You have been asked to meet with Rain in Cloudy Day within the "Vault of Boundless Wonder", located within the Grand Lodge of Absalom.
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Stowing her longbow on her back, an Ulfen woman of indeterminate age arrives at the gates of the Grand Lodge, followed in tow by a magnificent bird whose wingspan encompasses an equal distance to it's master's height unfolded, the latter gracefully swooping from a diving arc to a gentle glide and a soft perch upon a now-outstretched hand...
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...gripping the wrist with vicious claws tucked peacefully into themselves, the multi-colored eagle, with reddish-yellowish contour feathers clean and healthy dominating the contrasting pattern to softer whitish down beneath, nuzzles it's proud head into the neck of the person whose wrist he has landed upon.
A vibrant caw of pleasure, pulled from a perilous screech into a much more pleasant exhalation of joy, emits itself from it's elegantly long neck, and with a reverberating body wriggle, is accompanied by a dance corroborating the sentiment, claws extended and retracted to stretch their muscle and fiber momentarily, the instincts to hunt and to love somehow co-wired into the nervous system of the fearsome hunter, pet, companion.
The connection between the two emitting the faintest of primal green glows, the intersection of life and matter, man and beast, two apex predators linked by bond and magic!
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Nina is an elegantly dressed Vidric woman with all-white eyes. Although made from fine silks, her clothes definitely show signs of wear and tear. She greets Jakoby and asks if Ro would allow her to touch them.
Nina spends any other time straighting up the hodgepodge of items haphazardly strewn about the vault.
"Did they put teenage boys in charge of cleaning up in here?"
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"He won't bite-cha now - least not usually!" her accent in Taldane is stereotypically Ulfen, curling the intonation of that last word with a miniature fjord of emphasis like the shape of a capital "U" - she dogpiles down too on Nina's joke "Pathfinders, actually" there's that intonation again! "Not that there is really much of a difference!"
Ro squaks at the sorcerer, unsure how he feels, unable to detect pupils, and stoking some instinct in him he struggles to socialize through.
"It's okay boy - I'm sure she's not dangerous!" she winks at the Vidric woman.
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"I've heard about this vault. I wonder what vast secrets are held within," says a young woman dressed in Arcanamirium robes. She carries a staff constructed from rolled up scrolls and a tiny mirror hangs from one of a pair of rune-inscribed bracers on her arms.
The raven on he shoulder cocks its head and begins to speak in another language.
"Sho croa shwei trsk pre? Upski zieene shyskephoa ghoir nei ngeisurif ubnsoehe trychy gucr cei skouene."
Bie, sekpnoeur shwei hoiene saip trei ngipho shaicr, xi choi toh skyenechsurif skieq maenec zieene iajiehsurif saip pre shiescaicriesen," she responds to the bird.
"Oh, hello. My name is Marta. When I am not out in the field looking for strange relics and hidden knowledge I am a librarian. This regal bird here is Everness."
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The words come from a tall, handsome and very athletic half elf nearby. He has short white hair, emerald (yet human) eyes and tattoos coming up his neck out of the top of his gleaming plate armour on the left hand side. A massive war flail is on his back along with an assortment of other weapons and a shield displaying the bloodied rose.
Switching back to accented Taldane, he continues "I'm Bastian. Bastian Sunbright, refugee from ancient Thassilon, freedom fighter, redeemer of the lost, hopeless romantic and lover of this present age."
He smiles, bows with a flourish and laughs. "I hope this mission is less fraught than my recent trip to Razmiran."
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"I was not. I am Varisian. I once thought my ancestors came from there, but I recently learned the truth. It is better for me to show you..."
Taking another mirror from her pack she places it upon the ground. She gently touches the surface with her staff, and it ripples like still water being disturbed. When the ripples stop, a great library is seen beyond the mirror. Books fill the shelves and others float freely. Those in the shelves reorganize themselves periodically and those floating turn pages seemingly of their own accord.
"The Akashic Record. The great psychic library... or a visual manifestation of it. But look over there. She points to a figure in the distance wearing purple robes. As Marta does so, the view in the mirror shifts to bring that figure closer into the view. Once you are close enough to see the face of the person in the mirror you realize that she looks exactly like Marta.
