Motteditor's Strange Aeons PBP

Game Master motteditor

Al and Kyffin quickly dispatch the duplicate of Belzoni, ridding you again of the brief acquaintanceship with the man and leaving only Tenebrynn's dark doppelganger.

She ignores Jasno's attempt to restrain her, but not Tristain's words. Pulling out her dagger, she stabs furiously. Deprived of her greatest weapon -- her mastery of the winds and weather -- she's rendered far less dangerous, and you're able to eventually dispatch her without much more harm, the real gnome blasting her out of whatever existence she had here.

As you do, and you're able to concentrate on the strange memories flooding back into your heads except for Jasno, who has no missing memories, you each hear a bizarre series of clicks and high-pitched hoots intermixed with crackling mechanical static as images of a faraway desert city flash in your head. The cacophony settles and you recognize this as a language that you suddenly and inexplicably understand. Kyffin, Tenebrynn and Tristain again see images of Count Lowls drowning you in the Mad Poet’s Dreamlands oasis, being led through the receiving doors of Briarstone asylum in a catatonic state, and then suddenly waking up in the asylum’s basement. The images and sounds coalesce into a sudden shout of “Wake up!” As the mental sensation begins to fade, you hear a strange voice overlaying the clicks and static that says, “You are now free, but to remain so you must find me.” It seems to last just a fraction of a second and then you're again aware of your strange surroundings.

Kyffin, adrenaline still surging, tries to concentrate on the dream. He’s confused a moment, and then realizes it’s Lowls talking, and Lowls whom they must find.

”Well.” he cleans his blade and sheathes it. ”Seems we must yet find this Lowls fellow and pay him back for what he’s done to us. Though revenge is perhaps best savored by my last life than this one. I would still see to it no one else has this done to them.”

He turns to Tristain, ”Is it time to wake up now? Can we avoid ever coming here again I wonder?” He has hopes, but he knows their road is winding, and may yet double back before they get to where they’re going.

Albert watches with interest as his companions listen to an inner dialogue. He hopes they discover whatever was lost and they can leave this dream desert straight away. "I tell you, Jasno, these folks got mixed up in some strange business, and now were part of it to the end, I just hope it ends well."

Tenebrynn drops to her knees, her eyes wide and pupils narrow as pinpoints, as memories and knowledge worm into all the empty places and gaps in her mind. She brings her hands up to the sides of her head and begins to jerk and writhe for several long moments before suddenly going still. The little gnome takes a few shuddering breaths before rising to her feet. She shakes her head, her tulip-red hair dancing wildly with the motion, and takes one last steadying breath.

”Odd sensation. Very odd. Unsettling. Strange voice more so.” She exhales stiffly through her nose then turns to the others, her manner of speech seemingly snapping back to what it had been after they awoke in the bowels of Briarstone, ”Did any of you hear it too? Hisses and clicks. Unfamiliar.”

Tristain shakes his head. ”No, I don’t want these. I don’t want to know! NO! This wasn’t the deal!” He slowly sinks to his knees and puts his hands on his head, trying to push away the recovered thoughts.

”I was free when I didn’t have these memories! No!”

Tristain looks for a wall upon which to bonk, which he does as his mind tries to grapple with the changes.

* * *

Tristain gets back into bed, and stay there for the time being.

"Tristain, it is good we have these memories. They make us who we are, and if we are to be better people, it's good to know who we've wronged. Perhaps we can make amends in time, for those we have hurt under Lowls."

"I think we're done here. Let's wake up, and determine our next course of action." Assuming the others concur, he'll try to awaken.

- - -

”I suppose we must now onto Katheer, in my homeland of Qadira, to obtain the Necronomicon (link). I’m not sure the best way from here to there might be.”

Motteditor, where are we? I’ve lost track…

Tenebrynn shakes her head at Tristain’s lament, her words are hurried and fast, nearly tripping over themselves as they pass her lips. ”No, free from memory meant we were chained to ignorance. Easy to make same mistakes again. Burdened now with guilt or shame, perhaps, but free to choose how to respond. Kyffin is right. Cannot correct wrongs if unaware of them. Regardless, can only move forward now. Bonking heads can wait until we are out of terrible desert and Dreamlands.”

You are about ready to arrive at Cassomir, where you know Lowls came to meet his old colleague and associate Miacknian Mun.

