[Spoilers Episode 16]
[Spoilers Episode 16]
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Episode 16: Politics and Poker Faces
You began in Mab. The Docent of Grace having spoken words you heard in the orbs at the peak of Mt Atria. After whispering into Kelnys' ear, the dragonborn asked to know more, whereupon the Docent recounted everything you had heard from the orbs at the top of the mountain. Exhausted by the effort, the Docent needed support from Dolly, not knowing where this new knowledge had come from.
She did, however, recognize the party, having seen Barabask's message in the sky after the battle for Mouse. The Docent reassured the newly dead that she did not believe Barabask. Five mortals surely couldn't slay nine gods and four antiqua.
Reassured, Kelnys offered a gift. A staggeringly beautiful cherrywood spoon. Moved by the craftsmanship, the Docent offered Kelnys a truth, telling him that "Yilder seeks the son of the Tree Speaker".
You bade farewell to the Docent and headed into Mab, finding a tree under which you could make a camp. As the rest of you slept that night, Dolly was left to watch, though she failed to hear footsteps stumbling through the wood. Fortunately, Kelnys (tossing and turning in a sleepless night) was roused and headed towards the noise, finding a gnome stumbling through the woods.
The gnome's name was Quincy and she was Savant of the nearby gnomish temple which had hosted a gathering of the local gnomish folk after Barabask's revelation. During their discussion, a gang of tieflings had entered the workshop, demanding that the gnomes turn over any gold that they had hidden. When Quincy protested, she had been knocked unconscious, only waking in the night and sneaking away. You offered to help her on the condition that you receive some form of reward, with Quincy agreeing to your terms and guiding you through the woods.
At the workshop, you approached to the sound of voices within. Two tieflings arguing over Quincy's escape mentioning a highborn elf who owes a debt to Iago (their leader). Raidion led as you gained access pretending to be a party of refugees from Mouse looking for shelter. Dolly cast Charm Person to sweeten the deal with the two tieflings while Kelnys took the remaining bandit (a human wizard) into a side room where he tried to subdue him. The dragonborn was unable to do so and the Wizards summoned an earth elemental. Dolly convincing one tiefling to drink wine outside with her as the rest of you scrambled to dievert attention away from Kelnys' fight.
As I (tCntM) and Ellowen joined forces with Kelnys to kill the caster and consequently the elemental he had summoned Raidion battled with the remaining tiefling. Another clutch use of Hypnotic Gaze turning the tide of battle in his favor. Together you downed the hypnotized tiefling and searched the temple (finding no wealth, nor bodies, but) revealing a spectral hologram of Ristrin (the gnome deity).
That done, you headed outside, where the remaining tiefling happily drank wine with Dolly, revealing that Iago (their leader) sometimes had rooms at the Black Cat Tavern in the attic.
You left Petra, still under the thrall of the Suggestion spell and rejoined Quincy, resolving to head into Yanick with the gnome, though not before she made repairs to I's Grēnweard crossbow.
It is still nighttime. The smallest of the small hours; 2-3 o'clock in the morning. You're on the edge of the tree line. Quincy with you having just agreed to fix I's crossbow. You can hear the occasional satisfied slurping of wine from Petra away at the front of the workshop on the grass.