Memory is a funny thing, and funnier thing to start on, but that’s where this portion of Plecos Circus’ adventure began. The scene cut through low hanging dusk colored clouds, and found the Siren’s Bane, lantern lit and swaying on the Lemidar Sea. Like ants, the denizens of the pirate ship found themselves wandering its top deck, cards and songs weaving through the interactions of the crew. A small conversation here. A bigger one there. A loud cry of victory. None of these sounds were foreign to the Siren’s Bane, but they culminated in the crew, somewhere between Fingerbone Isle and Deadtide. Ida Stanier enjoys a quiet accord with Captain Otis Bthar. Lazarus plays cards with Lenora and Grim De’vrosi. Arias Fontias and Vox Sardan have a conversation about love. Marla Kern tries to teach someone with more hopeless feet than hers how to dance. Cirn is not a good student, but at least Dir’thal gives them a good backdrop to make fools of themselves. Fools, all, are gathered in these small moments of calm. This was the regular leisure of life on the Siren’s Bane. But. Not Quite.
Ida and Lazarus keep catching a phantom in the corner of their eye, a humanoid shape that wasn’t there the first time around. Arias pulls Quaid into a dance. Vox is called upon by Marla for the same, and literally sweeps the small woman off her feet. And still, this figure persists. Until Lazarus remembers.
This is, in fact, a memory. They were not on the Siren’s Bane. They were not surrounded by friends. In fact, they were missing one, and on their way to finding them.
Vox went ahead to Luxor without the rest of Plecos Circus, even if he didn’t mean for them to follow. If Vox was going to decide to leave them behind to try and save one of the lives inside his rotting body on his own, the group decided they weren’t gonna let him. Cadwallader, persuaded by Arias’ gifts and agreement to her Pact, agreed to tell Arias, Lazarus, and Ida what she’d told Vox. She couldn’t give them the same transport; unbeknownst to Ida, the magenta tiefling she’d met at Scallwag’s, Adler, had been the one to take Vox away from Deadtide. But,Wally was able to give them the same location, Luxor. On the archipelago of Xialao, Luxor is a melting pot of cultures and factions clashing and calling the waterlogged city home. It was also where the Midnight Cordial, a massive black market auction hosted by the criminal organization, the Silent Hand, was being held. It had the best chance for Vox to find someone and some*thing* to separate Valerie and Moxius Sardan from their dying meat suit, and hopefully save their lives.
Cadwallader told Arias if he made it to Luxor, she knew a sweet boy named Reagan who would help him, since he owed her a favor. With this knowledge in tow, the party commandeered a pirate ship known as the Crook’s Plank and assimilated themselves into the crew. Dir’thal, the Siren’s Bane’s previous navigator, agreed to chaperone the party and help them get to Luxor, since he was going there anyway. Along the way, he began trying to teach Ida how to cast sending, a useful spell for communicating with parties far across the world. While they were on their way to Luxor, the Crook’s Plank ran across a lonely sandbar, with a curious man stranded aside it. Viro was soon hoisted up onto the ship, his pet bird Sheila fluttering above him as he was saved from being marooned by his previous crew.
As the party gets to know Viro, Lazarus finally receives a message from Celia Ukral, who has mentioned trying to get through on a connection, but had no luck until now. She reveals she hasn’t seen Graham Calloway, a sheeple from Fontias, since receiving a letter in Arias stead. After some prodding, she also admits that her partner, Rein Ukral is having a ‘crisis of faith’ and has left Uniper without telling Celia where she is going. Celia requests if the party runs into her, to ask her to return home. Distressed by the update on Graham, Arias and Viro mime the man for Ida so she can practice Sending, which works. Ida successfully gets a message through, but receives no reply, which troubles those who have met him.
The party is eventually intercepted by a Uniper Naval vessel, very far from home. The ensuing conflict results in the Naval vessel being ripped asunder. Arias attempts to use his magic and some of the debris to make a raft for survivors, and calls Celia to let her know what happened, in case the city can save their stranded soldier. Repairs begin on the Crook’s Plank. They continue sailing to Luxor.
While the whole of the party has been searching for him, Vox has been on a search of his own. Having stuck with the tiefling, Adler, his search takes him to a gathering of prominent and power players in the Luxor scene, a stage Adler is more than comfortable with. Left to his own devices, Vox begins looking for an arcane user who can help him with the runes drawn onto his and Marla’s chest, hoping for any information that can save Moxius and help her. With the new knowledge that these runes do not originate from Meridis, Voxendulate is hopeful when he sees similar runes on the arm of Frederick Bran, and talks to his assistant Gideon Thrall about him, and magic in general. Eventually, Gideon calls Frederick over, and leaves for the evening. Frederick and Vox talk, culminating in Vox showing Frederick a drawing of his and Marla runes. Frederick comments that neither set of runes are finished and offers Voxenulate an address for further discussion.
Having finally arrived at Luxor, the Crook’s Plank attempts to port. Lazarus shows their counterfeit papers to the Dockmaster. He asks Lazarus if they were here for the Midnight Cordial, implying that their strange appearance befit a black market object or patron. When Lazarus replies with confusion, the middle-aged man quickly side steps. His focus drifts to the paperwork and becomes suspicious. He refuses to let them make port until he verifies the paperwork, which is eventually deemed fake. While they are waiting, Ida notices the white hairs peppering through Dir’thal’s hair. He pulls into the empty captain’s quarters and explains the magic spun around the Siren’s Bane:
Folks on the boat don’t age, but as soon as they step off, time starts catching up with them. The only people who know are the Captain, the Quartermaster, and the Carpenter, though the Medic does too since they’ve been around since the beginning. . . I only know ‘cuz I’m nosy.
Captain Thela, the previous captain did… something magicky. Something complex, way above my paygrade way before the 50 years I’ve been around. I know that before he died, it involved him and Marla, but these past 10 years, it’s just Marla. Any time the ship takes damage, so does she. That’s why Cirn is always working on the ship and fixing things, and why Marla tried to get him to stop overworking himself.
"The kraken fight was really bad…"
Vox, meanwhile, keeps his appointment with Frederick and arrives at his shop, seemingly existing in a pocket dimension connected to his shop in Uniper. Vox shows Frederick his scar, and Frederick confirms the sigil is only half finished, which is why the magic is rejecting. Because half of the tissue involved is dead, its being torn apart because the two souls inside of it are far more powerful than the half finished enchantment. He ushers Vox in his workshop to get the full picture.
After hearing Dir’thal’s tragic fate over drinks, Ida opens up to him about her own messy past with nobles and a woman named Evelyn Stanis. Dir’thal encourages Ida to share her story with others when she is sober, since it will help her grow as a person. He then asks Ida if she thinks Dir’thal talked to Valerie ever, which Ida confirms through her drunken woes. He seems pleased with this answer, and asks if the party is there to simply to find Vox, or help him with his predicament. Before she can reply, Arias and Viro walk into the captain’s quarters, sopping wet from having fallen off the docks.
As Vox is escorted into Frederick’s study, the arcane contraptions abound slam him back to the traumatic night Valerie and Moxius were sewn together. Seeing familiar handwriting scrawled on the notebooks, it becomes clear to Vox that Frederick’s assistant, Gideon, is the one Moxius found while trying to save his sister’s life. Frederick, seeing none of this, gets Vox to lay out on the table, and begins explaining Vox’s options. With two equal souls existing in the same body, they are unable to usurp the other like they would with an animal or an inanimate object, so Voxenulate will need to find a vessel to put one of the siblings into to preserve both of their lives. Frederick warns that only divine magic will be able to properly restore their body, as arcane magic tends to be too cerebral and needs far more components to accomplish the same things. He recommends visiting the Midnight Cordial to find a suitable host for one of their arrant souls while a proper solution is found.
The rest of the crew manages to widdle The Dockmaster down with a bribe and the promise of returning to make proper paperwork once they’re caught in their forgery. They manage to port for the night and begin exploring the city.
