With a jarring flash you are all disgorged back into the Winding Way bookshop, directly over the circle of grave earth that Eldrin poured in the ritual to enter the dreamscape. Although it seems like such a long time ago , everything appears to be exactly as you left it.
Almost as you left it anyway. The sound of morning birds can be heard wafting in from the street, as well as the quiet chatter of a city going about its business. What there isn't is a round-the-clock bustle of people trying to keep each other awake, and an uneasy feeling of dread permeating the whole city borne of a certainty that sleep with bring restless nightmares.
Grunyak quickly takes care of the wounds everyone received during their hasty exit from the decaying dream of an ancient artifact, and checking on the street you find a distinct lack of jittery insomniacs. Indeed every bench is occupied by people fast asleep, dreaming peacefully.
As you're looking around a street vendor pushes a cart of pastries and catches sight of you.
"Oh it's you! Wait do I know you? I'm sorry but I've clean forgotten your names, here have some cinammon rolls on me, and take it easy you hear!"
She continues down the street leaving a befuddled Grunyak holding an armful of fresh cinnamon rolls.
Thinking back you recall that Sheila and Canayven Heidmarch first sent on this mission to stop an unknown but serious calamity involving dreams in Korvosa. With the dreamstone destroyed, you have averted disaster and saved the people of Korvosa from oblivion, and perhaps even saved the whole of Golarion from meeting a second apocalyptic end thanks to another stone from the same meteor as the Starstone.
As Madame Carrington's is just round the corner, you check in on her. A far cry from his previous icy demeanour, Maynard bursts into tears when he opens the door and weeps openly as he embraces each of you.
"Thank you thank you, you saved Alyssa and freed my mind from that monster's control. We have little to offer in payment, but you are welcome here any time in the future and if there's ever anything we can do to help you, just ask"
He leads you into her chamber where you find that she's being tended to by a young cleric of Abadar. He stands when you enter.
"She's going to need several more treatments, but she'll be right as rain in a week or so. I trust that will settle my debt?"
Madame Carrington breathes out heavily in a clear snort of derision, and the cleric blushes before heading out. Once he leaves the spectral form of Giurescu, Madame Carrington's phantom love emerges from the wall.
"You have my thanks too. Sally Scrabblebones has been a tale to scare children with for centuries in Korvosa, and you killed the old witch. Every person in this city owes you a debt of gratitude, though most will never know it"
She turns to look at Madame Carrington and pauses as they communicate telepathically.
"Alyssa too wishes to offer you her thanks. She owes you her life, as do so many here. Your role will not be forgotten. She wants to know; what's next for the heroes of Bridgefront?"
|
Taariik is glad that the merchant gave them some cinammon rolls because he is starving!!
"The city is at peace and that is your doing my friends!! Irori would be proud to welcome you on any of his followers' path to perfection! Mine included! Thanks!!!"he says and claps Dru on the shoulder.
"Now we only need to find you something to drink ... I mean after leaving us here waiting and waitng you owe us the first round! We were really worried Dru!!" the Ifrit says with a smile.
~
When they arrive at madame Carrington's place and see her alive, Taariik is relieved to see her again and is clearly proud to hear all the praise.
With a beaming smile he only says, "Ehh ... yeaahh ... we almost died but we were successful after all!"
At Eldrin's suggestion, you get some rest at the inn you've been staying at in Bridgefront. In the common room you are treated to no fewer than four different people trying to buy you drinks, and the owner of the inn decides to wave your room fee for being such excellent guests.
The next day you head across the bridge to City Hall to confront Magistrate Drune with his involvement in the brotherhood of the spider, but the Magistrate is nowhere to be found. Even his secretary is absent. Instead you find the secretary of another Magistrate, one Garrick Tann looking for Drune as well. They invites you to a meeting with Tann, who wants to know what has happened with the investigation into the death of his nephew Frell.
As you fill him in on the events, he becomes enraged at Drune's complicity, and orders a city-wide manhunt before dismissing you with thanks.
You've barely made it back to your tavern before word reaches you that Magistrate Drune was slain resisting arrest at his mansion in the heights, and that a dungeon was uncovered beneath his manor filled with occult paraphernalia and links to much of the organised crime in Korvosa, along with an enormous petrified spider.
Magistrate Tann is the toast of the city, though your involvement is not reported on at all. It takes a few weeks to travel back to Magnimar to make your report, as now that the Grinning Pixie and her wind-warping druids are not available you're forced to take passage on a merchant vessel. By the time you arrive to report in at the lodge there, Sheila Heidmarch is off on business, but Canayven has already been informed of the events in Korvosa.
"Good you're back. We 'ad word of your deeds in the dream realm 'ere when our diviners felt the disruption to the dreamworld fading, but with the news about the dodgy Magistrate and his occult idols, I've been anxious to 'ear just what went on"
When you've recounted your tale once more, he nods with approval and goes to a cupboard to retrieve a dusty bottle.
"It's not everyday that a pathfinder team saves the world, and it's even rarer to have the whole team make it back alive when it does 'appen. So we like to mark the occasion when it does. This port is over 100 years old, when it were barrelled in Westcrown Aroden was still alive."
He uncorks the bottle and offers you each a glass of the dark liquid before pouring himself one.
"Savour it, and savour the satisfaction of a job well done. Sheila is due back tomorrow, and something tells me she'll have need of a team of seasoned pathfinders. Until then;"
He lifts his glass in a toast.
"Cheers"