Session 10: The Aftermath and The Arrival at Blackrock

After ash assassins interrupted the closing of the new moon festival, what remains of the party sees a figure floating in the air, that looks in party's direction. As the floating figure holds up its hands, the ash assassins all stop, and dissipate. It turns out, the floating person is Parsons, who speaks:

"You're looking my way, good"

"Gimbol, I was waiting for you to catch up."

"This was a mercy, a cleansing. The Emperor's death left the world without a spine, without a seal I am the ashen seer, keeper of the star, the breaker of anchors. Don't mistake me for enemy, I do remember this world before the gods ruined it"

Parsons seeks to control the anchors and the flame

"Those who carry the flame, they’re not chosen, they’re not accidents"

"Join or die."

As he finishes speaking, Parsons disappears.

The party briefly assesses the wellbeing of the survivors of the attack, then search the fortune tellers tent, finding her journal written in language the party doesn't understand. The letters on the pages move around magically, but they can make out the titles of some of the entries:

• I remember dying
• He found me first
• Escaped
• The girl burns

Meanwhile Sol awakens covered in ash on a familiar rock near town, in the company of the fortune teller, Sarasa. In her mind Sol hears the words “Thank you”, as the apparition of the flame appears.
The fortune teller speaks:

"He found me finally, I need to go hide again."

Sol talks to the flame and gets some information:

• The Drowning star is a dead god, its being hunted by ashen coven
• The flame was awake for a long time, even before emperor, and became active when the emperor died, the flame had been captured, and the emperor was controlling the flame
• The flame had been planning it's escape for eons, ever since the gods fell
• The flame claims it isn't a god, and any one who could control it would be very powerful, as the emperor was

Sarasa relays some information to Sol before disappearing in ash:

• The Ashen Coven hunts anything tied to anchors
• She was part of coven image
• She isn't technically alive, she is likely a reflection much like the reflection of Marean (Nan) that was seen in the mirror.

Sarasa appears in her tent as rest of party searches it. She doesn't appear pleased at the party's actions but nonetheless gives them some information:

• Durum is not dead, Parsons has him
• Durum figured out how to capture anchors, wanting to use it for gud
• Durum's soul has been torn, as seen by Moss inside of the soul well

Sarasa disappears once again, and the party returns to assessing the damage, finding that all of the people from the diplomatic meeting were dead except for the Glass lady and Myra of the Silk Enclave.

Afterwards the party retires to the Shadowsong mansion.

The next day they prepare to set off, being interrupted by the news of Marean's death. The items she imbued with magic no longer function:

• Gem flask no longer works
• Teleport Stone no longer works

The party goes to the docks of Lunaris, to board a ship to take them to the Drowning Star. Three boats/captains are available, and the party chooses the ship of 'Cranky One Eye' (Willy), an unfortunate man missing several limbs replaced with prosthetics. Cranky One Eye informs the party they need to travel to Blackrock to restock for the journey.
As they depart, Cranky One Eye talks about rumors around Blackrock; a dragon seen flying off the coast, and strange creatures coming off the beaches. It's Smooth sailing to Blackrock, but Gimbol and Vesper are seasick, although Vesper looks very cool regardless.

• Vesper is very cool.

The ship arrives at Blackrock - Blackreef Hollow. and the party disembarks. Gimbol looks for possibly shady goods, coming across the name Varnus Dreg, learning he should go to Sharktooth tavern to meet them.

• Jin looks for a good drink, hearing “Goolah has the best. Do not fall asleep around Goolah.”
• Moss goes to buy potions, ending up with 6 random potions, and 3 healing.
• Vesper hangs out at cemetery, playing sick tunes on their wicked viol, eventually falling asleep.

Later most of party ends up at Sharktooth tavern, and a person who is obviously the owner of the tavern, Varnus Dreg, walks in. Gimbol goes in the back to do business, and speaks to someone guarding the door, Frank (a very large creature, possibly an ogre or something). Gimbol is pulled into the room by a massive hand, but it turns out Frank is a halfling using illusion magic.
Gimbol makes a deal in exchange for bringing back meteorite metal from the Drowning Star in return for one of three shortswords.
Gimbol acquires Ironshore:

• +1 shortsword
• Automatically succeed in escaping the constraint of netting, rope, or something comparable.

Most of the party stays at the tavern, and as the day ends, an alarm can be heard throughout the port. Meanwhile Vesper continues to sleep at the graveyard.

• Vesper is a heavy sleeper

The party (minus Vesper) rush to the source of the alarm, finding undead barnacle creatures and sirens fighting the sailors.

• Four creatures emerge from the water.
• Sirens attempt to lure them into the water
• Undead strike at them with barnacled claws, causing barnacles barnacles to spread across the victims body.
• Gimbol perishes during the fight, his body glows, and something bolts out of him.

Vesper arrives after heroically shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, finding his Emperor, Gimbol, dead. Wrought with grief, Vesper casts speak with dead on Gimbol's body, allowing the party to ask Gimbol five questions:

What is dying like?

"Sucks"

What do you know about Parsons?

"Strong, saw him blow up a boat with one spell, worked with Durum, very corrupt, very influential."

What do you know about durum?

"Dwarf, long white beard, quiet, stubborn"

Why is your ass so tight?

"Had durum work magic on it"

You have a magic asshole?

"Yep"

After the spell was finished, the party gave Gimbol a viking funeral, putting Gimbol in a boat, face down, ass up, with his pants down. He died the way he lived.