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Session 124: Day 35 of Veksdan (11/03)

By the time dawn breaks the smoke has cleared. The vast majority of the fire was put out by the Dust of Dryness Audacity handed over to the mage but it still took some time to douse the blaze. It is a bit of an overcast day, cool in a way that mixes with the chill off the water and the air pressure.

The first thing they can see as they leave their sleeping quarters is the empty space where the Dawnscale Trading Company warehouse used to be. It’s a blackened husk marring the image of this otherwise beautiful and polished city.

It’s early morning. Birds are diving into the water to catch fish. It’s almost eerily quiet. The dock workers aren’t moving things at the moment because the Dawnscale Trading Company provided much of the goods moving in and out of the port.

There is one ship that isn’t necessarily concerned by this, with crates and lumber being moved and removed from a ship in the distance. Az hasn’t seen his sister since a few weeks before he left on his adventure and met the others at Springrest. Now he sees the very large ship, The Sturdy Oak.

He glances at it before he eats breakfast with the others. Maeve has breakfast with the others after an argument between herself and Travesty, largely based on the fact that now it’s even more important that they get the crates back after the destruction of the warehouse.

Maeve leans towards Hava and drawls out a comment that she spent some time on Kiva’s ship. Hava looks at her and asks if she has to explain sex to her, because she doesn’t think she should have to. Maeve says she would like to see her try and then asks her feelings about Kiva.

Hava tells her that she and Kiva don’t have a special relationship, he made that clear from the beginning, but Maeve informs her that Kiva usually doesn’t have repeat performances.

Hava points out not many are her, and Maeve says not many people are great dragonslayers. Hava tells her that she meant a sex thing and Maeve makes a face.

While Audacity looks amused between this conversation and Az ignoring his sister’s ship, Az is scrupulously buttering his Previdian muffin and ignoring the conversation. Yolov leans in to Asa and whispers that this happens a lot.

Maeve keeps teasing Hava about how cute she and Taion and Kiva would be together. Hava snaps and asks about her wife and Maeve says that she’s probably fine. She seems pensive for a moment, trying to remember if they’re currently married or divorced.

When Maeve asks what they’re doing, Hava says summoning an elf and killing him. She asks why they want to kill him and Hava says he probably wants to kill them. Yolov points out that they have several questions to ask Kalvianis first, from his connection to Elathias and Vakari to what their plans are. He hesitates and looks at Audacity and says he realizes he’s been going through a lot between the two Detect Thoughts of the dragon turtle and Valerie’s memories but they might have to ask him to read Kalvianis’ mind as well. The party debates using Zone of Truth as well.

Yolov also reminds them about Coisaira and wonders how they can draw her and her companions out. The party believes that maybe going to a more secluded place like Kiva’s house would draw her out though that might mean fighting her group and Kalvianis.

With Audacity preparing more Dust of Dryness in anticipation of the fight, the party takes the long walk to Kiva’s house. It’s a decent schlep up the numerous steps to the rows of houses that they hadn’t been to yet. As Kiva described, each house is very distant from each other with magical or otherwise water maintained yards and gardens.

They lead themselves down to a decent-sized two story house with a large brass gate wrapped around almost the entire house. Yolov feels a distinct hum of magic. It’s not a specific spell but rather a host of spells keeping this place unlocked or trespassed upon. It’s probably some variation of Alarm, which is bypassed by the key Kiva gave them.

It is a nice white stone house with a chimney and a stone pathway to the front door and two stone walkways that wrap around the buildings. It’s large but also quaint compared to the other houses.

Yolov starts to head towards the garden but the rest of the party immediately decides to snoop around Kiva’s house. They see dragon-shaped door handles as Audacity keeps a close eye on Az and they approach the front door.

Az studies the handles and guesses it is shaped like a red dragon. Galowen looks at them closer and realizes that the first one is a red dragon, but the one on the left is a brass dragon.

Inside Kiva’s house, there is a long entryway. It is very, very untouched and very cold, giving off the impression that Kiva is rarely here. There is an unused side table with some enchanted flowers in a vase. There is a stairwell that goes up into the second floor. Looking down into the center there is a kitchen and adjoining dining room, as well as a sitting room and a sterile study.

