Session Eighteen

A Lost Familiar

Our intrepid heroes find a familiar without its master - a scraggled raven practically divebombed Maccus, Blackfin's familiar, out of the air. Her name is Mellifret, and she is on the search for her person, Arenne Quill, a fourth-year illusion student at Avail Academy. Mellifret described how Arenne seemed increasingly withdrawn, and her apparent sudden loss of magical aptitude, all prior to her disappearance a couple days before. Mellifret remembered a distant sensation of clinking bottles and laughter before her connection with Arenne disappeared, and Mellifret became stuck in raven form.

Standing Stones

As the party crosses a shimmering leyline near a ring of ancient standing stones, they hear whispered voices reciting strange chants in dozens of dialects. The spellcasters listened closely, but Harmony found herself repeating the strange incantations in celestial.   After correctly discerning that the whispers were spell incantations, Blackfin and Harmony were able to learn one use of the transmuted metamagic incantation until their next long rest.

Arrival at Avail Academy

Main Office

Spoke with Colba Brightquill at the main office. Asked about Sedilia - she's sequestered on confidential research project with Taredd Wysamaer, a high-elven professor of bardic lore.

Professor Nitsk

Spoke with

Splitting the Party

Harmony noticed a large presence of small green finches that weren't present when she was last at the Academy. A nearby student explained that these are called "twits", and can be used to send messages to anyone on campus; simply speak the recipients full/true name, and then the message, and the twit will fly to the recipient and speak the message verbatim, in a mimicked voice of the sender. Messages are limited to 25 words, as per the sending spell.

Main Office - "Matthias" (Blackfin)

Blackfin requested a meeting with the board of regents to discuss important news. Colba will find a time in the next couple days, and a twit will relay the time and date of the board meeting.

Infirmary - Vaurvan

Vaurvan visited the infirmary and noticed that several students shared similar symptoms - a greyish paleness to their skin, and noticeably lethargic, if not borderline comatose. However, the head nurse (or is it head nurse?) Helni Tavion refused him a closer examination until approved by a faculty member or dean.

Sedilia's Room - Harmony

Harmony investigated her sister's room, and found a few items of note:

• On the back of a portrait of a younger Sedlia and Harmony, scrawled in Celestial "Harmony begins the key."
• A journal with torn out pages. The last entry said, “…I hate leaving her in the dark, but she’s safer not knowing.”
• In a false book, many tiny rolled pieces of parchment containing coded messages.
• In the wardrobe, a music box that plays a familiar tune from Harmony's childhood. Harmony found a secret compartment, but was unable to open it.
• Under the bed, a locked trunk sealed with arcane lock.

Arenne's Room - Cheyanne

Cheyanne took Mellifret and investigated the dormitory of Arenne Quill, shared with a drow student of illusion, Vierda Dalar. There are very few clues among Arenne's belongings, but Vierda mentioned how Arenne seemed to be friendly with a member of her study group, Alira Danneth, another illusion student who also has gone missing - after losing an illicit duel to Tara Quince, a dwarven transmutation student.

At the Library - "Harmony Begins the Key"

As the party regroups at the Wallvein Library, they work together to unfold the mysteries found in Sedilia's room.

• The music box's secret compartment was opened by Blackfin, and holds a small piece of paper that reads “If this ever stops playing right, it means I’ve been cut off.” The party also discovered that the the box plays includes a layered musical sigil, which masks a variation of the sending spell.
• Cheyanne led the decoding of the small messages - and discovered that they are encoded with an alphabetical substitution cipher.

The Coded Messages:

