((Nice, thank you very helpful!))

After dinner Abathax goes to sleep; wondering what there next steps should be in finding out about the Balowang. Because yes they found out some details, but it seemed they weren't any closer in being able to track it. And also, most of time spend here was spend at finding the traitor; which they did get rid of quiet well in his opinion.

Even though the traitor has been found and dealt with, Silvosh still sets alarms on the doors and windows before going to sleep. Just an old habit from spending most of her time living in the wild.

Abishai heads to bed with the others. Happy with the progress the group has made. He shares what he's learned with Silvosh, Wendel, and Abathax. "We may be able to lure the Balowang to us using fire. Apparently, the beast is attracted to fire. Also, the hide can be pierced by weapons. I found a gnome who told me his lance was able to draw a thick, sap like blood from the creature."

He lies down on the bed and sleeps soundly until roused. 

You sleep uninterrupted and light after a long day of hard work. In the morning, you're treated to an extravagant breakfast, and decide that you'll enjoy hearing the several heartfelt goodbyes from the residents you spoke with rather than any more interrogations to do with the Balowang, given that you've almost definitely learned all you can. Klapton is especially grateful, as it seems that after explaining the story behind his injury to the other residents, they recognised how it was his original divining mechanisms which prompted the prediction exposing the plot, and how selfless it was to put himself at risk by staying at the home when he could have tried to flee again. Therefore, the opinions of him around the home have skyrocketed, given that he's gone from a pesky, fear-mongering troublemaker to one of the Home's saviours over night. 'Thanks to your help, I feel I've had the chance to make some real friends, not just with you, but the other residents too, as they're all keen to hear my tales now!' he tells you.

Abishai, Tathalita also catches up with you at some point, reminding you to check out the Harpy's Den Bards in Melwarth if you ever get a chance. 'Whilst they were cruel to turn me out in my hour of need, I know they'll bend backwards for someone with a talent like yours. Show them your skills, and I'm sure you'll be able to drain them dry of gold!' Quietly, before leaving, she also adds 'And, though I'm happy here and all, I may as well mention that Mother Stringhooks lives in the hills to the east. I know you're very busy on your quest, but I know you're the strongest adventurers I'm ever going to get the chance to meet. If anyone can take her down and maybe give me my old life back, it's you. No pressure, but know it'll make this tiefling very happy if you could.'

Qualksander then pulls you to one side to give you those rewards he mentioned. To each of you, he bestows 500 GP, your very own beholder golf ball to take with you as a souvenir ('Don't need food, water, sunlight or air, so make the perfect pet! You might be able to find some creative use for them outside golf too, perhaps') and then gives the party a spell scroll containing the enchantment for the Summon Aberration spell, with the caveat that it can only manifest as the Beholderkin option. 'Whilst I can't come with you to help you on your journey, think of this spell being my way of helping you out and fighting alongside you. Please, remember you're always welcome back if you need a bed to rest in, good company and a hearty meal whilst you're in the area; I'll be eager to hear about all the adventures you'll have! You've been an enormous help to this home, and I wish you all the best of luck!'

I'll let you give any last goodbyes before describing the carriage ride back to Brimbul's and what you find on your return!

Silvosh thanks Qualksander profusely. 500 GP is more than she can remember every seeing. It's enough she could retire from guiding people, not that she would, she enjoys guiding (mostly, there are some unpleasant customers). 

She leaves the Summon scroll for someone better than she at spell casting.

{I tried finding the chart of random effects for a beholder golf ball, but wasn't able to find it in the old posts. I though I had seen it posted at one point.}

Abishai hugs Tathalita before he departs, saying, "Thanks for the suggestion. I'll be sure to check them out the next time I visit Melwarth. Also, I vow to help get your singing voice back. No one should ever suffer like you have. Mother Stringhooks is now on my radar."

The bard accepts the gold from Mr. Lumens with thanks and hands the spell scroll to Wendel. "Thank you for your hospitality. You have changed my perspective on Beholders. The world is full of surprises." He eyes the beholder golf ball with amusement as he finds a pocket where the ball can reside during their travels. 

Finally, Abishai takes the time to give each person in the retirement home a personal farewell, incorporating what he's learned about each into his dialogue—even the innocent falsehoods that were told to hold the bard's attention longer.

((Note to all: you can add the beholder golf ball as a summon through extras on your sheet))

Abathax thanks Qualksander for the reward and is ready to leave the home.

