Rash shudders at the realization that they apparently sold Kylth's secrets to a powerful fiend.

"Well... on the bright side, if there is one in this situation, he probably already had more than his fair share of dark and dangerous secrets before we handed him Kylth's research on a silver platter," Rash says. "I doubt we increased the threat he poses to any notable degree... hopefully..."

Anita shivers in turn, instinctively clutching the vigorous half-orc wizard: "If he was really the same one who had reduced the gigantic room with the prisoner cells in that incredible mess... yes, Rash, I would say that I feel like sharing your final estimate on how much we can have increased the threat he poses!"

"Now that he's gone, anyway..." she looks around, as if to make sure "What do you think is best to do? Do you want to reveal his true nature (and the fact that he went away) to the Harpells? Or shall we avoid getting involved and just finish preparing for our trip of tomorrow?"

Rash pulls Anita closer, putting a protective arm around her.

"I... don't know what we should do now..." he admits. "If we tell the Harpells, we risk the wrath of a powerful fiend. If not... who knows what risk there might be to both us and the rest of the world? Also... it's possible that he doesn't even want to cause destruction right now. Tipping off the Harpells might just provoke him to retaliate when otherwise he would have left well enough alone..."

"Spira, what do you think we should do?" Anita then asks the Sergeant of Arvandor for advice "Should we warn the Harpells, or do we just go back to our journey?"

“Mom is very wise and she will know what is best to do!” Aedion exclaims enthusiastically, looking adoringly at the tiefling cleric.

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

"A gigantic lobster..." Colin reflects "But intelligent enough to be interested in the shield, as a magical object... And that obeys 'fish-gods'..."

"Oh, wonderful. I really don't know what..." The good-natured diviner initially seems perplexed, but then, as if suddenly remembering some remote information, he raises his index finger "Unless... In the course of my life I have had news of powerful amphibious creatures, older than the gods themselves. They lurked in primordial oceans and underground lakes before the coming of the gods. They reached out with their minds and seized control of the burgeoning life-forms of the mortal realm. Their dominance made them like gods. Then the true gods appeared, smashing their empire. It is said that they have never forgotten and that they still plot to overthrow the true gods and regaining control of the world. Aboleths, they are called".

"The Aboleths come to mind" the middle-aged wizard explains "because I remembered now that in the course of their 'domination', they created big crustacean servants, to carry out tasks in the surface world, a world in which Aboleths are not at all comfortable - and one of these tasks I seem to remember was the collection of magical items... Perhaps, the monster you encountered is one of those specimens, descended from one of the Aboleths' creations... And this would also explain why it regards them as 'gods'... If they created it..."

"Anyway, who is this 'Aedion'?" Colin asks, intrigued (in fact, he still knows nothing about Spira's new 'son').

"I am Aedion!" the baby-couatl leaps out in flight, excited both by the story and by the fact that the other wants to meet him "Hello magic men... Are there two of you? Ah, no, you're a single magic man, but transformed! It's the first time that I see someone like you! I can see things as they are, you know... Nice to meet you, by the way!"

The good-natured diviner's face is suddenly distorted by strong emotions. Surprise. It's clear that he didn't at all expect Aedion to be... what he is. Terror. As if he suddenly felt threatened. Anger. As if he suddenly sees you as enemies. You had never seen that ruthless determination to kill in those usually so mild brown eyes!

While you are still surprised by the sudden turn of events, Colin raises a hand and, as he utters arcane syllables, the air begins to crackle as a faint smell of ozone spreads... but he stops.

"No... " he scrutinizes you with an astute and calculating look that, once again, is completely unlike the man you knew "Because of you, I will have to anticipate my departure, that's true... But you, unlike Kylth, at least have not intentionally done harm to me. Plus, killing you as I did him, would be useless... perhaps even counterproductive - because you... you have the seed of greatness within you. Maybe you will need me in the future. And then maybe we can make profitable deals for everyone" he quickly collects his notes, his spellbook, putting all under one arm. "To do business with me, you'll know who to try to contact..." he smiles mischievously "...just tear my fake last name apart and put it back together in the right way".

