Episode 13

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Plot Summary
In the aftermath of the Forgotten uprising and Meno’s execution, whispers against Queen Sleekrun’s copper-fisted rule have begun. Meno was not given a service, it was just sent down Klaxxon’s garbage chute. The remaining Forgotten have been conscripted to a scouting mission that Bubo and Nitsuj have been contracted to do, but the preparation for it will take several more days. Ora has been given command of them.

Ora, Nitsuj, and Starheart meet at the the Tequila Mockingbird, which is under new management. Starheart wants to visit the Royal Library and the temples in the Peak to see if there is any information about what happened to her parents. Nitsuj agrees to take her, wanting more information about his crawling leather book.

Ora disguises herself as an elderly gnome and eavesdrops on the conversation of the common folk at the Wheezing Willow. A very young gnome (Mila) and an eldery gnome (Harb) have a hushed conservation about defying the Queen’s rule; if the people can rise up and find the advanced weaponry. They have begun to doubt the Queen and the ruling class’ ability to lead. They respect Ora for her actions during the revolt.

Ora speaks with the two gnomes, asking pointed questions. They think that the Queen cannot defend the city from Kurluk and that the Forgotten scouting mission is going to be a slaughter. Whispers of Meno and his heroic actions in the Dungeon have circulated throughout the city. They want a better Queen. Ora casts charm on Mila and encourages his rebellious talk. As she talks to him, she carves a symbol of the minotaur on the table. She asks him who might join in a rebellion. He offers several names: Hush, Fizz Binkle, and Ora Stone. She leaves, telling him to spread word of the rebellion.

Starheart and Nitsuj meet Elder Cabe Erta at the temple of Lothlen. He informs them that they will no longer have access to the library until they acquire another royal pass. Starheart asks him about the cult of Kloht. Cabe explains that Kloht was in love with life, but his only purpose was to oversee the passing of everyone into the underworld. He was jealous of his brothers and sisters who could create. He tried and he tried, but every time he failed. His first attempt was to try to embrace one of the Quai isles, but he brought it down under the sea and drowned them all. In an effort to try to make amends, he brought them back: twisted but living.

Elder Cabe goes on to explain that the cult is different. Kloht is not evil, he is just clumsy. The people who follow him only see the power of destruction. They don't understand him on a spiritual level. He is unable to communicate with his followers because his brothers and sisters banished him from the world. He made his own creations. The Tieflings are the children of Kleth, one of Kloht’s daughters. All he wants to do is embrace life, but if he touches life, it withers. The cultists have integrated themselves into every society and race in Sahl.

Starheart mentions that her parents were killed by the cultists 17 years before. Elder Cabe knows that was the last time a Sahlite fell. Miners were sent to find the valuable minerals that fell with the meteor. He buried them after they died. He did not know them well. That Sahlite was found and slaughtered by the cult, who also killed anyone they could find who knew about it, including Starheart’s parents: Iris and Bak Flintborne. Several members of the family still live in the city, their houses marked with a red ring, the symbol of their house.

Nitsuj asks about the crawling purple leather book, presenting it to Cabe. The leather begins to grip his fingers. The entity they killed earlier was a spirit trapped in the book, which is identified as Kelrek’s Hide. He is a son of Kloht. His soul resides in the book, bound to it. Cabe has avoided the book for thirty years. Nitsuj opens the book and the purple ink examines him again. He can sense a sealing spell that is binding Kelrek to the book. Only a god or a demi-god would have that power.

Nitsuj touches the page and is enveloped in the ink. His eyes go solid black and he freezes in place. Nitsuj feels himself falling and landing softly in shallow water. In front of him stand a creature with far too many ankles, wrists, fingers, and teeth. It approaches Nitsuj and gets directly in his face. It offers power. Nitsuj asks about the love; it is Kloht’s love, love for life. Hortiel is the one who bound him to the book. Kloht was in love with Luidwyn, which is why he embraced one of her isles. Kleth believed in her father’s vision, but Kelrek believed in power.

Kelrek offers Nitsuj a deal, but asks him what kind of power he would want. Nitsuj wants the power of resurrection, which Kelrek offers with cost. He could trap Nitsuj in the book with him, but he chooses not to because Nitsuj is not great company. The cost of the power is six souls; Nitsuj must end their lives and bring the souls to Kelrek. When he agrees, he is transported back to where he was, but a long, thin, black bladed, dagger has appeared in his hand. It has writhing leather made from the skin of Kelrek, just like the book.

Nitsuj vomits on nearby books. He lies to Starheart and Cabe, telling them that he spoke to Kelrek and was given the dagger for defeating him. Cabe believes him, but Starheart does not. Cabe is in awe because Nitsuj has slain a god. Starheart prompts Nitsuj to take advantage of the situation. Nitsuj backtracks and explains that Kelrek is still in the book. Cabe is relieved. Nitsuj and Starheart try to leave, but Cabe stops them, asking why Nitsuj was rewarded. Ora arrives and Starheart takes the dagger from Nitsuj, but throws the dagger away when it tries to hurt her. She explains everything that happened while Ora was away. Nitsuj desperately leads them away to get a pint.

