Hepisod Date IRL 04/27/2025

Dates Spanned On Ilia Khah: M04W3D7-8, Year Restriction 446

Events Summary

Party wakes up in a basement dungeon belonging to their Bard frenemy Ver 'V.R.' Rismol and her wife Jennevere Sandcastles-Rismol. Ver tells them the world is ending and leads them through a rhetorical maze, causing more frustration than relief and breeding great amounts of distrust. This distrust is only amplified when she clumsily reveals she has connections to the commanding force behind a great evil that haunts Vaelin's people. Due to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding their conversation, she agrees to pay off the party's silence to an amount of financing the Ruthless with up to 6,000 gp worth of upgrades. Then, they are returned to Solara. The call of the cave is louder than ever, and Fisk leads VSL and Firnas through the first stage of disarming this new yet familiar cave. He almost dies doing so, and is coaxed back to the party to request their help, which will have to wait until next morning. But morning comes and they embark for a cave that yields Fisk none of what he hoped and everyone else more mystery. What are these orbs? What's the deal with ice? They gather their thoughts over quiches for breakfast, content to give it a rest and process it all until their leaving the next day. Before they make it back to the Citrus Flights, Fisk is possessed by cave desires again, this time taking them to a new cave that has opened in Tugg's backyard. They fight about going in, but Fisk persuades Firnas to persuade the party to give caving one more shot for the day.

The Hepisod Anatomy, in Detail, by 'Stage'

Stage No. 1 ~ House Arrest

• Party wakes to country jazz in the basement dungeon of Ver & Jennevere Rismol, tied rather comfortably in rope hanks of various lengths and colors in a sparse circle around a statue depicting the wanton bacchanalia of Judtyh, Bibesia, Eldath, and Kalei. Immediately, Fisk summons his sword to attempt to break himself free quietly.
• Jenne calls Ver down to introduce herself. Ver sends Jenne upstairs to fetch a bottle both cheap and strong and gives the obstructively short version of an introduction. It is here confirmed that she is the notorious author V.R.
• Louis explains they were only seeking information, and mentions he can tell something is troubling her.r Around that time, Jenne returns with the bottle she will hand to Ver to drink from. She pulls Ver aside, encouraging her to say more.
• Louis clarifies their questions are about the Blue Lathander symbology in Symbols of the Deep. Ver is relieved, then horrified, at the question.
• Ver is vague, but defends her actions that somehow defeated the great external world ender but also made peace with the very save world ender and kept the plans to end the world very much in motion. Claims it was a case of self defense, self preservation, and that there was little choice to be had.
• Louis and Kelzyr press her on the nature of the futility of the final phase of her fight, and she admits she sacrificed the world to see its end with Jenne at her side. Firnas decides he, too, should break free and begins his attempt to do so.
• Ver seems quite done with giving details, and long before she has truly given them anything but vague and unbelievable question marks or harsh objections to the party's curiosity. She presses it will probably be time to end their period as Rismol family guests, and opens a discussion about hush money to keep her story and past, and name as an author, strict secrets.
• In this discussion, Ver calls down her precious and unique pet, Sandal Rismol, and its new buddy Vix. When Vaelin sees them playing down the stairs, he freaks out. Sandal is a Vaer'thalas beast. The very same kind terrorizing the forest he was raised in and that his people swear to destroy at any cost. Jenne immediately catches their mistake, realizing Vaelin is from Ashgrove Clan, and sends Sandal upstairs. She apologizes that Vix was exposed to that.
• Vaelin claims those beasts are evil. Ver Rismol agrees, and adds she has slain many. But Sandal is a gift from whatever is out there in the Expanse, and so has been modified into a cuddly friend capable of understanding its name, simple commands, and not murdering the Rismol couple in their sleep.
• Firnas breaks free and looks for a chance to free Fisk. But he also sees opportunity in the conversation. He brings that attention to himself to ask for the rest of the cost of the Ruthless. Ver Rismol offers him that plus 6,000 gp for any upgrades, supplies, etc. they may need to be annoying. Payment to be delivered to Mountport in five days, works out to D12.
• Ver asks if there are any last questions. Kelzyr brings up the assassin. Ver claims to know nothing, then that she knows of similar agents but that would never act like this. But Ver seems adamant that learning more about them is bad for the soul. But does not back down from her pledge to finance their pitiful investigation.
• Ver unties everyone and takes them to the top of the tower where they are sent back to the alley. She notices Firnas freed himself and congratulates him on his handiwork.
• Party goes peacefully, up, up, and away back.

