Astvanor Session 181 (3/6)

[cinaed]

Session 181: Day 33 of Saedan (3/6)

When Hava steps out of Maeve’s room, Jax is hovering at the end of the hallway. As she reaches him, he leans over to her and says, “It sounds like it was a more productive conversation, not that I was trying to listen. Is there anything else for you to do here?”

Hava says no, and Jax says good. He’s sure that Kiva is anxiously awaiting her presence and Abrisolm is awaiting their presence though it’s hard to say what his mood will be. As he begins to ramble, Hava interrupts to ask what Abrisolm is like.

Jax hems and haws as they gather up the other Hooligans and finally as everyone begins to follow him out of the city says that Abrisolm is very old, not physically, but he has a single-minded goal: to survive. Everything he does is based on his own survival. If he would survive but everyone else would perish, he would choose to keep himself safe.

However Abrisolm has realized in his long life that if everyone is in agreement, that will better ensure his survival. Dragons forming an alliance means less fighting for territories and other dangers. He is very interested in his own survival, he’s shrewd and clever, but he’s also scary. Knowing that given the opportunity, he would do anything to keep himself and the people on his side alive, means that when someone is his enemy, there’s a very different sentiment altogether.

His partners are very lovely though. Very kind. Jax doesn’t know what they’re doing with him, but that’s not for him to say. Jax says he’s as dangerous as everyone thinks he is, but not for the reasons they think.

He begins to keep talking, but Hava says she’s happy to get his perspective and form her own opinions when they get there.

As this conversation has been going on, Yolov goes over to Audacity and asks about the amulet that Elathias stole from the Col’far. He wants to check on it and ensure that it wasn’t corrupted by Elathias while he had it in his possession.

Audacity is reluctant but after he asks how they can check and Yolov reminds him that he can cast Divine Sense like Galowen now, Audacity tries it. He recoils at the sense of undead that fills his senses. He can detect no fiendish connection, however.

When he says as much, Yolov looks relieved, but then asks if he can examine the amulet in more detail, using Identify to understand it better. When Audacity says that he doesn’t think they should touch it any more than they have to, Hava tells him to just let Yolov take a fucking look at the thing.

Audacity looks furious but gives the amulet to Yolov.

As they continue their walk out of the city, Yolov uses Identify. This is so old that even the spell cannot name it, offering him information without context. He puzzles over the ancient source of magic that is binding three life forces together. It takes a lot of intense magical study for him to understand that this binds two souls to one person and is an object that is concentrating on a spell that allows the caster not to have to concentrate. It’s imbued with the caster’s abilities, housed within the middle that is not of any strain or old feelings of magic that he recognizes.

The other part of magic is draconic, so Abrisolm clearly made it, but Yolov also gets a pulse of something almost familiar without being able to identify it. He also realizes that this is the type of thing that must be very important to remain intact. If it’s broken, then those connections would be severed and that those people would die. These people are functionally immortal while it’s intact.

As he unravels each mystery of the amulet, he explains it to the group.

Jax interrupts to say that is correct. Their names are Gavin and Quivernel, the latter of whom Hava recognizes. She met her briefly with Kiva at the dinner party back in Port Vestan.

Hava says so they’re doing Abrisolm a favor.

Jax says that they’re doing him a tremendous favor. Don’t tell him he said that, but he’s been so worried about those two.

Hava looks at Audacity and asks if he’s still upset. Audacity says of course he is, it’s bad enough that his scent is on this thing, he doesn’t want the Col’far furious at this precious thing being touched by multiple hands after it was stolen and Abrisolm has been worrying for weeks.

When Yolov says only he and Audacity have touched it and he’s willing to explain himself if Abrisolm is upset, Hava sighs and says she thinks they’re all overreacting. Yolov, looking a little cowed by Audacity’s anger, carefully hands it back.

