Session Twelve: Like Clockwork

Having said a sad farewell to Bob and Tunk (for now), the group went to outfit the house with the necessities. Sheets, towels, plates, etc. Afterwards, the trio gave in to Stubby’s fondest wish and went to Clocks & Cogs where they met the owners: Ivan and Olivia. After chatting with them, Ivan recognized some of the work Stubby did and connected the dots. They were, somehow, related to Vox Machina, the famed adventurers who defeated Vecna and saved Vasselheim.

“Are you … Vox … Minimus?” he asked.

This set off a wave of questions, but for safety Olivia lit a Candle of Non-Detection to protect them from scrying. This allowed her and Ivan to explain what had really happened.

The revolution was begun by none other than VICTOR! According to his youngest son, Ivan, Victor was soured on the religious leadership in Vasselheim (Victor had died in the fight and was resurrected by a cleric of Serenrae), who lead to the death of countless citizens through their feckless inaction. He worked with the (now) Empress (then using the name Lyvia Thorne) and Ryo but at some point, shortly before the One Day War, had a falling out. He told his children that he was going to destroy the ‘weapon’ he’d made for the revolution, and to destroy all the saltpetre on the continent. Victor believed that the Empress was going to use the saltpetre as part of a poison (the Blue Sick) to hurt and/or destroy his friends in Whitestone.

When Ivan pressed about Vox Machina, and how he’d tried to communicate to them but wasn’t sure how to get good messages there. That reminded Stubby and Tāmarai about their communication stone! They asked butch Olivia to pull it from the bag of holding, and activated it.

The last time they’d used the stone was actually 80 years into the future so there was no one specifically waiting for them, however apprentice Hinds (either a younger version or parent to the gnome Archives they met in their relative future) was there. She summoned her supervisor who got none other than Vex’halia herself to come. Vex happened to be in Emon for a meeting of the Tal’Dorei council and was stunned that Keylth was not (in fact) drunk when she’d told Vex that she’d found Stubby et al.

Vex was brought up to speed, a little shocked to find out the group had actually been to the future, and was pleased they’d made connections with Ivan, though she was a little confused about who the hell Rinn was. She asked if Ivan knew of the communication methods used during the attack of the Chroma Conclave and he did.

The plan was to use Transport via Plants to throw a lead box containing messages to a specific destination: the Sun Tree of Whitestone. Ivan confirmed his eldest daughter, Vicktoria, count cast the spell. (DM Note: This means that Vicktoria is at least level 9). They just needed to have someone provide a visual representation of their local target tree. Preferably one that was far from the Empress’ prying eyes. Segun (aka Seggy, the youngest) said he could draw a tree for Keyleth, and didn’t the Tal’Dorei Embassy building have a tree?

Shortly thereafter, the communication stone wore off, and Vex begged her daughter to keep– safe one presumes.

Was Victor dead? Ivan believes so, but Olivia does not. She thinks the ‘weapon’ was a giant clockwork dragon, rumoured to be in the Zenwick mountains to the north of Old Vasselheim. Of course, no one has been able to really go there, due to the damage caused by the explosion. When the trio declared they were intending to go, and the Empress thought them to be ‘safe,’ Olivia woke up Vicktoria and had her cast Simple Identify on the trio.

Through that spell, the cranky (just woken up) Vicktoria determined that yes, both Stubby and Tāmarai were reeking of Dunamancy. In addition, she asked Rinn if he had somehow pissed off a god, as she detected divine magic on him (like a blessing). A shaken Rinn bolted and went to his room at the Slayer’s Take, while Stubby and Tāmarai hosted a simple dinner with Ivan and his family (cooked by Olivia and Akan). Olivia, as it happened, had been to Xhorhass in her youth, her father being a merchant (read ‘smuggler’), and was familiar with Tāmarai’s line of work.

While nothing happened that night, the morning was broken by Stubby’s alarm spell going off and her trap being triggered capturing none other than Rinn, coming over at 7 in the morning.

Players

  • Rinn Shrike – Half-elf Sorcerer/Rogue (Storm Sorcery)
  • Stubby – Half-elf Artificer/Artillerist
  • Tāmarai Shikomi – Gnome Bard (College of Lore)