Sunday, December 16, 652 AU, continued

The party rushes forward first to attack the guard strangling Leander. Being a vampire spawn, Leander doesn’t need to breathe, but it looks like the guard might break Leander’s neck. Seeing the party approaching, the guard drops Leander and swings at Valya three times with his sword, nicking her. Now that he’s closer, Valya can see that the guard has a familiar blank expression.

Aurelia casts bless on her allies. Valya tries to shove the guard back, but the guard doesn’t budge, so Valya teleports away instead. Thaldohr swings at the guard with Mage-Slayer, but the guard parries Thaldohr’s attacks, and retaliates against Thaldohr with three more swings.

Aurelia casts misty step over to Leander and removes his blindfold, but she can’t do anything about his handcuffs right now. “I’ll try to find a key!” she tells Leander.

“Okay,” whispers Leander through his damaged throat.

Looking around, Aurelia notices that the door to the warden’s office is ajar, and she can see the warden slumped over his desk—his head is bloody.

Valya restrains the guard, and Thaldohr tries to use the opportunity to subdue the guard, but Mage-Slayer merely bounces off of the guard’s armor. The guard stabs Valya three times, and Valya collapses to the floor. The guard turns toward Thaldohr, sword raised, with no expression on his face.

Leander runs over to Aurelia. “I think the warden might have a key,” she tells him. “Help me find it!” Leander nods and finds a key ring on the warden’s belt. Aurelia unhooks the ring and tries a few keys, eventually unlocking Leander’s manacles. She then turns and casts healing word on Valya, who coughs blood and opens her eyes.

Valya stands back up. “You bastard!” she yells at the guard. She uses her second wind, grapples the guard again, and tries to drag the guard to the ground, but the guard remains standing. Thaldohr attacks the guard, but his sword merely bounces off his armor. The guard attacks Valya again, and despite Aurelia’s warding flare, Valya goes down a second time. Leander, not having any spells prepared that don’t require speech, runs closer to the guard to attack him with his claws.

Aurelia brings Valya back up with another healing word, then dodges. Valya stands up once again and casts phantasmal force. The guard, now perceiving himself to be surrounded by dark mist filled with whispering voices, says “Reveal yourselves!” and braces himself.

Now that the guard is distracted, Thaldohr is able to hit the guard with Mage-Slayer. The guard swings blindly at the mist. Leander slashes at the guard, but his claws do nothing against the guard’s armor. Valya takes the manacles from Aurelia and prepares to force them onto the guard while he’s distracted by the phantasmal force.

Aurelia casts sacred flame, but the guard dodges out of the way. Valya grapples the guard and manages to get one of the guard’s arms in the manacles. Thaldohr slashes at the guard, and the guard retaliates by slashing at Valya, but Aurelia uses her warding flare to successfully shield her.

Valya, finally, gets the other cuff on the guard, who looks around, confused. “Unhand me!” he commands. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“You just tried to assassinate a prisoner,” says Aurelia.

“What are you talking about?” He looks up the stairs. “Prison escape attempt!” he shouts, but everyone can hear the guards upstairs are already on their way. “I don’t know how you got me in handcuffs, but you won’t get away with this!”

The other guards arrive, along with General Dahr. The general surveys the damage. “What in the hells happened here?” he asks.

“There was just an assassination attempt on a prisoner,” says Aurelia.

“Assassination? Where’s the assassin?”

Aurelia motions toward the guard. “We told you something like this would happen,” says Valya. “Someone out there is getting into people’s minds.”

“Marcus is a loyal guard,” says General Dahr, sounding doubtful. He turns to Marcus. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Marcus replies. “One minute I was walking down the hall, and the next minute I’m here, covered in blood, and they’ve handcuffed me!”

“Everyone to my office now,” says Dahr. “We’ll figure this out.”

“The warden was unconscious when we arrived,” says Valya. “He might be able to tell you what happened.” A few guards have already rushed over to the warden. “He’s breathing,” one exclaims. They support him on their shoulders and begin walking him to the infirmary.

“General Dahr watches as they pass, then turns back to the party. “You’d better have a damn good explanation for all this.”

“We already told you,” says Valya, “some creature is getting into people’s minds and controlling them. This guard was sent to kill Leander.”

General Dahr orders the other guards to put Leander back in his cell, then motions for the party and Marcus to accompany him to his office. Once there, he sits down behind his desk and stares at the party. “So. Do you have any proof?”

“You can probably see the mark of this guard’s hands on Leander’s neck,” says Aurelia.

“They could be anyone’s—they could be yours for all I know!”

“Two woman elves, a kobold, and a dwarf? We do not have the same hands as your guard here,” says Aurelia.

“That will be for a medical examiner to determine,” says the general.

“And what about his memories?” asks Valya. “He doesn’t remember anything? Why do you think that is?”

“I heard spells being cast,” says the general.

“Healing spells,” replies Aurelia, “because your guard nearly killed Valya multiple times.”

The general turns toward Marcus. “You don’t remember anything, Marcus?”

“No, I don’t!” Marcus replies. “I don’t know what happened…” he trails off, looking concerned.

As Marcus brings his hand up to his face, Aurelia spots a familiar ring on his finger—purplish-bronze with a cloisonné brain. “That ring!” she exclaims.

Marcus looks at it, confused. “This isn’t mine!”

“Then why are you wearing it?” asks Aurelia.

“I—I don’t know, I wasn’t!”

“We found a similar ring on the poor soul who tried to ambush us last night.”

“Ambush?” asks General Dahr.

“Yes. We have reason to believe this ring is what’s used to channel the mind control magic.”

General Darh stares at the party for a few seconds. “So… let’s assume you’re right. There’s someone in the city handing out mind control rings, and making people attack you and Leander. For… what purpose, exactly?”

“I thought that would be clear,” says Valya. “Leander has information about the lich’s plans in the city, so he’s a liability. They want to get rid of him.”

General Dahr sighs. “Will this talk of liches never cease? Look. Atris may believe you about the lich. She may say that she’s here for the lich, and that the Wood Scorpions are a distraction. But Atris is a member of the hammer. They obey only the Queen. And surely you’ve heard the rumors about the Queen?”

“Not much…” says Aurelia.

“Hiring and firing her ministers for the smallest slights, real or imagined! Strange requests, sending adventurers on mysterious quests to their dooms, hoarding all the diviners in the kingdom—she’s not in her right mind!”

“Well, even if that were true, we’ve seen this lich,” says Valya. “We know he’s a threat.”

General Darh looks tired and defeated. He sighs heavily again, then says “…Okay. A lich. Okay. We’re all fucked.”

“No, we’re not!” says Aurelia.

“We’re facing a lich!” retorts the general.

“Yes, but—” begins Aurelia.

“We have the Fists of Dhedros. We have, well, you. No offense, but you’re not the Runebreakers.”

“No, we’re not,” says Aurelia.

“I’ve read up on this Tharruk. The Runebreakers supposedly killed him, but you’re saying that’s not true. If the Runebreakers couldn’t do it, what chance do you have?”

“Well, we have to get as many people out of the city as possible before he turns us all into mindless undead,” says Aurelia.

“No one is going to support that plan. Evacuating the city over rumors?” General Dahr groans. “You still have no concrete evidence!”

“In that case,” says Valya, “why don’t you help us get proof? I have a hunch that the Daykins are somehow involved in this.”

“The Daykins?” asks General Dahr, confused.

“You’ve heard the rumors of imps flying from their estate during the fire,” says Valya.

“We were never able to corroborate them, but we never found any evidence,” says the general. “And outright accusing the lord of Crystalport… that’s a suicidal strategy.”

“That’s one thing,” says Valya, “but we also know that somewhere in the city is a massive ritual chamber.”

“How would we find such a chamber?” asks the general.

“Is there a map of the city sewers?” asks Valya.

“This isn’t the Shining Citadel—our sewer system is minimal. Barely enough space for rats to hide, let alone a giant ritual chamber,” says the general.

“There must be something!” says Valya. “Something must have been built recently, have you looked through construction permits for anything suspicious?”

“I don’t think Tharruk would have asked for permits to build a secret ritual chamber…” says Aurelia.

“Well,” says the general, “only a few major buildings have been built in the last few years. Some additions to noble estates… the Hall of Justice was built three years ago.”

“What about the Temple of Neesha?” asks Valya.

“That’s been here a long time,” replies General Dahr.

“Any repairs recently?” asks Valya.

“You’d have to check with the city’s architect guild, but I can’t recall any large-scale work recently…” says General Dahr.

“Well, maybe that’s a place to start. We can get information from them. We do think the lich is following an extremist sect of Neesha,” says Valya.

“This assignment to Crystalport just gets more and more interesting, doesn’t it?” The general sighs. “Well. Woodmore’s Warriors—”

“That is not our name,” Aurelia interjects.

“Well, that’s what the papers are calling you,” says the general. “You were hired by Captain Woodmore to—”

“No, we were not,” says Aurelia. “You know him—he drunkenly stumbled over one day and said ‘Oh, we’re going to be the greatest adventuring party ever!’ The man has never even touched a sword.”

“That… does sound like him, yes,” says the general.

“We are… The Dawnbringers,” says Aurelia.

“Well then, Dawnbringers, what is our plan?” asks the general.

“We will gather more information about the location of this ritual chamber,” says Aurelia. “As Valya said, we have a suspicion that the Daykins are involved in all this, so, as you said, we can only investigate this quietly. We also have to investigate the Temple of Neesha.”

“This would all be so much easier if we still had the resources of the diviners’ guild,” laments the general.

“What happened?” asks Aurelia.

“Ten years ago, the Queen reassigned all our top diviners to the Shining Citadel. As I said, she’s gone crazy,” says General Dahr. “Atris claims they couldn’t spare even a single diviner to help find Tharruk. Arcane magic… can’t trust it.”

“Yes, perhaps not…” says Aurelia. “There’s also the issue of Leander. He’s obviously not safe here.”

“Few places in the city a vampire spawn would be safe,” says the general. “But we’ll search guards for those rings.”

“When will he be transferred?” asks Aurelia.

“In a few days,” replies the general.

“That’s too long—could it be expedited somehow?” asks Valya.

“Possibly…” says the general.

