Kith’s Dad Missing, Thormir’s Mom’s Soul Stolen, Wade’s Involuntary Vacation in Shadowfel, Spindel Family Reunion in Prison, Darius Spindel Gettin’ Edgy on the Plane of Darkness, Eben Death’s Death, Elderberry Blood?

 

11/6/6070, Procellas, Tridon

 

I got my mother and Hibiscus to the Arcanium and took them over to Taka, then tried to find my father. I couldn’t reach him with Sending, and I couldn’t Scry on him either. Not a good sign. I searched around a bit and the last place he was at, staying above a tavern across the city, no one had seen him in around eight months. I decided to get back to the Arcanium rather than make myself a target for any other assassins that are moving around. I went back to Taka, collected Mom and Hib, and took them to the Thunderhead. 

 

The Thunderhead

 

The others returned at the same time from their mission to rescue Thormir’s mother. They were not successful. The assassins got to Tova and after they killed her, they used some kind of black gem on her body. Fitzroy tried to Revivify and said that her soul wasn’t there. He explained that the black gem could have been an item called a ‘soul gem’, and trapped her soul in it. 

 

At that point I decided to commune with Kelemvor and hopefully get some answers. 

 

He confirmed that Tova’s soul is captured in a soul gem. That’s what we feared, but … I believe that if we can retrieve it, we can free it and hopefully restore it to her body. Or at least bring her peace.

 

I asked about my father next. Kelemvor told me much more than I expected. My father is  on the plane of the Shadowfel, having his life siphoned into corpse collectors. *there are a couple of blots of ink where the pen was left sitting on the page without moving*

 

Last I asked if any other friends or family of the Nightfalls were being targeted. Kelemvor told me that the Spindel family is incarcerated.

 

—

 

I let the rest of the group know about what I learned, and Vestra wanted to have me contact her brother. She told me just before I did it that he was working for Dilliat, a confession she had to make. I… can understand a desire to check on family that you aren’t necessarily in agreement with. 

 

When I contacted him, I had Vestra tell me some personal information that he would trust as the message being truly from her. Despite that, when he answered, he sounded distressed and he clearly thought I was Tallow trying to trick him into giving up something. 

 

He said he is bound with death on the plane of darkness, imprisoned. He feels like he betrayed his family and everyone for nothing, that it was all in vain. He asked Tallow what sort of illusion my contact was. Vestra seemed to take this as some sign that her brother is not completely corrupt and the group began talking about ways to rescue her family from where they’re being held. She had Quinn contact her parents. There was a brief moment of language barriers, but he was able to repeat what he was told in Sylvan. They’re being held in a prison tower in Shadowfel.

 

Around that time, Skim brought up that I had written about Elderberry blood in the journal. I hadn’t even thought about that… so I looked back and decided that since it was around the time we were in Mephisto, maybe I could ask Eben Death about it. That turned into Eben Death trying to barter with me for the information. He had sensed the corpse of Tova close by and tried to wrestle control for my mind. I was able to keep him at bay, and that’s when Holy Avenger completely lost her shit and demanded that Eben Death is purged. 

 

Cressida tried to calm down Holy Avenger but in the end we were convinced that now is a perfectly good time to get rid of a lich. When Holy Avenger struck against the Brazen Edge, I felt Eben Death fighting to grab ahold of me, clawing at my being. He was destroyed. I’m grateful to be rid of the lich once and for all. With that sword, I feel like we have a real shot at whatever Tallow has become. 

 

As I was preparing to handle some business, Vestra asked me to talk to a bunch of severed heads. She literally hacked off the heads of the assassins at Ironthane Forge and brought them back. So I could talk to them. Because I’m a cleric and I can talk to dead things. I lost it at that point. I couldn’t keep it together anymore. I burst out laughing. Not my finest moment, but there are plenty of those to count.

 

She meant she wanted me to Speak with Dead. Tomorrow.

 

 

First I have to check on Thormir, and then go explain to my mother exactly what’s happened to my father. I saw the look on her face when I shared that and … I think she’s feeling responsible. How the fuck am I supposed to explain any of this? I don’t even know what’s going on. I never checked in on him. Not in years. I hate him. I hate what he did. I hate that he couldn’t be there for us when we needed him. He just *left*, like we were worthless to him. I hate that I care so much!

 

He doesn’t deserve this. 

 

Was this because of something I did? Did they take him because we provoked them? Did I condemn my father to exactly the same torture that I was so afraid was happening to Cora? I could have checked on him. I had every opportunity and I didn’t. Not once. I’m so selfish. I wanted to hold onto that anger. It was easier to be mad at him than let him in again. 

 

… How am I ever going to make any of this right again?

 

—

 

Or was this something that started longer back? Does Elderberry blood mean something? Dilliat had brought up our blood when he was taunting me in Mephisto. He said it was “so effective over time”. Zola had admitted hearing the thoughts of the lich, and that Elderberry was mentioned. Coriya couldn’t remember anything much, but seemed to recall hearing something about ‘good or positive energy’. Zain or whoever was behind that curse has been following me. I saw the specters. There was something with the earring that broke. What does all of this mean? And how am I supposed to save my father on top of everything else? We can’t leave him like that. 

 

What happened to Sharian Fenlar? He never got back to us. I searched his journals. The Marigard is destroyed and my ability to look into him is unraveling more and more quickly. 

 

I can try to contact Fenlar. I have the ability now. I could try to scry on him. For all I know he tried to go after Faemonn Crane. I owe him enough to look into this. I don’t believe he abandoned us. The journal of the Grayhands implies otherwise. If I can’t get ahold of Fenlar, I can contact the people he helped. I know about them from the journal. I took notes. 

 

I can do this much for my father. I can do it now, before I do anything else. Maybe I can get some more answers before I try to explain this all to my mother.

 

—

 

I contacted Sharian Fenlar. He doesn’t remember me but is willing to have a conversation. He told me he’s half a day’s ride from Grazio, a village near the coast of Peripeteia. I will have to figure out how to get there.