A Crown of Fears

The party argues back and forth on what they should do, Emelyne suggests that we make our way through Rubaelon as she has been warned by Contras that it will be potentially under attack. They agree that they should head along their way through Rubaelon and try not to stop anywhere. They come out of the sanctum and immediately find a man with a wagon that hits a ditch and immediately swerves, breaking  the wheel. Emelyne hops off to assist them quickly mending the wheel before hopping back on. The others hop off and assist with putting it back on and continue on their way disregarding his help. A lightning bolt strikes a nearby tree causing it fall down in front of them, Emelyne begins to crash out flipping out on Kale Oakhaven while Sanasha accepts the invitation as the storm worsens. Sanasha begins to cut branches off the tree, only for Naoki to cast blight on the tree causing it to rot into sludge washing away with the rain. Diablo and Sanasha manage to calm the situation slightly, they follow him to his cabin in the woods. They agree to take watches, as it’s unclear if this is another trick. They are introduced to his partner Alara, who is very much with child. Emelyne is thoroughly suspicious, casts identify on the stew and detects magic on the cottage to only reveal a little. Sanasha checks the food for any naturally derived poisons and finds nothing. A small boy named Fennick begins asking them all kinds of questions about their adventuring feats. Diablo shares a wild story from before he joined the Veiled Vanguard when he fought a three headed bear.  The boy brandishes a small wooden dagger and wants to be an adventurer, Naoki summons a spectral bee for him to chase. There’s a second girl named Ren, who’s very shy with red hair. They share where they’re all from. Lara offers Emelyne a cup of tea, she says that she prefers that it is cold, she nods making it cold on command.She appears to have some magical ability and even has a ward stone on the door to protect their hours, they don’t generally let people in but allowed them in because they helped Kale. Emelyne retires and begins to look around the building for any holes or rough structures before retiring with the others for the evening. Lara knocks on the door to wake up the party, giving them breakfast wrapped up to take on their way to Rubaelon. Before they leave Lara asks Emelyne and insists it be Emelyne who helps her with the water. She returns and Percy offers the blessing of Nexus again. Sanasha takes it, but Diablo refuses it again. Nothing of interest really happens as they pass through Rubaelon and a timeskip occurs as they pass through the area quickly but see a bit of unrest as they pass on through. Roughly 2-3 weeks of travel emerge past the southern gate into Alyrmin, a more naturally inclined place with silvery bark on each of the trees. Emelyne has been bug collecting for trailmix to munch on. Alyrmin’s leaves are now a pale blue. Percy begs to stay in an inn before they continue along their way. Percy casts scrying on the dragon saying its taken on a lot of injuries but is on its way back flying through the wastelands. After piecing apart his description figure his location is around Pyremoa.

They debate whether they should continue on to the grove or stay at an inn in Alyrmin.Sanasha suggests they divert straight to the Hidden Grove. Naoki talks to himself a bit telling him the party we need to continue on even pushing past the exhaustion. He even offers to keep going past the exhaustion alone and the party tells him he should not do that. Contras is trying to make them all very paranoid, trying to make them second guess our decisions. After another days worth of travel continuing on to the grove. They have to dismount off their animals and soon hear the flapping of wings as they have made it. They hide in the private sanctum and Naoki tells the party that they are within reach of the grove’s protection and they book it towards the grove. Naoki asks for the trees protection as the trees attempt to swat the green and black dragon. They spit noxious breath to slow the party, but they manage to dodge out of the way. Percy attempts to slow their dive bombs with feather fall. He attempts to dive down slowing it down making it lethargic and missing. It attempts again to slow them down with a cloud of insects. Sanasha activates the ethereal tree roots from the Tree of Aeons to grab the the green dragon as it is stopped by the roots. They continue dashing further into the mouth and finally enter the grove. Zulkifli steps out confused by their sudden appearance, but notices they are tired and begins ordering the rest of the grove to fortify at once. They ask Zulkifli if there is anyway to protect Diablo from being scryed upon.

As the group describes the impending attack that surrounds the Grove, Aspen arrived to listen to the explanation. Astra is on her way as well. Aspen states that we are the same level of danger to them as the dragons are to us, and we ask once more for help moving forward on our journey. All he needs is a small amount of time to prepare. As Sanasha asks for protection from the Grove, Astra shows her face, interrupting her request. Using tree teleportation, Aspen says he is able to help us. Astra has foreseen in the stars they will defeat the dragons, but they will escape. Aspen provides Diablo an amulet of protection versus scrying/divination, though he won’t have time to attune to it before they leave. Aspen opens a portal through a tree using the mycelium network. Sanasha leads the way, Naoki addresses Naoki as Dad nodding to him before going through and the party rushes forward.

The group topples onto cold leaves, their body skittering across the ground a bit.  Sanasha seems to be recovering from a panic, commenting that the last time she went through, she lost 2 weeks.They stabilize, check the time, and continue forward towards a city made of white crystal and turquoise. Archways and opulent designs decorate the elven coastal city of Myradorne, their desired location after these three weeks of travel. 

As they stand outside, Sanasha suggests they have Diablo suggest they need to turn back around and go North to hang out. They act out really badly of them going back through the Lammuld wood (or amazingly?) and Diablo manages a masterful performance. After two hours of travel, he attunes to the amulet stopping Contras from being able to scry on him. They attempt to find Percy’s family while looking for a way to defeat Contras. Percy is nervous that his family will want nothing to do with him.

