Astvanor Session 107 (3/31)

[cinaed]

Session 107: Day 21 of Veksdan (3/31)

Maeve is eager to get going once she finishes her morning prayer.

There is a quick, hard, tacky breakfast that is enough to keep everyone going before everyone packs up camp and begins to head up the mountain. The snow doubles and then doubles again as they clamber and start to slowly struggle further north. The higher they go, the harder it is, aside from the elves who walk easily through the difficult terrain.

Maeve chats idly, like she’s filling time and space with sound. By the time they get almost to hour three, the party has a mental map of the Lost Mistake as she describes the entire boat from top to bottom. She stops to take a breath and then asks Hava if she has been on a boat besides traveling away from the island.

Hava says she has, and Maeve says it feels different, with the wind in her hair, and Hava says she preferred being in the water. Maeve asks how long they were on a ship and Hava says for a few weeks from Valnore to Previdian. Maeve asks if she ended up in Port Vestan and the entire party recalls how they are not allowed back there as Hava says Port Vestan was interesting.

Maeve asks if they had adventures there and Hava says yes before Audacity adds that Az temporarily adopted a child. When Maeve asks if that means people call him daddy, Az goes purple. Hava says no one calls him daddy, it was a temporary situation, and also they’re not welcome back in that port.

When Maeve asks if she needs to handle things, the party gets momentarily distracted going over the three different women Hava got into trouble with in Port Vestan: the rich woman she fought, Calia, and the woman from the Sanctuary.

The mention of the Sanctuary makes Maeve’s lips go thin. She seems relieved when she learns they didn’t enrage the head of Sanctuary and the party gets further distracted by discussing Blade and Alex as men who were constantly accused of murder.

They continue to walk as Maeve describes a knife throwing game she used to play with Blade, which intrigues Diana. Az looks alarmed and asks them not to play in his vicinity, flushing when Maeve promises ‘Daddy’ not to do it.

At the end of hour three, Maeve asks Hava what else she’s been up to and Hava is quiet for a long moment before she says curtly stuff. Maeve’s expression doesn’t change very much and she tilts her head slightly and says she’s glad Hava is here. If there was anyone she wanted to run into while surrounded by wolves it would be her.

When Maeve starts to give another story, Yolov tensely interrupts with a perhaps they should discuss where they’re going and what they should expect once they reach the lair. He explains the intricacies of Telepathic Bond to Maeve, assuring her that it doesn’t allow anyone to read her mind.

Maeve says that everyone is welcome to read her mind, it would be fine and that she's an open book. She calls Yolov clever and Hava says he’s the smartest person she knows.

As Yolov ritually casts Telepathic Bond, Audacity studies Maeve and realizes she is one of those people who talk so that they don’t have to listen to their own thoughts and also that talking and chattering and constantly keeping the conversation moving means that there is no space to question or yell at her and that if she talks for long enough that her words will be true. Maeve is constantly moving between all three of those, a defense mechanism of someone who knows they’ve done wrong and doesn’t wish to be held accountable.

There is an extra layer to it: if she exaggerates everything, then no one can tell when she’s lying. Maeve is a nervous but extremely devious woman.

The first thing they all hear in their brains when Yolov finishes his spell is “Fuck! My feet are cold.” Maeve complains about the cold as Hava says her feet are fine.

When Audacity glances at her feet, she reminds him about her magic wraps. She says it’s like walking on the beach with no shoes on during the spring. She adds that shoes are a prison for her feet, and both Maeve and Diana agree.

Yolov asks Maeve what she knows of the lair. She says someone told her of it, who conveniently didn’t warn her about the shadowfell connection. Yolov hesitates for a moment, deciding how much to tell her, before he explains a little about the Sworn Edge: it is a dangerous organization that wants to kill the gods and gather power and riches, that the party needs to rescue someone who was kidnapped by them, and that after that they will close the portal or fracture to the shadowfell, which should help Kresh.

Maeve asks if they expect her to go into the Shadowfell and Yolov says that is something they need to discuss, though he thinks it might be good for her to stay in the lair and keep guard while they go into the Shadowfell.

