Last we left our heroes, Yevin was in a standoff with the Glass dragon Mordramoth. Mordramoth demanded that Yevin return with him to the council. He believed in the old ways, that Yevin’s human/dragon lineage is an affront to dragon kind and must be removed. Yevin counters that Skatha came to a different decision, didn’t you go talk to Skatha? Rather than discuss with his fellow, Mordramoth had spent the last few days stalking the group, waiting to catch Yevin alone.
In a verbal battle of wills, Yevin convinces Mordramoth to seek out Skatha before coming to a decision on his existence. He promises to go with Mordramoth to the council once the dragon returns from speaking with his elder. With that, the tense confrontation is dissolved and Yevin returns to the castle.
The next morning over breakfast, Yevin informs the group of his visitor. Ryker would like any excuse to add a glass dragon to his impressive kill list, but everyone agrees to wait on Yevin’s final word on the matter. There is a knock at the door; a gnommish mailman, Perfizzle, hands over a letter and continues on his day.
The letter is sent from Grimclaw and requests the Derailers meet with him that evening. Removing the black feather attached to the paper causes the letter to fizzle into flames, removing the evidence of its existence.
Concerned about the implications of Grimclaw letter, the team discusses Grimclaw’s potential motives. It was obvious that he disagreed with the council’s decision and had no desire to move Hadar’s arena. Rather then go in blind, Wander takes a moment to ask for Knowledge’s insight. She is told that Grimclaw is seeking to harm them, but not by his hand. Sharing this with the group, they all decide reconnaissance is in order.
Again, Wander reaches through with her divine powers, using the whisp Vineyard gave her to scry on Grimclaw. Aided by the feather he send with his letter, she finds him sitting in a darkly lit office, surrounded by paperwork, idly watching a sand timer count down, presumably to the time of their meeting. Unsure of what to do in the meantime, the team scatters for a few hours.
Nathan goes hunting, first for a frog (which Ryker pays irl $$’s for him to lick). The frog is fed to his snake, Levi. Then he continues his hunt with a tragic illustration of hunter vs prey dynamics. But no one else was there to observe; all we know is there is rabbit planned for dinner.
Ryker visits Daton to inform him of Grimclaw’s potential nefarious intentions and gives a knife to a small child. Havayla and Wander do research in the library. Eventually everyone gets bored and they go to Octavius’ for some quick shopping. He procures them a set of message transmitters — if the sending stones are long distance radio, these are short-range walky talkies — and the group starts on their reconnaissance.
They find that the arena has been repaired since their last visit. The magical dome over-top that they broke through has now been replaced with a physical roof. Initial investigation reveals no upper-level access. There is a small man-door to the side, behind which the crew surmises is Grimclaw’s men. Wander uses an arcane eye and between her magical sight and Ryker’s keen ears, they determine that the golliaths inside are simply playing cards. Wander spends a little more time exploring with the invisible eye, but is blocked by another repair: a better door leading to the creature holding space.
About this time, the Goliath guards are cued to the noises outside their door and welcome the Derailers inside to awkwardly wait while Grimclaw is notified of their arrival. After an uncomfortable and cramped moment, the group is led further in to Grimclaw’s office. He greets them as they enter in the previously spied on dark room, cigar in hand.
Grimclaw is quick to cut to the chase; he’s not moving the arena. He reveals that the Beholder, Daldulakenthawl, has been here much longer than anyone else realized and has quite the labyrinth set up beneath the arena. The creature is under the impression that the arena and all its contents belong to him, and he is miffed that his prized possession, a crystalline dragon, is missing. He is refusing to fight and is causing Grimclaw some distress. After further argument over the matter, Grimclaw reveals that the Beholder was not brought by him, it was invited there by the Priestesses of Sehanine when the temple still stood. Havayla and Dorza bristle at this accusation, along with Grimclaw’s insistence that the land belongs now to Haidar.
The conversation quickly becomes heated as the door behind them is locked from the outside. Ryker reaches out to Sehanine, which he should only be able to do on sacred ground. He is able to make a connection, proving that the land is still tied to Moonbow, but Grimclaw refuses to budge on his claim of the land for Haidar. Attacks are attempted and spells are countered. Havayla and Dorza are both ready to remove Grimclaw from the conversation entirely when Wander steps forward in an attempt to mediate. She doesn’t have ties to either god, and if the previous worshipers of Sehanine invited the Beholder in, doesn’t that deserve investigation?
Eventually a semi-truce is achieved, mostly just an agreement to not fight right now, and the Derailers are unceremoniously escorted off the premises with more questions than answers. Havayla is angry at the disrespect to Sehanine she just witnessed and rides off with Dorza on Aurora into the rainy night, leaving everyone else to decide where to go next. They determine that the Windwalker is closest, they can rest and regroup on the ship. Havayla can join them there when she’s cooled down.
On the way back to the ship, they run into a startled young man who seems to have been following him. Quick interrogation gives them a name, Tevo, and his mission: spy on the Derailers and report back to the arena guards. The skittish fellow has been promised payment and a look at one of the exotic captures, and creature called a beher. But every time he comes back to look at it, as promised, he’s given excuses of why he can’t. Ryker gives him a counter offer, but Yevin interrupts as he feels a strange electricity in the air, coming from below… Tevo can’t be shown the beher because it escaped and it’s wandering the sewers. No wonder Grimclaw is so on edge.
Tevo is told to run and everyone readies themselves for an attack, but the feeling fades and they are left in an empty street, standing in the pouring rain.
Meanwhile, Dorza shows Havayla a place they can stay for a bit, out of the rain. It’s by one of the access points Dorza would use to get into the sewer, where she hid from the Duke and Skulldrinker. Havayla wants to reach out to Sehanine, but is concerned about the potential of meeting Therezdun instead. She only has so many more times of hijaked communes before he will have enough of a hold on her to claim possession. Dorza suggests they reach out together, maybe that will strengthen her connection to Moonbow. Encouraged, Havayla reaches out to Sehanine, but falls into a trance and Dorza is unable to wake her. And that is where we left off…
How long has the Beher been in the sewer? What has happened to Havayla? Will the rest of the Derailers find out in time to help her? We’ll find out next time…