Session 0038 : Everywhere, Darkness

Breakfast fallout

Farrah pulled Lilly aside: Brannick claims Lev and Cathlynn ambushed him by the well, threatened his life, and tried to abduct Thann; he wants Lilly’s remaining payment immediately and won’t come in while “those two” are around. Farrah added Lev was uncharacteristically sharp when she asked about it.   Cathlynn’s account: she and Lev chased Thann into the sealed well, fought ruin spiders (acid chewed straight through Lev’s armor), got the boy out, and emerged to find Brannick had capped them in. Lev landed one punch; no abduction. Bigger issue: spider acid could eat the wooden cap—maybe even metal—so the town needs warning.   Also ticking: Queen gave Cathlynn 24 hours to hand over the hidden book or “people you love will be hurt.”  

The “east” problem

Malrick still wants an escort east “ASAP,” paying handsomely. Lilly promised to ask around; Farrah thinks she might know someone now—coin talks.  

Split the party (gently)

Lilly went to check on Thann first, then planned to face Brannick. Dorian went as muscle. Lev and Cathlynn stayed at the Mug (Cath wants to find Ikiri later).  

At the farm: the tall man in black

By the bridge, Thann clutched Pebble. Edric stood with a stranger: 6′6″, gaunt, gray-skinned, cropped black hair, and a high-quality black robe stitched with black-on-black draconic sigils set in geometric patterns. He introduced himself as Drazel, “here on my own behalf”…and nearly said whose, catching himself.   Drazel’s pitch: he must take Pebble to his laboratory in Ilfmar to study/“heal” the condition; if he doesn’t, Edric will kill the goat to protect the flock. Lilly used Speech of the Woods—Pebble wanted to stay with Thann, calling Drazel “stone-fire.” Under Pebble’s words, Lilly heard a strange bass echo: “deeper…veil.” Edric swore other scaled animals died; this one’s survival only hardened his resolve.   Lilly tried to head him off, sending Thann to stash Pebble at the Mug. Dorian stepped up with a quiet threat. Drazel tried a spell that slid off Dorian’s will; Lilly called him rude and kicked his shin.  

Fireball

Drazel opened with a fireball, then another.   Dorian cut him twice (sapping his aim), Brutus tanked until he winked out, then was resummoned.   Lilly thorn-whipped, dropped a Unicorn Spirit totem, then conjured eight giant poisonous snakes that swarmed Drazel.   Dorian’s cordon of arrows laced the ground; its darts kept seeking him.   Drazel aimed the first blast to spare Pebble—but it engulfed Edric and Thann. Both died where they stood, burned to blackened husks. Fields and pens kindled; Pebble watched.   The snakes finished Drazel. He fell on the bridge.  

Aftermath

  Pebble chose Lilly. He’s grieving, but he trusts her; plan: hide him at The Merry Mug (out of sight).   Edric and Thann: Lilly remembered the family plot near the treeline east of the farm and used magic to ready the ground.   Drazel’s body: rather than foul the river (local belief—running water inhibits magic), they built a funeral pyre in the scorched sheep pen and burned him.  

What Dorian & Lilly pulled off Drazel

  Black robe (magical): heavy wool, silk-lined, draconic sigils formed from countless tiny open-eye motifs.   Solid gold triangular pendant (weighty).   Gold ring with a cracked onyx; a silver bracelet.   Black-leather journal bound with a winding strap (left closed for now).   Coin & stones: 64 gp, 112 sp, 35 cp; azurite, moonstone, banded agate, carnelian, malachite.   Detect Magic: only the robe pings (school unclear).  

Notes & tells

  Drazel nearly said who he worked for before correcting to “my own.”   Pebble’s “stone-fire” and the echoing “deeper…veil” felt like more than a goat’s fear.   The triangular gold pendant strongly resembles the triangle motif previously found in Ikiri’s room.   Town rumor will say “those strangers burned the farmer and his boy,” even though Drazel cast the fire. Brace for fallout.  

---

 

Back at The Merry Mug

  Lilly wrapped Pebble in Drazel’s black robe and smuggled him straight to the barn/cart, out of sight. Pebble is coming with Lilly for now.   Dorian briefed Lev & Cathlynn on the farm, the fight, and the deaths.  

Queen in the daylight

Outside, Queen sat with two other drow women, all hooded against the sun. She locked eyes with Lilly and smiled like she’d been waiting. The 24-hour book ultimatum is very much alive.  

Ikiri: blood and whispers

Cathlynn checked Ikiri’s room (201): no Ikiri, lots of blood (coagulated, ~12 hours old), drag-trail to the door that abruptly stops (no spatter beyond). No tissue, no clothes, no Ikiri.   Sending to Ikiri came back: “Help. Pitch black. Dripping water.” Likely nearby given the timeline—shallow limestone caves/sinkholes northwest of Oakhaven—or, if magic was involved, she could be anywhere. The only other known option is the abandoned stone quarry with tunnels farther off; distance makes it less likely after ~12 hours.  

Decision

The table agreed: rescue mission first. Pack up, secure the Mug, and move to the local caves to try to locate Ikiri. The book handoff and Queen’s deadline loom in parallel.  

---

 

Inn management & new staff

Business is picking up. New named staff:   Wait: Vin (waiter), Malwyn (waitress)   Kitchen: Wilsire, Fennel   Farrah reminded Lilly about security: there was once a floor-safe under the boards near the front; also some loose stones in the basement walls make decent hides. Consider formalizing a secure house safe for cash, gems, and sensitive items (e.g., Drazel’s journal).  

Leads & loose threads

  Ikiri: caves first; watch for water-drip acoustics and any signs of magical transport.   Queen & the book: deadline imminent; plan handoff, deception, or defense.   Malrick Vaith: reads/writes Draconic; potential translator for Drazel’s journal—but vet risks.   Robe & pendant: identify fully; confirm link to Ikiri’s triangle.   “Deeper…veil”: what voice rides under Pebble’s words?   Running water vs. magic: now codified as a local hedge—use tactically.  

Session end

A burned pen, two graves by the trees, a grieving goat hidden in the barn. Queen waits outside. Ikiri bleeds somewhere in the dark. The party turns toward the caves as clocks and enemies keep counting.