After which, having uttered a last short formula, Mr. 'Dreekan' disappears... leaving you in his own abandoned room just as soon as you recover from your astonishment.

"I don't understand, mom" Aedion is really perplexed. "Why did the transformed magic man get angry and leave? It's not my fault, is it?"

"I don't understand anything about what just happened," Anita admits "except that Colin toyed with the idea of killing us for a moment, but then thought better of it - and I'm happy about that anyway!"

 

 "No, Aedion.," Spira says.  Her lips are pressed together, but the look in her eyes is controlled; and while Aedion can sense deep anger beneath he can also sense it is not directed at him.  "You did nothing wrong.  In fact you did something wonderful.  We never knew that magic man was transformed.  That, in fact, he wasn't a man.  He was a creature like you and Zentromya.  Except ... while you and Zentromya are good ... he is EVIL.  Like the fish-gods' lobster, he doesn't care who he hurts as long as he gets what he wants.  And he tricked all of us to get something he wanted.  Except ...  its not actually something that gave him all that much more power than he had already, so ... "

... I'm just wondering ... "

...   ...   ... WHY? ...   ... ...?"  She lapses into a composed, thoughtful silence.

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Rash shudders at the realization that they apparently sold Kylth's secrets to a powerful fiend.

"Well... on the bright side, if there is one in this situation, he probably already had more than his fair share of dark and dangerous secrets before we handed him Kylth's research on a silver platter," Rash says. "I doubt we increased the threat he poses to any notable degree... hopefully..."

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Rash pulls Anita closer, putting a protective arm around her.

"I... don't know what we should do now..." he admits. "If we tell the Harpells, we risk the wrath of a powerful fiend. If not... who knows what risk there might be to both us and the rest of the world? Also... it's possible that he doesn't even want to cause destruction right now. Tipping off the Harpells might just provoke him to retaliate when otherwise he would have left well enough alone..."

 "OH, no."  Gaer feels an icy sinking feeling beginning in the pit of his stomach as he hears the steel in his sister's voice.  "That bastard USED us.  NO one does that to my friends.  No one does that to anyone I care about, and NO one makes Quspira Inirali the unwitting tool of evil and gets away with it.  And he was toying with us, that's what stings the most.  I don't think he would even care whether we told the Harpells ... in fact I think he assumed we would, otherwise there'd be no reason for him to depart such a cushy lair."

"We're going to tell the Harpells now; and someday, I and Mr. 'Dreekan' are going to continue this discussion in a way he doesn't expect.  And I don't know if our new Dawnknight is going to be content leaving the score Colin 1 - us 0 either.  Besides, Rash," she suddenly grins, "it'll give you the chance for some more wrestling practice!"

==================

(I realize the figuring out of Colin's actual nature took place shortly AFTER that quote; collapsing things a bit to catch up)

"Ah, if he was evil, I understand why he ran away!" Aedion exclaims, flapping his flaps more rapidly with growing excitement "He was afraid of you, mom! But I'm sure you and stepmom Aidwyn will find him - and I'll help you! I did well, then to expose him! I'm becoming a hero like you and your friends!"

Determined to inform the Harpells, after a few corridors you come across Ardjena, while she is coming right in your direction.

"Good day, my saviors" she greets you. "Have you been visiting Blinn or Colin? Or are you looking for Mistress Penelope?"

“Colin is not what you think!” Aedion promptly pops out "He is evil and I have exposed him! He ran away to escape my mother's wrath!" then he lets you fill in with more details...

Ardjena, initially, perhaps not too convinced of what the exuberant little creature has said, listens calmly and patiently to what you tell her... but as soon as you reveal that you have discovered that Colin is actually nothing less than Ekandre the Arcanaloth you see her blanch and shiver.

"That... that fiend is dangerous beyond imagination..." she stammers, starting to quickly guide you through the corridors, obviously headed towards a specific destination "We must immediately warn my Mistress, Penelope!"

