(cw: experimentation discussion)

———

We…returned home yesterday. Once we were all…recovered, Sektosh had a cleric friend of his cast Speak with Dead on Vyxalasion’s head—which he’d taken from the battle.

She was astonished that we defeated her, and kept trying to persuade us to revive her to “work with” her. None of us believed her offers.

But Aeon was able to ask her some questions, and the magic of Speak with Dead ensured Vyxalasion had to answer fully.

First Aeon demanded why she took her mother in the first place. Mainly to upset Sektosh, apparently, even though Aeon was her main target as a half-dragon half-Eladrin.

Then Aeon demanded to know what Vyxalasion did to her mother. Horrible experiments, clearly—but apparently the same kind that she did to Aeon. Bad enough that her mother somehow stopped being an Eladrin at all. 

Finally Aeon demanded detailed instructions to find her mother. Which…sounded like it will be difficult. Vyxalasion had apparently transplanted Aeon’s mother’s consciousness and soul into a githyanki, with a keyword that would have released it. But apparently the githyanki is resistant to that, so Vyxalasion speculated the only way to separate the consciousnesses would be to force the githyanki to Astral Project and cut both souls’ silver cords.

Very confusing.

Aeon then demanded to know what else Vyxalasion did to her—lots of mutations, using the Viridian Ash to perfect them. Claims Aeon will eventually be able to completely control her own shape.

Avel then asked Vyxalasion if she had any other test subjects—not really—and where her other lairs are. Apparently has one in Sazo, plus one near the lizardfolk.

Vyxalasion has also apparently tried to make clones of Aeon, as well as another experiment that I…really don’t want to know the details about.

Today we had Sektosh’s friend cast the spell again to interrogate Vyxalasion some more. Only really found out Aeon and her clones have a keyword as well, but it changes every day. We’ll have to have Adrian investigate later.

Once we were done, Sektosh let Han and Avel take a tooth and a scale, respectively, before letting Aeon crush Vyxalasion’s head.

Then Sektosh and Han had a friendly—if intense—duel before he offered to hire Han to gather rumors of war and artifacts and to aid in finding his wife.

I insisted Avel draft a new party contract before everyone could leave, requiring everyone to stay in contact as they go their separate ways. 

We already…lost Xandra, and I’d already lost one brother before I could ever know him. Told Avel I didn’t want to lose another brother. Didn’t want to lose anyone else.

At which point Han…admitted he’s my brother. The one Father thought died in the assassination.

Han. My brother.

Han.

And he knew! Ever since we first met, just about!

He didn’t want to say anything while we were dealing with Irreanta. But he could have said something earlier!

I need to tell Father.

———

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(cw: killing, major character death)

———

Oh, sweet winds I feel sick.

We stormed the castle at sunrise. Distracted the guards with magic as best we could until they finally caught on. Gave chase through the cathedral. 

Avel summoned an angel—like a humanoid spring dragon—to help us as we dashed across an exterior walkway. Arthur, Marcus, Satoru, and Kitty held the guards off while we scaled the cathedral roof towards the main tower. The Faceless stayed with them.

Finally we broke through a window and found Irreanta’s library-observatory. Three tattooed spellcasters stood guard; manipulated the room’s orientation to keep us away from the stairs. But as soon as Xandra killed the one with circle tattoos, the other two also dropped and the room righted itself. 

Avel Fireballed the wraiths that were attacking Arthur’s crew. Gave the Faceless time to teleport them out. 

Finally we raced up the stairs into Irreanta’s room and used her portal to teleport to the Viridian Requiem.

It was a sort of blimp made out of an ancient green dragon skeleton. And was already above the clouds when we teleported there.

Everything feels like a blur now. We attacked, Irreanta and Vyxalasion and her abominations attacked. Han tried to contact Sektosh but Irreanta shattered the Sending Stone with one of her magic lances. 

