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Message: <blockquote data-quote="spyscribe" data-source="post: 2370005" data-attributes="member: 5808">Part the One-Hundred Thirty-SecondIn which: loose ends are tied, an invitation is made, and the party boggles at their newfound wealth.The party members take a couple of days to rest, recover their strength, and periodically stare at the pile of loot in Petros’ living room with stupid grins on their faces.  Despite Anvil’s earlier words, they also spend some time cleaning the city’s temple.  In the keep’s vault, Eva found a large square of gold, heavily marred, but recognizable as what was once the centerpiece of the altar.  Rather than attempt to replace it, Reyu uses shape stone to close the hole in the altar’s top and carve a holy symbol of Ketennek on the front.The bodies found there are laid in repose, and the worst of the blood cleaned through judicious use of prestidigitation.  Finally, the party stacks dry wood around the walls, ready to burn.Petros sequesters himself in his private chambers at the top of his tower and the party does not see him at all for nearly two full days.  When he finally descends, his hair is once again the rich black of his portrait, and he appears to have two whole arms.  The party does notice, however, that his hands are both covered in black leather gloves, and his goatee remains bone white.Petros quirks an eyebrow at the pile of treasure in his living room, then turns to the party.  “Thank you, once again for the service you have rendered me.”“We have done only our duty under Ketennek’s Justice.”“Nevertheless, your aid is much appreciated… Tell me, have any of you examined the artifact?”There’s a pause.“You mean, the one we broke that caused all the skeletons to fall apart?” Thatch asks.“Yes.”The party shrugs and shakes their heads.  It seemed pretty well broken to them.********Petros and the group descend again into the keep’s kitchens.  Everything is as they left it, and Eva, Thatch and Euro confirm once again that no treasure has been left behind.Petros, meanwhile, turns to the broken remains of the bone arch and casts detect magic.  Lira, never one to be left out where detecting magic is concerned, casts too.What before appeared as a pile of fused human bones, now, under her magical sight is revealed to be… a pile of fused human bones.“Ah ha!” says Petros triumphantly.  “Fascinating.”Lira squints.  She really doesn’t see anything of particular interest.“Look here,” Petros says, picking up a bone fragment and showing Lira its core.  “The bones have been hollowed and filled with some other substance.  It’s an aura like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”Now that Lira knows where to look, she can make out a faint magical aura coming from inside the bones.  Although it is neither divine nor arcane in natures, it is also not unfamiliar.“It’s—” Lira stumbles for words in her excitement.  “It’s like the Big Not-Evil Rock.  What did Chi’i call it?  Gods’ Breath… but in little chunks.  Like cement.”Petros does not bother to conceal his surprise.  “You have seen this substance before?”Lira summarizes the group’s experiences with Gods’ Breath.Petros listens thoughtfully.  “If anyone would have had experience with this, I’m not surprised it was Chi’i.  She has a particular interest in the… essence… of magic.”“You know her well?”“Passably.  She sought me out first, to share spells and magical knowledge.  More recently, I went to consult with her when I began to hear rumors of what had happened here in Bountiful.”The party asks, but Petros has never met Barnabus, Manaal, or the Miyan Kai. After some thought, Petros strikes upon a means of separating the Gods’ Breath from the other elements of the (now broken) artifact.  Lira watches through cracked fingers as he casts some kind of very powerful transmutation spell which dissolves the bone covering and leaves a pile of God’s Breath chunks and loose dirt behind.“Now,” Petros begins, “if someone could locate a broom…”**********That night the party shares a meal with Petros.  A meal that perhaps would have been more tasty had the party not killed his butler, but when the chef can cast prestidigitation no dish is unpalatable.Over dinner, the party members formally present Petros with an invitation to come to Dar Pykos to interview for the post of Chancellor of the Mages Academy.Petros seems gravely concerned over the attack on the Academy that made necessary the search for a new chancellor.  “You may tell the search committee that I would be honored to meet with them regarding this post.”“We shall,” Anvil replies with typical solemnity.“Now then,” Petros continues as he pushes away his plate.  “Might I ask what your plans are after you leave this valley?  After the aid you have rendered me, the least I can do is help you on your journey.”“Well,” says Lira, “I think our next step is to find Manaal—”  “And get rid of Gemil,” Eva reminds her.“Right,” Lira continues, “But both of those require traveling to Ebis, first to wherever it is Gemil wants to go, and then…” she trails off.   “I can’t remember the name of the city Chi’i mentioned where Manaal lived.”“I wrote it down,” Annika reassures her.Lira sighs.  “Good.”  “But,” Reyu puts in, “Now that we know there are five archmagi, we are short an invitation.  If we can, we should try to get another from Professor Alexandra.”“It might also be wise to return to Dar Pykos for other reasons,” Anvil points out, looking significantly at Reyu and Benedic.  Neither has fully recovered from the wounds they took at the hands of the wights in the keep, and if they do not get better soon they will require greater healing than he is capable of providing.Petros considers.  “If you like, I can take you to Dar Pykos, leave you time to procure this invitation, then return and take you on the next leg of your journey.”“Really?”  Thatch asks, “You don’t mind?”Petros smiles.  “It is hardly an undue burden.”That settled, the only thing that remains is to lay the inhabitants of Bountiful to their final rest.</blockquote>

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