Session Date: 9/3/2023
We stare at the lady that jumped on the barge, realizing that she was definitely Rohan’s sibling. The tiefling part of Pratima is incredibly different from Rohan, but the human part was absolutely very similar. We’re all silent for a moment and Dia eventually introduces herself, then introduces the rest of us, though when he gets to Rohan — Rohan butts in and says his name is Max. Pratima takes Max’s hand and Taraaq says he wouldn’t have thought of anything better himself. Pratima clearly doesn’t think anything weird is happening, and she says she is going to take one of the corners of the barge. We agree and Dia looped her arm into Rohan’s and dragged him across the barge, which Pratima doesn’t pay any attention to.
Rohan had no clue that he had a sibling. Dia asks Rohan where he is from and he tries to stall, to which Dia sits and waits. Eventually others in the group come for the tea, with Edruch butting in and calling Inky a scholar and flashing writing at Inky, who doesn’t recognize it.
Rohan asks Taraaq what was going on and he explains that he had to do some things to get this job, and that Rohan was missing and presumed dead and he’s working with Rohan on the side. There’s a whole project going on and Taraaq isn’t really told about it, very much. It wasn’t just Rohan that was part of this project, but Pratima — his sister — may be a part of it, though Taraaq says she doesn’t seem very culty or anything, so weird. Taraaq says he might want to try to talk to Pratima.
Dia finally turns to Edruch and says that while she would love to hear about his research, there is just something that we need to talk about as a group of friends right now. Edruch realizes that we are asking for privacy and he recognizes that he made a little social mistake, and he apologizes and says he will leave for now. Inky figures out that Edruch is creating an Orcish alphabet so that the Orcs have their own written language rather than using Common or Elfish to write. When Edruch is gone, Dia turns to Rohan and asks if he’s talking to Taraaq (yes) and then she asks if he needs a few minutes (yes). She rushes waiting.
Dia asks if he has any siblings, and Inky answers for Rohan: yes. Arythas rephrases and asks if he knew he had any siblings, and Rohan says no he didn’t know that. He was raised an orphan and he had always assumed his parents were gone, but he’s coming to realize that perhaps he actually has family out there still. Dia asks where he was raised, and Rohan stammers and says that it was a place that called itself a church, but they were really more of a cult. He says that he thought it was normal given that he was a kid growing up knowing no different. It wasn’t until he realized that he had magic and a connection to something outside (Taraaq) that he started to realize that things weren’t right and his existence wasn’t a coincidence.
When asked if he was raised with other children, Rohan says yes, but he was the only tiefling among them — the rest were human. He was never treated any differently.
Rohan ultimately ran away, so he has no clue what happened to the rest of the people there. Taraaq chimes in and tells Rohan that they are dead. Dia says that she is sorry. Dia asks where the name Corvo came from, and that’s what Rohan was told was his name. Rohan isn’t sure what to do about Pratima and whether he should try to talk to her or not, and he admits that he just ran and never bothered to look into his family.
Iskra can see a sort of seal over Pratima’s heart as he tries to assess if she is part of the cult, but it seems to be broken. He explains that he thinks Pratima’s safe, but he can’t be completely sure. He asks Rohan if Taraaq had to break any seal, and Taraaq explains that Rohan never had one. Dia asks if Rohan wants to go talk to Pratima with her, and Dia can do all the talking if he wants. Rohan would feel more comfortable if we all went over with him, and so we do. Pratima is lounging and reading one of Rafferty’s books.
Dia pours her a cup of tea and apologizes for the odd look before and she says that she thinks she’s heard the name Corvo before. It took Dia by surprise, and that it is a lovely name. Dia asks if it was a family name and Pratima says it must be. Dia asks more questions and Pratima is growing suspicious about all of her questions. DIa apologizes and explains there was a deal with the Corvo that she knew and it ended horribly and he got caught up in some backlash and we had to deal with bad luck because of it and she just doesn’t want it to repeat. Pratima says it wasn’t a member of her family, then, because we’re still alive and if we’d met a member of her family then we wouldn’t be alive. Dia offers to trade stories and Pratima says it must be pretty interesting. Dia offers up that a bounty hunter was sent after her.
Dia can tell that Pratima doesn’t like to talk about her family and she’s highly suspicious that Dia is digging into it. She’s considering attacking us or running. Dia gets up to leave and Iskra apologizes for Dia and offers Pratima some fey weed — she takes a baggie and hides it on her person. We all disengage.
Inky says that he doesn’t feel they are particularly related. There’s a little back and forth before Rohan ultimately goes back up to Pratima and asks about her family again. She says that it’s incredibly unpleasant and Rohan gives his real name this time. Pratima says that Rohan was after her, and he says no, he wasn’t, and she tells him to shut up: she had an older brother that gave everything for Pratima to have this life. She sheathes her rapier, and she says that no offense, but if we are here to kidnap her and take her back we are either incredibly incompetent, or incredibly good. She casts detect magic on him and realizes there’s no seal on him and she isn’t sure what to do. He explains he didn’t think he had a family and she says this is weird, how?
