#We’re playing in Neverwinter after the eruption

[szkicel]

anyway sorry for being inactive for like a month - i was busy and also i got into my first dnd campaign and unfortunately i developed brain worms for it and my half orc cleric 😔

i might post later some doodles i did for it :3c

[internationalhouseofblupjeans]

An Eighth Bird, Born Out of the Storm - Chapter 18

Based loosely on the Luume'irma headcanon from @interstellarvagabond

Eighth Bird AU.

Angus celebrates a birthday and makes a new connection. Kravitz searches. Lucretia regrets.

Thank you to Calcu from the writer’s chat for Beta'ing!!

Also on AO3 (link in the source)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9  Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 below Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22

The placement of the runes are most important. We have determined that by adding onto the previously etched in runes, my body will not be hurt during this process. If all goes well, then when the reset occurs, our child will still reset with us and be able to develop, unharmed on a safer cycle.

We are not sure if the ritual will affect their soul, but as far as we have been able to determine, it will only affect Barry and myself.

I have made sure that Barry’s runes have extra safeguards as well. Being human, he will need more protection than I will. Human souls are not made of the same pure magic that elven ones are.

It will be interesting to be able to see it.

Ļ̵͚̱̬͔͍͉̮̲̮̖̰̾̎ͧ͊ͯͮ̑́ͤͥ̐̋͜͝ư̛̜̭̖̥͉͔͈͋͛̂̉̏̃̈́̔̽̿ͫ͆̈́̍ͅp̵̸̢͍̲͉͓̺̯̭̳̤̺̼̰͔̈́ͤ̆̿̽̓̄ͣ͝ͅ,ͮ̾́͋̎̔̾ͮ͑҉̰̠̥͍͕̻̖̼̤̘̦̖ ̸̧̫̝͓̠͓̹͎̐̓̆ͬ͗̔̅ͩ̇̒ͬ̂͆͛͒̉͑͢ͅS̷̡̟̖̞͎͔͕͓͓̺͖̣̤͚̘͓̟̜͆̍ͮ͐̈ͥ͑͆͑̓͂ͤ̈́͂̍̎̎͟t̶ͤ͆̂͑͌̆̉ͪ̃̔̋̑̅͆͌ͨ҉̷̩̦͖͔̼̖͠uͫ͗̂͛͌ͮ̅̆͛ͭ̐͢͏̞̥̥̱͓̯̦͍d̝̱̲̦̠̻͈̞͈͎͈̫̪̭̆ͦͦ͗̑ͤ́͞ǐ̟̟̟̬̣͑̈̓̐̓͊̄ͯ̿͌̚͘͘͢͞e̿̈̓͌̀̐̆̀ͮͣ̎̈́̾̀̚̕͘͏͔̰͈͕̣̬s̮̩͕̫̝ͯ̅̀͆ͭ̉͋̈́̎͂ͦͥ̂͢ ̷̳̰̝̘̲̤̣̱͙̠̰̖͕̯̺̪̜͍̘̿̎ͣ͗ͮ̋͠ǫ̸̛͓̭̙͙͓̲̱̬̺̯͚͍͍͎̩ͯ̂͋ͥ͆ͥ͊̽͒ͩ̒͆ͨ̄nͯ̌ͨ̓̉ͯ̕҉͏̣̠̗̬̼̺̰͚̖͕͍̘̙ ̸̼̟͈͖̻͇͍͈͎͕̣̮̳̳̯̳̠͋ͧ͆ͭ͗ͭ͑̇͢B̷ͩ̔̓ͪ̉͑̐ͥ͒��͖̼͎̦̖̖̖̗͞e̛̳̘͙̱̝̤̽̃̃̄̇̓ͩ͊ͫ̆͊̈ͣ̌ͫ͝ͅc̵̴̨̨͇͕͓̖͚̼͕͕̼͈̩̺͎̠̻ͬͩ̂̎͋̈́̈́ͅô̵̸̂̓̎͋̽ͦ̓ͩ̇͑̒ͮ̋ͮ̚͝͏͏̤̯̲̝͇ṃ̻̼͇͎̬̱͍̺̘̦̲͍̪̠ͦ͌̓ͯ̏̑̽͆ͭ͜͝ͅi̴̹͉̟̞̠̥̞̱̥̗͍ͤͭ̐̿ͦ̊̅̌ͩͪ̉̋ͥ̊͂̿ͦͭ͞ṅ̩̥͚͕̥̐̓̏͠g͐̍ͦ̄͑ͬ͒҉͍̦͉̠̩̜͚̮̥͍̘͔͕̝̹̱̕͘͢ ̝͓͖͈̗̞̹̖̘̻͙̰͉̣̳̞̏ͪͨ͌͑̈̉͌ͫ̚͡͞a̧̢͕̤͇̬͓͚̠̱͙͈̺̻͓̖ͣ͂͋ͧͅ ̸̨̛͕̤̻̱̤͚̭͚̠͉̤ͬ͌͐ͤ̅ͤ͘̕Ļ̶̡̫̜̠̥̙͉͍̖͙̏͑̿̽̽̆ͪ̒ͨͥ͡i̡̨̤̜̠̓ͣ͒ͨ̇ͮͨ̔̍̍̑̊̆̿ͩ͐̇̾ͅç̵̢͈̻͈̝̬̙̼͕͉͉̟̞ͪͫͭͥ̇͒̆h̵̵̥̮̰͖̓ͨ̆̏͐̓

Lucretia wasn’t sure whose idea the party was, but she stared at the invitation with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

She was Madam Director and needed to keep the ruse going, but a part of her wanted to have this moment. To relax and enjoy an evening with her friends, even if they didn’t see her as such right now.

So, she arrived at Magnus, Merle, and Taako’s dorm with a present in hand and a weak smile on her face.

“Welcome!” Magnus grinned, opening the door. “Ango doesn’t know and just thinks he’s coming over for a magic lesson, so this will be great!”

Lucretia nodded.

This week was hard for her anyway, so it was hard to focus.

In a couple of days, it would be the anniversary of when she had lost her friends.

When she knew she had lost Lup.

When she knew Lup and Barry lost their …

“Hey! You need to get behind the couch!” Merle grumbled. “Haven’t you ever done a surprise party before?”

Lucretia smiled.

“Sorry, Merle, I suppose I’m a little out of practice.”

She ducked behind the couch and waited.

Taako was the first one to walk through the door, about fifteen minutes later.

“So, the trick with mage hand is to visualize something not so … horrifying,” Taako explained as he opened the door, Angus eagerly taking notes next to him. “Seriously, kiddo, we need to figure out why-”

Taako flicked on the light to the dorm and the gathered members of the Bureau of Balance leapt up and cheered for Angus.

“SURPRISE! Happy birthday!”

Angus froze. He didn’t know what to do. No one had ever done anything like this before and he had no frame of reference for why everyone that he had considered friends and family were surprising him like this. He adjusted his glasses, trying to keep his composure and cleared his throat.

“Um … Sirs?” He asked.

“We found out it was your birthday this week, kiddo,” Magnus explained, leaping over the couch and picking up Angus. “So, we decided to throw a party for you!”

“Oh …” Angus started, a little crestfallen. He hadn’t ever had one that started this way, but he knew that it would soon devolve into sitting around awkwardly while the adults talked. “Well, thank you. I guess we um … Are we going to eat and then you guys can all talk?”

“Nonsense!” Magnus grinned. “Johann is going to play us some music and then we can do party games and stuff if you like!”

“Party games?” Angus asked. “I don’t … I don’t understand.”

He’d heard about them, sure, from the elven boys who had become the bane of his existence. He had almost been invited to one of their parties, but then the invitation was taken away, the boys only having done so in order to mock him. He didn’t know the first thing about birthday parties like this.

“Don’t worry, Bubelah,” Taako grinned. “I didn’t do birthday parties until I was much older so this will be a first for me too.”

Angus was even more confused. He’d always thought that elves had parties for every birthday. And Taako was a Sun Elf - a High Elf! He should for sure have been rich enough to have huge parties when he was a kid.

“Wait,” Angus started. “You didn’t have …”

The sound of Johann’s violin interrupted the little half-elf and soon the festivities began. He watched as the rules for Pin the tail on the Gerblin was explained and eventually watched an argument erupt between Taako and Leon over Taako’s use of mage hand to cheat at the game. A round of musical chairs was next, and Angus tried to not feel sick at the attention and chaos that was surrounding him.

He hadn’t ever had people pay this much attention to him. All he’d really wanted to do was go down and maybe see Jeff Angel wrestle at Chaos Stadium this week. He didn’t even really want people to try and celebrate for him because his parties had always been so boring before.

This one, however, was overwhelming.

His guests were sitting around, enjoying cake when Angus felt someone sit down next to him. He looked up to see Merle looking at him with an odd softness to him.