Onboard the barge tavern Florian’s, the party (and Dir’thal) try to get more acquainted with each other through drinks and conversation, brought to them graciously by an owlin named Vaarta. It soon falls back to the reason Arias, Lazarus, and Ida are in Luxor: to find their lost friend, Vox. Ida, in particular, feels the most conflicted about what will happen when they find Vox again, as she and Valerie had a prior relationship before Vox was created:
[To Ida] Do you think Val didn’t show themself to you because they couldn’t be of service?
Because they couldn’t offer you what they offered you in the past?- Lazarus
The me that Val knew is not the me that is here now.- Ida
There is someone out there for all of us who know who we used to be.- Lazarus
During the conversation, Arias says that Wally is his Patron now. Seeing as everyone thought Cadwallader was a funky little wizard, this gives Dir’thal pause, and he immediately stands and awkwardly leaves to go make a call. The next morning, Arias is the only one blessed with a hangover, and while he is trying his best to push through, he relays the intel about Reagan and the Laced Corset, where Cadwallader said Arias would find help. Ida has an understanding of the establishment as a BDSM/ ‘adult’ tavern.
Arias and Lazarus return to the Dockmaster and finish their [authentic] paperwork, and the group goes to a clothing store, Baka’s Boutique, to get new clothes before heading to the Laced Corset. Along the way, much of the crew recognizes an aspect of a god in what appears to be the temple district of town. When they arrive at the Laced Corset, a surly half orc blocks their path until Arias drops Wally’s name. Nawarmi leads them to the Dandy’s office and bids them to wait, because he’s already in a meeting with someone else. But they are not alone in the waiting room.
A loud, bright orange tiefing lounges across some furniture and immediately zeroes in on Arias, calling him the ‘man of [her] dreams’. Nanais Rostand, as she eventually introduces herself, begins tittering so much around Arias and Lazarus that orange script bleeds under the closed door, reprimanded her. Ida recognizes her name from her time with Valerie, but keeps this knowledge to herself. Nana acquiesces to the words and the half orc eventually ushers the party inside.
Beyond the door they see two figures. One sits on their side of the desk, an elven figure in a simple, off the shoulder red tunic and brown travel pants, vitiligo crawling up their arms and across their angular face. There is a large cloak and an ornate Venetian-style mask, complete with a long head scarf piled beside them. Nanais moves towards Dahlia Vo as it becomes clear from the glowing script emanating from their golden bracelet, this elf was the one to ask Nana for her restraint. When Dahlia turns to Nana, a deep, ugly scar across their throat hints at why the script is necessary. Behind the desk sits an ostentatious drow, funnily enough also suffering from vitiligo. A large, feathered cap sits across his head, curtains of white curly hair falling from under it. He introduces himself as The Dandy, an important figure in the Underdark’s criminal organization The Avarice. He is also Reagan, the person Arias has been looking for.
Arias does as Wally instructed and cashes in a favor on her behalf. Hearing her name, Reagan is somewhat uneasy, but his disquiet bleeds away quickly when Arias explains they need to make it into the Midnight Cordial and need his help. Interestingly enough, this is the same reason Dahlia and Nana are here. Reagan tells Plecos that every figure they’ve seen in the city related to some mysterious ‘Festival’ going on to pay tribute to the Rahu Chesa, a powerful elven king, is actually a member of the Silent Hand. The festival is a facade to cover up all the tourism brought into Luxor by the black market auction. Finding an entrance to the Cordial is the difficult part: for official guests, you need a ring for entry.
The Dandy tells the party that a suitable target would be Mutei Silkul, a Yuan-ti woman who is known to frequent the same magical market each day. The drow says if they can get her ring, he can cover the rest to get them all in. Nana, being bored of Dahlia’s delegations, goes with the party as they begin to discuss how impossible it would be to do what he mentioned. So, instead, they decide to steal masks from the Silent Hand members they see in the crowd.
Ida orchestrates a minstrel show in the center of a busy water walkway, and Lazarus helps. Using this distraction, Arias, Viro and Nana punch, swindle, and water board 4 masks from their previous owners. After some close calls that could expose them, Lazarus spies a familiar face in the crowd. Calling out to Ashe, a red tiefling turns towards them, her eyes widening, and she dives deeper into the crowd. Lazarus attempts to pursue, but the fans and irritants of their minstrel show keep them at bay, allowing Ashe to make her escape. Dejected, they return to the party, who have decided to get drinks at a brick and mortar establishment in the Red Light District.
Plecos Circus arrives at the Autopsy Amphitheater, a building that looks like an old, near decrepit theater house. Stepping inside, they all feel a prick on their heels as blood is taken from them, but the foyer quickly pulls their attention. Two large, ornate sets of stairs flank the foyer, and hanging off the balcony that they connect to hangs a massive tally board. Many names are scratched onto the chalkboard, but two catch the party’s attention: both Nanais Rostand and Ida Stanier are represented on this list. The board tallies how many fights someone has won in the ring, and Nana is near the top, holding an impressive record in the 70s.
Ignoring the cries of the wounded down the hall where ‘coat check’ would be, the group enters the theater and gets drinks, watching the tail end of a fight play out on the stage. After some Firepunch Whiskey, the group decides interact with the minotaur MC and sign up for a group combat. Their opponents are much more organized than they are, and are seasoned in the ring. This is shown through their targeting of bigger players on the field (the casters and Nana), and after the rogue seems too keen to break the ‘no killing’ rule for this round of the tournament, Arias waves the white flag. His PTSD kicks in and he begins berating the MC and the rogue for breaking the rules. Nana, having been unbanished, becomes irate at having to take an L when she did not ask for it, and starts smashing the lizardfolk rogue into the stage, causing him to piss himself.
Two members of the Derelicts, Plecos’ opposition, go over to Ida to make sure she’s okay. Brit, the more talkative fighter, tell her the lizardfolk is new to their group and they’ll make sure to figure out what the fuck is up. Ida obliges and shambles over to the bar, where she tries to take the dragonborn bartender, Jimsa, home. Jimsa sees Ida still weeping blood and tells her to come back when she’s not so injured, before pouring her another drink. But someone gets lucky in Plecos Circus that night. Well, two people: Viro and Nanais fuck.
As Lazarus and Arias make their way back to the Crook’s Plank for the night, they begin talking about family and leaving home. Lazarus asks if they think anyone is upset that Arias left, and he replies that they probably expected it from him. Once back at the Crook’s Plank, Arias calls Wally for some advice. Appearing in Vox’s mirror, Wally tries to give Arias a pep talk. Still feeling disheartened, Arias asks for her guidance and she offers him a choice: Cadwallader can divine where Vox is or where an entrance to the Midnight Cordial is. After Wally confirms they will still need something from the Cordial to save Vox, Arias chooses to learn where the entrance is.
Nana and Viro get into a high end jazz/supper club known as the 25th Hour, and sneak into the kitchen to fuck. Nana carves a deep, irritated wound in Viro’s chest during the encounter, before bringing him back to Dahlia’s townhouse. Dahlia is writing in a large, very old journal in their study when the two arrive, and a brief conversation is had. Viro eventually clocks that there are two sets of handwriting in the journal, realizing that the large tome is a correspondence between Dahlia and someone else. If the portraits on the desk are any indication, it is a somewhat frail looking drow with the symbol of the Additiri, Smoke Weaver around his neck. The portraits appear to be centuries old, but well cared for. The two turn in for the night, still able to hear the sound of a quill scratching across parchment.
Before Ida goes to bed, she sends a message to Valerie apologizing. There is a pause before Valerie replies, forgiving Ida, but implying she owes Moxious a much bigger apology. As Ida drifts off, she finds herself in a room she has not been in in over a decade: a noble’s private quarters in Gresim. Recognizing the decor, Ida sees herself in the mirror, 12 years younger. She investigates the desk and the journal pages shift, a single note telling her to ‘go to the door’. Following the instructions, Ida opens the door and is transported, her foot step leaving rich, warm wood, and landing on dusty, rough hewn stone.
