Session Date: 2/18/2024
We are in combat. Arythas has a spirit link with Dia active. There is a fire orb on the map still live. We manage to take care of and kill these creatures and Iskra mentions not to step where the patches of the corpses are. Iskra moves toward Dia, and Dia starts to realize that a spell was cast upon her. Iskra is in her face. He pats her and casts a three action heal to heal Iskra and Robin.
Arythas checks on Inky and makes sure he’s okay after his psyche is unleashed, and Inky sits down to take a moment. Inky recovers and walks over to Dia and asks why she is angry, and Dia explains that she is being treated like glass and she doesn’t appreciate it. Inky responds that they are not treating her like glass, but we are treating her like a person who is pushing things past any of our limits. He explains that she is going too hard into it, and she explains that she didn’t choose to pick this battle.
Dia and Rohan are arguing. Arythas eventually steps up and the argument doesn’t get much better — Dia is dealing with all of the trauma of her family from the years that is surfacing as she feels trapped and hurt, and she doesn’t know what to do with it. Arythas explains that it is his job to protect others, and he will die to do so if he needs to. Arythas recognizes that this is trauma is not something he can touch at this time, and his interest is getting things calmed down enough so that we can move forward. Things continue to escalate and Iskra comes over and explains that we are together because we wish to be, not because we have to be, and he thinks that Dia cares for us because we are the opposite of the cage she’s been in her whole life. Iskra admits that what Rohan did made her feel bad because it reminded her of how she was treated, and he probably shouldn’t have done that, but he didn’t do it for the same reason.
Dia sits down on the rock and doesn’t look at Rohan, then apologizes. She doesn’t say anything else. Iskra asks what she’s sorry for, and to who. She apologizes for comparing us to them (her family). Arythas moves to gently rub her back and explains that we cannot fathom what she’s been through and what her past was like, and that it is hard to deal with the burdens of the past. He explains that there is no question: they will all get hurt through this campaign, but we need to be smart, and we need to try to lessen the damage as much as possible. He compliments the use of the magic weapon and explains that it is a very good tactical choice for her. It is clear that Arythas has some other thoughts, but he is unwilling to speak about it in front of the audience. Dia gently touches his hand and then turns to apologize to Rohan.
We are on the road to the capital of the country, Ormarsa. In the middle of the road on the way there is a large stone that was split in half by something. You’d have to move around it, but somebody destroyed it and moved through it — we recall that there is someone with another one of Bahamut’s weapons, so perhaps it was them. After a few hours we see on the horizon a city that is slumped at the edge of a pale river. It’s a small city despite being a capital, though it’s not a village as there is a pretty big building with a clocktower towards the center. This is the town hall that houses the town leader and his family. The city is pretty dour and there are not many people on the street or there, we assume most people are at work.
The situation in the country is unusual: there’s a prince and royal family, but they are far less important and have less power than the leader of the town. The leader is also the man who has connection to Cruelwind Prison, where they can apparently just house people from other countries here. It’s incredibly illegal on an international scale. The royalty lives in another town in their ancestral lands and castle.
Iskra recalls that he’d been here before, and had distant cousins that lived here. His aunt’s name was Lepnica.
Arythas also hesitates for a moment as he sees a man digging graves outside of town, with a Raven Queen chapel next to it. Arythas hesitates as he remembers when he had to dig the grave for his village, then continues, and Dia stares at the chapel for the Raven Queen a little too long. Dia notices the way that Arythas hesitates and asks if he’s alright, and he says he’s fine.
We make it into town and find a tavern that we can stay in: there are two rooms available, which we take, and then we settle in. Iskra asks if Lepnica is still in town, and the innkeep says she’s left, and asks if Iskra is family. He confirms, then Rohan comments that it is impressive that there is a city out here, and the innkeep gives single words responses to our inquiries. Dia asks if there is anything we should be aware of, where to go, where not to go, where to be careful, etc, and he advises we avoid prison. Dia asks him to elaborate, and he explains that Cruelwind is dangerous.