“Kid, you’ve hardly touched your cake. What’s wrong?”

“Oh … Uh … well, This is kinda new for me,” He started. “I’ve never actually done a birthday party before. Like, I honestly didn’t even know anyone knew it was coming up and I don’t usually get so much … attention,” he panted. “I usually am sitting in a corner by now just reading a book while my grandpa …”

He trailed off. He hadn’t thought about his grandfather since leaving Neverwinter. He had just thrown himself into cases and into work for the Bureau but now he realized that he had lost the only member of his family that he truly had.

He sniffled and wiped his eyes.

“Sorry, I just … I guess I got overwhelmed,” Angus whispered. “I really appreciate this, I do … I just … I’ve never had people do this much for me before.”

Merle smiled, sadly. There was something about Angus, in this moment, that felt familiar. Perhaps it was just because of what he had helped his own daughter through. Perhaps it was something else, something he couldn’t verbalize, as much as he wanted to.

“Kiddo, believe me I … I understand what you’re going through, I really do. I guess we should have asked you first, huh?”

“No, sir, it’s ok! Really! I just … I’m not used to this.”

He didn’t realize it until just now but he actually was calm. Angus looked down at his untouched plate of cake. He guessed Merle had done something cleric-y to him. Maybe calm emotions?

For all that Taako and Magnus complained, Merle was a pretty good cleric, all things considered.

“Th-thanks, sir,” Angus smiled. “This actually helped a lot.”

Merle grinned and ruffled Angus’ hair. There was something else about this kid. Something familiar, but he couldn’t focus on the thought for too long or else his brain would dissolve into static.

“No problem, half-pint,” Merle sighed. He rose to his feet and then paused, turning back to look at him before he could join Taako as he tried to hustle Killian’s shoes away from her at a game of pool. “Oh, and we’re going to a wrestling show on your birthday so I …” Merle gritted his teeth as if it hurt him to be kind to this child. “I guess you can come with.”

Angus’ eyes lit up.

“Really, sir?”

“Yeah … There’s some sort of murder or something that happened and -”

Merle froze as he felt Angus’ arms wrap around him tightly.

“Oh thank you sir! Thank you so much! This is the best birthday present ever! A new mystery!”

“Oh shit …” Merle groaned.

~

Lup had listened in, trying to project herself out just enough to see what was happening.

A party. They were throwing a party for this little boy.

She was glad that he had been working with the Bureau of Balance now. She had worried about him after he had been on the train. Had worried that this child was traveling alone.

Now, however, she knew he had someone to look after him.

It was strange. She felt oddly protective around this child, and even started to feel pangs of sadness as she watched him becoming more and more anxious during the party.

It was wishful thinking. That’s what it had to be. The anxiousness reminded her so much of Barry. Reminded her so much of how he had been before the launch. In the earlier cycles.

Before Legato.

But this wasn’t their child. She had already confirmed that. Yes, his name was Angus, but it wasn’t Angus Bluejeans. No one had come to grab him. She hadn’t seen or felt Lucretia at all during her wait in Wave Echo Cave.

Her son had to have died. Somehow. Perhaps wild animals had come into the cave and taken him. Perhaps it was gerblins.

Perhaps it was her own foolishness at trying to solve her problems by herself.

It was getting too difficult to keep herself projected, so she retreated into the darkness.

She could feel her energy being sapped. Every day it was a struggle to just stay conscious. To stay herself.

As she tried to meditate, she began to realize that time was running out.

She wasn’t sure if she would make it to them eventually leaving this world.

She wasn’t sure if there would be anything left to reset.

~

Taako couldn't find anything in any books regarding the extreme discomfort he felt.

He found himself pacing the communal living room, trying to deal with thoughts and feelings that deeply disturbed him.

He couldn't ask Merle. He was too ashamed.

Even worse was the horrible feeling he had during this week when he would see Magnus. They barely knew each other (in Taako terms) and yet he wanted to curl up in his arms and let the warmth take him over.

He couldn't understand it. He couldn't push the thoughts from his mind.

So he meditated for the first time in ages. As he sat, he heard the door open, Magnus’ booming voice echoing in.

“Hey, Taako, do you need anything? I’m just heading down to the cafeteria for …”

Magnus stopped.

“T-Taako? Are you ok? What’s wrong?”

Taako pinched the bridge of his nose.

So much for meditating.

“Dude … just go. I kinda need to focus. I’m don’t want to have the thoughts I’m having and there’s like … nothing here that can help me so I’m just gonna hang tight in here and wait for it to blow over. I don’t know if I was hit by a spell or what but … This sucks and everything is too … Everything!”

Magnus walked in, quietly. Something was tugging on his heart as he watched Taako clench his eyes and breathe.

“What thoughts?”

“Like … dude, we know each other and are friends and all but I really don’t want to share this.”

“Come on. Taako, it’s ok. We’re a team.”

“Magnus … I’m serious. I don’t want this and it’s frustrating and aggravating and it hurts!”

“It hurts?” Magnus said, freezing in place. “Should I get Merle?”

“God no. He’ll tease me relentlessly and I can’t do that right now!” Taako gritted out. “I just need to wait this out.”

“Ok … Are you sure you can’t tell me?”

“I … So you know I like guys, right?”

“Well, yeah. I saw you flirting with death back in Lucas’ lab-”

“Well … I also don’t want … I don’t like being … touched. And right now, that’s all I want and it’s scaring me, Mags. It’s scaring me and I don’t like it! And … I keep thinking about you and that reaper and I don’t … Mags, please go. I’ll … I’ll be better soon. I promise.”

Taako didn’t know for sure, but he knew that this had to end eventually.

Right?

Magnus sighed and closed the door softly, waiting outside. He wondered if he should go over Taako’s head and talk to Merle, but Taako was right. Merle was the worst person he could talk to about this.

So he went to the Director.

He knocked softly on her office door and peeked his head in.

“Hey … Lu-Madam Director?” He started, remembering that she had been so disturbed when they had used her name.

“What is it,” she started, looking up from her journals to see Magnus’ concerned expression. “Magnus? What’s wrong?”

“It … It’s Taako. He’s not doing well and I didn’t want to talk to Merle about it because … well, Taako didn’t want me to.”

Lucretia froze.

She had redacted too much. She had realized that, in erasing so many things from their home world, she had neglected to make sure she could come up with ways to fill in things that occurred.

Things like the Luume'irma.

Which Magnus usually comforted Taako through.

Once again, she was struck by the weight of her actions. She was reminded just how much she took.

Taako had once trusted Magnus but after a decade apart, they may as well have been strangers.

And Magnus didn’t know …

“Oh … Um … Well, there are … ancient texts that existed in my studies of … A period of time where every ten years, Sun Elves would go through … these feelings,” she said, carefully choosing her words. “It only lasted a week but a lot of Sun Elves didn’t like it so they augmented their bodies … I think Taako may have been immune to it.”

“Oh …” Magnus started. “So … what should I do? I don’t like seeing my friend so upset. Should I go … help him?”

“No!” Lucretia started before remembering herself. “No … Just … Let him be. He’ll be alright in a week. I promise.”

Magnus nodded and returned to the dorm. As he sat in front of Taako’s door, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of deja vu.

But when he tried to make sense of it, his mind dissolved into static.

~

Angus was so excited for his magic lessons. He loved learning from Taako, having this moment to be close to his idol. He’d had to wait a week (apparently, his tutor had been sick), but he was alright with that.

Taako was someone who might be able to answer all of his questions, eventually.

He also had another reason to take lessons from Taako. He was going to ask him on this particular lesson. Sure he couldn’t do it himself, he wasn’t high enough level …

But Taako could …

“Hey, Mr. Taako, sir?” Angus asked as Taako prepared to teach him a cantrip. “You … specialize in transmutation magic, right?”

“Sure thing, my dude,” Taako started. “What’s up?”

“I … I was wondering if you could do something for … For me … If you could change something, that is ...”

Taako looked at Angus. Something about those words. There was something in his mind that dissolved into static when he tried to place the memory.

Just like in the dreams he had.

“What’s wrong, Ango?”

Angus pulled off his cap and untaped his ears.

Taako felt his heart break.

Angus trusted him enough to show him. To show him that he was not human. That he was a half elf.

And that he was ashamed of what he was.

“I … I don’t want these anymore,” Angus whispered. “I want to be one or the other so if you could just change my ears …”

“Angus …” Taako started, kneeling down to him. “My dude, I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to be a half-elf. You’re like … the best of both worlds!”

“Not according to the other elves,” Angus sighed. “You’re like, the first elf who isn’t a jerk about it.”

Taako felt like that was wrong. He never remembered elves being so cruel about half-elves. About humans.

Hell, that was why-

Static.

He shook his head to clear it and then looked back at Angus.

