Of course something like this would happen

Session 25

Cass claims she has come to the quarry to find and kill Raokan, the demon the rest of us accidentally released. She's after the blood of the demon in order to "cast a spell". Kra'naelen explains that he joined the group to get help in the Savalirwood; that he's searching for a way to cleanse, or at least find the cause of, the corruption taking hold there. Cass rides Prophet's shoulders while he presitdigitates Briya (still in great elk form) to clean up the bloody creature. Cass also some sort of sparkling/shiny near-identical copy walking among us.

Cass is a fey, and interested in hearing about the Luxon, the religion that Prophet preaches, so they talk about that for a while. Personal chatter continues as we proceed with our journey.

The sun is setting as the group keeps making its way south, when Prophet notices a few hundred feet away the outline of some sort of door against one of the giant stone outcrops in the barbed fields. There doesn't seem to be any sort of handle to pull on, but it's certainly a noticeable entrance. It's covered in Dwarvish script, but the language is Gnomish, and it seems to be understood to mean "home, protection, meal, safety".

Prophet knocks on the rock. Moments later, he hears a voice that replies, "We are simply here for the night. We mean no harm to the Kryn people." (We recognize the voice immediately as Archmage Doolan Tversky, leader of Welter's group whom we met previously.) Maltheo gives a speech about how we wished we could have done more and we will avenge the needless death of Welter because of what happened to Mint. Prophet helps Kra'naelen hand over body of Welter. As he's about to perform last rites for Welter, he is immediately told,

"Last rites from you will not be necessary."

Moving on to less-depressing topics, she tells us they were in this area searching for extra-planar and planar-rift activity when they met an Udaak and had an encounter. Escaping fairly badly beaten up, they've been in this shelter for only an hour. Kra'naelen mentions Skaal and the request for aid that our group has promised to offer them regarding their own troubles with planar rifts. Prophet gives a healing word for the most-injured person, and hands over Welter's "high arcanum" notebook. At this, the Archmage immediately retires to her private study, and the group offers us the place to stay for the night. There are beds, food, a lounge and library... everything. Then, they also retire. Maltheo meditates and rests. Kra'naelen and Briya head to the library for different purposes. Cass and Prophet chat about having difficulty getting the other Librarians to like them.

Prophet makes a rudimentary portrait of himself on paper using his forgery tools, and tries to hang it on top of/in front of the painting of the King of the Empire hanging above the fireplace in the lounge. The piano plays a nice melody in the background. In the library is a central set of stairs where Archmage Tversky has her private quarters. Cass goes, worged into her echo, to the door at the top. There's no lock or keyhole, so she scratches at it. Doolan replies, "Please, I wish not to be disturbed. I will see you in the morning." At more insistence from Cass's echo, the Archmage then telepathically messages Kra'naelen, insisting he takes care of "his" animal immediately. So he mage-hands the cat away from the door.

In the library, Kra'naelen chats for more information about rifts with the handsome half-orc who is into Numerancy: the magic of geometry, numbers, and physics... the fundamental mathematics of nature. They saw one rift, but it closed before they could properly study it. The Archmage studies extra-planar entities and objects, and knows that some rifts are good & stable like those protected by the Ashari tribes. These nearby, though, are unpredictable and could be bad. They seem to only be happening in and around the barbed fields, which is interesting in particular due to Xhorhasian history surrounding the Calamity (and in particular, Rosohna). Kra'naelen thanks the man and then looks for book on Dwendalian Plum Brandy and finds a book about Empire wines. Glancing through it, there's a lot of information about the Karmodah region, which is famous because the land is abnormally fertile. Legend says it used to be volcanic earth, and so wine fruits there end up beyond delicious.

Briya is also looking for Xhorhasian information around special fruits with magical properties, but doesn't find exactly what she's looking for. However, she does find another text about a fruit being grown in Bysaes Tyl; a city founded by displaced elves that came from the Savalirwood but didn't relocate to Uthodurn. Basically, it sounds like the Elf-iest place in the entire Empire. The book also mentions they would have brought with them plants that don't exist elsewhere, so it would be a great place to check for the fruits she's looking for.

Long rest into the next morning. Cass casts Gift of Alacrity on Prophet, giving him a 1d8 bonus to initiative rolls for the next 8 hours. The group has breakfast and discusses various types of resurrection spells and how we might locate more diamonds. Kra'naelen quietly mentions that he's not certain about the Archmage's intentions. She arrives downstairs and talks about preparing her group to leave for Skaal. Kra'naelen chats with her about the very powerful magic that must have been needed to make this place; this... magnificent mansion. She says they want to introduce themselves to the Kobolds in Skaal and try to initiate a relationship in order to investigate the planar rifts.

She's got an Oscar and an Emmy!

After hearing Kra'naelen's concerns, Cass agrees and sends her echo up the stairs to the Archmage's study. It arrives at the door and flies to try and open it, but it just doesn't open. At around the same time, a chime sounds telling everyone that it's almost time to leave. (The mansion spell is fading) Cass and Kra'naelen scheme a quick delay to prevent her from leaving as the rest of the others do. Cass verbally accuses her of using planar rifts on behalf of the Empire point-blank and flies out of her hands to gauge a reaction. Seconds later, seeing only surprise on her face, Cass attempts to Gift of Gab her way out, but is immediately and expertly Counterspelled.

The mansion fades away, and the Archmage seems perfectly fine with having been accused of warmongering. In fact, she's happy to be on her way and wishes our group good travels, sending a mote of luck to Kra'naelen.

We again warn her to be careful; they go on their way, and the Librarians continue their trip to Rosohna.