Into the Something Worse We Go

We find ourselves in the cave right after the battle with the beholder. Pearl and Caulkin investigate where it came from further in the cave. We find nothing of use but reexamine the casket where Cadderly’s body lies. We grab Iza and Vanneak who remain exhausted and help them out of the cave. Glittr talks to Iza more, filling her in on their adventures and showing her the new Joybringer Maul (Cadderly’s Maul) he obtained.

We leave the cave and find a glowing sunset as the night settles in. 

• Caulkin is asked how he feels about seeing Larael soon. He recalls finding out that she is/was a Harper and she might not be the evil person he once thought she was. 

• Brylwynn shares that she still feels pain and a sense of dread from the crown in her head.

We make our way back to the small village where we first met Myrrh. She states that the evil presence has faded away recently. We see #2/Valyun (previously #6) who shares with us that Sythryn, the old town druid, wants to speak with us. 

We make our way over to Sythryn who appears to be an extremely ancient druid. He shares that he feels our journey has been difficult to get here. The druid is blind and he touches Caulkin’s face to “see” him and as he does, he feels the burden of pain within him. He doesn’t feel an actual “curse” upon Caulk, but more of a curse he needs to bear. 

“I felt something far worse shake the foundation of the forest. I was feeling the earth and all that is in the forest. That creature, whatever was in the cave, was new. A blimp. I felt something far to the east in these woods. It worried me so I sought to try to attune to these woods, but whatever is there seems to be more powerful than the spirit of the woods.” - Sythryn

• “Yesterday I felt a surge that woke me from my trance. I sense something growing stronger there, but I don’t know what.” “It feels like an old, ancient energy. It is something that has existed for quite some time.”

• We ask if there is anything else we can do for his village, but he says no. He offers us a gift for helping them. A tree branch moves from the walls of the building we are in, handing us a branch. “This Branch is infused with the magic of these woods and carries my connection to it.” “This tree can be a base for you, if you need to return to it. Speak my name to this branch and it will bring you back here.” Transport Via Plants spell.

We head back to the bunkhouse for the evening. On the way there, Pearl pulls RC aside. A new line has opened in her book, Gift of the Protectors, and she wants Bahamut to add his name to the list so he has protection during our adventures.

We head back to the bunkhouse to rest. Brylwynn is plagued with the familiar “heads and tails” style game she has been in before. On this night, she doesn’t fend off these dreams well and her alignment changes from Chaotic Good to Lawful Neutral.

We wake up in the morning feeling well-rested. Valyun pulls Caulkin aside to speak with him before we leave. He shares it is a heavy burden to be the main protector of the nearby Shadow Shard to the Grandfather Tree. Valyun doesn't know who #3 and #4 are, but he tells Caulkin to be on the lookout for them during his travels.

• Valyun leads him on a bit with some suggestive wishes of good fortune and travel. Caulkin, being very forthcoming says, “Do you like me like me?” They share a brief kiss. He drops a “I’m #2 so I guess that means I’m on top, doesn’t it?”

We teleport our way back to Everlund. We come up with a quick plan before heading into the Moon Gleam Tower. 

We make our way into the office. We see Larael Silverhand making a conversation with Krowen. He stands up and announces to Larael. He shares that we saved her form from the necklace, but we couldn’t rid her of the magical cuffs. Larael looks are Brylwynn’s crown for a brief moment. Her eyes drift from Brylwynn to Caulkin back to Brylwynn very quickly. She thanks for for rescuing her and asks from an introduction.

• She states that she isn’t aware of Elador, the wizard who Brylwynn trained with.

• “It's a very delicate situation you have found yourselves in.” She’s been locked away for nearly 20 years, “so my knowledge of current events is somewhat lacking.”

• She does seem a bit weary that we will lie to her again, as Krowen has warned us. She makes a comment about the Crown of Beshaba causing people to not be able to lie as easily.

“So now that we have cleared the air of what I expect of you, who are you and what did you do to stumble upon this mess?”

• Whoever taught her (Brylwynn) magic did not have good intentions for the sword coast, per Larael.

• We all step forward, introducing ourselves, and giving her some bits and pieces of information we know. We share with her that Harshnag passed away from fighting Iymrith.

• Larael calls out Pearl due to her having the symbols of the Prince of Frost, who ultimately grants her her power.

When Caulkin introduces himself, he also shares the name of Xanross and upon hearing this, Larael lets out an “mmm…” as she continues to listen to him. She asks if he bears the mark of #1. He replies “No” and she says, “I am glad to know that not everything you share is bad news.”

“Together, I think we have the power to change the fate of what lies together in the favor of Faerun.”

About 25 years ago Larael states that she was hunting down a lich named Hephaestus. She was hunting down leads on a group called the Kraken Society, trying to make inroads into Faerun. She didn’t know what they were guarding, but she gathered they were trying to guard or defend the Shadow Shards. “Their name is new to me, but their energy is not.” 

• Concerning the crown, she says she was only able to fend it off for a few months before it consumed her. Eventually, energy will call out to her Brylwynn.

• There are 7 balls of energy spread out across Faerun. There is one far off the coast of Faerun. She traveled via ships via Purple Rocks. She suspects the Kraken Society has a base of operation there. There is one ball of energy on the island of Ruathym and one under the surface.

  • The other island, Turin, and the Purple Rocks were referenced by the Erinyes. 

• Larael turns her attention back to Caulkin. She says it worries her that his mother is still alive as she is #1, and a Cleric of Kelemvor. She says that her grandmother was working for Beshaba and his parents tried to fight her off. It is his mother and father who joined Larael to try and hunt down the Lich. Sadly, he was much more powerful than they could have imagined. In the ensuing struggle, he put the Crown of Beshaba on Larael. She shares that his father died during this battle. Caulkin asks if she had any hand in his father’s death, which she declines. She also states that his mother was captured during this time.

• The more she wore that crown, the more that Beshaba spoke with her. Beshaba wants to bring Haephestus into this world under her control. She sent bearers of her to defend the balls of energy. Where he is staying likely is holding one of the Shadow Shards as well.

• Pearl asks how Larael removed the crown. She claims to not know as it was removed for her. She thinks her late husband, The Blackstaff, had something to do with it. 

• The Kraken Society (See 1, See 2) also seemed to be resistant to the balls of energy. They did not seem to be acting under Beshaba, but someone else. 

• “It almost seems like they were trying to get Haephestus for themselves. Like they wanted this energy.”

• She asks if we know anyone else who may want to harness Haephestus’ energy. 

  • We could consider Zariel as an option (See 1) (See 2)

• Larael wants to head back to Waterdeep to establish a new, safe home base. We also come up with a safe word so we know we aren’t in the presence of a Rakasha. She wants to grant us a residence in Waterdeep so we have a new place to call home. 

Other notes:

• There might be a Shadow Shark where the Price of Frost resides. She felt some energy there at the Spine of the World about 20 years ago, but not recently.

• We get the sense that she is being honest about all of this. 

Our next step will be going to the Fae Wild.