{Thanks for entering that! Had to enable Homebrew content to select it.}

At around 10, your carriage back to Alkton has been prepared and is ready to depart, so you take your seats, and Silvosh trots alongside to chat with the coach driver, the same young man that transported you there previously. Qualksander and the residents wave their heroes goodbye as you leave, and soon the castle is gone from your view, hidden behind the hills and valleys of the countryside. The journey is uneventful; weather is fair, as usual, and there isn't any sign of the roaming hill giants you saw on your way to Cangtumble's. This could mean they've returned back to their usual encampment down to the south-east, though it could mean the opposite, and mean they've travelled even further north in the time you've been busy. You hope for the former. 

Soon enough, the carriage is rumbling back over the cobbled streets of Alkton, then up the drive of Mahogany House, its dreary grey walls still as vibrantly adorned as ever, with the colourful streamers fluttering gently in the wind as before. The crabby Shadar-Kai gardener you met earlier pauses his careful tending of the extravagant topiary bushes out front as the carriage pulls up, coming over to greet you with his scythe at his side. 'Ah-ha, you're back! Didn't decide you'd rather be elsewhere then? Hmm...' The wizened shadow elf strokes his chin and mutters thoughtfully, 'Brimbul's been as busy as a bee whilst you've been gone, y'know? Most effort I've seen him put into anything before, given that he's usually happier to just clown around and churn out his thoughtless little brochures. Best you go in and see him, as I'll bet he's eager to show you what he's done to pull his weight on his end of this little partnership you've got going on...door's unlocked, as usual...'

Assuming you choose to go inside and into Brimbul's circus-themed study/lounge, you find that there seems to be some truth to the gardener's remarks, as you see the stack of papers holding all the leads the halfling had piled onto his absurdly tall desk has been almost entirely diminished. You then notice Brimbul sat behind the desk with his feet up in a position you can't even imagine could be comfortable, seemingly scrutinising another sheet in one hand, whilst smoking a bubble pipe in the other. However, this is all immediately dropped when you come through the door, as he topples from the desk and scurries over to greet you, crying 'Ah, friends, friends, you are back once more! Tell me all about it, and everything you learned! I've been desperate to hear what first-hand accounts you've gathered!'

Abishai greets the caretaker with a nod and a friendly smile before entering the home to find Brimbul hard at work. "Yes, we're back with several new pieces of information. Unfortunately, none of them gives us a bearing on where we can find our quarry." Abishai then goes into detail with the leads the group has gathered, trying his best to only share leads the group believes are true and accurate.

"Hopefully, you have been fruitful in that endeavor where we were not."

Silvosh follows, trying to stay out of the way when entering Brimbul's office.

Abathax stands to the side, happy to let Abishai do the talking.

[Sorry for the wait, will aim to be much more regular with my posting from here forward, especially since I hope the campaign will only be getting more exciting from now with the quests coming up!]

Brimbul nods along with Abishai and murmurs 'Fascinating, fascinating!' as he relays the many different traits you've amassed over the course of your trip. 'Well that was certainly a success then! With your excellent work, I believe we now have more than enough qualities to be able to identify the Balowang, and to make some educated guesses on its habits and potential location. Although, we may not need to guess, as I've managed to learn something that directed me to the leads which'll take you straight to the beast itself! I learnt that...' He pauses for a moment and bounces around where he stands, relishing in the suspense and attention, before revealing in a theatrical and drawn out manner that 'The Balowang only appeared in Ilkalith one thousand years ago!'

This information alone doesn't immediately strike you as particularly useful for tracking down the beast, but Brimbul goes on to explain 'Therefore, we can question beings that were in Ilkalith at that time about the Balowang, and get first hand accounts on where it came from! Then, if we know where it came from, we'll know where it is!' You wouldn't be blamed for being unsure whether this line of reasoning is as sound as Brimbul makes out, but you could just as easily see where he's coming from, given that if the Balowang doesn't stray from Ilkalith, what's to say it won't stray from its point of origin either, whatever that may be? Regardless of your thoughts, Brimbul launches into the next part of his big reveal. 'I know of three ancient beings that dwell in Ilkalith who you could ask about the Balowang and its location. It's up to you who you go to first, how many of these folks you question, and how you go about doing it, but I'll fill you in on the details so you can go from there.'

