After a month break from the land of Zandoria, we are back! Well mostly; Arunak’s player is traveling and joined via discord and a 3 hour time difference, so Arunak was a little tired this session. We’ll all be back around the same table next week!
Last we left our heroes, they were reacting in shock to an altercation between Havayla and Yevin, as Yevin vanished from sight. As everyone takes turns speaking their minds or readying actions, Yevin’s voice floats down from above them explaining his reaction. He’s learning a lot about himself lately and is very unsure of these new feelings and emotions. He points out that he has never reacted in violence towards the group and they have nothing to fear from him. As emotions cool, Yevin reappears, and the discussion turns to next steps.
It is decided that the weary Derailers will rest here, but first some housekeeping. Wander advocates for keeping the bodies of the mindflayers and Duke Noillif intact and bringing them back with. Yevin and Arunak manage to squeeze the mindflayer bodies into his bag of colding, leaving the Duke’s body be for the moment. Ryker, Havayla, and Nathan tag team chopping the head off the monstrous Elder Brain dragon while Arunak goes to town on the brain itself.
Meanwhile, it is noticed that Mordramoth is looking suspiciously at Yevin. Wander attempts to read his thoughts, but is rebuffed and given the cold shoulder as a result. Ryker attempts to engage but is also shut down. Mordramoth asks about Skatha’s whereabouts, whereupon he is given the full story of Skatha’s rescue. Appreciative of the Derailers’ assistance, but still wary, Mordramoth turns invisible and leaves. Yevin shouts after him that Skatha’s said that the council will change and he (Yevin) should not come to harm. “We shall see” is the retort, along with instructions for Yevin to return to the council, alone.
Thoroughly covered in gore, the group cleans up and tucks in to the tiny hut for the night. Nathan cooks dinner while Havayla lets the queen know that the job is done before (successfully) communing with Moonbow. Business done, they all collapse in a tired heap.
Just before the hut extinguishes, Havayla notices a light at the cavern entry. A group of orcs with torches survey the destruction. As they pass by the disguised hut and take in the obliterated Elder Brain and dead body, the orcs engage in hushed discussion before lighting the scaffolding and monster corpse on fire. A trio surrounds the Dukes body, one speaks into a sending stone, and then they drop a torch, engulfing the slain Noillif. At this point, Havayla awakens the group who all take actions as she drops the hut.
Ryker, Havayla, and Nathan take down the closest orc in a flash of arrow, radiant energy, and a slice of sword. Wander commands one of the orc trio to “extinguish” as Arunak shoots lightening that chains through killing all three, while Yevin fells another with a fire bolt. Two orcs left standing. Ryker springs from the shadows, killing one as the other drops his weapon in surrender. Wander casts hold person to ensure he doesn’t escape as the team steps forward to interrogate.
Seeing that the rest of the group is distracted with the orc, Wander turns her attention to the Duke’s burned body. As she preps a spell, Yevin notices the diamond she’s holding and asks what she thinks she’s doing. “Someone has to stand for what was done. The Duke had every opportunity to stop Skulldrinker and he didn’t. Death is the easy escape. He needs to be brought back to Riverband.” Yevin reluctantly agrees to her logic and promises to protect her during the hour of casting.
Ryker leads the interrogation, at first through Aurnak’s translation, then in common, finding out that this group of orcs had hid themselves away during the battle with the dragons. The conversation turns into a bloody message of intimidation as Nathan threatens the orc with his commander’s head and Ryker gives the orc a message for Preymonger “don’t ever come here again” before chopping off all the orc’s fingers and setting him free.
From her place by the Duke, Wander expresses her horror at how the orc was treated, but is unable to intervene without breaking the weave of her current spell. Yevin asks Havayla to stand guard and privately confronts Ryker. Nathan and Arunak loot the bodies. Everyone is a bit on edge. Coming back, Ryker uses a spare sending stone to ask Reg to bring the ship to their location.
After an hour, the Raise Dead spell takes hold and Duke Noillif is returned to the land of the living. Wander explains the terms of his return, places him in bonds, and does some mental digging before the Duke shuts down, refusing to acknowledge his situation. Arunak picks him up and they all trek out to meet the Windwalker.
