Theophilus looks concerned.
I have heard that if you cut off one foot two shall take it's place!
Kat folds her arms and holds one hand up to her chin. ”I would prefer Mara’s approach, personally. We leave the more ‘direct’ approach for if it is absolutely needed.”
Theo researches Feline tail (blue and purple mottled fur): Planes
Skull of ghoul royalty: Planes.
Day 23, Theo's side of the boat
Theo begins to look through some of the tomes on the hunt for Dreamland felines. He finds a reference to the book Tigers and Flies a collection of naturalist papers from the gnome Sabrina Sierra Sara Sablesash who spent a decade wandering the Dreamlands cataloging it’s various flora and fauna. Finding the tome Theo unfortunately discovers that the version you have is written completely in Aklo.
Theophilus decides to research the other option; once he hits a language barrier.
Day 24, Theo's side of the boat
Theo pages through the books chasing down something that talks about planar ghoul society. He finds the book The Manual of Silence and is again stymied by a language he doesn't understand, Necril this time.
Theo informs Mara.
"Okay, that word... it means 'squamous.' Scaly, but supposed to mean a really gross kind of scaly. You find it a lot in Aklo.
That word... how do I explain this... it's kind of like if you take a piece of paper, fold it up into a new shape like a bird, then unfold it, and the creases remain. So those creases are proof that the flat paper used to have height, right? Now imagine that a person is exposed to another reality with more, uh, dimensions. I'm not really sure how that could be. But the person gets changed. When they come back, those creases remain. 'Lasting effects of having gained a greater form.' Something like that.
That one? Insanity caused by separating the soul from the body when the time flow isn't the same. Like a million years pass for the soul while a fraction of a second passes for the body.
And... let me see... 'the sound a spine makes when ripped out through the mouth.'"
Kat decides to take up a research project of her own, zeroing-in on the viscount's signet ring. She's investigated her share of shitty nobles in her time with the agency, and in the process, has learned more than she would have liked to about all of their fancy titles, overwrought procedures, and incestuous family trees. But knowledge is knowledge, and it might be of use here, after all.
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
Theo and Dervak
Day 25
According to a naturalist’s papers there are felines with blue and purple tails called pards. They can be found the Dreamlands’ Enchanted Wood. Sabs, as the naturalist refers to herself, comments, ”The pards have domesticated a subspecies of human and has trained them to perform a variety of labors. The sophistication of the training is extraordinary, the humans have constructed crude dwelling which the pards and humans cohabitate, they bring the pards food and water in colorfully labeled ceramic dishes and bowls, and groom the pards daily. This labor savings has allowed the pards to devote time to extreme advances in science and culture.” At this point she continues to write about the various humans she has encountered, apparently she can’t conceive that humans are in fact intelligent creatures.
Day 26
One of Lowls’s diaries indicates his intent to seek the advice of zoogs, a race of intelligent rodent-like creatures native to the Enchanted Wood. Zoogs are carnivores and particularly enjoy feline flesh; Lowls assumed the zoogs would know where to find pards.
Kat
Day 24
In the Theological Agreements of the Kingdom you find references to Viscount Pietro Brellin, a mysterious but popular noble in the Dreamlands city of Celephais. In the strangely named travelogue Elements through the Spirals of Time you discover that Celaphais is an opulent and populous city. Although visitors and natives alike experience the passage of time normally, the city appears frozen in time. In the marginalia Lowls notes that he visited at noon, and the sun remained at its zenith even though he spent hours negotiating with the viscount for his ring.
Day 25
Searching through Spiders of Sin and Sky, a book that’s only purpose seems to be logging sinful celebrations and parties the author has attended, the author notes that Viscount Vrellin is known for hosting courtly and lavish events. The attendees fear losing the viscount’s favor so much that they will not react negatively to the numerous unusual incidents at these events.
Kat manages to piece together the ritual elements that will allow them to travel to Celaphais.
Day 26
According to The Manual of Silence the extraplanar ghouls of the Dreamlands are far more social—though no less wicked—than their bestial kin in the waking world. They have rich histories and large communities led by royalty.
Viscount’s signet ring: Research completed
Feline tail (blue and purplemottled fur): Research in progress
Skull of ghoul royalty: Research in progress
Green stone idol of a water lizard: Research not started
Night hag ambassador’s heartstone: Research not started
Captain’s tricorne: Research completed and gift collected
Red webbed foot: Research completed
Theophilus continually pats his perspiration--coated forehead with his fourth handkerchief, as he rapidly translates from the enthusiastic Dervak.