'Firstly, there is the fabled ancient copper dragon of Ilkalith. I've forgotten his name, but can of course recall his many titles; the Prankwyrm, High Jester of the Skies, Lord of Harmless Havoc, the Copper Quipster, so on, so forth, the list goes on. Anyway, I digress. The hitch with him is that he hasn't actually been sighted in quite a while, however, legend has it he buried his hoard under a hill to the north-west, and the lingering magic caused a great tree bearing fruit flowing with primal energy to sprout above it, where wyverns now roost. This is relevant because recently, the giants of the south have decided to start marching up towards his tree for whatever reason, and I believe that if the dragon is to be sighted once more, it'll be to come and defend his hoard. Therefore, I believe if he does appear there and you offer your support, he'll be more than willing to tell you what he knows about the Balowang, given you if you help him out with the giants.' 

'Next up is an interesting case; are you familiar with the Silent Battlefield of Melwarth?' Whether you recognise what Brimbul is saying or not, he goes onto explain 'It's a famous heath littered with petrified statues of ancient Ilkalith warriors, frozen in terror. For centuries, nobody knows who they were fighting or how they got petrified, but in recent years, this question was answered. After a great storm brewed over the battlefield, the statue of the warrior queen Ottika was struck by lightning, and she walked once more! She managed to stumble into town, and after some time the locals figured out her story, which is that her clan had been fighting a monster unlike anything they'd ever encountered. She could only recall it had the power to turn them all to stone, so of course, it must have been the Balowang! It would have been excellent to have questioned her myself in the height of my investigative days, however, I believe she soon became overwhelmed by modern life, and withdrew from the public eye. Now I have no doubt she is likely pursuing a more peaceful and solitary life in the surrounding countryside, as she would have done a thousand years prior. If you can find her, you might be able to learn some more on her tale then she originally revealed.' 

'My final lead is a bit of a personal bugbear; an old rival, who was in fact the original owner of this house, believe it or not! His name is Javantri Mahogany, a Shadar-Kai noble. This house was little more than a holiday retreat for him, given that he had many a home back in the Shadowfell, where he enjoyed a lifespan decades longer than your typical elf due to that plane's knack to make time flow faster. There are many horrible tales of people slipping through the veil to that dark place, finding their way back here after what felt like weeks, only to find it had been years, as if that plane of misery was playing one last cruel trick on them. But I'm getting sidetracked; the point is, Javantri was around when the Balowang first appeared, and I suspect you'll be able to find him skulking about this county somewhere. After that, you'll be able to question him for everything he knows. Just, don't let slip that you're with me. We're not on good terms, me and him, even though I bought this house fair and square!'

Brimbul stops himself from getting too lost on a rant, and sums up by saying 'It's up to you who you go looking for first. I know it sounds counter intuitive to have to find someone else to begin looking for another, but I'm convinced these leads are what will take us straight to the Balowang! Just a shame there's such a small pool to question; the mundane nature of Ilkalith means we're seriously lacking in the likes of liches and powerful fey...' As he laments this fact, you recall how only recently you were informed about the lich illithid alhoon, X'irtig The Gray, and the annis hag, Mother Stringhooks, which both easily fill the role of an ancient being worth being questioned about the Balowang, if you can find them. However, it's clear Brimbul is unfamiliar with these creatures, as he simply moves on to ask 'Any further questions, or are you good to get hunting?'

[I'll put the details of these leads onto the campaign soon; I've also added an updated map of Ilkalith and a couple Balowang traits I forgot Qualksander told you about!]

Abishai listens intently as Brimble rambles on at length. These leads were good, well mostly... The copper dragon sounds promising. Copper dragons are typically friendly to the humaniod races. Though, this ones nicknames give cause for concern. 'A trickster dragon can be quite dangerous... especially if it's guarding its treasure horde.'

Next is the warrior queen Ottika... 'We haven't heard any rumors of petrification being a Balowang trait that I recall.'

Lastly, this Javantri Mahogany is a solid lead. "Excuse me Mr. Brimble, sorry to interrupt, but do you have any idea where Javantri could be? Perhaps an idea of where he likes to skulk frequently? Or know someone who would know?" Abishai asks, thinking that the group may have the best chance of success starting with civilized folk before searching for a missing dragon, or a queen who's been dead and come back to life. "Also, any chance you know where Ottika settled down?"

Abathax listens to what Brimbul has to say, and remembers the other ancient beings they learned about. He doesn't  really feel like sharing those details with Brimbul, so leaves that to talk about with the party at a later point in time.

"Also, where exactly is the hill with the possible hoard?"