A small temple greets her, and bowing in front of one of two altars, kneels a much younger version of the elf Ida had met earlier. But this time, Dahlia does not have their vitiligo. Not looking at the withered body on the other altar, Dahlia stands and turns to Ida, recognizing her earlier from the Laced Corset and refers to her as a new ‘dreamer’. They note another shared dream between the two, though that one was just a pitstop for her ‘pumpkin’. Dahlia tells Ida that if she’s looking for answers, find Dahlia at the Shrines.
Everyone wakes and meets at a cafe in the Marketplace. Arias shares his information about the door and begins trying to workshop ideas of how to get inside. They seem to settle on using Nana as a Trojan Horse to gain entry before Ida and Nana start picking at each other. Their weird familiarity becomes too much, and Arias tries to figure out what’s going on. Lazarus tries to recommend a bath house to calm down and talk, but this seems to only make it worse. Eventually, Ida divulges that everyone here is connected to Valerie, and she is the tether between Ida and Nanais.
"She’s here?!"- Nanais
In the center of the market, Nanais begins discussing her connections to Valerie Sardan. They used to have a very sexual relationship of some kind, Valerie seeking out Nanais’ services, and Nana taking her money and then some. Nana tells the group that, though some people might think their relationship was unbecoming, it worked for them, and Ida is the reason Valerie came running towards her in the first place.
Nanais also explains the sociopolitical climate that she was born in: Nanais, due to nothing but her tiefling heritage, was forced to become a slave in her own ‘home’. The relationship between Elves and Tieflings in the mageocracy of Sraem leaves the latter the target of racial prejudice, left over from the Hypogaen War, when Elves and Devils fought over who could colonize Jaelma the fastest. In Sraem, the elves won, and any with infernal blood are not allowed to forget that. Because of this, her very existence is a shame to the Noble Rostand family from which she comes from. When she was born, baby Nanais was immediately handed off to the indentured servants who tended the Rostand fields on the edges of the city and was raised by those whose only crime was their birth. She reveals that Valerie was a (regular, not indebted) servant to the Rostands, as was her family.
This sociopolitical climate has lead Nana to have a deep hatred for elves, and part of her constant branding as ‘Nanais Rostand’ is only one of the small ways she gets back at those who condemned her. Hearing her hate speech, Arias asks Nana to confirm she won’t do anything to Valerie if they find her. Nana has never had to look for Valerie, and so she agrees; Val isn’t her reason to be in town anyway. Arias is hurt by the fact that Ida hid all this from him, and tries to talk to her about it, but she doesn’t engage, leaving him even more frustrated and worried.
After these revelations, the party splits as Ida arrives (late) to her appointment with Dahlia and the rest of the party continues to a bathhouse. Walking into the Shrines, Ida eventually finds Dahlia in the temple to the Poet, where numerous practitioners are splayed in very states of consciousness among the premises. She finds Dahlia in the back of the temple, back in their simple clothes staring over a basin of water. Ida begins asking Dahlia questions about the Poet and why he would care about her. Dahlia, having been of interest to the Poet for quite some time, tells Ida that he loves a good tragedy. Before leaving, Ida is shown a vision of herself in a future duel, with an unknown figure from her past.
Put on a good show- Dahlia
At the bath house, the party splits down ‘gender’ lines, Nanais and Lazarus heading into one bath and Arias and Viro heading to another. The lads bond and have a quiet moment to learn more about each other’s pasts and goals. While having this conversation, Arias tells Viro about the stress he’s currently under about saving Vox and Viro tries to give him a pep talk. He’s mildly successful, and in return, Arias attempts to heal the nasty scar on Viro’s chest. He’s able to heal it mostly, but there will be a gnarly scar left once it’s fully healed, which Viro doesn’t mind. Arias talks about life in Fontias, and missing his family. Viro opens up about the fact he was raised in an orphanage and has been a wanderer since he left Malsduf.
In the other bath, Lazarus asks Nana to help with their chest place and she sees the large, cracked stone that sits in the center of Lazarus’ body. Acting somewhere between a heart and a core, the crystal swirls with blue and pink light, with ‘veins of similar colors spiraling off into what is assumedly Lazarus’ limbs. As these lights pulse, Lazarus notes for the first time that the stone has cracked, and the colors appear to be changing, the pink and blue almost fighting each other inside the crystalline structure. The full weight of Hector Le Suun’s words finally fall on Lazarus as they realize they have a Crystal Eye in their chest.
Viro asks Nana for the extra masks she is carrying when the body meets up again in the bath house’s entryway. A fisticuffs ensues as Nana tells Viro he can have them if he can take them from her without using his hands. Arias, Viro, and Sheila ‘cheat’ their way through the exchange, and Nana grins, as the masks fall into Plecos’ grasp. Ida eventually shows up and the party decides how to get to the Cordial, will Nana heading in with Dahlia and Viro, Lazarus, Ida, and Arias following the hints Cadwallader has given the sheep man. As they are getting ready, it’s decided the group will pose as members of the Silent Hand bringing Lazarus to auction.
Somewhere along the trek to the red door Cadwallader revealed, Arias notices his palm looks like it’s been covered in black paint. Along the way, Ida informs the party of the few things she remembers from the last time she was at the Cordial: there will be a segment of security where their mind will be probed, so as neutral thoughts as possible will be needed to pull this lie over on the Cordial. When they get to the slums and find the door, Wally gives a final ‘good luck!’ before they step into a void, walking forward with seemingly no destination. Viro and Lazarus are somewhat taken by this, and it leaves their minds open to questions.
What makes you special enough to sell?
Something inside you?
What aren't you supposed to be thinking about?
What are you doing here?
Having tripped some kind of alarm, Plecos Circus finds themselves in a dim lit room with a dryad. It wears a mask similar to those dawning most of the party’s faces, and in front of it floats a ball of bright blue flame. The party does their best to ‘sell’ Lazarus, and as the doll is instructed to touch the flaming sphere, everyone’s vision goes black.
Opening their eyes, Arias, Viro, and Ida finds themselves on a landing, a chorus of conversations and chatter stunning them briefly as the Midnight Cordial is laid out before them. Countless stalls line an unending hall, and as many voices hawk as many goods below. Pocked through the stalls appear large, stages obfuscated by opaque domes of these private auctions. They are able to see one bloom open to reveal a massive dragon skull as a new auction will begin shortly. With certain clarity, the trio realizes they are no long in Luxor at all, stuck in a demiplane. And Lazarus is not with them.
Lazarus wakes in the wings of a wooden stage, draped curtains pulled back as a portly human auctioneer asks what Lazarus is. When they reply with ‘automaton’, the woman squeals.
It talks!- Vivian
And the auction begins.
Having some accord with the Dandy, Dahlia and Nanais make it into the Midnight Cordial without issue, the air thick with potions and poisons. After Dahlia tries to communicate through their enchanted bracelet, it is evident magic is restricted during the event, leading Dahlia to wrap their arm around Nana's to tap their conversation into her skin. As Dahlia is about to steer them in the right direction, Nana catches the scent of a very particular caustic substance: a poison that only one person they know makes. Through the innate magic of the market and Dahlia's focus on whatever mission has brought the pair to Luxor, the duo arrives in a gaggle of crystal shops. They point out a strange, calcified looking skull as their quarry. Its procural has something to do with Dahlia and the Dandy’s deal, and as such the pair continue to walk around the market as Dahlia thinks of a way to get it unnoticed. Nana's intimidating aura keeps most people away as they meander.
Overlooking the bustling market below, Ida explains more rules to the Cordial while they figure out what’s going on:
- While in the Cordial outside magic is restricted and only those running the event are able to use it.These people are indicated by a black handprint appearing on one of their palms, the print slightly smaller than their own hand.
- The party came through what amounted to being a servant's entrance, so the implication of staff also carrying an important auction item with them may have been enough to give pause.