Did anyone else have any more questions for the Mad Poet. If not, you can wake up and we'll finish Book 3!

"Tristain, it is good we have these memories. They make us who we are, and if we are to be better people, it's good to know who we've wronged. Perhaps we can make amends in time, for those we have hurt under Lowls."

"Is it though? Is it better to know all the bad things we've done rather than never know them? Isn't forgetting the only salvation? If we don't know, then we don't know. If we know, then we know. We can't know if we want to be free," Tristain looks at Kyffin with tears in his eyes.

"I haven't been bad since you've known me. I haven't been perfect, but I haven't been mean or selfish or cruel or hurtful. I've been good," he looks down at his hands. "I've been mostly kind, and mostly nice, and mostly good to everyone except those who tried to kill us...isn't that who I really am? And not these other thoughts? This other me that might not have actually been me? What about that, Kyffin? What. About. That?!"

Tristain looks at Kyffin with sorrow and regret and pain in his eyes.

"I dunno there Tristain. I'm no philosopher, but I think they're both you. The you that was, and the you that is. I wouldn't dwell on it. Live in the present, not the past, and make the future a better place than the present." Kyffin suggests simply.

He tries to wake up before continuing the conversation, feeling much safer in the real world. At least here he's never died!

"Let's see what there is to see at Cassomir and then perhaps we can get a coastal ship to Katheer. We've a few things to sell... very few. But enough to get some diamond dust and maybe another wand or two for healing we may need. Won't be much left over, but we'll manage."

Al? Jasno? Any RP at all?

"Both me? I don't want one me, let alone two. Especially one that is wrong, broken, and evil. No, I don't want that," he bonks his head, still trying to process.

He puts his head down and curls up into a ball, slowly going over things again and again in his mind. Trying to order the events of his life that he forgot, or had removed, reclaiming a coherence of life.

Going to assume no more questions then.

You wake, hopeful that you at least won't have to return to the Dreamlands anytime soon, making your final days aboard the Starling seem a little bit peaceful, despite your inner turmoil and what you know still awaits you.

A couple mornings later, Skywin gathers you. "Well, it wasn't too bad a journey," she says, "at least no more than usual. We should arrive in Cassomir this afternoon. I'll be unloading and reloading and then heading back upriver in the next day or two. Which reminds me--" She turns to Jasno "-- you seem a bit more used to the water than the rest of your lot. If you're interested, you'd be welcome to stay on the boat. I could use a man like you."

Tenebrynn, recognizing Tristain’s attempts to goad her into consoling him, just shakes her head and walks over to the Mad Poet’s door. She knocks timidly, then smiles as he opens the door. ”Just wanted to say ‘thank you’.” She then takes a stiff, long breath, before making visible effort to slow her speech. ”Sorry. I wanted to thank you, sir, for your help. I- Nestor wasn’t bad, but the situation we were in was. Thank you for untangling it, and... well, us.”

She then excuses herself with an awkward half bow and returns to the others, ready to wake.

——————

As Skywin offers Jasno a place on the Starling Tenebrynn turns to the dwarf with wide eyes. Making effort again to not rush her words, the little gnome offers, ”You’ve gone with us to some of the worst places, Jasno. I- we are grateful, I hope you know.”

Jasno looks at the others after waking. “Are you all ok?”

He nods at Tenebrynn, “I used to think that it was the depths of the sea that held what I fear most. Where I lost my father and brother - all my kin. I know now that I carry my fear wherever I may sail.” He looks again at the others. “I can’t say I envy you all for having no memory for the time you have. At least what I remember has helped me find my way. As have sailing these waters with all of you. Perhaps it’s remembering that makes it a bit easier to carry the worst with us.”

He smiles at Tenebrynn, “and having others to travel with along the way.”

Tenebrynn smiles, though the expression is slightly strained. ”Maybe remembering will get easier in time.” She shrugs, then hugs the dwarf, scrunching her nose up as his beard tickles her face. ”Does that mean... you intend to accept Skywin’s offer?” She does her best to keep her emotions out of her voice for Jasno’s sake, such decisions were hard enough, but she’s not good at hiding such things.

Although terribly curious if the Mad Poet is angry or crazy, Albert decides not to question the ambiguous title.

___________

"Cassomir will be a change and folks are starting to know us. I think we should keep a low profile and be careful who we trust when we get there." Al packs up his few items and prepares to disembark that afternoon.

