Meeting with Pandora
Players went to see what is wrong with Pandora.
Torenia greets them and thanks them for all of their hard work.
While she does so she slips a small bag of rock-like objects in Flux’s hand
The players wait out the party and try to speak to them again
Nyx and Gitter try performing poorly to get the other party members to leave
A katari bard attempts to battle Nyx and Gitter and the crowd begins to shift in favor of the Katari and their harp playing.
Voya grows quickly bored of this, and irritated by the noise. He flicks his finger and breaks one of the harpest’s strings as they play.
The katari bard begins to cry, and flux offers money for them to pay for more strings
Nyx invites the Katari to metal lessons
Uthgor bores the rest of the players with survival knowledge. Everyone tries to entertain him by listening. As soon as he turns his back, the rest leaves.
Flux invites them all to the tavern to speak. She says that “sometimes the trees have eyes and ears”
They make it to Taylor’s Tavern and seat themselves in a private room. Flux reveals the bag and shares what Torenia said to her.
The players share when they arrived, concerned they were put together without knowing each other.
She opens the bag to show 5 gemstones (Ruby, Amber, Diamond, Emerald and Sapphire). There is also a note:
“Turn your stone thrice in hand once you are alone, safe, and ready. I’m eager to get you up to speed. Much love and be safe! - Pandora”
Gitter - emerald, Sapphire - Voya, Ruby - Flux, Amber - Uthgor, Diamond - Nyx
Flux and Nyx notice that these stones are enchanted with a magic that can take adventurers long distances. Originally known as a myth, they know that this explorer stone can only be enchanted by a powerful mage.
They begin to question whether Pandora can be trusted at all.
Nyx notices Todd’s music coming from the other room.
Todd is not acting like themselves.
The music is dark and angry.
Does Not respond to any verbal or physical cue.
Eventually Nyx flings their tongue into Todd’s ear.
As they do so, they notice that there is 1 single puncture wound on their neck.
Nyx freaks out and returns to the group to report what has happened.
The players put their stones in a safe place.
The players question patrons and the barkeep. They do not provide much other than they earned a lot of coin and left in a rush.
The party decides to return to Uthgors quarters to figure out how to get back to Pandora. It seems the most secure place on the island.
They turn over their stones and arrive back at the store room which turns into a hut made out of an old tree damaged by lightening. Torenia lets them in and lights a soothing incense. Pandora apologizes for the sneakiness and explains that there is a threat to magic as they know it.
They know that the event known as the Shatter is when, hundreds of years ago, the goddess Resyn separated her kingdom from the rest of the continent, preserving the rest of her court, and friends that were visiting. At that time, magic users in the eastern hemisphere had been arrested en masse and sent to the Deep Hold Atonement Center, aka the Time Prison. No one knows what occurs within its wall, but no one has ever been able to escape. A great war broke out between magic sympathizers and anti-magic sympathizers and lasted for 10 years. Over a million lives were lost before Queen Larissa and King Norran were able to bring to the table each side's major leaders to negotiate a ceasefire. It took months, but they were able to finally come to an agreement. Magic users who weren’t detained for serious crimes were released. Most moved as far away from the continent as possible, primarily settling in or near Dragon’s Landing or the Celestial Pools. Those who didn’t leave continue to fight diligently, in secret, to try to release the members of Resyn’s court. It is said they even caught her lover Armera, aka the Masked One, Goddess of Happiness and Pleasure. Since the signing, relations slowly returned to how they once were, and evolved into something amazing.
Pandora continues - “No one knows how these monsters are able to continue to catch magic users under the watchful eye of Queen Larissa and her guard, but it seems to continue. I am growing concerned by your reports of these…. People with ill intentions. As soon as they were brought up, contact with the Lady in the Forest ceased.
The fate of the world aside, lovelies, this is my dearest friend and confidant. Never once has she missed a time we were supposed to meet, and I fear whatever is in play caught up with her. Without her, the safety net of paradise shatters. She, and what she stands for must be preserved.” Torenia nods quietly, a single tear sliding down her cheek.
Voya asks - what does this have to do with this ragtag group?
Pandora responds - “I’ve never been able to ask the help of those outside of this paradise… I… Am out of my element here… But I have never been unable to come up with a solution. Please, will you help me?”
She is 110% genuine. She truly cares about this lady, whoever she may be.
They are unsure of who the threat is.
Once the party members agree to go, Pandora raises her hand into the air, and a soft golden stream of light twirls around her fingers then flings itself at your temple, entering your mind if you allow it to. She shares a mental map of how to get to the Lady in the Woods hut. As it enters their mind a warmth fills them accompanied with a certain level of confidence about the uncertain events ahead. Magic users are reminded of a time in school when instructors would give them notes on how to improve their performance. The feeling is unnerving. Nevertheless the map shines across your eyes when needed and traces the path you need to go.
Pandora notes that she did not choose them for this mission, fate did. She is scared to trust outsiders. She asks them not to give them a reason to regret it. She asks Uthgor to guide them.
Uthgor asks if there is a stone enchantment that provides more fresh pastries. At this, Torenia packs a whole bag of sweets (cinnamon rolls with icing, and other pastries) and her beaver tails
A tangent occurs with regards to beaver tails.
Flux asks what they are to expect when they get to the lady of the woods.
Her domain is trapped.
The chat is hilarious - Nyx’s smut book is Beaver Tales
The party asks if they have to wet-willy the lady in the woods to make sure she is normal
This makes Pandora go pale. She has no idea this has occurred.
“This only makes the task at hand more urgent!”
She sends the party on their way back to their rooms to rest before the mission in the more
The next morning the party members meet up at Taylor’s Tavern to discuss next steps.
Slight tangent about milk bags vs cartons
Most people order breakfast poutine
Uthgor decides to go shopping (hasn’t picked items yet)
That’s where we break.