Maeve asks if they know where the portal will take them. Yolov says they don’t, though it will be a stationary place, and Az adds that they might have to do some reconnaissance and asks Yolov if there was anything helpful in those books.

Yolov tells everyone that they know that creatures are resistant or immune to cold and necrotic damage, but also reminds them that the creatures will be stronger when in the Shadowfell. Everything will be more intense and difficult and it’s going to be harder to fight. He adds to the group that time is strange there as well.

Az, listening to Yolov describe how they might also be weaker in the Shadowfell, feels an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of his stomach and pain building in his head. When Yolov looks at him, Yolov realizes that Az is going to be weaker, trying to use his Feywild magic in its anthesis.

Yolov explains that he also cast Telepathic Bond because Marion has been able to know when they were in Radiscune and who they were speaking to in the dwarven town, and that Professor Dailiir had been able to reach out to him this morning and tell him that she knew he was within a day from the portal, which probably means Marion is watching them and taunted her. They won’t have the element of surprise.

This earns a wry remark from Az that he didn’t think they’d surprise anyone, trudging up the mountain, while Hava notices Maeve has gone quiet and a little green.

Maeve repeats that someone is tracking them and then remarks that Marion has a stupid name before she asks if Hava is seeing anyone and learns Taion’s name. They briefly get sidetracked by Marion’s name and if he’s handsome and if Hava would date him, which everyone agrees would be unlikely even if he’s handsome. Yolov points out the terrible smell that accompanies Marion everywhere.

Maeve tries to get Hava to tell a story, and Hava snaps she doesn’t want to tell a story, she wants to talk, while Maeve has spent four hours talking about a boat that Hava probably will never see because they probably won’t see each other again after this. Hava doesn’t even like boats, she wants to be in the ocean. Maeve says she explained things, and Hava says it still hurts as the rest of the group listens awkwardly.

They continue to walk and after a few moments of silence, Hava explains that she met Taion rescuing him from a water elemental. When Maeve says that is romantic, Hava admits she saved him twice. Maeve says that Hava has always liked the pathetic ones and that she must’ve convinced their father to break off the agreement.

Hava laughs uncomfortably and agrees. Maeve reminds her of the guy she was engaged to, Junius, and asks if he is still gangly. Hava says he’s fine, and doesn’t know if he found someone else. Maeve asks if he still has the buck teeth. Hava says he’s hot now.

Hava quickly changes the subject, asking if it’s hot here to anyone else. Diana says she feels quite normal. Hava takes her hand and squeezes it and says it’s so important that she’s here.

They continue to walk.

Audacity is the first to notice when the roiling shadows upon the mountain top disappear in that way where they’re too close to the peak to see it. He also can feel the air grow slightly thicker around them. Despite it being early afternoon, it feels like twilight is creeping up on them, a cloud moving over the sun and lingering.

They keep going. It’s like the story of the boiling frog as they ascend further and further up the mountain. The shadows grow larger and stranger, until it finally hits him that they must be deep inside the fog.

Audacity stops and looks at Hava and asks with a glance towards Maeve, “Could you check with Evie for me?” When she pulls Evie out, Maeve exclaims that she has a friend in a jar.

Evie remarks that Hava is upset, and Hava says it’s always a delight to talk to her. Evie asks her if she’s aware what it’s been like in Hava’s head the last few days, and Hava apologizes and says she’ll work on it later. Evie asks about the bug in her jar, and Hava realizes the bug is dead and removes it from the jar.

Hava tells her the vibes are rancid, and Evie says that they’re not quite there, but it’s leaking. When Hava protests her word choice, Evie says it is producing, which Hava says is worse and tells the party that the Shadowfell is leaking. Hava asks if she can help find Dailiir and Evie says she is only aware of the space between the planes.

Audacity asks if they’re headed in the right direction and Evie says certainly. If they follow what is leaking out, they’ll be able to find it. Hava makes a face and says to the others they should be glad they can’t hear the conversation. Maeve asks who she’s speaking to, and is told to be quiet.