- because the Cordial is a vast, sprawling market with multiplanar trinkets, it is too big to properly traverse. Instead, how people travel around the open markets/find the goods they are looking for is thinking of the concept and being whisked away by the Cordial’s innate magic. this does not work for people, only items
Arias loses faith in Ida at this moment, asking her why she keeps hiding things from him when they are important. She doesn’t have a good reason, and through her panic mentions that Frederick Bran, her previous employer, will probably be in the Cordial and might be able to help them. Arias recognizes his name through Graham, and hones back in on the rules Ida has laid out, remembering they need a vessel to house one of the Sardans’ souls, according to Cadwallader. ‘Vessel’ means two very different things to Arias and Viro, and suddenly, Ida is alone on the balcony.
The magic takes Arias and Viro where they think they need to go, and Viro lands himself in a gaggle of stalls covered in small chests, boxes, and baubles. While looking around, an individual arguing with an air elemental shopkeep catches Viro’s eye, the elemental slowly putting away a vial of demon blood.
I know your benefactor is selling at the auctions, maybe he can come into some money and you can come back, Mr. Godfrey.
The man scoffs and walks away, heading deeper into the auction to the 'weapons'. Viro investigates this interaction and after a promising conversation with the fragment of the elemental, Armand, his wandering takes him from already cursed items to ones you can curse yourself. He continues looking for a vessel.
Arias lands himself in front of a goblin sitting at a too large podium in front of an auction in the middle of the busy marketplace. Playing up ignorance in the new job, Arias convinces Jerik to give him five minutes inside. Grumpily, the goblin gestures for Arias to place his hand on the glass dome, which will open it. Arias spies a black handprint on the goblin’s hand, who explains (like Arias is dense) that people who have it are members of the Silent Hand, the organization putting on the Midnight Cordial. Members of the Silent Hand are the only people authorized to use their own magic during the event.
Inside the auction, Lazarus displays themself as directed by Vivian. Vox watches from the sidelines, along with Adler and Corlin, Adler’s beau. As Arias bursts into the auction, he sees Vox and rushes to hug him. Arias feels the state of Vox’s decay when he squeezes a little too hard, but their reunion is cut short by Laz on stage. They are asked questions about who they are and what features they have at their disposal. Vox tells Arias he saw one of the members of the Calamity's Plunder in the Cordial just as a bright light flashes. An X-ray-like effect reveals the inner workings of Laz's structure as a crowd member casts a spell. Everything from the hidden compartments to the veins running through them to the Crystal Eye sitting in the center of their chest is revealed.
Startled, Lazarus attempts to jump from the stage and collides with an invisible force field that stops them in their tracks. As they crumble back to the stage, they try to explain they are not meant to be here, but it falls on deaf ears. Arias rushes the stage and tries to take Lazarus off the auction block. He explains that Lazarus is a defunct product not meant for sale and deeply apologizes, offering to take the automaton out of the auction house. Disbelief sits in Vivian’s eyes, and once again Arias calls upon Cadwallader for help. Offering his patron an IOU, Arias feels his posture shift into something much more subservient and meek, a posture he hasn’t taken on since his early days and Mundy’s Corner. This tone shift is enough to convince Vivian he’s tell the through, and with the dismay of the crowd, Vivian calls the auction early. Arias’ relief does not last long, as Vivian tries to shuffle Lazarus behind the curtain to be disposed of. Frantically, he searches for Vox’s face in the crowd, desperate for some friendly assistance.
Deeper in the Cordial, Ida pulls herself from her spiral and thinks about her good friend Frederick and his proclivities. This pulls her to the world of enchantments, and along the way she is able to find Viro. As the duo starts heading towards Frederick, Viro mentions the human man he saw, and asks Ida if she knows a man named Godfrey. She stops in her tracks and stares. Then, she begins telling Viro her tale:
Before arriving in Sraem, Ida worked on the continent of Malsduf for Lord Stanis Durslock. She came into his employ by trying to rob him and the encounter ending with a bloodbath, her freedom forfeit for her botched theft. Ida was his bodyguard for many years, eventually falling into an affair with Lady Durslock. Once the affair was found out, Ida was shamed and forced into a duel for her transgressions. A friend to Stanis and fellow noble set forth his own chevalier to protect Stanis' honor, a highly skilled swordsman in his own right. Godfrey was this chevalier, and is the one who took Ida's arm and eye, leaving her for dead when the dust settled. Ida did not name the noble who Godfrey worked for nor Lady Durslock, nor did she say where in Malsduf this happened.
The pair find Frederick perusing a stall, a thin wood box in his hands. Spying Ida, Frederick immediately strikes up a conversation, informing Viro that Ida was supposed to escort him to the Cordial, but when she left, he had to pivot and find another escort. Frederick the Man is introduced to Frederick the Frog and Viro, and he takes to both of them well. Ida fills Frederick in on why they are at the Cordial. At the mention of automatons, Frederick points the Viro and Ida in the direction of the automaton auctions, which is about to close, and says if they need help they can try and find him again. Ida notes the weird arcane sigils on his arm have changed, almost looking burnt, but Frederick does not comment on this.
Viro and Ida arrive at the auction just as the door is opening to let guests out. Arias, having asked Vox silently for a distraction, tries to reach through the magical barrier to grab Laz. His hands wrap around their leg, but as he goes to pull them through the barrier, it won’t budge.. Vox makes eye contact with Adler, and on cue, the two start loudly asking to see the manager and dragging the integrity of the auction. They disguise themselves as various people, weaving through the crowd and putting on different voices to make as much of a commotion as possible. Their antics manage to make other people angry as well, and eventually Vivian has to address the issue. While Vivian is trying to get the curtains closed, Arias sneaks onto the stage to try and find a way out with Laz from the other side.When Lazarus goes to kick out at Vivian in defiance, the woman’s visage dissolve into pixel-like magic; the auctioneer was a projection the entire time. She dissolves and the two are left in complete darkness as the curtains finally draw to a close. Faintly, Arias is able to spy a side door on stage left, and the pair decide it best to leave the stage, looking for an exit.
Ida and Viro eventually run into Vox and introductions are made, Val short with Ida about events. Ida immediately self-deprecates and takes the blame, stating she had no real plans and things are now a mess. Ida spies an arcane essence clinging to a mind flayer that leaves the front row, which should not be possible from a regular attendee of the auction. The trio agrees they need to find Arias and try to use the rules of the Cordial to magic Vox’s mirror, but since it is not in the Cordial's catalog, they’re unsuccessful. Ida remembers an old flame that is a member of the Silent Hand, who may be able to help them get backstage.
Arias and Lazarus find themselves in storage behind the stage, empty shelves and beige walls lining the open corridors. After some confusion and investigating, Arias pulls out the Rostand mirror, given to him by Vox, and the mirror's enchantment reveals the wares that the pair suspected were there, but could not see. Using the looking glass, Arias realizes they were in the store room for the previous auction that just happened. Looking through the shelves, he finds a ball jointed doll he deems appropriate and snatches the doll. Taking it triggered an alarm spell, the lights immediately shutting off in the surrounding corridors. There is the faint release of a latch and Arias and Lazarus quickly evacuate the room, just as they hear something snarl from the darkness.
Ida remembers an old flame who works for the Silent Hand and, remembering her interests Ida, Viro, and Vox find themselves transported across the Cordial. Glancing around, they find themselves surrounded by religious artifacts, very few the trio recognized. While Ida looks for Mismaia, Viro makes friends with a displacer beast named Watermelon. With drool dripping from his hands, the spring eladrin who owns Watermelon tells Viro the next place he can find Watermelon, should he be interesting in meeting the displacer beast once more.
