This one is uncut and rather big
The Librarians find the river, and conjure a boat to venture down it while short resting on board. After making landfall, Kra'naelen meets a transformed old friend, Haranni, a corrupted fae dragon. They are rescued by a Harengon and escorted to Molaesmyr.
Session 28
Still needing some down time to recover from taking a hefty beating, the group moves stealthily for a 10 minute walk toward the Boreal Omen River, all the while looking not only for creatures out to get them, but also for places to hide. Prophet does bedtime magic as the rest of us search, and eventually we find a willow tree, somewhat lifeless, but still giving some cover. We debate staying to rest under the tree, though are nervous at the prospect because of possibly being followed by some sort of blue shape, or creating boat and animating it down river. Because it can last for three hours, we go the boat route.
The group short rests on the way downriver, as we chat of the Savalirwood, the ruins of Molaesmyr, and fae superstition, such as leaving sugar cubes on the windowsill at night so they don't come and eat your toes!
Maltheo navigates us for another hour. We want to make landfall within the hour after that, so we can be on land before the conjured craft crumbles. Maltheo tries to converse with Prophet. It's during this exchange that Cass non-verbally tells Prophet to, "Say something nice, you suck at this!" and Prophet says out loud to Maltheo, "You suck at this!". Cass psychically replies, "Do it again!" and a befuddled Prophet repeats to Maltheo, "You suck at this."
Cass's echo, flying high in the sky, spots the river forking apart 2 to 3 hours away, approximately. So before the magic fades, Maltheo makes landfall on the southern bank of the river and we disembark. As soon as we touch land, a voice speaks directly into Kra'naelen's mind.
"It's you. I've been waiting for you. For years and years."
At nearly the same time, what appears to be some sort of black dragon covered in a black, viscous goo, makes itself known. There's a brief conversation of how the dragon and Kra'naelen met. It was shortly after he left Uthodurn in search of Bol'bara in Xhorhas while traveling through the Savalirwood. But Kra'naelen remembers that dragon as a tiny red fae dragon, not what stands before the group currently. "I saved you from the web of a giant spider," Kra'naelen recalled, as Haranni of the Linxakasendalor clan seemed threatened by Naelen's companions. "These friends of mine helped save me, twice!" The persuasion works, and he flies down to tell us that the city is full of people, in and out, and he made friends with them while Kra'naelen was away. Someone named Lorna fed and raised him in interim weeks.
After inquiring into his coloring, Haranni mentions that he "should be yellow by now," as faerie dragons follow hues of the rainbow as they age. He insists that he brings Kra'naelen to Lorna, and does not care if the rest of the group follows. Maltheo wants to send message to our party helper to update the group's status, and the consensus seems to be that we guess we should go as there seems to be no other choice. "Are you coming?" Haranni speaks out loud for first time, nearly invisible from how much light the coating on his skin absorbs.
Cass casts Detect Magic. First, he feels a bit of evocation magic behind us at the limit of the spell. There are other magics on us, and the dragon. Cass mentions that he thinks we're being followed and then flies up and checks ahead for the fork and notices something moving toward us in the bush.
A Harengon appears, wearing studded leather armor and a shield on its back. They are obviously some sort of rabbit-person, wielding a long, black cast-iron fire poker. It's a brand in the shape of three hares chasing each other in a triangle. He's wearing a bright blue scarf and places a vial of yellow gold glittering mist onto the ground, and actual sunlight flows out of it upon being activated.
Combat!
The dragon is branded by the rabbit man with the now-Kra'naelen-spit-laden brand. It makes him fly away in anguish, crying, "Where is Kra'naelen?!"
Safely leaving the area, the group meets Agden Longscarf. "You must be Kra'naelen. Follow me please! You'll be happy to see the person we're visiting." He mentions that he has an employer and confirms that, yes, there are lots of people in the city and nearby on the outskirts. Some are good; some aren't. We we continue walking westward, we see the ruins coming. It was obviously a major city that spanned the river in its heyday; only part of it survived. The sky above is darker as we approach the city; ominous clouds darken the sky directly above. We arrive at his employer's encampment; they are flying the flag of the Diarchy of Uthodurn.