I stayed on the skull through the fight. Eventually realized the ship’s bridge was inside. Lots of consoles, including controls for the wards on the Purple Heart powering the ship and the Viridian Ash. I managed to short circuit some of the controls, but there was a dragonborn there that attacked me back. I reported the wards, then teleported the Dragonborn out so that Xandra could deal with him. Shut down one warding pillar, then destroyed the consoles before scrambling. Xandra and I destroyed the other pillars.

Aoife kept Irreanta busy, but Shaith kept healing her. Vyxalasion focused on Aeon.

Until Sektosh finally caught up with us, barreled up through Vyxalasion, cursed her for cursing his family, and killed her. With lightning through her eye. 

Ten hippogriff riders from our city, including Arthur and the others, showed up to help.

Xandra tried destroying the Heart. Irreanta knocked her off the edge but Storin saved her. Curled up around her until she revived.

Meanwhile Avel released a Fireball barrage on the Heart. Then pulled out the steel chair bomb from the Bag and set that off. Shattered the Heart. 

But then it reformed after Irreanta and Shaith fled. 

We wanted to blow it up again, but Xandra wouldn’t let us. Said Irreanta told her how to “take care of the situation”.

It’s not like we had any other options. 

Xandra stayed on the ship while we fled. I saw her give her neckpiece to Storin before she walked into the Heart. Redirected the ship’s crash course into the ocean.

Storin came back to us at sunset. Alone.

Xandra…was supposed to come back. We were all supposed to reconvene at our city.

She was supposed to come back.

———

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(cw: blood, killing mention)

———

We met with Irreanta again this morning. She and Xandra discussed trade more.

Meanwhile Aoife had to report for her group—Han had gotten drunk while gambling and she had to drag him and his new friend back to Tanner’s. Said friend was apparently Han’s old captain.

Then Sektosh had arrived at Tanner’s in human form, himself acting drunk apparently. An effect of his blood curse.

Meanwhile Avel reported a lead from a cipher-covered letter he’d found the other day Something about wells. He’d started investigating wells in the upper district last night, and today he persuaded a university professor to help him find the right one. 

Then he’d returned to Tanner’s. Apparently offered Han’s captain better employment. 

Xandra and I met up with them at Tanner’s earlier tonight to assist with the ritual to remove Sektosh’s Geas.

It was…disturbing. Involved sedating Sektosh in dragon form while tubes drained his blood so that Skinner could transmute it, then pump it back into him. I maintained Silence while the others kept the chains intact. At least the ritual worked. He needs time to recover, though. 

Once awake, Sektosh…offed Skinner.

Afterwards, we secreted Sektosh in Tanner’s secret Underdark entrance for the moment, then investigated Avel’s well.

Found a secret passageway to a door with a riddle from the ciphers. The floor had carved letters; we shuffled them to spell the solution, “requiem.”

We found another lab. With an opening to the Plane of Air and a Faceless suspended above it and the White Tesalipocla beneath it to keep the portal open. Han destroyed the portal while Avel freed the Faceless. Put her in the Bag until she regenerated.

Then Elanna and her party found us. She was here for the Faceless, but offered letting me, Avel, and Xandra go free. Avel refused, so they attacked.

It was such a blur. Adamantium walls kept trapping us. I could have sworn I heard Avel go down but he was fine. Elanna is terrifying.

Something in the chemicals in the room twisted Aeon’s Wildshape.

Ran shot me and I blacked out. The next thing I knew, we were all in Arthur’s room. The Faceless had used the leftover moss in the Bag to teleport us. 

Satoru then peeked in. Then…promptly fainted at our collective condition.

Meanwhile the Faceless told us that the “viridian ash” we’ve been looking for was the greenish particles in the vats down the well. They’re a toxin developed by Irreanta’s scientists, designed around Aeon. Irreanta’s plan is to unleash that toxin on our city and frame us for it. Using a “Viridian Requiem”—a flying ship of sorts. 

According to the Faceless’s future, Irreanta will be teleporting to the Requiem at dawn.

I woke Satoru up to ask what he’s even doing here. He’d apparently consulted Sanderon and concluded that the world was “slightly more likely to end” if he went home to Lyrrha, so he came here instead. 

Now we’re planning on storming the castle at dawn. 