Tristain wants no pity from others (never has), but only to find a way out of this waking daymare that is mostly nightmare.

How can I be so afflicted when both awake and asleep? Why is there no rest in either?

When he is not dozing, he is bonking, trying to right the memories in his mind, putting the pieces back together.

"As he regains his memories, he feels an element of calm fill his body. He's still anxious and a bit head-bonky, but he has a better sense of how to focus this energy to work for him in future fights against your enemies."

He has little to say at the moment, wishing he never had the memories again.

Jasno nods, “I do. It is time I sail back to where this all began for me. If not right away, in time. Smooth sailing will be my hope for you all.”

"Jasno, you've been a good and stalwart ally. I wish you well in your sailing!" Kyffin pats the man on the back and wishes him well.

He nods along with Al, "Yes, we should maintain a low profile if we can. We've a little to sell, but most of our recent gains were merely dreamstuff. We could use a wand of CLW, and some diamond dust. Can anyone think of anything else we might need?"

We're pretty poor really. Our Wealth By Level is above goal, but that's due largely to the 55kgp stat bumps we just got. I'll do a divvy now that we're in a town where we can sell things, but for planning figure each of us will see around 5kgp - pending other group needs.

Tenebrynn glances down at the beat up and worn leather jerkin she’s had on since Briarstone. ”Would be worth getting something better than this now. Dangers sure to escalate the more we follow the count. Should have said goodbye to his Dreamlands splinter.” She sighs at the thought, then reaches for her money pouch. She pulls back one of Kyffin’s scarves and Al’s smoked goggles, returns them absently, then finally produces her purse and discreetly takes stock. ”Oh. More here than I expected. Good. Affordability should not be an issue.”

Kyffin's comments about money seem to perhaps have been divinely heard. As you're packing your meager belongings and making your final farewells, you see a man in the robes of an Abadaran priest board the boat. He looks around, before his eyes finally seem to settle on you. "Ah, just the people I was expecting. Finally I can stop making my trips to the docks to see if you've arrived!"

He pulls you aside. "Senator Daldamine sent a message saying we should transfer a sum of money to you for services you rendered. Here, please accept this gift on his behalf."

He hands you a package. Inside are for platinum ingots, each worth 2,500 gp.

Tristain waves to Jasno as he leaves, worried for the strange brave little man who sometimes healed him, and sometimes did nothing.

”I could shop. We should probably buy more tools of healing. And some that will fix harder, deeper hurts too.” Wands of CLW, scrolls of restoration and the like?

* * *

”OH! Thank you Senator Daldamine! How many ingots are there?” Tristain cranes his neck to look. He counts the ingots. He counts 4, or four, or IV, that’s for sure.

”We can use these as well to buy things we need,” he hands the package to Kyffin.

He will go help with the shopping.

Yes. Four. Each is stamped with a word in Taldan, but misspelled. It's very annoying since there's no way to go back and change it.

As Tristain makes for the town proper, Tenebrynn tugs on Kyffin’s pant leg a few times to get his attention. As their eyes meet, hers turn wide before she shifts her glance pointedly to the head bonker at the front of the group. Her voice is soft but urgent and forceful as she hisses, ”You promised!” She then turns to Al and says, ”Oh, Al, maybe you could help me with this?” As she rambles on, her pace slows, as she tries to give Kyffin the space he needs.

”I could shop. We should probably buy more tools of healing. And some that will fix harder, deeper hurts too.” Wands of CLW, scrolls of restoration and the like?

”I can cast Restoration now, but a couple scrolls might be handy as I don’t routinely have it prepared. Still, it raises the question of what form the scrolls should be in, so maybe that’s more hassle than it’s worth. We are picking up some diamond dust (2kgp) so we’ll have some handy for our needs. I think we need another wand, but our healing has been OK and so we have two basically full wands and one half full already. One more in a paranoid reserve is good, but no more than that I should think.”

Anyone think of anything else we might need? I’ll add a couple restoration scrolls to the purchase list.

He takes the ingots gladly, and thanks the messenger. He piles it on with the rest of the goods soon to be distributed.

”You promised!”

"Oh, I haven't forgotten. We've been a little busy you know. I was going to take him shopping, but this works."

