Fresh from a battle that was still running rampant throughout the city of Edmark, the group rested inside a cave they found nearby the river. Kaylan returned from the Wright family with her adopted daughter, whom was looking very happy from the few days she spent feeling normal. The prophet laid her daughter besides the High Priestess to sleep, and the pair seemed to glow in a faint golden light.
It was not long before an odd thing happened, a bat got caught in Kaylan's red tresses, but that wasn't the odd part: It was carrying a letter for Kaylan. Naturally everyone was in agreement that a carrier bat was a touch strange, even Anita who had freshly returned from escorting Osenth to his new life and escape. Kaylan read the letter and discovered it was from an old friend: Diana. But the letter's contents were not so joyful.
It read that Christina's uncle wishes to take Tina and raise her, this was mostly perplexing to Diana since he was a vampire hunter, but wrote that it was her duty to uphold the Barovian laws and requested Kaylan to return the child. This request was met with differencing opinions, all agreed that Tina's Uncle had the right to take her back, but the life of a vampire hunter hardly sounded like a safe life to send Tina into, it was agreed that at the very least the man should be spoken too and reasoned with that Christina wanted to become a priestess of Kalinda, and it would be safer there for her.
The letter also stated that Giers, Kaylan's former flame and the High Priestess' son, was showing very agressive signs in Barovia with his Children of Light, possibly having very dark ties and alliances with a certain Lich there as well. Kaylan now had to not only tell her adopted daughter her uncle wanted her to live with him in Barovia, but also had to tell the woman she considered a mother just what her son was up to lately.
Narra went over to the remains of the God Engine and picked it's brain for magic... quite literally. By the time the blue angel was done her work, she had gained many rituals the machine no doubt used to track it's various quarries. She also made a horrible mess of the thing, liquifying it when all was sad and done. Narra being covered in brain matter and blood, dove into the water, much to her annoyance. Lucky Anita was on hand to loan her some clothes, if they were a bit small on her.
Everyone went to sleep afterwards, and the morning came, giving the chance to see the three women of Kalinda: Finduilas, Kaylan, and Christina all perform their morning prayor whilst Gens stood to the side and sang the hymns of Kalinda. Kaylan picked this as the time to speak to Christina about her uncle, the prophet was choked up when she told her, and asked her young daughter if she wanted to meet him. Christina did, but she didn't want to go alone, so they resolved to go together when Kaylan returned to Etheria.
Kaylan asked Christina to play her flute for Gens, the girl happily did, saying that the Wrights said her talents were "Brilliant", making her uncle smile with happiness to see such a budding musical talent grow. She played beautifully, and this was enough to call forth Gens and Narra's newest pupil, Dewdrop, to the shore and danced around the girl.
Tyvis had been making a simple breakfast when the peace and quiet of the cave was disrupted with the giggles and joy of Dewdrop and Tina's dance as they spun around Narra and asked her to sing for them. The Nors woman chuckled and obliged their request, humming at first then going into a song. Dewdrop and Tina both pulled her into their dance and even Gens came into the cave to play his violin, and compliments Narra's amazing voice in his traditional fey manner.
The combination of the Norswoman's singing and the Changeling's magical accompaniment, danced by a daughter of the river, seems to alter the cove somehow. The water takes on a slight mist, sparkles blue-green, the algae on the rocks blooms small, pink flowers and the moss lowers into strange veils over the cave. Perfume of ripe, tropic fruits lifts in the air.
The music caused lights to come from the shore, surrounding Dewdrop, Narra, and Gens, but all came to an end when Dewdrop pulled Tyvis into the dance. The unfortunate and clumsy druid stumbled into the fire and caused the dance and song to end, Gens grabbing his blood brother to haul him into the river while the druid swore in his pain, prompting Kaylan to end her conversation with Finduilas to rush to his aid, and to scold both he and Tina for swearing.
Kaylan had been discussing with Findulias about Giers, what had been going on with him for a good while. Most of the talk was about his issues with Isabella, her attack of him, if it was self-defense on her part or his part and everything. Findulias wanted to talk to Giers personally, Kaylan wished to talk to him in her place, but Fin insisted upon it. The High Priestess stated that the vampires of Saspien and Queen Victoria's dark pacts were necessary to maintain the unity to keep the empire at bay, but it may be getting to the time where the Alliance can no longer turn a blind eye to Saspien's evils even with the Empire going to war with the North.
With Tyvis' time in the fire dealt with, Finculias set to work on the portal to return her and Tina home, not before teaching Kaylan and Gens the ritual should they ever wish to return. Gens pleaded with the woman that gave him a home to allow him time to retrieve the other captives they had rescued from DeWitt's hold, she allowed it and Gens retrieved Tyvis to go brave the city together.
They manuevered the warzones and returned to the Guild Hall to find of all the sleeping captives only five, counting Ceress and Dynan, remained, the rest had awoken and headed off on their own, threatening Dynan in the process.
Those who have stayed, however, number the dumpling-like halfling girl with the tight, black bobbed hair; the twenty-something half-feladrin eerily reminiscent of Thamior in demeanor but for a slightly more human softness; and the strawberry blond girl around eighteen or so, with pouting lips and cleavage that may even exceed Narra! Then of course Ceress as a fourth and Dynan a fifth, who remained at the hall to guard the sleepers and the oracle.