“This might be an odd request,” says Aurelia, “but what if… we could use his knowledge of the city, and protect him at the same time, if we took custody of him.”

The general blinks at Aurelia incredulously. “You want me to release a vampire spawn into the custody of an adventuring group that has only been in Crystalport for three weeks, because he has knowledge that can help in the fight against a lich—a lich of whose existence we have no hard evidence? How am I supposed to write a report explaining…”

“Exactly,” says Valya.

“Yes,” says Thaldohr.

“As I said, it sounds a little crazy—” begins Aurelia.

“No, it’s not crazy, it’s reasonable!” says Valya

“He’s a witness in the attempted murder of—”

“Just imagine what will happen if he dies under your watch—” says Valya, before she’s cut off.

“If he dies under your watch, I’m still responsible—” The general sighs. “Regarding the attempted assassination of Prince Calvin, Leander has already given us the same story as yourselves, even under the effects of a zone of truth. We know who the real culprit is—Fergus O’Toole. The spell Abundance cast seems to really have been just a suggestion. Ultimately, the Wood Scorpions are to blame.”

“We might be able to help with your Wood Scorpion problem,” says Aurelia.

“And how might that be?” asks the general.

“We have a lead on their location,” says Aurelia.

“Oh?” the general leans forward with renewed energy.

“We have no concrete evidence,” says Valya, “but we have a lead.”

“May I ask what that lead might be?” asks the general.

“We were hoping to follow up on it and get more evidence to be sure,” says Aurelia.

“…Fine. Leander isn’t directly involved in the assassination, and we can find no evidence of him preying upon humans in Crystalport. Normally we would execute a vampire spawn, but considering his relationship to the prince and these extenuating circumstances…”

“You’ll release him?” asks Aurelia.

“On the condition that you promise that you will do your best to take care of this lich problem,” says the general.

“You have my word,” says Aurelia, “by the light of our brilliant goddess.”

“I’ll have the paperwork written up soon,” says the general. “This city…”

As they leave General Dahr’s office, Valya whispers “I hope this doesn’t come back to bite us… literally.”

“You don’t trust him?” asks Aurelia. “It’s in his best interest to cooperate with us, considering his former employer s trying to kill him.”

“But how much does he trust us?” asks Valya. “He might just use this opportunity to escape. He has no ties to us.”

A few minutes Later, two guards arrive, escorting Leander. The guards glare at the party, roll their eyes, and release Leander, who approaches the party. “Well… thank you for that.”

“That’s now two favors,” says Aurelia.

“So it seems,” says Leander.

“We’ve arranged your release under the condition that we take personal responsibility for you,” says Aurelia.

“Fine by me,” says Leander. “Probably nothing will happen on the road to the Citadel.”

Valya narrows her eyes. “Are you suggesting something?”

“Well, I’m not staying in Crystalport,” says Leander.

“Actually, you’re going to help us deal with Tharruk,” says Aurelia.

Leander stares at Aurelia, dumbfounded. “You should be evacuating the city.”

“Well,” says Aurelia, “we tried, but we can’t do that. So now all we can do is try to stop the ritual.”

“I’ll bet Azzox has his tentacles in half the elites of the city by now,” says Leander.

“Then you’ll help us acquire evidence,” says Valya.

“Look,” says Leander. “I helped Tharruk with his ritual chamber in Vargrath Keep. I have no idea what is going on in Crystalport—I wasn’t privy to that information.”

“Certainly you must know something important,” says Valya, “or else why would he be trying to kill you?”

“Maybe he’s just tying up loose ends?” suggests Leander. “Maybe he’s just angry that I revealed his plans to you.”

“Regardless, you’re a capable magic user and you know the city,” says Aurelia, “so you can be of use. Also, we don’t plan to stay in Crystalport indefinitely. Once this is over, I intend to head to the Citadel.”

“Fine,” says Leander. “What’s your plan?”

The party informs Leander of what they know so far, as well as their suspicions about the Daykin family and the cult of Neesha.

“You think the Daykins are behind some of this?” asks Leander.

“It’s suspicious that once their manor was set on fire, the shadows were no longer seen in the forest,” says Valya. “Wouldn’t it be in their best interest to keep the train going, and keep the druids from attacking it? And imps were seen flying from their tower. Oh, and there was that woman’s brother who said he saw them—we should speak to him.”

“Tharruk once called the shadows his ‘unexpected friends’,” says Leander.

“So you think he may have been summoning them?” asks Valya. “And if so why are they suddenly gone?”

“I don’t know,” says Leander. “I know he used them to brew the potion for me, but that might have just been opportunism.”

“Oh, speaking of…” says Aurelia. She reaches into her pouch and produces what they found in Leander’s room.

“You trust me to take my spellbook?” asks Leander.

“Are you implying you aren’t trustworthy?” asks Aurelia.

“No, I’m just surprised a priestess of Soleil would be so eager to give a vampire spawn his spellbook back,” says Leander. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Just don’t do anything that aligns with my prejudices,” says Aurelia.

Leander narrows his eyes. “As long as you do the same.”

Aurelia gives him a hard stare.

⁂

It’s late in the evening at this point, so they decide to head to the Golden Goblet to find Marie’s friend Elyse, whose brother supposedly saw the imps with his own eyes.

They’re greeted at the door by a staff member, who informs them that it’s too late to get a table—the restaurant is about to close. Valya convinces him to let them sit at the bar, and asks the waiter to get Elyse. A few minutes later, Elyse arrives.

“May I help you?” she asks. “Have we met?”

“No,” says Valya, “not personally, but we’re acquainted with Marie.”

“Oh, Marie! Are you friends of hers?” asks Elyse.

“You could say so,” says Valya. Elyse raises an eyebrow. “She mentioned that you might be able to help us solve a mystery,” Valya continues.

“What kind of mystery would that be?” asks Elyse.

“Something your brother may have seen,” says Valya. “What time does your shift end?”

“In twenty minutes,” says Elyse. She excuses herself to attend to her tables.

The party orders drinks at the bar, and twenty minutes later Elyse returns. “My brother, you were saying?” She sighs. “What did he do now?”

“He didn’t do anything, but he might have witnessed something unusual at the Daykin Estate during the fire,” says Valya.

“The imps?” says Elyse.

“Yes,” says Valya.

“My brother can be a little… strange,” says Elyse.

“What do you mean ‘strange’?” asks Aurelia.

“He’s a student at the Crystalport Academy,” says Elyse.

“Oh, is he?” asks Aurelia.

“Yes, but I don’t think he’s a particularly good student. In fact, I think he’s up to some shady business,” says Elyse.

“What was his name?” asks Aurelia.

“Hawthorne,” says Elyse.

“Have you heard anything about him?” Aurelia asks Leander. Leander shrugs. Aurelia turns back to Elyse. “Could we talk to him?”

“I assume he’s at the Academy,” says Elyse. “I haven’t spoken to him in a few weeks.”

“What kind of magic does he practice there?” asks Valya.

Elyse blinks. “There are different kinds?”

“Well, we’ll pay him a visit. You said he lives at the Academy?”

“Last I checked,” says Elyse.

“Well, thanks for the information,” says Valya, handing Elyse a gold coin. “For your trouble.”

“Thank you! Though I doubt Hawthorne will be of much help to you,” says Elyse.

“We’ll see,” says Valya. “Sometimes people surprise us.”

“You’ll be able to get home alright?” Aurelia asks Elyse.

“I walk home every night, a couple of us waitresses live nearby,” says Elyse.

“May Soleil light your path,” says Aurelia.

“Same to you,” says Elyse. She departs, and the party walk out into the street.

“What do we do now?” asks Valya. “It’s a little late to visit the Academy…”

“We could try Neesha’s temple…” suggests Aurelia. “That’s only open at night, right?”

Valya’s jaw drops. “What? You really want to go there?”

“Yeah, what?” says Leander.

“‘Want’ is not exactly the term I’d use,” says Aurelia.

“I asked you before to consider the possibility and you almost shot daggers out of your eyes,” says Valya. “I mean no offense, I think it’s a good option, but—”

“I’m trying to be… practical,” says Aurelia. “I’ve gone days without proper sleep. I’ve done research, we’ve asked countless people, and none of them have been able to figure out what is going on. And the leader of the Temple of Neesha implied she may know. So what else can I do?” The rest of the party stare at Aurelia, noting that the dark circles under her eyes have only gotten worse.

Valya grabs Aurelia by the hands. “I know this isn’t something you want to do, but I’m happy that we can at least try to figure out what’s going on with you. If I see something tricky happening—well, I’ll keep my eyes open.”

⁂

They head to the Temple of Neesha. “Well,” says Leander, “I admit, you’re certainly not aligning with my prejudices.”

“Is that meant to be a complement?” asks Aurelia.

“Take it as you will,” replies Leander.

“Fair enough,” says Aurelia.

The Temple of Neesha looms over the darkness of the city streets. There’s no light in the windows, but a the feeble flickering of firelight can be seen through gap in the temple’s main set of double doors. Aurelia shudders as they approach. “Perhaps if I can get an audience,” says Aurelia, “the rest of you can try to take a look around?”

They climb the steps, and Aurelia reluctantly knocks the door using the ornate knocker, carved in the shape of a crescent moon. A few moments later, the door silently opens. A young man wearing black robes stands at the entrance. “Greetings,” he says. His eyes flick toward Aurelia’s robes. “It’s not often that we have a follower of our lady’s sister at our doorstep.”

“Indeed,” says Aurelia. “I was hoping I could get an audience with the high priestess.”

“She’s been waiting for you,” says the man, who motions for them to step inside.

The antechamber is a large marble room with an elaborate mosaic of a full moon on the ceiling. The cleric leads them down a series of hallways to a small office with a fire burning in the hearth. Sitting at a desk, reading a scroll, is the old woman who approached Aurelia at the council two weeks ago.

She looks up at Aurelia. “I’ve been waiting for you for some time now. My name is Elsa Skinner. Please, come in.”

Aurelia turns to the rest of the party. “We can wait outside,” suggests Valya. Aurelia nods, and sits down at the desk. The cleric closes the door.

“Can I offer you tea?” asks Elsa.

“Thank you,” says Aurelia.