Stage No. 2 ~ Cave Two Attempt One

• They wake up in their places in the alley and bicker about the morality of it all. But not Fisk, who only has time to come to his senses about the inevitable feeling pulling him north of the nearby market. He books it, followed by Firnas and VSL. Everyone else is tired and resolves to check back in with the ship.
• Without words, Fisk leads Firnas and VSL to another cave and inside. The layout is uncannily the same as the first one they explored. With a passive VSL and Firnas in tow, Fisk braves two impalements by ballista bolt to disarm the defenses outside the primary door to the cave lair.
• As Fisk is about to stupidly press on, VSL and Firnas are able to stop him and shut the door before an army of skeletons surely kills them all. He comes to his senses and lets them drag him outside, to catch up with everyone else on the road.
• Haneastacia wonders aloud how her companions managed to pull off such a large extortion while tied up in the home of two strangers. She calls V.R. insane, and Vaelin agrees. He claims he did not believe any of it until he saw Sandal. Hanea still wants to see more, and reminds this half of the party the world is already ending.
• A glance at the evening sky, and Hanea is able to report it is still D7.
• Louis notices Fisk is behaving strangely, even for his energetic and mysterious self. Fisk apologizes for being a bit rash as Louis heals him.
• Louis asks him how he keeps finding caves, and Fisk reports he has been to them before. Kelzyr asks for more detail how he got hurt, and Fisk tells the honest story of ballistas and skeletons.
• Louis reminds Fisk that discretion is the better part of valor. Fisk claims he is motivated to reach the cave's end, but admits he should have asked for help.
• Though Louis is skeptical of what is to be found at the end of the cave, the general party sentiment is to agree to help Fisk explore the cave. But Hanea has a headache, so their mission must wait one sleep. Fisk agrees, so long as they leave before dawn.
• Firnas remarks to Vaelin the new cave is essentially identical to the old cave.
• Kelzyr and Hanea speculate about the nature of the present, in light of the decision Ver Rismol made for her Jenne.
• Violetta looks to the statues as an invitation to learn patience from Louis. She recognizes herself young, full of dreams, and impatient about them.
• Kelzyr asks Vaelin how he recognized Sandal. And Vaelin explains the basics of the story of Ashgrove's war against them and the destruction they cause to the forest and its people, dating back millennia. He uses this to justify his inherent distrust in the owners of a Vaer'thalas beast.
• Kelzyr is reluctant to take Ver's hesitation to provide significant details at face value. Vaelin sees eye to eye with him on that.
• Hanea sneaks away at night, to seek clarity from Tina and let her know they're gonna pay off Ruthless and then some. They become official.

Stage No. 3 ~ Cave Two Attempt Two

• Fisk barely sleeps, and is up about 3am. Meets Hanea and Kelzyr in the lobby. Calls them punctual. Time to wake everyone else!
• Waking Firnas is doable, even if the climb is unpleasant. Louis looks Fisk in the eyes and tells him to sleep better. VSL is awake, but studying, and greets him with a cheery smile. Vaelin complains about how early it is to wake to his door being pounded on.
• Onto the cave, about forty five minutes before sunrise proper. Party makes it past the now defunct traps and prepares to hot breach the skeleton room. They find there are only three skeletons, easily dispatched before getting a chance to defend the cave. Louis stops to investigate the remains and how armies seemingly pop into and out of existence at will. His findings are troublingly difficult to reconcile.
• Firnas leads Hanea and VSL into the room on the right. Similar to the last cave, it has the same mural, and altar of altered bones, and plants. This time, the plants are kelp, surrounded and protected by columns of magically still but harmless water. The bones are one large curve and several small, straight pieces. Hanea determines they must have come from some ancient reptile. Hanea also double checks the kelp itself, realizes it is normal. The party then loses interest in the room.
• Fisk tries the floor plate puzzle door, using the constellation from last time, and successfully makes it through.
• This leads them to a hallway filled with potions and other magical gifts and trinkets. They do not stop to take a closer look as Fisk rushes past into the throne chamber at the end of the cave.
• Firnas finds another triad of warm metallic glass bulbs connected by white tethers, and keeps it to add to his growing collection.
• Fisk levitates up to the chest of interest. Inside is 136 gp, a half melted block of ice, and a glass orb like last time, this one empty and seemingly half melted and solidified with a clear, flat deformity. No clear holes, just a misshapen but intact bulb. When Fisk kicks the chest over in defeat, the bulb bounces on the ground and does not break.
• Vaelin feels the ice is cold, and the chest does not seem to have any way of keeping it so. The deformed orb is warm to the touch. Kelzyr grabs it.
• As Fisk tries to wallow in defeat and Kelzyr tries to balance comforting him and seeking answers, the cave rumbles and begins to flood. Fisk freaks out and dashes for the exit. The party grabs all their loot and follows.
• Fisk buries his head in his hands, feeling some form of emptiness once safely outside. Kelzyr offers the orb to anyone wanting it, and VSL claims she may have a research lead on it once they're back to Mountport.

Stage No. 4 ~ Solaran Pie

• By now it is midmorning. Ruthless should not be done until tomorrow morning. Party skipped breakfast, so stops by the market to remedy their hunger. They purchase two breakfast quiches. Firnas tries to bribe Vix to want pets with food. Very unsuccessfully. After eating his share, Firnas buys rations for himself for a few days. He then wanders off in search of a healing potion, and gets quite readily scammed by someone who takes insult at his poor, far-too-generous haggling tactics. Fisk pokes fun at this, careful to do so only after the money is gone.
• They head back to their rooms at the Citrus Flights. Somewhere along the way back, Fisk has another episode. He seems fixated on the world, "find," as it pushes him in the direction of the ship. He demands the party accompany him, and is questioned without a firm pathway to answer them back. He tries his best, and it isn't very convincing at first. Eventually it is Vaelin who suggests indulging him.
• Party tries to keep up with Fisk. Firnas stops by Citrus Flights to grab their things and thank Tendo Clause as well as let him know of their early check out. He catches up with the party about 300 yards before they get to Tugg's boat stop.
• There they find an open and very steep pit into a dark cave in the path through the swamp, an opening that was not there before. Fisk sprints in, momentarily held back by Kelzyr and Fisk. Fisk asks what they're doing and Firnas demands an explanation. Fisk calls his calling a matter of perspective, and one that will save him from death if they let him go. Kelzyr wishes to know more, and Fisk tells them he does not know more than he is letting on.
• Firnas advocates for helping him. Kelzyr makes Fisk agree to say more when they're done with this cave, and believes Fisk's nod to be truthful and valid. Firnas and Kelzyr let go, and Fisk leads them down.