“Look my dude, I can teach you disguise self so you can pull pranks, but I’m not going to make you give up what makes you you. And if you need to, you can talk with Johann. He’s a half elf and look at him now! Making music for a Voidfish! Everyone loves him too! We don’t care that he’s not one or the other. He’s Johann and that’s what makes him awesome. And your our Ango McDango.”

Angus sniffled.

“Thanks sir.”

Taako smiled and leaned in to whisper into Angus’ ear.

“And if you ever tell anyone that I had this moment with you and that I care about you …”

“You’ll end me.”

“In seconds.”

Angus chuckled and hugged Taako.

~

Lup wanted to try and project herself out again. She could sense it.

They were running out of time.

She had to tell them somehow.

Her chance came when Taako was about to cast a spell. She didn’t realize until it was too late that it was supposed to be a transmutation spell. She pulled back as much as she could, but it was too late.

The sweet little boy’s macaroons were destroyed.

She would make it up to him eventually.

But she needed to use this moment. She needed to send a message.

L … U … P …

It took all of her energy, but she did it. She sent a message, hoping that Taako would see it. Would understand it.

She looked over at Angus, at the sweet little boy and nearly gasped.

His ears.

They were pointed.

“I have a new mystery to solve!” She heard him chirp.

Huh … She thought as darkness reclaimed her.

~

Johann sat, tuning his violin. He had another composition for the Voidfish. Something that he had been working on for weeks now. He played, softly at first, taken in by the music. The Voidfish floated nearby, seemingly watching is every move.

“Um ...Mr. Johann, sir?” he heard a small voice ask at the doorway.

He looked over to see Angus standing there, his cap off and in his hand. The pointed tips of the boy’s dark ears were bright red.

“What’s up, little dude?” the bard asked.

“I … I was talking with Taako a while back and he said maybe I could talk to you?” He started. “I’m a half elf, like you, and … I was ashamed of it and asked Taako to change me but … But you’re a half elf too and you’re like, such a cool bard and I was wondering … Can I learn some of what you know?”

Johann smiled, sadly.

He’d never had a student before. Most of what he did was self taught anyway. He didn’t know how to teach, but the look on the boy’s face moved him.

“Heh, sure thing, kiddo,” he laughed. “So, was there any sort of instrument you were thinking of?”

“Well … when I heard your violin, it reminded me of a song and I want to know how to play it. And since you’re a bard and good at violin …”

“Say no more my little dude! Here, can you hum it for me? I can figure out the notes.”

“Oh! Yeah! Um …”

Angus began to hum as Johann transposed, playing along.

“Ah, so it’s in E major … so .. F# … A F# E D C# D G G G A...”

As he played, he heard a wail come up from the tank. He looked over at the Voidfish who twirled and called out, echoing the notes that Johann played. It was almost like the last time the Voidfish had sang, except this time, they seemed happier, as if they knew this song.

He continued to play as Angus hummed the song and the Voidfish lit up.

He’d never had this happen before, where the Voidfish not only knew something he was playing but also didn’t wipe it from existence after he had created it.

Johann looked down at Angus who had some tears pricking his eyes. He smiled sadly and stopped playing, ruffling the child’s hair.

“We can go get you a violin and then start doing lessons, little man,” he began.

“I’d like that very much, sir.”

Johann led Angus out of the room, neither one noticing the Voidfish pressing one tendril up on the glass as they left.

~

Angus sat by his Stone of Farspeech. He had been relieved when Avi told him that they had safely landed and that they were on their way through the bubble. Now he could focus on his mystery du jour.

The Red Robes. There was something Lucretia wasn’t telling them about the Red Robes.

He had been plagued with nightmares again, ever since the magic lesson that started this new mystery. His vision was always blurry in the most common one he had, but he always saw the same image. Something that his brain couldn’t make sense of.

He found himself, absentmindedly drawing as he waited to hear any news at all from the reclaimers.

Lucretia came up behind him with a plate of cookies.

“Angus, we probably won’t be able to hear anything until they get out of there,” Lucretia started.

“I know, Ma’am, but … If they need me, then I need to be listening,” he explained. “I’ve learned a lot since they grabbed the Philosopher’s Stone and so I know I can actually help now!”

Lucretia ruffled Angus’ hair and looked down at his paper.

“Drawing something?”

“Yeah, I guess. I was just doodling. I’ve been having a lot of nightmares lately,” he sighed. “Leon said that drawing them out might help me so I’ve just sort of been … doing this.”

Lucretia looked down and then bit back a gasp.

“Oh … Wow …”

Angus looked down at the drawing.

“Oh … yeah … I keep having the same nightmare. It’s blurry but … Yeah …”

He looked up to realize that Lucretia was standing in the doorway, her shoulders slumped and her hand covering her mouth.

He looked back down at the drawing. He supposed it had been just him trying to make sense of the latest nightmare, but this was the most detailed it had ever been.

The Red Robe from his nightmares was in the center of his blurred vision. The one who looked down at him with blackened skin, closed eyes …

And a sad smile.

~

Taako watched time pass by as he was shown his own past.

Static. That static was there again, right next to him, after a long period of static that had no explanation.

It hurt too much for him to try to make sense of it, so he shut his mind off to it. Like he always did.

Then the Chalice showed him Glamour Springs.

Taako wanted to turn away. He didn’t want to see this. He didn’t need this.

But then he saw.

Sazed.

That bastard was going to poison him.

Instead, forty people died.

He watched everyone coming up for samples. Then he saw a face.

A face that didn’t make any sense being there. A face that shouldn’t have been there.

Barry?

It didn’t make sense. He couldn’t have been in Glamour Springs and also been in Phandalin. Everyone who had eaten that food had died.

Everyone.

How was this possible?

He couldn’t accept the offer. It wasn’t his fault and he had to know now.

Something was being hidden from him.

When they watched Phandalin burn again, Barry being pummeled to the ground, Taako stared intently.

There had to be something that he was missing. He wanted to tell the others but, he couldn’t. Not when he didn’t even know what was missing.

~

Lucretia sat in her study.

That drawing. That couldn’t have been …

She buried her head in her hands. This had gone too far. It had gone too far but she couldn’t stop now.

She looked over at Junior's tank. If she gave out his ichor, would this put an end to everything? Would they ever forgive her?

Would this world, and every world, be lost?

She wanted to grab Angus. She wanted to bring him in here and let him learn everything. Seeing that picture … that was Lup. That had to be her which meant …

She choked back a sob.

He had survived. He had survived and she had erased him from his family

And where was Lup now? She was a lich. She should have been with him. And Barry … did he know now?

Her heart was heavy with regret. She had separated Barry from his son. He would never forgive her.

And Lup. If she had just waited. If she had gone to find the cave. To find Lup … would she still be around?

She thought back to something Taako had said. About the Raven Queen’s emissary. Her blood ran cold.

What if she got reaped?

It had never happened on any of the cycles. She had no frame of reference for what could have happened to Lup.

If her soul even existed anymore.

The tears flowed freely as Lucretia buried her head in her hands.

She had fucked up.

And there was no turning back now

~

Barry watched them come out of the bubble and breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that they wouldn’t have taken the Chalice. There was no way.

But there was still that fear ...

He made himself known to them, confirmed that they had indeed resisted the thrall, and then locked eyes with Taako.

Something in Taako’s eyes …

“I’m really proud of you,” he began, much to the others’ confusion.

Then Magnus called him one of “the bad guys”. If he had blood, it would have run cold in his veins.

“Who told you that?” Barry asked.

But he knew. Even before they said anything, he knew.

Why had Lucretia done this? This wasn’t like her. This wasn’t like her at all.

“I need to know … Do you trust me?” He asked.

“Hell no!”

It was too much.

He had lost his friends. His family.

Taako didn’t remember him. Didn’t remember Lup. Didn’t remember any of it.

He grasped at himself, trying to think of his Best Day. Of his anchor.

“Lup … They don’t trust me … I can’t do it anymore, Lup … I’m sorry ….”

He could hear her voice. He could feel her.

He had to keep himself together.

~

Taako watched as the Red Robed lich tried to gain composure. He heard him mutter to himself and the one word that had been repeating in his mind escaped the lich’s lips.

“Lup …”

The lich knew what this word meant. This Red Robe somehow knew …

But Taako couldn’t make sense of it.

And it hurt.

~

Barry rose up from the ground, his composure regained.

He gave them a final warning and vanished. He needed to get back to his hidden lab. He had been out for too long.

The Reaper would be coming.

~

Angus eagerly welcomed back the Reclaimers, hoping that he could spend some time with Taako. He wanted a magic lesson, of course, but there was another motive.

He needed to study that umbrella.

Every time he was near it, there was a painful sense of familiarity.

Every night after he did, he had the nightmare about the Red Robe.

