Session 18 Do Warforged Dream of Magic Sheep?
996, Roscidas 19th
Tenebrae’s Refuge
Eager to get underway, the Six of Steel wake up early to catch the cable car back to Tenebrae’s Refuge. They find Cade in the Bogus Broadsword having returned late from a contemplative walk beneath the stars. Bantonio is quick to offer the dwarf a coffee to replace the half-drunk ale in his hand. While the others take breakfast, Gomruss marches up to Tabitha’s room and finds his sweetheart fast asleep. He knocks on the door to wake her and the pair spend the early hours enthusing about Gomruss’ new spell. The dragonborn confides that today he has debts to settle on Caelum’s Landing. Shocked, Tabitha suggests Gomruss take legal action against the debt collectors.
Bantonio offers a coffee to the local bard who appears exhausted. In return, the bard dedicates a song to Bantonio. Arti immediately recognises the song as the one from their dream. The warforged eavesdrops on Bantonio’s conversation with the bard. According to him, the song is Saint Lydia’s Song, one of the first songs he ever learned. Firien recounts their knowledge of Saint Lydia to Arti: she was an earth genasi who lived in the third century in the waning days of Cor Sol Orbis’ exarchy. Travelling from the distant lands of Montanum, Lydia offered her services as nurse to the ailing Exarch and promptly fell in love with him. She would not become recognised as a saint until after the exarchy of Rex Sol Orbis, conqueror of Atada and Atado. Bantonio’s mind is blown once again when his friends describe the founder of his home not as a unifier but as a tyrant.
Sundered Peaks
After arriving at Fundus Park, the party decide to take a taxi as far as Caelum’s Landing and walk to the Spirit Temple. The clement weather proves invigorating as they hike around the foot of the Sundered Peaks. They pass a citadel carved into the stone of the mountains. Gomruss identifies it as the Ruins of Caer Wraidd, the ancient residence of Anfarwol, the immortal elf-king of Anfang, now known as Caelum’s Landing. Gomruss recounts how Anfarwol was slain by Caelumites in the sacking of Caer Wraidd, not long after the Rising.
Spirit Temple
Ascending a weaving dirt path to the top of a hill, the Spirit Temple comes into view. Outside, the party witnesses the monks using their spiritual connection with nature to till the soil and help their crops grow. Inside, they are greeted by Blue-Belly, a chameleon-like lizardfolk with one large horn and a blue belly. The wide-eyed monk guides them to Master Baihu’s study, whereupon Arti delivers their proposal. Though appreciative of Arti’s resolve to rescue Glimback, Baihu expresses concern for the wellbeing of the five monk volunteers required for the mission. Arti explains how they intend to set up lanterns around the earthmote to shield it from the Miasma.
Arti confides that they failed on the expedition into the Miasma one year ago, and their heart was lost. Sensing the warforged’s confusion, Baihu suggests Arti might partake in a guided meditation to revisit their lost memories. Arti clutches Firien’s hand as they are led to Keijo, a young half-elf monk with the countenance of a tiger. Keijo shares a hug with Firien, having acquainted himself with the dragonborn six months ago when Madanau was threatened by a rogue earthmote and Firien was blessed by Bahamut to combat a horde of fiends. Arti sits opposite Keijo and takes his hands. Arti’s hands tremble as they are suddenly pulled into a dream state.
The Miasma
The sounds of battle ring in Arti’s ears. They charge towards safety alongside Glimback and several other Crows. Some turn back to obstruct the horrors, only to be cut down. A splash of warm viscera on Arti’s cold back urges them to turn around. A psychotic chimera plunges its scorpion tail through Arti’s chest, cracking the casing around their heart. They collapse, paralysed. Glimback hunches over them, tears in his eyes.
“Arti! He can’t move, what do we do!?”
“We have to take the heart and go, NOW! It’s our only chance of survival!”
“I’m so sorry, boy. I’ll be back for you, I promise.”
