Four Fates Under the Southern Sun, 3.5, Session 31

Start: 8 am, Foreautumn 26, 401 GA

The party descended down the hidden path beneath the illusory tree.

There, amidst the mist, they saw a sole figure seemingly awaiting them on the other side of the cavern. As they approached, they heard an unsteady voice warn them to come no closer, and to identify themselves.

This elf introduced himself as Gilbert, the father of Emilia, after Emilia convinced him she was who she appeared to be. He was unsure of this initially, due to events he would detail later.

Gilbert softened somewhat, and offered the party a bit of hospitality, trusting them because his daughter did.

Gilbert explained he was organizing the domestic affairs of Monduath, the Hidden Grove, during this unprecedented crisis. He went on to explain how every able bodied fighter was defending their home against the rampaging wyverns and krakens - which seemed to be at odds with each other, but also were at odds with the elves.

He did not know who this 'intruder' was, although the party knew him as Yolrud. He explained how the wild magic and the ancient beasts awakening and wreaking havoc on the island began once this intruder began his ritual. Gilbert helpfully clarified in times long, long ago, his people were tasked with guarding the scrap of divinity held within the monolith, and he felt partially personally responsible for this catastrophe, for some unclearly specified reason.

Gilbert expressed his concerns about the wild magic and the heartbough of Monduath, the shrouded mangrove. If his concerns were legitimate, the cycle of rebirth his people rely on could be disrupted or tampered with in this calamitous time.

He implored the party to contend with this 'intruder', however they may. Gilbert told them to expect wyverns guarding the mountain pass, and how dangerous it would be to attempt flying up the mountains, due to the wyverns. The party took heed of his warnings, but had a few questions first.

Firstly, Alasdair and he had a somewhat tense exchange regarding Emilia's status, and the lengths Gilbert trusts the party. It resolved thusly: Gilbert could overlook the perceived crimes of the Viszud people, so long as Emilia truly trusts them. This was not the time to be asking too many questions, after all. 'A trial can wait', one might say. Alasdair held his ground, ensuring Gilbert that Emilia has all the rights a full Viszud citizen possesses, and implies she is one of them now. This contest appeared to have no clear winner and fizzled out, for now. In fact, they both had strong points, both of which could simultaneously be true.

Pan inquired about the identity of his father and mentioned how his mother is a green dragon. Gilbert expressed a measure of surprise at this, but after he considered the parameters of the question, he seemed to have narrowed the list of suspects in his mind to a smaller list of candidates. He told Pan he could not find them until this calamity has resolved, but he would be more than willing to reunite him with his father once the fighting had concluded.

Holow inquired if Gilbert spotted any wounded human women in the area. He said he did not initially, but as he thought about it, he seemed puzzled. Feeling no need to conceal what had been eating at him any longer, Gilbert divulged he had witnessed something baffling earlier in that same day. A wanderer, incompletely disguised as a mist elf, in this small community where he recognized nearly everyone, attempted to deceive him into entering the village. Naturally, Gilbert turned this person away, and the situation nearly erupted into violence. After the wanderer had departed, Gilbert noticed the trail of blood. He investigated, and discovered this individual took the longer alternate trail up the mountain. Holow concluded her questioning without revealing Dianna's identity and thanked him. This appeared to puzzle Gilbert.

Gilbert offered the party rest in his humble home, and made a meal of fish and vegetables for all of them. During the rest, Ryardynin studied the Meditations of Balvir, and appeared to be deeply troubled by what he discovered.

After they rested, Gilbert offered to see them to the upper path, taking them through his village and along a winding path. He bid them luck and asked the rest of the party to see his daughter stayed safe. Emilia shared a somber parting with her father, and they went their separate ways.

Along the way, the party inevitably encountered hostile wyverns, and did battle with them. They used the cramped terrain to their advantage, and emerged victorious. Emilia cast many spells during the encounter, one of which had dire implications yet to be realized.

Moving along, they continued to the monolith.

There, in the ever present humidity and foggy conditions of monolith isle, they at long last laid their eyes upon Yolrud, Servant of Order. He was a massive, one-eyed gargoyle, serenely knelt against the monolith, palm placed against the black obelisk. He seemed serene, yet acutely focused on his task.

The energy of Ryardynin's scepter crackled black upon sighting the gargoyle. He furiously paged through the Meditations, skimming until he saw a fateful passage mentioning him by name.

Yolrud did not greet them first. Scanning the surroundings, Alasdair noticed an oddity - an invisible creature otherwise undetectable, if it weren't for the blood trail. Informing his allies, Holow took over. It indeed was Dianna. Despite their circumstances, Dianna ultimately deferred to Holow's judgement. She divulged the men who hired Dianna were from the Yoggite imperial court, and she was given a most unusual weapon to deliver the blow to Yolrud - but only after he had finished his ritual. She was in rough shape. Still suffering from wounds from the scrap with the Fortisskari, and managing to take down a wyvern by herself, Dianna was hanging on by a thread. Holow saw to it she was given a healing potion to stem the flow.

Pan decided to approach Yolrud first, via Grimnosh's telepathic powers. Yolrud was cordial and somewhat cryptic, as a creature who cannot lie and must observe certain directives might be. He spoke candidly; he was here to begin the upheaval, and fight at the archons' side in the first battle. His foremost directive was to assist the Archons. To that end, he sought to contain the upheaval, puncturing the veil here, at the monolith, and absorbing the latent scrap of divinity in the monolith to better accomplish his directives. If he did not start the upheaval here, many tears in the veil would form, and there would be countless fronts to fight on. Yolrud claimed he would assist them in their quest to rally the banners of many peoples under one to unite during the upheaval and 'elucidate their fates'.

Yolrud strongly implied the monolith, and the 'scrap of divinity' it held, functioned as a seal preventing the veil from being breached. Furthermore, by removing this seal, he would prematurely instigate the enemy's designs before they had a chance to more effectively plot their entrance. All things considered, he described an unbelievably ballsy gambit delivered in an unshakably confident tone.

Ryardynin confronted Yolrud about what he learned in the Meditations, via Grim's telepathy. Yolrud revealed his fate was decided, but 'it is possible individuals may, at times, circumvent their destiny'. He confirmed the prophecy was true, but the events were yet to be decided. Ryardynin possessed free will, after all. Perplexingly, Yolrud implied he would assist Ryardynin, and every Archon with their destiny, whatever it may be, and whichever direction Ryardynin chose. This, of course, implied Yolrud is compelled to assist Ryardynin, even if he chose to give in to his 'fate'. To this end, Yolrud spoke of a test Ryardynin will encounter at a critical moment, relating to a seed of darkness planted in him at birth by the gods of chaos.

Emilia, acting on the fateful nature of the wild magic enveloping her birthplace, told Ryardynin she would 'grant Ryardynin her power' when he is faced with his greatest test.

Alasdair seemed to find Yolrud's actions quite reasonable, and the gargoyle to be the most understandable of the three. He watched Dianna and Holow's interactions, ready to intercede if an assassination were attempted. Dianna, thankfully, chose to trust Holow.

Pan asked Yolrud how long it would be before he completed his ritual. Yolrud answered precisely: 'seven hours and fifty eight minutes'.

Yolrud ETA: 7h 58m
XP: 1250
End: 8 pm, Foreautumn 26, 401 GA