Session Date: 04/13/2025
The Rotten King Tavern
Inky is vaguely upset that he can’t see the ritual that Atratus the Bitter uses to turn people into furniture. Inky wishes he could see it because then he could reverse engineer it so that he can do the same to people, and learn how to undo it (of course). Iskra talks back and forth and suggests scheduling turning another person into furniture and has to explain it’ll happen again and surely they can set up a time, and Inky doesn’t want to just cause someone to be turned into furniture or just schedule it.
Atratus comes down and Inky asks some questions about the staff:
- It will take time for Atratus and the staff to get used to each other, and they will have a long time
- A good seeing eye staff is best if the person could see before, but that is not required
Atratus shares as much information as he genuinely can. He’s not trying to be creepy, it’s just kinda how this works. Inky definitely understands what Atratus is saying and in theory knows how to do it, but he definitely doesn’t have the power for it. Inky is very aware that there is a very conscious decision to make this ritual long and drawn-out, and that it could be done much more quickly than the way Atratus describes.
Arythas and Dia eventually return. Everyone is very pointedly not looking at the table with the party and Atratus as Atratus explains this ritual. Inky takes notes.
Dia approaches and speaks up, saying that we have to move on. We have a delivery to pick up and other things we must tend to. She’s clearly very afraid, and Atratus revels in this. Atratus understands, and he explains that we will have no issues when returning to the flesh exchange.
The Flesh Exchange
We excuse ourselves and return to the flesh exchange. It’s clear that rumors have already spread from the tavern that we associate with Atratus and seem to be rather chummy with him (Atratus in particular thinks we are on good terms, even if he is aware that we are not entirely on page with each other). The grippli that runs the flesh exchange is white as we walk in, and he gives the three barrels over to us to take with us. He has a dolly we can use to wheel the barrels out with us.
A rather scared individual gives us instructions on how to leave The Undermarket so that we wind up in the sewer, and they explain that while we can leave this way, you cannot enter The Undermarket you cannot make it back this way as there is only one entrance. On our way out we do pass by Ace Freeman, but he does not give us any difficulty at this time.
We make it back to Kestrel St. Clair’s house - he does happen to have an entrance to the sewers from his house - and he greets us there. He is excited to hear what happened, and he ushers us inside to store the thuuls and take a shower and get comfortable.
Kestrel’s Home
After we get cleaned up, Dia makes tea for everyone, and then we share what happened with Kestrel. Dia wraps up by saying we need to figure out how to get the thuuls back to the north, and perhaps we can call upon Captain Kearney to take them up north.
Kestrel is clearly uncomfortable about the fact that Atratus is the contact we made. He admits that he wouldn’t call Atratus an ally, but Rohan is correct: it’s better than an enemy, to which we all agree. Kestrel comments that we may need to deal with him, and Arythas comments that if he is not an issue then we should leave him alone. Kestrel agrees that perhaps he should be a problem for someone else, and hopefully not us in the future.
The conversation then shifts to August, Dia’s brother that’s currently polymorphed as Gust. Dia explains the plan: send August’s collar (tracker) and put it on the train to The Undermarket, and make it very clear that Dia was the one that broke in to take August. There are two issues: how to actually rescue August, and whether we should turn him into a human as he’s been an animal longer than a human.
Iskra comments that probably August will need some sort of rehabilitation after an ordeal like this, especially with how long he’s been turned. He comments that turning back to normal is difficult because it no longer feels like your body.
Bloodsoaked Banner
We return to the Bloodsoaked Banner to visit Soldos with regards to rescuing August. Dia explains everything we’d just been through, and Soldos comments that that is where Atratus is holed up currently.
We discuss the whole August issue. Soldas suggests that they keep August in the stables, even after he’s turned back to normal, as it will be a more familiar environment. A curse like this or the one on Iskra is particularly virulent.
Dia comments that this is the first time that she’s felt that fighting would be more worthwhile than trying to talk it out, and Soldos comments that if this is a situation where Dia’s father dies? He’ll help hide the body. Dia is horrified by this but Arythas gives a very slight nod at this.
The plan seems to be in place, at least for now.
The College
Vitalii takes us to the college next: it’s a large castle with housing for the students, a large library, and all kinds of resources for the students there. If you are a student, then you never have to leave the district if you do not wish to. There is definitely campus security and they wear armor and have batons, though it is easy to imagine the batons are magicked.
We make it into the large building and find the receptionist - a large minotaur woman with small glasses who is very kindly - and immediately starts mansplaining that he needs help with his client who needs a specific kind of magic, you know, and etc. While Rohan is mansplaining to the minotaur, Dia breaks away from the group to wander the halls and look around.
While Dia wanders, she does not notice the young harengon student that bumps into her. The harengon girl immediately starts apologizing loudly and nervously. Dia asks if she’s okay while apologizing, and the harengon says she’s okay, and she’s fine. Dia helps her pick things up, noticing a lot of astronomy items, and notices that she has a black eye. She asks the girl if she’s okay again, and she runs off toward where Iskra is.