Elsa nods, and pours a cup for Aurelia. As Aurelia takes a sip, Elsa looks pointedly at her. “It’s gotten worse, hasn’t it,” she says.

“Yes. And I can’t find any information about it,” says Aurelia.

“I see a darkness about you, priestess,” says Elsa.

“How?” asks Aurelia.

“When you have been in the dark for a long time,” explains Elsa, “your eyes adjust, don’t they? You can see details you never would have believed you could see without light. I can see there is a spirit attached to you.”

“A spirit? Is it possession?” asks Aurelia.

“I can’t be sure, but it’s worming its way into you, subsisting on your life-force,” says Elsa.

“How do we stop it?” asks Aurelia.

“There are rituals that can be performed,” says Elsa.

“Which involve…?” says Aurelia.

“Not much on your part,” says Elsa. “We can call upon Neesha’s aid to draw the spirit back into the darkness where it belongs. I do not know how you acquired this spirit… they tend to enter people during moments of extreme weakness or duress.”

“Yes… I was on the brink of death,” says Aurelia.

“That would tend to do it,” chuckles Elsa. “If you come with me to the ritual chamber, we could banish the spirit this very night. It would only take an hour or so of preparation.”

“And what would be required?” asks Aurelia.

“Oh, it’s a simple banishment,” says Elsa. “You would sit at the center of the circle. My assistants and I would ask Neesha to take back one of her own, and it would be done. Nothing I haven’t performed dozens of times during my time as high priestess here.”

Aurelia looks into her tea. “And… what would you require in return?”

“A donation to the temple would suffice,” says Elsa. “Possessions… they are not uncommon. Once every few years, someone in the city attracts a spirit that drains their life-force.” She frowns. “Though, not usually so deeply rooted. Usually spirits are more superficial.”

“I see,” says Aurelia, unsure.

“Very well,” says Elsa, standing up. “I’ll ask the others to begin preparing the circle.”

“May my companions join?” asks Aurelia, also rising to her feet.

“As long as they don’t approach the circle, it shouldn’t be a problem,” says Elsa.

“Please, wait in the receiving room with your companions. Someone will come get you when the chamber is ready.” Elsa rings a bell, and a cleric opens the door. While Elsa gives the cleric orders, Aurelia—ashen-faced—and the rest of the party are led to the receiving room to wait.

The receiving room contains several worn-out plush chairs and a lit fire in the ornate stone hearth. As they settle down, Aurelia lets out a breath. “I can’t believe what I’m about to do,” she mutters. Then, she looks at the rest of the party. “They have a ritual chamber, and we’ll be going there shortly.”

“Well, we can see the size of it,” says Valya, “and I’ll try to remember details.”

⁂

“I expected them to ask for more,” says Aurelia, as they all sit around on the chairs. “It’s very suspicious.”

“Elsa mentioned that you have a spirit around you,” says Valya, “but you’ve also been having visions of Beatrice. Do you think it’s her spirit?”

“It could be…” says Aurelia.

“Is it a bad thing if we remove her?” asks Valya.

“Well, if she’s stealing my life-force…” says Aurelia.

“What if she’s trying to help?” asks Valya. “I mean, we saw you die, and you came back.”

“Yes… but perhaps we can weaken the bond,” says Aurelia. “I fear that I’ll just waste away if this continues. And if we release Beatrice perhaps she’ll return to Soleil.”

“And are you certain that it’ll be her spirit leaving your body and not your own?” asks Valya.

“…No, I had not considered that possibility,” says Aurelia. Everyone chuckles nervously. “Perhaps we can take a look at the runes they’re carving for the ritual and see if they make sense, but I don’t know what choice I have. I’m weakening by the day.”

During the rest of their wait, Aurelia prays to Soleil for forgiveness for her transgressions. Valya watches the clerics who pass by the door to the receiving room, looking for mind-control rings, but she doesn’t spot any, so instead she asks one of the passing clerics if they have a library accessible to the public.

The cleric looks surprised, as if no one has ever asked him that question before. “Uh, yes, miss,” he says, “we do. Would you like me to take you there?”

“Yes, thank you,” says Valya.

“Are you also a follower of our Dark Lady?” he asks. “It’s not often that anyone in this city asks to see our library.”

“No,” says Valya, “I come from another realm, I would just like to know more about her.”

“Follow me,” says the cleric. He leads Valya to a small library, barely fifteen feet across but with two stories of bookcases and a wrought-iron spiral staircase leading up to the second level. “If you need any assistance, our sages would be happy to help. Is there any particular topic you’re interested in?”

“Yes, I’d like to find out more about Neesha—” begins Valya.

“You’re in the right place,” quips the cleric.

“—specifically, I heard about how she can be known by different names in different places,” Valya finishes.

“Yes,” says the cleric.

“Gods take on different aspects, based on how they are worshipped or where their followers are from?” asks Valya.

“Indeed, that is what we are taught,” says the cleric.

“I’d like to learn more about that; specifically, anything related to how she’s worshiped in Nahalis,” says Valya.

“Yes, I believe we might have a book on that,” says the cleric. He mutters to himself as he looks through the section labels. “Ah, somewhere around here, possibly.”

Valya looks through the section, marked Foreign Religions, and finds a book that looks promising. The cleric returns to his duties, and Valya begins reading.

Meanwhile, Thaldohr gets up and begins walking the halls alone, looking for anything suspicious while trying not to look suspicious himself. No one stops him, but he doesn’t find anything out of the ordinary for a temple—just some locked doors. There are several statues of Neesha surrounded by candles, but the candles appear to be beeswax, not humanoid fat.

⁂

Eventually, some clerics gather the party and inform them that the ritual chamber is ready. They are all lead to one of the locked doors that Thaldohr noticed. The door is now open, and they see a large room—around fifty feet on a side. There’s a circle in the center with various moon-related sigils drawn in what appears to be powdered silver, but it’s only fifteen feet across. The walls are decorated with abstract mosaics of the moon in various phases, but it’s difficult to make out any details, since the room is only dimly lit by candles placed around the rim of the circle.

“It’s too small to be the circle we’re looking for,” Aurelia whispers to Valya.

Valya nods, then leans toward Leander. “Can you help me investigate these runes? I just want to make sure they’re doing what they said they’d do.” They each agree that the circle bears little resemblance to the blueprints they found in Vargrath Keep. It shares some superficial resemblances, but only to the extent that Neesha is invoked—Tharruk’s circle is much more heavily arcane.

Elsa stands at the far side of the circle. “Aurelia,” she says, “would you stand there, in the center of the circle?”

Aurelia nods and takes her position. Three other clerics light some odd-smelling incense, then take up positions around the circle with Elsa. They begin chanting in a language no one in the party understands. The candles begin to flicker and sputter. Aurelia begins to feel strange, like she’s made of taffy and being pulled and squeezed in various directions.

The chanting begins echoing in Aurelia’s head, when suddenly the candles go out. Aurelia sees Beatrice standing before her. “You have to destroy the phylactery,” Beatrice says quickly. “I failed, I couldn’t do it, I wasn’t strong enough—everyone thought I had done it, I meant to tell them later but by then it was too late—you have to do what is right, you have to be strong—”

The vision abruptly switches to Beatrice suspended by chains between two spheres. Aurelia suddenly realizes that the orbs represent her soul and her body, and that Beatrice was the only thing holding them together. Then, the chains snap.

Everyone watches as Aurelia collapses to the floor.

Valya rushes forward and grabs Aurelia. “What have you done to her?” she shouts at Elsa.

Elsa looks as confused and shocked as the rest of them. “This… this shouldn’t have happened! We just banished the spirit that was feeding on her—it should have worked!” She, too, rushes forward and begins checking Aurelia’s pulse.

“Do something to fix this, or I’ll put my sword through your head!” shouts Valya. She begins rummaging through Aurelia’s pack, looking for Beatrice’s medallion, hoping it can do something.

“She has no pulse,” says Elsa, “she’s…”

Valya grabs Aurelia’s shoulders. “Aurelia!” she says “Please, come back! Can you hear me?”

Suddenly, Aurelia gasps. “I’ve been given a second chance…” she murmurs.

“She’s awake!” exclaims Valya.

Aurelia, however, finds herself in a different situation. She’s standing several feet away, watching this happen, when Elsa’s eyes lock with hers. “What’s going on?” Aurelia asks her. “You—you need to connect me back to my body!”

“I—Aurelia—” begins Elsa.

“Who are you talking to? We need a healer!” demands Valya.

Aurelia’s eyes open, but they look different somehow. “Ughh…” She sits up.

“Aurelia! You’re back!” says Valya.

“I’m afraid not. I am Beatrice, of the Runebreakers,” says Beatrice.

“Beatrice? You stole…” breathes Aurelia, but no one can hear her aside from Elsa.

“Where is Aurelia?” asks Valya.

“I’m sorry… I do not know,” says Beatrice.

“Her spirit is there,” says Elsa, pointing toward Aurelia.

“How did this happen? Is there anything we can do to fix this?” asks Valya.

“This should not have happened!” says Elsa. “I thought it was just a spirit!”

“Just a spirit?” says Beatrice. “I take offense to that.”

“Well, we take offense to you stealing Aurelia’s body,” says Thaldohr.

“Do you?” asks Beatrice.

“Yes!” says Thaldohr.

“The way I see it,” says Beatrice, “you should see this as a boon. No offense to Aurelia, but I am much more powerful than her. I’ve fought Tharruk before. You should be glad at this turn of events.”

“Elsa!” says Valya. “I can’t see Aurelia’s spirit. Where is she? Can you bring her back?”

Beatrice rolls her eyes. “Don’t waste time on this.”

“You just stole Aurelia’s body, and we’re going to—” begins Valya.

“Aurelia herself was willing to make desperate compromises,” says Beatrice.

“I was not!” shouts Aurelia, but only Elsa hears her.

“Elsa, what is Aurelia saying?” asks Valya.

“What is happening here? I didn’t expect to get ripped out of my body!” says Aurelia.

“I’m sorry for this… I don’t understand what went wrong,” says Elsa.

“Can we get her a new body?” asks Thaldohr.

Beatrice stands up. “I believe we have a lich to take care of,” she says.

“Do you know where the lich is?” asks Thaldohr.

