Session Date: 04/28/2025
I missed this session. A quick summary from Bosch’s player:
After the attack, Mary patched everyone up, and Bosch “repaired” the giant gear he tore from the clockwork (by leaning it against the wall it came from and writing “not broken” on it). We got some side-eyes from the locals, and were asked to leave before making it worse. But they were also sympathetic: Lord Mostest High Gulf had been stirring up more trouble than usual lately, so he rightly got blamed for the attack.
Faylen split off to deliver supplies and messages to the construct, while the rest continued to the fire quadrant. The waiting list for the forges was about a month long at this point, so the party asked to speak to a supervisor, and were directed to Maker Azra. They explained the urgency of Destroyer’s situation, but Azra wasn’t convinced. Dr. Cecily Sÿtz even offered to sweeten the pot: when she (Sÿtz) published her paper on construct repair, Azra could be a co-author. (Though Sÿtz’s name would come first, obviously.)
The kobolds ended up waxing philosophical about the importance of self-improvement and fire as metaphor. This jogged Bosch’s memory, and he blurted out that it’s like what the “giant fire lady” was talking about. Without actually naming Astrobolesia, he described what she’d said, and poured out his Eternal Eruption to make a rough sketch of her phoenix form. When the kobolds gathered around in amazement and asked follow-up questions, Tabby was able to serve as a Bosch-to-Common interpreter, confirming that yes, the party had visited Astrobolesia in her domain.
Realizing that the party had her patron’s blessing, Azra agreed to allow them to skip the line, and to sign off on visiting the Elder Oak. So they smelted the ores and forged components according to the blueprints, without any further hassle. On their way out, Mary thanked Azra again, Sÿtz kept to herself, and Bosch swiped the smallest hammer from a row of hammers arranged by size. All that was left was to visit the Elder Oak. But the only way there was through the earth sector.
The party took to the shadows and back alleys to get through, while Sÿtz preferred to hide her face behind a newspaper and blend into the crowds. Somehow, neither ran into trouble, and they met back up at the gate. On their way, they heard two kobolds arguing over what Lord Mostest High Gulf’s disappearance meant. Was he on a secret mission? Or was it a signal to someone? Should they respond somehow? It couldn’t possibly mean that he was in trouble…
Mary sent Talitha in to scout the guardhouse while the party discussed ways to get through. Opening the gate would immediately attract attention, and it didn’t look like there was any way over the wall without being spotted, so Bosch suggested learning the guards’ schedules and going through the guardhouse when the right moment arrived. But then Talitha came back and reported, “they’re all dead.” There were no visible wounds on the body, but an autopsy revealed wounds internally, making it appear that perhaps they were killed from the inside out.
Bosch had asked a question about the maze and the bodies and something about this made Salaavethor very concerned. Sal also advised the maze will shift and will be only a call away, and will send Faylen to them once he is found. Also, the Seal of Infinity has gone cold.
The party otherwise arrives in the caverns and as they explore the maze within, a barrier appears and separates the party.