On one such night, Angus awoke with a start. The image of the Red Robe filled his mind while a woman’s voice weakly sang that lullaby to him. Angus couldn't get the song out of his mind so he climbed out of bed and grabbed his tiny practice violin.

He had memorized the notes, the music flowing naturally as he played. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine his mother.

Davenport had been wandering the dorms. He’d been trying to clear the constant static that had been filling his mind more and more as he got closer to Merle, Magnus, and Taako. He couldn't piece words or thoughts together, the ideas he tried to form becoming a jumble the more he tried to make sense of them.

He heard music coming down the hallway and it struck something inside of him. He followed the sound to Angus’ dorm and stood outside. The music felt so familiar but he couldn't place why. He sat down outside the door and listened, his ears flicking curiously as Angus played.

Angus knew he was being watched, but he couldn't stop. Not now. Not when he needed to try and make sense of the nightmare.

He opened his eyes for a moment and looked at Davenport. He wasn't sure if the music had spurred his mind or not but Angus had started noticing things about Lucretia’s ward. Things that didn't make sense.

He had seen plenty of gnomes growing up and had even been taking cases for Leon. It was why Angus chastised himself for not noticing that Davenport did not look like other gnomes.

Most gnomes had hair colors that ranged from white to grey, in the boy’s experience. Davenport had bright red hair and a neatly trimmed mustache. He was also much smaller than any other gnomes he had seen …

And no other gnomes had expressive, pointed ears.

Angus closed his eyes again and continued to play. He needed to finish the song. He needed to try and keep the static away.

When he finished, he gently set down his violin. He looked back to see Davenport rising to his feet, as if coming out of a trance. He shook his head and then stumbled over his words for a moment before making eye contact with Angus.

“D… Davenport.”

As the gnome walked away, Angus couldn't help but wonder if, for the first time, he actually understood what the gnome had said.

Thank you.

~

Taako stared at the umbra staff.

Kravitz had said he sensed a lich, but … The Red Robe wasn’t up here. And Taako wasn’t a lich.

The Umbra Staff going off on its own had nearly ruined the date, but he couldn’t blame it. He supposed his own magical weapon was picky about anyone coming near its owner.

Except that it had reacted when Kravitz had mentioned liches.

He thought back to seeing the Red Robe in Lucas’ lab.

He had noticed the staff.

Had mentioned … someone.

But his mind wouldn’t let him think any further. It hurt too much.

He went back to their dorm and set the staff down on the couch.

He needed to make a trip to Fantasy Costco. Magnus would be waiting for him.

~

Angus was perceptive. It was what made him such a good detective.

It was why he followed Merle to Neverwinter.

He’d never pictured Merle as a father, but suddenly, everything started to make sense about the dwarven cleric.

He listened, intently, as Merle told him everything. Told him things he was pretty sure neither Taako nor Magnus knew.

It was oddly comforting. He was privy to something no one else was.

Even if Merle hadn’t threatened him, he would never have said anything to anyone.

It was why, when the cart narrowly missed hitting Merle’s children, Angus sprang into action.

He almost missed the flash of red off to the side.

He almost missed the Red Robed Lich that held his arm outstretched, red lightning cracking off of his cloak.

He almost missed when he looked to Merle and nodded.

He did miss, however, the wave of sadness that emanated from the lich who looked after his son.

The lich who was running out of time.

~

Taako sat, watching as Angus practiced Disguise Self to look like him. He still looked like a tiny, child-like version of Taako, but he was getting better at it.

Looking at Angus continued to send pangs of emotion through Taako’s heart. Emotions that he couldn’t place and that were almost frightening to think about.

He cared about this child. Almost as if he was his own.

But he wasn’t of course. And whoever had been this child’s father had been human.

Had been that dead bastard, Barry Bluejeans.

Taako shook his head.

He didn’t know why thinking of Barry hurt so much, but he decided that it had to do with this child. That it was guilt at not saving this child’s father. At leaving him to grow up without him.

Except Barry had been at Glamour Springs. Had taken some of the food.

Maybe Barry had survived? Maybe he had known and had come to Phandalin so that he could covertly tell Taako?

No … That didn’t seem like Barry’s style. Neither did trying to bust Taako.

It didn’t make sense.

Taako wished, for a moment, that Barry was here, watching his son. Maybe he would have trained Angus to be a fighter? No, Angus wasn’t built for that.

And come to think of it, he had never actually seen Barry fight …

“Sir? Are you alright?”

Taako shook himself out of his thoughts and looked down at Angus who had changed his appearance back to normal.

“Sorry, boychik,” Taako smiled sadly. “I was just in thought …”

“Oh …”

They sat in silence for a moment before Angus scooted up next to him.

“Hey, Taako … Um … I know you kind of personalized those macaroons for everyone but … I was wondering … What was that flavor in mine? It was really good but it was like … familiar?”

“Heh,” Taako chuckled. “That’s odd … I actually had a hard time finding the ingredients for yours. I don’t know why, but I wanted to make them like my aunt used to make them … They were our favorite …”

“You and your Aunt’s?”

Taako paused.

Our …

“Yeah … Must’ve been my aunt’s favorite too if she made it all the time for us …”

Angus nodded and looked down in thought. Taako found his own thoughts wandering too.

It didn’t make sense. He didn’t remember his aunt particularly liking macaroons, much less the lavender flavored ones he loved but it was the only thing that made sense.

Maybe she had but she had given him so many because she knew he liked them?

He felt a little guilty now. If he had known …

“Sir … I’ve been wondering a lot … Do you know any other Sun Elves?”

Taako smiled, sadly.

“No. I haven’t seen any others really since I was a kid. I didn’t even really grow up with elves after my aunt died. It’s probably why I’ve never really gotten on with other high elves,” he laughed, bitterly. “You’re the first one I’ve actually spent a lot of time around in almost a century.”

Angus giggled.

“I’m only half-elf, sir.”

“Doesn’t matter!” Taako laughed. “Why do you ask?”

“Well … I mean, I was wondering if you might have maybe known … Well, if you had ever seen either of my parents?”

Taako’s heart nearly ripped in half.

“I … I never met them,” Angus started. “Not really … I mean, maybe I saw my dad once but … I only knew my grandfather and … I know that my mom loved me. That she died saving me but … My dad …”

Taako wanted to grab Angus close and tell him. Tell him that he had seen his father.

But then what? Barry hadn’t ever even mentioned a kid.

Would he lie to this kid? Tell him that his father’s last words had been something about the son he was going to return to? Taako lied easily (he thought), but to Angus?

No, he couldn’t lie to him.

And he couldn’t tell him.

He sighed and looked down at the Umbra Staff in his lap, feeling a warmth radiating from it.

“Sorry, kiddo … I … I didn’t meet anyone who could have been your parents in my travels but …” He bit his lip. “If they could see you now, I bet they would be awfully proud. I bet they loved you a whole lot ...”

Angus looked at Taako. He had only sometimes been privy to moments of honesty from the elf and had learned to play them off as nothing. He knew that Taako didn’t like the attention. Didn’t like it when someone pointed out when he actually cared

So he smiled quietly to himself and then snuck a glance at the Umbra Staff.

He could feel the energy now and realized it.

He needed to roll an investigation check on that staff.

~ Kravitz looked over his clues again. The Umbra Staff that Taako had carried - the staff that had almost blasted him - had rekindled the mystery that he had almost put to rest.

He had been a bit distracted lately and it wasn’t the top priority anymore.

But that staff. It had been with the Sun Elf’s corpse. It had been in the cave.

He couldn’t just take it from Taako and it hadn’t had as strong of a presence, even after it had almost blasted him like before.

And when he had returned to the scene of the crime, the body was gone. All that remained was dust.

He had another option, but it had been such a tedious idea that he had been avoiding doing it.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was his only plan.

He headed into the Sea of Souls to try and find the Elf’s soul.

It wasn’t a common thing to need to do, but he had been an emissary for long enough that he knew how to sift through the souls that were being cleansed. Since she had died ten years before, he should be able to find her relatively close to the top.

He searched for Sun Elves, knowing that there weren’t as many of them in the Sea of Souls to begin with. They lived long lives and they were nowhere near as numerous as their other elven counterparts - especially after the Old Wars that had nearly decimated them.

The more he thought about the Old Wars, the more he mused about this half-elf child. Sun Elves in particular were not known to harbor fond feelings toward humans and yet here was this child that was the product of such a union. And a child who obviously had been loved enough for the mother to care to leave a note for whoever found her and the child.

He came across a few Sun Elf souls, but none felt right. None of them seemed to even know what he was talking about. He knew they hadn’t been in the sea long enough to have forgotten their past life, but this was ridiculous.

If his mother was here, then she would have been speeding to him to hear about her son. To know if he was safe.

He searched for what felt like days as he combed through the souls. He had to find her. He needed to know if she had any leads on the lich.