“No,” says Beatrice. “But we’re going to find out.”

“We’re not doing anything with you until you give Aurelia back,” says Valya. She turns to Elsa. “Does Aurelia want Beatrice taking control of her body?”

“No,” says Elsa.

“Aurelia came to a Temple of Neesha,” says Beatrice. “Surely she understands that the greater good requires sacrifices.”

“That’s not Aurelia, that’s—” says Valya. She summons her sword. “This can cut your mind. Either you bring her back, or I force you out.”

“Well I’m sorry, Valya, but I don’t know how,” says Beatrice.

Valya turns to Elsa. “Can you exorcise her?”

Beatrice conjures a bright ball of fire in the palm of her hand. “I would suggest against that course of action.”

Aurelia, frustrated, tries to shake Beatrice’s shoulder, but her hand passes right through her. She then tries to pick up a candle and throw it at Beatrice. This works, and the candle bounces off of Beatrice’s shoulder.

Beatrice turns around, unamused. “That’s all you can do?”

“I haven’t decided yet, but…” says Aurelia.

“I’m sorry, Aurelia,” Beatrice continues, not having heard Aurelia. “This is the way fate went. You should be happy your friends now have someone more experienced in fighting liches.”

“Experience in what, failing? Dying, perhaps?” says Aurelia, but Beatrice can’t hear her. “So I can influence the material realm…” she mutters to herself.

“We’re wasting time,” says Beatrice. “We should start searching for Tharruk.” She begins heading for the door to the ritual chamber. However, as she approaches the edge of the circle, she slows down, as if she is swimming through molasses. “What is this?” she frowns.

“I think… Yes, I think I understand now,” says Elsa. She turns to Aurelia. “You say you had a near-death experience.”

“Yes?” says Aurelia.

“You have been dead since that time, then,” says Elsa.

“Dead?” says Aurelia.

“Your hitchhiker, this Beatrice,” says Elsa, “must have been holding your soul and your body together through sheer force of will. Now that the link is severed, I’m afraid if you leave the circle, you will simply die.”

“What will happen to me?” asks Aurelia.

“I don’t know—likely you will move on,” says Elsa.

“No,” says Aurelia. “No, we have to figure this out. Beatrice has been dead for a long time…”

Beatrice, still struggling at the edge of the circle, stops and turns back to Elsa. “Release me!”

“I cannot—the circle is the only thing keeping Aurelia’s body animated,” says Elsa.

“Wait,” says Valya, “are you saying that if we can get Aurelia back in her body, she still won’t be able to leave the circle?”

“There’s resurrection magic,” says Aurelia, “surely that could restore the link?”

“Yes,” muses Elsa, “that is possible…”

“What is possible?” asks Valya. “What are you discussing with Aurelia?”

Elsa looks at Beatrice. “Nothing.”

“Does anyone at your temple know raise dead?” Aurelia asks Elsa. “It’s been too long for a simple revivify to work.”

“Yes, it’s possible…” says Elsa.

“What are you two conspiring?” demands Beatrice.

“But first, we’ll have to remove Beatrice,” says Aurelia. “Correct?”

“Indeed,” says Elsa.

“Do you mind sharing what’s going on?” asks Valya.

“Yes,” says Beatrice crossing her arms, “Mind sharing?”

Aurelia, hoping against all hope, rushes forward and tries to possess her body. Beatrice, not expecting this, is surprised, and forced out. “We don’t have much time!” shouts Aurelia. “You should be able to return me to life with a raise dead spell, but I don’t know how long I can stay in control!”

“Huh?” says Valya, confused.

Then, Beatrice reasserts control. “Ignore her! You understand—she is not an asset in the fight against Tharruk. I am!”

“What did you do during your fight with Tharruk? Where is his phylactery? Tharruk is still alive, so it’s not like you won” says Valya.

“What kind of asset?” asks Thaldohr. Valya glares at him.

“That was a minor error on my part,” says Beatrice, “an error which can now be corrected.”

“So what about the phylactery?” asks Valya.

Beatrice stares at her. “I’d like to keep a few cards up my sleeve, if that’s all the same to you.”

Aurelia once again takes over her own body. “Hurry! We don’t have much time.”

“What do you want us to do?” asks Valya.

Aurelia turns to Elsa. “Can you perform the ritual?” She rummages around in her pack and gives Elsa her diamond so Beatrice can’t do something to it. Beatrice tries to gain control again, but Aurelia fights her off. “I know the ritual takes a long time, but perhaps you can pray to Neesha for a miracle? I would be in your debt.”

Elsa begins praying to Neesha for divine intervention. Everyone feels a powerful ripple of energy spreading from Elsa, and Aurelia suddenly gasps and, for the first time in weeks, feels a sense of calm wash over her. She can’t feel Beatrice trying to take over any longer.

Elsa, out of breath, mutters thanks to Neesha. “It seems you will owe the Dark Lady for this,” she tells Aurelia. Aurelia nods.

“Is it done?” asks Valya.

“It seems so,” says Aurelia.

Valya rushes up and hugs Aurelia. “Don’t do that again,” she says.

“I’ll try not to,” says Aurelia.

“Is she still trying to take control?” asks Valya.

“I think she’s gone,” says Aurelia.

Suddenly, Aurelia feels an icy hand on her shoulder. “This was a tactical error, and you know it,” Beatrice whispers in her ear. Aurelia shivers.

Elsa, wiped out from casting the divine intervention, leans on another cleric for support. “I must rest,” she says. “I’m sorry, for—”

“It’s alright,” says Aurelia. “You did help me. I would never have thought a champion of Soleil would be so… parasitic.”

“Death does many things to people,” says Elsa.

“Indeed…” says Aurelia. “How can we repay you?”

“As I said, a donation to the temple would be appreciated,” says Elsa. “But, the power I have just channeled… I have the feeling Neesha herself will ask much of you, in the near future.”

Aurelia and Valya each donate 100 gp to the temple. “That is very kind of you,” says Elsa. “I must rest now. But Aurelia, if I may be bold: Corentin’s will was that Soleil and Neesha share the sky. Try to keep an open mind.”

“I will,” says Aurelia. “Thank you.”

The clerics lead Elsa out of the room. “Perhaps we should retire as well,” says Aurelia.

Before they leave, Valya casts detect thoughts and hears a foreign mind from Aurelia’s direction. Don’t they understand? it’s thinking, They need my help, and I need to atone…

Valya tries to probe deeper into Beatrice’s thoughts, but instead, a candle flings itself at high speed and narrowly misses Valya’s head.

“She’s still around,” says Valya.

“We need to put her bones to rest,” says Aurelia.

“I can crush them into powder when we get back to the temple,” says Valya.

“Crush them?” objects Aurelia.

“She tried to steal your body!” says Valya.

“She’s still a chosen of Soleil, you can’t defile her bones like that!” says Aurelia.

“She was a chosen of Soleil—death has changed her. You saw what she was trying to do!” says Valya.

“I know,” says Aurelia. “But at the same time, we must respect her remains.”

“As you wish,” says Valya. “But if she tries something again…”

⁂

Back at the temple, they settle in for the night. Leander, who has been deep in thought, says “We should banish her. It’s difficult, but it can be done.”

“I agree,” says Valya.

“How would we banish her?” asks Aurelia.

“There are rituals,” says Leander. “More powerful and precise versions of the one Elsa cast.”

“If Beatrice were in control of Aurelia’s body and I attacked her mind with my sword, would that banish her?” asks Valya.

“Hmm… I don’t know,” says Leander.

“Let’s not get to that point,” says Aurelia.

“In any case,” says Leander, “Aurelia doesn’t smell like death anymore.”

“In that case, I can return this to you,” says Aurelia. She unpins the brooch of living essence from her robes and hands it back to Leander.

“Thanks,” says Leander, pocketing it. “Of course, everyone who matters knows I’m a vampire spawn now.” He pauses. “It doesn’t surprise me, what Beatrice is like.”

“No?” asks Aurelia. “Is this related to what you were saying about conforming to your prejudices?”

“Do you remember what I said back at the Daykin Estate, about the paladins who ‘rescued’ me from my former master?” asks Leander.

“I would hope you’d find others to be more… empathetic,” says Aurelia.

“One can hope,” says Leander, obviously unconvinced.

Monday, December 17, 652 AU

In the morning, Aurelia visits Cedric Daymirror, to discuss what happened to her and what to do with Beatrice’s remains.

“Aurelia, you seem… better,” says Cedric as Aurelia sits down. “The bags under your eyes have vanished. You’ve made progress on understanding your condition, I take it?”

“Yes,” says Aurelia, “I’ve discovered the source of my affliction. I know it will sound ridiculous but, apparently, Beatrice was trying to take hold and push my soul out.”

“That…” says Cedric, “that sounds—are you sure? That sounds quite unlike a renowned paladin of Soleil, and one of the Runebreakers.”

“That is also what I thought,” says Aurelia, “but she stole my body from me. She was going to leave me to the afterlife, but thankfully my companions and… others… were able to help me get my body back. I still intend to bring Beatrice’s remains to the Shining Citadel and offer her proper rites, but I’m now concerned about carrying them with me.”

“Hmm… that is quite the disturbing development,” says Cedric. “Ultimately, you are the one who found her remains, and you are the one she attempted to possess, so I will leave it up to your judgement—but my personal opinion is that she was, once, a Runebreaker and a great hero, a beacon of Soleil’s light, and that you should still journey to the Citadel and give her proper last rites.”

“I think, even despite what she’s done in death, she still deserves that,” says Aurelia. “Is there any way we could perform her last rites here?”

“I believe her rightful resting place would be the capital, where her home temple was, and where she spent most of her life,” says Cedric.

“Well, is there any way I could shield myself from her influence?” asks Aurelia.

“I do not know, other than by remaining in the light of Soleil,” says Cedric. “Vengeful spirits are the domain of Neesha, I’m afraid to say.”

“Yes… I do owe Neesha and her followers a great deal… they are the ones who protected me,” admits Aurelia.

Cedric is about to respond, but suddenly they hear shouting from the hall outside. “Help! Intruders!Help!”

