Highlights:

• What a ride!
• A revolutionary elf?
• Nap time
• Letters and papers

TIBBOH’S DIARY

Looked down at Hag from atop the bear and yelled that we needed to go after LP and the spider. Hag told the bear to run (WHAT A RIDE!). The dead bugbear body was dangling in the air, held by seemingly nothing but could see a spidery silhouette. Took a shot where I suspected the spider to be, which worked. The spider and the bugbear fell from the ceiling. The spider split in two. The bugbear landed in front of LP, if it wasn’t dead before it is now. We watched as the hair on the body retreated into the skin which itself tightened and shrunk around the bones. The skin turned a pallid grey/blue color with a feminine figure. That didn’t last long as it changed again to a shimmery, creepily smooth newt-like silvery genderless skin. LP shook the body to find anything of value but nothing fell out. Enya performed a ritual of sorts, guessing she was worried about zombies.

Hag caught up to us and LP relayed what happened. He runs back and returns with the timid looking kobold. I tell it to stay with us if it wants to get to Phandolin, which it repeats excitedly. I mentioned we should take the body and lock it in a cell for now. Before we take the body to the cell, we searched the interrogation room and found an iron key under one of the beds, the eyepatch covered in gems, and a small pouch with silver which bears the mark of the empire. As we head to deposit the body, Hag carries the body while the bear jumped across the chasm. Unfortunately for me, I lost my grip and fell in. Felt a rope hit me, tried to climb up but slipped… Heard that strange voice in my head again telling me that it wasn’t my time, to go back toward the light, and to bring it it’s staff. Oh, and to leave its stuff along. Whatever stuff that is. Told it I obviously didn’t want to be there in the first place, haven’t seen a staff but will follow up with them later. Finally, the bear jumps down into the chasm and carries me back up.

Locked the body in the empty cell after LP stands over it, doing…something? She came out from the cell looking disappointed and asked if I’d ever seen a creature like it before. I told her I’d heard stories of shapeshifters but mainly from tall tales in Pennerbead and the broader elven and halfling culture. Headed back across the chasm (I walk the bridge this time). Hag asked for the key we found and was able to open the door opposite the interrogation room with it. I climb back up on the bear as we headed into what looks (and smells) like a dirty mess hall. Air of alcohol, day old food and tankards on the tables, sticky cards, and a few scattered copper and silver coins. We then headed to the opposite side of the room to another door which opens to the hallway I had explored earlier. The door opposite the mess hall also needed the key which Hag used.

Noticed a torch on the wall so I lit it as we walked in. Hag pulled out his gem to light the room as well. A black cat appeared from under the table and meows disapprovingly before the torch snuffed itself out. An elven male voice stated “Let’s try this again” and the torch turned itself on. The voice, no body to be found to attach it to, cleared its throat and said “Ladies and Gentlemen, please be our guests.” LP replied (while testing the walls) that she’d like to know where she should sit. The voice replied that as a fellow shipmate they’d like her to sit on the bench. LP was definitely pretending to listen all the while still searching the walls. I hopped down from the bear to see if I could see where the voice was coming from. Saw a door in the room with a hole in the bottom and peaked through the hole, saw a light source casting shadows, but no body. LP seemed satisfied and sat at the bench.

Hag thanked the voice but stated firmly that he does not sit for anyone he can’t see. I went and stood on the table proper just to agitate whoever this elf was. The voice replied to Hag “an entirely reasonable request” at which point a reasonably well-dressed elven man in a robe, long dark hair, similar in age to Darren and Sildar (but it’s always hard to tell with them), slightly weathered skin you’d see in the port towns, sitting in a chair that was slightly removed from the table. My eye is immediately were distracted by the staff he was holding. The staff was made entirely of a crystalline, glass-like material. LP introduced herself, to which the elf introduced himself as “Glassstaff” (there’s the voices’ target that the redcloak at the door had also referenced). Glassstaff asked if Hag was a man which LP ignored. She instead asked him how he knew about us. He said there was news of “troublemakers”. An exiled pretender to the throne; a washed up, down on her luck sailor; and he didn’t know what to call Hag. He also mentioned there was no word about a bear or Hobbit though. He said we’d done him a favor by getting there. Thanked us for ridding him of spies he’s had to deal with of late. LP asked him to elaborate to which he said that “I’m creating a safe place for elves of all nations. To begin creating our own culture free from domination of those elves who have held power for the last millennia and free from deteriorating influence of halfling cultures” (such a nice guy).