He was about to give up, realizing that the only other option was asking the countless human souls, when he felt something that was … wrong.

He looked down into the depths to see the lights start to blink out. He had never seen anything like this before. When a soul was ready to be reborn, it would leave as it had come in.

Instead they were just being swallowed up into darkness.

No. Not quite darkness.

There were shimmering bands of color throughout the darkness that was slowly approaching him.

He didn’t know what this was, but he knew he had only one option.

He began to frantically swim up.

~

Carey had taught him how to be sneaky. She hadn’t asked why, probably assuming that it was for detective work.

In a way, it was.

Angus sneaked into Taako’s room while they were training. For some reason, Taako had left the Umbra Staff in the room.

It was too easy.

Angus rifled around, looking for any other clues, when he found a headband.

He picked it up and curiously put it on.

“Taako? Taako, get back here! I swear to God if you die during training …”

“H-hello?” Angus asked. “Who said that? I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to break in! I mean I did but -”

“Wait … Ango? The kid that my b̵̸̧͘r̶̕͘͝͡o̶̢͞͝͡t̛͘͜h̡͜͞e͘҉̵͠͞r̵'̴̸͝s̴̶̡̧̨ been training? Sweet!”

“Sorry ma’am … I … I don’t see you and you’re speaking static.”

“Aw beans,” the voice sighed. “You can’t understand it … Um … So … It’s me … In the Umbra Staff …”

Angus gasped.

“You can talk?”

“Heh, yeah … It took a lot but I can,” she chuckled. “Is Taako ok?”

“Yeah! He’s in training. Don’t know why he didn’t take you but … You know.”

“Yeah,” she chuckled. “So, my name’s L͟҉u̸̸̧̨p̨͘͢͟ and I have been in here for quite some time.”

“Sorry, you were speaking static again …”

“Oh … Ok …” she sighed. “Well … I was hoping that I could get Taako to … It’s ok. I guess we can try this again in a year … It’s not like my son is still alive … I shouldn’t have gone out alone …”

“A son?”

“Yeah … I … I had a son,” she started. “I was alone when I had him and I’m pretty sure he’s … He’s gone …”

“Wow, Miss Umbra Staff … Can I call you that?”

“Sure kid.”

“I just … didn’t know Umbra staffs could have kids!”

“Well, I wasn’t always one … But … Yeah … Gods, you look so familiar,” she pondered. “If I didn’t know better, I would have thought … sorry, I just miss my family.”

“I’m so sorry. I … I never met my mom.”

“Oh …”

“It’s ok! She died, saving me from a murderer! Once I’m done helping the Bureau of Balance, I’m going to go back to trying to solve her murder! Someone said a lich did it!”

Angus felt something in the umbrella. Something sad. The feeling quickly went away.

“Oh geez. Are you sure you’re old enough to be doing that?”

“Yeah! I solved a murder bef- Well, I guess you were there, huh?”

“Heh. Yeah.”

The umbrella felt heavy in Angus’ hands.

“Hey kiddo. No offense, but … It’s getting difficult to project myself out anymore …”

“Oh! Yeah, you must be getting tired …” Angus replied sadly. “Do ...Do you want me to sing you a lullaby? I've always known it so I think my mom sang it to me!”

“Sure kiddo.”

Angus sang softly, the elvish words to a long forgotten lullaby drifting through Lup’s mind. It was strange. She knew this lullaby by heart, but it was impossible for her to understand how he would know it. Her mother sang it to her when she was a baby and she remembered singing it while her son was still in the womb.

Her thoughts became fragmented as she started to drift out of consciousness. She could have sworn she heard her and Barry’s composition being worked into the lullaby.

But it was impossible.

Just wishful thinking.

[ocuk-dnd-5e-blog]

Side Session - Family Values

Participants 

Dave – DM

 Dan – Darvin – Sorcerer

Andrew – Eriden – Druid

Alex D – Fyvel – Fighter

John – Dwon Fai – Monk

 Missing

 Alex H – Chance – Bard

Stu – Hendel – Barbarian

Dave R – Galath – Ranger

  Darvin, Dwon, Eriden and Fyvel arrived in Neverwinter and with evening setting considered their actions.

“It’s probably too late to get to the temple and fetch Freya.” Darvin groused. “We’ll have to get an inn for the evening.

“Well if we’re at a loose end I will go spend some time with the family.” Eriden said. “With Hendel not being here, let’s be honest I wouldn’t trust him round my family, you are more than welcome to join my family for a meal.”

The group readily accepted the offer of a meal and set off with Eriden toward his home. He directed them over the bridges, past the looming, oppressive Castle Never and round through the Bluelake District to the slowly rebuilding and renovating area around the old docks.

As they walked the streets Fyvel seemed more alert than normal and turned to Eriden. “Have you had any trouble with the Lightfoots in this area? They were pretty notorious back in the days after the eruption and I know they’re restoring the area but still…” Fyvel glanced around in the growing darkness, hand resting on one of his crossbows.

“In the early days when I was sailing out of Neverwinter the crew of the Solemn Echo we had a few run ins with the Lightfoots as the old docks were being restored and they were trying to keep hold of their territory. I think I hinted when we had some chat around the campfire that I may have had some jail time, well it was because of these incidents in the Driftwood Tavern that I ended up locked up for a short while. Eventually they backed off after Atrista, the ships steward, had a word with them so they may have worked out some kind of deal I don’t know about. Either that or she threatened them with her magic, that woman even scared me at times. They haven’t bothered my personally much since then, even when I stopped sailing with the Solemn Echo though they have never had much of a reputation for bothering their own kin unless absolutely necessary.” Fyvel was nodding along but still keeping a wary eye on the dark alleys they were passing as Eriden chuckled to himself. “As you say things have improved over time in this area but back in the day when we were first together Fyria used to have a few of them bothering her wood working business back in the day but she used to scream at them in Infernal which set them running with the fear of the Gods in them, it’s a good job they didn’t know she was a pacifist.”

"Your wife knows infernal?” Fyvel asked quizzically.

“You’ll see.” Eriden replied with an enigmatic smile.

The group arrived at a house, a wooden creation with stone foundations, the wood itself elaborately carved and painted gaily, some may say luridly, which set it apart from its dull neighbors. A small waist high gate set in an equally as tall dry stone wall led into a well tended, bountiful garden which for the twenty foot to the door the group felt although they were treading through a lush, vibrant forest as opposed to a relatively modest sized city garden. On either side of a bright yellow door, human size the group noted, hung a pair of lanterns carved as trees which illuminated, Sylvan script carved into the very door itself. The message read simply “The Grove”

“This is a… remarkable home you have built Eriden.” Darvin commented glancing round the garden.

“Thank you, the area was mostly ruined so we had a lot more space a lot less scrutiny when building it than we normally would have so we took advantage.”

“You’ve done a great job.” Fyvel said admiringly.

With a sharp knock Eriden entered and the group followed into a small hallway which was as elaborately carved and gaily decorated homage to nature as it was outside; distant sounds of children playing could be heard from the upstairs and at Eriden’s shouted greeting a woman emerged from one of the doors to the left.

The group were somewhat shocked by the sight of young looking Tiefling woman standing before them. She was almost twice the height of Eriden though still shorter than the rest of the group, she had snowy pale skin and her features are what someone cruel (DM Note; like Hendel) may describe as bizarre. She had shoulder length mauve hair, strikingly luminescent green eyes and from just above her ears, curving backward were two thin, dark horns. Eriden stepped forward and briefly embraced his wife. “This is Fyria… and somewhere around here are my little angels Yulaia and Rhea.”

She was a striking sight and Darvin was the first to recover, he stepped forward and fished in his pocket offering her the Jade Frog the group salvaged many weeks earlier he introduced himself.

"Hello, I am Darvin Sha, unfortunately we have heard almost nothing about you from Eriden thus far so it is a true pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Pleased to meet you.”

“Hello I’m Dwon, nice to meet you. Word of warning about the jade frog, a poison dragon may have breathed and died near it. I wouldn’t keep it anywhere near the food, I’m actually amazed it survived the encounter.”

Darvin shot him a look and the two burst into a whispered argument. “It was well away from the poison!”

“You literally offered it to the dragons face about two seconds before it melted the bear, why is it even back on your person?”

���Because it didn’t breathe at me, it breathed at the bear then Galath. I’m not poisoned because I was nearby!”

“Yeah, well, still it was on the ground, it breathed poison, it died near it. I wouldn’t have it in the house.” Dwon turned back to Fyria. “I’m sorry Miss Flyvel I don’t mean to scare you but these dragon folk are a bit… odd.”

Eriden turned to Dwon. “Uh, Dwon? What did you just call her?”

“Miss Fyria, surely you are used to my accent by now.”

