Episode 51

The fight continues. Both Ingred and K stray from the original plan, leaving the alcove to get more attacks on the approaching lightning bugs. Seipora swiftly downs one of the creatures, the other two burrowing deep into the mine’s ground. They emerge next to Anthos and Ingred, but are quickly killed after two eldritch blasts from Lily and a tentacle attack from Kova.

The three bugs dealt with, Lily travels deeper into the mines to get the attention of two more bugs. They are wrangled into the alcove and culled with ease. Lily warns the group of a rumbling below their feet. A giant lightning bug, much larger than the originals, burrows out of the ground. Ingred, Marisol, Seipora, and Kova are all paralyzed from the insect’s static field. As the others attack the mother bug, a dome of lightning spreads around it, harming everyone in the vicinity.

Anthos shouts for everyone to retreat from the alcove after K hits the ceiling to create a cave in above the bug. Time is limited. K jumps up to ride the bug, but is quickly shaken off. Lily fetches a badly injured Ingred and dimension doors her out of harm’s way. The bug deals a lot of damage to Marisol, Seipora, and K before grappling Marisol in its jaws.

Seipora retreats, her steps leaving a shockwave behind her to hit the bug. The ceiling begins to collapse. K rushes to the front of the bug and sinks his axe into the mandibles, chopping it off and freeing Marisol. He pulls her closer to the exit of the alcove.

Anthos, in a moment of sudden disarray, drops his weapons. Eyes glowing, he casts into the floor of the mineshaft. Hot magma bubbles up violently from the floor, shooting a spray through the insect and killing it instantly. As he regains his senses, Anthos scrambles away from the scene.

With aid from Lily, everyone clears the alcove before the ceiling collapses over the insect corpses. All are seemingly crushed aside from two.

The party rests and two lightning bug glands are harvested on the side. Some work to clear the rubble to access the bugs, but after the rest of the day is spent moving rocks it’s revealed that the bugs so far are unsalvageable. Seipora convinces the miners to clear out the alcove for them and the bubble is set up at the bottom of the quarry. Everyone does their own things before the night closes.

In the morning, they find that the alcove has been cleared out and some of the bugs have remained intact (enough) to harvest three more glands. They do so before heading back to Posette. Marisol sells the horses except Scorch, Anthos’s horse, who the party has grown fond of.

Seipora draws the sigil and they are teleported to Gaoli’s liceum with the horse. Seipora tries to rush the horse out of the liceum. Ingred tries to get away with not wearing shoes by getting on the horse. Both do not work. Anthos pays off the fee for breaking the liceum rules and the party is given a warning. “One strike”, says the headmaster. If there are no problems within a month, the strike ends.

As they head to Basalt, the party notices the banners being removed. After getting a mouthful from Ingred, the workers say that the banners can be bought at an auction. Lily signs her banner.

The party meets up with Press. They hand over the glands and Lily mentions the cultist attack. Everyone leaves aside from Lily and Ingred, who are given the minimum amount of 5000 gold in total for their efforts.

Everyone does their own stuff and eventually meets up per Marisol’s request. The party introduces her to the joys of Vegzet and their history with the Ebony Wings before Press joins them in the common room. He announces that Mr. Briggs has approved of their attendance at the trial of the Burning Swords, which will be held in two days time. There are rules, however. The party must be escorted by Ms. Coat. They may not split from her at any time, especially not in the Royal Court House. There is one trial per member of the Burning Swords, and they will be occuring at the same time to avoid interference with the dark guilds. Soulfire may only attend one of these trials. There is speculation that there are more than one dark guild involved, but nothing has been confirmed.

Press tells the party that they must wear something nice, and that Ingred has to buy actual shoes to attend. Lily asks about magic to make herself look like she’s wearing nice clothes. Apparently that wouldn’t work since most magic is null within the courts.

Seipora states that she will not join the party to witness the trial unless she can get a personal talk with Do'navan, which Press would try to get approved and an answer the next morning.

The session ends as Soulfire is left to digest the new information given by Press.