Cedric and Aurelia rush out of his office, and see several clerics running down the hall. They have blood on their robes, and patches of their skin are covered in strange, sizzling burns. “The vault! It’s under attack—some sort of creature—”

Behind the clerics, a hideous gibbering mouther rounds the corner and vomits forth a blob of acid. The acid lands at Aurelia’s feet and explodes, blinding one of the clerics.

Aurelia, seeing more gibbering mouthers approaching, decides not to pull any punches—she casts fireball, catching three of them in the blast. Then, she runs down the hall and bangs on the door to the party’s private quarters. “We have a problem!” she shouts.

Thaldohr opens the door. “What’s the problem?”

“Monsters,” says Aurelia.

Thaldohr rushes out of the room toward the gibbering mouthers. “Oh. Big problem!” he shouts, not having seen gibbering mouthers before. He unsheathes Mage-Slayer.

Cedric follows Aurelia’s lead and casts a fireball, but the gibbering mouthers are still alive. The other clerics run for safety.

Valya dashes out into the hall and casts shatter on the gibbering mouthers, but it does barely anything.

The gibbering mouthers, enraged, rush forward. One of them bites Thaldohr’s shoulder, dealing massive damage and knocking him to the floor and dazing him. Another one launches a ball of acidic spittle, blinding Valya and Thaldohr. Four more gibbering mouthers are not far behind…

Aurelia heals Thaldohr with a healing word. Hearing more shouts from beyond the gibbering mouthers, Aurelia decides to try taking a shortcut through the kitchens to get behind them and hopefully rescue the victims.

Thaldohr, still under a gibbering mouther, hears the incessant gibbering for which they are named. He manages to ignore the maddening cacaphony, stands up, and hacks at the gibbering mouther with Mage-Slayer, hitting three times despite his temporary blindness. The creature dissolves into a puddle of ooze, and Thaldohr takes a final swing at the creature’s neighbor.

Cedric is also within range of the babbling. Unfortunately, he is hypnotized by the cacaphony and can only stand where he is, mumbling to himself.

Valya, too, succumbs to the babbling and stands in a stupor, doing nothing.

The gibbering mouthers retaliate. Thaldohr endures another bite, but is not knocked prone this time. Another gibbering mouther tries to blind them with acid, but everyone knows to aver their eyes this time. The remaining three gibbering mouthers, sensing easier prey, retreat down the hall toward the sound of the screaming.

Aurelia runs into the kitchen. “You all need to evacuate!” she shouts. “The temple is under attack!”

“What? By whom?” ask the worried staff.

“Monsters,” says Aurelia.

The staff begin making their way to the opposite door, which leads to the mess hall.

Thaldohr, resisting the gibbering, swings at the closest creature, bringing it down. He swings again at another one, which also now looks close to death.

Cedric, now far enough to not hear the gibbering, casts sacred flame on the gibbering mouther nearest to Thaldohr, which explodes in a shower of acidic gore.

Valya, also out of range now, shouts “Ugh, I felt them in my mind!” She begins running down the hall.

As she runs, Torba says “I would have helped, but I felt myself paralyzed by their gibbering!”

“Pfff, help? How, exactly?” asks Valya.

“I have some tricks up my drawstrings!” Torba protests.

“Well, if you’re going to help, you can help now—we’re getting close to two of them,” says Valya.

“Uh, I’m still feeling, uh, indigestion, I think you can handle it,” saus Torba.

“I thought so,” says Valya. She casts two eldritch blasts, bringing another gibbering mouther near death.

The gibbering mouther retaliates, biting Valya’s arm.

Suddenly, they hear an ear-piercing scream from around the corner. Aurelia opens the far door in the kitchen, and sees, right in front of her, someone being eaten whole by a gibbering mouther—only their legs remain outside the creature’s gaping maw.

Aurelia casts burning hands, catching the gibbering mouther in the blast.

Thaldohr takes out his crossbow and fires an arrow at the gibbering mouther blocking his path—it dissolves into a puddle of ooze, so he runs past it toward the screams. Cedric also dashes, following Thaldohr.

Valya casts another pair of eldritch blasts, eliciting angry screams from the nearest gibbering mouther.

Aurelia resists the gibbering of the mouther in front of her and carefully backs up, allowing Thaldohr to swing at the mouther. It collapses into a puddle, revealing the half-eaten upper body still attached to the legs.

Cedric casts another sacred flame, seriously damaging the remaining gibbering mouther.

Valya, succumbing to the gibbering, runs down the hallway away from the battle.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Thaldohr shouts after Valya while narrowly avoiding a bite.

Aurelia casts a perfectly aimed fire bolt at the last gibbering mouther, which collapses into a partially carbonized mass.

The party reconvene and survey the damage.

“We left the statue we found in Maplethorn here right?” asks Valya.

“Yes,” says Aurelia. She casts sending to Utaz: The statue in the temple is active—how soon can we get the seal working?

A few moments later she receives a reply: I will be there as soon as possible. Seal not ready, but could be ready today. Must make haste.

Aurelia turns to Cedric. “Utaz is on his way, but we need to make sure we prevent anything else from popping up in there.”

Cedric looks down at the half-dissolved corpse. “This is… horrifying,” he says.

“I’m sorry we brought the statue to your temple,” says Aurelia.

“Were these the creatures you fought when you first encountered the statue?” asks Cedric. “You had told me—”

“Yes,” says Valya, “but there were only two that time.”

Cedric begins giving orders to the clerics who have begun to gather, instructing them to take the body to the mortuary and to begin cleaning the floors and repairing the acid damage. Meanwhile, the party heads to the vault to inspect the statue. The vault has been fireballed. Most of the important documents appear to have been sealed in metal tubes, and the various sacred objects appear unharmed, but they notice scraps of carbonized paper on the floor.

The statue, squatting on a table at the far end of the vault, looks pristine. They wait for Utaz to arrive.

“What is our plan after Utaz arrives?” asks Aurelia.

“To go to the Crystalport Academy and interrogate Hawthorne, but after that, I don’t know,” says Valya. “We were planning on investigating the Temple of Neesha more thoroughly, but after last night…”

“No, they seemed… genuine,” says Aurelia. “It would feel wrong to still suspect them after the kindness that they showed to me.”

Aurelia hears a whisper in her ear. “Kindness?” She ignores it.

“I can wait here for Utaz,” says Aurelia. “You can go to the Academy.”

“Thaldohr should stay with you,” Valya says, “and I’ll take Leander with me. He has knowledge of magic.” She pauses. “Have you told Cedric that we’re housing Leander in his temple?”

“…No,” says Aurelia.

Valya returns to their room, and finds Leander lounging on a chair reading a book. “I heard a battle?” says Leander.

“Yes,” says Valya.

“How’d that go?” he asks, not looking up from the book.

“It went well, except for the person who got eaten,” says Valya.

“That’s a shame,” says Leander. He flips a page.

“I’ll remind you that you’re supposed to be helping us,” says Valya.

“How may I help my most magnificent masters today?” asks Leander, still reading the book.

“I see your mood has improved,” says Valya, rolling her eyes. “We’re going to the Crystalport Academy to interrogate someone who saw the imps at the Daykin Estate.”

“…Fine,” says Leander.

“And you also shouldn’t be seen here,” says Valya, throwing Leander a cloak.

⁂

Valya and Leander exit the temple and begin walking toward the Crystalport Academy.

“Did Tharruk ever mention the Daykins? Were they involved in any way?” asks Valya.

“No,” says Leander. “Calvin was being hosted by the Daykins for months, so I’ve been there many times—I’ve never caught a whiff of anything magical.”

“Hmm… Okay,” says Valya.

The Crystalport Academy is more open and less imposing than the Andirune Institute—there’s no stone wall surrounding the campus, no ivy crawling up old stone towers. They ask around for Hawthorne, but few students are willing to talk to them with Leander present, cloaked-and-hooded and very grumpy as he is.

“Can you wait here for a moment?” Valya asks Leander, pointing at a bench. “And don’t try any funny things!”

Leander glares at Valya from under his hood. “I literally cannot take my hands out of my sleeves without them burning. I’m not going to try any ‘funny things’.” He sits down on the bench.

Valya accosts a student crossing the square. “Oh, hey, is that your spellbook?”

The student narrows her eyes, suspicious. “Yes… why?”

“Oh, I was just wondering,” says Valya. “Anything interesting in the classes today?”

“We’re not supposed to discuss magic with outsiders…” says the girl, even more suspicious.

“Uh, I’m a student from the Andirune Institute,” says Valya.

“…Oh,” says the student. “Here to make fun of us?”

“N-no! I’m looking for a friend—I’m new in the city,” says Valya. “Hawthorne, do you know him?”

The student grimaces, as if her opinion of Valya could not sink any lower. “Oh. Yes. I know Hawthorne.”

“Could you point me in the right direction?” asks Valya.

The student gives Valya some short directions—Hawthorne lives only a few blocks away. “I have to get to class now,” she says.

“Thank you. Good luck with class!” says Valya.

The student raises an eyebrow, turns around, and walks away.

Valya returns to the park bench, where Leander appears to be silently chuckling. “If that was a faithful demonstration of your interrogation skills, you’re not going to learn anything from Hawthorne.”

Valya glares at Leander. “Well, I got his address. Let’s go.”

They walk a few blocks down the street and arrive at dingy, cramped apartment building. They knock on the door, and a few seconds later a young man opens it. Valya and the man immediately recognize each other—he was one of the students who attacked them on their way back from Maplethorn!

The man’s eyes go wide, and he tries to slam the door shut, but Valya puts her foot in. “You?! what are you doing here?” she says. “Are you trying to kill Hawthorne?”

“What?” says the man, confused. “I am Hawthorne! What are you doing here?”

“What?” asks Valya, confused.

“Look, if someone sent you here,” says Hawthorne, “tell Julian I have the money, I just need to, you know, get it together—”

“Shut up!” says Valya. She swings open the door and strides in, followed by Leander, who closes it behind them.

“Please, I—” begins Hawthorne.

“What are you talking about? Who? Repeat what you just said,” says Valya.

“If Julian wants the gold, I just have to get it into a more, uh, liquid form,” says Hawthorne, his eyes darting about the room.

“I’m not here for gold or anything about that,” says Valya. “I’m here because we heard from your sister that you saw imps flying from the Daykin Estate?”

