Traian and Castor create an illusory campfire and everyone gathers around to share stories.
Castor shares their memories of Professor Bitterbronze and how they died.
Traian asks Sphyrna and Entacmaea if they have similar tales.
Sphyrna doesn’t remember her birth family, but has since found a family, in her spirit beads.
Entacmaea was banished from her original home.
Castor asks Entacmaea if she has thought more on her wish for the tower.
Entacmaea’s friend has a son. She thought she could help him with her wish.
Traian asks what the others think of the differences in Dux, and what it might mean.
Castor is happy that Dux is happy. Then they implore Traian to share something of himself.
Traian had a sad episode, about a decade ago, when his uncle, Bogdan, was hit by a poisoned arrow on his way home. They used to share recipes and perform experiments together.
Traian wasn’t able to cure the poison before he perished.
Castor senses that Traian is obfuscating.
“But enough of all that gloom.” Traian quickly moves on.
“Have I told you the story of the stolen wine casket?”
Traian tells the tale of when a knight hired him and others to search for a stolen wine casket. This was way back when he wasn’t so good at alchemy.
Their investigations lead them all over the place before they eventually discovered that the knight himself had drunk the entire casket the night prior.
He grew so drunk that he completely forgot that it was he himself to blame.
“I have raided and sunk many ships.” Entacmaea butts in abruptly.
So, Entacmaea was a pirate.
Sphyrna is curious.
Traian is nervous.
“Did you target the navy?” inquires Traian.
Entacmaea shrugs.
Sphyrna remembers that attacks of merfolk raiders were common in the south-eastern sea.
Sphyrna’s eyes go wide in admiration and wonder.
Traian has encountered a green hag.
Conversation draws to a close and we agree to pay Sleep a visit tonight.
The Dreamscape
A spruce tree stands atop the hill.
Sleep is not wearing his gauntlets. They are set aside on the grass.
Oddly shaped scars are visible along his forearms.
Traian asks about time, to which Sleep responds with a terribly confusing explanation.
It’s weird in the dreamscape, and let’s leave it at that.
Sleep can only partially perceive the party’s adventures.
As if watching a silent movie, or reading the cliffnotes.
Sleep asks if we want to see something different in the Dreamscape.
Traian asks for a creek.
In a wave of his arm, the terrain shifts before our eyes, allowing a stream to form next to us.
Sphyrna asks Sleep for his input on her curse issue and takes out her vase.
The sky dims in response and Sleep quickly asks her to put it away.
Sleep waves the clouds away.
Since the party is not physically here, but merely projecting their consciousnesses, it concerns Sleep deeply that just the thought of taking out an object should cause such upheaval in his realm.
Sphyrna describes the vase and the entities that lurk within.
Sleep is quiet in contemplation for a while.
Sleep hasn’t met any of these incarnates.
He believes there is no Rage Incarnate.
If there is a Forgetfulness Incarnate, it might be staying hidden.
Azure does exist and is about, however. It was discussed by the council.
It was determined that despite being powerful, she is not acting against the council’s wishes.
Sphyrna says the rage one definitely exists, but it could instead be bloodlust.
A Bloodlust Incarnate is known about but does not exist.
They were part of a prophecy, potentially coming into existence one day.
Life Incarnate is no longer with us and we don’t have access to the life seed.
Sleep wants to ask Doctri or Night Incarnate to help.
For now that is all we can do.
We each rest in the evergreen glade of the Dreamscape.
Pinnacle Tower
After waking up, the party deliberate over the multitudinous pros and cons of the various Power Gems and their diverse permutations.
Sphyrna is content with a big sword.
Entacmaea takes the newfound PG Magician.
Traian fuses the PG Rejuvenation with PG Copycat, taking the newly fused PG Lively Copy.
Castor welcomes a couple of Weeny Warforged onto their shoulders.
Entacmaea deploys her umbrella preemptively, heeding Doctri’s warning.
With all of us ready to go, Dux opens the door wishing us “Best of luck.”
City of No Stars
The party finds themself in a dim alleyway.
The buildings on either side look odd to us though.
The walls are a dark painted metal and have large panels of glass seamlessly embedded in them.
Most stunningly about the buildings, however, is their enormous height.
Staring up at them induces a throbbing vertigo, but we also notice the dark and starless sky.
To our left, the alley ends with a wire fence, beyond which are large green boxes holding refuse.
Entacmaea and Sphyrna notice through the smell of garbage, a scent more rotten from the bins.
To our right, the alley stretches out onto a larger road drenched in light.
The alleyway is quiet, but noises can be heard in the distance.
A slight drizzle starts to fall.
We leave the alley and find a neon bathed city crowding around us.
Swarms of people shuffle along the street’s sides.
Hulking metallic contraptions traverse its centre.
14:00
Castor assesses their internal clock. After determining the time to be precisely 14:00, a foreign tone is emitted along with a message in their head. Castor recites it for the party.
“WARNING: SYSTEM MESSAGE: 4 INCARNATES IN VICINITY. CAUTION IS ADVISED.”
Suddenly weary, the party starts looking around more closely.
There’s a New J Look.
There’s a Jdunnes.
There is an 8-twelve.
There’s a Pjenneys.
Castor spots a muscular individual, 5’9”, sleeveless denim hoodie. He has a tattoo on his neck.
We follow this person before we eventually start to attract attention.
The man sees us and turns into a building.
It appears to be a shop of shops. How odd.
There are moving staircases!
We find a Costaj and learn that 70% of all shop names are spelled with a J.
Naturally we stand in line.
A “Karen” wants to speak to the manager.
Entacmaea places our order.
The barista has red hair, is 5’5”, wears a uniform, looks tired and blushes when Entacmaea rises into the air to speak with her. Her name tag says Colette.
It turns out that they don’t accept gold as currency here.
Colette suggests we find a bank.
Sphyrna thinks we might have more luck at a pawn shop.
Traian is set on finding the wizard who must surely be in charge of this wondrous place.
Castor addresses the patrons of Costaj, asking about any sightings of falling stars.
Castor is ignored.
Sphyrna steals a cupcake for Entacmaea and leaves behind a silver coin in the commotion.
A gaunt man in his 40’s. [ok sorry I am totally blanking on what this was about]
We may have defeated the Fire Lord, Immix, but we have yet to face the ICE Lord, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.