———

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(cw: murder mention)

———

We met with Irreanta in one of her dragon Shaith’s gardens yesterday. It was like walking into the Feywild; almost a pity how beautiful it was.

Our guards had to wait outside while we—well, Xandra—talked with Irreanta. They made brief conversation about being busy. Then Irreanta asked Xandra what we’re doing here—which meant she hasn’t had a chance to meditate on us and see our futures yet. 

Xandra noted making good progress on our city, then proposed initiating trade between our cities, claiming wanting stability. Implied working together against the apocalypse. Irreanta…seemed touched by that idea? But doesn’t see a future where we could work together. She hastily took her leave. We’ll meet again with her tomorrow.

Meanwhile yesterday Han reported infiltrating one of the local Thieves’ Guilds—there’s two here apparently—where he and Aeon heard about a “Crazy T”. Aoife meanwhile had taken copies of available missions from the Adventurer’s Guild, and one of them also mentioned Crazy T, or Skinner Tanner—the manufacturer of Arthur’s agent’s saddle. Others were missing people cases. Avel reported investigating similar cases.

Today Xandra and I explored the city. I explored the temples; eventually found a shrine to Nelasi to give tribute to. Chatted with some musicians there. Later I bought a new dress, then found a chocolate store! Had a drink called “hot chocolate” and a treat the owner called an “eclair”. Divine. Meanwhile Xandra visited the temple of Vendomil, the god of magic she serves—apparently she trained there as a child. 

Meanwhile Han reported investigating the disappearances and Skinner Tanner’s situation. They found him in the leatherworker’s building and asked about the saddle. Tanner didn’t have an order from a wood elf specifically; had a military bulk order instead. Then he pleaded for protection from the purple Thieves’ Guild. They’re after him and the red guild doesn’t want to protect him.

So Han and Aoife went to the red guild to investigate. Got told about Tanner wandering the streets at night. Between that and the red guild dealing with the disappearances themselves, they haven’t bothered protecting Tanner.

Aeon, who had been watching Tanner, had then reported him trying to shoot her. So when Han and Aoife got back, the three of them intimidated him into admitting practicing black magics. He’s a blood mage.

They pressured him into revealing everything he knew about dragon blood pacts, then after corresponding with Avel, decided to keep him around to help get Sektosh out of his and Vyxalasion’s. Avel met up with them shortly after.

I went shopping for spell scrolls of Find Familiar and Sending after their report. Contacted Sektosh with the Sending to report finding a way to free him from his Geas; he’ll arrive in a day or so.

Then I used the other scroll to summon a familiar. He’s a beautiful whitish raven; naming him Zephyr. 

Meanwhile Xandra looked into celestial artifacts for Storin. Including the artifacts like the mask Alden had that one time.

———

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(cw: murder mention, cult, killing)

———

Arthur rallied us in the soon-to-be war room at three in the morning the other day.

Found a dead, mutated word elf on the table. Vyxalasion’s work. Used to be one of Arthur’s agents in the capital, but went silent about two weeks ago. 

He was found dead—likely from shock—about 20 miles away from our city. Had carved the words “Viridian Ash” into his arm.

So far our only lead about the situation is his saddle. 

Arthur suggested “force”—sending us, himself, and some others into the capital.

But first we had to deal with a situation with the Church of the Lion.

Han had snuck out of the meeting to poke around the catacombs, then returned, reporting finding Martain down there and following him down secret tunnels into a chamber with a crucified shushuva on a gate. Martain’s people were trying to free a demogorgon.

So we snuck down there ourselves, captured Martain, and killed the rest of his maddened cultists. Removed the shushuva from the room before killing it and having Aeon seal the area off.

The next day we interrogated Martain in jail. He’d discovered that secret area first, and the cursed auras of the artifacts and sealed demogorgon down there drove him, and eventually his thug followers, insane. 

No wonder he creeped me out.

Xandra killed him. It’s not like his condition was reversible.

The other two leaders and their followers are sane, at least. Joseph has been embezzling some funds, but Han and Avel have that under control.