The strawberry blond girl was eager to nearly cling to Tyvis in thanks, which made the druid feel akward and run off after the rude halfling girl who had run off without even knowing where they were going. Humorously in Tyvis' rush to get away, he ignored Jasan, the half-feladrin, who was trying to introduce himself. The group left to return to the cave after that.
Back at the caves Kaylan had said her good byes to her daughter and Findulias, even handing over her stash of weed to the High Priestess for the use of when they were reunited again. To spare Kaylan more tears, the high priestess picked Tina up and leapt through the portal with her, just before the halfling and the others returned.
Kaylan looked at Jasan when he arrived oddly, and learned that the man was her husband's nephew, and informed him that she was pregnant with his uncle's child. He was absolutely happy by this news, but was confused when Kaylan insisted he only tell the Queen of this news.
The strawberry blond girl, Melinda was her name, informed the party that if they are ever in Veluvia they should stop at the Soldier's Trench for the best rooms and all the ale and stew they could want. Anita had some light banter with the woman before she and Jasan left through the portal, leaving just Ceress and Dynan to go, the portal held open by Kaylan's will alone.
Gens apologized to Ceress that he wasn't able to escort her home personally as he had promised, on the backs of unicorns with the trip filled with music and joy. She said it was fine, it was good enough to be rescued by a dashing prince after all!
Dynan was given a farewell from Kaylan that he was surprised about, but she hoped that one day he could think of her as a friend... prompting Dynan to kiss her on the lips and inform her that he already did! But this may have sparked something that nor he or anyone else expected.
"That little..." A smile slowly forms over Ceress's face. "Come on, prince, lets show them a real one." She suddenly leaps into his arms!
Naturally Gens complied, and did so in his usual fashion...
And the sun breaks the cloud cover for just a brief instance, its golden beams shining from Heaven onto the two as Gens sweeps her into a low dip, cupping her head just so, laying the most invigorating and passionate kiss upon the oracle he's ever mustered, so thrilling and steamy and suddenly romantic it leaves every woman in the vicinity absently clinging to their men, perhaps even pining, or at the very least swooning! It's almost in slow motion, a flutter, warmth, and then, after a good thirty seconds, lips part. Ceress, panting some, blinks wildly. "I'm staying."
Gens was touched, but had dealt with this sort of response before and told Ceress that he couldn't let her be in danger, and all that he had to offer her right now was going into danger. He promised her he would visit when he had time, and she left with Dynan...
Gens ran into the cold water of the river to sit for a few minutes afterwards.
Now that everyone was safe it was time to go to business, they had to deal with DeWitt and the Inquisitor at the lighthouse in the lab. Narra wasn't sure what to expect, worried very visably about going into battle again after she had been hurt by the God Engine. She wanted to know why the machine had focused so intently on her, and the party was able to convince her to come along.
Plans were thrown aside for the moment as Anita dashed off to go swim to the Lighthouse, if they were to trap and scout the place up it was best to do it right away, so the group followed along through the water to get there.
Dewdrop teased the party, especially Kaylan, about large crocodiles in the river, but that didn't deter anyone, and they were soon near the lighthouse, where many fishermen were casting rods out from the pier. One man particularly ragged looking with a rag around his left eye and a long, scraggly gray beard. He only has one arm, perhaps a veteran, which forces him to use his teeth for a rather unique fly fishing technique.
Tyvis pointed out that only the ragged looking man was really fishing, the rest being guards in disguise. The man spotted him, and flagged them under the pier, where he expressed his confusion that they were trying to get into the lighthouse. He thought they were just kids on a dare, despite protests otherwise, it was Tyvis who managed to convince him of their worth and he left the pier to avoid the battle to come.
Tyvis swam off to scout for another entrance, but turned up with nothing, leaving but one way inside... through the guards...
~From the Codex of the Legacy Wars (Gens)
Experience: 820 xp each (53,340 total)
Ushering the Sleepers, 2500
RP Bonus, 1600
New NPCs
Laurella Vandorn: Short-tempered halfling rescued from The Devil's Due, who spent most her time with the group sleeping. She took the high priestess's portal to Etheria and safety.
Melinda Melone: A touchy-feely barmaid (she had melons like thiiiis) kidnapped from Veluvia and rescued from The Devil's Due. She welcomed the party to free drinks at The Soldier's Trench Tavern should they ever find themselves as far north as Atha. She took the high priestess's portal to Etheria and safety.
Jasan Serenor: Thamior's nephew, son of Princess Ilari Serenor, famed feladrin hero who aided in the defeat of the crazed White Elder Khebozelluth about twenty-five years ago. His father is Buliwyf, another hero who rose to become The Barbarian King of the Roam. Tall, handsome, with long, platinum hair, he's more built than a pureblood fel and possesses softer features. Plans to deliver word of Thamior's heir to his grandmother in Ivristel, having taken the high priestess's portal north.
Old Stieg: The one-eyed, one-armed Nors veteran turned fisherman who urged the party turn around instead of enter the guarded lighthouse. He assumed them nothing more than teenagers on a dare, but Tyvis managed to convince him otherwise.
Next Session
84a: The party assaults the Inquisition laboratory beneath the old lighthouse, determined to save the last of the kidnapped and get some answers.
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