Up on the second floor there is an office and a guest room with overflow records and cabinets of shipping logs. There is also a shut door on the other end of the hallway which is clearly Kiva’s bedroom.

Hava heads to his bedroom. The room is draped with very nice, very comfortable looking velvets and silks and overflow of comfortable fabrics on a large bed and over it as though creating an enclosed space. There is no art except for painted wood versions of the Dawnscale Trading Company logo on the wall. There’s jewelry and clothing that matches Kiva’s style that he seems to have forgotten to bring with him when he packed last.

Hava pokes through his bedside drawer and finds in the top drawer a red leather notebook. When she picks it up, a brass key falls and clanks against the bottom of the drawer. It’s a nondescript key. She holds onto it.

She and Galowen immediately join the group in the office, showing off the key. They find a drawer in which there is a small locked box. Hava manages to disarm and unlock it, discovering a piece of paper dated about three hundred and fifty years ago.

It reads: “A formal agreement between Kivasaulhalagridanovar and _____, on this the date of” with the second name blacked out, swearing Kiva’s loyalty and assistance to this other person in exchange for this other person’s protection. The party tries to read the name and can’t. It is signed by Kiva but also a witness whose name is not redacted. It is Jaxaelastaniavnix.

Az’s eyes go wide. He knows that Jax’s name is Jaxael. He thinks back on things he’s heard about in passing and recalls that there is a type of dragon that doesn’t really like to fight. What they prefer to do is avoid fights by talking a lot. Brass dragons are kind and gregarious and tend to talk people into submission. He also remembers that Jax is the mayor of Dragonspine Village.

Hava puts the contract back delicately and then gets Yolov to magically Mend the wire they cut to disarm the trap. She returns the key to its drawer and then opens up the journal. For a second she realizes she can’t read Draconic, and then the letters shift a little and she can read it.

She feels a little guilty for snooping as she reads. From what she can ascertain, Kiva is acutely aware of the fact that he is not a full red dragon. He knows that his mother was a red dragon but he has no idea about his father. He has tried to investigate between his time running Dawnscale Trading Company, including a dated entry where he curses Abrisolm out repeatedly a hundred and fifty years ago. There are also many instances of grief as he loses members of his mortal crew.

There’s an entry about Blade: Useful. Stupid. Hired.

Kiva doesn’t seem to have had much luck in finding his father.

Meanwhile Yolov has been going through Kiva’s office, trying to find information about Captain Krista Lee and why she was killed in particular. He looks for travel logs in case she went somewhere they know the Sworn Edge went or is interested in. He discovers that she sometimes took on passengers on her ship the Broken Storm. He finds the name Fowlse Turen and realizes Az’s sibling was recently aboard her ship.

He shows it to Az, who sees that Fowlse had been delivered from Valnore to the Strand, a very small port city, and close to the dig site where Fowlse is currently. They both discuss how it might be related to the Crestianas and the other archaeologists, but hold onto that information for later.

Az goes to the window and opens it up, summoning and sending Medrash outside. He shakes out his wings and begins to fly around as Az gets downstairs and begins to watch everything through Medrash’s eyes.

There’s nothing out and about, nothing strange. It’s a very peaceful, quiet garden.

Yolov studies the garden. There’s not a lot of places to hide, mostly just a fountain, some flowers, and places to walk. It all gives off the impression of Kiva tending to pace around rather than sitting.

As the party enters the garden, Yolov casts Mage Armor on himself and Telepathic Bond on the entire party. Hava summons her pact weapon and casts Aid on Galowen, Audacity, and Diana. She casts Twilight Sanctuary around the group. Az summons Sabara as well.

Yolov reminds the group that they want to get information from Kalvianis before they fight, especially about his connections to Vakari and Elathias. They debate among themselves on how to approach him, with Az offering to cast a spell to potentially make him more agreeable with the group.

As they debate, Az ducks into Medrash’s vision as he circles and lands on the brass grating of the rooftop. Medrash looks up into the sandy deserts and cliffs of Striog and Avisrune. Perched there are three figures: two aarakocra and a griffin. They are a mile away, watching the party.

Az tells the party, and Galowen immediately gives them the middle finger. Az says that they’re definitely watching, though he’s not sure if they want to intervene or watch the ensuing fight. He gets the feeling he’s missing something.