"She is a time mage from Early Ancient Thassilon. She lived in Xin before the rise of the Runelords and the sin magic that corrupted the empire. Foreseeing the coming cataclysm and the rise of new enemies, she sought to hide herself away until it was safe to emerge. She sealed herself in the Akashic Record, and even though time passes slowly there, her old form was already frail. So to survive the centuries, she used her magic to construct new bodies from promising young students of magic in the current timeline. Thus, even though she is more ten millennia older than I am, she is my reflection and her most recent hope that I can find the key to unlock her cage. That is where Everness comes in. She was her familiar once and is now bound to me, as she was to those before me."
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Oh I am Varisian too indeed.
The goblin having pronounced this sentence is wearing a leather armor under a cloak. He also wears some strange googles and carries a weird crossbow up his backpack. A light mace seeming to be decorative is hanging at his belt.
But I've left the place since a long time now. Ukh is my name.
He smiles.
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Bastian listens with interest to Marta's story.
"That is incredible. I would love to find out more about it. I guess that my own magical abilities would not be of any use in helping - they are all tied to Thassilonian rune magic."
Bastian removes the breastplate of his armour and lifts his shirt, revealing his toned body and tattoos all the way from his hip to his ear. For the most part, they are clearly rune magic, although there are a few additions that look to be more recent.
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A blue-skinned goblin rushes into the room, out of breath. If he has some sort of grand backstory, it is well hidden beneath a set of colorful - or, more accurately, gaudy - performer's clothing. He's dragging behind him a suit of armor that it doesn't look like he's had time to don, and strapped to his back are a well-worn bow and quiver and a pack stuffed with writings and magical devices with unusual auras, plus a single silver die held in a pouch made from an oddment of chainmail.
"Sorry I'm late. I was just working on a piece with Kreighton Shane, and, well, you know how things get when you have a really interesting problem, right? It's going to be great, though. Performing a song about a song, well, that's going to be one for the ages. I know it doesn't sound like much, but when you hear what happens when you play the song, I think you'll be..."
Seeing the flat stares of the other Pathfinders, he brings himself up short. "Um, right. I'm Jiki. I'm here to befuddle our foes and then write about how incredible the Pathfinders - except maybe one weird little goblin - handle whatever fate throws at them! So... what is fate throwing at us? Did I miss the briefing?"
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"No word on the mission, yet," a well-built Arcadian man comments. He's clad in impressive armor etched with jaguar motifs. He eases his shield off his back and sits down.
"I'm Karando. Perhaps there is some artifact that needs to be dealt with?" The champion looks around the vault, spying for their leshie host.
The party is greeted at the Vault of Boundless Wonders by the leshy Pathfinder, Rain in Cloudy Day.
The meeting is short, however, as the usually talkative fungus leshy seems unusually tight-lipped. Rain in Cloudy Day quietly presents the party with a sealing chest. Accompanying the chest are two messages from the Society’s Chief Archivist, Zarta Dralneen. The first is a message and the second is a map of a hedge maze, with a particular path marked.
As experienced Pathfinders, you each recognize that the map depicts the Maze of the Open Road, a magical hedge maze full of portals that connect many locations of interest to the Pathfinder Society, including the Grand Lodge itself. Perhaps, some of you have even used this maze on a previous mission to travel quickly across the world.
Jiki, Marta, Nina, and Uhk know that Aslynn is a night hag with the same adverse reaction to cold iron as most ther fiends. She has a long history of conflict with the Pathfinder Society. She has stolen information about the Society from a corrupted leader, harbored an enemy from the Society’s reach, launched an attack on the Society that nearly robbed a beloved leader of his soul, meddled with the Hao Jin Tapestry demiplane, and single-handedly orchestrated the recent conflict between the Pathfinder Society and the Onyx Alliance. Over the past year, the Pathfinder Society has spent considerable resources on foiling her plans to take control of several powerful items.
Jiki and Marta recall that Aslynn has used a variety of minions in her past clashes with the Society, including incorporeal animate dreams, feargaunts, and psychementals, as well as fiery nightmares, mirror-traveling soulslivers, and an emotion-rousing etheroot.