We hear a heavy wagon stop outside. The man doesn’t emote much, but when he hears this he has annoyance mixed with fear. He introduces himself as Solon, and we all introduce ourselves. We then start to pay attention to the wagon that arrived.
Dia can see that there are men outside with the wagon, and seem to be bringing things in. Iskra’s wolf goes out, and the guards seem to be fully human. There is one person that seems to be in charge. There are four guards there. The wolf sees the towering man that is dressed in a hood, cloak, scarf over his face so there is no visible features. The man is massive, perhaps even slightly taller than Arythas. He’s built like a human, or a mammal otherwise.
Arythas is listening: the guards talk among themselves and don’t seem to be local based on what he can hear. The hooded person moves very deliberately and slowly. Someone from a warehouse comes to review the supplies: reupped on food, water is fine, added some alcohol as per previous request. The man doesn’t say anything: he truly makes no sound unless he’s moving, though he’s clearly in charge. The wolf can see that he takes the note and nods, and then they start to take things from the warehouse as supplies for the prison.
Dia leaves and uses the hat of disguise to disguise herself as a normal commoner here, with only Solon noticing. She moves to get closer and Rohan sneaks after her as cover — not doing a particularly great job, but the guards don’t seem to notice him. She learns the guard names: Joll, Deron, and a third gentleman. Of these, Joll seems to be the youngest and the newest of them. The giant hooded man is simply called “Sir,” with no name. They are clearly afraid of him — more than just being afraid of him because he’s the boss. The guards are equipped with standard shortswords, on the wagon there’s two crossbows, and the big man doesn’t seem to have a weapon. The horses are very well trained war horses. The supplies seem to be as high end as possible for here, implying this might just be for the warden or the guards, and this is enough for a week.
Rohan hears steps in the snow as someone runs at him, and someone exclaiming they love his mask. A man is there, around Rohan’s age or maybe slightly younger. He’s dressed well even for a city. He’s regarding Rohan in some awe, and he doesn’t seem to have much grasp of personal space: touching Rohan’s arm and exclaiming excitedly about the mask. A large man walks up after the young man, asking him not to run off like this. A woman in her fifties comes up alongside the goliath body guard, and she’s chiding Ford. Rohan graciously says that they can’t be too mad at him for running off, then introduces himself and lays it on real thick.
The young man introduces himself as Crawford “Ford” Barrus, and he’s an upper crust type here. Rohan spins some absolute bullshit about how masks are for the upper class, and you need to really find a mask that fits your character. Ford is a half elf, Crag (the bodyguard) is a Goliath, and Elizabeth “Bitsy” Barrus is Ford’s mother, a human.
Dia sneaks off to the alleyway and uses the hat of disguise to become a lavender tiefling with a mask to be more elegant and beautiful, while Rohan is more showy. Dia explains she’s here with Rohan, and the rest of us come out. Everyone’s wearing masks, except for Arythas, who’s pretending to be the bodyguard.
Crag clocks Dia as lying about something. Crag and Dia move somewhere private and Dia explains that she has a brother in the prison and Crag does his due diligence to make sure whatever we are up to won’t blow back on his family. Dia assures him that this will not happen, and Crag ultimately is fine with that, then gives Dia the directions to get to the Ialdethish estate. We first visit the graveyard and try to find anyone with the Ialdethish last name, but find absolutely none. Iskra leaves some flowers on the gravestone of his uncle.
We head to the Ialdethish estate. Outside, chopping wood, is the form of a silver dragonborn. He’s older, and pleasantly plump. Arythas doesn’t recognize him, but Iskra knows that it’s the same man that helped with his uncle’s funeral. Iskra explains that he helped at the funeral he attended, and he’s a very warm person. It’s what Iskra wanted to talk to him about. Iskra explains that he had the familiarity that he sees in Arythas, a warmth. Iskra doesn’t know if he can recall his name, but he helped and he just had a very nice presence about him a decade or so ago. Iskra was about Dia’s age.
The man finishes chopping the wood, gathers it, and sees us all, looking straight at Arythas, and then drops the wood and runs into the house. Arythas can tell that the man is surprised by seeing him, and he panicked, but Arythas doesn’t know why he’s surprised or why he panicked.