Recap: Session 13-18

[Destil]

The party levels up to 4 while in Verithrond. Jasper P. Merryweathher III joins.

[Destil]

Journey to the edge of the Mournland. Fight with stillborn and the ashbound.

[Destil]

Enter the Mournland. Fight the living color spray. Avoid the forces of the Lord of Blades. Flee the Mad beholder.

Arrive at the edge of Thrace and enter the time-bubble.

[Destil]

The Eye of the Storm I.

Spend two months in the inn. Paulic breaks free of the compulsion and frees his compainions. Explore mage basement and the jungle the portal leads through. March on the center of town and fight a detachment of guards.

[Destil]

The Eye of the Storm II

Fight with Captian Regal, the wolf Fang, the dragon Flamie and the princes guard in the courtyard of Baker Castle.

[Destil]

The Eye of the Storm III

As the dust settles in the courtyard after the fight with the guards, the party takes a short rest. Something in the sky catches at least one party member's eye, a streak of blackness circling high overhead. Oddly, it's the more spiritually attuned members that first see this, as opposed to the normally sharp-eyed Paulic.

Entering the keep with caution, the group first explores a large entry way. Stairs lead up into this room, but instead Arashi tosses Jasper over the guard rail. He lands on a comfy couch in front of one of the massive fireplaces that flank the entryway. Along the back wall are several large wooden soldiers, simple design with just a shield and longsword each. The scent of freshly baked bread wafts in from one of the two side-doors. The party decides to follow their noses, investigating a coat closet and a number of small servents chambers on the way to the kitchen in the back. There's fresh baking bread in one of two large ovens on either side of the room. Jasper is lowered down a service elevator and investigates the food stores and, more importantly, the wine rack. Nothing else of note is found on the ground level (Arasih takes some long gloves from another closet, however). As the group begins to move upstairs they hear the sound of movement from the kichen. There is some hesitation, but when they return they find only a new rack of bread set into the oven, with the loafs Arashi had freed instead having been shelved. A light dusting of flower suggests that the dough was freshly made.

Continuing to the second floor, the first room is a massive throne room, with the entrance oddly behind the throne. Banners hand from the walls, and several large windows facing into the center of town (and, Jasper notes, the courtyard where the party was nearly killed). From here the strange spirling of shadowy streaks across the sky in a wide circular arc is seen by all, though again those who are the most spiritually aware can see the most. One of these streaks back through the window and the wall, vanishing into the keep. The party follows, finding several bedrooms (more opulent than anything downstairs) and, behind the last door, the wizard, Alomar.

They have a lenghty discussion with the man, He attended the Korrenburg school at one point in his education, has a wistful exchange with Jasper about the place and several facility members. He tells them of his trips to Xen'Dirik in his youth, though he seems to be under a similar compulsion to that which affected the party in the inn he still retains much knowledge of his previous live. He had a chest of curios from his adventuring days, though with no powerful magic items ("They're all in the palace in Eston, donated to court and country"). His research notes show small bits of information on the cube the party was after, but noting in depth. He has his own theories, including agreeing with the party that this place is somehow centered around the prince and that much of it appears to be from the perspective of a child. The castle, he mentions, shares the location of the bakery in the real village of Thrace, and this explains the massive chimneys and the always present freshly baked bread. As they talk streaks of blackness swirl in from the ouside and are drawn into a tight spiral like a whirlpool about his crystal ball, which is now black and opaque, before being absorbed with a slight vibration.

Alomar knows nothing of the destruction of Cyre, or of what's happening here. Paulic, meanwhile, examines the remained of the upper floor and finds a few more bedrooms, including one he believes to belong to the prince, but no one else. The group takes the wizard's crystal ball and makes their way, along with Alomar, to the center of town. By now everyone can see streaks of blackness nearly clouding the sky, swirling constantly above them. At illrelugar intervals they seem to become trapped and absorbed by the orb. Jasper takes the orb and attempts to let loose whatever power is within it, and is greeted by a shadow like creature, man sized, with indistinct features. It attacks him but is quicky put down. The party makes some speculation on the nature of things at this point: the forms appear to be spirits or souls, filled with malice. Senzime notices a blush spirit being drawn from Phedra towards the orb, and after some thought realizes it to be the ghost from Ft. Larken, who's letter remains undelivered. She, with some effort, wills the ghost back into her own body to prevent it from being sucked into the orb.

The group decides to destroy the orb. Arashi brings ravenfeeder down on it with a crash, sending sparks flying from his sword, but the sphere is unharmed. Alomar offers assistance, summoning a massive shimmering hand of pure force and slamming it against the orb with a shudder that leaves a crater in the center in the ground and throes the party from their feet, but with no effect.

At some point someone realizes that Alomar's spirit is also streaking from his body. It's not as dark as the others, but it's being drawn to the orb nonetheless. Arashi speculates that this entire pocket dimension and time bubble may be some sort of immortality spell or form of preservation on the Wizard's part. This theory takes root further with the group as he speculates on several aspects of the best way to do variations things that they see happening out loud.

The group decides to investigate one of the magic rooms below every house. A summoning and binding circle is inscribed in the center. Jasper takes a chisel and makes the nessessary changes, at Alomar's instruction, to convert it to a teleportation circle. Sprinkling residuum into the tracing he begins to open a portal to the Old Library in Korrenburg, but near the end space warps and a tremendous blast throws everyone aginast the walls, the ritual failed.

The prince is cursed, as at this point finding him appears to be the most logical course of action. Alomar sighs and mentions that it's a shame his crystal ball has stopped working now of all times, touching it as he does so. The reaction is dramatic, as he appears to age horribly while in contact with is and falls back with a shudder, withered and weak. He suggests his own house, as the magic rooms under each house seem to be reflections on his own lab. The party carries him there, and discover a small shimmering black vortex in the ceter, similar to the blue portal in the Eye of the Storm. They, one by one, head through leaving Alomar behind. The arrive in a dark and twisted jungle, and the orb seems to be pulled forward in Arashi's hand. With no other course of action, the group sets off in that direction.

[Destil]

Travel through the shadowy jungle. Fight with the kenku.

Reach the arcane net and veil of souls. Fight with the vengeful shades and prince Amir.

Escape from the Thrace time bubble. Explore the ruins of Thrace and Alomar's home.