Bastian recalls nothing.
Employing the Maze of the Open Road and the map accompanying Zarta’s message, the party has no trouble reaching the location indicated, which is a massive planning site deep in the Thuvian desert and bustling with Pathfinder agents and allies.
Upon arrival into camp, the party is quickly intercepted by Zarta, who has been waiting for your arrival. Surreptitiously, the woman cautions you not to draw too much attention, even as she leads them to a small, private tent.
The tent is dimly lit with flickering candlelight. The blazing sun overhead fails to penetrate the tent’s interior, imparting a sense of nightfall despite the hour of day. As you enter, Zarta bids you to take a seat. Present inside the tent, along with Zarta, stands a mysterious woman. She is behind a desk located at the center of the tent. Candlelight cascades across the flowing shapes and features of her masked helm in the semblance of a waterfall. The waterfall mask completely shrouds her face and the helm clearly marks her as one of the Decemvirate--the ten members of the Pathfinder Society’s ruling council.
The masked woman asks you to lay the sealing chest on the desk before her.
“Allow me to start with an apology.” She begins as she opens the sealing chest to reveal a silver chalice within an inlay of swirling patterns and blue gemstones. She carefully removes it from the container and places it upon the desk. [b]“You have all been selected as bait for a trap—one set for a vile creature with whom I suspect you are all familiar: the night hag, Aslynn.”
“Aslynn is desperate to again lay claim to this magical chalice--the draught of dreams," interjects Zarta. “I have spent quite some time researching the artifact and discovered it has connections to the Dimension of Dreams. Its power allows one to enter the personal dreamscape of any sleeping being.”
“Thus, the reason I had you travel here with such secrecy,” adds the masked woman. “Between her spies, scrying, and divination magic, Aslynn keeps herself well informed. A fact that we shall soon be counting upon.”
From a pouch on her belt, the woman produces a stick of steel-gray chalk and a metallic signal whistle, which she adds to the desk before her. “Please know that I wouldn’t have chosen any of you for this mission were I not certain that you each possess the capability, experience, and wit necessary to succeed.”
The masked woman next produces a folded piece of parchment holding it out as an invitation to be read. “Memorize this, then destroy it. The whistle and chalk are also for you. I know you all are more than capable of following instructions, but I must be sure you understand one point: do not under any circumstances attempt to attack Aslynn until she has been affected by our traps; we need those traps to weaken her to a point where she can be defeated for good.”
The folded parchment holds a set of written instructions for baiting the trap, undoubtedly committed to ink to avoid eavesdropping by Aslynn’s spies, as well as a map of the trap site.
See Handout #2: Trap Instructions.
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"First, what is stopping Aslynn from spying on us right now and learning what we are planning? I would be surprised if she isn't constantly trying to peer in on Zarta as she is the one holding Aslynn's treasures."
"Second, will we have access to our extradimensional spaces once inside the dreamscape?
"Third, I've encountered Aslynn before and she can infiltrate dreams and steal memories from it. What's to say that once we enter the dreamscape she won't be able to just unravel the whole plan by prying into our minds? Have you encountered her in any of your dreams lately? I should wonder if she already knows the plan."
For the moment, Marta stores the parchment in her Librarian Staff for safekeeping.
"First, what is stopping Aslynn from spying on us right now and learning what we are planning? I would be surprised if she isn't constantly trying to peer in on Zarta as she is the one holding Aslynn's treasures."
"You are wised to suspect Aslynn of spying and to question discussing the planned trap in this tent. Caution should always be heeded,” concedes the masked woman, “but we have invested considerable resources in warding this tent from divination magic. Note, however, that the trap site has no such wards, however, as we need Aslynn to take notice of the chalice.”
"Second, will we have access to our extradimensional spaces once inside the dreamscape?
"There should be no need for you to enter the dreamscape," notes Zarta. "If all goes as planned, you are only to drive Aslynn into the dreamscape where the various traps I have set within my dreaming mind, which will further sap the hag's strength. Once she is shunted back to the material plane, she should be sufficiently weakened to deal with her."