The next morning, Arthur proposed his plan. We’re to enter the capital in groups, meet up, and kill whoever caused the mutations on the agent.

Arthur and I, with half of his soldiers, will join Xandra as a “diplomatic envoy”. The other half of his soldiers will go with Kitty, Marcus, and Avel. Aoife, Han, and Aeon will be their own contingent.

We had a week to prepare. 

Satoru heard about our “envoy” today; requested to accompany me, per his job. I warned him about the risks, of danger and assassination. He naively thought people were above that. So I cast Zone of Truth on myself and told him about the attempt on my life. About how Irreanta had assassinated Xandra before. That this situation may affect the fate of the world.

Also made it clear that I’m not Lyrrha’s representative. Said he could go home and tell Lyrrha to publicly disown me if they wish.

He…ran off before I could apologize for everything. I think I hurt him. Not sure I’ll ever see him again.

Perhaps that’s for the best. Keeps him safe.

Our “delegation” teleported into the capital shortly after that. Irreanta greeted us; said a nobleman would be housing us but our soldiers would have to be housed elsewhere. We managed to get some of the soldiers permitted to guard us.

We just received word that Han and Avel’s groups made it here safely.

Meanwhile we’re to meet with Irreanta tomorrow.

———

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(cw: war mention)

———

Another busy couple of weeks.

Reconstruction on the cathedral has started finally, although we had to mediate a debate between Satoru and Oliviey about how to approach it. Xandra and Avel sided with Oliviey, favoring a quicker approach, given everything else we need to build as well. 

Then we heard word of another gnoll army incoming. The shushuvas that survived the last attack we routed have apparently started heading our way. Arthur says the’ve been gathering forces from other gnoll cities—didn’t know gnolls had cities—and would be here in a week. 

Arthur was most concerned about our neighboring villages and towns, saying the shushuvas would likely aim to send refugees from those villages and towns to our city to overwhelm us.

They…ended up being a non-issue. 

We had the week to prepare and attend to things here in the city. I tried to find any information in our library about rituals like the one Satoru had done to him, but couldn’t find anything. Meanwhile Han mentioned looking into portals to the Plane of Air. Found out about two: the one Lyrrha is built on, and one in the giant whirlpool in the middle of the ocean. Neither sound very…viable to me.

Xandra meanwhile mentioned hearing word about Alden’s work on the war front: the island he helped take over is now in a Rephaiim blockade while they move into Toffet territory. Glad to hear he’s still doing well.

Also construction on our teleportation circle has been finished. It’ll take a year of casting the spell to make the circle proper permanent, but at least the construction around it has finished.

Finally the gnolls got close enough to attack, and we were braced for a major battle at the city gates. But between Aeon flying over and dropping rocks on them every day leading to their approach and Avel taking our magic carpet over to Banish the shushuvas and flinds, they were hardly an issue. Avel, Xandra, and Han shot down so many of them before they could even reach the gates, and then the next day they cleared the stragglers. 

Word is that the gnolls have nicknamed the four of them “Sun Death.”

So…that happened.

———

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———

I talked with Satoru earlier today. It…didn’t go as well as I’d hoped.

I wanted to catch up with him, since it’s been years since we’d last seen each other. But it quickly grew…tense.

He told me about how he became the head historian and religious scholar for Sanderon, god of science. He was always the scholarly type. And to reward his faith and dedication, the head chaplain cured his birth defect.

It was apparently a very preparation-intensive ritual and painful transformation. But he feels it was worth it; led to him gaining standing and honor. Eventually rose to advising the head chaplain.

I…didn’t say it out loud, but I admit I miss his birthmark. I remember bonding over how we both looked different from the rest because of it. 

Then he talked about how the people back in Lyrrha came to him after hearing of my “exploits” to have him observe me and “ensure there were no more mistakes to be made as a face of our people.”

I tried to ask him how much of what I’d say would be reported back, but he was apprehensive at the idea of withholding or “manipulating” information. I just didn’t want to risk repercussions on him, my friends, or this city. Or Father.

