Tête-a-tête
06.6.920
The sewers under Endergaln
After some tense back-and-forth, Rhun lets Xander go (to Camille’s reluctance) and Ethan tells them about his purpose behind the play. Rhun explains the illithid came conquering his world in their black tower, with their enslaved gith’yanki army; eventually the people rose up to fight and cast them out. He’s here to find others to fight against these new illithid.
Most of them emerge and introductions go around. The human woman with brown hair, who looks like the Kaylie from the painting Sal found, introduces herself as Miranda Pine, and while she doesn’t say how long she’s been here, says the last thing she remembers is being turned to stone. She looks to be in her 40s. The wild halfling is Valve, wearing what looks like a fresh cut-off finger around her neck. The dark-haired elegant woman is Camille (evasive on how long she’s been here). Albrecht is Albrecht (here for 3 years).
Rhun explains a little more about the illithid. They’re a parasitic people who come from the depths of a dark place, but the creatures here are a bit different, as is their tower; still, they’re behind it. On his old world the leader of the illithid was an Elder Brain; when they killed it, all the illithid collapsed into madness and were swept away. He also describes the ceremorphosis process when asked if the parasitism is literal or metaphorical.
He says the rest of his army (thousands) is mustering at that meeting point mentioned in two months’ time, and that he’s been here for 7 years now. After overthrowing the illithid on his world, he left to travel to other worlds to take down the illithid wherever he could find them, using teleportation magic that no longer works. He has, however, never come across the aasimar, just traces of an ancient conflict. He thinks the angels here are aware of his presence.
Ultimately, they all agree that they need to find out the angels’ weaknesses and how they can be hurt, and just more information in general. Ashen reminds that the angels are collecting artifacts of power, and perhaps if there’s a way to “poison” the artifacts that could be a route?
Discussion turns toward trying to find some kind of item of power or weapon, and Ethan brings up the idea of sending Rhun’s army south into the darkness; Sav and Ashen object to the idea of haring around without a clear goal in the lands of night crawling with undead. Sav remembers the dwarven mural of a red star hanging over the bottom of the world, in the Abyss, and a winged person inside a prison.
Sav starts to ask about what they know of the Great Houses, but on finding out that Camille would be the most knowledgeable, hesitates and doesn’t really answer when Camille asks exactly what they’re looking for.
Rhun says the old tunnels here lead out under the walls to the forest outside, where they’re camped and can be reached. Ethan says the party can be reached at his office, as well.
Before they leave, Sav stops Albrecht (having recognized him as the madman from the Feywild once his name was said) and gives him a bundle of old, well-creased letters she says were hidden inside the puppet he gave her back then. Albrecht is shaken, not having remembered this, and also apologizes to Sal and Peach for killing the fairy.
As they go their separate ways, Bax asks if Xander is all right, and Xander raises his bandaged hands and says, “She asked me how many fingers she was holding up.”
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