“Uh, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” says Julian. “I think you’ve got the wrong person entirely. In fact, I don’t remember you!”

“Ugh,” says Valya. “Many things are going wrong today and I don’t have Aurelia here to speak sense, so either you tell us what we want to know or my friend here is going to have you for dinner!”

Leander hisses at Hawthorne and bares his fangs.

“Ahh!” shouts Hawthorne. “What do you want!”

“I want you to tell us what you saw at the Daykin Estate,” says Valya.

“I didn’t—I don’t—” Hawthorne stutters.

“I will ask one more time—what did you see?” says Valya.

“Imps!” babbles Hawthorne. “I pointed them out, then I realized no one else could see them, and, well, they must have been invisible, because at the time I was on a particular, uh, substance, a side effect of which is similar to the see invisibility spell, and if no one else could see them and anyone realized I could see them they could start asking questions about why, and this substance isn’t, ah, particularly legal so—”

“Wait,” Valya interrupts. “You were drugged, and the side effect is that you can see invisible things?”

“Haha, one of the side effects,” chuckles Hawthorne.

“Does the drug cause hallucinations?” asks Valya.

“Not… often…” says Hawthorne.

“Ugh,” says Valya. “How certain are you that what you saw was invisible and not just a hallucination?”

“I know the difference between a hallucination and reality! I saw the imps fly from the tower when it caught fire—everyone was shocked at how quickly the fire spread, it was terrible—and I saw them fly to Dawnspire!”

“Dawnspire?” asks Valya. “What’s Dawnspire?”

“The estate of the Redgate family, just a few blocks away,” says Hawthorne. “I think they went in a window, maybe, it was too far away to tell and I was running away at the time, so…”

“Have you ever heard any rumors about the Daykins? Anything suspicious?” asks Valya. “Did they buy drugs?”

“No, not that I know—though my sister did say that Louise Daykin sometimes smells like sulphur,” says Hawthorne.

“I’ve heard that too,” Valya agrees.

“So… you’re not here about Julian’s payment?” asks Hawthorne.

“No, I’m not here about that!” says Valya.

“Because I could put in a good word for Julian if you ever want to, you know, make more money,” says Hawthorne.

“I don’t think your word will count for much if you currently owe him money,” says Valya, “and I don’t want to get involved in whatever shady business you deal in.”

“No shady business? What are you doing right now?” Hawthorne protests. “Roughing up a poor, innocent student with a vampire!”

Valya rolls her eyes. “You’re just a criminal.”

“So are you,” says Hawthorne. “The papers say you’re some kind of seditious doppleganger!”

“Oh dear gods,” says Valya. “You’re lucky you’re getting out of this alive!”

Hawthorne’s face goes white. “I am?”

Valya sighs. “Look. I just came here to learn more about the imps.” She turns to Leander. “I think we’ve gotten all we can from this guy.”

Leander nods. “I don’t think there was much to get.”

Valya turns back to Hawthorne. “Well—stay out of trouble. And write to your sister more!” Valya and Leander exit Hawthorne’s apartment.

“Well,” says Valya, “that explains why no one else saw the imps—they were invisible.”

“Or a hallucination,” says Leander.

“Well, there’s also the sulphur,” says Valya.

“Hmm…” says Leander. “So the imps flew to Dawnspire…”

“Why does that sound so familiar?” asks Valya.

⁂

Back at the temple, while Cedric and the rest of the clerics are performing last rites for their fallen brother, Utaz arrives to inspect the statue.

“Have more of those creatures appeared? since your sending?” Utaz asks.

“Not since we’ve been watching it, no,” says Aurelia.

“Good,” says Utaz. “I’ve taken a look at the ritual circle you copied from Caranthiax’s lair. It’s quite powerful, subtle magic… Caranthiax really knew her abjuration theory. I’ve set up a similar circle in my tower. We should transport the statue there… yes, I think that would be the safest place for it.”

“When we brought it to Crystalport,” says Aurelia, “we needed the aid of a Tenser’s floating disk. I don’t think we can carry it ourselves.”

“A floating disk, you say? And who, exactly, cast this spell?” says Utaz. Before Aurelia can react, he smiles. “Not to worry—I can keep a secret.”

Utaz walks into the vault and wrinkles his nose upon sighting the statue. “Quite a dark aura…” He approaches, inspects it, then mutters a few words and taps the statue with his staff. The statue vanishes.

“Where did it go?” asks Thaldohr.

“I’ve teleported it to the circle,” says Utaz.

“Impressive,” says Aurelia.

“It will be safe now,” says Utaz.

“Thank you,” says Aurelia.

“Thank you for informing me about the danger. It appears to be born of quite dark magic,” says Utaz, looking troubled.

“We got some information from Leander about how Tharruk is using one,” says Aurelia.

“Oh?” says Utaz.

“Apparently, the shadows that have been terrorizing the Osorin Forest came from one of these statues, and Tharruk is using one as a power source for his ritual,” says Aurelia.

“Yes, it’s quite troubling…” muses Utaz.

“And there should be other statues,” says Aurelia. “We didn’t mention last time, but Caranthiax was studying the statues with another mage named Jannalor. We found a map with locations marked.”

Aurelia hands Utaz their map, which Utaz studies. “Silverdale, Cobalt Bay, Ilvassar Forest… Silverdale is checked off—perhaps that is where Caranthiax’s statue came from? Curious that these statues are suddenly popping out of the woodwork.”

“Yes,” Aurelia agrees. “Why now? Presumably, they’ve been around a long time.”

“Indeed…” says Utaz. “Well. I must return to my tower, to ensure the statue is bound by the magic circle.” He mutters a few words, raises his staff, and vanishes.

⁂

When Valya and Leander return to the temple, Valya shares with the rest of the party what they learned from Hawthorne.

“Dawnspire… isn’t that…” Aurelia rummages through her pack, and produces the stack of letters they found during their first visit to Vargrath Keep:

Dear Lena,

I hope you are feeling better. Your last letter greatly worried me, and I offer once again—take Iris and visit us at Dawnspire, for as long as you like. Whatever happened on that expedition changed Cecil, and I wonder if he hasn’t brought a powerful curse down on himself. He shouldn’t be exploring those places. They belong to Neesha, and should be left undisturbed. I’ve expressed my views on his hobby before, and I don’t think I’ll change your mind by repeating myself. But now these strange visitors, and the sleepwalking, and that poor cat? Surely you understand that Cecil has become unstable. He needs a priest, and if he refuses to see one, then you need to leave. I have a room made for you here, and I’m sure Iris would love to spend the rest of the summer playing with Bartram and Marjorie.

Your loving sister,

Flora

July 15th, 508 A.U.

“And Dawnspire is owned by the Redgate family, who rule Kyasha’s Vale,” says Valya.

“Well,” says Aurelia, “it’s not much to go on, but we should investigate Dawnspire.”

First, though, the party decides to take a trip to Rimehollow to return Tolman Kildare’s books.

⁂

It’s getting late in the season, and the road north to Rimehollow is almost deserted. A few hours later, they make it to the small village and begin walking to the smithy.

“Okay, Torba,” says Aurelia, “this time we’re going to give him the books.”

“Uh-huh!” says Torba.

Once inside Tolman’s office, Tolman says “Well? Do you have my books this time?”

Valya flips Torba over and begins shaking. Book after book falls to the floor while Torba protests. “Hey! Easy now! Whoa!”

“The books!” says Tolman. “You… you got them! Wonderful! I can’t thank you enough.”

“It was more trouble than we expected,” says Valya, “but we did it.”

“It will take me a while to read through these books for the information you want, Valya,” says Tolman. “But in the meantime…” Tolman reaches into a drawer of his desk and takes out a small leather pouch. “How does 200 gp sound?”

The party thanks Tolman for the reward.

“Speaking of information,” says Valya, “I have something here…” she reaches into her pack and produces The Great Smithies of Castalia and opens it to the picture of Siora Virren. “This sword is uncannily similar to the one I’m looking for. Do you know anything about the Virren family?”

“Well, the Virren family’s swords were… not so great. They had a habit of working fine for the first few months, then rusting to pieces, losing their magic… Shoddy craftsmanship.”

“Why are they so well-known if their swords were garbage?” asks Valya. “How did they stay in business?”

“Some of their swords weren’t garbage,” says Tolman. “Around the time of Siora, the Virrens produced some truly marvellous swords. Rumors at the time claimed that Siora had made a deal with a devil. Then, a few years later, tragedy after tragedy befell the Virren family. After that, Siora’s dealings with devils were taken as a matter of certain fact.”

“What sort of tragedies?” asks Aurelia.

“People vanishing, only to show up dead weeks later. Inexplicable accidents. People stopped buying their swords, and after Siora, they never produced another quality sword again. As far as I know, most of them gave up sword-smithing years ago.”

“Can you still find their swords nowadays?” asks Valya.

“In Hearthollow, I’m sure,” says Tolman. “But no one seeks out their swords. Outside of Whitestone Valley, I’d say the best are either the Broadbusters or the Tarquilos.”

“We’ll need to go to Hearthollow then,” Valya says to the others. “I need to find whether devils were really involved in the creation of Grieving Edge.”

“Oh, and that elf came by again a few days ago, asking about the sword and the two daggers. I told him I didn’t have information yet but that I would soon,” says Tolman.

“Next time he comes back,” says Valya, “mention that Valya is looking for him and see how he reacts.”

“Sure, if he comes back, I’ll do that,” says Tolman.

“Oh!” says Valya. “Take this.” She takes a paper bird from her pack. “Write a message on it, fold it up, and say my name—it’ll find me.”

“I’ll be sure to,” says Tolman, looking confused. “More magic contraband?”

⁂

The party leaves the smithy and heads back to Crystalport.

“Demons…” says Valya.

“Devils,” says Aurelia. “Speaking of, we still have Valspira with us.”

“Maybe she knows something…” muses Valya, but everyone agrees they should avoid talking to Valspira until they figure out what to do with her.

“Should we check out Dawnspire? Or should we investigate the ruins of the Daykin Estate?” asks Aurelia.

“Actually, Captain Woodmore mentioned to us that Lord Bryn and Lady Cecilia Redgate would host a feast for us at Dawnspire if we defeated the hydra,” says Valya. “What if we ask to speak to them about the hydra?”