A short, curvaceous red tiefling woman is found yelling after a hanya masked, elven figure named Sal when Ida confirms her identity. Pointing out that Sal is looking for a woman all in white she tells him to keep a look out for an 'Eye' for her. Mismaia, seeing Ida approach, explains that the Crystal Eyes is up for auction and she wanted it for research purposes, not believing the myth that they are the literal eyes of the gods used to seed life on Meridis. If she cannot buy the Eye herself, she wants to buy into the person who claims it, and her bubbly personality makes it seem like she could succeed in that. Ida asks Mismaia if she would be able to help them get backstage playing into their history for the favor. Mismaia agrees and walks the gang through, showing them a similar, empty back room. When they question it, Mismaia realizes they are not real members of the Silent Hand like their masks suggested and slaps them across the faces, casting a spell to reveal the Cordial’s wares. As they stand there, blinking hundreds of thousands of gold worth of contraband into view, Mismaia heads down the archives to ‘Crystals’.
If you get caught, don't tell them it was me!- Mismaia
The trio begins to look for Arias and Laz, utilizing the same teleportation system that exists in the Cordial itself. They find themselves in the same room that Arias and Laz had been in, decidedly dark this time. Investigating shows a broken alarm spell and trap door in the ceiling 4ft X4ft. It looked like it housed something at one point, but the claw marks on the ground indicate that this creature left in a hurry. It’s agreed that Arias and Lazarus have set loose something in the archives, and Vox, Ida, and Viro rush to find them.
Snarling maws chases Arias and Lazarus through the corridors, the light fixtures loudly shutting off all around them the longer they evade their pursuers. Arias’ constitution fading, he chugs a neon green potion from the shelf and is able to make it long enough to get enough distance between himself and the creatures chasing them. In a moment of panic, Arias seeings the glistening teeth of one of the creatures, and he quickly casts plant growth, creating a barrier between himself and the hound just as Viro, Vox, and Ida skid to a stop in front of him and Lazarus.
After a brief catch up of events, Arias proceeds to hand Vox his mirror, the shuddering lights and encroaching darkness continue around them. It takes some discussion before it’s decided finding Mismaia is their easiest out. During the conversation, Vox notices a faint pink glow emanating from Lazarus in the darkness, the glow flickering at uneven intervals. He also informs the party Igid is here, knowing that one of the Crystal Eyes is out for auction. Vox hands Arias a centuries old census, relaying that information about Thela Oberan is in it and how it may help with the curse on Marla and Siren's Bane. Vox remarks he may not be around to help them himself, so asks Arias to hold onto the ledger.
Arias still isn’t convinced Mismaia is the way to go and questions Ida, referencing how she withheld information about Nana. Upon hearing her name, Vox freezes and becomes unresponsive, the conversation continuing around him. Eventually, after hearing more growls, Arias acquiesces and decides to look for Mismaia. The group employs the magic of the Cordial's teleportation service to try and find the Crystal Eye the tiefling was interested in. Still catatonic at the mention of Nanais’ name, Vox is left behind.
Movement startles Vox out of his stupor and he begins looking for artifacts surrounding the pirates as he heads back to ‘Crystals’. He finds a large paper fan that, according to the tag, belonged to DeSilva Vess. As one of the progenitors of the Coalition of Tattered Sails as well as the Silent Hand, their fan piques Vox's interest enough for him to steal it. This action sets off another alarm spell and summons a shadow beast from the ceiling. He effectively hides behind the dropped down panel and, noticing the beasts scenting the air for the magical item, cuts off his own rotted finger and throws it in the opposite direction, pulling their focus from his periphery. As they retreat, Vox continues on.
Arias, Viro, Ida, and Lazarus all land roughly where they were supposed to. The crystal and gems they find themselves around are high quality and beautiful, but they realize their prize is in a higher security area. It is around this time, they realize Vox is gone, and endeavor to solve the stone problem before solving that one. The closer they get to high security, the more centurion suits of armor they spy standing at each entrance. Treading carefully through the use of Arias' magic, they walk undetected before, out of nowhere, one of the pieces of merchandise falls from the top shelf, breaking the silver thread around it. They dash forward as the sound of the metal latch releases another shadow beast. Holding their breath, they watch the beast sniff at the hunk of crystal that fell and use tendrils of shadow that peel from its torso to place it where it belonged. Satisfied, it skulks away, the sounds of lights still dimming in the far corners of the Storage Area.
Vox catches up just as the shadow beast bleeds back into the shadows, flourishing Vess’ fan with joke as he re-enters the scene. Ahead, the party hears Misamaia musing through the relics. The party finds her and tells Mismaia that they gotta go, not at all trying to hide their theft. She’s more annoyed they released shadow beasts than they are stealing, and following her eye line, the group looks at a large, football citrine sized crystal, nestled far above on a shelf. The faint yellow and orange glow pulsing beneath its surface illuminates a few of the crystals around it. Vox blinds and blurts out:
Oh, that’s what’s in Lazarus.- Vox
The comment immediately whips Mismaia’s focus over to Lazarus as she begins pestering them about themself, hungry eyes staring at the exposed joints of their body. While she is busying around Lazarus, Arias and Vox spy something darting through the shelves, getting closer and closer to the Crystal Eye. Vox only sees a mist, wispy and delicate as it slinks through varying gemstones. Arias sees a whole ass pixie. Each time it pauses, it focuses is bugging iridescent eyes at Viro, vitriol burning through them. Once it gets behind the Crystal Eye, Arias hears in a small, squeaky voice as it pushes the stone off the high shelf:
for Master Sythis! . . . that’ll teach you to steal! - the pixie
It notices Arias looking and blows a raspberry at him before vanishing. Quick on his rotting feet, Vox uses the sudden confusion to catch the Crystal Eye and shove it in his shirt just as the lights go out. The magic of the stone crackles against the runes on his chest, reacting to the incomplete spell just as the shuddering of reeded armor cuts through the silence. The sentinels around the room's perimeter come to life and begin attacking the party.
During the fight, Vox screams as he tries to jump off one of the display cases and hurts himself, his bones moving through the decayed flesh that has overtaken his foot and lower leg. Ida runs over to try and guard him for an attack before the party eventually finishes off the armor with the aid of Mismaia.
Lazarus makes Vox a makeshift splint for his leg once the battle is won, the party drained, but still in one piece. Not wanting to put weight on his injury, Vox piggybacks on Viro to make their departure easier. Mismaia is confused by Vox not wanting her to heal him, but decides she doesn't care enough and zeroes back in on Lazarus, one again asking about the Crystal Eye in their chest. Lazarus tells her they were born with it, but tries to curb the conversation there. Since it is not the time, they tell Mismaia she can ask them more questions once she gets them back to the Cordial. The tiefling mulls it over before sealing the deal with a handshake, taking a piece of Lazarus' palm so she can’t lose them.
Shadow beast snarls close in as Mismaia opens the door back into the Cordial. Stepping out first, she realizes the group is exiting in the middle of the weapons stalls, rows and rows of gleaming metal shining in the artificial light. Varying alarms go off as each party member with a stolen good steps back into the Cordial, setting off a shockwave panic through the crowd around them. Mismaia immediately sees herself off and vanishes into the crowd, the party attempting to do so as well.
Arias, leading the charge with his stolen doll, is intercepted by Jerik, the goblin that helped him into Lazarus' auction. The exchange between the two, flanked by an orc security guard, goes poorly. On the fly, Arias says the item is for a big orange woman whose name he did not get. Jerik obviously does not believe him and forces Arias to take him to this woman, sending out a notice to staff to look out for someone matching Nanais’ description. Understanding that this is only one of several solved alarms, Jeri sends the guard to keep looking for more thieves as the rest of the party huddles in between stalls to figure out their next move. Lazarus picks up that Arias is taking Jeri to Nanais and Vox tries so hard to find a better answer to who the 'large orange woman' is, with no luck.
Vox asks about Dir'thal and only gets a 'he's gone', adding to Vox’s tidal wave of emotions. Having watched Arias get dragged away by Jerik, the group decides they need to find where Arias is going, moving to sneak after him just as Vox runs into the bodyguard. And all of the sudden he really has to use the bathroom
At this time, Nanais and Dahlia have been trying to do their own thieving. Having been asked to make a distraction while Dahlia plants a bomb in a nearby stall, Nanais begins picking up random people in the crowd trying to figure out what the loud sirens are. None of the people are super helpful since they're literally picked up, and Nana gets bit her for her troubles. Apparently displacer beasts don't like being palmed like basketballs. Eventually, Nana feels Dahlia access her bag of holding and slide their prize inside. 'time to go'. The pair go to potions at Dahlia's request, leaving just as an explosion goes off behind them.