The White Rabbit seems to be laughing, while rolling on the floor.
Every few hours, Mara took a break from her own research, and checked out what the others were studying. She was particularly interested in the reports of intelligent cats that Theo had found.
Day 27
After she finished her research into the red webbed foot, Mara announced that she would look into the green stone idol of a water lizard.
Theo (with Dervak helping) continues his research.
Day 27
Theo and Dervak
Kat
Day 28
Theo and Dervak
Theo and Dervak manage to piece together the modification to the Dreamland excursion ritual to visit the Enchanted Forest where pards frequent.
Kat
Mara
Mara peruses the horrid treatise The Forgotten Servants which collects rumors about the Great Old Ones. Within Mara discovers that the water lizard referenced is no mere animal—it is a representation of Bokrug, one of the unimaginably powerful Great Old Ones.
The book asserts that Bokrug lives in a vast, unnamed lake in the Dreamlands. A race of alien creatures founded the city of Ib on the shores of the lake and worshiped Bokrug there. An idol of green stone was central to their rites.
Day 29
Theo and Dervak
In the marginalia in Atop the Valley's Soul Lowls notes on an entry on night hags that he sought the heartstone of a specific hag—an ambassador and soul-trader named Quaveandra. He also finds out what a heartstone is:
All night hags carry a heartstone—a special gemstone worth at least 1,800 gp that is worn as a periapt. A heartstone's magic is fueled by the hag's spirit and proximity—once separated from its owner (or upon the hag's death), a heartstone retains its magic for one month before becoming a nonmagical gem again. The heartstone instantly cures any disease contracted by the holder. A night hag that loses this charm can no longer turn ethereal or soul bind until it finds a replacement gemstone.
Kat
A discourse on the dread Plateau of Leng, The Unified Manual of Understanding, explains that a more powerful form of ghoul inhabits regions where the Dreamlands connects to Leng. These Leng ghouls are shrewder than their lesser kin.
Mara
The quasi-historical dissertation The Illusion of the Weeping Ones relates how Ib was destroyed by proud and warlike humans disgusted by the aliens’ bizarre rites and unusual physiognomy. The victorious humans were from a city called Sarnath. After destroying Ib, the folk of Sarnath carried away a strange green idol and housed it in one of their temples. The idol disappeared from the temple soon thereafter.
Day 30
Theo and Dervak
Theo finds a register of extraplanar diplomats listed in the book In Admiration of Keeping which lists Quaveandra as an ambassador to the city of Dylath-Leen. A grim city of basalt and one of the Dreamlands’ most notorious havens for vice.
According to The Falling Silk, a diary brimming with spiteful rumors, Quaveandra has an unnecessarily large retinue of retainers and an insufferably imperious manner.
Finally Theo pieces the modifications needed to travel to Dylath-Leen.
Kat
Kat finds the modifications to the Dreamlands ritual needed to travel to a necropolis likely to have the skull they need.
Mara
Mara finds the needed pieces to travel to Sarnath, the last known location of the idol.
The party feels a sense of accomplishment as they quickly conquered and plumbed all the depths of Lowls special library. With a handful of arcane notes Theo knows he can take the party anywhere they need to go to track down all the gifts for their meeting with The Mad Poet.
Theo slumps over.
Dervak puts down the last book. It has been an exhausting few days. Trying to put barely-recalled insights from the Dark Whisper into words he does not have. Trying to wrap his mind around Aklo concepts too big for it.
"Let's go kill something. Or beat something into unconsciousness at least. Whatever. I crave battle. These books make my head hurt."
Mara responded to Dervak, "You'll get battle soon enough, perhaps more than you want; I think some of these tasks are going to prove very dangerous. We may not be able to die in the Dreamlands, but our sanity will be sorely tested!"
"I'd even be up for trying to charm our way through... I just want to do something. Which one next?"
"Well, I'm intrigued by the intelligent cats," Mara replied. "Who wants to go to the Enchanted Forest and look for the pards?"
Theophilus (and the White Rabbit) holds up his hand.