Evie says if they follow it, they will get there. Yolov asks if the portal is different from the fractures and miniature portals they experienced before and whether or not it will be harder to close with their tattoos, which makes Maeve notice everyone but Diana’s hands and ask if her baby sister is in a gang, which makes Hava protest she isn’t a baby.

Evie tells her they should close the portal as soon as they reach it, and seems puzzled when Hava tells her they have to get Dailiir first. She doesn’t seem to understand the difference between a mortal being in one plane versus another, but also reminds her that Evie cannot go through the portal.

Maeve asks if Hava made a deal, and Yolov tells her that Evie was part of a reward and a thank you for something they did. Hava asks if Maeve made a deal. When Maeve says yes, Maeve adds that she knows Az did too. Like recognizes like.

Az holds onto Audacity and tries to block out his numb feet and his headache as he attempts to speak to his patron. He focuses on his patron’s tower. It’s like blinking, all the frigid cold melting off of him. He finds himself sitting in one of the nice, carved soft spring-warm wooden chairs.

His patron, still a branch creature cloaked in heavy robes, is sipping from a teacup. They say, “You’re in trouble,” and Az says that mountains are terrible. The patron agrees that he’s been having a bad time and asks if Az has to keep going to places where they cannot see him.

Az says that he has to, as much as he doesn’t want to. The patron says that no one can make him do things he doesn’t want to. Az says it’s the right thing to do and shrugs. The patron says the right thing to do has never gotten anyone anything good, but Az has always been such a good boy.

Az looks up at his patron and asks what they know about the Shadowfell. The patron says they know nothing about the Shadowfell except that it is the antithesis to the Fey, and none of their brethren would live there. The traitor was released into the material plane thanks to Az’s foolishness, but the others wouldn’t survive in the Shadowfell. Az’s scars twinge with pain, though he can’t tell if it actually hurts or if it’s memory.

Az says that he thought maybe some of the others were elsewhere. The patron asks where he thinks they are, and Az says somewhere adjacent to the Feywild. The patron snaps their fingers and the Tower that reminds Az of his childhood home disappears, replaced by rotting wood and fruit flies and foul, stagnant water.

Az recoils and asks what this is. The patron says this is their prison. They simply clean it up when Az comes to visit them. They snap again and Az is once again in the warm tower, though the terrible smell lingers faintly.

His patron says they can presume that the others are in similar prisons, a hell of their own creation. Az’s friend, who Az sprung free, was in a similar one. Az says he didn’t free the Archfey. When the patron asks if Az plans to free them, and Az says of course, it was what he always meant to do.

His patron tells him that he will be a champion of the Feywild.

When Az asks if they want him to rescue the others as well, his patron says the prince of winter can drown in his snow, they can all rot. Az reminds them that they worked together, and the patron says that is why they failed. They say they think that the summer Archfey burns.

The patron explains that Az is their only contact outside of the prison, that his soul was bound to them since childhood. They were promised a champion from his bloodline, they just didn’t know it would be Az. They like to think it was always meant to be him.

The patron says when Az’s mother came to them and asked them to take him, they realized he would be their champion. Az asks them what they meant, and the patron says that they thought it would be his mother, but they realized once they laid eyes on Az, that he would be the one.

Az asks about his mother’s sickness. His patron says that his mother wasn’t sick, Az was. Az rubs at his face, unable to absorb this revelation, and says he’s climbing up a mountain. The patron says that they cannot reach him in the Shadowfell and that if anything comes claiming to be them, it is fake. There is an intensity in their voice when they explain this, before they tell him not to call on them and that if he calls on Medrash, to be wary of what comes.

Az looks down at Medrash, petting him, and tells him that he will summon him as soon as he gets back and give him an entire chicken. Then he nods at his patron and is whipped back into his freezing body on the mountain, having taken less than half a step.

Maeve comments to Hava that her friends are very weird, and Hava agrees as Az scrubs at his hot face and tries not to cry. He looks over at Yolov and tells him that for tactical purposes he cannot summon Sabara and Medrash.

Audacity asks if he can use any of his powers. Az says he thinks so. He looks over at Maeve and asks if she meant what she said about helping him with target practice. She says she did, and he hooks his arm through hers.