Diana and Hava both clock that it’s just the winged persons. There was one person of their group from the night before that had dark vision and couldn’t fly, who is likely the drow Kalvianis. They prepare to summon Kalvianis even as Yolov comments that they probably won’t be able to get much out of him since he must know they’re working for Kiva.

Hava says that they’ll see if he’ll answer any questions and if not, fuck him. She throws the coin onto the ground. It immediately begins to spark and burn and smoke. There’s nothing for a long moment. Then behind most of the group, the cool voice of Kalvianis remarks, “Well, Calane is dead, so why do you have her stuff?”

Hava says that she gave it to them, and he says that’s sweet. When Az says they wanted to ask him some questions, Kalvianis asks if he can ask them questions back. He glances around and says six on one isn’t really fair. They should have brought their friends.

The party says they saw him talking and exchanging money with Vakari, which seems to amuse Kalvianis. He asks why they were there and Audacity says it’s a brothel.

Kalvianis says that he’s a bleeding heart and is helping Vakari try to kill his boss because his boss killed Vakari’s parent. When Yolov asks about Captain Lee, he’s told to ask Elathias since Kalvianis doesn’t know what Elathias wanted from her. He only sent Elathias to where he knew Captain Lee would be alone.

Kalvianis says he wants his boss dead because he’s tired of serving a man who thinks he’s a god. He believes in Elathias and the Sworn Edge, who have declared war on the celestial plane and if they just need a single artifact to destroy the gods, then he’ll absolutely help.

Az says he understands being angry at the gods, but killing them doesn’t seem like it would do anyone any good. Kalvianis points out that if Alaeymena can ascend to godhood, then he and Elathias and the others can too. He doesn’t seem daunted when the party points out that wasn’t on purpose.

Yolov asks if Coisaira wishes to be a god as well, and Kalvianis says she does, she’ll probably be a great one. She’s already an enormous bitch. He points towards where Coisaira has vanished from the sky.

Kalvianis says this has been fun, but he has been spending a lot of time with archaeologists who think they can help him find the Sword. He asks the party how much they know about it and what the Sworn Edge serves, and Yolov tells everyone telepathically not to answer, if the Sworn Edge still think they’re ignorant of some things, that might be helpful.

When they don’t answer, Kalvianis asks where ‘she’ is. Elathias wants to know. Suspecting he’s talking about Valerie, while Audacity thinks he’s asking about Quivernyl, they tell him that’s none of his business.

He says that he’ll get it out of their corpses just as Coisaira and her companions land behind the party. He warns them that they’re late, he’s going to tell Elathias and Elathias will start plucking feathers as Coisaira hisses at him to shut up.

Session 125: Day 35 of Veksdan (11/10)

Audacity studies their enemies.

He sees that Kalvianis is wearing an expression that says he knows that it’s either them or him with a confidence that he is a very powerful sorcerer. Coisaira has two short swords and looks twitchy and ready to fight. Flick looks nervous to be here, continually glancing at the griffin between him and Coisaira.

He focuses on Kalvianis first. His fists frost over with ice and everyone watches as matching ice covers Kalvianis and locks him in place. Audacity bolts over and hits him with his staff for good measure.

It is Felisic’s turn next and he shoots up fifty feet straight up in the air before he casts something on himself. He immediately disappears. From the ground Coisaira looks up and calls him a cowardly bastard.

Hava casts Holy Weapon on her pact weapon, the trident glowing with bright, radiant light. She looks towards the frozen Kalvianis and strikes at him with her trident.

Coisaira screams up at the sky for Felisic to come back and fight before she flies towards Hava, drawing her short swords and stabbing her both times. She looks at Kalvianis and points at him before yelling for Felisic to come down and fix it.

Even as she yells, the ice melts off of Kalvianis as he wrestles himself free from Audacity’s spell.

Az looks around and sees that the griffin is still on the ground. He casts Hold Monster on it and the griffin’s muscles lock in place. He orders Sabara to attack Kalvianis and everyone watches the fey dog bite him as Medrash flies closer.

Yolov, realizing that Felisic cast Blink, looks around at the group. He looks at Kavianis and asks if Elathias is joining them, or if he’s busy with whatever he’s been summoning with those arsons or if he’s busy with what he stole from the Lost Mistake.

