This week of our first session of 2018!

Saphira and Mushu have separated from the group to talk to Janos to uncover some information about their past…

Vorn while on the lakeshore hears a voice call out to him from the darkness, it is Fingers, though due to the past intervention of the doppelganger, this will be the first time the group has met the REAL Fingers… He tells Vorn he has business with our group and a letter for Vandal. Before going to the group, however, he takes Vorn down a disserted pier to show him something. They both look into the night sky and see flashes of green light appearing, seeming to land in the middle of the lake. The two go back to The Moody Boar.

It appears that the Night Hag has moved on to another member of the party, providing them with terrible dark and depraved nightmares every night leaving them exhausted on waking. Vorn tells Agrippiana of this and she uses Lesser Restoration to remove the exhaustion.

As the group rest, Lukas finds that his prayers to his deity for his powers go unanswered, cursed by the liken bite. Agrippiana is able to remove this curse but his spells will not return until after a long rest.

Fingers gathers the party giving the letter to Vandal, using the world “Hallia” as proof. The letter reads, “Your raven arrived in Par Salin and the Emperor has people who deal with this sort of thing. They have eyes everywhere but so have we. We will plant seeds of a rumour; your concerns are noted and have been presented to the right authorities. Zerbull of the Green Robes wants something from the Citadel of Felbarr. We will be in touch.”

Vandal organises payment and will reply to this letter.

Vorn informs the group of the green lights. The group decide to split and head to different places in the city. As the group are leaving Fingers warns Vorn that he was very easy to find and that if he was able to locate him so easily, others can too.

Agrippiana, Lukas and Vandal head to the library which is in the shape of a tall white tower, reminiscent of the one in Solamia. They are greeted at the door be the elderly Esme who invites the three in. Agrippiana begins to look for history on the island of Nosferatu, Vandal looks for works on Dragons and Night Hags while Lukas looks for Royal Elven houses as well as the ‘Stone Lady.’ … Aralon decides to visit the Gith. He heads towards their massive ship which gives off huge magical energy, appearing to be both there and not there. The Gith are thin and tall in a flamboyant dress. They are not intimated by Aralon’s presence. He approaches one asking about their ability to travel between planes as access to the island. … In the library, Agrippiana is greeted with the Blue Aja and her intimidating silent Paladin from the Aes Sedai. Agrippiana is deeply shocked at their presence; Marane asks for the book back from the library in Solamnia which Agrippiana took, it is returned with the promise of a vouch when Agrippiana returns to Solamnia. Lukas finds that the Stone Lady comes under the theme of ‘Guilds’ within the forbidden section. He sneaks in to read this. … Thraback has made his way to the fighting pit, meeting an old friend who had trained him at a young age. His friend offers to take the dire boar and train him well. … Vorn has made his way to the Sea Sprite, the ship acquired by Arnar to take us across the lake. By seeking on his finds cargo covered in a thick blanket, he lifts the blanket slowly…

Aralon is taken into a hut by the Gith where the island is discussed, though it does not seem to be going in Aralon’s favour. He summons the cambion, Lorkan and asks him to tell the Gith who he is and who he serves already… … Back in the library, Lukas learns of 2 sisters of Fey, one beautiful who caused the death of men who looked upon her, and her opposite, a cruel creature Medusa who would turn men to stone to look upon her. This sister places herself in Caline Port – the crossroads of the world. And beyond, another continent with snake-like creatures, the Stone Lady controls this. A deal with the Stone Lady’s guild must be honoured. Lukas recalls his vision with the Snake and the Rat. This cult must be intertwined with the fate of his father…

Vandal reads on the Night Hags and how they use the ethereal plane to enter the dreams of victims and place images in their mind. When they are at their weakest, they then offer a deal. Arrogance is their weakness as well as magical weapons. The Night Hag carries a Heart Stone, the essence of their power and how they can travel between planes. … Back at the fighting pit Belock and Thraback talk of the good old days and tells Thraback that there are fights at the weekend should he wish to enter himself in one, but that he would outmatch all the weaklings in the pit. … Aralon summons Lorkan grabs the Gith before him by the throat and lifts him off the ground. The rest of the Gith are caught off guard and heed Lorkan’s warning. “He serves another, give him what he wants or I will snap your neck like a twig.” The Gith agree to help with our journey to the island. They tell Aralon to go to the Red Wizards of Thay and return to them at nightfall. … Vorn lifts the blanket and sees what he first thinks is a lion but turn out to be a Maticor, there are 6 cages with these creatures, drugged. Salty comes down and finds him but Vorn is able to convince him that he wasn’t up to anything suspicious… Salty informs him that the animals are hunted by the nobles but their spikes are removed from their tails and that it is not a fair fight. The hunt will take place in 10 days time. … Aralon and Vorn join up with Agrippiana, Lukas and Vandal. They discuss their different encounters on the way to the Cartographers to have the ancient map examined. The group made their way to this elaborate building, reminiscent of an observatory. They knock on the door made of thick adorned glass. The shop is grandly decorated with depictions of the planes of existence on the floor and constellations along the walls and roof. They are greeted by an angry gnome, complaining that it is nearly closing time. They ask him to look at the map, which he is in awe of. Depictions of the 3 planets and their moons descend from the roof as he uses these to compare with the map. He asks for more time to read the map and it is agreed that he will lock himself in the vault while Agrippiana waits in the main room.

The rest of the group visit the Wizards of Thay while Vandal heads to the alchemist. They meet Thraback on the way found sparing with some of the fighters in the fit, beating them easily.

The Wizards were expecting the party and remind them of the deal offered. Protection, in exchange for their bodies should they perish. Iadies takes the group down to meet Viasl, who is a Lich. The sounds of screaming from torturous experiments done by the wizards can be heard all around them.

Visal addresses the group, “I will tell you what you will face, but you must take Iades with you. He will help you get back once your task is finished, and in any way, he is able I am sure. You must find the scroll stolen from Glasya, which contains her true name… and the vessel. The fortress is manned by a guardian, Baylor. You will not be able to defeat him. But you can buy time. One of you must slip around the fortress, get the scroll and the vessel but it will only answer to the voice of the Baylor… Iades seems to have different goals from the rest of us but take him with you. I need the Hag’s eye to cast the protection, it will be mutually beneficial for s both. Where is the half-elf? Did you leave her alone with the Cult of Orcus drawn to the pages she has?” … As Agrippiana sits in the cartographers, waiting, there is suddenly a booming knock at the door getting louder and more desperate… … Vandal is able to reach the apothecary in time before closure and purchases 3 healing potions as well as a potion of ethereal, with the apothecary promising to work through the night for 200 gold pieces to complete it.

A great first session of 2018! More next week…