They come to the place in the desert where Jax is willing to transform into a dragon. There they all climb aboard and he flies. First there’s just desert and then more desert, Audacity getting a fleeting glance at the capital, before they land in another desert.

The city before them is surrounded by a wall. Hava can smell the distant ocean.

Jax transforms back into his mortal form. After a moment he touches the sand and says almost everyone is here. When Audacity asks how he knows, he says he can smell their scents. It used to be just three, but now there’s many, including their newest, Collie. There’s also Lady Cela. They’re still waiting on one of their older guests. He rarely attends these meetings.

Az asks if he can ask a question. When Jax says of course, Az mentions that there’s a dragon turtle on the coast, and he wonders if they’re invited. Jax says that dragon turtles aren’t really dragons and goes into a spiel that makes Az sigh and Yolov jot down notes.

When they get to Port Sciathan, they spy several people dressed in blue and silver armor. They spy another person walking through the space with the ease of nobility wearing the same colors, and quickly realize that these are people who work for the Col’Far.

People clearly recognize Jax. A few even turn and walk away at the sight of him.

Jax tells them that Abrisolm will want to speak to them all first before the Council meeting. He’ll be at the casino, which he and everyone enjoys, though Jax often loses gold there. Apparently he has no poker face.

The streets are not gilded or polished like there is excessive wealth, but there is an air of cleanliness. Even when they pass taverns and inns, there are no scraps in alleyways. Everything is neat and orderly.

The Hooligans are led down to the docks where people are congregating. There is a single part of the dock that leads to a single enormous ship. It’s got a dragon as its figurehead, finely polished wood, and music is bleeding through the air.

Audacity knows the casino boat. It’s the most popular place in the city. People go there for drinks and gambling. There is a long line, but Jax walks them to the front and inside as the bouncers recognize him and immediately step aside.

This ship has been gutted out and made into a casino. Outside the lobby they can see tables and arcane machines that spin rune symbols and spit out coins at a match of five runes. There’s a bar and card tables galore, a place to bet on races between tiny magical horses, as well as a roulette table. There are even people betting on knife throwing.

The air is relatively thick with noise the deeper the party goes. There’s a lot of Draconic, Infernal, and Primordial being spoken as they are escorted to doors that are guarded by young sorcerers who look like they might be twins.

They open the door at the sight of Jax, warning him that he’s in a bad mood today.

Jax asks when is he not before the door shuts behind them.

Instantly there is silence.

Jax stands at the bottom of the steps and says that he’s going to wait here for the rest of the beloved Council. When they go upstairs, the Col’far’s office will be the only one there.

Audacity takes a deep breath and then goes up the stairs.

Yolov pauses to thank Jax for flying them here. Jax seems startled and pleased to be thanked, starting to say something and then visibly restraining himself. Yolov says another time before he follows afterAudacity.

Hava pats Jax’s shoulder and says she appreciates his restraint. He admits it’s very difficult.

There is indeed a single door, with polished wood and heavy knockers. When Audacity knocks, a cool voice says for them to enter and be quick about it. Audacity chokes a little but obeys.

It’s an opulent room. There are seats and pillows on the floor to create a few distinct looking resting places, Kastvarian in design. There are ornate wall pieces that reflect the light of the lamps that cast an amber glow.

Opposite these seats is a handful of small low to the ground tables for meals and tea and beyond that welcome area there are two wooden chairs, a very stalwart desk, and behind that desk is a man.

He looks elven in nature, with long black hair that’s loose over his shoulders and gauzy blue robes that are secured with braces and a sash around his waist, with kohl smeared under his eyes. It’s a very Kastvarian look, in a way that Audacity recognizes in people who are mimicking a time long long past. For Abrisolm, it doesn’t look emulative but rather a fashion he prefers and has since it was created.

Behind him, in the same ornate blue and white crystals that Az once stole from Kiva’s ship, forming two giant wings.

When they enter, he looks away from a piece of fabric on the wall, and eyes them as he says that he has heard quite a bit about them all.