Kyffin walks quickly ahead and takes Tristain aside a moment. Though there’s unlikely to be any, he tries to find a quiet spot away from people and bustle. ”Tristain,” he begins, and hesitates, not really sure how to approach this. ”I have it on good authority, the best authority in fact, that your attention toward Tenebrynn is, er, well, unwanted. I’m sorry…”

With hunched shoulders, he looks at his friend sadly, ready to commiserate about his loss with the usual platitudes about there being other women out there, etc., etc.

”One more in a paranoid reserve is good, but no more than that I should think.”

Looking around for ever-present danger suspiciously, Tristain wonders who is being paranoid.

* * *

”Tristain, I have it on good authority, the best authority in fact, that your attention toward Tenebrynn is, er, well, unwanted. I’m sorry…”

"What?" Tristain blinks, very confused. "Huh?"

"What?" Tristain blinks, very confused. "Huh?"

”It’s OK, really. I know we’ve never talked about, well, private stuff before. But you should look upon me as your brother. Er, if you liked your brother that is.”

Kyffin shakes his head, having trouble explaining himself. ”What I mean is, I’m here to help you through this. Brother.” He pats Tristain on the back and shakes his head, understanding his friends pain.

”It’s OK, really. I know we’ve never talked about, well, private stuff before. But you should look upon me as your brother. Er, if you liked your brother that is.”

Kyffin shakes his head, having trouble explaining himself. ”What I mean is, I’m here to help you through this. Brother.”

Tristain, who was slightly on his way to being less paranoid and weird Per Motte's revelations in discussion thread. finds himself sliding quickly away from the solid mental footing that had recently been established.

"I'm your brother? And Tenebrynn is my sister? Are...you...saying that you guys are ditching me here?" Tristain's voice breaks, completely taken off guard. He currently doesn't have a family, or friends, a home, or a place in the world...and now what little he had was being taken from him.

"But I've tried so hard. I helped as best I could," he begins to cry, not understanding, but his biggest fear was clearly coming true. He would sob on Kyffin's shoulder, but instead turns his back and begins to move away in tears.

”It’s Tenebrynn, not you! Don’t cry! It’s just that she’s not, well, keen on you. I mean she loves you like a brother. We all do. We're not ditching you here.” He pats him on the shoulder again as he turns away, ”But she’s not into you man. You know. Sexually.”

Kyffin stops and looks keenly at his friend, ”It’s OK to be sad. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s just the way it is. Life goes on, you know? There are other women out there for you - and now that you're whole, you'll have trouble keeping them off you!” Kyffin walks up to Tristain and gives him a big hug - trying to squeeze away the tears.

Albert accepts his smoked goggles without comment, and honestly never missed them.

”Oh, Al, maybe you could help me with this?”

Al hesitates at the strange request, Tenny never stops to get help, then he notices the awkward interaction with his other companions and he understands perfectly. "Don't worry about it, boy", he comforts Tristain, "I once had a girl throw a cow pie at me, rejections can be like that. You'll get over it." Confident that his wisdom of experience will sooth the head bonker, Al heads out with Tenny for some shopping. "Come on, lets find you a better jerk, er, jerkin."

”But she’s not into you man. You know. Sexually.”

”That doesn’t make any sense,” Tristain spins, trying to figure things out. ”No one would find her sexually attractive, even the ghost wants out of her!” Tristain seems very confused why Kyffin thinks he’s attracted to Tenebrynn and why he has to leave because of it.

”Why do I have to leave though? Why is that? I don’t want her. Who would?” He wipes some ugly cry boogers from his nose. ”Just give me my share and I’ll go. I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’ll go. This doesn’t make any sense.”

"Don't worry about it, boy"

Tristain tries not to recoil from the non-human Al.

”I don’t understand, Al. I thought we were done being crazy, and done being tortured. Why is this happening?”

As Al and Tenebrynn increase the distance from the others and round a bend, she sighs once they’re out of sight. ”Ugh. Thanks, Al.” She relaxes a little, and shakes her head ruefully. ”Don’t want to hurt him, but also don’t know what else to do. Can only hope Kyffin is able to help him.” She pauses for a second, taking a deep, sharp breath and tries to forcibly slow her speech again afterward. ”It’s just, I dunno. The attention seeking was just more than I could handle. All the bonking and self-critical comments, I just- ugh, I don’t know, Al. It’s also really weird. I mean, you’re all wonderful friends and more of a family than I’ve had since forever ago, but there’s a reason no one’s ever seen a half-gnome, you know?” She shudders, but gives Al a grateful half smile.