Arias finds Nana and Dahlia at a potions stall, Nana asking Dahlia to buy her a fruity little healing potion for her troubles. Arias approaches the two and through enough thinly veiled hints, Nana snaps into her role as bitch customer and gets Jerik to leave Arias and the doll with her.
What do you owe me now?- Nanais to Arias
Arias explains what happened backstage, mentioning they found Valerie and the doll is for her. Dahlia recognizes not only the doll but the name 'Valerie'. Through their amusement at the conversation, noting that their lover, Bael, knows how to use one of the dolls. They mention that, in their experience, the only time one of those vessels is needed is when someone is dying. Arias agrees, hesitantly, to lead Nana and Dahlia to the rest of the party and does so.
The rest of the group faces down the guard and manage to sneak their way into the bathroom. While relieving their bladders and stress levels briefly, they figure out how much of a plan they have and how to make it a real one. Finding Arias is paramount, and Vox pulls out a Red Tuesday thong that he'd stolen from Arias months ago. They all begin concentrating on the Purple Thursday version of it to find Arias, just as Arias spots Lazarus loitering outside the bathroom and steps inside, leaving Nanais and Dahlia in the market.
Eventually, Plecos Circus leaves the bathroom, and the group immediately starts bickering. Nana clocks Vox, disappointed and thinking he's boring, picks him up anyway, feeling his midriff squishy like a bruised fruit. Vox feels organs move, but nothing comes up so win? Nana tries to take Vox with her and Dahlia since:
Valerie belongs to me.- Nanais
Well, Mox, the little brother belongs to me.- Captain Arias
This is not the time we have to go.- Lazarus
You are making a scene.- Dahlia
Tension rises to a fever pitch between the arguing sides (Valerie silent through most of the exchange). Nana, begrudgingly agrees she'll let Vox leave with Arias if she gets to take Ida. Ida agrees to get them out of the situation, unhappily. Dahlia expresses 'nice to see you again' to Ida as she approaches. Both groups agree to meet at the Autopsy Amphitheater in the morning.
The worst they can do is fuck. Can we go?- LazarusNana would never touch a human- Vox
Vox, Arias, Lazarus, and Viro spy not too far away Frederick, who is speaking to a large dark skinned humanoid woman who he later calls Solfia. She’s hassling him to get out of the Cordial and begins berating the blue hannya masked individual Mismaia had directed here earlier. Their conversation bleeds away as Frederick spots the Vox and immediately requests to see Frederick the Frog, who is the same frog he met earlier. Disappointed only one frog is named after him, the wizard is caught up with the group’s ties to Ida. He agrees to help them leave, heading out himself, and flashes the thin wooden box Ida and Viro saw him purchasing at Solfia and Sal.
I can do without my bodyguard. I will get this to Cygnus, don’t you worry.- Frederick
As Vox, Arias, Viro, and Laz head back to the boat Vox once again asks where Dir'thal is, and while Arias is telling him that the oni left, something clatters in the captain's quarter, just as the quartet make it onto the dock. Moving quickly, Viro forces the door open abruptly, and in a mess of papers and clothing, stands Dir’thal.
Where is that damn mirror. . . Vinny, I’ll call you back- Dir’thal
Dir’thal immediately tells the group he’ll clean up his mess before laying in on them, his now middle aged face wrinkled from time’s progression and worry. His rant is cut short when he clocks Vox, but worry furrows his brow once more at Ida’s absence. Arias begins telling him what happened with Nana, and the oni tries to dig deeper, Vox immediately ushers everyone below deck. Away from the older man, the group informs Vox on the events since their separation. Arias tells Vox about Ida knowing who Nana was a day before saying so.
I promised Dir'thal I would let you all help me. - Vox
Vox speaks kindly of Nanais when discussing their sexual arrangement, calling her ‘complicated’ and 'meaning well’ as she explains their messy past. The group doesn’t believe her with what the tiefling has shown them of her character, but they all try to talk about the subject discretely since there is a child (Moxius) present in Vox’s mind. Well, everyone but Lazarus, Lazarus doesn’t give a fuck. When Moxious is brought up, Valerie realizes he is too quiet in her head. He can’t even be roused to talk to Arias. Vox reaches from his mirror and lifts his headband, showing Viro for the first time the second set of eyes on his forehead. They do not open. In the reflection of the mirror, Moxius’ image is hidden in a haze. The young boy is fading fast. Valerie tells the party Frederick's assistant, Gideon, did this to Vox. Moxius found her dead in Nana's room, neither knowing what exactly happened, and that Mox found the first magic user he could to try and save Val. She tells Viro she's changed, the old her would want to kill Gideon because of this, but now she doesn't. Arias wonders if Nana would know who hurt Vox since it was in her room Val died. He also mentions finding who killed her in the first place, which Vox is lukewarm about. Arias tries to reiterate that Ida will be fine with Nana for the night, reiterating Lazarus’ remarks hours ago. Vox once again states:
Nana would never touch a human- Vox
Vox also tells the group that might not BE the worst thing that Nanais can do to Ida. Valerie tells everyone that Nanais is a member of the Vidrohami, an insurrectionist group in Sraem known for their violent attacks on the nobility. Assumedly, Valerie told Nana of Ida’s ties to the upper class. Vox muses on the connections and unanswered questions between the varying members, and wonders what it all means:
- Gideon Thrall, the man who works with Frederick Bran also worked with Ida, ended up being the one who put her in this situation
- Lazarus having a Crystal Eye in their chest, the same thing Athalaer, the son of a previous acquaintance, is after
- Lazarus’ reflection in the Rostand Mirror, which reveals the unseen, is of a dark haired woman
- Sea Glass, the most potent component for magic, is found in large quantities in the sleepy Fontias, the place where Arias is from, and where they are met
- Viro showed up in a dream with Arias, Ida, and Valerie, all while Ida is having connections to the Poet, the God of Dreams. Something about all of them has its attention.
At Dahlia’s townhouse, Ida is tied up by Nana and dragged into the bathtub. Nana begins grilling Ida about her past, learning what Viro does with the addition of Lady Evelyn's name. Nana is disappointed with what she learns, it seemingly different from the image she'd already had of the human. Nana is not pleased with how Ida 'took care' of Val, promising to do so in her stead because that's the accord Nana and Val have entered into. Her disappointment grows even more when Ida tells her she doesn't know how Val turned into Vox. Ida gets more and more bitter through the conversation, Nana gets bored, and leaves.
You are either strong or you are not. And you are not, Ida.- Nanais
While Ida uses her magic to untie herself, Nanais finds Dahlia downstairs and asks what the plan in. Dahlia tells her someone will need to contact her lover, Bael, because he's dealt with this sort of thing before, Dahlia being proof of his potential to help Vox. They begin telling Nana about their death and how Bael resurrected them, against the Smoke Weaver’s wishes. Motioning to the vitiligo that spreads every time magic exudes from their body, Dahlia explains that during his ‘theft’ from Additiri, Bael killed another acolyte to the Smoke Weaver and supplanted Dahlia’s soul into the corpse. Because of this betrayal, Bael is now cursed, plagued with spirits, and because he is a magnet to untethered souls, Dahlia and Bael have not been in the same room since, unsure if his curse will drag Dahlia’s soul from their hijacked body.
Dahlia implies that this is a rare occurrence, but something similar could be done to help Vox. They'd have to ask Bael himself, and since that involves speaking, Dahlia will not be able to do it. Dahlia asks Nana how badly she wants her pet back when Ida trips an alarm spell upstairs, having sent a message to Arias and begun snooping the second story.