Kalvianis looks at him and asks what makes him think Elathias did the summoning.

Yolov responds by casting Chain Lightning. The overcast sky darkens even more as a lightning bolt strikes down at Coisaira who dodges as the bolt splits off and strikes both Kalvianis and the griffin. Coisaira demands to know why Kalvianis didn’t duck.

Galowen swings out with his sword at Kalvianis. The first swing cracks against a magical shield as Kalvianis casts Shield, but the second one shatters the magic and hits him hard with a flash of divine radiant energy.

There’s a brief look of surprise on Kalvianis’ face as his magic fails him. He touches the place where he was injured and looks around at everyone before asking if Yolov really wants to know what he’s been summoning.

There is a sudden smell of smoke and burning as bushes begin to catch fire. Ten different ember spots appear in Kiva’s garden. Then the soil begins to swell as hellfire erupts from the earth and six hellhounds and four huge fire wasps burst from them.

Audacity looks at all the hellish creatures around him before he steps closer to Kalvianis and tries to strike him with his staff a few times but misses.

Felisic reappears above the party before he wings across the battlefield and stops near Kalvianis and one of the giant fire wasps. He casts a spell on Kalvianis and everyone watches a lot of his wounds heal. He immediately looks worried as the Blink spell doesn’t take effect again, touching a spell crafted item at his throat and saying a quiet oh no as Coisaira tells him to stick around.

One giant fire wasp tries to attack Yolov and misses both times, while another one hits Hava. She feels poison try to take effect but manages to push through it. Another strikes Az and he also shakes off the poison as it claws at him. The last fire wasp misses Audacity with both attacks.

Hava casts Spiritual Weapon and strikes Coisaira. Coisaira hisses that she’s irritating as she dodges one more attack.

Coisaira slides past Hava and attacks Galowen. Both of her short swords strike home, dealing two heavy wounds as Kalvianis attempts to cast Slow on the party. Everyone manages to shake it off as Kalvianis tries to back away and Audacity hits him in retaliation.

Az has Sabara attack the fire wasp as it misses before he casts Shatter on as many of the hellhounds and the fire wasp and the griffin. The spell kills the griffin as Felisic makes a shocked, sad sound and Az tells him he shouldn’t have brought it to the fight.

Felisic says he didn’t want to. When Az says that he should leave, he sees that Felisic looks between Coisaira and Kalvianis and realizes that Felisic is here against his will as Yolov casts another Shatter in the same spot.

Galowen looks around at the hellhounds and fire wasps and channels his divinity to snap out divine words. The wasps and some of the hellhounds stand their ground, but a few turn to flee.

Hava and Sabara strike one of the fleeing hellhounds, while Kalvianis smacks another one with his rapier and tells it to stop being a pussy. One of the hellhounds keeps running but the others attack, one biting Galowen as he casts Silvery Barbs. Another one bites Yolov and another bites Az. The last one rushes away from Kalvianis to bite Galowen.

Audacity looks up at Felisic and attempts to cast another Hold Person, which Felisic shakes off. Audacity gives him the middle finger before he turns and cracks one of the hellhounds over the head with his quarterstaff and stuns it.

Coisaira looks at Felisic and tells him to come down there, he knows what will happen to him if they don’t make it out of here. Hava tells her she’s a huge bitch and Coisaira tells her that she’s trying to put him in his place before Felisic hits Hava with an Acid Arrow.

Coisaira glares at him and points at Galowen and says for him to focus and take one down. Audacity reaches over and slaps her. She stares at him for a long unblinking stare, and Hava sees the way her hands tighten on her swords and realizes she’s going to kill one of the group for Audacity’s abuse and show him that it was his fault.

Coisaira says, very evenly, “Put the big one down. You know it’s the smart thing to do.”

Diana darts around Galowen, stabbed by the fire wasp as she moves. She opens her mouth and breathes out a lightning breath on Coisaira and the fire wasp. Coisaira dodges entirely and the fire wasp takes some damage. Adrin bites the fire wasp for good measure, grabbing it by the thorax and shaking it violently. Fiery blood oozes from it.