”That doesn’t make any sense,” Tristain spins, trying to figure things out. ”No one would find her sexually attractive, even the ghost wants out of her!” Tristain seems very confused why Kyffin thinks he’s attracted to Tenebrynn and why he has to leave because of it.

”Why do I have to leave though? Why is that? I don’t want her. Who would?” He wipes some ugly cry boogers from his nose. ”Just give me my share and I’ll go. I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’ll go. This doesn’t make any sense.”

Kyffin laughs, ”She doesn’t want you out of the group m’boy! Just give her some space is all.”

Satisfied he’s done what he could to tamp down Tristain’s libido, he smiles and continues walking to the next shop. ”It should be around the corner here, if that lad at the docks can be trusted.”

Party Divvy
Each of us get 7,589 (which includes the ingots) and as a group we picked up a Wand CLW, 2kgp diamond dust, Scroll of Restoration (100gp) x2.

Once Kyffin unloads the parties gear and divvy’s up the cash, he looks for a bow of his own. He’d much rather get some armor, but he can’t afford it, so he’ll be patient. When they get to the Qadiran bazaars he’ll be able to barter his way if he’s still short!

For now, a bow to give him better ranged capabilities, just in case.
Longbow, composite +1, magic +1, adaptive (3,500gp)

”I don’t understand, Al. I thought we were done being crazy, and done being tortured. Why is this happening?”

Sadness fills the old man's eyes. He knows he must explain one of the harsh truths of the universe to young Tristain, and he won't take it well. "Love is crazy. Ain't nothing about it is rational, logical, and sometimes even understandable. And you can't stop it, or control it, it just happens to you, if you're lucky."

Grateful to escape the impending meltdown, Al breathes easier when he and Tenny are around the corner. He nods sagely at her wise words about half gnomes. "If you ask me, folks are too concerned with their composition. Don't matter what half or whole a person might be, you've seen what I can change into, but that ain't me. It's just a shell, the vehicle for the soul and the spirit that does defines me. Ain't nothing wrong with a human and gnome if they love one another, it just don't happen often, and well, maybe it should." Al raises an eyebrow at Tenny. "Tristain ain't really that bad is he? Seems a good lad and he'll fight to the death for you. Maybe you should give the boy a chance?"

Tenebrynn wrinkles her nose at the thought and shakes her head like she just ate something sour. Her step falters and she looks at Al, ”Uhhhh. No. No no. Ewww. No. Al. Why would you- how could you suggest- what. No. He’s, all of you for that matter are,” she shudders involuntarily as she forces the word, ”tall.” She shudders again. ”It’s not natural. And there’s enough unnatural in the world already. Besides, just- ugh. No.”

Tristain is still very confused about what is going on, and will need several hours of head bonking to unpack it all. Needless to say, everything is awful all the time and it's probably Al's fault.

He will shop and avoid Tenebrynn, also try to stop crying. This was very traumatic and totally unfair.

Albert doesn't have a good argument against height, but he still tries his best. "We could find you some shoes that make you taller, I've seen fancy folk wearing those, and that would get you a little closer. Just something to think about while we're shopping today." Al doesn't push any further after that and enjoys the afternoon of shopping with Tenny after the long, dull boat ride. "Let's start with one of those food vendors, I'm ready for some hot food that doesn't contain fish."

Al has 8.5k to spend, will try to do that this weekend

After the party has done its shopping, they presumably meet up again for a meal and to plan their next steps. ”Let’s plan our next steps,” suggests Kyffin after they’ve ordered/been served.

”Our over-arching goal is to get Lowls. Not only do we have personal scores to settle with the man, we need to make sure he doesn’t do this to anyone else - and Sarenrae only knows where he is exactly. As Tenebrynn pointed out, we should hunt down this Miacknian Mun (link) while we’re in town. Then we should head to Katheer (link) I think, to further track the man down, and his little book too.”

”But let’s start with this Mun fellow. He may not be, well, evil. He might just be interested in this stuff on an intellectual level. I mean sure, he helped Lowls out, but he might have done so without knowing all the details, right? Or even been coerced in one way or another. We just don’t know, so we should treat him like an innocent, until proven otherwise.”

Kyffin shakes his head, ”… and I bet he shows us his character soon enough when we meet him. Al, we’re relying on you to help determine if he’s a hostile or not. But we should talk to him first.”