Glimback is forced to abandon Arti.
Arti watches as Glimback pries the lantern from their chest and makes his escape with six others. As their heart becomes more distant, Arti crosses the threshold of its radiance and is consumed by the Miasma. Within the confines of the dream, Arti is unsure how much time has passed when the face of their dream visitor once again looms over them.
“What have we here? Don’t worry, little one. I’ll take care of you. Wait a moment, this isn’t how I remember it.”
Dream Visitor to Arti.
Absent heart palpitating, Arti is able to sit upright and greet their dream visitor for the first time. Their appearance is much clearer now. Their gaunt, green-tinted face is bisected by long, pitch black hair. A half-crown of purple crystals erupts from their scalp. The visitor’s right eye glows a vibrant green while their left eye—obscured by their hair—glints purple. When Arti asks for their name, the visitor’s answer is somehow muted.
“Why did you help me?”
“Why? Kindness. Curiosity perhaps. You seemed important. If you are here, then that means you made it back to Anfang. But how are you here?”
“The monks are helping me reconstruct my memories.”
“Ah. Then I think it’s time you woke up.”
Arti to Dream Visitor.
Spirit Temple
Keijo collapses as Arti returns to consciousness. Firien rushes to Keijo’s side to cushion his head. Overwhelmed, Arti bolts outside and slashes at the trees in a fit of rage. Thankfully, Keijo is unharmed, merely exhausted. Having witnessed the horrors of Arti’s past, the young monk takes Firien aside to present a warning. The dream visitor was obviously a very powerful being. If they had control over Arti in some way, how could the warforged be trusted?
“I’m willing to trust Arti. I’ve always wondered why a peaceful god gave me such violent power. Perhaps I am to meet something so terrible it can only be pushed back by force. The miasma seems to fit that demand. If Bahamut requires me to be the lightning beneath his wings, then I’ll use that power to help Arti.”
“The Spirit Temple stands with you.”
Firien recruits the monks.
Quelling their rage, Arti joins their friends for home-cooked ramen; a Blue-Belly special. Arti recounts the events of their dream. Gomruss is particularly puzzled that the dream visitor should use the ancient name for Caelum’s Landing—the city hasn’t been called Anfang in almost 1,000 years. Bantonio quizzes Blue-Belly on the monks’ practices in matters of love and loss. According to him, love is cherished by the monks, but equally loss must be accepted. Bantonio feels the urge to embrace the kindly lizardfolk for his advice. Exiting the Spirit Temple, Bantonio also offers his potion of cure psychosis to Baihu so that the monks may study it. The party coo over Firien’s romantic parting from Keijo.
Sun District
Heading back to Caelum’s Landing, Firien encourages Gomruss to seek the advice of Constable Denover regards his debt; he may be a victim of exploitation. Barging into the barracks on Saint Lydia’s Way, Gomruss’ booming voice startles the weary constable. He pinches the bridge of his nose as he listens to Gomruss’ predicament. The two dragonborn are guided into the office where they meet Kahkir, a short, rooster-like aarakocra wearing half-moon glasses.
The lawyer examines Gomruss’ paperwork and highlights a purchase of 5000 Dice Monarchs sets from Resin Curios Inc. for 500 gold including shipping to retailers across the Relief. Gomruss declares he only purchased 500! Kahkir explains that the paperwork entitles the business to collect on their debt, but if Gomruss could contact the person who signed the paper, R. Chapman, they may admit to making a mistake. More importantly, Gomruss has not received his 75% of the profits as stated in the paperwork.
After rifling through several cabinets, Kahkir discovers that the parent company of Resin Curios Inc. is the Combe Shipping and Courier Agency, though the CSCA is a separate legal entity and therefore not liable in the case of a lawsuit. Denover further iterates that the thugs cannot use violence to collect Gomruss’ debt and suggests a guard accompany him to The Hearty Tankard. Gomruss refuses as the presence of a guard might dissuade the thugs from revealing information.