One of the wasps stabs Yolov as another one attacks Hava multiple times. When another wasp moves towards Galowen, Sabara bites it. The wasp still manages to attack Galowen. Galowen is starting to look rough.

Hava dismisses her holy weapon, which sends out a radiant blast of divine magic across the battlefield, hitting all of their enemies except Kalvianis and Felisic. A few of the hellhounds are instantly destroyed and a few of the wasps are blinded. She reaches over and casts Cure Wounds on Galowen.

Coisaira moves past Hava, gritting her teeth as Hava’s trident strikes her, to position Galowen between herself and the bee before she strikes out with her short sword. She strikes both times, both stabs badly injuring him.

Kalvianis backs up further before everyone blinks and he is suddenly gone. In front of Galowen there is a small red bead in front of him, which he realizes as a delayed blast fireball.

Az runs over and grabs a bloodied Galowen. He looks around and sees that the door to Kiva’s house is slightly ajar when they had closed it earlier. He Dimension Doors them both to the other side of the house away from the fight.

Yolov realizes he can’t stop the spell, recognizing a delayed Fireball so instead he casts Wither and Bloom onto Hava, the ensuing necrotic energy also taking out both nearby wasps and injuring Coisaira slightly.

Galowen hears movement upstairs in the house where Kiva’s office is. When he tells Az, Az says they can get him. Galowen heals himself and bolts into the house and up the stairs.

After Audacity attacks Coisaira again and doesn’t move, Diana backs away and sends Adrin to defend Yolov from the wasp. Above them, Felisic casts a spell down that envelops Yolov, Adrin, Hava, Diana, and one of the wasps in a poisonous gas. He winces as he casts it and apologizes, saying please don’t die.

Coisaira wheels around and snarls for Felisic to stop helping as the wasp stabs Yolov. The other one hits Audacity twice.

Hava bolts away from the glowing bead and out of the Cloud Kill. Hava turns back towards Coisaira and attempts to cast a spell on her that fails as Coisaira shakes it off. She strikes out with her Spiritual Weapon, the spectral trident piercing Coisaira.

Coisaira darts towards the bead and sweeps it delicately up into her hand. She says, “Finally. Something useful.” Then she puts it in her front shirt pocket and flies fifty feet up into the air.

Galowen has been moving quietly while Az dashes around to the back and Misty Steps onto the office’s balcony. He can hear the sound of rustling paper stop as he appears. Kalvianis sighs and says that he doesn’t know how to let it fucking go. Az casts Eldritch Blast into the room, two beams striking Kalvianis and sending him flying backwards through the open door into the hallway.

Outside, Sabara bites the wasp attacking Audacity. The wasp is looking rough. Meanwhile Medrash flies up to Coisaira and attempts to find the bead in her pocket. He doesn’t see it, and his stinger attack misses.

Yolov realizes that if he casts a spell on Coisaira to trigger the fireball, it will hit Felisic as well. He hesitates a moment before he casts Banishment on them both. Felisic vanishes while Coisaira remains in the air. Yolov looks at the rest of the group and tells them to hit her.

Inside, Galowen Misty Steps to get face to face with Kalvianis. His first blow misses, but the second one strikes him with a burst of radiant damage.

Audacity tries one more time to cast Hold Person on Coisaira and fails before he runs over and kills one of the remaining wasps.

Diana pulls out her bow and fires off two arrows. Both hit Coisaira though doesn’t set off the Fireball as Adrin attempts to bite the wasp and misses. The wasp attacks Yolov but he manages to keep hold of his concentration on Felisic’s Banishment.

Hava spies where the bead is glowing in Coisaira’s pocket. She strikes at it with her Spiritual Weapon and Coisaira erupts in flames. Everyone still in the garden can feel the heat of it though none of them are burned. Flame begins to fall and Diana gets slightly singed.

From the flames Coisaira emerges unscathed and turns to look at Hava, who gives a little wave before Coisaira swoops down and grabs her. Everyone watches as Coisaira brings her up a hundred feet up.

Coisaira looks at her and says, “When I kill you– actually, pick now. Should I kill you or your friend?” When Hava stares at her, Coisaira adds, “I can kill you now and tell Kalvianis to let your friend live. Or your friend can die. Make your choice.”