Why are we here? 11/18 session recap

The party waited all day for Vrisana and Boreas to regain consciousness. They remained next to the teleportation circle until close to nightfall, when their companions began to stir. Ander climbed a tree and was able to see down slope about 20 miles to the city. There was a footpath down the mountain that they could follow, but they decided to wait until morning, rather than traipse through the jungle in the dark. Someone wondered aloud why they were even here, and Orvalion said that they sounded like an amateur philosopher.

Vrisana said that she knew of two magisters in the city, and that it probably wouldn't be a good idea for her to go about openly as herself. Thoric gave her a short but stylish haircut, Xakoraki lent her some clothes, and after some magical resizing, Ander gave her his magic leather armor. She looked very little like a powerful mage afterwards.

The properties of Thorium were once again discussed in detail. Some items from that discussion:
- Thorium absorbs all magic, including deific magic. Thus, a cleric could call down a spell from their deity, but if they were wielding or infected by thorium, the spell would not affect them. It would affect another target, however.
- Dwarves are immune only to the poisoning effects of thorium, but are still affected by the anti-magic properties.
- A blood transfusion from a dwarf would not help a human or an elf with thorium poisoning.
- Polymorph was said to work, but the DM has since recanted (polymorph is magic, and thus wouldn't work as soon as the character came into contact with thorium)
- The permanent damage from thorium poisoning is slow and cumulative. The dose that Vrisana and Boreas received will not reduce their stats at all.
- Thorium in the body will eventually process out.

The next day, the party traveled to the city. They encountered nothing unusual, though Thoric picked a lovely flower and pressed it in his ritual book. As they reached the broader trail about a mile from the city, they saw a couple of farmers pulling a cart into town. Ander, Thoric, and Vrisana went to help them and to gather some information as well. The farmers were wary at first, but soon warmed to the conversation.

The farmers said that the city was starting to get a bit crowded because lizardfolk and yuan-ti had become more aggressive lately. Some farmers had been slain, but many bodies were never recovered. This has started a rumor that the one or both groups of attackers were taking slaves or eating people. But the farmers were quick to say that the city Guard sent frequent patrols to the nearby farming communities, and praised Magister Colvin for his leadership in this protection.

Ander suggested that with the increased demand and decreased supply of food, that business must be pretty good for the remaining farmers. The farmers shrugged and said that it did, a little, but that there were laws limiting the maximum price on critical goods, including food. One said that if things got dangerous enough out in the fields, then they'd just pack up and move to the city until they could re-settle their land.

At the city gate, the farmers each produced a brass token, which they showed to the guards in order to be let through. When the party did not show such a token, the guards asked politely for 5 silver per person. The guards said that if they found permanent residence in the city, then they could purchase a token themselves for one gold piece per person. The tokens would be good for the rest of the year.

Ander asked about employment opportunities as a mercenary, but the guard could only suggest joining the city Guard. The standard length of service was two years, and pay would be distributed to family members even when a guardsman was out on extended patrol. Death benefits were also pretty good, with five gold being paid to the family plus two weeks extra pay. Food and board, plus money for family. He said it was a good deal.

Boreas, Xakoraki, and Orvalion had little trouble getting through the gate too, and they all met up outside of a guard station, where Ander inquired about obtaining a gate token. He was told that he needed permanent residence in the area. The party started looking for an inn to stay in until they could find long-term lodgings in the city. It took seven tries before they found an inn with any rooms available. They got two rooms for 14 silver a night, and Ander and Thoric immediately set out into the city to look for real estate and the temple district.

They stopped at another guard post and inquired about neighborhoods with houses for sale. The guard said that there was a housing shortage, and that they'd be better off trying to rent an apartment. He also suggested that if they could find employment, then their employer might be able to provide lodgings. Ander said he was looking for mercenary work, and asked where he might find some. The guard said that the Acid Barrel was a bar that often catered to honorable armsmen. Thoric inquired about temples, and the guard said that the proper temples were on the second tier, as well as a small dwarven enclave.

At the Acid Barrel, Ander tipped the bartender a couple of gold and asked about mercenary work. The bartender didn't know of anything immediately, but that he would send a message around to wherever Ander was staying if he heard anything.

One the way to the second tier, Thoric noticed that all of the storm gutters drained towards the center of the city. This was peculiar, as most cities didn't want to drown in their own sewage. Ander said that he'd discover the answer, and went looking for the dwarven enclave. He asked the first dwarf he met about the drains. The dwarf said that in ancient times, when the city was first hewn from the living rock, they went down so far that they broke into a cavern system. The sewers were designed to drain into these massive caverns, which acted essentially as a bottomless pit. He said there were rumors of a deep underground river, but he couldn't personally verify that.

They then headed to the temple of Linitheriva just before dusk. They gained an audience with a priestess, who listened politely to their request. Thoric said that he wished to raise someone from the dead. She said that this was not usually the mission of Linitheriva. Ander showed her his dagger, with the markings of Yama on it, and said that perhaps this god was more appropriate for the task. She looked slightly disturbed that he had such an item, but said that Yama did not raise people from the dead. Instead, Yama made sure that everyone is buried. She suggested that Enara, as the goddess of the life force, might be a better source of information on the matter. Thoric persisted, however, and explained that the person who died was deeply in love with someone still alive, and that this person was likewise in love with the departed. He mentioned the sacrifices and torments of the surviving lover, and hoped that Linitheriva would be able to find a way to reunite them. This piqued the priestess' interest, and she said that there might be some precedence for such a thing. She offered him a cell to live in while she researched, since he was a cleric of her goddess as well. She assured Ander that should he come calling for his friend, he could be fetched by one of the acolytes.