"Based upon what I know of extradimenional spaces, your question is certainly an intriguing one," Zarta adds with a ponderous smile. "I suppose, it may depend on nature of an individual's dreamscape. Within my own, I may have sufficient discipline and training to allow or deny access in accordance with my own wishes. It is certainly an area worthy of further exploration, research, and study. However, now is not the time for testing and any hypothesese should remain as just that.'
Her scholarly tones turns ominous. "I would not want any of you falling victim to the traps that I have set for Aslynn. Under the circumstances, if you were to enter my dreamscape while Aslynn was present, I could not guarantee your safety."
"Third, I've encountered Aslynn before and she can infiltrate dreams and steal memories from it. What's to say that once we enter the dreamscape she won't be able to just unravel the whole plan by prying into our minds? Have you encountered her in any of your dreams lately? I should wonder if she already knows the plan."
"This mission is not without risk," acknowledges the member of the Decemvirate. “As Zarta noted, if you find yourselves within the dreamscape with Aslynn, then the plan has already begun to… ‘unravel’… as you put it.”
“And, if you follow Aslynn, then you will be in my dreamscape—it will be only my dreams that have been infiltrated,” Zarta adds. “ You, yourselves, would not be dreaming and, thus, your minds and memories should be safe. Only my mind will be at risk and I have already concluded that it is a risk worth taking. I believe the plan to be sound and I have every confidence in it and in you. Otherwise, I would not place myself at such risk.”
“We have been planning this trap for some time.” Zarta reassures. [b]“Steps have been taken to keep the plan as secretive as possible, including wards and other protective magics. If Aslynn has been trying to enter our dreams recently, she does not appear to have been successful as there are no reports of having encountered her.”
"Clearly we need to go into this assuming that none of it will work," Jiki says gravely, "but on the off chance it does, I understand what we must do. So what is our contingency for anything going more wrong than what we would need these for?" he adds, pointing to a whistle.
’The signal whistle is ordinary,” explains Zarta. “Its sounding, or that of the clockwork chirper will alert the Ardis Scholars as well as some of your fellow Pathfinder agents nearby being held in reserve. They must, however, keep a distance from the trap site so as not to drive off Aslynn before the trap is sprung. “
Yes, what will this whistle call? Because that could be useful to know in case the optimistic one pointing Jiki is right.
The goblin strokes his chin.
“If the devices we have in place should fail and you want help…” Zarta smiles and pauses for a moment, before suggesting. “Why, then just whistle on your own.”
"You do know how to whistle, don’t you two goblins? You just put your lips together and blow.”
"What kind of minions is Aslynn likely to throw at us?"
"Aslynn has used a variety of minions in her past clashes with the Society, including incorporeal animate dreams, feargaunts, and psychementals, as well as fiery nightmares, mirror-traveling soulslivers, and an emotion-rousing etheroot," explains Zarta.
"What if you can't wake up when you plan to? It seems like someone who has mastered infiltrating someone's dreams probably has tricks to keep them dreaming."
"Undoubtedly, the hag has some tricks," concedes the woman known as the Waterfall. "But they would have to be quite powerful. Sleep may cast one's mind into a dreamscape, but it remains very much a natural, biological process, tied to a mortal's body. If you can protect the physical body of a sleeper, then you should be able to force them to wake."
"Zarta's body will be quite secured," she continues. "We have already prepared a safe location for Zarta's rest, not too distant from here. It, too, is protected by an array of buried Stasian coils that should prevent any of Aslynn’s minions from ambushing her as she sleeps.”
"Even slumber brought on by magic, such as a sleep spell, can be broken by others providing stimulus to the sleeper's physical body." Zarta interjects, assuming a more scholarly tone. "Any magic capable of preventing otherwise, would have to be quite powerful indeed. One would have to practically sever one's soul from their body completedly."
"While Night hags are notorious for harvesting souls, the process is laborious, intensive, and time-consuming. Once a night hag has chosen a particular target, she must haunt them on repeated occassions, maintaining the process of 'riding' a victim continuously and over the course of weeks, slowly and cruelly breaking down the victim’s will and ability to resist, until finally wrestling the soul from the victim's body and rendering it forfeit."
