Year 7 Day 218
Weather: Cold.
Hexes Explore: None
Alex (and Eleyna) arrive back at Stag’s Fort in the morning.
Kesh expresses her desire to seek the wisdom of the Fay Dragon Eranix. Lynessa teleports all The Founders (with the exception of Josiman who elects to stay in Stag’s Fort) to the caves by Lake Silverstep where the dragon lives. The Founders find Eranix injured. From her they learn that Vesper’s Blade (also known as “The Blade of Shica”) has appeared in the caves but an alliance of dangerous creatures (some long term residents of the caves other new arrivals) are attempting to seize it. This alliance consists of:
Orsig (an Ankou servant of Lord Rannuk)
A priestess called Ebana (who has summoned some undead)
A rusalka witch called Herrketa
The Glimmer Sisters
Perkei, an evil Korred druid.
Once Lynessa has collected Josiman The Founders, and Eranix, head further into the tunnels to secure the sword before their opponents can breach the barriers around it.
The Founders first head to the cave of Perkei where they confront and slay the Korred, his Bog Nixie followers and Herrketa despite the later using her power over water to flood the cave.
Next The Founders head to the cave claimed by Orsig where they battle the Ankou, the priestess Ebana and the enigmatic Glimmer Sisters. The Founders are hampered by Orsig’s shadowy clones and his use of magical darkness as well as strange and confusing distortions in time caused by the presence of Vesper’s Blade. After a prolonged battle The Founders are triumphant. Kesh claims Vesper’s Blade.
In gratitude for what the help they have given her Eranix tells The Founders what she knows about 1000 Breaths and The Blooms. She also offers each of them the opportunity to take an item from her father’s horde:
Alex choses the Feathered Mantle
Aldous choses the Crown of Ash
Lynesa choses Fay Tokens
Sergei choses the Eagle Figurine
Both Josiman and Kesh decline Eranix’s offer.
The Founders teleport back to Stag’s Fort. Lynesa continues her research.
Rumours and Research:
The Blooms are part of 1000 Breaths manifested on the Material Plane. If defeated they leave behind a part of “trophy”. If someone collected enough of these trophies and took them to The Castle of Knives they could be transported to 1000 Breaths.
Destroying a Bloom after it manifests decreases the danger that someone would face in 1000 Breaths.
The Castle of Knives is in 1000 Voices but never seems to be in the same place twice. It is a fortified house with towers and a moat. When seen sometimes it is whole but other times it is ruin.
The Castle of Knives is in sight of Mount Branthlend and the Whisper River can be seen from the gate.
A climber scaling Mount Banthlend once saw it to the west with the sun setting behind it.