Session 24 - "The Festival of Still Sands" Report

Jundar 26, 1246

The Fate-Steppers have been enjoying their rest in Vakwari, and as the Festival of Still Sands begins, we reconvene with them having breakfast in their rented home. Jacob has gotten a chicken, selling the wool from their "bought" sheep to afford it.

Two more of the plant dragon embryos have hatched in the meantime, and their personalities have begun to come out: a surprisingly aggressive little bugger that the party has named Aker (Reka spelled backwards), and a sedate one that tends to sleep most of the time that they named Lara (after Laravelle).

As they sit eating breakfast, Micaiah works to teach the oldest of the wyrmlings - Kona - how to sit.

They are looking over the floorplans Foenix drew of Cirvai's Garden last time they were there, deciding on what their future building plans and room arrangements may be. Thais suggests that they should look into getting a teleportation circle installed from the garden to Vakwari. Foenix warns that it will be a very expensive task, so the idea is tabled as they head out to the festival.

The party walks around the festival, noting several different competitions they can take part in. From horse racing to baking to arm wrestling, there are plenty of different competitions for everyone to participate in.

Horse Racing

Thais and Arkeo participate, but are beaten by a human woman that absolutely dominates the race.

Arm Wrestling

Thais and Olena both participate, but Thais is defeated in the second round. Olena and the jockey that beat Thais in the horse race go back and forth for what feels like hours, neither one able to best the other until finally the jockey prevails.

She introduces herself as Joy, and when Olena asks her out on a date, she amicably agrees.

Storytelling

Micaiah is the one to participate in the storytelling competition, and he wins with a story about Alimony Symphero, from their death and the Fate-Stepper's journey to their funeral in Vakwari.

Baking

Foenix competes in the baking competition, beating out a frail looking elderly halfling woman in a tie-breaking round.

The day ends with a mock battle, with two armies in purple and yellow, representing one of the two brothers in the conflict that founded Vakwari.

The party joins the yellow army - Deshal, ostensibly - and begin to cut their way through the craftsmen and farmers that make up the civilians of Vakwari.

No one is in danger of dying, however, as the rules of the tourney demand that wooden weapons and blunted arrows be used (and there are clerics on standby in case anything goes wrong).

Unfortunately, this does not go according to plan. Jacob follows a tiefling combatant to the other side of the ruins that make up the battlefield, where he spots the tiefling removing a piece of parchment from a spot in the wall. Jacob loses sight of the tiefling as he moves around the side of the ruined building, but he would soon find out what happened.

Thais, Olena, Foenix, and Micaiah are in the middle of the four buildings when the tiefling steps out from the shadows, holding the spell scroll out in front of him as he begins to from it.

There is no time to react before the entire field is bathed in brilliant, blinding light, scalding their flesh and blinding their eyes. When it clears, almost everyone is dead, except for the party.

Olena, blinded, begins to scream for the game to stop, as Thais begins to run at the tiefling - her eyes she managed to shield enough that she was not so impaired.

She throws out a hand, casting hold person as she gets closer. It takes hold, and the tiefling is unable to flee as Jacob comes around the corner and throws a lightning bolt at him, nearly killing the terrorist. Thais drops a singular point of healing to keep him alive as Foenix and Olena manage to regain their sight.

As they gather around the unconscious man, they can hear the sound of the crowd approaching. Soon, they will have answers as to why he would murder so many innocent people.