrate and blasts him hard enough to send him stumbling back in shock. He manages to pull off a casting of Pain at Kinleck as the crowd disperses in a panic, but Fargus jumps out from his own hiding place and finishes off the magistrate before he can do anything else. As he slashes through the ghoul's spirit chord, for a moment something odd happens. A sudden appearance of chords, forming a latice all the way back to Omu grabs Fargus's attention, and in that moment he can feel the remains of the chord in his hands. It is tangible, it is real.

As he marvels at this revelation and vindication of his madness, the Sahaunguin rush in to attack. Hotar rushes for Fargus, but misses. The rest of the squad focus on the ghoul guards, with two of them going after Kinlek, and Neb leading another two away as he runs from tree to tree, exchanging eldritch blasts for magic missile strikes. Fargus convinces Hotar that this fight has nothing to do with him, that it is between the Yuan-ti and the ghouls, convincing him to stand back from the fight. In the midst of the fight, two guards manage to let loose a small golden device, which speeds away. Shortly after Kinlek shakes off the painful spell and sets a guard ablaze as another is struck by Daedalus. As the gaurds fall and the flying device vanishes from sight, Fargus sees the lattice tremble like strands of a spider's web, and not moment after, like a meteorite crashing into the ground, an apparition of Rashni lands among the group.

## The Spirit of the City

Rashni appears in a ghostly wisp, but he is no less intimidating than when they faced him in the flesh. As purple energy swirls around him, Kinlek is accosted by the screaming, anguished voices of the spirits. Every step sending up another cacophanous cloud of agony. With a simple motion he makes the body of the magistrate vanish, and strikes with his blade at Fargus. Without pause he then sends a chain of lightning at Kinlek and Daedalus. Though Kinlek manages to absorb the lighting, he is injured. Yet, in a moment of glory, Kinlek is filled with the spirit of Ubtao. As a clock of ethereal peacock feathers drape around his shoulders, he dispels Rashni's apparition. With the auspices of the peacock cloak and a heron landing beside him, those who remain and witnessed the battle are in awe.

Kinlek heals Fargus as Hotar approaches the squad to ask who they are, while a yuan-ti named Titik marvels at the display. They tell us no one has witnessed such miracles since traveling into the inner city. Hotar, Kinlek, and Neb discuss the nature of the false prophet, and how the squad is there on a mission to cleanse the jungle of the illness the ghouls are using to consume all those who would fallow their twisted doctrine.
Hotar warns the squad of another false prophet, a man who carries a ring of frost and would destroy the twin cities, a man named who cannot be trusted.

After bidding eachother farewell, the squad head back towards the pit to try and find a new lead on the chameleon folk they are searching for. As they travel they end up stumbling onto an ancient cistern and series of waterworks in ruin. A lake has formed around the area, and a massive tree has grown atop the castle-like structure in the center. The area is full of the strange spirit owls and what appear to be normal frogs, and going further in the squad find what appears to be the remains of a marketplace.

As they explore the plaza of the market, echoes of the past take form. Ghosts, imprinted onto the city, go about their lives as they had in the past. The Squad can see the food, hear the discussions, notably one about someone named Wamahu. The smell of autumn is in the air, and for once Kinlek feels a lack of agony. The colorful wisps make it clear to the squad that this small market place is one thriving and well, before the great disaster struck the cities. It is in a strange way pleasant to witness, and seems to be a simple memory held by the place, until an elf woman in tattered clothes that seem out of place for the images suddenly looks at the squad. For a moment they think it is simply a coincidence, like when Neb reached for an apple and was scolded by the merchant, only to discover he was scolding a child in the memory. But then the Elf woman starts running towards the group, crying out "You can see me?! You can see me!"

**Will the squad be faced with a ghastly foe or a new friend in desperate need? Will they discover there is more to this city than simple memories locked in time? Will the chameleons ever be found and will the loot for finding them be good enough to justify all of this? Find out next time on Tomb of Annihilation!**