Session 3: Emberil

"'Luck is infatuated with the efficient.'" The rare silence, especially for a rat's nest. The first to break it was Viter, naturally, with one of his usual thought-provoking queries, "What are you guys thinking about?" Oh sweet, simple Viter.

We hatched a risky plot. We all agreed, rescue Anna and the others and get them out of this deplorable, dank and disturbing underground cavity. Only this pool of water stands between us and the victims of these wretched beasts. Although I would come to vastly underestimate the trickiness of this otherwise peaceful culvert of water. Viter and Ivasar in their rat disguises easily traverse through to the other side, I of course had to show my prowess by getting my foot wedged in the rocks, nearly drowning myself. Ivasar is a kind Druid who came back to check on me but I wasted his time and luckily wrestled my foot free and made it to the other side. Note to self: practice swimming more often. Unfortunately, I was in the water for too long and I swallowed enough of it to cause real damage to my lungs. Ivasar, again proving his kindness, shared one of his powerful salves with me when we reached the inner chamber.

The Druid hatched a clever plan. Behind one of the two doors in this chamber, there is a statue and a lot of delirium. We would use Ivasar's rat friend and his delirium to distract the others behind the other door--the one with the winged fey, humanoid rats and the unfortunate souls doomed to be a feast. We realize behind us in this chamber is a way out, the sewers. But the crate to the sewer is too small for all of us, so Viter pulls out a crowbar--again not grasping the oddness that a 'wizard' would require such a reprobate's tool--and successfully makes a wide space for us and those we will rescue safe passage through.

The friendly rat in the room munching away at the piles of delirium has grown so much larger. His fur hasn’t kept up with his growth though, he's almost zebra-striped with stretch marks pulled so tight that his skin is transparent as paper in places, raw and bleeding in others. He resembles a cancerous, bulbous tumour more than a rat. Poor, ignorant creature. I pity him. He is paying a toll with his life that he doesn't understand, a mystery I must solve.

We decided to split into two, the rat would join Ivasar (in his own rat form) and bring delirium to the others in the larger chamber, which is overgrown with large fungal mushrooms. They proved a good enough distraction for me to enter undetected. In my invisible form, I make my way to the captives. I incorrectly made my way down at first, unintentionally moving toward the corrupt leaders of this place--the rat prince and the hideous fey. I overheard them arguing and raising their voices about the rat's god demanding more of them, according to the disgusting fey creature. Her voice's pitch makes my tattoo burn. It seem Sigrun is as offended by this revolting creature as much as I am. Unfortunately, as they argue, once again I embarrass myself as I trip and make a sound. I was trying to go the other way around to the captives when the fey reacted by summoning an overgrowth of vines--how dare that corrupt creature use the blessing of magic for evil. Fortunately, I am able to avoid the vines while maintaining my invisibility (and what's left of my composure). I have to shake off my mistakes, I'm sure I will obsess over the weight of them later. The fey ordered her rats and ratlings to find the intruder.

On my way to the captives, I stumble across a large root coming from above (from the tree of Sacena, Ivasar would later identify), it looks as though it's sick with delirium, down to the very fibres protruding out of the pulsating base. I turn and finally chance upon the group of captives, including young sweet Anna, a young human who looks like a magician, and another human who looks identical to Boren, the bard we left with Milton. I ungag and unbind all of their restraints. Anna is coming close to tears and I try to summon my memories of my mother before she died when I was so young, not quite Anna's age. I ask her to find her strength and courage, and I will get her out of here alive. The young girl proves herself by stopping her tears before they flow. My little warrior.

With Anna on my back, I make my way over as I hear a commotion. Viter and Ivasar are in danger and under attack! I turn to Anna and instruct her to wait for the others (who are much slower) to then make their way to the door and wait for us outside the sewer opening. I set on a surprise attack against the traitorous fey, as I see out of the corner of my eye my best childhood friend Viter get struck down. He fell. My childhood friend who has always been there for me, through all the loss and hardship.

I am overcome with wrath and fury.

I unleash Eldritch Blast upon the fey whilst shouting "Justice is coming for you, vermin!" Channeling my celestial patron, the hit knocks the vine spell away and the now-injured fey comes at me with her shillelagh. Ha! She swings and misses--a fatal mistake. I could feel wind coming my way as we battled, a ratling got a lucky hit in and I retaliate on the fey with guiding bolt. My tattoo erupts with fire and Sigrun must have guided this bolt herself--punching a hole right through the fey's chest. Although for a moment as this thing dies I see its shape transform very quickly. I swear in a flash I see it turn into an old saggy woman with hair falling out–large, stretched out drooping breasts, but she changes again. As the fey falls dead to the floor, she turns into a human woman dressed in green with a cape and leather armour.

I turn to the ratling and growl, "You're next" with fierce rage. It turns and runs. I swing at it but unfortunately miss it by a hair.

I can see my friend and faintly he gives me a weak thumbs up, almost unconsciously. But I can only see Viter faintly. A stupid rat comes for me, but without even turning toward it I swing the sword to my side and eviscerate the rat from nape to navel as it leaps at me.

Finally, I have the rat "prince" cornered. He falls to his knees and begs for his pathetic and wretched life. I spare it and order him to guide us out of here through the sewers so we may return Anna and the other captives above. After simple prodding, the rat prince explains to us that the fey told him she was some kind of messenger of the rat god who instructed the rats to eat delirium, grow bigger and breed to grow their numbers. He didn't know why. I re-name him Amaranth (because he was once owned by a human who called him Petunia--mistaking him for a female).

Before we left, I decided to see what I could learn from the "fey's" form. I find in her mouth a small piece of flesh tucked underneath her tongue. I also find a small medallion in her pocket, on it is a symbol of the Hooded Lanterns. Curious. Around her neck is a gold locket, in it a small sketch of two women side by side giving each other a side hug, smiling. I think one of the women is the person lying here now but the other is unknown.

It turns out one of the captives is in fact Doren, who is actually Boren's brother--they are triplets, apparently, known as the Jonas Brothers. And the other person is Schmendrick the magician, an apprentice of the Amethyst Academy.

Amaranth, who continues to refer to himself as the rat prince, guides us through the sewer and we reunite Anna with her grandfather, Milton, and Doren with Boren. I take Amaranth's wee crown and free him from my bond, since he kept his word and aided us in delivering Anna safely to her grandfather. Amaranth quickly jumps down the well--I'm sure it is not the last we'll see of the troubled creature. As long as he doesn't forget to fear me.

Milton invites us to go with him to the Blind Gate. Doren and Boren Jonas are off to play a gig and are heading to the Templar's Gate, the area of the Hooded Lanterns. The pathetic Schmendrick is due east to Emberwood Village--desperate for us to join him. Not much of an impressive apprentice. Perhaps we will run into the Jonas Brothers at the Piss Pot, but my companions and I decide to see Milton and Anna safely to the Blind Gate and the Acolytes of the Fallen Fire's gathering. Sigrun seems interested in the leader--that's enough for me.

Onwards.