The city of Myradorne is made of beautiful white tile and crystal. The roofs are beautiful green turquoise. Percy reveals there’s an underwater library in the city, the Choral Anthium. The information is written on crystals, and can be reached through air filled tubes. The city guard have a fish scaled turquoise, all lighter scale male. This city has a great number of Sea Elves. The guards deny entry, Percy shows his Purebirch ring saying he has guaranteed entry. The sigil is a stark alabaster tree, with no trees but instead being layered in pearls. The guards let them in, offering a special escort. Percy declines, they suggest they’re not going to need that. The guards expect to be in trouble from their officer, but Percy reassures them they’re fine as they enter the city. Emelyne studies the signs to find the closest Inn. They discuss shrimp briefly and Naoki mistakes the mantis shrimp and transforms into a crab.

They find the Inn the Azure Glass, and the party chooses to proceed inside. They’re asked who they’re here with, Percy remembers Antonius Stoneoak the Third. The innkeeper doesn’t know them, they’re willing to charge 2,100 gold for a week for their rooms.

With a straight deception roll of 18, Diablo manages to come to an agreement with the attendant. Two nights should be enough, attempting to put a foot in her mouth and Emelyne grabs her away while Naoki continues to grab more glasses of Tidal Wine. Emelyne clocks her and tells her off, asking her to stop telling Percy’s info as a save as he is uncomfortable. Emelyne is thoroughly pissed at her uses Deafen on Sanasha. She walks out and Naoki accepts on the party’s behalf. Diablo asks what a jellyfish is and the lady brings him over and floating by are some schools of jellyfish flouncing on by. He remarks that they are a lot like an umbrella that a certain tiefling is holding. Naoki provides the money and they attempt to find Sanasha but they settle on the Coral Anchor a much rougher crowd of people, but the bar is carved out of a leviathan bone. Kraken’s Ink that turns your tongue a light glowy purple and gamble some money to vent out her frustrations. Sanasha has a fair amount to drink, gets into some arm wrestling matches and generally gets into more trouble than she normally would. To the remaining party that was staying at their inn being so luxurious gains some extra temp hp as they treat themselves.

The party splits as Sanasha still isn’t with them in the morning. Percy suggests that Emelyne is can be brought to the to the Coral Athenaeum (how does anyone know how to pronounce this lmao). He also provides her with his signet ring to remove any barriers she might run into. He also wants to bring Naoki to the Glass Garden Terraces. Finally Percy and Diablo set off to look for Sanasha. 

Light refracts off the pearly streets with various rainbows and the torches are nonexistent instead lit up with pearls and bioluminescent anemones held in tanks of crystalline water. Naoki heads to the glass gardens first where art and nature meet as one ran by druids outside of the grove. An Elf in deep blue robes approaches introducing them to the gardens while they explore the gardens. An ancient yet sparkling underwater library where they books are inscribed on coral and crystal instead. She flashes the ring sparingly if anyone were to bother her. A librarian wearing pink robes asks her what she is looking for. She mentions that she is a scribe of the Pure Birch family wanting to research the enemy. She asks specifically for the weaknesses of demonic royalty and she also inquires about the resting star. She reveals it is a home actually, but Emelyne masterfully brushes off this saying it was limited information and working with what they have. Another individual approaches them marking her as a fellow enthusiast of history. She corrects them saying it is for a job of sorts and makes small talk with the individual who reveals they are apart of the family of Purebirch, indeed this is Percy’s father. She name drops that Percy is in the city and they are forcefully invited to the Purebirch home, the Atrium of the Tides. He threatens that they dress nicely and mentions that they are Lucien Purebirch the lord of the town.

Apparently according to the sailors who were mighty shocked by Sanasha who was said they had gambled, wrestled, and drank them under the table. They splash a bit of water on her to which she retches after being clapped in the face by Diablo. She lore drops that she used to drink a lot before taking up the axe. They grab and bring her along taking her to the library and go the garden after to pick up Naoki. They try to pick up Sanasha when she tries to tear herself down. They all meet back up and Sanasha and Emelyne mutually ignore each other. Emelyne turns to Percy inviting him to a party. Emelyne lies, but Percy and Naoki immediately see through it. Emelyne suggests she should’ve been told that the library belonged to the Purebirch family, Percy reminds her that his family runs the entire city. The party continues on to the resting star. This is the house of the Valora Family (sp?) who were once accused of treason, but managed to evade execution. Diablo theorizes that this might have been the home of Contras when he was a mortal. They also theorize that this may have some connection to when he became a god. Emelyne walks through the perimeter of the house and detects nothing. When she attempts to enter the home and an elf swings the door open questioning them. He asks what they want there, when they mention Contras and the Demon Prince of Deception he tries to slam the door closed. Diablo puts his foot in the door, followed by Sanasha. Emelyne intimidates the man who allows them in.

They reach the city room of the Lady of the Household, she stares with glassy eyes out to the Ocean. The woman thinks they’re cleaners as they enter the room, Emelyne plays the part but the lady begins to panic. Contras steps in from behind yelling that is enough with malice carrying on each word, he approaches the woman and kisses her on the cheek revealing it to be his mother. An elven woman more than 1,000 years old.