01-07-963: Tomes and Gnomes

Thursday, the 6th of Aven

Arriving back in the Crossroads in the early evening of the 6th, the party decided to all stay together in the Old Belltower Inn. Florian and Weylin made their goodbyes, and Weylin asked the party to visit his shop outside the West Gate the following morning so he could offer them a gift. After securing rooms and ordering some drinks Dendra went back out into the night to thank a guardswoman who had helped her find work. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the party enjoyed a few drinks and got to know each other.  Nexus, not having drank anything in years, quickly got talkative and shared that his village had fallen under the influence of a strange elemental magic, suspending them in time. Although Nexus is searching for a way to free his village, he made clear that this was to prove a point rather than out of any fondness for its inhabitants, save for the Village Elder who was his adoptive father.  Dr. Venma was intrigued by this revelation, as his village was also under a form of suspended animation. Apparently a recent earthquake uncovered a long-buried ruin that unleashed a contagion upon his village. Only with outside aid was Dr. Venma able to halt the effects and allow himself the chance to seek a cure without spreading the disease.  Chedvah maintained relatively tight-lipped, but indicated past conflict within her family.  Luci, the last to share, admitted somewhat awkwardly that he was just out and about the kingdom to check things out and have an adventure or two.  Upon Dendra's return, she indicated that she woke up one day with no prior memory and has been guided by visions from the Dawnfather ever since. She stated that she is her way to the Sunlit Citadel at his direction.  

Luci, showing he has knack for showmanship, shared the tale of their deeds that day with the other inn patrons, who gave the party a cheer and bought them a couple rounds.

That night, Dendra was visited by a strange dream of guilt, loss, and an angered father from which she awoke suddenly.  Remembering that she had been visited by such a dream previously, and that it didn't seem to be a typical sign or communication from the Dawnfather, she sat up for a short while thinking on the dream before returning to sleep.  

Friday, the 7th of Aven

Straightaway the next morning, Chedvah took some time to look over her mace and Dr. Venma's cloak and managed to reinforce them both with her skill. Nexus could be seen performing an odd sort of preparation involving his traditional tattoos, explaining that this was how he learned to control the weave.  After a hearty breakfast, the party set out to tie up their loose ends around town and find what they could do next.  

Mira Penfell  thanked them for their work, apologizing for nearly sending them into a Goblin den unaware of the additional dangers which lurked.  She paid the party each 30 gp for their troubles, and inquired what would be their next move. Unsure at the moment, but thinking of a vaguely western heading, Mira informed them that she'd hear the priesthood was looking for someone to go in that direction.  After showing nexus the Leaf's map so he could make an earthen facsimile, they said their goodbyes.

Next on the list was Weylin, purveyor of the unfortunately-named Gobbledy-Book outside the west gate.  He thanked the party for rescuing him from probably slavery in the mountains with a map of the kingdom.  Nexus purchased a scroll of Mage Armor for 35gp, although the necessary paper and ink to transcribe it was currently out of his price range.  Luci inquired about books to read for pleasure, and Weylin offered his copy of Autumn in the Summer Court, which Luci purchased for more than triple his price.  Dr. Venma purchased a book about the Saints and their deeds in hopes of finding some information about miraculous cures and healings.  Given Weylin's current dissatisfaction with the name of his shop, Nexus used his quick mind and sharp wit to suggest a few similarly droll names including "Tome on the Range," which Weylin indicated he would go with.  

A brief stop in to see Hogar Druuz yielded Dr. Venma some information about where he might be able to find a cure.  Hogar was able to find that the Catfolk of the Van'roq were known for their healing shamans, but cautioned about the danger of the desert.  He also suggested checking in with the clergy of the Sunlit Citadel, as they are known for helping those in need of healing.  As a last resort, Hogar offered the thought that if its something old the good Doctor was trying to cure, perhaps something old would have the answer, but that that sort of creature can be risky to deal with at best.  

The party finished their morning by visiting the Temple to Avandra in the central plaza of the city.  They spoke with High Priest Eldon Kynes, with whom Dr. Venma had a somewhat tense exchange over his sickness and the possibility of curing him. But once the party's success the previous day was brought up, the High Priest became more open, and requested they escort one of the priests to Stenbalan to speak with the Bishop on some matters. Apparently this would normally be taken care of by the Breezewatch, but they are somewhat short-staffed at the moment . A short while later, they all met up and found Father Rowley Ilatris, an extremely old gnome leaning heavily on his gnome-sized bindle.  

The party and their new guest set out along the Southern Crown Circuit toward Stenbalan, with Father Ilatris riding a disk conjured by his good friend Flexus and pontificating on all manner of subjects.  Nobles? unqualified ragamuffins. Wizards of the Gold Tower? children playing with fire. The royal family? not bad originally but it seems like there's a new monarch every time he turns around.  His own age? couldn't tell you.  After tiring himself out, he fell asleep for most of the journey and left the party in peace.  

That night, as the party camped in a wooded glade, Father Ilatris seemed to have a night terror and began crying out in his sleep.  The party soon identified a strange shelled and clawed creature nearby which seemed to be causing it, and quickly dispatched it before finishing out their night restfully.