And so it is that soon even the powerful she-archmage of the Harpells, who was taking a break in front of a steaming cup of tea, is made aware of the news. She makes you sit down (and drink a cup of tea too, if you like) and, without losing her calm, examines what happened with clarity: "An Arcanaloth, then; a Yugoloth archmage. And one who had reasons to resentment towards our family. Isn't it reassuring, that he has had the opportunity to steal many of our important secrets, during the time he spent here... And on the other hand," she sighs "when Miss Martha paid us to allow him to acquire knowledge, none of us suspected the truth in the slightest".

"Will he... kill us all, Mistress?" asks Ardjena at a certain point, torn between anxiety and indifference.

"No, Ardjena" the she-archmage is convinced. "Not even a spellcaster as powerful as an Arcanaloth would stand a chance against the entire Harpell family - and in fact he was quick to disappear. Perhaps he will try to trouble us in the future..." she shrugs "Or perhaps not. He's still a Yugoloth. A mercenary fiend. Most of his time, he carries out commissions - though he usually asks to be paid in arcane knowledge, rather than money. He is as mercenary as any Yugoloth, but also as thirsty for arcane knowledge as any wizard. Unfortunately, he is also eternal, so nothing will stop him from returning to look for the descendants of us Harpells, perhaps even in a hundred or thousand years, if he feels like - but not in the short term. In the short term he knows he cannot directly deal with us".

"Besides..." the she-archmage scans the handful of heroes present "He didn't incinerate you instantly, when you exposed him - which would have cost him little effort. So perhaps he doesn't harbor excessive or unreasonable grudges. It's possible that he doesn't plan the extermination of us all - but only his usual unscrupulous search for power and secrets".

Penelope continues to scrutinize you for a while... she is perhaps wondering what the powerful Yugoloth archmage saw in you? Or are you somehow in cahoots with him? Be that as it may, she doesn't ask you any further questions and, after thanking you for having warned her, she leaves you free to go, while Ardjena is sent to request the presence of several other powerful members of the family, for a joint magical inspection of the entire Ivy Mansion - just to avoid further surprises..

It seems that you can reunite with the others and finish the final preparations for the journey...

While the others had gone to meet with Colin, Roxana decided to make a visit to her family to let them know that she would be taking a quick journey north. She of course invites Gaer to accompany her (even though Spira seemed to imply Gaer was with the other group in the last post?).  There is not much to the visit, other than protests from her brother that she really shouldn't take such a journey.  And regrets from her sister that she doesn't get to go along.  

Although she does enjoy the time with family, and is reluctant to leave, Roxana is ready to depart whenever the others are. 

Gaer is happy to accompany Roxana and is also soon ready for the journey... the only thing he does (also inviting the girl from Longsaddle, if she would like to accompany him) is stock up on berries, just to make sure he has plenty enough for everyone during the trip.

Meanwhile, Aidwyn has no difficulty finding a Wagon for sale in Longsaddle... Her powerful golden-maned stallion, Sunny, can even pull it alone, if he doesn't have to run... And so Aidwyn, Solitude and Balfby (sheltered under a tarp or awning during the day) would be able to travel all together. The cost of the vehicle is 35gp.

Once Ekandre's 'exposers' tell the others about Colin's true identity [[ OOC: I imagine you will tell your adventure companions... ]], Dawnborn's solid-gold eyes peer at you for a worried moment: "He seemed like a nice guy... You just can't trust anyone, nowadays".

More, gloomy, Gaer's solid-black eyes run to those of his sister: "Well, thank goodness you didn't try to eradicate this evil single-handedly, Quspira... You would have run a serious risk. Even if, if I know you well," he sighs "that's a risk you're planning to take anyway, sooner or later, in the future... I know how little you like evil manipulators".

After that, if no one else has any other particular activities to do, the day comes to start the new journey...

'Well, he's absconded in a way we can't track him at the moment; but given his modus operandi we should be able to find him again when it suits our operational parameters to do so."  It is chilling to Gaer to note the degree and extent to which her reunion with Darvin has reactivated all the latent Watch Sergeant in his sister.  "Meanwhile we have a journey that we've already promised to perform.  Rash, is there any way of further narrowing which peaks of the Spine of the World we ought to look for your tribe on first?