Pratima doesn’t have a person in her head and Rohan is surprised that she doesn’t. Pratima asks if Rohan actually has person in his head. She leans in and whispers into his forehead asking if it’s father. Rohan assures her definitely not.
Pratima got out at the first stage of indoctrination. She knows about “The Estate”, she’s met Balthazar (their oldest sibling). They have other siblings but many of them are dead. Balthazar is alive and likely the most powerful, and there’s mother, of course. Apparently mother is the one who started the cult and she gives children to a demon prince, though she doesn’t know which prince.
We are all aware that demons can have cults, but they don’t girl boss gatekeep gaslight their way to a multi level marketing scheme. Whoever made this setup is likely not a demon, though a devil sure would be on this. Pratima also admits that she doesn’t even know mother’s name, she was just mother. She apologizes that they aren’t being buddy buddy close but all of Pratima’s other siblings have tried to kill her, and Rohan should expect the same from his other siblings.
We sit down to all have tea together. Taraaq has a freak out moment about how he wants to protect Rohan but he doesn’t have power now but a demon prince is just so much. Rohan explains to Pratima that it might be a good idea if he met Taraaq. We make sure to pay off Bronze so that he forgets what is going on, and then Taraaq comes out to talk. He explains that he doesn’t know what is going on but he is going to try to find out. He has contacts he can reach out to. He recommends that we lay low, though it may be hard to do. Arythas asks how long it will take to learn, and Taraaq says he doesn’t know but he recognizes he needs to be careful. Rohan asks what happens if we’re caught and Taraaq explains that Rohan probably dies. We all agree to not let this happen.
We invite Taraaq to stay projected with us for dinner if he wanted. Taraaq explains that he can’t possess random people because he’s tethered to Rohan and everything. Dia asks for a moment if Rohan could be possessed by Taraaq, but immediately regrets asking it and asks that we forget he asked. The others aren’t overly surprised by this as we all sit down for dinner. Edruch shares his orcish cuisine, while Inky helps Bronze prep the fish and cook.
Edruch is trying to get a library in Arcfort but it’s taking a very long time. Iskra explains that Inky is a librarian. He explains that the Orcs have a country but they need a culture. He admits that there is history in the swamps and he’s trying to uncover it as well as trying to help create the culture. Dia explains that the food, the language, and death (how they deal with it, how they take care of the dead, etc) and that’s what makes culture culture. He’s been working hard to collect recipes and stories and he’s worked on the Orcish alphabet — he’s going back to Arcfort to talk to the General to begin working on culture. We know that General is the title hoisted on the leader of Usval — the current is General Vroldahn.
Dia finally explains she’s trying to summon something. She’s trying to summon an elemental spirit of some sort to convince them to make a deal with her brother, Bertram, so that he can stay alive until we get to him. She explains she originally asked Taraaq if he would make a deal and she realizes just how bad of an idea that is. She explains that she is desperate and she can’t lose him because he’s fought for her his whole life.
Iskra will try to talk to Phoebe to see if she can help. Taraaq is uncomfortable by this because she’s likely a celestial.
Arythas asks for clarification: she wants to make a deal for Bertram without his presence? She explains no, she’s trying to basically send some entity to Bertram to try to open the door for Bertram to make a deal if he wants. She explains that she needs Bertram to live because he can handle the family better, and knows the locations of more of the family overall.
Dia pulls Arythas aside to talk about the strange dreams. Arythas tells her that he’s fine, his dream was simply a childhood memory. He doesn’t mention that Bahamut visited him and spoke to him. They stand there a little awkwardly, then they part ways and go to bed.
Iskra goes to bed and is in a garden, next to a row of plants. He hears Phoebe asking what he needs. She explains she can’t do a full thing because she’s at work. Iskra asks about the whole deal and Phoebe explains she can nudge a bit to make a deal with Bertram. She says she will nudge Bertram in a direction and see how it goes and she apologizes and explains that there are rules so she can’t really just create a pact with him like demons do. Iskra explains that we just need Bertram to live until we get there. Phoebe explains she will make it easier for him to make friends where he is now, but it’s still up to him. Iskra asks about Taraaq ascending, though he doesn’t use any names. She explains it’s weird for a fiend to want to ascend and she would love to meet him, but it’ll be hard: they need neutral ground (not the material plane, for sure). She can’t offer him anything yet but it’s nice and good to know.
Phoebe explains ascension isn’t impossible and it’s happened before.
Inky has a little bit of a weird dream thanks to Phoebe. He’s in the library but it’s crooked and everything’s too high to reach. There’s a book just out of reach and it’s the book that will help him and his friends. He reaches for it and some voices mock him for trying, and they say they wouldn’t be doing well either. The voices are familiar to Inky. Behind him is four kobolds: red, green, black, and white. They are all Inky.
Inky asks if they’re all the same person or different variants. One says they can’t be the same because the scales are different, so variants? The question is if they are from different universes or if they’re facets of one of them. The Inkys explain that if they all work together they can help solve all the problems, and Inky asks for help to get the book. They all stack and get our Inky up so he can grab the book, then he wakes up.
Nothing is different: the book isn’t here, he’s just himself.