Session0010

April 5th
The party reconvenes at the orphanage, where those weren't present before are briefly introduced to Pepper. Odell shares what he found on his tour of the estate of Natalie Shaw, and the party decides that they will return to the estate after dark and attempt to break in to investigate further.

At Rye's request, Jack spends part of the day asking around for information about Baron Millan Watts, but he is unable to find any new information.

Rye also suggests that Jack tries to interface with Malkoth's amulet to see if he is able to draw magic from it. Jack attempts to do so, but finds that he is unable to draw magic from the amulet, which he says is typical for magic items, in his experience.

Odell receives a magical sending message from a friend, Nuraval Silverstone, at the College of Mimrinoth. Nuraval tells him that Grenfi Nackle came to the College asking for information about the journal of Halimath Wasanthi, expressing an interest in collaborating with the College. Odell replies to the sending, telling Nuraval that he's headed to Paxeter.

Rye and Frog go for a walk through the city together, and Rye confronts Frog about his alcohol use. Frog admits that he has been drinking more than he should, because he has been anxious about his sister and his mission, expressing his frustration at his lack of progress in securing aid for the princess' rescue. He agrees to reduce his drinking, and Rye assures him that the party is destined to work together, and that they will provide aid in rescuing the princess.

As the two are walking through the city, Rye has a vision of an apparent memory, wherein he and Israphel are walking through Avallon, discussing the upcoming war between arcanists and divine magic users, and Louche's reasons for serving Asmodeus.

Patches searches the library for information about the Luxturrim Obelisk, the Phaelux Beacon, and Orion's Key. He finds some information that corroborates what he already knows, but no knew information.

XVIII stays at the orphanage for the day, and shares a meal with Yesora Lune and the children.

Later in the day, Buttonworth proposes to Frog that the party should travel to a nearby Mycorrhizan colony, Molldorf, after they finish their business in Paxeter. He suggests that the party could use a painting in Molldorf to return to Mycorrhiza and convene with the King and Queen, provide an update on their mission, and request payment for their party's aid in rescuing the princess. Frog agrees to this proposal.

In the evening, the party reconvenes at the orphanage once again. As previously discussed with Buttonworth, Frog suggests to the party that they should travel to Molldorf after they conclude their business in Paxeter. He makes no mention of the painting or returning to Mycorrhiza, however. The party agrees to this arrangement.

As they are discussing these plans, Jack reaffirms that he would like to reach Paxeter as soon as possible, explaining that he is trying to find a safe place for Pepper, and also hopes to find information at the Free Arcanists Lodge. When asked, he further explains that Pepper is able to produce powerful elemental magic, but isn't fully able to control it. Jack harnesses Pepper's magic, using it to fuel his abilities as a conduit.

After nightfall, the party goes to the estate of Natalie Shaw, sneaking inside using pass without trace. Within, they quickly search through the building to ensure that they're alone, and then they search through Shaw's library for valuables. Within the library, they find a magic rapier, as well as some arcane reagents and spell components, and Material Chaos. After some discussion, they decide to take the valuables, and conceal their tracks. Using a combination of magic and espionage skills, they leave no trace of their own passage, and Jack plants discreet evidence that would suggest a burglary was committed by local thieves.

As the party is searching the library, Gragnok detects an undead presence behind a locked door, using divine sense. The party breaks into the locked room, and finds that it is a child's bedroom, seemingly untouched for many years - presumably belonging to Lane Coronato. There is a sealed letter sitting on the bed, addressed to "Lane Shaw." Rye picks up the letter, and when he does, apparitions of Natalie Shaw appear and attack the party.

The party battles the echoes, which inflict psychic effects wherein the party sees and hears glimpses of Natalie and Lane's past. During the fight, Malkoth inadvertently summons a cloud of noxious sulfuric gas, bu he manages to control it until it dissipates, as the party defeats the echoes.

After the fight, the party finishes searching the estate for valuables and information. They recover some gems, inks, vellums, and a spell scroll. Rye collects a few books about the Hells and the Outlands, as well as a book about the leaders of the Hells that was hidden underneath Lane's bed, and a few random books from Natalie's sitting room. He also takes the letter that was on Lane's bed, and collects one of Natalie's hairs from her hairbrush.

Patches finds a book that talks about the Luxturrim Obelisk. According to the book, the Obelisk was created by Alusfaen Orion as a place for the safekeeping of items and artifacts deemed dangerous or heretical by the elves of Ayn Sitael. The book does not list the location of the Obelisk, or make any reference to Orion's Key.

While searching the estate, Rye and Malkoth both make note of a painting that depicts Natalie Shaw, Immanuel Belder, Elrah Saevel, and Ruby Rainsong during their adventuring days. Odell explains that, based on his findings at the library the day prior, the four traveled together as an adventuring party many years ago. He also explains that Elrah Saevel currently works at the College of Mimrinoth as a Paragon - one of the college's leaders. Malkoth notes that Belder looks roughly the same as he currently does, despite the apparent time difference.

With their business concluded, the party sneaks out of the estate and returns to their lodgings, picking up Pepper from the orphanage on their way.