First, though, they stop at the Temple of Soleil for a short rest. Valya, still pretty injured from the fight with the gibbering mouthers, donates 50 gp to the temple for a cure wounds.

Rested, they head to Dawnspire, only a few blocks away. It’s an old manor, covered in ivy, and they can see a gardener tending to the grounds. At the front gate, a guard sits in a small guardhouse, reading the Citadel Sentinel.

As they approach the gate, the guard looks up from his paper. “Good afternoon,” he says.

“Good afternoon,” says Aurelia. “We were hoping we could speak to the lord and lady about some of the events in Kyasha’s Vale.”

“The guard peers at a pocketwatch through his reading glasses. “I wasn’t aware they had any arrangements today,” says the guard.

“Oh, we’ve recently come from the Vale—it’s important they hear what we’ve uncovered,” says Aurelia.

“Wait a minute…” says the guard. He takes off his glasses and looks at the party. “You’re—”

“Oh no,” says Aurelia.

“You’re Woodmore’s Warriors!” exclaims the guard.

“That’s not what we’re called,” says Aurelia.

“I’ve heard about your latest escapades!” says the guard.

“Latest?” says Aurelia.

“You went to Silverdale and fought a horde of zombies to stop a group of necromancers from turning them into super-undead!” says the guard.

“That is exactly what happened,” says Thaldohr.

“I think you could be the next Runebreakers,” says the guard.

“Really?” says Aurelia, mollified.

“Yes! But, I’m sorry—Lord Redgate truly doesn’t have any appointments available today,” says the guard.

“We’re the Dawnbringers, though, you’d think they’d want to meet us,” says Thaldohr.

“…I can ask,” says the guard. He takes a round, smooth stone and whispers something into it, then holds it up to his ear, and nods. “Ah! It seems Lord Redgate has been expecting you! Something about a delicate matter in the Vale?”

“Yes,” says Aurelia.

“Well, come in, come in!” The guard unlocks the gate and escorts them to the front door of Dawnspire.

“At least this latest issue isn’t so scathing,” Aurelia whispers to the rest of the party.

They enter through the front door, and find themselves in a beautiful antechamber. A servant leads them down a hall and into a waiting room, dominated by a large stone fireplace surrounded by various plush chairs. “Lord and Lady Redgate will be here shortly,” says the servant.

“Thank you,” says Aurelia.

The servant nods, leaves, and closes the door behind him, at which point the party immediately begins snooping around for anything suspicious.

Aurelia flips through the books on a shelf opposite the fireplace, but they appear to be novels—nothing incriminating. Above the fireplace is a trophy two-headed stag, though no one can tell whether it had two heads when it was alive or if it’s two stags expertly taxidermied together. Thaldohr, listening at the door, can hear conversation—he thinks it’s coming from another room across the hall, but he can’t make out anything specific.

Listening more intently, Aurelia and Valya can hear at least three voices. They can’t make out much more than Thaldohr can, but they do hear a few names mentioned—Richmond, Kenneth, and Louise.

“Wait—are the Daykins here?” asks Aurelia. She carefully opens the door into the hallway, and they can hear the conversation a little better. Kenneth and Louise Daykin are speaking with someone about how long they expect it will take for the Daykin Estate to be repaired. It seems the Daykins are staying with the Redgates in the interim!

They hear footsteps, so they close the door and take positions on the couch. “That means no one is staying in the ruined estate at the moment,” says Aurelia.

A few moments later, a servant opens the door to their room. “Lord Redgate,” says the servant.

An elderly man, well into his seventies, walks into the room with a cane. “Welcome, welcome,” says Lord Bryn Redgate. I hear you’re calling yourselves the Dawnbringers.”

“Thank the goddess,” Aurelia says under her breath. “Yes, thank you for meeting with us.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to come to my manor, but I’ve been thinking about contacting you myself,” says Lord Redgate. “You see, word has reached me from the Vale—the captain of the guard confirms your story of a hydra. The Daykins may laugh about it, but I trust my men—what can you tell me about this hydra?”

“We believe it is the cause of the corruption of the Pool of Tears,” says Aurelia.

“Oh dear,” says Lord Redgate.

“It’s quite large, and powerful,” says Aurelia. “We had hoped to gather a force to vanquish it, but as you said, few believe the rumors.”

“It’s a terrible, terrible shame,” says Lord Redgate. “Kyasha’s Vale used to be a bustling hub of trade and a destination for pilgrims—now it’s nothing. The people have turned to logging and I’ve heard they’re having difficulties with shadowy monsters in the forest—a shame.” He slowly shakes his head back and forth. “Now, this hydra—what would it take to defeat it?”

“It would take some force, for sure,” says Aurelia, “but a group of skilled fighters would be of great help.”

“I have the money to pay for mercenaries,” says Lord Redgate. “If the Daykins will not spare the city guard, we will have to make do on our own. The Daykins, all they can talk about are the Wood Scorpions, you’d think the Wood Scorpions are the source of all the evils in the world, the way they go on about them. Shame about their manor though—I believe you were there?”

“Yes, we were able to get the prince out of danger,” says Aurelia.

“Excellent, wonderful, so I had heard…” says Lord Redgate. He sighs. “Kyasha’s Vale, no one remembers it anymore, it’s just a small out-of-the-way little village. No one wants to give us the time of day anymore.”

“It’s quite beautiful, though,” says Aurelia.

“Yes, indeed… I can’t make the journey anymore, though. I’ve had to leave one of my faithful servants in charge,” says Lord Redgate.

“Yes, Edward de Lane… We’ve… met him,” says Aurelia.

“Oh? How lovely!” says Lord Redgate, obviously unaware of how de Lane has been treating the Vale.

“We would be honored to help defeat the hydra,” says Aurelia.

“Yes, wonderful, you’re so kind,” says Lord Redgate. “Now, I’d love to pay for some mercenaries to accompany you, but, well, the papers have been treating you kinder lately, and you saved Prince Calvin, and, well, the Daykins are staying here… could you, possibly, convince them that the hydra poses a threat?”

“Uh…” says Aurelia.

“Convince them that you only need a few guards, that the investment wouldn’t be a boondoggle?” continues Lord Redgate.

“A boondoggle?” asks Aurelia.

“We were hoping to perhaps enlist other adventuring parties,” says Valya. “The hydra is quite powerful. I don’t know if a few guards would do much against it.”

“Oh,” says Lord Redgate, deflated. “Well, the Fists of Dhedros—I think they spend all their time keeping Cobalt Bay open for shipping. They don’t come much to Crystalport. Now, other adventuring parties, let’s see…”

As Lord Redgate begins muttering to himself, they all hear more footsteps in the hall. The door opens once again, and the servant says “Duke and Duchess Daykin!”

“Bryn!” says Duke Kenneth Daykin, “I didn’t know we had more guests!”

“Oh, they just arrived unexpectedly,” says Lord Redgate. “This is…” He motions at the party, but then realizes he doesn’t know any of their names.

“I am Aurelia Goldensong, priestess of Soleil,” says Aurelia. “It is an honor.”

The rest of the party introduce themselves while the servant pours drinks. Duke Daykin nods. “Charmed.”

Duchess Louise Daykin also nods. “A pleasure to meet Crystalport’s newest adventuring party, if the papers are to be believed.”

Aurelia notices that the duchess seems nervous. “Yes, it seems we are.”

“I suppose Lord Redgate here was regaling you with tales of a hydra?” Duke Daykin says, chuckling to himself as he sits down.

“Yes, we were discussing the hydra,” says Aurelia.

“We’ve seen the hydra for ourselves,” says Valya. “And we have some scales and its eggshell as proof.”

“Right. Right, you’re the ones who put this idea in Woodmore’s head in the first place,” says the duke.

“The hydra is responsible for what happened to the Pool of Tears,” says Aurelia.

“What, it drying up a century ago?” says the duke. “What’s the purpose of these games?”

“Kenneth, surely it’s possible—” begins the duchess.

“It’s just baseless fantasy, Louise,” says the duke. “Now, I must address the elephant in the room—you’re known to have worked with a Wood Scorpion sympathizer. Come clean and admit that the Wood Scorpions are paying you to spread these lies.” He begins anxiously tapping his glass on the table.

“We do not work for the Wood Scorpions,” says Aurelia. “It’s true we traveled for a time with Fergus, but we were not aware of his ties to the Wood Scorpions until after the events at your manor.”

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” says the duke. “But if so, how do you explain your numerous liaisons with the druids?”

“What do you mean?” asks Valya.

“Don’t play games. You’ve been seen traveling to the Osorin Forest multiple times. Suspicious, don’t you think?”

“We would like not to get involved in local politics,” says Aurelia.

“Alas, you’re already embroiled in them,” says the duke.

“What would you have us do?” asks Aurelia.

“I would have you stop spreading rumors of hydras and liches, and focus on what matters—stopping the Wood Scorpions,” says the duke. “Do you realize the position I’m in? Multiple assassination attempts on the queen’s brother under my watch?”

“The hydra is real, my lord,” says Lord Redgate. “My guard captain confirmed it.”

“It seems you’re under a lot of pressure,” says Valya. “You should control that—pressure causes people to make mistakes.”

The duke narrows his eyes. “Is that some sort of threat?”

“No,” says Valya. “I’m just giving advice. Is there anything we can say that will change your mind?”

“No,” says the duke. “And if you persist in this foolishness, we have nothing more to discuss. The papers can say whatever they want about your heroics—I am not fooled.”

“If we do find anything related to the Wood Scorpions, we’ll let you know,” says Aurelia.

Duke Daykin gives a slight nod, then gets to his feet and leaves the room. Lord Redgate follows closely behind. Before the servant closes the door behind them, they hear Lord Redgate begin to argue: “My lord, you should read the reports I’ve gotten from…”

They find themselves alone in the room with the duchess.

“So,” says Valya, “why are you and the duke staying with the Redgates?”

“I am a Redgate,” says the duchess. “Lord Bryn is my late father’s brother.”

“So are you related to the Sharpes too?” asks Valya.

“My, someone knows their genealogy!” says the duchess. “Yes, the Redgates were the Sharpes’s closest kin… horrible tragedy.”

