Session 19: To the Valralei

The party managed to catch up to Elris before he had gone too far and proceeded to escort him back to the gates of Mendhalia to ensure his safe return to his sister. The party decided to spend the night at Kirin House again. Janet disguised herself as a dwarf to avoid stares before entering the city.   The next morning the party headed to Anra without lingering in town. They spent a quiet three and a half days on the road, arriving in Anra late on the afternoon of the fourth day. This time Janet chose to use her hat to look like a human man that she called "Derek."   They asked around and found an air sailor who directed them to The Blue Sail Tavern where they expected to find Darla. They approached the tavern to which they were directed, seeing a large blue sail on the sign out front and an open door. Janet entered first and was paid no mind by the clientele. There was a young woman behind the bar showing the cheerfulness and bravado that suggested she was in charge here. Arlox then walked in, the young woman glanced at him and did a double-take. "Arlox!" she said, clearly excited to see him. Laz came in next to which she exclaimed, "Laz! Ladies and gentlemen we have celebrities in our midst. This is Zanzibar!". She then noticed something was amiss, "Where's Thark?" and notices 'Derek' to whom she accuses "you're not Thark." Regardless, she welcomes the party and offers a round on the house.   Getting down to business, Xenik let Darla know that the air routes were open once again, a fact of which she was already aware. She got the group a table in a fairly private alcove and Xeik inquired as to the state of things here in the city. Darla told the party that the war factories were going day and night as Empress Varya Luun was clearly concerned about something coming. She also mentioned rumors of The Midnight being seen out and about across the continent. After checking for eavesdroppers, she also queried the party about a personal project she was interested in.   Darla asked the party if they were aware of Ventillium and, seeing blank stares, proceeded to tell them of this legendary substance that could act as perpetual fuel for an airship. It supposedly came from air elementals but nobody claims to be quite certain how to obtain it. To those in the airship community, this substance signifies a major opportunity to own the skies and be forever protected from incursions. Darla asked the party if they would be interested in searching for the substance and promised to keep an ear to the ground for any more information that might help them.   When asked, Darla recommended the Brittle Ingot Inn for the party to stay during their time here. She also mentioned The Old Oak Inn which is a bit more posh and has stables nearby. The party decided to stay there and, upon arrival, Zalista paid the tiefling woman who runs the inn for the party's rooms and dinner. Following a roast dinner, and discussion of next steps, Arlox added a bath to his tab to wash off the dust from all the traveling they had done recently.   In the morning the party headed to a blacksmith with a small weapon shop where the party chipped in to help Janet get a +1 Great Axe. Janet decideed that her warhorse needed a name and without much deliberation proclaimed she will be called "Betsy."   The party headed out of Anra on the way to Forest Deep. They once again passed the Ruins of Nala mid-afternoon of the fourth day but saw nothing of interest. Five more days of travel put them on the edge of the Valralei Forest. Late that afternoon they reached a place where they could see a clearing in the dense woods and spied a treehouse in a large, solitary, oak tree. The party investigated the treehouse cautiously and thoroughly. Arlox disappeared into a glowing wardrobe without a word and after much deliberation and various safety measures the party followed....   They found themselves in a meadow, in bright sunlight despite the fact that it had just been dusk where they were. The meadow appeared surrounded by trees but it was almost as if the trees are trying to confuse their brains as they couldn't quite perceive them all. Before them, in the meadow, was a large cottage. Arlox approached and knocked on the door and it opened on its own. The party entered the cottage which was seemingly empty of life. Yet they found themselves in a kitchen with a single bowl of steaming soup set in place on the table in the middle of the room and a fire in the hearth. The party spread out through the house to search while Arlox decided to try the soup. He suddenly disappeared from view. Over time, each member of the party tried the soup and seems to be transported to an identical copy of the cottage.   Xenik looked out at the meadow and saw two large crystalline statues of owlbears, one with red eyes and one blue. They went out to get a closer look and when members of the party got within 30 feet the eyes begin to glow brightly. A strange battle ensued where the party struggled to understand who was being targeted and why. Periodically the statues would sink into the ground and appear in different places. Eventually the party managed to dispatch them, despite never being quite certain how they worked.   On their way back to the house they managed to find some gems, seemingly shed from the statues. Inside, they saw that the fire in the hearth had gone out and a hidden stair case appeared in the base of the now-cold hearth.   The party chose to take a short rest before proceeding and then walked down the stairs. Along the way they saw script along the walls of the stairwell that said, "Walk, don't run, lest the heat overcome. When the fire comes alive stay close before it goes out of control."   They found themselves in a massive cavern with a molten floor ahead of them and an oppressive heat. A wall of flame was moving toward them but dissipated just before it got to them. They noticed that the wall and each one behind it had one small opening which they might hope to squeeze through before being badly burned. That is where the session ended, until next time.