Audacity says that happens a lot. When Diana adds she hopes only the good things, Abrisolm says he wonders what the good things are. Audacity says he figures that they should start with this, offering up the amulet.

Abrisolm takes it from him immediately, though his nose wrinkles at the scent as he tucks it into his desk. He says he’s surprised such good hearted people are willing to see doing a favor for the Col’Far as a good deed.

Audacity says that the woman who stole it was a bitch. It was good to kill her and Elathias.

Abrisolm asks if they know why this was stolen from him. Audacity says to blackmail him, and he says no. Someone else suggests they were trying to siphon the energy and Abrisolm says no.

He explains that when this was made, he enlisted the assistance of a young general who was embroiled in a war that seemed without end. They needed aerial support. But to help cement their alliance, she helped him to make this.

Abrisolm coaxes them to think about why the Sworn Edge would want to find General Iliania, and they reason that it’s to get the Sword. When he asks why the Sword is important, Yolov says because it can tear through the planes and they wish to break into the Celestial Plane and kill the gods and also to gain access to the trapped Sunken Ones and control them.

Abrisolm asks why they would want to kill the gods, who would suffer the most of Rova the Conduit died. A few members of the party say Yolov, who looks a little stricken, before he says magic users and the places of learning. Abrisolm asks about each god and the effect their deaths would have on the world, ending with Alaeymena, whose death would destroy Springrest.

He asks why they would do all this and Yolov says without magic and the gods, people won’t be able to fight back against the Sworn Edge and the Sunken Ones.

Abrisolm agrees and concludes these people are trying to destabilize the world and leave it ripe for taking. As he speaks, there are footsteps on the stairs. There’s a distinct noise that comes with it, a clink of metal against metal, almost delicate.

Abrisolm tips his head as he hears it and then leans back, saying, “It’s going to take me a year to complete all necessary rituals and gain the items through which I can make a way to search for our missing general. I recommend that you learn who would have the most motivation and to what ends to claim all of this world as their own. It feels so personal, doesn’t it?”

Audacity says that he has a thought. He wonders about the asshole in Previdian, and behind them they hear a deeply familiar voice say that he hates to tell them, but the asshole in Previdian is Halycon.

They all turn to see Navier, who smiles apologetically at them even as they brighten at the sight of him. He says that he didn’t want them to find out this way. He apologizes for being late, he had politics to attend to. He promises after this he’ll have drinks for everyone and some tokens for games.

When they all get down to the bottom of the stairs, the draconic council is assembled. The Hooligans recognize everyone except for a black-haired woman who must be Lady Cela.

Kiva immediately sweeps Hava into his arms and complains that he has to go into a boring meeting instead of being with her. She says they’ll have a date afterwards and he gives her a long, dirty kiss until Lady Cela smacks him upside his head.

Audacity goes to Collie and presents her with a few figurines he’d bought for her. Her eyes fill with tears and she clutches them to her chest and thanks him for thinking of her. She says she hopes her coins have been useful, or well, she hopes they haven’t needed to be used, and then gets alarmed when Galowen tells her that he ate his.

She ascends with the other dragons.

The Hooligans are left to roam the casino and the bar for a couple of hours as the dragons have their meeting.

Az tells Diana to let him teach her how to play cards. He teaches her how to cheat at cards despite Audacity’s warnings against it. He shows her how to count cards, running interference as she attempts to cheat. Between the two of them, they win seven platinum and two gold.

Yolov, meanwhile, examines the magical slot machines with his usual focus about arcane inventions. He realizes they are not rigged, but they are very unlikely to win. He studies one and realizes that he understands the magic and could replicate it and make a slot machine of his own if he wished.

A voice asks him what he’s doing. He straightens and sees a red-haired man watching him. When he explains that he was studying the slot machine, it’s very interesting magic, the man agrees, saying that it’s proprietary. Yolov asks if it’s artificer magic, explaining that they visited Striog recently and he saw interesting inventions there.