1. XJTP GCQQCJI BHQ AOOI MORCMOM AX SBO RJPKQ. POKJPS SJ SBO PCIY JN UHFOPO NJP XJTP APCONCIY. (YOUR MISSION HAS BEEN DECIDED BY THE CORPS. REPORT TO THE RING OF VALERE FOR YOUR BRIEFING.)
2. PJJS JTS SBO BHPGJICR RJFFORSCUO HIM QSCFF SBOCP QJIY AONJPO CS QBHSSOPQ SBO KOHRO (ROOT OUT THE HARMONIC COLLECTIVE AND STILL THEIR SONG BEFORE IT SHATTERS THE PEACE)
3. TQO XJTP RJUOP SJ SPHUOF SBO RJISCIOIS HIM CMOISCNX SBJQO VBJ GHX AO HFFCOQ HIM MOQSPJX SBJQO VBJ HPO IJS (USE YOUR COVER TO TRAVEL THE CONTINENT AND IDENTIFY THOSE WHO MAY BE ALLIES AND DESTROY THOSE WHO ARE NOT)
4. H RCSHMOF HS SBO AHQO JN SBO GJTISHCI. PTGJPQ QTPPJTIM H MCQYPHROM IJAFO NHGCFX. H GOFJMX GHX POUOHF SBO SPTSB (A CITADEL AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN. RUMORS SURROUND A DISGRACED NOBLE FAMILY. A MELODY MAY REVEAL THE TRUTH)
5. KHX H LTCOS KCFYPCGHYO SJ SBO RPHMFO JN RPOHSCJI. SBO CIRJGCIY SCMO CQ KOHPFX VBCSO. (PAY A QUIET PILGRIMAGE TO THE CRADLE OF CREATION. THE INCOMING TIDE IS PEARLY WHITE.)
6. CI SBO RCSX JN SPOOQ, SBO JIOQ VBJ VHFE SBO OMYO JN SBO FOHN (IN THE CITY OF TREES, THE ONES WHO WALK THE EDGE OF THE LEAF)
7. VBOPO SBO PCUOP GOOSQ SBO FHEO, SBJQO VBJ NOPPX SBO TIMOPRHIHFQ (WHERE THE RIVER MEETS THE LAKE, THOSE WHO FERRY THE UNDERCANALS)
8. CI H RCSX JN GJJPCIYQ, H SJVOP PCQOQ HAJUO SBO BJFCOQ. TIRJUOP SBO GJSCUOQ JN SBO JIO VBJ FOHMQ. (IN A CITY OF MOORINGS, A TOWER RISES ABOVE THE HOLIES. UNCOVER THE MOTIVES OF THE ONE WHO LEADS.)
9. SJVOPQ JN YJFM PCQO HAJUO SBO AFTOQS VHSOPQ. NCIM SBJQO VBJ KTFF SBO QSPCIYQ. NJFFJV SBO GJIOX. (TOWERS OF GOLD RISE ABOVE THE BLUEST WATERS. FIND THOSE WHO PULL THE STRINGS. FOLLOW THE MONEY.)
10. H RHQSFO JI H RFCNN BJTQOQ H NHGCFX JN FJQS PJXHFSX SBHS PORFTQO SBOGQOFUOQ JTS JN NOHP. SBO PTCIQ JN SBOCP UCFFHYO SOFF H MCNNOPOIS QSJPX. (A CASTLE ON A CLIFF HOUSES A FAMILY OF LOST ROYALTY THAT RECLUSE THEMSELVES OUT OF FEAR. THE RUINS OF THEIR VILLAGE TELL A DIFFERENT STORY.)
11. SBO NJTP QBHPO H MOHMFX QORPOS. SBO NCNSB BOCP FCUOQ. SBO RHKSHCI FCUOQ. CQ SBO IOWS YOIOPHSCJI SBO EOX? (THE FOUR SHARE A DEADLY SECRET. THE FIFTH HEIR LIVES. THE CAPTAIN LIVES. IS THE NEXT GENERATION THE KEY?)
12. H RHPICUHF JKOIQ GHIX MJJPQ. H GHQE GHX GOHI QOUOPHF SBCIYQ. (A CARNIVAL OPENS MANY DOORS. A MASK MAY MEAN SEVERAL THINGS.)

The party recalls that these notes seem to align with the tour locations for a traveling performer whose flyer they saw in Tarana - Melody Locke & the Symphonia Borealis.   After a long rest, the party was able to dispel the arcane lock on Sedilia's trunk, to reveal a folded performer's costume in brilliant chromatic shades, a finely made lute, an unfinished disguise kit, and a final coded message:   HFF UOITOQ BHUO AOOI RJINCPGOM. QTKKJPS SOHG BHUO AOOI APCONOM. SBO RTPSHCI PCQOQ QJJI. (ALL VENUES HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED. SUPPORT TEAM HAVE BEEN BRIEFED. THE CURTAIN RISES SOON.)