"Zarta has shown none of the signs of any such activities." The Waterfall says, her voice clearly altered by the magic of her helm. "If Aslynn or her allies were to start while Zarta is asleep, we should have plenty of time to intervene. Such intervention would be difficult, but not impossible. We have at least one scroll of dream council here in camp and an agent capable of casting it. In the event that Zarta does not wake as planned, then we would prepare a rescue party to enter into the dreamscape."
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"I am well-versed in wind instruments of all types, as I'm sure you well know. But my giant goblinny ears didn't hear a proper Plan B in all that. If you need us to not know in case we're the weak link in the chain of secrecy, fine, just say so. I've done more dangerous things for worse reasons with the Society and with Aspis before."
The goblin follows the questions - answers match with great interest but without to dare to intervene until he finally tries to conclude.
If I resume, you say we don't risk so far to be caught in the dreamland, yes?
"Correct. Sending agents into the dreamscape would be a last resort." Zarta confirms.
"I am well-versed in wind instruments of all types, as I'm sure you well know. But my giant goblinny ears didn't hear a proper Plan B in all that. If you need us to not know in case we're the weak link in the chain of secrecy, fine, just say so. I've done more dangerous things for worse reasons with the Society and with Aspis before."
The Waterfall continues. "Should you wish to remove yourself from the mission due to the risks, then you are welcome to do so. However, given what you now know, you would have be kept isolated and under protection until the mission is completed."
"If you have concerns about the trap, then you may wish to speak with some of the others who helped create it." The Waterfall notes after Zarta has been dismissed to begin her preparations. "Fortunately, for you, we have some of the trap's architects here in the camp. One is Narcela, a daughter of Aslynn who betrayed her mother. Narcela may have useful insights on the hag. Another is Revecka Cioraru, who is overseeing the Ardis Scholars installing the Stasian coil array at the trap site. I would suggest that you speak with them both."
The woman pauses for a moment as if in thought, then continues, "There is one other in camp with whom you should speak, although they have not contributed to the current plan."
"The automaton, Star, is also in camp. Thee ancient, former war machine was unearthed by the Society from a desert site just about a week’s travel from the camp. Star departed for a time, presumably to explore a changed world. Something has caused Star to return here. Star hasn’t chosen to share what it was. I am intrigued to know the reason for Star's return, but I do not wish to have them pressured. While the automaton would undoubtedly be a powerful ally against Aslynn’s forces, Star has been quite hesitant about joining any battle. I must admantanly insist, however, that they be left to make any decisions on that subject or any others on their own." The Waterfall's words equal parts concern and mystery. "Still, I remain curious. Should you speak with Star, I would ask that you report on what you believe may have prompted the automaton’s return."
Pictures of Narcela, Revecka, and Star now on Slides.
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Karando would be happy to see Narcela again. He politely hails her from outside her tent.
"It looks like you have been busy since we departed that castle together. How have you found your time with the Society? I hope everyone has been helpful"
After they catch up, he adds, "My team will be escorting the artifact. Is there anything we should keep in mind?"
Marta and Nina head to the trap site, where they have been told Revecka Cioraru can be found overseeing the assembly and installation of the Stasian coil array to ensure that the placement of the apparatus beneath the sand goes smoothly.
As the pair of Pathfinders approaches the site, their ears are met with a series of high-pitched noises, a string of loud chirps. The source of the sound is soon made clear. The sounds are coming from a tiny, clockwork bird, no larger than a sparrow—a clockwork chirper. It is being held within the hands of a pale, thin human woman dressed in explorer’s clothing. The woman tries to move and reposition her hands in an effort to deactivate or muffler the chirping device. The movement jostles her vest, revealing a galvasphere-- embedded in her chest.
“You Pathfinders have helped me recharge my artificial heart.” says the woman, who you readily identify as Revecka. “Perhaps, you can help me deal with a noisier piece of technology?”
“Installation of the array is a sensitive process, requiring propr placement, connection, and covering.” she notes.
Upon meeting, Nina immediately introduces herself to Revecka. She hasn't met any of them, but she knows how to make a good impression.