Rye reads the letter from Lane's bedroom. When asked what it says, he says that its contents are personal, and he doesn't think it would be right for everyone to read it. He says that the only pertinent piece of information contained in the letter is that Natalie Shaw left behind some sort of inheritance for Lane Coronato, and that it is in the possession of Elrah Saevel. The letter also references Immanuel Belder and Ruby Rainsong as dear friends of Natalie, and possible points of contact for Lane if Elrah can't be found. Finally, he says that the letter implies that Natalie's soul is in Sigil, waiting for Lane to join her in the afterlife. Later, Rye gives the letter to Malkoth to read, since it pertains to his family.

The party asks Rye for an explanation of why he is sometimes scatterbrained, and why his efforts to maintain a serious demeanor seem to tax him. He explains that he was given a genie as a birthday gift by Mahadi, and used it to wish to become a carefree mortal, which resulted in his transformation and his current state.

The party also asks Jack how he and Pepper came to be together. Jack explains that he met Pepper in the Taruki Jungle, along with his mother, who also had innate elemental magic. Jack spent a number of years with Pepper and his mother, but eventually, Weavers Conclave enforcers came to the tribe and killed Pepper's mother, when the rest of her tribe surrendered her for execution.

April 6th
In the morning, Pepper introduces himself to the party, and Jack once again explains that Pepper is the source of the magic that he manipulates using his innate abilities. Pepper explains that he was born with his powers, much like his mother.

After a brief conversation, the party makes preparations to depart from Avallon toward Paxeter. Gragnok visits Fort Avallon and collects some information about Artoni Nightwind - a bandit captain for whom a large bounty is offered, located somewhere between Avallon and Paxeter. Odell visits the library and obtains some books about basic arcana, so that he can help Pepper learn to refine his abilities.

With their preparations complete, the party departs Avallon, following the imperial highway toward Paxeter. Over the course of the day's travel, Malkoth sends Blakjak to scout out the region and try to find Artoni Nightwind's camp, but Blakjak does not find any sign of it.

Over the course of the travel day, Rye reads the book that he found under Lane Coronato's childhood bed the previous night. He finds that the book makes reference to various leaders of the armies of the Nine Hells, including Louche and Mahadi, among others. He looks for any reference to Millan Watts, but finds none.

Later in the day, Rye allows XVIII to drink his blood for sustenance.

In the evening, as the party is traveling, a body suddenly drops from somewhere above and crashes into the road. The party scouts the area, but finds no trace of the body's origin. Investigating the body, they find that is an adventurer from the Pathfinders Alliance adventuring guild, seemingly killed from slashing wounds and then dropped from a great height. Salvaging what they can from the body, they recover a pair of magic boots, which are registered by the Pathfinders Alliance.

At dusk, the party stops their travel and makes camp for the night.

One their watch, Rye shows XVIII the letter from Natalie Shaw to Lane Coronato, and the two discuss the complications of family relationships, referencing their conversation from a few nights prior. During their conversation, a strange veil of pink light appears nearby. They wake Jack to look at it.

Jack says that he as seen similar phenomena of manifested ambient magic during his time in the Golden Wastes, although he is unfamiliar with this particular effect. He mentions someone named Djinni, and when asked, explains that she was Pepper's mother. He explains that after he was confronted by the Weavers Conclave in the Golden Wastes, he traveled to the Taruki Jungle, where he met Djinni and her young son, Pepper. Djinni and Pepper both had uncontrolled elemental magic, and he stayed with them for a number of years, helping them learn to control their magic using his abilities as a conduit. Eventually, however, the same Weavers Conclave enforcers came, and the gnoll clan surrendered Djinni, who had always been a pariah for her innate magic. Djinni was killed by the enforcers, but she took many of them with her. Jack explains that he is looking for a safe place for Pepper, and answers regarding why they were attacked.

After some conversation, Rye touches the pink light, and falls into a magical slumber, from which he awakens about an hour later.

Jack gives XVIII a painting that Pepper made of the party, which shows them all stylized in heroic poses. He reveals that sometimes Pepper paints things that he sees in his dreams.

Later, on the night's final watch, Malkoth and Odell see a carriage ride past in the early morning hours.

April 7th
In the morning, the party resumes their travel toward Paxeter. They only make it about an hour into their day, however, before they encounter the carriage that passed them earlier, driven off the side of the road, with its driver seemingly beaten. They ask him what happened, and he explains that he was robbed by bandits, who stole his family jewels and left him for dead. After giving him some medical attention, the party pursues the bandits into the wilderness, suspecting them to be associates of Artoni Nightwind. The leave their wagon and mounts behind with Buttonworth, Ilex, and Harper Wood.

Malkoth sends Blakjak ahead to scout, as the party pursues the bandits across the savanna. After a few hours, they find an old military fort occupied by a large gang of bandits, including Artoni Nightwind. Among the bandits, Blakjak notices that there is a konoko flying around on a small cloud.

The party discusses their options for how to set up an ambush. Meanwhile, XVIII sneaks into the fort, using a river to remain hidden, thanks to his lack of a need to breathe. Inside the fort, they overhear a conversation between the konoko and Artoni Nightwind, wherein the two discuss the possibility of getting a random for Mycorrhizan prisoners from Molldorf. Once XVIII is alone, they overfills a woodstove with wet wood and start a large fire, before escaping and returning to the party.

After XVIII returns to the party and explains the situation, they make a quick plan to take advantage of the distraction created by the fire. Most of the party sneaks up to the fort using invisibility magic and pass without trace, then Gragnok and Odell charge the gate. The party battles the bandits, killing Artoni Nightwind and several others, and leaving a few on the brink of death.