Eriden let this slide as Fyria stepped forward accepted the offered gift from Darvin. “Thank you for the gift, it’s a pleasure to meet the people who have provided us with such great tales of adventure when Eriden visits.” Her voice was sing song and melodic which was somewhat incongruous with her appearance. “I think the statue will fit perfectly on Eriden’s shrine to Goddess Mielikki.”

“It will.” Eriden agreed smiling up at her. “Sorry for not warning you that we were coming to visit, we had a bit of a detour on the way back to Phandalin to pick up an additional person.”

Darvin smiled at the couple. “This is a lovely home you have, it is beautiful and the attention to detail.” Darvin ran his hand over a wooden vase carved to look like an owl. “I can’t tell you some of the places we have had to rest recently. Your company as well, it is a distinct improvement from some of our travelling companions.”

“Charming.” Dwon replied.

Darvin looked around. “Oh I forgot Hendel isn’t here, I don’t need to generalize my insults to him now.” Everyone laughed easily at this.

“Come, come.” Fyria invited the group and disappeared into the room off to the left she had first emerged from. As the group followed her in she was pulling an apron on over her simple robes and she gestured round a large dining chamber come kitchen with a large cook pot putting forth delicious smells over in the far corner away from a large table that could easily sit a dozen. It looked although it could have been carved from a single piece of wood, its luster and quality clear to behold. “You must all be famished from the travelling, would you care for something to eat? I have some pork stew cooking right now.”

At that moment the group heard the stomping of hyperactive feet coming from the upper floor, descending the staircase and the door to the dining area burst open as two Tiefling children burst into the chamber in an explosion of noise and energy.

Eriden pointed at the taller of the two girls who stopped in front of the group, she was not much over two feet in height, not too much shorter than Eriden, with pale blue skin, long messy black hair with washed out pale green eyes and a single horn stump on the left of her forehead. “This is Yulaia and this.” Eriden continued gesturing at the other child who was shorter than her sister with the same pale white skin of her mother, short white hair tied in a bun with similar bright green eyes of her mother, two horn stumps poking out her hair on the top of her head and poking out from below her dress could be seen a small, forked tail. “Is Rhea, the second of my twins.”

Rhea stared boldly across at Dwon. “It’s the one that falls!” She loudly declared and Eriden looked at her with a surprised expression.

"Shh Darling.” He hushed her. “Don’t say that.”

Darvin knelt in front of the children and muttered a couple of phrases and suddenly a load of magical, coloured sparks danced forth from his palms and sparkled in the air.

Dwon, for his part, stepped forward and tripped on the falling in an exaggerated and dramatic fashion landing on the floor in a heap in front of the two children who burst into laughter and applause. “How could you tell.” He said, standing and mock dusting himself down. “That I’m the one that falls just from looking at me?” He asked confidingly and the children laughed with glee as Eriden and Fyria looked on smiling at the antics.

“I guess you weren’t expecting such a big house for a such small guy.” Eriden said with an easy smile gesturing the group to be sat at the table. “Well, as I said, the area was mostly ruined and this was one of the few surviving structures in the area. It used to be one of the warehouses for the Solemn Echoes goods but Captain Y’denvor sold it to me for a cheap price when I left the crew, a pension of sorts I suppose you could call it, so myself and Fyria decided to turn it into a house. With Fyria being such a skilled woodcarver and my own abilities with nature, I like to think we have done a pretty good job.”

As Eriden was talking Darvin had kept up his magic show, crouched down on the floor before the girls. “Magic!” Yulaia shrieked excitedly and pointed at Rhea who excitedly motions with her hands and mutters a phrase in a guttural voice that was easy to identify as demonic. A wave of energy leapt from her hands and slapped into the floor before Darvin causing him to jump backward and his small light show to flicker out of existence.

“Rhea!” Fyria shouted. “How many times do we have to tell you, no magic in the house!”

“Sorry mum.” The girl replied, then giggling she turned to Dwon and gestured and a magical hand shaped like a demons claw scooped up Dwon and deposited him back on his feet.

“Woah, nice spell!” Dwon said loudly with a mock wideness to his eyes. “You make a better mage hand than Darvin!”

“I’m sure.” Eriden said, ushering Dwon into a seat. “I tend to indulge them a little much on the magical front.” Then muttering under his breath he adds. “Much to Fyria’s annoyance.” Then back at normal voice level he continues. “I also may have entertained them on my visits with a more… refined, version of our travels and I must have let slip, no pun intended, your penchant for falling over at the wrong moment.”

Dwon smiled back. “No need to apologise Eriden.”

Fyvel having had a few sips of ale that Fyria had placed in front of the group eventually spoke up. “Good evening madam, it is a pleasure to make meet you and your fine children.”

The two children turned to look at Fyvel and he stood, ensuring his weapons were well tucked away, and waved his hands in the air then suddenly he was holding two candies which he offers to them.

Yulaia and Rhea rushed straight over to Fyvel like a pair of manic pups grabbing, verging on snatching, the candies from his hands and snaffling them as quickly as they could.

Eriden smiled. “You will be popular handing those out… wait a moment, how long have you been carrying around sweets.”

“Yes, I don’t remember you offering us any sweets Fyvel.” Darvin added.

Fyvel smiled down at the two children and offered them another two candies which they grabbed again, as quickly as they could. “I have nephews and nieces. I always have some sweets somewhere. None for you though Eriden, you will spoil your meal.” Fyria laughed at this.

Rhea had turned away from Fyvel now the candies had disappeared and look at Darvin, she jumped and punched air dramatically. “One day I’m going to be a powerful warlock, the Seeker told me.” She looked quizzically at Darvin. “Where does your magic come from?”

“I am a sorcerer little one, I was born with magic running through my veins. My magic comes from dragons.” Darvin pulled up his sleeve and showed her some brass coloured scaling which covered his wrist. “So how did you come by your magic?”

“Umm… I got my magic from a voice… I was asleep…” Rhea tried explaining but she looked to be struggling so Eriden cut in.

"She had a dream about travelling to the astral plain where she met with some gods, we have no idea who, and somehow she ended up entering a pact with one of the gods despite only being five years of age. It was only in a dream but it turned out to be real, we aren’t completely sure who she is bound to but it appears to be a seeker of knowledge of some sort. He, or it I guess, often refers to himself as ‘The Seeker’ or ‘The High One’ but unfortunately we don’t know who it could be.”

"That is… unusual.” Darvin said looking at Eriden with some concern that he hid from Rhea. “From my knowledge pacts are rarely one sided, I hope this being does not intend her harm as concepts like good and evil have an entirely different meaning to beings like those. Still.” Darvin said turning back to Rhea and upping the volume. “It is fun being able to use magic isn’t it?” Darvin said and gestured and suddenly an illusory chocolate cake appeared in his hand which Rhea gaped at.

“Well we know it isn’t any of the fey deities as she has never shown any aptitude for some of the nature based spell craft that Eriden has. We know it isn’t Mielikki or Eldath who are our own gods…” Fyria said. “The being doesn’t appear to hold any ill intent…. Or hasn’t shown any sign of it.”

“As I say they hold entirely different concepts of good, bad and what amounts to the right treatment of someone. Are you concerned?”

“A little.” Fyria turns away and stirs the stew, Eriden picked up the conversation. “We’ll look into it when we can, there just never seems to be the time or the place to do it.”

“You know we will help.” Darvin offered, squeezing Eriden’s shoulder who smiled in return.

“Thank you.”

Trying to lighten the suddenly dour mood which, thankfully, the children had not picked up on, Fyria turned to Fyvel and examined his attire. “Judging from the missing bow, you must be Fyvel? Eriden has told me that you live somewhere in the city as don’t you?”

Fyvel bowed from the waist. “I am indeed, my father is Manny Artrada of the shipping form Artrada Enterprise.”

“Oh yes, I think I have seen the shipping barrels and crates at the docks that are marked with the Artrada crest when I go to collect driftwood for my ornament crafting, though I have never met someone from the family before.”

“My father lives over in the Protectors Enclave and rarely sets foot out in much of the city.” Fyvel looked a little embarrassed. “He is a good man but something of a snob if I am honest.”

During this exchange Yulaia had been running circles round Fyvel trying to work out where the candy came from when Fyvel produced another which he flipped up into the air and the girl caught it deftly. “Yulaia don’t bother the poor man and kids, don’t eat too much candy you will spoil your meal.”

Fyvel offered his apologies being the guilty party in this. “Don’t apologise.” Fyria assured him.

She looked over at Eriden. “Don’t you have more people in your group? Galath and the dwarf.. Hendel?”

“We split into two groups dear, Galath and Hendel had to escort someone to the safety of Phandalin ahead of us. Is dinner almost ready?”

“Soon dearest.”

