1. Journals

RC 14 - Machinations

Session

17th of Muvay, 1024

It feels strange having my tattoos in working order. Before I left the army and the injury completely broke them, barely had a spark of power. Now the world looks strange. Shadows no longer exist, really. It’s not dark, just the fading of colours into naught but greys. Reminds me of that strange vision we once had. Useful, though.

Knowing that Oris yesterday – despite being warned feverishly not to – touched the Larysine puts me in an immediately sour mood. As long as he’s okay, I suppose, but if they had just listened. I can’t say I know everything, and maybe I could have been wrong. But I wasn’t. If we were careful this wouldn’t have happened and would have been sure they’d be okay.

Met for lunch as always. I was seething with Oris and Aggma but held it in for a while. Christopher made some kind of power play about knowing information on the amber dragon and the chess set. Wanted some kind of deal or favour (that he wouldn’t expand on) in exchange for the information. Oris was understandably upset, I wasn’t pleased either. He was making some kind of power play I didn’t understand.

He even went so far as to allow Sett to take back the pouch of some 100 gold to prove a point. Our plans shifted as he withheld information. Plan A: get the chess set. If that fails we find Itchyfeet and sic Sett on him. During the discussion Christopher mentioned in cant about an oyster place he knew. He wanted to meet after. I told him I was allergic but would order something else: I will tag along but I’m not happy.

Before we left I exploded on Oris and Aggma, asking how he could be so dumb as to risk himself when I said under no uncertain terms to touch the Larysine. I might have gone too far, and a part of me felt bad for his reaction. When he admitted what he did was stupid I didn’t feel like I won, I felt like I had lost before I even opened my mouth. I just... I don’t want to see them hurt. I might not be fond of them all the time, but I damn well don’t want to see them hurt.

The irony that Oris wasn’t hurt by his actions, but my words on them.

Christopher brought me to his home to show a map that led to the wyrmling in amber. Said he was going to go out there. His plan was to go alone – no amulet from Ludwig – and if he brings it back he’s rich. If he doesn’t we go tomorrow and get it as our own prize. The problem is if he doesn’t return we go in blind and we’re all at risk. If he doesn’t come back we’re down a valuable team member we depend on. If he does come back then everything’s fine, I suppose, though the actions were self-serving. It feels as though his attitude has regressed. I thought we were past this.

I took the map, it seems wrote it about a year and a half ago judging by the aging on the ink. There is a man named Connor Simpson who came back with his mind wiped around that time. When we got to the restaurant (I hate oysters, why here) Christopher was late. So I unrolled the map and revealed what I knew. Oris expressed that we need to draw a line with Christopher. Frankly, I don’t care right now. Christopher clearly has trust issues or problems with us. That’s a problem for later.

For now I simply want to keep a squad mate from dying.

((OOC: We cut away to Christopher’s adventure ))

We set out after him. There were some goblins in the woods talking about being lost. Ignored. Kept on and saw the rotted corpse of an owlbear that seemed to move past when it died. When we got to the mark on the map there was an enormous pyramid. We spent a long time walking around it to see if there was a way in.

As we reached the top we found Christopher’s sword holding a rope in place. Oris shaped the stone to allow a loop for us to go down and bring his sword along. I spotted his tiny clock on the ground, and fearing the worst I slid down the rope as fast as possible. When I did Christopher emerged from the Amber and addressed it as Vékell.

The larysine in my pouch vibrated along with it and...

((And we’ll find out in 2 weeks))