session 12

The Devil You Know¶

We had the book, but party morale was at an all-time low. Gwen was particularly distraught. She despaired at the thought that she her cards had failed to show her this future, and he torn dress and battered figure didn’t help either. After Stigs and Ryalith tried to rally Gwen, we emerged from the crypt into the Mausoleum above. We had only a few minutes until our pass without trace spell ended, so we crept to the back corner of the grounds and attempted to escape over the wall.

Unfortunately, though the wall showed no visible sign of alarms, it was magically warded. As Stigs stood at the top of the wall a magical alarm sounded and two mechanical spiders emerged from turrets on the wall. We’d been caught!

The spiders closed on us with clocklike precision – firing webbing to try and entrap us. Fortunately we were all able to dodge their snares but they hit very hard – both Stigs and Ryalith were seriously wounded. Gloopwing had the inspired idea to give Gwen a telekinetic shove up the wall, and she and Stigs (along with Karel) lept off into the night. Ryalith managed to grab one of the spider’s legs and bring it crashing down to the ground. Ryalith and Gloopwing both then clambered up the top of the wall. Ryalith was again hit hard by further spiders that had joined the fray, but Gloopwing managed to grab her and bring them both to the ground on the other side, safely cushioning Ryalith from the fall. Ryalith then returned the favor and picked up Gloopwing and dashed off into the night.

Rendezvousing at a covered cart a few blocks away, the group made off into the night. We hid among the other vendors near the commercium. Researching the book, we discovered its title: the Astranomicon, and that it concerned various cosmological issues, though we didn’t fully understand it’s content. There were clearly diagrams for building all sorts of things, and spells of various sorts as well, though many were written in a language we could not understand. The book was tremendously fascinating, so much so that Stigs in particular could hardly bear to have it leave his hands, and clearly would not let it leave his presence.

After several hours of debate concerning what to do with the book, we returned to the Blackened Barrel to bargain with Velik. We first gave a secret knock at the service entrance. Though Gwen had heard voices inside, no one came to answer the door. Eventually, Ryalith went to the front entrance where the door was opened to reveal a large thuggish face. On going inside we realized we had arrived at a tense moment – it seems that Velik is in the process of being deposed by a newcomer to the city – a fellow named Pyrrhos Agni. Pyrrhos announced that Velik would be retiring and that he was assuming all businesses formerly operated by Velik.

Upon being asked by Gloopwing what severance Velik might get for retiring, Pyrrhos laughed and nodded at Crox Kelry, who was standing behind Velik. Crox drew his knife and moved to plunge it into Velik’s side!