The Vidrohami spies make their way upstairs to where Ida is creeping and Dahlia asks her not to poke around their home. Ida is invited downstairs when she’s done being unsociable. They stop Nana from doing outward violence, but tell her she can push Ida down the stairs if she wishes. Mid golf swing, mallet in air, Ida receives her response from Arias. Before disaster strikes, Arias tells Ida to hold on and they're coming to get her. She's teed up and skips a few stairs, but is relatively unharmed from Nanais’ ‘attack’. Ida is cautious and does not eat the provided food when she makes her way downstairs. Eventually, Dahlia eats some of it themself to dissuade Ida’s fears. While munching, Ida once asks Dahlia why the Poet chose to pay attention to them:
Because we are tragic, Ida, and it is fun to watch us fail.
Ida tries to inquire more about Dahlia's relationship to the Poet, which they talk about loosely, saying the deity found them after they died. Dahlia eventually is direct, telling Ida to call her friends early if she’s eager to know now. They will only answer these questions once, and those answers will be relevant to the rest of the party. Ida complies, and tucks into one of Dahlia's books as the trio waits for their arrival.
On the Crook's Plank, the party reunites with Dir'thal in Arias' newly cleaned office. Dir'thal tells them he was looking for someone's mirror as he’s finishing tidying up. Vincent told him it could be used as a focus for a scrying spell, and Dir'thal was worried enough to forgo niceties. It's agreed that Dir'thal has to go with the party, and, while carrying the mannequin Arias stole, he was filled in on what had happened during the Cordial. They enjoy a moment of levity while walking on a river blank bridge. It goes as well as could be expected.
When Nanais opens the door to Plecos Circus, they arrived in varying stages of sogginess. With Ida's verification, they were escorted in and dried down with Ida's magic while Nanais goes to the kitchen and brings Viro some homemade garlic bread. Viro offers it to Dir'thal who states it needs more thyme. Nana moves to the kitchen and produces the thyme, sprinkling it into Dir’thal’s confused mouth. While this is happening, Vox and Lazarus clock Bael’s portrait on the wall as the same drow they encountered in the Ruins of Halaar. They discuss in the kitchen, noting they'll see where it goes, but that can’t be a great sign.
Once everyone has settled, Dahlia explains how they might be of service and tells the party what they know about Bael's abilities, having seen them first hand. They both met during the Hypogaen War centuries ago, and after Dahlia was mortally wounded by their own poison dagger, Bael dragged them to a temple to his goddess. There, he killed a devout man and hijacked his body for Dahlia using the abilities Additiri gave him. Doing this left him cursed, drawing a radius of restless spirits to him as punishment. As a wartime cleric to the death goddess, Bael would use vessels like the one the party found to transport the spirits he ferried to the Molten Fields, Additiri's domain. Dahlia surmises Bael can pull a latent soul from Vox's body and keep it in place using the doll while he saves the soul left inside Vox's body. With a keen eye, they look at Lazarus, remarking that the dolls are meant to be temporary homes, and only immense power can keep the soul from shattering its prison. Their whole conversation is splayed on the wall in common, and simpler in Infernal, which Dir'thal remarks on.
Vox asks Nanais if she trusts Dahlia. When she says she does, Valerie asks Ida to call for Bael. Ida and Dahlia draft a message to send to the drow making sure to mention it is on Dahlia's behalf the message is sent. It finds its intended recipient. Bael sounds... not great, but agrees to come at dawn once Dahlia has vacated their home. Dahlia begins working on another loaf of bread for Viro in the meantime, allowing everyone to linger until the morning.
Ida tells Dir'thal they need to have a conversation later. He agrees, confused. Val tells Arias she's never waiting to tell him anything ever again. This pushes Ida to ask Dir'thal if she can escort him to Singone, for his safety and her own growth. Like many times before, he's once again confused, but is happy for the future company. Val reminds him that he's also supposed to take Mox with him, which leaves him flustered briefly, but he recovers quickly. A group hug happens with Plecos + Dir'thal's awkward dad pats over the shoulder.
Nana goes into the kitchen to speak to Dahlia, saying she's heard some things about Dahlia, but nothing like that.
I didn’t think you cared to know. . . If it gets your pet back, it’ll be worth it.- Dahlia
Dahlia assures Nana they will only be apart for approximately a day. Nana is suspiciously quiet about this, conflicted about Dahlia leaving and the state of Val and Nana's relationship once things are resolved, though remains vague about it. Dahlia brings her into a hug, marking this as the most intimate moment in the pair’s acquaintance. Nana is made to promise to tell Dahlia if Bael isn't nice to her, or if she's not nice to him. The elf makes Nana promise to make Bael update their book, pointing towards the large ledger sitting on the desk in the study. Once done with the bread, Dahlia leaves, and with the ritual rooms set up upstairs everyone hunkers down for the night.
Dawn breaks with the sound of whiny floorboards as a shadow forms in the study. A singular form, the shadows congeal into that of shoulders that hunch themselves over the large, battered tome sitting on the desk’s corner. Fluttering pages break the silence as the remnants of a teleportation circle fade back into the accent rug in the center of the room. A sigh bleeds into the air… followed by a heavy thwack.
Around the figure, lighter grays and shades cling to its tattered cloak. The facsimile of hands, dozens of them, slide across bowed shoulders and beneath heavy, worn fabric, pulling at the frayed edges as if to reveal the figure hidden inside the fabric. The figure shudders at their touch, the drawn hood falling to uncover unkempt silver hair and… one pronounced ear, pointed and far too large to belong to a drow. It flicks underneath the silver strands before drawing itself straight up. Alarmingly, the figure’s straightens in time, the snap of vertebrae colliding like a small explosion in the air. When the figure turns, you see a brilliant, reptilian yellow eye glaring out from the darkness.
Bael arrives.
Half of his face is recognizable in a portrait in the living space. The other half is not, Pock marks accentuate the gaunt, sallow skin on the right side of his face, the coloration muddier and darker than that on his ‘drow’ side. The violent yellow eye glares back from a socket but deeper set than its counterpart, a pronouncement in the jaw leaving it jutting against the fleeing shadows. Half of his nose, probably thin at one point, flattens, the nostril closing in a way only a lizard’s can. As the figure opens his mouth, a long, curving fang peaks from beneath his lip, mudding his speech slightly.
Bael stays where he is as his company rouses and begins filling him in on what they need from him. He asks how long the party knew Dahlia, to which Nana eventually said she knew them the longest. Bael recognized some of the party from the temple, and they recognize his monstrous half from a mural there. He is slowly becoming a part of his goddess' plane as punishment for saving Dahlia. This affects his temperament as the crowd informs him what’s going on. After the explanation, he agrees to do the ritual for Vox in exchange for the idol to Additiri Vox had and Nana's accounts of her time with Dahlia as payment. The idol melts like wax in Bael’s hands, ruining the carpet beneath him, and Nana was not happy about this:
I don't think Dahlia would be very happy with you ruining their rug.- NanaisThe rug was mine in the first place- Bael
Bael tells the gang to get their affairs in order before their ritual begins, then sits at the desk and begins reading the centuries old diary he and Dahlia have kept for each other, catching up on his lover's life.
No time like the present, Arias drags Vox outside to talk to Val, worried about turning her into a gnome and what was to come. Val assures him as long as Moxius is okay, that's what mattered. Arias tells Val that he needed a part of her to grow her new body around, and after a gag about body proportions, Vox rips off another finger and handed it to him. Plecos Circus watches in varying degrees of horror. When the dup steps back inside, Lazarus intercepts Vox for a vague pep talk. Vox is uncomfortable, but allows it before Nana drags him upstairs for a private discussion.
Nana and Valerie talk about 'love' and it is revealed that Nana was using Valerie to get to the Rostands, equating the Sardans and the other servants to being just as bad as the nobles that enslaved Nana as a child. Valerie tries to say that she loves Nana. She believes in the cause Nana told her about, but is left shaken by Nana's true feelings. Nana's stance that all elves are worthy of her mallet obviously extends to Valerie's family now, and that thought leaves Vox heap on the floor when Nana finally departs, saying she will still help to keep her word.