So I stuck with correcting what he’d heard about the attack at Tonteur and on Māl-Súk’Ulundi. At least he knew we were framed for the disaster at the dwarf city.

Then I made it clear that me and my companions do not intend to cause further harm to Lyrrha or to others. We want to stop Etonteur and this blasted war.

I refuse to be a storm of further destruction. 

May I be a monsoon, not a hurricane.

I just…wish I could trust Satoru more. When we were children, I could tell him almost anything.

But I cannot trust Lyrrha. Not anymore.

And it hurts.

———

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(cw: war discussion, cult)

———

We met with Arthur the other day, once he recovered from the festivities. It’s been about two months now since the meeting with Irreanta. 

Arthur was surprised that full-out civil war hasn’t sprung yet. Word would have spread to all the cities about the Lion returning by now, which seems to have prompted the other cities to shift alliances. Apparently only the hippocampi are known to still be allied with Irreanta, simply by rule of law. The other cities are either fighting each other or preparing to fight,

Fittingly, Xandra decided that defense should be our current priority.

Meanwhile we’ve been having to deal with a…situation here in the city this week. Satoru brought it to our attention—a peculiar group of individuals have been delving into the catacombs, pulling out ancient artifacts, and starting a sort of cult. They’ve been calling themselves the “Faith of the Old Lion”. Religiously, they seem benign, but they have not been listening to Satoru at all.

Avel suggested using them to explore the catacombs, so we talked to their three leaders: Martain, Joseph, and Oliviey. Martain is the most religiously fanatic; Joseph seems to be more mercenary; Oliviey is more invested in the actual archaeology. 

We gathered the cult in the ruins of the old cathedral, with me and Satoru at Xandra’s side addressing them with Aoife and Arthur as the guards. Avel seeded the crowd.

Xandra announced our plan to make them an official organization within the city, with government pay. A good number of them, just a bunch of looters, left right then. Oliviey’s and Joseph’s followers liked the idea of pay and agreed. Martain’s group was…more reluctant, with some of his followers still against Xandra, but he persuaded them to agree for “their” cause. 

Martain weirds me out.

Nonetheless, we set Satoru up as the faction’s overseer and liaison with us, under me and Avel. And things have been considerably smoother with them so far.

I poked around our library more this week. Learned more about the time around my birth and…everything that happened.

I knew Lyrrha and Eidolus had bad relations, but apparently the struggle for dominance went both ways, with Eidolus trying to push north and Lyrrha expressing cultural dominance. Meanwhile the Dragonborn nation—unified at the time—was also attacking Lyrrha’s borders.

Father married Mother—the Eidolus princess—to stop the budding war, but that nearly split Lyrrha in half. Father had to use almost all of his remaining influence to stop that.

After Mother’s assassination, the noble families…quietly agreed to stop their war-hawking and sweep the incident under the rug to avoid punishment from The High Eight.

To think political corruption in Lyrrha went that deep…

At least I’ve heard Avel has gotten more information from his researchers. They think, since he’s never seen them, his Patron must be one of the gods’ angels; the gods don’t care much about mortals seeing them, but their angels are much more secretive. 

———

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(cw: murder mention, war mention, alcohol)

———

I braved reading Father’s letter the other day.

He’s been worried sick about me. Apparently sent people looking for me after Tonteur.

He…never wanted to cause distress about what happened back then. But he had so many enemies. People didn’t like his methods to prevent war. They wanted to expand Lyrrha’s borders.

So he didn’t want me to know about the crimes between the families growing up. It would have caused civil war.

He wanted to tell me the truth when I eventually returned from Sazo, but since that never happened, he recounted that night in his letter.

Mother had been poisoned. Was already dead when Father woke up to the commotion. I was just a baby. My brother was awake, and the assassins ran into him and his retainer on their way to my room.

My brother was supposed to escape with Father’s most trusted guards. But he never heard back from them. 

They found a guardsman’s body, but never my brother.

Father assured the public it wasn’t Eidolus behind the attack—but never revealed that the actual culprits were at least five of the other Lyrrhan noble families.