Yolov walks alongside Audacity and tells him that Arevik responded and seemed fine but rather empathetically said not to reach out to her, which baffles Audacity. When Audacity asks him what she said, Yolov avoids his eyes and says she said to leave her alone.

Audacity asks if it’s normal to have a long delay between responses. Yolov says it’s not common but it’s not unheard of. He thought Audacity would want to know she was all right, at the very least.

The group continues their ascent, climbing higher and higher into the thick haze of the shadow. There’s not much here. The shadows are strange and off-putting, the trees cast their shadows at uncomfortable and strange angles. Nothing jumps out at them, nothing claws its way out from the trees. There are no monsters as far as they can tell.

It seems almost peaceful here in a terrifying way.

As they pass deeper into this haze of shadow, it gets colder and colder. The temperature drops to an almost unnatural freeze. Everyone can sense this isn’t natural, that it is far colder than it should be, and they all know why for different reasons.

Yolov knows it because of his studies, Az from his time with his patron, Diana from her personal experience, and Hava from stories, but the land around a dragon’s lair is influenced by the dragon’s magic. Before Iceclaw was a shadow dragon, he was a white dragon, and that cold is from the remnants of the magic surrounding his lair plunging the area into freezing temperatures.

They see where the tree breaks stop and jagged outcroppings of ice rock appear. There’s more and more of them, made of stone and ice, as they keep climbing, until they see in the distance where these gargantuan shards form an entrance to a cave.

They are now standing at the mouth of the lair of the dragon once known as Iceclaw.

In the back of Hava’s head, she hears Evie say, “Hmm, I can feel him. You’re very close.”

Adrin is pressed very tightly to Diana, who hesitates at the reek of dragon coming from the cave. Iceclaw was an adult dragon, weakened slightly by the Shadowfell’s impact on him, but fully an adult dragon.

Maeve shivers next to Hava, muttering how it’s creepy and that they just need to get their stuff and then get out of here.

They walk inside, expecting it to be filled with shadows. This is where the portal is, where the shadows came from to attack Radiscune, where Iceclaw emerged from, where the other creatures had come from. They expected it to be filled with danger.

Those of them with Evie’s tattoo feel that deep empty ache in their hand as they see an ice frosted tunnel and soft white clouds of their breath. Hava can’t feel the cold, but she can feel the ice like stone under her feet. This is not a place of comfort, all sharp edges and ragged stone.

Once they get through the entryway, it opens into an enormous space, carefully carved over centuries of work, big enough to comfortably house a dragon. The ceiling is well over two hundred feet tall. There are carved out spots in the walls where he might have curled up to rest.

Squinting into the darkness, they can see boxes and crates, but beyond the deep score marks, there is no expected gold, treasure, or magic item. There is no hoard, or at the very least, there isn’t much left, presumably taken by Marion. There are a handful of coins and broken bits of jewelry and broken statuettes, pieces of clothes that have been torn and rusted daggers that have been tossed aside.

Beside Hava, Maeve begins to curse under her breath and says that it has to be here. There was something she had to take from this hoard, there’s no reason someone would have taken it. But first they have to find the place to enter the Shadowfell, she adds before she kisses Hava’s forehead.

Maeve draws one of her arrows and throws it at the wall.

Hava says the treasure might be in the Shadowfell and asks what exactly Maeve is looking for. Maeve hesitates and says from what she understands what she needs is an extremely well-preserved hand. It’s got a brand of a sun on it and is missing a pinky.

Az asks if she got specifics on the hand. She says it was supposedly a human hand. She needs to get it and give it to someone else and then she can get enough gold to get Aria back.

The group walks through the cavern to the back, where there is a smaller archway carved into a small hallway that Iceclaw would only use in his human form. Everyone can feel the cold like talons stab into their skin.

From end to end where this tunnel stops they can see the distortion of reality. There should be creatures coming out of the portal, but there’s nothing.

Yolov is fixated on the portal, knowing Dailiir is on the other side. He is oblivious to the shadow peeling from Az’s shadow and jumping into Hava’s as she greets it.