Nana goes into the kitchen with Viro and shows him a sick pickle trick. Moments later, Vox comes back downstairs, obviously frazzled by his encounter. Ida and Arias go into fight mode, but Bael interrupts them before they confront Nanais. He explains what is to happen while his and Arias are casting their rituals. The dead that haunt Bael will try and intercept the souls who are meant to be brought back to life. He asks the remaining party to keep guard before he leaves the study and heads to the master bedroom, where his ritual for Mox has been set up.
Arias calls Wally to stack his odds for the Reincarnate ritual. She agrees to help, telling him that the group will be heading in her direction soon, and they will have an extra Crystal Eye at their disposal. That would be her payment for giving him a better chance at reincarnating Valerie. Arias is unsure and tries to dance around agreeing.
I don't think you know how this works, sweetheart. You will give it to me- Cadwallader
Arias eventually agrees to give her a Crystal Eye if they have a spare. Wally assures him they will, and she's not even out of the way, so it'd be an easy stop. She grants her boon, allowing Arias to have more certainty with his ritual.
Remind her who she is, Arias.
As soon as Bael walks into the room, Valerie feels her soul detach from the body. In its freedom, it is tugged towards the guest bedroom, where Arias is conducting his own ritual.With the rituals underway, the next hour is filled with ghosts trying to rush the scenes. Viro, Dir'thal, Ida, Laz, and Nana all station themselves on the second story to intercept the ghosts.
Arias spends his time talking to the new, growing body around Valerie’s finger, about the wonderful woman he is hoping she will be. He doesn't know her ghost can hear him, listening from the corner of the room. With each fact and memory he bestows to the glowing blue finger, another piece of her settles into place. The combat continued through exhaustion, and with a fright, Nanais and Ida are aged 30 and 20 years respectively. The combat 'ends' with a spirit possessing Lazarus, with the party none the wiser.
Arias' ritual is a success, and as the blue of his magic fades, his own exhaustion settling in, a nude, lanky sheeple opens her eyes. Valerie is alive.
Valerie wakes up in Dahlia Vo's guest room, a naked sheeple laid out on the bed. For the first time in over a year, she is alone with her thoughts. This surges her from the bed and towards the door, Arias trying to slow her down as she goes. The rest of the party stands in the hallway, breathing heavily through their hour of ghost fighting. All except for Lazarus, who is looking at their hands incredulously. Viro notes this, and after receiving a weird, non Laz answer in Lazarus' own voice, he keeps an eye on them as the rest of the party surges towards the door. Nana and Ida begin giving each other gruff about being aged, which Dir'thal cuts into as the three of them are in their 60s and its pointless. Nana doesn’t think it looks all that bad on him and says as much.
Me?- Dir’thalWhat? He's blue.- Nanais
Valerie and Arias burst through the door with varying reactions from the crew. Dir'thal tears off his scarf and gives it to Arias to try and give Valerie some modesty. She takes it, but is not phased, calling for Moxius' name. Arias tells her she has been sheeped, and they share a moment in the mirror, comparing their new features. During this time, Lazarus slips away, unbeknownst to the party. Knocking on the master bedroom's door, the crew is shown Moxius by a much more haggard Bael, who retreats to the desk. His curse seems to have spread with the magic he has used. Valerie is shocked at the state Moxius is in. The child Moxius was before this adventure is dead, has been for the last year. An adult, gangly and stinky, lays in his place, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Valerie’s father. Bael warns her Moxius will be out for 4 days.
You brought me an adult body to resurrect. An adult was resurrected.- Bael
After making sure her brother is okay, Valerie tries to intimidate Nanais into staying away from them. Nanais laughs it off and says she wouldn't hurt Moxius when he's unconscious, as that's not fun. She is more concerned with de-aging first, then who knows after that. This leads her out of the room. The party considers if it would be bad to kill her or to lock her in the house. When the prospect of moving a bookshelf in front of her door is broached, Bael, who is still in the room, loudly says:
You will not reorganize my house.
The party is ready to leave, and Ida stays behind to ask Bael about her condition. He tells her to come back within the next 8-24 hours. He can restore her, if she agrees to tell Dahlia to come home. Ida agrees and heads to the stairs. Allowing a childish pettiness to overtake her, Ida mars the stairway bannister with her blade as a rebuttal to Nanais. As the party realizes Lazarus is gone, Ida begins mending it, understanding this will only get her on Dahlia's bad side.
The party rushes out of the townhouse to look for Lazarus, noticing the front door and gate are open. They follow Lazarus north. Dir'thal takes the unconscious Moxius to the Crook's Plank as the rest of the party (Valerie haphazardly clothed) begin looking for Lazarus.
Lazarus, a passenger in their own body, begins trying to reason with Maricela Oswain, the spirit who has taken over their body. Maricela fought in the Hypogaen War, the war between the elves and devils that laid waste to Jaelma and left it as it is today. She is tired and wants to go home, and thanks Lazarus for helping her with this. Lazarus is not amused and tries to get Maricela to relinquish their body. The spirit confirms Lazarus is a vessel meant to temporarily house a soul to bring it to its final resting place. Maricela has been in one, but was never taken home. Bael never listened to her to take her home. In a final attempt to garner sympathy, Lazarus mentions how long they’ve waited to accomplish their own goals.
I have been dead for centuries. Get in line.- Maricela
A wall falls as Maricela blocks Lazarus' screaming, and it's here that Ida's sending finds Lazarus.
Ida contacts Mismaia in an attempt to find Lazarus, remembering she has a piece of Lazarus that she planned to use if Lazarus tried to skip out on their deal. Mismaia agrees to have lunch with Ida in a few hours. While Ida exhausts resources, Arias turns into a giant eagle and locates Lazarus at the edge of Luxor, a marshy plain opening up with a single dirt road winding along its northwest flank. With the rest of the party lost in a crowd, EagArias tries to dive bomb 'Lazarus', who is too dexterous, and dodges out of the way, running up the road and out of sight.
The group escorts Dir'thal, Ida, and Moxius outside of town as they head towards Singone. The entire party stands at the same place Arias eagle planted days earlier to say their goodbyes. Valerie holds Moxius' hand the entire time. As a parting gift, Arias gives Moxius his crescent moon necklace, saying it is something his people get when they come of age. It's a reminder they are family, and a reason to come back, because Arias wants it back. Moxius steals Arias underwear one last time.
Ida and Valerie have the most awkward goodbye known to [__]kind. Valerie asks Ida to pass along a message of hope to Marla, and in response, she asks Ida if there's anything she'd like Val to say to Otis.
Tell her I'll see her soon.- Ida
Ida apologizes again for how she treated Val as Vox and says her journey with Moxius will start her apology to him, citing that it means a lot to her that Valerie would trust her with her brother. They shake hands, and Ida kisses the top of Val's. Valerie can’t quite brush off the awkwardness by the time she gets to Dirh’thal, but she gives him Vox’s ocarina all the same. When he asks if she still wants to learn it, she tells him it wouldn't be much fun to learn from anyone but him. His voice cracks a bit, and Dir’thal tries to make a joke before asking Valerie if she's ever going to visit Moxius; her speech to Dir'thal sounding like it's the last she'll ever see him.
I'll be wherever Marla is.- Valerie
Dir'thal gives Valerie a sending stone very reminiscent of a Nokia cellphone. He tells her to mind their minutes, they have three collect calls a day to use the spell Sending to anyone they wish, now that he's taking himself and Ida out of the equation. Since two of the three have this spell organically, the trio assures the party they will keep in touch, and that most of them will see each other again.As they watch the trio go, Arias receives a sending from a familiar, but unexpected voice:
Hey Arias. It's your unsuccessful murderer, Athalaer! Shame about that, do better next time. Offering trade. One Month. Uniper. Your boyfriend for your doll. Cya!
In this moment, a poisoned dagger sinks into Valerie's side. Members of the Silent Hand reveal themselves in the background.
There are the thieves, get them!