Session 3

Went to meet the faction leaders, the red oracle was absent, party told them most of what party did/knew leaving out the mask and that they found the coronation scroll

• Sol recognized a servant that was near the front during the signing, moss noticed that they are currently disguised
• Turns out he was the man party had captured in the tunnels that later got away
• Him and Sol made plans to meet up at her manor later

Maeva comes in later with a satchel with a group of presumably researchers

• She says she has a lot to talk about
• Stops mid sentence, started floating, black smoke comes out of her
• Says One banner will fall by next moon choose which
• Black stuff

Maeva is dead now

• Lord Corvin is not happy
• Party soon left on their own with the satchel
• Satchel pulses
• Party tries to open it
  • Starts shooting out black energy, it shimmers
  • See glimpse of guy who stole the original
  • After failed opening its pulsing faster than before

At some point Moss informs Orin Vale about the mask we found cuz Vesper forgot lmao

• Rest of the meeting is also informed of the mask

Later Sol is with the man she recognized (her former prisoner turned lover), asks him stuff

• He says red oracle not involved
• Says the leader we fought was called the oracle

Gimbol, JB, and Moss return to the tavern

• At the tavern a fight starts, two guys sneak upstairs to room Gimbol sounds an alarm, guys run off
• 4 guys total
• Moss and gimbol chase them
• Guys get away
• JB is alone with bag, stares at it, fails to shield his mind, forgets bag exists, goes back downstairs for drinking
  • Probably cuz weak from ashen coven ink

Moss inspects bag, shimmers, gets feeling Lady Maeva wasn’t the one who cast magic on it

• Finds out its anti possession magic
  • Meaning it’ll blow up if you try/fail to open

Jb has a dream of that he doesn’t reveal until later

Next morning take the satchel to magic academy

• Meet with elven lady tsarra who takes party to a magically protected room
  • She tries to dispel
  • Pulsing speeds up
  • She was one of the ones who checked the ashen coven ink

Jb sacrifices Sol’s imp over the satchel

• Jb gets kinda half possessed, some black smoke comes out of his eyes
• Talks as the previously fought ashen coven leader person
• He says he remembers us, taunts/threatens

Bag contains a vial and some papers

• some papers probably written by Lady Maeva
• Torn parchment thread of tarnished silver wrapped vial
  • The vial is a bit colder than the other contents
  • Thick liquid

One of the papers (of undeciphered text) was ripped from Mask in the Flame ancient tome

• Wonder if JB has mark, has ashen coven sigil on back
• Jb talks about dream
• You were there before, the fire remembers your name, this is not your first body

Vesper and sol translate unreadable ritual paper via comprehend languages

We name the fire
we name the face
We name the blood that bore the first
We hold the line we break the chain we bind the leap
Flame remember mask dissolve anchor endure
Let the tether burn

• Figure out JB is one of the anchors later find other anchor was with lady maeva
• Face is the bodies
• Flame is probably the power
• Mask is the bodies

Party looks at the Vial

• Crystal instead of glass
• Spirals crowns outlines of masks
• Stopper is a silver cork, tarnished
• Etched in sigil, shifts out of corner of eye
• Same sigils as circle on paper
• Deep crimson thick blood flecks of black and gold in dissolving spiral pattern
• Faint warmth
• Heartbeat like feeling
• Indiscernible faint whisper
• Worn inscription on the side, preserve the severing do not break the chain
• Warmer as handled
  • See face in surface as handled
  • Face familiar from same day
  • Face made of fire

Gimbol recognized face one of the people

• A woman with silver hair (from the Regency Council) that accompanied Lady Maeva
  • She's one of the anchors
  • Anchors don't die when possessed, anchors give the oracle strength

As gimbal figures this out, his head tilts back

• He’s In a vast hall of fire, glyphs swirl in air like embers, faces flicker in flames oracles hosts wearing different masks, each screams as flame leap from body to the next

Upon leaving the room in magic academy: Partys Vision At Magic Acadamy

• Flames stretch into long red threads that pull away from reality
• Chamber disappears
• In starless void same as jb dream
• Single throne carved from bone and shadow blood drips up from armrests
• Figure sits on behind mask of shifting flames

Figure speaks into the party’s minds “the crown bleeds next”

• Spinning floating in hand coronation relics each burning with different light
• Tendril coil around the symbols
• Fivefold mandate falters one relic lies one breaks one betrays

Throne cracks blood fractures from throne form river towards

• Each sees someone important to them
• Figure says ‘find them before i do or i will wear them next’
• Didn’t seem to be the oracle, it was the flame itself
• Flame probably commands the oracle
• Anchors keep the oracle powerful