Once on the ship, the Duke is placed in the brig under constant guard. Everyone splits off to their own tasks for a time; Havayla to Aurora’s stable, Ryker to the shrine of Sehanine, Arunak to a bunk, Nathan to the kitchen, Yevin to the deck, and Wander to a private corner. Everything is quiet for a time.
Suddenly there are blood curdling screams and concerned whinnies over the intercom. Ryker and Yevin dimension door from there respective spots to find Havayla doubled over, screaming in pain and clutching her head, hands over her eye. Her flame tongue longsword is on the deck, alight in purple flame. Ryker rushes forward, taking Havayla’s head in his hands and asks to see her face. She looks up and Tharizun’s eye fills him with fear, forcing him to flee to the other side of the room. Yevin manages to fight the fear and attempts to dispel the eye, but to no effect. Tharizdun seems to be speaking through her in spurts, taunting attempts to help.
Arunak, Wander, and Nathan rush in next. Wander runs to Havayla and covers her eyes, casting remove curse. Everything falls quiet for a moment and Wander cautiously pulls her hands away from Havayla’s face… with a cackle of Tharizdun, Havayla lurches forward “it’s going to take more then THAT!” Wander is able to push aside the fear, but is at a loss of what to do. Havayla appears to make an attempt to reach out Moonbow, but her hair turns black and red as she seems to make contact with something else. Finally, Aurora steps forward and touches her horn to Havayla with a healing touch. In a flash of divine magic, the air stills and Tharizdun’s presence is cast out, although Havayla’s formerly pink hair is now black, fading to purple, with blood red streaks, a physical manifestation of Tharizdun’s corruption.
Shocked silence is broken as Wander quietly states that she thinks it might’ve been her fault. Ryker furiously demands to know what she did to put his WIFE in danger. As the group all takes that statement in, she brings out the shattered remains of the feeble mind stone. Wander communed with Knowledge to ask about it and he offered to destroy it. When she agreed and the stone shattered, the screaming started. They all recall that it was created from the mind of a mad god.
Reg pounds on the door, which has been locked and guarded by Nathan. Ryker assured him that all is well now, but we need to double time it to Riverband. Ryker then asks for a moment to speak with HIS WIFE alone. Everyone files out, Arunak back to bed, Nathan and Yevin to the kitchen, and Wander again finding a quiet spot away from everyone. She is soon followed by Yevin, bringing a plate of Nathan’s latest culinary concoction (exotic fish!). Yevin assures her that it wasn’t her fault before leaving her to speak with Knowledge in peace.
Nathan takes a couple plates down to the brig where Ryker and Havayla have retreated. Havayla thinks she should be kept under guard. Nathan brings them some food and then slides some in to the dejected Duke. The Duke’s guard eyes the food and Nathan dismisses her to get some herself, and takes her places to guard the cells.
After some time, Ryker and Havayla come out, see that the Duke’s guard is in place, and go to the kitchen to planning to gather the team, where the Duke’s guard is eating dinner… Ryker runs back down to the brig and confronts the disguised and eavesdropping Nathan. They both return, fetching Arunak along the way, and corral everyone in the war room.
Ryker starts off by explaining that he and Havayla did in fact get married during their time in the Feywild. When confronted previously, he denied it (fooling a zone of truth spell through sheer stubborn will) to protect her. The conversation then turns to Tharizdun. Havayla reveals that he is seeking a vessel, which he will take by force if able. Both her and Ryker were given confirmation from Sehanine that the trouble with the eye would be resolved through the festival in roughly two months. Wander gleaned through Aurora’s actions that any healing spell cast on Havayla would push Tharizdun out, should he attempt to possess her again. In the meantime, they’ve all been ordered to Riverband and they’ll just have to manage things as they come until the Moonbow festival.
The group adjourns to the deck as Riverband appears on the horizon. As the Windwalker flies over the city, the previously abandoned streets are bustling and there is a gathering in the town square. As the ship comes about, we leave our heroes. What has changed in the the few days since they left Riverband? What will come of the latest revelations? And will they forget that Yevin has two extra-planar bodies in his bag of codling? We’ll find out next week…