He shrugs, ”Does that work for everyone, or have I missed something? We should be ready for battle when we visit, but we shouldn’t start one, agreed?”

”Only recall the name, never met Mun, but am personally more inclined to stab first and ask second. Lowls associates all bad. Even us. Hope to be wrong though. Have any of you seen him? Mun, I mean, before? Travelled with Lowls to Cassomir? All the time and memory lost to the oasis was more than I’d expected, and ordering it all proving difficult. Still feel jumbled.”

Tristain eventually stops his pouting and hurt, taking many hours for himself away from the party, and especially Tenebrynn.

He’s still confused and hurt and betrayed, but really has no other place to go...unless he wants to take his share of the loot and go live peacefully in a safe place with no worries for many many years. But no, he’s not like that. He wants to finish what he started.

”Yeah, okay, let’s focus,” Tristain eventually pipes up, his eyes still red from crying. ”Let’s go find Miacknian Mun. I’ll be there, about 20’ behind all of you.”

"No, Tenny, no stabbing first." Al says firmly. "Kyffin has the right of it, we don't treat Mun like a criminal until we know the story, otherwise we could be carrying out evil's designs. Lowl's may not have been honest with anyone in this tangled web. Let's find Mun, but lets be careful and discrete, ain't knowing who else might be looking for him or us."

"Good, let us see if we can find this Miacknian fellow, and see what we can learn. But do be prepared. As Tenebrynn suggests, he may be no good at all - it's even likely. But we have to give him a chance." before we crush him. he thinks un-generously.

"Do you any of you remember if he's a spellcaster? I can resist energy on us just before the meeting. I guess I'll pick fire if no one remembers anything."

What, if anything, do we remember about this guy Motteditor?

Kyffin, you and Tristain recall Mun was an alchemist who fled Ustalav due to his reputation for human experimentation and necromantic research.

You're not sure where he would be in this city, so you may need to ask around and try to gather some information to find him.

Still a bit red eyed from his blubberings, Tristain nonetheless tries to figure out where Mun might be. He's been through the city already, trying to shop for things of interest (and failing), and just might have picked up a lead.

1d20 + 19 ⇒ (7) + 19 = 26 Know (Local)

"Alchemist, I think, Kyffin. I could be wrong. Probably a necromancer as well. Maybe we should find a graveyard? The Pharasmites might have a lead too."

Tristain thinks asking around the city might be the best bet Diplomacy to Gather Information, though perhaps Skywin could help you as well, considering how long she's been dealing with folks in the city.

Tristain thinks asking around the city might be the best bet Diplomacy to Gather Information, though perhaps Skywin could help you as well, considering how long she's been dealing with folks in the city.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to be diplomatic when one’s eyes are puffy and you’ve been crying all day? Well...my coworkers will tell you exactly how hard it is for me.

Tristain bonks, uncertain how to help.

"Alchemist then." Kyffin nods in agreement.

"Folks don't like talking to me much, I'm too intimidating I guess. Just not friendly enough. Al, do you care to lead the questioning? I'll sort of hang back a bit in case there's trouble."

"Alternatively Tristain and I could check out Alchemists, while Al and Tenebrynn do the questioning. I don't think there's much risk here in town, so splitting up shouldn't be too dangerous." he suggests as an alternative.

If they do split up, Kyffin tries to think about where an Alchemist might be found in the big city.
Knowledge Local: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

"I suppose I can lead the questioning. It's going to be tough without knowing folks or locations in this city." Al bellies up to the bar at a nearby tavern, pays for a pint or two, and inquires about the layout of the city without exposing his interest in the location of graveyards or a temple to Pharsma.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (9) + 18 = 27

Tenebrynn shrugs and follows after Al, ”Better than books, at least.” As the pair move through the streets, the gnome catches herself looking upward and evaluating the windows, roofs, and upper floors of many of the buildings. She frowns and forcibly fixes her eyes on the street, inwardly wrestling with the burglar she used to be before Briarstone, who she’d been afterward, and what in the world she’d now become.

Al isn't able to find anyone who knows exactly where Mun may be, but does learn he is occasionally seen in the company of a group of visionaries called the Esoteric Knights of Evolvement who meet at the Sceptered House—a reading room and lounge within the Abbey Green District of Cassomir.

Tenebrynn's heart falls at the idea of a room full of reading material, but she bravely plans to soldier on.