I showed Avel the letter. Told him about how, the more I hear about everything back in Lyrrha, the less I think I can ever go home. Frankly I don’t even know if I ever want to, even after we get this city going.

Avel sympathized; would support me either way. Even offered to look into the assassination attempts while protecting me from other attempts.

He warned me against revenge, but I just want to know who to avoid.

For the moment, though, Avel encouraged me to participate in the events the others organized to celebrate the castle’s completion.

The first day’s events were a boar fight, “King of the Pit”, “King of the Hill,” and archery. Aoife won the first two and nearly won the third. Han won in archery; Xandra got second.

Yesterday had combat tournaments before the magic competition. Arthur won in armored combat; Han won in sword combat. It was close between him and Arthur.

Avel and I competed against three other spellcasters. It was fun. The judges initially gave a wizard the victory for technical mastery—he walked under the river completely dry—but then the crowd gave me the prize instead! 

I like using my gift for artistry. Apparently others agree.

Xandra and Avel placated the wizard with his own prize and employment.

Next was a joust; Xandra won after another tight contest against Arthur.

We concluded the celebrations with a dwarven-style drinking contest. I…got pressured into participating. Lost second to last.

I have never drunk that much. I vaguely remember static, stumbling up to Avel afterwards, and him very amusedly casting Lester Restoration on me. 

I don’t think I like being drunk. 

We officially opened the castle today, but didn’t do much else. Arthur is too hungover. But the others hired some casters as battle casters for our forces.

———

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———

So much has happened lately.

We had to put the younger soldiers to work last week; direct their restless energy somewhere productive instead of warmongering.

We also finally have a library.

Avel’s asked the researchers to look into what his Patron may be; doesn’t seem they’ve figured much out yet though.

Meanwhile I researched the First and its Shards last week. Apparently the high gods’ true physical forms are giant Shards. Also that blank Book we’d found at that burial mound is apparently a Controlling Shard. If assembled with enough other Shards, it can somehow control them?

Also Arthur has been teaching Aoife how to read and write, finally. She’s also slowly figuring out how to control her bear form. Good for her.

We noticed at the beginning of this week that the river had dropped significantly, and after flying out to investigate, we found a dwarf town in the mountains had dammed their branch of the river. 

We found the one in charge, Vergil, and talked with him. He was very excitable; claimed his dam would generate something called “electricity”. Not sure what that is; contained lightning, maybe? 

Eventually this other dwarf, Tex, barged in and initially kept us from leaving, since we’d seen their “war machine prototypes”. We instead negotiated with him to release the river in exchange for limited access to our forest. Xandra even invested in Vergil’s project.

We flew back to the city the next day, reported the deal to Arthur. Then he reported a messenger from Lyrrha had arrived with a reply from Father. I met with him.

It was Satoru. 

I haven seen him in years. He’s grown so tall and…handsome, actually. No glasses, no birthmark.

Apparently Father wanted to deliver his letter himself, but the people back home had Satoru go instead. They…basically sent him to spy on me. They’re concerned about how my actions are reflecting on Lyrrha. Many apparently think I’m mad.

He…said he’s not under any obligations to report the full truth back, but still.

Han, Aoife, and Xandra then came, and first impressions were…awkward. Han tried to make him a “platinum member” of his new storehouse; Aoife was just shocked he doesn’t drink. Xandra at least offered him accommodations as a Lyrrhan ambassador.

Afterwards, I told Xandra everything Satoru had told me. She advised caution. 

I…feel torn.

At least I learned from the researchers the other day that Nelasi is creating a “bubble” around me to protect against Mohre’s wrath. Which is…somewhat comforting.

Researchers are delving into the catacombs now. We emptied our moss out of the Bag of Holding to preserve the discovered books for the moment.

I saw Aoife taking the moss to Satoru’s room. Odd. Meanwhile Xandra asked me what Satoru liked when we were children. 

So at least those two are offering him goodwill.

Aoife also went on another rampage earlier. Apparently gave Satoru a hug before dealing with disputes in the city. As a bear.

———

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