18 - Into the Depths
| Session 1 | Session 17 | Session 18 | ||
| ◀◀ | ◀ | ▲ | ▶ | ▶▶ |
| Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Frostbite | Ashira Frostbite |
Will this lead us to Endelyn?
The stage was set. We all gathered… and Brolin and Zephyr decided it was time for candy. Fey candy. Loomlurch insect candy, no less.
Brolin turned himself into a butterfly. Zephyr foamed at the mouth. A lot. It didn’t stop.
We decided to pretend that was normal.
The Performances
The perytons—or birds, whatever you want to call them—started their performance. It took forever to begin, and when it did, it was elaborate and graceful… but completely silent. They didn’t speak. They didn’t sing. They moved. They told their story without words. It was… a lot. Beautiful in its own way, but hard to follow. Maybe it made sense to other birds. Luckily, Maeve translated. It was something about a dragon and a village.
Eventually, the performance ended. Zephyr’s foaming did too, and Brolin was no longer fluttering around. Maeve stepped forward to perform next. She sang with her lute, weaving tales with melody and memory. It was… beautiful. I didn’t feel a smile coming, but I felt something. And when it ended, the birds again talked to Frostbite. After that they vanished into the mountains.
The Portal Lake
Before Alagarthas could light the towers, Dhanell—ever the merchant—stopped him to request payment. Feywild rules. Deals and debts. Alagarthas had nothing of value… so we took information instead.
We learned that Endelyn watches plays all day like some obsessive child. The darklings are her guards and her audience, unwilling yet bound. There's one performer—female—who actually seems happy. The lightning balloon from Charm sometimes shows up there, too. And Alagarthas… he promised us gold, as much as we could carry, if we ever make it to his home.
He lit the towers, one by one. Slow work. We waited, resting. When he finished, he dove into the lake… and vanished. No splash. No ripples. Just gone. Did it work? Is he home now? Or did he land in one of Endelyn’s cages?
We didn’t know. We only knew we could leave.
Our Puppets?
We found shelter under a rocky overhang for the night. I closed my eyes and felt asleep-until Dhanell started shaking my shoulder. There was a cart outside. A puppet show was playing. Our story. And a hooded, silent figure stood beside it.
What is this?
Dhanell and I walked around the cart, and found a door. When he opened it, the whole thing collapsed into a thousand pieces. The figure disappeared, leaving only a cloak. I picked through the wreckage and found a ribbon: “To be continued…”
Is Endelyn playing with us?
Zephyr found the puppet versions of all of us. I asked for mine immediately. As soon as I had it, I burned it. Dhanell did the same. There's something wrong about a tiny version of yourself staring back with lifeless eyes. Zephyr, though… he fixed his and placed it on his hat. Of course he did.
We left.
The Brigganocks
Later, we entered a canyon and heard a sound—hundreds of tiny pickaxes. The Brigganocks. The entrance of a tunnel was flanked by statues of Korreds. I checked them carefully—real stone, not Korreds turned into stone.
Inside, the sounds stopped. Only to start again when we were further down the mountain. This time it was rhythmic tapping that echoed around us. Then, a wave of sleep hit me. I resisted, but the others—except for Maeve and Glym—collapsed. Just… out. Unmoving.
Maeve, ever confident, remarked that we fell asleep because we're "lesser species." I looked at her. Hard. Those words have followed me since the orphanage. But she didn’t mean it like that. I could tell.
We tried everything to wake Dhanell. Water. Words. My dagger. Nothing worked.
Then we saw them—tiny creatures with glowing lights and wheelbarrows. When they saw us, they fled.
We waited. We couldn't leave everyone behind here.
Molliver
Eventually, I scouted ahead and found a soft glow further down. I crept forward, silent, and saw a dark-skinned human with long hair and a sword. A Brigganock sat on her shoulder. They spoke in a strange tongue… one I could understand now, somehow. Fey language...
They thought we might be friends of Creepy Lynn. Strange… I thought the Brigganocks worked for Endelyn. I returned to tell Maeve.
A few minutes later the human—Molliver—called out and introduced herself. She seemed cautious, but kind. We cleared up the confusion: the Brigganocks don’t serve Endelyn. Nor do the Korreds. They’re both her enemies.
Their architect, Golmo, was taken. Forced to work for her.
They mine wishstones here—crystals born from wishes. I wondered… was my dandelion wish from the carnival here, buried in the mountain? The bad ones, purple glow, they threw in a chasm, the good ones, white glow, they used for their city.
Meanwhile, the others woke. Dhanell recognized Molliver’s emblem—he’s with Valor’s Call. Of course he is. And Zephyr immediately resumed his favorite activity: asking questions! This time about the route to Endelyn’s palace.
We moved on, deeper into the mountain.
The Bridge
The tunnel branched more and more. Eventually, we reached a chasm bathed in purple light, spanned by a narrow wooden bridge, a hundred feet across. Molliver pointed to it. Said Obud was on the other side. He could help us reach Endelyn’s tower.
But she didn’t cross. Why? Why stay behind?
I didn’t trust it. So I lingered while the others stepped onto the bridge.
Halfway across, from the depths below, something rose.
Three floating skulls, wreathed in unnatural energy.
This can’t be good.
| Session 1 | Session 17 | Session 18 | ||
| ◀◀ | ◀ | ▲ | ▶ | ▶▶ |
| Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Frostbite | Ashira Frostbite |
Updated on: 07:25