[[ OOC: @OisinmacCameron: Well, I assume that Rash, since he comes from that tribe, knows the exact location of the camp, so he knows precisely which peak of the Spine of the World to head towards. ]]

Gaer actually seems almost unusually... intimidated by the determination he senses in the 'reactivated Watch Sergeant's' voice; but in the end tenderness prevails over other emotions and he asks her: "Good... But promise me that, not if but when you find him, you won't go and confront him alone... At least send word to me, okay? As far as quests to bring a loved one back from the dead are concerned, I don't need more of them, now that we have completed the one for Dobbian!"

And so the next day...

Rash seems eager to leave to see his family again, at the Bloodskull Tribe. Among other things, he must accompany Kunnari there, the condemned young man who chose 'slavery' among the barbarian half-orcs as a punishment to atone for his sins.

The guards are perfectly aware of the agreements and entrust the prisoner to the half-orc hero with trust and throwing a few mocking smiles at Kunnari: "Come, slaver, go... It will do you good to know first hand the fate to which you have condemned so many others!"

Anita, once away from the guards, murmurs to the other: "Don't be afraid... probably the worst part of your life is now behind you. Unless you do something stupid with us".

Kunnari, perhaps not sure how to respond, simply looks at both her and Rash with gratitude.

Rash intends to retrace the route that led him to Longsaddle... That is, travel the Long Road north, in the direction of Mirabar. But well before Mirabar, you'll leave the road, to head towards Grunwald, the barbaric village of the Uthgardt Thunderbeast tribe on the borders of the Lurkwood. Then you'll be crossing a short stretch of the Lurkwood and heading straight north into the middle of the wilderness, up to the first mountains of the colossal range of The Spine of The World. It is on one of these mountains that the Boodskull tribe is found. Barring complications, it should be a trip of about 5 days.

Rash, Anita and Kunnari will enjoy the company of the whole party. This time Aidwyn would also like to take Balfby with her (who in fact should find plenty of game once he abandons the Long Road), but the problem remains that Balfby cannot expose himself to sunlight... therefore, she buys a wagon to transport her, protected from sunlight, during the day. The cart will be pulled by Aidwyn's mighty stallion, Sunny.

A shy sun opposes, without too much success, a strong cold wind - the net result is an annoying wind a little less cold than it could be and excellent visibility.

[[ OOC: If I was in too much of a hurry to start the trip and you want to role-play something before departure, feel free to back-post without any problems ]]

Let's see if something happens...

17 17 19 14 17 13 19 11

11 6 12 16 8 18 4 20

 ...While I decide what happens because of the rolls, you can of course role-play with each other during the trip if you want.

Roxana sets off on the trip with her own horse, offering to Gaer to ride along with her if he wishes. While she'd originally expressed little interest in visiting Rash's tribe, she does seem happy to be on the road again. And quite excited about the prospect of seeing new places.  She's a bit curious as to all the things Aidwyn and Spira got up to on their adventure and tends to ask them little questions now and then about it. 

Otherwise, she is content to ride along with Gaer, mostly chatting with him about various things.  She is concerned about Ekandre getting all of that information from them.  But she isn't quite sure what he would do with all of that.  Then again, it does seem the sort of thing he could exploit to try to make himself more powerful.  She is certainly supportive of Gaer's earlier comments to Spira about the Tiefling and former Watch Sergeant not taking on the creature on her own.  "Should there be an opportunity, we all should pursue him. After all, all of us had a hand in him getting that information." 

When they're outside the city, Rash will go ahead and explain the real situation to Kunnari.

"So... I told you the officials of Longsaddle that you would spend your days in slavery to orcs for your crimes... but that was only technically true. What's really happening is a period of indentured servitude, an opportunity for you to work off your debt to society and perhaps learn some valuable skills in the process. I'll see if we can get you apprenticed to one of our blacksmiths or butchers so that, when you earn your freedom, you will be able to make an honest living... just... maybe not in Longsaddle."