Apparently, they are a little wary of her, so she explains who she is and why she's part of the team.
That goes over much better.
Revecka quickly warms to Nina.
Revecka explains that the trap’s buried apparatus is composed of interconnected crystal capacitors, Stasian coils, and electrical relays that interact with the presence of ethereal energies to act as an extraplanar inhibitor.
Karando would be happy to see Narcela again. He politely hails her from outside her tent.
"It looks like you have been busy since we departed that castle together. How have you found your time with the Society? I hope everyone has been helpful"
"I have been busy, indeed!" Narcela's voice calls out in reply, recognition clear in her voice."Please come in!"
Narcela sits inside one of the tents in camp, intensively combing through books and schematics. The lender, dark-haired woman eyes the over with one brown eye and another a vivid green. "My mother did not take kindly to me siding with the Ardis Scholars after she had sent me to spy upon Revecka's dreams. Furious, my mother, Aslynn, raided the Scholar’s electric laboratory, stole some of their Stasian technology and imprisoned many of scholars. Not satisfied with that, she then attempted to transform me into a night hag like herself. The scheme failed due to the intervention of the Pathfinders."
"The Pathfinders thwarted by mother's plans. Since then, I have spent most of my time ensuring that my mother does not thwart their plans for her." Narcela motions to the various contents sprawled across her desk. As she continues, Narcela speaks fondly of collaborating with Revecka in devising the Stasian coil array, an apparatus combining technology and magic capable of producing a temporary containment field. The apparatus momentarily prevents escape by most magical forms of extraplanar travel.
Narcela notes that the Stasian technology that Aslynn installed on her airship, the Gale’s Claw, allowed the vessel to readily travel from one plane to another. Though the Pathfinder Society captured the Gale’s Claw, Aslynn stole enough components from the Ardis Scholars to build a second airship, and Narcela wouldn’t be surprised if she had done so by now. However, the Pathfinder Society allowed her and Revecka to study the Gale’s Claw, and she is confident that the trap will be able to stop anything built on similar technology from escaping.
After they catch up, he adds, "My team will be escorting the artifact. Is there anything we should keep in mind?"
"Knowing my mother, Aslynn, has an aversion to cold iron, you should have this." Narcela brushes away some of the papers to reveal an sickle. "It is both magical and cold iron."
It's a bit difficult with all the movement, but she manages the task.
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Karando continues chatting with Narcela.
"A worthy and useful gift, thank you!" The champion experiments with changing the form of the weapon a few times, shifting it from a trident to a machete, then back to a sword. He stows it to see if it will be useful for one of his allies, or to be saved for the battle against the hag.
"Your knowledge of Stasian technology is very useful. I'm sure your mother is adept at evading more familiar magic. Do you have any insight into her end goals, beyond just accumulating powerful magic and items?"
Bastian is intrigued by the Stasian coils and will try to discover more about Revecka as he observes and asks question about the array.
Resistances for Revecka: The prototype galvasphere that Revecka improvised as an artificial heart prevents her from sleeping or dreaming, a fact that she sorely laments. Conversations that remind her of the Dreamlands or the abilities she has lost take a –2 penalty.[/ooc]
The reawakened war machine can be readily seen from a distance due to their enormous size. The prodigious automaton stands outside of camp, where some of the Ardis Scholars openly marvel at them and ask them questions. A massive, ancient automaton is shaped like a turtle.
Based upon their observations, the two goblins conclude that Star has an interest in discussing possible futures, experiences, individuality, and
personal history, the stars and their movement across teh sky, and also the nature of the world at large and the adventures it holds.
Karando continues chatting with Narcela.
"A worthy and useful gift, thank you!" The champion experiments with changing the form of the weapon a few times, shifting it from a trident to a machete, then back to a sword. He stows it to see if it will be useful for one of his allies, or to be saved for the battle against the hag.
"Your knowledge of Stasian technology is very useful. I'm sure your mother is adept at evading more familiar magic. Do you have any insight into her end goals, beyond just accumulating powerful magic and items?"
INFLUENCE ROUND TWO
Bastian
Marta
Jiki
Karando
Nina
Uhk