You arrive on the wide, flat branch of an enormous oak tree. Smaller branches end in sprays of wide, sturdy leaves and connect to the branches of other trees throughout this arboreal landscape. You are 100 feet above the forest floor below, the immense trees reach yet further upward, extending smaller branches and ordinary sized leaves. This elevated forest terrain is brightly lit—as it is daytime—but shadows pool where the canopy far above provides deep shade.
Several almost rat-like creatures creep toward you on simian appendages, their eyes shine with effulgent light, and from their tiny mouths dangle small tentacles instead of teeth and whiskers. Zoogs.
Theophilus politely tips his hat at them.
So, take us to your leader!
He winks at the group.
The Zoogs look at each other and cock their heads, perhaps in confusion. Theo remembers from his research that Zoogs primarily speak Aklo, but exceptional specimens might speak more languages.
Orisons: Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Read Magic
1st lvl: Cure Light Wounds x2, Remove Fear, Liberating Command, open slot
2nd lvl: Barkskin x2, Calm Emotions, open slot
3rd lvl: Heroism x3, open slot
4th lvl: Fear, Threefold Aspect
When they arrived in the Enchanted Forest, Mara used her phylactery to monitor the health of Dervak, Kat and Rowan. She recited a prayer,while holding her metamagic rod, and addressed the zoogs in the language they would most likely understand.
The White Rabbit kicks Theophilus.
"Zoogs... there was one the asylum. I ate its rat friends but wasn't sure if it was also edible so I didn't eat the zoog. Yeah I remember now that they hate cats, so maybe they hate the pards too."
One of the braver zoogs ventures closer to the group sniffing the air. It eyes White Rabbit playing with the Gem of Seeing, a bit of drool drops from its mouth. It addresses Mara and Devak,
Mara pondered what sort of things zoogs liked (other than pard meat), and might accept in trade.
Mara recalls that primarily eat plants and fungus but consider the flesh of sentient creatures and cats a delicacy. They are also able to see magic auras and find such items fascinating.
Mara pulled out her wand of bless and showed it to the zoog, "This magic wand can give you courage! I could give it to you, in exchange for the tail."
The zoog scampers back to it's companions and there are quiet murmurs as they discuss the matter. Soon it comes back and says in the moldering words,
The zoog sends a runner into the nearby trees which comes back with a mottled blue and purple tail the length of Dervak's arm. Unexpectedly it is free of rot and only slightly dirty.
Mara accepted the tail, saying,
She told her friends discretely, "I don't think we want to join them on a hunt right now. Best not to antagonize the cats."
Theophilus smiles innocently, not understanding a word. He follows Mara's direction.
Dervak shrugs. Well, that was easy. He is ready to go back.
Slowly everyone drifts upward from their slumber and awake well rested. Dervak feels a heavy weight on his chest and when his eyes open he sees a brightly colored, long-necked amphibian that has six legs, a fanged snout, and numerous finlets running down its spine sitting on top of him.
Mara heard a familiar voice speaking Aklo and opened her eyes.
She explained to Kat that they had first met this creature at the asylum, and later at Fort Hailcourse in Thrushmoor.
Voonith bobs up and down in an undulating motion that’s somewhat nauseating. It slithers up to Kat and sniff around her while saying,
”There once was a human they called Kat,
Whose thoughts on justice were tit for tat,
Voonith scampered away,
Smelling her need to slay,
Maybe Voonith had eaten her cat?”
Voonith slinks behind Mara, hiding from Kat but soon gets distracted by a nearby stack of books. It pages through them oooing and aaahing as it goes. It answers Mara and Dervak,
Mara answered Voonith,
"Can you tell us about your home? It would help us find the way back."
Theophilus seems to be taking notes.
Voonith tells Mara about the swamps and mossy quays of its home. She gets a sense for the landscape and something is tugging at her memory, something she read about recently.
Mara looked over the works she read recently, trying to find the reference that resembled Voonith's description.
Theophilus scratches his head.
Day 32 and day 33
Mara and Theo search the tomes you've collected for clues to Voonith's origin. Perhaps unsurprisingly they discover that Voonith refers to the type of creature Voonith is rather than its name, they usually live in marshes and bogs.
By identifying the land marks of Mount Ngranek and the Lake of Yath, the you determine that Voonith's home is the Isle of Oriab in the Dreamlands' Southern Sea.
Mara told the creature that she knew as Voonith,
Mara finds Voonith alternating between bothering the crew of the Starling, swimming, and eating the raw fish it catches. Voonith says,