Turnabout's Fair Play - 11/11 session recap

Thoric had a crisis of conscience, and suggested that instead of double-billing Caelebhan, the party ought to come clean and return his book instead. He also suggested offering to find a cure for his thorium poisoning. Xakoraki countered by saying that they should find such a cure before trying this ploy. In the end, the party's plan remained the same - to teleport in the morning to Maazuni in search of information and riches.

In the morning, however, as the party was stirring, they heard the sound of humans barking orders, and the jingling of armored men outside. Vrisana headed for the top of the tower, and Thoric took a peek through the slot in the door. He saw a group of nine armored men about 30 feet away.

Boreas followed Vrisana up into the tower, and set off an alarm as soon as he entered her bedroom. She asked him what the heck he was doing up in her private room, and he said he was heading up top to help defend the tower. She argued with him briefly, not wanting her private room or laboratory to be invaded, but she relented, and he went up top with her and Xakoraki. They saw that they were surrounded by five groups of nine men.

One of the men down below called out to Vrisana, and told her that by Caelebhan's order, and by the will of the council of magisters, she was to turn herself over to his custody. If she had not agreed to this within two minutes, he said they would take the tower by force. Vrisana did not respond to him, but made it clear to the party that she was not going to be taken without a fight. On the ground floor, Orvalion started the ritual to open a linked portal to Maazuni, and said that it would be ready in ten minutes.

True to his word, after two minutes, the tower was attacked. Earth elementals rose from the ground and started pounding on the tower. Vrisana responded with lightning bolts.

Boreas summoned his dancing sword and a poisonous cloud, and eliminated one of the groups over the course of less than half a minute. The other groups, seeing this, backed off quickly and were able to avoid the same fate. Thoric rained holy power down upon the elementals as well.

After five minutes of this, the tower was starting to come apart at the seams. Sandstone bricks worked loose and the floor rocked beneath their feet. There was a flash, and Vrisana cursed. She said that the wards had been breached. At that moment, she was struck by a crossbow bolt. Floating in the air to the side of the tower was Caelebhan. In his hand was a smal crossbow, and he didn't look happy.

Thoric and he exchanged words, and Caelebhan said that he had suspected that Vrisana was involved in their conspiracy. When Thoric asked what his grievances were, he listed them:
- The party lied to him about knowing Orvalion's whereabouts
- They made his city think it was under attack
- They stole his book
- They played with his emotions by using Vrisana to distract him
- And to top it off, they destroyed the dragonstone as well

Caelebhan's demands were that they turn Vrisana over to him and return his book. In reparations, he also demanded a service from the party. Vrisana had stopped casting spells as soon as she was hit with the crossbow bolt, and during the conversation she started to look pale. She finally fainted, and Thoric picked her up and carried her downstairs.

Xakoraki told Orvalion that no matter what happened, that he was to save himself once the portal was open. Then the party went outside to parley. Three of the groups of soldiers approached the tower, and two men handed their weapons over to their comrades before approaching Thoric. Their intent seemed to be to take Vrisana from him. He refused, and the men backed off and reclaimed their weapons. Caelebhan was nowhere to be seen. Thoric demanded that he show himself so that they could talk. Calebhan's voice responded that the party was in no position to make demands. He asked for Vrisana again, and when he was refused he said, "Take them!"

Boreas attacked one of the elementals with his dancing sword, and moved the poison cloud towards one of the groups. He was answered with two crossbow bolts. One skimmed his arm, and the other embedded itself in his leg. He immediately felt a burning sensation. Xakoraki waited for the soldiers to advance, then melted the faces off of several with her acid breath. Ander incapacitated another half-dozen with shuriken, and Kylian held his ground against the elemental. Thoric blasted away at the other elemental, and eventually brought it down.

Boreas, however, found that his spells were failing, and he was unable to cast anything new. He started to feel woozy, and retreated into the tower. He pulled the bolt out of his leg, and saw that it was designed to deliver an injection upon impact.

The party held out for another round or two, and then Orvalion completed the portal. He jumped through immediately, and Boreas followed. Xakoraki saw the edges of the portal waver a bit as Boreas stepped through, and then she went through carrying Vrisana. Thoric noticed the same wavering as Vrisana passed through, then he, Ander, and finally Kylian jumped in.

The air on the other side was humid and oppressive, but the portal closed behind them, and they found themselves alone in mountainous jungle. Boreas passed out, and Thoric used his healing skill to examine him. He determined that Vrisana and Boreas had been injected with a poison mixed with thorium. It was sapping their magical abilities quite effectively, and he realized that healing magic would simply increase the amount of damage. He reasoned that the poison would run it's course, and that they would both be okay in about a week. He also speculated that if enough healing magic were poured into them, then the thorium would dissipate faster, but in so doing would do more permanent radiation damage.