He looks at Anita and then adds playfully. "I'm afraid your former co-conspirator got a much harsher sentence... she's stuck with some crazy half-orc wizard for the foreseeable future!"

Anita rolls her eyes at Rash's last comment: "Really! Poor me! And as if that wasn't enough, the crazy half-orc wizard will force me to give birth to his enchanted offspring! I will be forced to bake magical cakes for both him and the whole family for the rest of my days!" and then she bursts out laughing.

Kunnari looks, embarrassed, now at Rash, now at Anita, as if he didn't know what to say... But in the end he decides: "Thank you... I... I know that I have done nothing to deserve this opportunity that you are giving me . I have no idea why you're even offering it to me... But thank you. I... I'll do my best not to waste it. I'll be the best butcher I can be".

"And you will only slaughter animals, Kunnari..." the magic-cake-baker-wannabe winks at the former partner in crime "Right?"

"Oh, of course!" he hastens to assure the other "What did you understand, Anita? It's clear what I meant..." but then he sees the other girl openly laughing in front of him and understands that she was only teasing him - and for the first time since leaving Longsaddle, he laughs too.

Your journey continues without any noteworthy events as you follow the Long Road north, occasionally encountering just a few riders or a wagon.

Towards mid-afternoon, a wagon you meet slows down... and the driver, a dragonborn with dirty-white scales, clears his throat for a moment, then spits something that seems frozen to the side, and greets you: "Have a nice day, fellow merchants! The name's Patrin, of clan Linxakasendalor, the best fur traders of the North. Is the Longsaddle hamlet still very far away? And is there good business in furs there?"

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

[[ OOC: @OisinmacCameron: Well, I assume that Rash, since he comes from that tribe, knows the exact location of the camp, so he knows precisely which peak of the Spine of the World to head towards. ]]

Gaer actually seems almost unusually... intimidated by the determination he senses in the 'reactivated Watch Sergeant's' voice; but in the end tenderness prevails over other emotions and he asks her: "Good... But promise me that, not if but when you find him, you won't go and confront him alone... At least send word to me, okay? As far as quests to bring a loved one back from the dead are concerned, I don't need more of them, now that we have completed the one for Dobbian!"

 

...Spira grins wickedly at her brother.  "Oh, don't worry, I wasn't expecting to go alone anyway.  Once that slow-burning outrage for justice has had time to really get kindled, you know I'm going to have to have to fight you back with a stick."

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

Anita rolls her eyes at Rash's last comment: "Really! Poor me! And as if that wasn't enough, the crazy half-orc wizard will force me to give birth to his enchanted offspring! I will be forced to bake magical cakes for both him and the whole family for the rest of my days!" and then she bursts out laughing.

Kunnari looks, embarrassed, now at Rash, now at Anita, as if he didn't know what to say... But in the end he decides: "Thank you... I... I know that I have done nothing to deserve this opportunity that you are giving me . I have no idea why you're even offering it to me... But thank you. I... I'll do my best not to waste it. I'll be the best butcher I can be".

"And you will only slaughter animals, Kunnari..." the magic-cake-baker-wannabe winks at the former partner in crime "Right?"

"Oh, of course!" he hastens to assure the other "What did you understand, Anita? It's clear what I meant..." but then he sees the other girl openly laughing in front of him and understands that she was only teasing him - and for the first time since leaving Longsaddle, he laughs too.

---

Your journey continues without any noteworthy events as you follow the Long Road north, occasionally encountering just a few riders or a wagon.

Towards mid-afternoon, a wagon you meet slows down... and the driver, a dragonborn with dirty-white scales, clears his throat for a moment, then spits something that seems frozen to the side, and greets you: "Have a nice day, fellow merchants! The name's Patrin, of clan Linxakasendalor, the best fur traders of the North. Is the Longsaddle hamlet still very far away? And is there good business in furs there?"