They arrive back at the Tequila Mockingbird. Starheart orders expensive drinks from Houn, Gleb’s nephew who now runs the tavern. Starheart and Ora interrogate Nitsuj about the dagger. He deflects their questions until a royal guard arrives, summoning Ora to oversee the Forgotten. Starheart pounds her drinks and Nitsuj says he needs to get a sheath for his dagger, at which point the skin around the hilt connects with his and the dagger slips into his forearm.

The Forgotten are being held on the Political Level, in preparation for them to be the meat shield for the scouting expedition against Kurluk that will be led by strategist Wisp Walker. The camp is very ramshackle, with weak chains and fences. It is overcrowded and there is food and water strewn on the floor, as if for dogs. The Forgotten all wear neck shackles. Many prisoners are banging cups and shouting for Ora Stone. She is horrified by the conditions, but the guards are indifferent. When a guard tortures some of the prisoners, Ora punches him in the face. She takes his zapper device and demands he take a break. As he leaves, Nitsuj observes that he is wearing a necklace.

Ora gives them water and apologizes for their situation. Someone shouts angrily that Ora killed Meno, but many others come to her defense. She explains to them that they will likely die on the mission, but most are accepting of that. They pledge to follow her. She believes them and breaks the zapper. One of the prisoners suggests talking to Fizz Binkle.

Above their heads, they hear the clinking of metal and look up to see a minotaur with clockwork arms and legs (character drop) crawling on the ceiling. He lands in front of them and introduces himself as Lynch Pynn, brother of Meno. He was part of the Forgotten that found his way out and was helped by Klaxxon to get new limbs. He pledges to serve the group. A small black minotaur (character drop) comes up from behind Lynch. She is Meno’s cousin, Minnow, and she is also her to help.

Ora finds Bask at the Bowl. She wants him to get a message to Captain Grint in Raufel. It turns out the Grint is in the city to report on the Queen’s ships. Bask offers to set up a private meeting at the Tequila Mockingbird. Ora also pays him to tell her where the weapon stockpile is: it is beyond the Peak Gate in the mountains. Basks offers his assistance and lets her know that he’s seen the horn symbol around the city.

Starheart and Nitsuj return to the Tequila Mockingbird. Nitsuj cast Locate Object on the necklace worn by the guard Ora punched. It is on the Royal Level. Houn greats them warmly and Starheart orders two more drinks. Nitsuj does his best to get her drunk. She drunkenly asks him about the dagger, but falls off her chair. Nitsuj casts invisibility and leaves as Starheart passes out.

Ora returns to the Tequila Mockingbird and sees a drunk Starheart on the ground. She sees Bask in the far corner booth. Captain Grint arrives and Ora buys him a drink. They discuss the ships being built for Copperforge; Grunt has made one specially for Ora: the Sweet Leaf. Ora wants her ship to meet her at Mooncrest Bay, on the west coast of Sahl in a fortnight. He agrees, they toast to freedom and he leaves. Ora asks Bask to get a message to Lynch: the candied ridge is the sweetest. Starheart sobers up a bit and asks for coffee. Fizz Binkle arrives and Ora asks him to come with her on the scouting mission.

Nitsuj sneaks his way onto the Royal Level and heads to where he sensed the necklace. He finds the guard in the waiting room to visit the Queen, looking impatient. Nitsuj retreats back down to the Residential level when the guard is brought before the Queen. He travels to the house he shares with Bubo and repeatedly casts Locate Object to track the guard. He spends 20 minutes with the Queen, goes back to the barracks on the Political Level, heads for a drink on the Residential level, and then heads home. Nitsuj sneaks to his home.

Casting invisibility again, Nitsuj knocks on the guards door. The guard answers, but seeing no one closes the door. Nitsuj nervously goes to the back door and casts the minor illusion of a knock on the front door. When the guard closes the door a second time, Nitsuj goes to the front and casts an illusion on the back door. Nitsuj enters the front door, draws his dagger, and stabs the guard in the back while whispering that he is sorry. The guard turns and sees his face. He tries to fight back but Nitsuj stabs him again. He falls to the ground, begging for his life, but Nitsuj finishes him off, crying. He feels a surge of power go through the blade and into him. He collapses on the ground, trying to process his emotions, and then returns home.

Fun Moments
A three week absence means that the crew has no idea how to introduce the show and has a meltdown. The Rock is referenced, the TOS is broken, and spicy starbursts are eaten.

Justin rolls a natural 20 on his deception check, but Deva also rolls a natural 20 on her insight check and her +2 modifier beats his -1. Danny needs a gluten free cider to cope.

Chat asks if its okay to drop characters like Meno who have died, but Danny says not to drop any linchpin characters. In response, chat drops both Lynch Pynn and Minnow, relatives of the deceased minotaur.