Quest Log

Race for the Rails

• Figure out who's behind the sabotage of the Rusty Rails rail line.
• High Noon Shootout: Survive the Vipers gang attack on Copper Ridge. Completed: Session One.
• Wanted: Dead or Alive: Hunt down Fang, the leader of the Vipers bandit gang. Completed: Session Three.
• The Big Bang: Survive the rockslide triggered by the explosion at The Cut, and save as many townsfolk as possible. Completed: Session Four - WIP.
• Under the Light of the Moon: Investigate the large object discovered at the blast site near the Cut. Completed: Session Five - WIP.
• "H.": Follow up on the lead in Z'Veena about the mysterious "H." who hired the Vipers to disrupt the Rusty Rails construction project. Letter found in Session Three.

The Vipers

• Find out where the money went. Get it back.
• Red Rock Ridge: Clear out the Vipers bandit gang from their hideout/stronghold near Copper Ridge. Completed: Session Three
• As the Crow Flies: Track down "Crow", the mage who sold Sage, the snake with a hundred mage hands to Fang, leader of the Vipers bandit gang. Completed:Session Eleven
• The Mysterious S.V.: Find where the stolen money went by tracking down "S.V.", per a letter from Fang's boot, received in Session Three. S.V. likely captains the Nightscream, a sky-pirate dirigible airship, last seen traveling south along Readmuse Range.
• Sage, the Snake with a Hundred Mage Hands: Track down the snake used in the Copper Ridge heist. Calicrysta Byrch says it is probably seeking its mother - search for a large, darkly iridescent scale similar to the one Crysta used to create Sage. Perhaps in Z'Veena?

Uncovering the Past

• Work with the Trill Society to uncover and identify the mysterious object unearthed by the explosion outside Copper Ridge.
• The Trill Society: Visit the headquarters of the Trill Society, an archaeological guild. Completed: Session Nine Report
• The Vault of Shadows: Locate and explore the Vault of Shadows, returning to the Council of Matrons in Tarana when finished. Completed: Session Fourteen )
• Primordial Remains: Follow up with Field Crew Callithrix after they've had time to excavate the site near Copper Ridge.

A Curious Wreckage:

• Investigate the airship wreckage and learn what happened to the vehicle.
• Dearest Renegade: Investigate the crashed airship, Dear Renegade, its wreckage located outside of Copper Ridge. Completed: Session Two
• Repair the Black Box: Repair the glass orb recovered from the crashed airship. Lew's notes at Rainwood Hall indicate the Lascari twins in Nova Excelsium were the creators of the orb.

The Blinded Seers:

• The Hearth of Zivaria: Travel to and explore the Hearth of Zivaria (Completed Session Fifteen)
• The Sole Survivors: Stop the cultists from eliminating all of the Ghytan clerics assembled. Escort them to safety.
• A Prophecy Spoken: Decipher the prophecy spoken by the surviving Ghytan clerics.

The Awakening:

• Tracing Leylines: Lilvi mentioned a visiting scholar at The Avail Academy who was discussing the theory of leylines. Perhaps the leylines have something to do with Fexnas' awakening?

To No Avail:

• Back to School: Travel to The Avail Academy to follow up on rumors of missing students. Completed Session Eighteen.
• Skipping Class: Investigate the missing and ill students at The Avail Academy, and notably, locate Arenne Quill, Mellifret's absent wizard.

Other Missions:

• Assorted and unoffiliated missions (for now...)
• Restore Zeb's Memories: Zeb, who runs the Copper Tubs bathhouse in Copper Ridge appears to have serious amnesia.
• Haunting Blueprints: Follow up on the airship tower blueprints found at Lew's workshop at Rainwood Hall, as found in Session Nine Report.
• The Genesis Cube: Escort the Cube to the Pillars of the Aesnii, Viena's shrine in Z'Veena.
• The Continental Tour: Follow up on Sedilia's coded notes that seem to align with the continental tour of Melody Locke & the Symphonia Borealis.