The man explains that they were designed by artificers who learned it in Striog and now work in the lab in the bottom of the boat. When he invites Yolov to see the place, Yolov says he assumed that was private and the man says that Yolov came from upstairs, he’s allowed to go into private areas.

As they go downstairs, the man pauses and says he didn’t catch Yolov’s name. When Yolov gives his name, the man introduces himself as Gavin. Realizing he’s speaking with Abrisolm’s partner, Yolov shakes his hand and then excitedly goes on a tour of the artificer labs.

Elsewhere, Galowen gets drawn into betting on the tiny horse races, earning a little bit of gold and then losing six gold by the time he stops.

Hava is at the bar, just observing. She has politely turned down two offered drinks. She realizes she’s getting quite a bit of attention. A couple people come up to her and try to idly chat her up. The last and most persistent is a young tiefling individual, long sleek blue hair and well decorated hair who offers to buy her a round at the crab table. She says no thank you. He offers to play cards and Hava says he can get her snacks.

When he says that he’s looking at a snack right there. Hava says he’s sweet and asks if he’s here with anyone. The tiefling says he’s here with friends but they’re playing games he’s not interested in.

Hava finally tells him that she’s here with someone. When they ask if it’s a boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, Hava says boyfriend is a funny word. As he starts to say that clearly her boyfriend isn’t here, he goes pale and backs away, hastily disappearing into the crowd.

Hava feels Kiva’s arm go around her shoulders and tells him idly she was thinking he was going to be their third. He tells her that he wouldn’t have been interesting at all. She says she wasn’t really in the mood, anyway, she’s been on a dragon all day. He says he can smell as much.

She teases him about being jealous of Jax, because he’s boring.

Kiva agrees and says if he ever expresses interest in Jax, she can take him out and kill him. Hava adds that she doesn’t think she’s Jax’s type, and Kiva laughs in agreement. He says Jax has had a long-standing almost relationship with an artist that rents a place in the town hall.

Then Kiva sweeps her off her feet and takes her off to dinner.

Elsewhere Audacity is enjoying home-cooked food for the first time in months. Then his siblings drop into the chairs beside him, a tail twining around his as Ambition complains that he took forever to find. They both ask what he’s doing.

Audacity says he’ll have to go home, offering food to them both. Conversations need to be had and he won’t do them via someone else’s Sending. When Ambition asks if they can come, Audacity says of course, a little surprised.

They ask when and Audacity says the Col’Far gave them a year to figure some shit out. He needs to have a conversation with the Hooligans, if they’re splitting up to find out information or staying together.

He doesn’t know, but he does want to tell Ambition and Mastery about Galowen. He swore the oath.

Ambition says that now she obviously has to drag Galowen out and threaten to kill him if he hurts Galowen. Audacity says they’re not even boyfriends yet and besides technically Mastery is the oldest and should do the honors.

Mastery swallows some food and says he didn’t think it was his place. But if Audacity wants him to, maybe he and Ambition can do it together. When Audacity is clearly amused by the concept, the two stand up and kiss his forehead.

He watches, amused, as they go in search of Galowen.

At the tiny horse racing, Galowen is struck from the side by Ambition, who tells him that it’s her duty as Audacity’s sister to inform him that if he breaks Audacity’s heart she’ll gut him and use his intestines to strangle him. Mastery belatedly says ditto.

Galowen asks how long she’s been planning that, and she said she just learned about it. Then she notices he’s lost six gold and tells him not to lose all of Audacity’s money when they get married.

As Galowen groans, Mastery scoops Ambition up and says that they’re all good people. He immediately feels weird about it and takes Ambition back to Audacity.

Eventually the group is told that rooms have been prepared for them all.

While Hava spends the night with Kiva, the rest of them settle into their rooms. They all know that they have a year before Abrisolm finishes reverse engineering the means to find Ilania.