“Yes, very sad,” says Aurelia.

“What interests you about the Sharpes?” asks the duchess.

“You know what the rumors say—the undead took hold of Vargrath Keep,” says Valya.

“That’s what you say,” says the duchess.

“And the newspapers, too, now!” says Valya. “We saw something there. Do you have any idea what could have driven Cecil mad?”

The duchess looks nervous.

“Do you have something to tell us?” asks Valya.

“We only want what’s best for Crystalport,” says Aurelia. “So any information you have…”

“Let’s discuss in my quarters,” says the duchess.

She rises, and a servant leads everyone up the stairs to a spacious room on the second story.

After the servant closes the door, the duchess begins pacing. “I have dealt for a long time with… certain parties, in order to gain some minor advantages to ensure the safety of my family and our position in Crystalport. Recent events have left me in… a less than fortunate bargaining position.”

“Is your family at risk?” asks Valya.

“I can’t be sure,” says the duchess.

“Those who bargain like that usually come out on the losing side eventually,” says Aurelia.

“You don’t understand—I was careful never to ask for too much, never to let my reach exceed my grasp… I was able to outwit and outmaneuver the lesser entities I dealt with,” says the duchess.

“What changed?” asks Aurelia.

“The fire,” says the duchess. She frowns. “All of my materials, destroyed in the blaze. Plus, I was counting on a certain item being in my possession as a bargaining chip, but when that failed to materialize…

“Look. I knew about the poisoning attempt before it happened. The city believes it was luck, or divine providence, that a healer happened to be present who could cure Prince Calvin before it was too late. It was not luck. I ensured that the healer would be there. The Daykins have weathered every storm that has come to us. If I were not doing what I have been doing, the Evenglooms would have taken over the city twenty years ago, I can assure you of that.”

“So you have access to divination magic?” asks Valya.

“In a sense,” says the duchess.

“Divination magic,” says Aurelia, “or perhaps you were in contact with the parties responsible?”

“No,” says the duchess. “I hate the Wood Scorpions as much as my husband does.”

“So you gained this foresight through dealing with some entities, then,” says Valya.

“Entities not of this plane,” adds Aurelia.

“Yes,” says the duchess.

“Some people saw the imps flying out of the tower,” says Valya.

“Yes, I had heard the rumors,” says the duchess, “but I’m glad they never went anywhere.”

“Is there still evidence in the ruins of the tower?” asks Valya.

“No,” says the duchess, shaking her head. “I had my servants survey the damage the following morning. Very little survived the inferno, and what did is now in my possession once more.”

“Who else knows you practice magic?” asks Valya.

“No one,” says the duchess. “I inherited the books. From the Sharpes—funny that you mentioned them.”

“You said you’re losing the upper hand,” says Aurelia. “What did you mean by that?”

“There was an artifact I purchased at a steep price,” says the duchess. “It never arrived. And without it, I couldn’t fulfil my side of several bargains. I’m in quite the bind.”

“I see,” says Aurelia. “If we were to deal with these entities, would you be able to help us deal with some of the issues in the city?”

“Such as?” asks the duchess.

“Eventually we’ll have to fight the hydra, of course,” says Aurelia, “but I’m sure you’ve heard by now about the lich.”

“Are you telling me the lich is real?” asks the duchess.

“Indeed,” says Aurelia. “We’ve been working with Atris of the Hammer on the issue, but we’ve encountered resistance.”

“No one wants to admit the threat,” says Valya. “You’ve been dealing with black magic—do you know of anyone else in the city who could be working for the lich?”

“No—I’m not aware of someone who would do that,” says the duchess.

“Do you know anything about the shadows in the forest?” asks Valya.

“I know they’ve been terrorizing loggers,” says the duchess. “And I know the duke believes they are the minions of the druids.”

“One last question,” says Valya. “Do you know of anywhere in the city that could hold a large ritual chamber in secret? Perhaps underground?”

“Hmm,” muses the duchess. “Actually, yes. I keep close tabs on the Evenglooms. A few years ago, they built the Hall of Justice. Much more money went into that building than anyone realizes.”

“One last question,” asks Valya. “The Evenglooms—are they followers of Neesha?”

“Well, Acacia, daughter of the patriarch of the Evenglooms, was training to be a priestess of Neesha… but she left the city a few months ago.”

They thank the duchess for her time, and a servant leads them back to the front gate.

⁂

“So it wasn’t the Daykins!” says Aurelia. “And we did think the Wood Scorpions and the Evenglooms were involved with each other somehow… Perhaps we should investigate their estate? I’d rather not investigate the Hall of Justice just yet. I’m low on spells. And we should probably inform Utaz.”

“Before that, though, we have all these gems…” says Valya.

They head to Evelyn’s Jewelers.

“Oh, it’s wonderful to see you again!” says Evelyn as they walk into the store. She turns to Thaldohr. “You’re a new face, though! I’m Evelyn.”

“Hello, I’m Thaldohr,” says Thaldohr.

The party begins piling gems and jewelry on the counter. “Oh dear, you’ve been quite busy!” says Evelyn. She takes out her jeweler’s loupes and various implements, and begins appraising.

First, they go through the gems they found in Vargrath Keep.

• Azurite earrings: 150 gp
• Blue quartz bracelet: 100 gp
• Malachite necklace: 50 gp
• Hematite brooch: 100 gp

When Evelyn examines the ruby necklace, however, she pauses. “Huh.” She squints her eyes and tries various other loupes. “Interesting.”

“What is it?” asks Aurelia.

“Do you mind if I cast a spell on this?” asks Evelyn.

“Go ahead,” says Thaldohr.

Evelyn mutters some words over the ruby necklace. “Ah! I see. Its magic was hidden by Nystul’s magic aura.”

“Wait, we have a magic item there?” says Valya.

“I can’t tell exactly what it is, but it certainly has an aura of evocation magic,” says Evelyn.

“I just got this pearl,” says Valya, “so I could cast identify on it!”

Evelyn looks doubtful. “Do you have authorization for that? I’m supposed to report any magic items I find to the town guard…”

“What would it take for you to… not?” asks Thaldohr.

“Wouldn’t those earrings go perfectly with Evelyn’s eyes?” Valya asks the rest of the party.

“Well,” Evelyn chuckles. “You are adventurers… Very well. If it ever comes up, just tell the guard you got the necklace appraised by someone else, and that you had no idea it was magical.”

She pockets the earrings and continues through the items they found in Rimehollow, finally returned to them from the Talons’s vault.

• Sardonyx bracelet: 230 gp
• Star rose quartz earrings: 75 gp
• Chrysoprase bracelet: 180 gp

They thank Evelyn for her services and her discretion, and return to the Temple of Soleil.

⁂

Once back at the temple, Valya casts identify on the ruby necklace, discovering it is a gem of brightness with twenty-three charges remaining. Aurelia takes the necklace.

“Actually, Valya, could you cast that spell on this?” asks Aurelia. She holds out Beatrice’s amulet.

“Of course,” says Valya. As she casts the spell, Leander peers at Valya with a confused expression. “What?” asks Valya. Leander rolls his eyes.

The amulet turns out to be an amulet of the devout, which can only be worn by a cleric of sufficient faith. As Aurelia turns it over in her hands, she hears a voice whisper in her ear. “You think you’re worthy of it?”

“I will become worthy,” Aurelia whispers.

“Leander,” says Valya, “could I copy some spells out of your spellbook?”

“Only if I can see yours,” says Leander.

“Of course!” says Valya. They exchange spellbooks.

Leander begins flipping through Valya’s spellbook, his expression growing more confused and disgusted by the second. “This is utter gibberish! You cast spells with this?”

“Hey!” says Valya. “I’m still learning!”

“Learning what?” says Leander. “Not magic, that’s for sure. This is giving me a headache.” He hands the book back to Valya.

“I assume you already have those spells, then,” says Valya.

“Let me know when you’re ready to show me your real spellbook,” says Leander.

“Sure,” says Valya, perturbed. She begins flipping through Leander’s spellbook. “Would you mind deciphering some of these sigils for me so I can transfer the spells?”

“First of all,” says Leander, “how can you expect to cast these spells if you don’t even understand these basic sigils? Second of all, that ink you’re holding isn’t magic ink.”

“Yes it is,” says Valya.

“No, that’s regular ink,” says Leander.

“What are you talking about?” asks Valya.

“There’s special ink you need to use to copy spells… how do you not know this?” says Leander.

“Oh… Oh! You’re right, my mistake, I must have switched up the bottles,” says Valya, laughing nervously. “Once I get more magic ink, then I’ll copy your spells. So, can you tell me what this sigil is? I don’t recognize it,” says Valya, pointing at a rune in Leander’s spellbook.

“It’s… one of the… basic sigils…” says Leander.

“Hey, no need to be condescending!” says Valya.

“I’m not trying to be condescending, I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on,” says Leander.

“You know what?” says Valya. “I’ll do this later. I’m tired right now.” She shoves Leander’s spellbook back into his hands, paces for a bit, then says “I’m going to go shopping.”

“While you’re out,” says Aurelia, “could you pick up more healer’s kits and supplies?”

“Sure, I can do that,” says Valya. She quickly leaves the room.

“That was… weird, right?” Aurelia asks Leander.

“Yes,” says Leander, “I don’t think she knows how to read spells.”

“And magic users need to know all the theory behind arcane magic in order to be able to perform it, correct?” asks Aurelia.

“Yes, that’s how one performs the magic,” says Leander. “And she didn’t seem to understand the difference between magical and non-magical ink.”

“Wizards… do they usually have access to those blasts of pure force Valya can cast?” asks Aurelia.

“Usually, no,” says Leander. “It would require significant study to learn something outside of the arcane sphere. Not impossible, but considering what we just witnessed, I’d say impossible for her.”

“Curious,” says Aurelia.

“Indeed,” says Leander.

“So…how are you doing with the whole… hunger… thing?” Aurelia asks Leander.

“I’ll need to find some rats tonight,” says Leander. He makes a face. “What worries me is that there are no more shadows, so I can’t make more of the potion.”

“Perhaps Utaz can help figure something out?” Aurelia suggests.

“Possibly,” says Leander. ❦