Hava turns to Maeve and says she needs her to hold onto something for her. When Maeve says okay, Hava adds that she wants to say this before she goes. She tells Maeve that she’s very mad at her. When Maeve starts to say something, Hava tells her to shut up.

She tells Maeve that she’s mad that Maeve has asked her two questions about her life and that she hasn’t said sorry, though Maeve doesn’t have to say sorry. Hava gets why she left. She’s glad that Maeve is happy, her being happy makes Hava happy. Hava is miserable, but she’s getting better, and she’s been getting better since she met her friends.

Maeve asks if she can talk now, and Hava says no. Hava says all this time she thought someone took Maeve away from her, and it turns out that it was Maeve herself. She doesn’t want to waste more of her time being mad at her, so she forgives her, even if Maeve didn’t ask for forgiveness, she just needed to say it. She’s still mad, but she’s going to work on feeling better about it because at least Maeve was safe. Hava thinks that maybe someone taking Maeve away and making her miserable for all this time would have been worse.

Hava is not mad, but she doesn’t want to be mad forever. It’s just going to take some time for her to feel okay about it. She ends with asking Maeve to hold Evie for her while she’s in the Shadowfell, and Maeve agrees to hold her weird marble.

Maeve says she’s sorry, that she shouldn’t have left her. She was scared to bring her, and that wasn’t an excuse. She doesn’t want to get into it now, they don’t have time now, but they will later because if Hava doesn’t come back from the Shadowfell in one piece, Maeve will tear everything apart to get her back. She left her behind once. She will not do it again.

Maeve says she was lying before. She was miserable. Being without her is like being without half of her soul, something she’s felt since she left the island. Her biggest mistake was leaving Hava.

Hava says that they can both start moving on. Maeve says that she doesn’t like holding Evie so Hava needs to come back, clearly distressed that Evie is talking to her inside her head and that she hates it.

Az and Diana tease her and tell her that Evie eats bugs daily, while Audacity decides to be ‘helpful’ and tells her that Evie’s not picky about food before Hava says that Evie doesn’t eat but will make Maeve feel an unbearable sadness. She’ll get used to it.

Before they head into the Shadowfell, Diana asks Maeve to carve “Diana and Adrin’s Cave” in Draconic on the walls here. Maeve says that she knows someone who had dibs on the lair but she’s sure they can be convinced to give it up as Audacity points out Diana was here first.

Hava hugs Maeve and tells her that she’ll see her soon.

Yolov is the first one through. The first thing that hits him is the stench. Shadow sits heavy over the landscape like a blanket. There are no stars or moon here, just darkness. The stone and gravel crunch under his feet. It doesn’t feel like he’s done anything but step from a frigid wasteland to a chilly place, except that the wind seems to shred his insides and hurt it like dry ice.

In the distance he can see stone reaching towards a blackened, dark sky. He sees stone and stone and stone. There is nothing here but rock and shadow as his friends fill in behind him.

From Az’s shadow, the shade peels itself and materializes into a malformed shadow trying to be human shaped, with a little more substance. It says in stuttering Common, “Thank you. Thank you.”

Diana says, “You’re welcome. Stay safe.”

It repeats another thank you, turning its head upside down to look at Diana as Yolov says they were glad to bring it home. It repeats home and says they are not home. Yolov agrees and says they’re bringing someone else home first. The shade wishes them safety and disappears.

In the second after it does, everyone is hit by a ball of necrotic energy that crashes into all of them, pain coursing through their bodies. They all look up to see, with one hand stretched out in the moments before her visage wavers and disappears from their sight, is a beautiful redheaded woman standing on the edge of a cliff, cloaked in black robes.

Yolov remembers a winter at the Colma where he got sick. He was so under the weather that Dailiir was worried about him. She gave him the name of a doctor she trusted, one who wasn’t a magical healer but instead trained in the science of anatomy and herbs.

He recognizes, with a twist of betrayal both for himself and for Dailiir, Dr. Margaretha Greenheart as she looks at them all and disappears from view.