“I guess I should pray before dinner. Excuse me.” Eriden said to the group and walked over to a shrine dedicated to Mielikki and knelt before it falling into a state of meditation.

After a short while during which the group chatted of inconsequentialities with Fyria and the kids Eriden finished his meditation and came over, looking refreshed and tousling the hair of Rhea who pulled a sour face at him in return. Rhea had been examining the illusion Darvin had created of the cake in his palm the whole time and suddenly muttered to herself and a second cake appeared on top of the other and two girls clapped and squealed with glee, Darvin for his part looked equally impressed and worried.

“Sis doesn’t do magic like me.” Rhea declared with the seriousness only a five year imparting a great secret can. “She’s very good at hiding though, the best, she always win’s at hide and seek.”

“I’m quite good at hiding.” Darvin offered clicking his fingers the cakes disappeared, the girls gasped and he clicked again and he himself disappeared and the girls shrieked in glee.

“He’s creepy.” Dwon muttered to Fyvel then jumped as a voice whispered in his ear. “You wish you were this good at stealth.”

A “ta-da” sound echoed round the room and Darvin suddenly appeared behind the girls making them jump and run laps round the room laughing and shouting about how amazing Darvin was. Rhea eventually stopped and looked at Darvin. “Did you turn into a small bug?”

“No, I can turn myself, or anyone I touch, completely invisible!”

“Wow I wonder if I can do that one day… I could beat my sis then…”

“No you couldn’t!” Yulaia yelled and the two girls fell to arguing with one another.

As the girls argued Fyria dished up some food into bowls as Eriden placed them before his guests, the pair then guided the still arguing girls into their seats.

“What would everyone like to drink?” Fyria asked.

“BERRY MILKSHAKE” The girls yelled as one and Eriden smiled.

"Ok, ok.” He acceded. “I’ll make some, just don’t think you can fill up on milkshakes and sweets and not eat your stew.”

“We won’t daddy.” The girls echoed as sweet as could be and Eriden rolled his eyes.

As Fyria turned to their guests Fyvel forestalled her question by producing a bottle of wine from his backpack. “I do like to be prepared, this is one from my father’s vineyards that I… acquired, please help yourselves.”

“That’s very kind of you to share.” Fyria took the bottle and poured some for all.

Eriden laughed. “First sweets, now wine, what else do you have hidden about your person?”

The group chatted about nothing in particular as they enjoyed the meal, the wine and good company until eventually Dwon asked. “So how did the two of you meet?”

“We’ve known each other for about… twelve years now, we first met when I came into port with the Solemn Echo. While the rest of the crew would immediately head to the nearest tavern I would always stop at the docks for an hour or so to create a tribute for my mother out of wood and flowers.” Eriden smiled at the distant memory. “After a few times of seeing each other round the docks, well, we got talking over time and the rest as they say, is history.” Eriden reached over and squeezed Fyria’s hand.

“We first met face to face when curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask why he always made those little wooden idles. It was so incongruous with what you would expect from a sailor coming into port in Neverwinter. Then we got to talking about woodcraft as I run a shop where I craft and sell oddities made from driftwood, that led to us spending more and more time together until eventually we spent each and every day together whenever Eriden was in port. I suppose it may be fate that we ended up together with our gods being as close to each other as we are as well.” Fyria showed them a bracelet which a picture of a waterfall engraved on it. “Before coming to Neverwinter I was training to become a cleric in Luskan but there was more capacity for training here in Neverwinter but ultimately it never suited me and well, luckily it didn’t or I may well never have met Eriden or have my two beautiful children.” The two girls groaned as they were kissed by their mother.

The rest of the evening was spent in a pleasant haze of good wine and good company as the groups bonds were forged stronger than before.

  Later the evening before the group had left to stay at the newly christened Dragon Head Inn, renamed Dwon showed them, thanks to the now rotting skull of Venomfang which had been mounted above the door thanks to the tenacity of Hendel dragging it cross to country to where it now rested. On seeing Dwon and recognising him as a companion of Hendel the group had managed to gain free lodgings so Hendel’s idiocy had not been in complete vain.

They met up early morning in front of the Temple of Selune and Eriden joined them.

“Are you ready to get going again Eriden? It must be hard leaving such a beautiful family behind.” Fyvel offered.

“It is, but I know they are safe now Neverwinter itself is calmer and Fyria, despite her seemingly modest nature knows how to look after the family. No, I know it is the right thing.”

The sun was rising up behind the temple painting it in dappled reds and greys, the jewels picking out Selune’s eyes catching the display and refracting it across the square in front of the building in a beautiful display for the early rising group. Before they reached the steps Dwon grabbed Darvin’s arm and pulled him up short.

"I don’t remember you mentioning you had bloody dragon scales.” Dwon said.

“I have some on my arms and neck, I thought you would have noticed.”

"Hardly or we wouldn’t have been so fucking shocked when we found out about dragon ancestry would we?”

“Well I don’t have them on my head but I thought you would be at least a little observant.”

"Hendel is going to freak out when I tell him this.”

“Hendel will be almost certain you are a dragon now.” Eriden said with a grin.

“Hopefully we’ll meet a dragonborn at some point so Hendel can see the actual difference between the two. I mean he will have to wise up at some point, surely.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it.” Both Eriden and Fyvel said at the same moment.

“He will.” Dwon said almost bouncing. “And when he does it will be glorious.”

“You seem inordinately excited about this Dwon.”

“Well you know.”

“Let’s just not tell him.”

“Oh come on!”

“Dwon, let’s just leave it.” Fyvel cut in.

“Bloody spoil sports.” Dwon mumbled under his breath at the group ascended the steps and, eventually, entered the temple and we’re greeted by the acolyte of over a week before but she was now decked out in serviceable chain mail and tabard emblazoned with Selune’s heraldry and at her belt hung a dangerous looking flail. Her face was as thin and pretty as the group remembered with her blonde hair tied up severely atop her head to keep it from her eyes, her face looked determined if a little sadness crinkling at the corners of her eyes.

“Freya?” Darvin asked.

“No.” The priestess shot back looking genuinely aggrieved. “My name is Jenna and who would you be?”

“Darvin… Darvin Sha, we met over a week ago when Father Fay indicated that you would be being ordained as a full priestess of Selune…” Darvin drifted into silence at the stern look from the woman, apparently called Jenna, who was glaring at him.

Before she could answer laughter boomed from a side corridor and another priest emerged. He was a lot younger than Fay and carried himself with a martial bearing, slightly under six foot well muscled and armored in a fashion similar to Jenna his features were patrician and at his belt hung a solid looking warhammer on a leather hoop. The figure walked over to Jenna and slapped and a gauntleted hand on her pauldron with a clang causing her to flinch.

“Old Fay always gets the two of them mixed up doesn’t he Freya?”

She thumped him on the breastplate with a backhand causing him to laugh once again. “My sister.” She said, addressing Darvin once again. “Is Freya, I am Jenna, we are twins if you had not noticed by the resemblance. We have not had the… pleasure…” There was a large dose of irony labeled onto the word. “Of meeting as of yet Master Sha but it is I who will be accompanying you to Phandalin, not my sister.” On that note she turned to the other armored priest at her side. “Where is my sister?”

“Probably with Eldrath…” Once again a gauntlet thumped into him and he stumbled backward laughing. Recovering he walked away from the clearly fuming Jenna and offered a hand to Darvin. “Owain mab Urien, pleased to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine.” Darvin replied.

“I am another of Fay’s charges though I have been ordained for a few year now and I service the needs of those more remote corners of the Northern Sword Coast. I would normally have accompanied you to Phandalin but you know how it is, we need to give the pups a try at some point.” He backed away a step from the glare of Jenna raising his hands in supplication. “I jest dearest Jenna.” He turned back to Darvin. “We have known each other over two year now and I cannot help but wind her up, I remember her as an innocent, fresh faced initiate…” Owain subside at another growl from Jenna.

“Consider yourself lucky it is I, and not Owain, who will be coming to Phandalin with you. He is feckless and useless and…”

“Now, now.” Boomed a familiar voice and from another chamber emerged Father Fay flanked on one side by Freya, whose difference from her sister was noticeable if not immediately obvious and on another by a towering figure in plate mail, a huge greatsword strapped across his back and his sharp Elven features we’re had a stern, haughty cast to them as he ran his eyes over the band of adventurers before him. “I would think that two of my children can get on without me being in attendance at all times?” Fay continued with mock severity looking at Jenna and Owain.

“Nothing more so than usual.” Owain replied a jovial hitch in his voice.

With a smile Fay turned back to the adventurers. “Welcome back to my temple Master Sha, and companions, Jenna is ready as promised.”

“You actually told us we would be accompanied by Freya, Father.”

“No, no, I’m sure I wouldn’t say such a thing. I never get my two favorite twins mixed up.”

