Session 27, Arc III

Clouded Truths (Part II)

Played 29 June 2025 Watch the session

The party found themselves standing on a bridge between two sides of Arakcadia, watching gnolls splash into the water below as an unnatural storm approached from the north. Yomidrogo had been flying overhead and witnessed the gnolls crawling onto a mysterious island before collapsing and bubbling, their bodies then being dragged into the jungle by unknown forces. The storm's direction was highly unusual - storms typically traveled west to east across the continent, but this one moved north to south, and Bones' weather prediction cantrip showed clear skies despite the visible tempest, confirming its magical nature.

The party debated whether to investigate the island or stay to defend the city, ultimately deciding to work together rather than split up. They headed to the docklands to secure passage, but first attempted to warn the authorities about the approaching supernatural storm. At the government building, guards were skeptical but one went inside to potentially get help, returning to say that council members including Kirobos were unavailable. The party then decided to seek assistance from scientists at the observatory.

Near the observatory stood the mysterious Raven Tower, which emanated very strong magical presence when examined with detect magic. The party discovered they could communicate through a stone inside the tower by conducting a test where some members went 200 feet away while others made noise near the building. They remembered the password "banana bread" and successfully entered after Bones cast dispel magic to remove a deadly power word kill spell that had been protecting the entrance.

Inside the tower, magical darkness blinded and deafened everyone, forcing them to navigate by touch and rope. As they climbed stairs in the oppressive void, Kailyn received a supernatural warning - a voice like the breeze saying "Please, no. I don't want to lose you" accompanied by a gut-wrenching feeling of impending death. She immediately pushed everyone back down the stairs, and they retreated to safety.

Meanwhile, the party discovered that their companion Cyrran had been working with a criminal network to steal their magical blue orb. When confronted, Bones cast suggestion to force the truth from him, revealing that Cyrran had been hired by hooded figures in Blackwine Alley but later decided to protect the orb instead after being approached by another mysterious person. The orb had been stolen from its hiding place in a flower pot at their inn, and Bones used locate object to track it to the top chamber of the government building.

Disguising himself as councilman Kirobos, Cyrran led the party into the heavily guarded Camital building. They successfully navigated through ornate chambers and past multiple guard checkpoints, eventually reaching Madame Tremzume's private quarters at the top of the tower. The beautiful room overlooked the city and contained eight magical chests, but the orb and Bones' companion Muscle were no longer there - only faint magical residue indicated recent teleportation.

Their search was interrupted when one of the chests revealed itself to be a dangerous mimic. The creature attacked with massive teeth and pseudopods, growing larger as it fed on blood. Combat ensued with the party using various spells including suggestion, hex, and eldritch blast. Yomidrogo eventually cast sleep to render the mimic unconscious, allowing them to search the remaining chests and recover gemstones worth 250 gold and a ring of protection.

As guards approached the chamber, the party made a dramatic escape. Kailyn transformed into a bird while the others fled on their flying carpet through the window. They regrouped and prepared for a formal ball that evening, with some members shopping for elegant attire while others handled other business. At Ludorin's high-end fashion shop, Kailyn and Ari acquired silk dresses with embedded gemstones for 400 gold deposit.

The ball took place at a grand mansion in the High River District, where the party mingled with 200 attendees using fake identities. Bones, disguised as a guard, learned from other guards about an attempted break-in at Madame Tremzume's chamber. Ari engaged in political conversations about trade blockades and the Veurim Empire situation, while Yomidrogo investigated rumors about missing council members and northern affairs.

The evening took a dramatic turn when Ari had an extended conversation with an elven man who revealed himself to be Tassarion - the very person responsible for massacring Yomidrogo's village and family. Tassarion gave a speech about military preparations and demonstrated advanced magical weaponry, including a rifle capable of wiping out battlefields using ancient geological energy. When Yomidrogo shouted "Murderer!" and chaos erupted, the party attempted to stop Tassarion but he teleported away with Madame Tremzume after making eye contact with Kailyn and asking "who are you, dear?"

The confrontation resulted in massive destruction as Yomidrogo cast fireball spells that incinerated guards and innocent people, leaving charred bodies with burnt eye sockets. The building caught fire and people panicked, comparing the situation to the Easthills attack. Kailyn managed to retrieve documents from Madame Tremzume's chamber, including a mysterious contract signed by both Madame Tremzume and someone named "Reyvyre" - a name Yomidrogo recognized from his traumatic memories.

Using his psychic scythe, Cyrran delved into Yomidrogo's memories and discovered that his foundational trauma had been artificially altered. The memory of the forest massacre that had driven him for years was revealed to be false, implanted to obscure the truth. In the real memory, Yomidrogo had followed Tassarion willingly as a young man, and there were glimpses of a large, pale, scaly foot beside him - suggesting non-human involvement in his past.

After taking refuge at the stables with their rocs Brad and Campbell, the party prepared for their next move. The storm had intensified overnight, and they decided to steal a boat to reach the mysterious island. Bones created an elaborate distraction by disguising himself as a clown and performing an absurd routine at the dock office, while the others successfully stole a medium-sized vessel they named "The Hornet."

Navigating through the fierce storm proved challenging, requiring group coordination to manage the sailing systems and find the best path through the tempest. Ari used her pirate knowledge to command the vessel while Kailyn used magic to balance the boat when it listed dangerously to one side. They eventually reached the island and made a rough but successful landing.

The island's shore was littered with decomposing gnoll bodies showing massive fang marks and strange wounds. Investigation revealed drag marks leading into the forest, though the rain had obscured much of the evidence. Using speak with animals and speak with plants, Bones and Kailyn gathered information from local wildlife about a mysterious "land squid" creature - described as fish-like but terrestrial, with tendrils, spikes, and a low jaw that had captured and dragged the gnolls into the forest depths.

As the party discussed this unknown threat, their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of a small blue orb floating before them - likely a will-o'-wisp, creatures they had encountered before. The trees began making worried sounds as this new supernatural presence manifested, setting the stage for another dangerous encounter on the mysterious island where Yomidrogo's prophetic dreams had led them.