Session Date: 2/19/2023
While Inky is in the library, he reads as much as he can. He tries to figure out all of the filing systems — the books he already know and from his home are organized in a familiar way. The books are very focused on dragons and some on goblins. Goblins are an empire on another landmass, separated by the sea. Elves have a kingdom, and Dia’s family is a Republic in Acria. Inky and Arythas are from a pocket of land that nobody cares about. Inky goes from book to book, reading, learning. He does learn a new spell while looking around and he learns distort value.
Inky decides it’s time to go back home and Mattai explains that it seems that the group is in a less magical area than where Inky entered, but the magic library will take Inky to the nearest to them library. The books here are a little eclectic — fencing, Pelor prayers, comics, etc. He is in a tent. In a glass case is the gilded sword that Dia summoned prior.
He hears two people approaching and he hides in the books, moving them to see who enters. Inky recognizes Rafferty, Dia’s brother. A bugbear woman is with him and is very, very professional. Rafferty is whining about something. He takes a moment and almost reflects on things, then moves on.
Rafferty decides to try something and he takes a by the book fencing position against a mannequin and a bit of magic discharges, with a capsule discharging. The sword is dwarven made and the bugbear woman stole the formula for the cartridges, but it will take time to get them into mass production, so he should not use the sword much until then. Rafferty and the bugbear woman leaves.
Inky notices that most of the camp is humans but there are also some elves — they are snotty and the upper crust type. There are a few human/dwarf/bugbear/goblin professionals. None of these people will bother him unless he starts some shit, so Inky just gets up and leaves. He stops to ask if the guards know here Dia is (no) or if there is a group of adventurers nearby, to which they say the Bloodsoaked Banner’s camp has some newcomers.
Inky comes over to the Bloodsoaked Banner camp and asks if the guards have seen Arythas. They let him in with a warning and Inky runs in to find his new friends.
Arythas gets breakfast while Rohan and Iskra have a lay in and try not to get up, and Dia has found a quiet place to write in her diary.
Inky finds Arythas and rushes up to him, saying he found things to talk about. He says he met Dia’s brother, though Dia’s brother didn’t meet him. He thinks Dia’s brother is an ass (Arythas confirms) and then asks where Dia is. Arythas isn’t sure where she is but will help Inky find her. They find Dia outside of the tent serving as the temple for this camp. Inky rushes up to her and apologizes because he met her brother, then gives her some documents he found:
- map of the mountain (to find Artem Vorvarax)
- specs of the gunblade
- page of mage payouts (who they are & how many)
- Dia jots this down and asks Inky to give this one back
The sword has arcane means to simulate a divine smite: it’s automatic with fire damage and it’s a longsword.
Dia gives the map back to Inky and Rohan takes a look at it. Dia explains the map is likely to be notice dmissing by the bugbear woman, so Rohan takes the map and marks off the areas we did see the paladin in in an attempt to throw The Family off.
Dia asks if we should help the Bloodsoaked Banner to recruit the paladin, or not. Dia wants to do something or she will lose it. Rohan asks if there were horses in the other camp. We discuss what we can do to get out of this valley sooner and Rohan decides to go talk to Rafferty. Dia copies the sword designs down.
Dia recalls a repressed memory of Rafferty having a horny mag of tieflings when they were younger. She definitely suggests not letting Rafferty touch his tail.
Rohan and Inky hand over to the other camp and they approach the main tent. Inky gives all of the papers they have to return to Rohan, and then minimizes himself and hides. Rohan clears his throat and asks to speak with Rafferty. His attention turns from Shevore and has to double check Rohan because tiefling. Shevore asks why Rohan is here and Rohan lies, explaining that he has never seen a paladin before. Shevore is not fully convinced but she also doesn’t clock that Arythas is a paladin. She is suspicious, but lets this happen.
Rafferty enters with wine and glasses and they all have a glass poured. Rohan asks if there is any way to fix the avalanche so that so that we can move on. We don’t want Dia to fail her mission, after all. Rafferty explains that the fastest way is to find the Earthshaker and have him join the Family to train the paladins of the Family. Rohan wonders if we could skip the search and clear the avalanche blockage. Rafferty returns that we can’t pull the mages away from their current duties but if we wish we can change camps: we could be relocated to the Family and consider ourselves part of the Family. Rohan says that we can help but we cannot cover that much ground alone: if Rafferty lends us horses, we can help, which he agrees to.
Rohan slips the documents onto the desk and then Rafferty personally shows Rohan the horses, leaving Inky in the room with Shevore. Inky minimizes himself and sneaks out to join Rohan and head back to the whole party.
While Rohan is doing all of this, Dia goes to speak with the leader of the Bloodsoaked Banner. He is at a war table looking over their search for the Earthshaker. It is more disarrayed but the people are much more dedicated than those of the Family.
Dia explains we need to leave the valley and go to the city and stop necrotic wine. Dia explains that she doesn’t feel safe here as she doesn’t have permission to be here. Dia explains if we can convince Rafferty that the Earthshaker is on the other side of the avalanche he will help, but Soldos doesn’t think we can wing that. He just wants to talk to tthe Earthshaker. Dia offers to help find the Earthshaker in exchange of getting out of the valley.
Soldos notices Dia’s headband and recognize it: he asks if the friend who gave it to her was a gnome (yes). He tells her not to take it off. He holds a crystal to it and Dia learns that it is magic. He isn’t 100% sure what it does, but the design is familiar and typically helps to hide people from scrying. He reassures her that she doesn’t have to interact with her family if she doesn’t wish to and offers a bodyguard, which she turns down because she has the team. He reassures her that she is not a burden.
Somewhere in this she also realizes that Soldos is the type of elf that reincarnates over and over.
Iskra is sitting in the tent during all of these shenanigans. Mordaine eventually finds him in the tent and he explains that he has a gift for Iskra because he wants Iskra to live since there are not many of their type in their lives. Mordaine almost argues with him but drops the point. He gives Iskra a Ring of Snakewood.
Dia finds Arythas training three rookies. She asks if he is teaching and he says yes, and she is surprised. He explains that he was more or less raised in this, so it makes sense that he would eventually teach new recruits. Dia asks if she can talk with him and he walks with her back to the tent, all of us happening to come together at the same time by chance.
Rohan reports that he manage dot get us horses, but Rafferty will not help with the avalanche until he talks to the Earthshaker. Dia reports that with the Bloodsoaked Banner we would have to dig the snow out manually, but they just don’t have the manpower to do so. Dia asks if we would be willing to ask the Earthshaker to hear the different camps out. She explains that her brother will not stop searching until he finds the Earthshaker, and Rohan agrees that this is the best option.
Dia recalls her conversation about her headband and asks Inky to identify it. He does and it’s a headband of safety. Basically, she is shielded from divination magic and scrying. She also has access to some other spells. The headband magic needs to be recharged once a week, and Iskra is surprised that someone would bother so much with this for someone else. Iskra wonders out loud what it is like to have someone care for you. Dia tries to convince him that she cares for him but he refuses to believe it.
We return to the point of finding the paladin and agree to go find the Earthshaker so he can hear the two camps out. Arythas says he needs to let the trainees know that he’s leaving and goes with Dia to notify them. As Arythas is talking to their captain, Dia notices one of the trainees zoning out. She approaches and asks if he’s okay. He mumbles something and she asks him to repeat it. He says:
DEATH CONQUERS ALL.
The recruit then explodes because Alan hates Dia. 😔