Session 75a - Downtime Week One
Not wanting to embark on another full-blown buffer adventure, we'll be taking Unit B from 2nd to 6th level over the next few weeks, but each week will begin with a round of downtime for the Unit A characters.
During their first week back in Flint following the danger and excitement of their latest mission, the unit was granted leave and spent their downtime as follows:
Matunaaga - Having been chastened by his explusion from the akashic memory stream, Matunaaga invested most of his week studying stone tablet he had found on the corrupt Godhand Gene. It was truly ancient and written in a language Matunaaga found he could read only if he concentrated fully. The tablet referred to his people as the 'gith' and told the history of how they had freed themselves from slavery by the gidim shortly after being brought to this world. His study revealed that the tablet was a palimpsest, but the layers of writing beneath the top layer slowly revealed themselves as his study progressed. The writer of the tablet spoke of gith heroes and encouraged the reader to follow their example. Matunaaga spent a great deal of time meditating on what he had learned, and sent a message to his homeland in the Anthras mountains asking for guidance. He also sent one to his wife Ayesha, and arranged to make a visit there.
Leon - With his face covered in scars once again, Leon's received an ecstatic welcome from Lilly when he returned to her House of ill repute in the Bayou. But to her disappointment, he held her at bay, and slept in separate quarters. Little Adele paid a visit, excited to see him - and as ever seeming much older than her dozen years - and he reacquainted himself with the seedy underbelly of Flint as it passed through the brothel. Contact was made by the Vekeshi Mystics. A sprite was sent to guide him through the swamp, down a tunnel that led to the Dreaming. Here, ranking members of the mystics commended his rescue of Isobel Travers and told him he would be granted full membership during a ceremony on the Winter Solstice. In the meantime, he was offered the boon of fresh hurtloam to heal his scars which - though efficacious - still left the faintest trace of the word that had been carved there (if only in certain lights). Leon also began an investigation into Black Star Mining, and discovered that Khaled Valchek had committed alot of money to the Cold Claw Adventure. He also learned that he was working in close partnership with Pemberton Industries - keen to find a new market for its weaponry now that peace with Danor was in prospect. Leon used his contacts to put it about that their venture was a Danoran conspiracy designed to commit Risur to an unnecessary conflict.
Malthusius - One obvious priority was to find out if Wolfgang von Recklinghausen could restore his arm. Wolfgang was still residing with Lynn Kindleton, and responded to Malthusius' request immediately, only too pleased to help if he could, but was confounded in his efforts by deva physiology which did not conform to his experience with mortal subjects. His initial attempts failed and he promised to look into the matter and return. Before he left, Malthusius told him that they had encountered Andrei von Recklinghausen on their travels and Wolfgang paled and grew fearful. He said that Andrei von Recklinghausen had done him irreparable harm, and had sworn vengeance upon him (for what he did not say). It was Andrei he had sought to flee when he first arrived in Flint. He hoped very much that the unit had left Andrei wherever they found him and had not told him of Wolfgang's whereabouts. Malthusius reassured him that his location remained a secret from Andrei but that, so far as he knew, Andrei had traveled with a young eladrin maiden into the Cloudwood. Wolfgang was nervous and unhappy when he left. Malthusius used the messenger wind to contact Gale who confirmed that Isobel and Andrei were with her and would like to meet at the unit's convenience. Malthusius then spent the rest of his week researching the transfer of spirits: both the nature of deva reincarnation and any means by which Xambria could be restored to life. Anything, he conceded, would be better than hanging about in an old detective's head.
Rumdoom - It was something of a surprise when Azon the Stoneforger rocked up in Flint and presented himself (along with his two apprentices) at the meeting house in Bosum Strand which Hewarrd Sechim had kindly bestowed upon Rumdoom. Azon had come to share his learning with the dwarf and was initially dismayed to see that Rumdoom's beard was already growing back. He had assumed that he was an adherent of the new eschatological othodoxy spreading out of Drakr, but was mollified when Rumdoom explained that he could not wear his affiliations so boldly as a member of the RHC. Between the pair, and with the help of Hildegaard and Harn, Rumdoom established a five-pronged approach to the expansion of his group - he would need someone to be responsible for recruitment, finance, research, ministry, and 'mission' (the latter being a secret goal to seek the Stone of Not and thwart Khaled Valchek and Black Star Mining). Under Azon's tutelage, Rumdoom also began to learn about the ancient dwarven runes that adorned his armour, shield and craghammer - heirlooms from Harn's clan which he had gifted to Rumdoom (and which had interested Azon the Stoneforger in the first place). Rumdoom also paid a visit to Tilish Dredgeport - landlord and ex-smuggler - to see if his nefarious contacts could help in delaying the launch of Valchek's mercenary fleet.
Uru - The flux wasps, chaos bees and other insects Uru had captured in the Malice Lands were released into his subterranean garden, which he tended lovingly over the next few days. Four local children had volunteered as under-gardeners and the array of exotic plants, usually found only on the border of the Dreaming and the Bleak Gate, were soon comely along nicely. During a secluded moment, Uru examined the stoppered bottle he had found in the clergy vault. Opening it caused a sulfurous winged homunculus to be released. It careened around the garden, bouncing of the damp cavern walls before it settled down and revealed that it was capable of guttural speech. It told Uru that its name was Tokoloshe. Uru explained that he was seeking a means to draw the forlorn spirits of Cauldron Hill to his garden. Tokoloshe replied that he knew a strange ritual that required the spores from a very rare plant which Uru just so happened to be growing in his garden. It bloomed during the Winter Solstice and at that time, Uru would be able to pass into the Bleak Gate and draw the spirits to him with a special candle. (Not satisfied with all of this busy-work and for reasons best known to himself Uru also enacted an ill-considered plan to frighten the local fey which resulted only in blank looks and merriment.)
Korrigan - Returning with some reluctance to his house in Stray River, Korrigan could see the ominous shape of the bramble barrier that surrounded his wife looming over the rooftops of his neighbours (some of whom were now regarding him with open contempt as he passed by). It was not merely the ruination of their view, or the occlusion of daylight, which was causing local curtains to twitch: Korrigan found that a small festival was taking place on his lawn, reminiscent of a scene from the Dreaming, but much more clumsy - enacted as it was by hairy and unwashed human beings, not lithe and beautiful elves and fairies. He found Bernard of Glenwade at the epicentre, sprawled on Korrigan's sofa between two fleshy female acolytes of the Old Faith (albeit a more modern and hedonistic interpretation than the one Korrigan had been raised in). Bernard was clearly surprised but sought to welcome Korrigan as best he could and introduce him to those who had come to 'sit vigil' over poor Elizabeth. They had decorated the branches and thorns of the brambles with trinkets of various colours. After a number of polite attempts to dismiss this rabble, Korrigan eventually put his foot down, and the resultant earthquake saw the back of all but the most overwrought revelers. Suitably chastened, Bernard withdrew, leaving Korrigan to his thoughts. A certain reticence and humility had heretofore informed his dealings with the world of politics, but recent events had convinced him that a more direct approach was necessary. With that in mind, he contacted Johan Grimm, cub reporter at the Courier, and offered him a frank interview on a range of topics, designed to plant Korrigan firmly in people's minds as a man of action who could be trusted. He also decided to use his position within the RHC and the respect he had earned over his illustrious career to find allies within the various power groups in Flint.