Week 27
Jaxzon finds himself in a makeshift cell, with a bunch of other drunks. During his time, several people are taken out, into a nice looking house, then released. One person is brought in screaming a lot about faeries taking people. He gets knocked unconcious and dumped in with Jaxzon.
Zer0 is sitting in the bath house with the others, when he suddenly shuts down, with a few sparks shooting off. Iliqua checks him out, not seeing anything alarming. Zer0’s eyes open, seeing a large bright room, and feels like it’s familiar, but can’t place it.
A number of humanoids are walking around, looking like Elves. A large white robot with gold trim is connected to the ceiling, a large blue core is pulsing in its chest. “Rest now, guardian. You are the first of your brood, you will be strong soon.” Zer0 finishes the reboot, sees flashing colours akin to being high.
Zer0 describes what he sees in Sorrel and Iliqua, and suggests that maybe they should try the drugs themselves. He describes the dream to them, and maybe what Adeptus Prime looks like. The group talk about what plans they have and what they can do until the boat is finished.
Iliqua heads off on his date, while Sorrel and Zer0 return to their rooms. They head off to her apartment to change clothes. While he waits, a few people look out of their windows to see what Iliqua is doing. They head off to a wine bar, pre-loaded and ready to go. Iliqua has a few drinks and sneaks out the bathroom window, heading back to his room. He knocks on Murdal’s door, getting no response. He enters the room, noticing the typical messiness, but no sign of Murdal.
He looks around the room, finding the crossbow/dagger combo. The bed appears untouched for a few days, and a lack of the typical strong smell of smoke. He returns back to his room and rests.
Earlier in the day - A guard comes to collect Jaxzon, explaining what he’s on trial for (threatening a guard with bodily harm). Jaxzon claims to not remember any of this, of course. The guards attach manacles and take him off to the courthouse. Inside it’s quite bare, with only a single table, and a chair, as well as one of the Phoenix Guard. He asks if Jaxzon is going to reoffend, and a reply of “No sir” gets him released. A warning is given that he won’t be as lenient if he’s seen again.
He heads off to try and find a blacksmith and a better axe, but not getting to any in time before they close. He heads off to his room, does his usual rituals and sleeps.
— The next day — The party convene in Zer0’s room, Sorrel yelling out in case any nearby students want to make some money. Iliqua explains that these rooms are usually for people who have no need for money. Iliqua sends URA off to get breakfast for everyone.
The party talk about Sorrel’s change of appearance and whether she wants to keep it or not. Iliqua wonders aloud what happened to Misty and Murdal, Sorrel asking if he’s a friend or a “friend”. Eventually, the headmistress calls upon the party via magical means to report to her office.
Iliqua has a side gossip session with Jaxzon about what may or may not have happened between Sorrel and Zer0 overnight.
The party head off to see the headmistress by way of a coffee shop to try and deal with the hangover. The headmistress talks about more people going missing, Misty and Murdal, along with Iliqua’s date. She asks if the party want to go on a mission, offering gold and equipment and sorting out new documentation. She mentions that there had people complaining about Zer0’s presence and keeping an eye on everyone as a consequence.
Iliqua calls for a huddle, despite the headmistress being in earshot. More gold and a scroll of scrying is asked for - specifically to track down our erstwhile employer. The headmistress explains how hard it is to scribe such a scroll, especially with their resident divination specialist (Linden) being missing.
She agrees to the gold in advance, and offers to ask one of the other teachers to aid in a scrying ritual instead. She explains that most people think it’s the pixies, but to be careful as they’re easy to deal with solo, but not so easy when they’re in larger packs. Displacer beasts are also a problem.
The quest is to find the missing people or at least find information on where they are. Gold is distributed and the party leave. Jaxzon and Iliqua head off to find a magic shop, Sorrel wanting to find an apothacary for potions, taking Zer0 with her.
The former find a shop called Whizkits Magical Tent, but on entering they find that the shelves are empty. They talk to the proprietor, a jack-in-the-box like creature - Jaxzon explains that he’s after an axe, Whizkit retreats into his box, and returns shortly with an assortment of axes.
Jaxzon trades in his magical token and tries to convince Whizkit to lower the price a little, getting nowhere. He pays 1000 gold for the +1 axe, Whizkit reclaims the rest of the axes. Jaxzon also trades a scroll for some engraving.
Whizkit asks Iliqua what he would like (any kind of jewellery), he returns with a set of rings (+1 AC, Frost Resistance) and a necklace of farsight. Iliqua takes the +1 AC ring for 500 gold. The two leave the tent, which disappears behind them. Iliqua loans Jaxzon the ring.
Sorrel and Zer0 find an apothocary, Sorrel asking for something to help against paralysis. Advantage on constitution checks and a lesser restoration potions are available. Sorrel asks for a discount, but fails to convince her. She does offer to take what they have and find a special mushroom for her. This is accepted and she explains what to look for and where, handing over the lesser restoration potion.
Jaxzon climbs aboard his lion and tries to clear the wall, getting nowhere near enough height, smacking into the wall and taking a small amount of damage. Iliqua suggests that one of the party intentionally gets kidnapped, while the rest tries to track them down. More theories about how Misty and Murdal disappeared and whether or not they were really drunk at the time.
Jaxzon tries to clear the wall again, getting more of a run up, this time making it over. Zer0 and Sorrel call for Jaxzon, getting nothing in return. Jaxzon’s lion is freaking out about Jaxzon disappearing and noting that a rabbit is here, then the rabbit is leaving…
Sorrel climbs over the wall, Iliqua and Zer0 follows. Sorrel casts Locate Object, fixating on Jaxzon’s axe and getting a direction to go. Jaxzon’s lion is turned into a house cat. Along the way, the entire party fails their saving throws and all are polymorphed to animals, and taken away.
Eventually the party animals make it to a massive fallen tree, with several large holes in it. They are dropped into a large hole, the polymorph removed on the way - Jaxzon and his lion take a small amount of damage, Iliqua casting feather fall to protect the rest.
Iliqua and Sorrel can see a few very scared humans, along with Murdal and Misty in the same area. The latter wave to them to try and get them closer, Iliqua asking the lion to douse the light, finding out that it can’t be done. Jaxzon covers the lion with clothing to help.
Murdal explains that they’ve been here for a few nights, and that the pixies are accusing everyone for bringing the insects and destroying their tree. They’ve been feeding those that they’ve captured and fed to some kind of monster - noisy, gibbering and fear inspiring.
Jaxzon tries climbing, getting all of the way up - getting attacked at the top and paralysed, falling back into the pit. Iliqua casts feather fall on him to stop him dying from fall damage. Jaxzon recovers from the paralysis pretty quickly.
Conversation between the party and the other humans, plans are discussed, including turning Zer0 or Jaxzon invisible, or Iliqua trying to talk their way out, fighting the monster or running away…