I let off a bolt “on accident” to see how he’d react but he just doubled down and said it’s best to “not let halflings get riled up.” … He was definitely not a fan of the empire (oh great, a revolutionary elf), that there’s no need for queens and kings, that all elves are worthy of making their own life decisions (how progressive). He mentioned something about trying to forge alliance with halflings but we’re in “no position to contribute, our leaders continue to fail and abandon their people”, I’m not entirely sure, I started tuning him out. Hag pipes up and asks him if he’s known as “Yearneau”, I’m assuming from the voice we both heard. Glassstaff seemed shocked and replied “It Speaks!”. Hag ignored the slight and repeated the question to which GS responded that he’d “not answered to that name in some time.” And that as guests of his home we don’t refer to the farm by the “old name”. That he’d spent months restoring it, to which Enya asked him what presumption he has to call it his. LP asked him what the “new” name was but he just said he left that decision to the elves in his service.

At this point I’m fed up so I go over to the door with the hold and push it open. Glassstaff looked annoyed which just gave me more cause to continue. GS yells for a “Franklin” to bring him wine. It appeared he had an unseen servant since a wine bottled floated past me. LP asked him about the spherical creature in the chasm to which he replied that it was simply the “cost of doing business”. He then stated that unfortunately our conversation would not be able to continue. A cone of flame shot out of the torch which burned Hag and LP. Just as the bear lunged to attack, GS threw up some sort of shield, blocking the bear. Hag roared in rage and he and the bear tried to attack the cat but aren’t able to kill it. Hag tried again and the cat disappeared. GS drew what looked like sand from a pouch, looked toward LP, took out a petal of some kind before making a hand gesture, which is when I fell unconscious.

I was woken up by a kick from Enya and saw that the room was a complete mess. Hag looked badly burned, bear was still the bear, LP looked frozen. Enya healed me too. I look at Glassstaff and cast Shatter which definitely hurt him. One of the barrels in the room exploded in a shower of gunpowder. GS took a sip of wine, then yells at “Franklin” about needing more. The torch on the wall burns the bear. Hag’s breathing became deeper and steadier as the bear moved between him and GS in a defensive maneuver. At this point GS disappeared from the room and reappeared in the bedroom with Enya and I. Enya fired close range and he was able to nonchalantly swipe it away. The second arrow however he wasn’t so lucky. Enya caught him straight through his eye and he dropped lifeless to the floor. Enya called for “Franklin” to bring wine but with his death, Franklin disappeared and the wine bottle shattered on the floor.

I ran to Hag but LP got there first with the bottle we hoped was a healing potion. Thankfully we guessed correctly as Hag regained consciousness after LP poured its contents down his throat. We searched the room, I searched the chest near the bed and found coins, a silk pouch with stones, and a pair of scrolls which I handed to Enya. Hag invited the kobold into the room as LP and Enya filled us both in on what happened while we were out. Hag said that he wanted to burn the body which I was 1000% on board with, but say we need to search the body first. Found spellcasting materials and his spell book which I think might come in handy someday. There were also two notes on the table in the bedroom that weren’t destroyed by the torch. Both written to a “Iarno” from an individual who signed with a spider symbol. Other papers mention the perfection of potions of invisibility and healing but too destroyed to be of any use.

I gathered up the loose gunpowder, Hag and I stuff the body and gunpowder into the bed snug and sound. Hag then carried the bed body bundle out into the cavern where the dead spider laid. On our way Hag and I were both stopped by the voice. I told it we didn’t have a staff, but that ruse was ruined when Hag agreed to give the staff to the voice. LP stopped the kobold from grabbing the staff. I asked why it and it said that “They” would tell him how to help his family…who are they?… We were at a standstill as to what to do with it. I wanted to bring it back to Sildar but Hag was very opposed to it ever being used in case it was evil. Ultimately, we decided to destroy it and leave it for the voice which was pleased. LP did keep a shard to throw in the fountain to ensure it could not be entirely repaired. I looked down the chasm as Hag brushed the rest in. That was when we heard a loud, poor, elvish impersonation yelling “What’s the Password?”. Helya needed us.

See also: Episode 21