Freya and Jenna looked at each other behind Fay’s back and rolled their eyes. “Not at all Father.” They chorused.

“I see you have met Owain, he is one of my… itinerants who supports the north. This here.” And he reached up to lay a hand on the pauldron of the huge warrior. “Is Eldrath Selune, a templar of Selune, rare I will grant you, from Evermeet who has been supporting in the area with all the trouble that seems to come my way day after day.”

“Greetings.” Eldrath offered, his voice was a strange combination of melodic tones but dropped with the precise inflection of a hammer hitting an anvil. “I trust you will look after Jenna.”

Jenna turned to Eldrath, her face reddening. “I do not need looked after Eldrath, I have told you before…”

“Stop!” Fay boomed and Jenna fell silent, turning to Darvin he shrugged his shoulder. “I have looked after this gathering of initiates, now priests, for over a half decade now and I think I am too indulgent by half.”

Darvin merely smiled in return.

“Jenna, be off and say your goodbyes to your sister, you will hardly be worlds away from one another. Owain, leave the damn woman alone and be about your business and Eldrath we will discuss what we were earlier, later.”

The group dispersed leaving Fay with the four adventurers. “Apologies for that, they are competent, way beyond competent but they have mostly grown up together and I forgive them a lot. They forget their propriety when together at times.”

“Do not worry about that.” Darvin assured the man. “You are lucky to have such a cohort at your disposal.”

“That I am and don’t you worry about Jenna. Her sister might have her head in the books to often but Jenna is practical and she can wield that Flail of hers with alarming skill. She won’t suffer any fools and will make sure that Phandalin is well protected. Sildar will owe me a favour for this and make sure you tell him that.”

“Of course.”

“Now, come break your fast before you leave and let’s see if you have any interesting tales you can tell me to keep me amused.”

“You don’t even know the half of it.” Dwon quipped.

�� An hour later the group were on the road in a cart piled high with supplies with Darvin, Fyvel and Jenna riding up front with Dwon sleeping in the cart itself and Eriden twining twigs and flowers into some form of design only he knew what.

“Apologies for the confusion earlier.” Darvin offered to Jenna with a smile.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s happened for years, my sister and I are not quite identical but near enough that it’s easy to mistake us for one another. When we were kids you used to play off this fact so I cannot complain about it now.” Jenna smiled at a memory from the past.

“Well there is a somewhat obvious difference now.” Fyvel said nodding at her armor and the flail which was still near to hand.

A sad look flitted across Jenna’s face. “You are right Fyvel, but myself and Freya… we’ve never been apart our whole life. Children together, initiates together, acolytes together… but not priestesses together.”

“Why has Freya… not yet been ordained when you have?”

“She’s flighty, lazy at times, head in the clouds…” Jenna smiled at this. “She is more intelligent than me, she has a better grasp of the mystical arts but she flits from one concern to another and can lack the focus needed.”

“Will she ever succeed?” Darvin asked and Jenna flared up in return.

“Of course she will, she is my sister.” Jenna sighed. “I’m not sure what it will take to be honest but she has the ability if she decides to apply herself.”

The group fell into a silence for a short while as the cart trundled forward until Fyvel spoke up again. “Father Fay mentioned you have known Owain for a long time?”

“Owain has always been a couple of years ahead of myself and Freya but yes, we have known each for over half a decade now. We were initiates together for a short while, then acolytes together… he is almost a brother to us. Fay has been great, the father myself, Freya and Owain all did not have and he has helped us develop as people and improve our skills. We are almost like a small family.”

“Fay mentioned he is itinerant?”

“That is Fay being flippant as ever, Owain is based in the Temple in Neverwinter but he acts as the eyes and ears that Fay himself cannot be since he tied himself to the Temple and to our training.”

“Just eyes and ears? That warhammer at his belt look well used.”

“He is handy enough but primarily he is a cleric, if you are looking for a fist that would be Eldrath.”

“The elf?”

"Yes, he is a templar of Selune and they are extremely rare in our temple. We are not pacifists by any measure but we do not actively go seeking out combat. Eldrath does.”

“Why?”

Jenna looked momentarily uncomfortable. “I don’t think it is right for me to share has background, that is his story to tell if he should choose to do so, he is somewhat tight lipped when he chooses to be about his past. Suffice to say he had a… tragedy in his past and he is intent on rectifying this wrong.”

“He looks formidable though.”

“He is… I’m not sure if I would use the word pleasure but I have seen him in combat and it is certainly a sight to behold Fyvel. I thought I was handy with this.” Jenna slapped the flail which was laid on the bench next to her. “But watching Eldrath wield that Greatsword of his… he can cut things in two with little trouble if the mood takes him.”

“Sounds like someone useful to have around.”

“Well that is why Fay had sent to Evermeet for assistance and Eldrath arrived; we have seen him come and go into the Temple for years especially around the time of the troubles but he never stays for long. This time he has been around for almost six month with all the upheaval that has been troubling Neverwinter once again.”

“You’re not the first person to mention that there has been trouble brewing in Neverwinter.” Darvin said.

Jenna snorted. “Troublemakers bothering Neverember and wanting back to the past and the Alagondar line. Nothing too extreme at the moment but troubles throughout the city, stirrings in Neverdeath cemetery and the castle. Fay worries a return to the trouble times and wants to be prepared and even circumvent it coming about if he can.”

“Can he?” Fyvel asked, interested.

“Who knows, Fay is a canny operator and Eldrath is a good warrior to have at your back. Myself, Freya and Owain will assist as we can.” Jenna shrugged. “I would imagine if anyone can stop this Fay can but events sometimes have a habit of getting away from you.”

Darvin and Fyvel looked at one another and smiled at this.

“So Eldrath is the grim fist behind the jovial Fay then?”

“Oh no, he is…” Darvin looked, did he see a blush? “He can be… remarkably charismatic when Selune is out of his mind and killing is not required.”

“Which means?”

“None of your business.” Jenna said curtly and turned away. Darvin raised his eyebrows at Fyvel who shrugged.

  Half the day later as the group were still heading south on the Trade Road a caravan was approaching toward their own cart. As the two groups grew nearer the caravan pulled off to one side of the road, it was surrounded by a group of surly looking figures in grey cloaks but they did have the air of dangerous competence which surrounded them.

Fyvel slowed the cart and hailed what looked like a lead figure of the group who had a sword at his hip as opposed to the rest who were holding spears at suspiciously alert angles.

“Hail traveler.” Fyvel shouted. “How is the road ahead.”

“That is your business traveler.” The figure shouted back, a grim look on his face. “So I suggest you move on and go and find out.”

The figures looked edgy and alert and did not take their eyes off Fyvel and his companions. At that moment Dwon poked his head out the rear of the caravan. “Why are we slowing down?” He shouted and seeing the group he smiled. “They look happy.”

“Move on now.” The lead figure said laying a hand on his sword hilt.

“Ok, ok.” Fyvel said, raising a hand in a placating manner. “You travel safely.” Fyvel offered ironically.

“Fuck off.” The figure replied simply.

As the group trundled away from the caravan every look back showed the caravan to still be sat stationary and the group of warriors surrounding it following their movements as they got further away.

“What the hell was that about?” Darvin asked, blowing out his cheeks.

“Fuck knows.”

Jenna merely looked pensive at the turn of events.

  After another full day and half of travelling the small group eventually pulled in to Phandalin, Jenna looked round and the village which had made some progress on repairs and looked slightly underwhelmed at the size of the place.

“Not quite what you expected?” Fyvel asked with a smile.

“It’s a little on the small side.” Jenna replied.

“That’s what all the ladies say.” Dwon added with a smile and a wink at Jenna he jumped off the cart and walked off toward the inn, shouting back over his shoulder. “I’m going to hazard a guess that we’ll find Hendel in the inn.”

Jenna looked quizzically at Darvin and Fyvel. “Another of our companions.” Both Fyvel and Darvin also jumped down. “Will you be ok heading over to the town hall, you will probably find Sildar there and we can catch up with you there later when we gather up the rest of our companions.”

“Of course.” Jenna replied. “Thank you for your help in getting me here, I assume we will see each other again soon.”

“Of course, we have been coming and going from Phandalin for a while now and I imagine we will be doing so for a while longer yet. We will make sure to pay a visit.”

Jenna looked like she was going to say more but instead smiled at the pair and waved them goodbye.

“I guess we should go find Hendel?” Darvin said to Fyvel and Eriden, who had jumped from the back of the cart as it had been setting off.

“Well I guess the peace couldn’t last forever.” Eriden said with a smile.

  (DM Note; this was a, thoroughly enjoyable, text based side session ran between four of the group to fill out some blanks when the party split at the end of Cragmaw Castle. There was some character progression needed and some foreshadowing/event moving needed so this filled out some blanks in a very enjoyable manner.)