Hi guys,
We first caught up with what was happening at Fort Mudlark with Maugis. He finished up his training with Wendel, finally, and had come across an intriguing document about some sort of ruins in the sewers of New Arvonesse that Wendel had heard a rumour about remnants of an ancient “serpent cult” in- hmm! Maugis left the fort after odd farewell meetings with Wendel (distant, absent-minded, confused as usual; musing over some supposed rune-carved Giranois stone) and Baronet Mudlark (crazy as usual but at least aware that there had been some fragile sort-of-peace attained with the Giranois, and thus declaring the “siege level” to be decreased). Maugis returned to Aria's Well without incident.
But incident did arise at Aria's Well. Word came to Boamund that a Rokari entourage was coming into town, and he gathered a few guards with Maugis in time to meet them as a crowd of curious Dronari onlookers grew. The entourage of a dozen Seshnelan-Rokari soldiers was led by a sneering, moustached, pale, tall and thin vicar, accompanied by a hairless little dog-thing that he held and his no-nonsense guard, an iron-clad Paragon (new semi-caste of knight-like landowners) named Soril de Melicende.
The vicar didn't get far into a speech he'd planned, mostly with the local Dronari in mind: “I come with blessings from the Rokari Church to those of good faith, officially on behalf of the High Ecclesiarch Theoblanc the Elder. I am the new Vicar, Xavier Outrecourt, of the Capital Segurane itself, but given the honour of presiding here in Giraine now, as Makan wishes it. A few of you have attended my ceremonies of late at the Chapel of St Thosos in the Mire. Too few.”
But then Maugis and others interrupted him, and Xavier threw a spell at those speaking, and things went downhill quickly. Maugis threw a Palsy spell at the guards, disabling most of them, and then Xavier told the Paragon to kill you. Soril did manage to slay one of your guards with his halberd but was tripped by Boamund and the battle began to look like it was heading in your favour, with your many Dronari even considering lending a hand. Soril accepted Boamund's suggestion of surrender, and the Vicar fumed in silence as the entourage picked itself up and departed, grumbling bitterly. Before he left, Soril the Paragon handed Boamund a document, signed by Pithdaran officials, which he said had granted his family ownership of the Shaven family's lands in Pithdaros and he requested acknowledgement that this document had been received, which Boamund granted. Yet the peace that might exist with the Giranois now seemed set up to be transmuted into a new conflict with the Rokari…
Back at the All-Swallower ship, there was debate over what to do about the doldrums and dwindling resources. The Captain set the crew to rowing after he turned some saltwater into sweetwater to replenish some of your stores. Nonetheless, after over a day of tough conditions, the crew wasn't looking like they would last long despite this. Hope appeared on the horizon soon enough: the Aeropod of the Uz hero Syrr Kogag, who soon hovered over the ship and brought Fraud Shaven aboard to talk. Their strange link, via Fraud's Ebon Sanctuary talent and whatever godly/saintly powers were connected to it, had brought him to you finally, and inside his vehicle the shadows brought peace of mind, too.
After many discussions, back and forth up the ladder to the living flying thing, Kogag agreed to take the five surviving members of the Shadow's original crew aboard, but refused to take the “scum” from the pirate ship. Thus Ahappi had the hull staved back in and the ship sunk with them aboard, and they went down to the depths with zealous prayers to Wachaza on their lips. Once aboard, the tense situation calmed as the Aeropod's dark solace soothed all of your strange urges and mad ideas.
Syrr Kogag spoke of what he called the “poets against twilight”, and also referred to what you'd heard of as the Purple Prophets, or just the Prophets (the Dripping Beards had mentioned them too?), or some sort of mystic enemy that was tied to the madness that had plagued Fraud and others. This enemy was common to you all of you, Syrr Kogag said, and he had come to Giraine following hints that he and you might find ways to defeat these poets/prophets on Giraine, or via allies there, or something.
There was also some vague connection of Syrr Kogag's Uz powers, Arkat, the Night Dragon and Elandra; and he cited the timeless friendship between Darkness and Water rune creatures that meant even people like Ahappi should work together with creatures like him and Fraud Shaven– and maybe some draconic beings too, few as they were in these parts?
But there were more mysteries than answers to all these things, even for a wise Hero (capital “H”) like Syrr Kogag. He sought information, and knew that you needed to work more on Giraine to gather that. Who were your “prophet” enemies, where were they based, what powers and connections did they have (anything related to the Vadeli and Ahappi's curse?), what were their goals (other than witnessing/encouraging destruction of everything?) and how might they be stopped?
There was much to discuss on your flight home to Aria's Well, and a week to do so. By the end of the fifth week of Earth Season, you were home. Miguel was still recovering and some of you still had crippling wounds to limbs, and without The Shadow and its crew (sacrificed to Wachaza by the Dripping Beards), you were diminished in strength and surrounded by threats– the Rokari, the Giranois peace, these enigmatic “poet” foes, the Vadeli, and whatever else (and recovering Ahappi's ship, if you could, was also on your minds). But finally, at least, your surviving group was re-united, and you could decide how to handle these challenges.
Jett, the Baron's man and a trusted ally, arrived around the same time with a serious expression and a “request” for you to come to St Thosos to confer with Baron Ron… It was clear that, however you wished to confront those challenges, he wanted to be part of the decision-making process.
[In the meantime before next game, there is good opportunity to discuss any plans/questions/whatever via email, so that we can leap into gaming as a group next time. Deus/Uz Ex Machina has helped to bring you back together, which helps! Once you are all back in Aria's Well, you'll be caught up in game-time.]
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