 

 Spira looks gently at Kunnari.  "Yes, you did do something to deserve this chance, Kunnari.  The most important thing of all.  You admitted you were wrong, and you showed you were sorry and wanted to make it right.  People have this crazy idea of a priestess' job as being unendurably holy; and so much of it comes down in the end to reminding people of the simple stuff everyone knows and just forgot or gave up on for whatever reason.  But those who refuse to listen, not because we want it but as the eventual and natural consequence of their own self-chosen blindness, well . . ."  She looks over at the wagon Balfby is riding in, shakes her head sadly, and says no more

+++

Looking the dragonborn over with interest, Spira calls back, "Well met, Patin!  Were you one of the heroes that fought so valantly at Tymanther?" (History in log: 21)  She shivers.  "And now you fight this gods-blasted cold with your furs.  Longsaddle isn't more than half a day south of here, and if you've got something fit for a wedding you couldn't have timed your visit better.  In fact, I might be in the market for a little something stunning myself.  And oh, do you have anything to fit an absolutely adorable baby couatl?"  Having learned the perils of being too cagy or coy with non-classified information, a giggling Spira then spends the next hour and forty-five minutes making sure she hasn't forgotten to explain anything to Patin regarding Longsaddle, the wedding, Darvin, or Aedion.

Especially Aedion and Darvin.

And then she begins to paraphrase.

Patrin is initially stunned by the tiefling's talkativeness - then by the surprise of what happened to Longsaddle and that a tiefling who worships an elven deity found herself a human husband and a couatl son!

Before the dragonborn can fully regain the use of speech, other members of the Linxakasendalor clan exit the wagon, intrigued by the prolonged stop: two adult dragonborn (male and female, Balasar and Akra respectively) and three child dragonborn (two male twins, Shamash and Shedinn, and a smaller female, Kava). They are all dragonborn with white scales (and less dirty than Patrin's) and are intrigued by Spira's narration - so much so that the three children begin to loudly ask to be able to make friends with Aedion. The baby-couatl, at that point, without even asking for permission, comes out on its own initiative and begins to speak to them telepathically, eliciting astonished faces and admiring cries.

Finally, Patrin manages to regain the initiative and replies: "No, kind lady, I did not have much of a part in the First Tymanther–Unther War; the wars fought by my clan have always been only those against the cold, with the use of the best furs that the Spine of the World fauna has to offer. I could mention the warm and comfortable polar bear furs. But if there is someone who needs to prepare for a wedding - or at least someone who is only interested in the best of the best, this person is very lucky to meet my clan..."  a self-satisfied smile crosses his scaly features "because we white dragonborn of the Linxakasendalor clan, with our ability to hunt long and patiently in the most inclement weather conditions and to withstand temperatures that would make others' blood freeze, are specialized in procuring glacier snakes furs! The furs of these mythical animals are the warmest - and at the same time the most elegant that you can imagine, kind lady".

"If you are interested, I can show you an elegant ceremonial fur for you..." merchant eyes try to carefully study the interlocutor "for just 50gp, you will get an unparalleled item - not even the richest and wealthiest people will be able to boast one like it... since they probably won't even know about the existence of glacier snakes - much less where to hunt them or how to treat their furs. Or, kind lady, if you are looking for something to keep your dear little one warm, give me time to make a little adjustment and I will procure a piece of glacier snakes furs especially customized for him. Trust me, he will forget for the rest of his days the meaning of the word 'cold' - and this for just 15gp. What do you say, kind lady? Did I manage to correctly guess your tastes?"

One eyebrow goes up on Spira's face.  That is the only change in her expression in response to Patin's offer.  "Ah, but if these creatures are as rare as you say ... well, certainly I would have, say, a stole that would be unique.  Too unique, indeed, not to lose some of the indirect value of being able to just casually drop the name as if it had grown so familiar as to become tiresome.  One would have to spend valuable contact making time in longer-winded explanations, which might even become so tedious and tiresome as to lose it, oh, say, 15 gold of its value, bringing it down to 35.  And Aedion is so recently hatched!  He's just a tiny baby, a full set of winter furs for him should still leave you enough material to make something quite salable.  I could give you 10 gold for his, though, seeing that it would be a special order."