It is mid afternoon on the 15th of Jewel when the party arrives back in Zaihar. They are immediately taken to Rauliso. His breathing is soft and slow as he sleeps. In an oddly fey-like move, Khamet shoves the pearl representing Rauliso’s will down the Grand Master’s throat. Rauliso chokes and splutters as he wakes, massaging his throat and looking around blearily at his saviours.
Selwyn explains the binding spell he cast on Arcaito. He has a nagging feeling it didn’t quite work as intended and he wants Rauliso to weigh in. Selwyn is especially disconcerted by how false Arcaito’s fear at being absorbed by his domain seemed. Rauliso suggests that either Arcaito didn’t consider becoming one with his domain to be a setback, or the magic didn’t work.
Selwyn offers to stay behind, at least until he can be certain Zaihar is safe from the archfey’s wrath. Rauliso gratefully accepts the offer. To farewell his fellow adventurers, Selwyn takes them out for drinks.
Selwyn bashfully asks if he can kiss Khamet. He is, after all, one of the most attractive people Selwyn has ever met. Khamet agrees, but sets out very firm rules on what is and isn’t appropriate! There is a time limit and there is to be absolutely no tongue involved. He hasn’t even finished explaining when Selwyn gives him a quick peck on the check. Khamet returns the gesture.
Khamet is distraught at Selwyn leaving so soon after Amani. The only thing that would make this worse, he quips, is Meallan returning. But what are the odds of that?
Tally is also taking it pretty hard. Selwyn gifts her a little potted rosemary through which she can talk with him. When she holds it, Tally gets the sense of Selwyn and his peaceful aura.
After an afternoon of revelry and subsequent very necessary night of rest, the party continue south. This is the furthest south they have ever travelled as a team. They are faced with a decision: do they make straight for the Grasping Woods, or do they make a slight diversion to stop at Riverside first? The party decide to make for Riverside. Along the way Tally once more meditates on Arcaito’s true name. They have an inkling of what it means, but are not fully there yet.
(Tally’s efforts at mastering Arcaito’s true name: explained mechanically!)
Tally fails to understand his true name, but earns one point towards doing so. On subsequent checks (Nature with advantage) Tally gains 1 pt for fail, 2 for success. When get 5, Tally can harness Arcaito’s name.
The party finally arrive at Riverside. When Khamet goes to look at the river he realises someone is staring back at him. That someone is Meallan. They are astounded- how incredible that they run into each other here and now, when they both just happen to be passing through??
Aytal and Wisp are with him. Wisp is looking quite different, now in the form of a mechanical blackbird which clatters when it ruffles its feathers. A tinker mage in Varentar built this body for him, while Meallan studied under a different powerful mage. Varentar is certainly full of them!
Khamet asks Wisp if he would like to meet his sibling. Although he has been wary of Pahra in past, Wisp says he would like to meet them now. Meanwhile Meallan asks Tally why she has been appearing in his dreams. There is confusion before the group realise it is Iracina who has been visiting him: testing the waters, figuring out if he is real.
The night of the 16th is spent in Riverside. Tally once more enters the door in the Shadow Queen’s dream. Here she encounters Iracina. Tally learns that Iracina and a small group of other drow have holed up in a tunnel near a familiar cavern Tally passed during their escape from the Underdark. Here they are preparing for conflict with other factions in this emergent civil war. Most of the Shadowsworn are against her, and so she fled with what few allies remain.
The group does not only include Shadowsworn. Iracina mentions a drow man called Ke’vin who has been invaluable in fortifying their location. Reassured that Iracina is safe at least for now, Tally begins to whistle an old drow lullaby. Iracina joins in. Eventually the dream fades and Tally returns to that dark empty space beside the shadowy mass that is the Shadow Queen.
In the morning Meallan is brought up to speed. He offers to scry on Lucy. Through this magic he sees her: a tabaxi with a blue-black coat. The forest around her looks dead, the trees skeletal. Nearby a very tall, blackened branch stretches high into the sky. Meallan thinks they can use this landmark to find her.
Damian is with her: a human man in a long dark coat and wide-brimmed hat. Lucy reminds him that she saved his life- he sure has a funny way of showing his gratitude! In response Damian rolls his eyes and looks away.
Meallan fills the party in on what he knows. They begin the final leg of their journey to rescue Kieran’s wife. It’s hard to pinpoint precisely when they enter the Grasping Woods, but after a time they realise the sky above is black and starless. By contrast the world around them remains bright.
The party are beset by minor nuisances. Meallan thinks he sees a firbolg, but it turns out to be a satyr throwing rocks at him. He chases them off with a firebolt. A shiny bird snatches Seleuci’s ruby, but he clings to it tightly and is carried away with it! The bird is shot down and fed to Umdias (he claims it tastes disgusting.)
Meanwhile Tally is approached by a drow with little horn nubs and sparkly eyes. He seems to only speak Sylvan and is excited to see this drow from the outside world! Bark is one of a third generation of Sylvan drow, after his grandparents settled in the Grasping Woods. Fifteen other Sylvan drow emerge from the trees- some have wings, one has vines winding down his arm and claws like thorns. Some only speak Sylvan, while some of the eldest have distant memories of their native Elvish.
The party offer to show these drow the outside world. Bark especially is excited by this prospect! They silently accompany the adventurers as they follow the sound of Damian’s voice deeper into the woods.
When they arrive at the source they find Lucy is bound and present, but rather than a human man she is accompanied by two kenku imitating his voice. The kenku are dead before they even realise they are under attack, let alone able to strike back at the party.
“Stop! It’s a trap!” Lucy cries out.
The ground beneath the party starts to rumble.
