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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ajar" data-source="post: 9786532" data-attributes="member: 85901">Things slowed down again with an international move late last year, but we're still going!The party decided to take Pemberton's airship to Ursalina before going north. They took advantage of the travel time to teleport around and lend their assistance around Risur where they could. Vesta went ahead to Ursalina and scouted out the situation, uncovering the Gidim and narrowly escaping pursuing oculi to get out of the city's teleport block and report back.The party mounted a nighttime aerial drop into the Cadagyr estate, with Bruse Shantus and a mix of Risuri and Beran troops for support. Reginald immediately sussed out the cerebral mesh, and learned about Sijhen's location from the city, although the city was clearly in a torpor. Shantus' authority got them an immediate audience with Cadagyr, and they spotted a Gidim infiltrator spying on them, leading to a running battle as they tried to stop the Gidim from escaping -- but one did.They took Cadagyr into custody and immediately set off for the Triunfo. Sneaking in, they found Wolfgang von Recklinghausen listening in on the gruesome concert in the main hall. After a brief but very strange conversation between two of the party, Wolfgang, and the ghost of the conductor, they found their way into the bowels of the Triunfo, and the leviathan beneath. Leaving Shantus in the Triunfo but bringing Wolfgang, they phased through the leviathan's flesh and confronted Sijhen.Sijhen made them an offer. They seriously considered it, and very nearly took it. It was actually a bit of whiplash for me -- during our pre-game chatter, we for some reason were talking about the trolley problem, the Kobayashi Maru, and rejecting the premise of the question. Then when Sijhen threatened to activate the self-destruct to force a decision on the deal, they said... well, okay, I guess we do this? When we reconvended the following week and I recapped the terms of the deal, though, they changed their minds and we had the battle. In the end, Wolfgang stopped Sijhen's heart with a final touch. If not for him feeding them healing surges, though, I think they would have actually lost.The leviathan survived, meaning the party now has an airship and the vortex array, along with potentially being able to tame the leviathan.*In the background, Asrabey approached Beshela seeking her aid in coming to terms with She-Who-Writhes. But the party already warned her that Asrabey was not to be trusted, so she deceived him and will warn the party that Asrabey is up to something involving the She-Who-Writhes. Asrabey plans to take control of the fey titan and then head for Axis Island to support the small Ob ghost fleet in their attack.The party have been putting regular messages into the absurdist web, hoping to learn what is happening in the Dreaming. Since the Dreaming is distant, but not destroyed, they will soon get a reply from Copperhat, telling them that the world has cracked open and that the land of the dead is inside it. Vesta is basically going to fill the role Rock has in the campaign text as a connection between the party and the Dreaming, since Rock is focused on touring Risur to help keep the population's spirits up. This might result in them going to the Dreaming sooner than planned, but whatever.They also know they need to get the axis ritual from the vault in Alais Primos, but don't have much information there yet.The Forward Symposium will happen soon, with Brakken and some Beran spies in attendance. (Unless they change their minds and decide to show up, but this was the plan they arrived at on Axis Island.) Without the party there, things will of course go pretty far off the rails... although I'd like to keep Vlendam Heid and Lord Kulp around so they can reappear later. I still have time to sort through how that all plays out while the party makes their choice of destination.Between dealing with Asrabey, going north after the Voice of Rot's eye, trying to get the ritual, or trying to get to the Dreaming... we'll see what they do next.</blockquote>

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