1. Journals

104. Saving the world is kinda stressful, actually (also hello Leonus)

Session (Mistwalkers)
July 23, 2022

28th Vult, 999 YK


7th Zarantyr, 1000 YK

  • Thorn has spoken to her handler in Wroat, and has been authorised to dispense the funds she would've used to buy Harryn Stormblade's story from Kalakhesh to the Mist Walkers as payment for their service to Breland. 25000 gp worth of gems, split between them.
  • Saer Vordalyn approaches the group, and asks if it's true that Dax' Athla is the one who slew Xael Taeri. She confirms, and he presents Xael's double scimitar to her. The weapon is rightfully Dax's, but Saer warns her that if the weapon turns up in someone elses hands, that person will die.
  • Dax' Athla privately tells Thorn that she can contact her if she needs help with her "problem". She explains that she's going to Flamekeep soon to deal with her own passenger.
  • Harryn Stormblade plans to travel Khorvaire and see the state of the world today.


9th Zarantyr, 1000 YK

  • Leonus Lassinus runs into Saar'osh, the manticore with the face of Boranel. Saar'osh tells Leonus that he needs a goblin if he's going to go to Nasaar Kol, and tells him about the Mist Walkers.
  • After that tense discussion, he makes his way to the Broken Sword in Graywall. It's the first area he's found where people are openly speaking common, which is great because he doesn't speak goblin.
  • Leonus asks Maul (the warforged bartender) for directions to Kalabas. He follows them and gets called out to by Sora Jabra but he ignores her. He doesn't want any drugs.
  • Leonus makes his way to the Roar in Kalabas, and stays at the Gold Dragon Inn. He wants consistency.


11th Zarantyr, 1000 YK

  • It's Lozaal's birthday! He doesn't really celebrate it.
  • They pass through the Duurwood.


12th Zarantyr, 1000 YK

  • Warden has a bit of a breakdown as the weight of the last couple weeks hits him.
  • Lozaal pushes him to talk about it. "If we're going to go to Nasaar Kol, you need to be okay, or they will sense your weakness and destroy you."
  • Warden argues that he's fine, but his eyes flicker and Drego says that's pretty sus. They all yell at Drego to mind his own business and he goes to do "flamebearer stuff"
  • Dax gently bonks Warden on the head with her quarterstaff, an emotional support bonk.
  • Warden continues to argue that he's okay, just "throw me into another fight I'll be fine"
  • Lozaal gets Warden in a headlock and gives him a noogie. He offers Warden a choice, "talk or fight"
  • Warden turns into a bear and slaps Lozaal
  • Dax bonks Warden on the head again.
  • The Thranes are concerned at this, thinking Warden is a werebear. The other party members assuage them, "he's just working out some frustrations!"
  • Kalshana is being really sus, just unnaturally calm. There are concerns she's using her sentira armour too much to calm herself.
  • Lozaal and Warden wrestle for a bit to work out the energy, and then Warden collapses and is a sad bear.
  • Dax says "friends our bear is broken"
  • Warden turns back into his original form and rattles. Is he crying?
  • Kalshana pats him on the head.
  • Warden finally talks about it. Nobody has ever explained to him how to deal with the stress and pressure of saving the world from immortal demons from the first age that seek to drop the world into an age of savagery, where the population is split between predator and prey. They share techniques on how to deal with stress.
  • Lozaal gets everyone in the camp to give a scream, to let out their emotions. Most of the delegates play along! The Aundairians, Karrns, Thranes, and Saer Vordalyn do not.
  • Kalshana also does not scream. Something is definitely off with her.


14th Zarantyr, 1000 YK

  • The convoy arrives at Graywall. It is also Rebirth, and for once Dax is in the presence of other Flamists, and "celebrates" with them. They spend all night in vigil.
  • The convoy drops them off at the Roar in Kalabas, which gets Leonus' attention. He goes to investigate.
  • Leonus hangs back and listens to the crowd, and gets an idea of what happened at the Droaam Summit. He notices that Tharsul ir'Taggert is alone, something has happened to the others. He spots the Mist Walkers.
  • Leonus observes for a bit, and then decides the hobgoblin with the other adventurer types is the one he's after. He waits a bit before approaching.
  • Warden doesn't want to stay in Graywall tonight, he's worried about running into Xor'chylic. They're going to camp outside.
  • Lozaal wants to get some armour, so he goes to visit Szala Jal.
  • Dax' Athla goes to get spices to add flavour to Kalshana's divinely generated food. She also buys 10 days worth of rations, and pays with teeth.
  • Terfel says goodbye to the group, to be done in text later.
  • Dax says farewell to Drego.
  • Kal is really muted, it's quite unsettling. They don't like this.
  • Leonus follows Lozaal to Tooth and Steel. Lozaal gets a suit of plate armour, and then Leonus ambushes him outside the shop.
  • Lozaal and Kal try to walk away but Leonus hails them. They are very polite to the scary bone man.
  • Leonus introduces himself. He asks if Lozaal is the hobgoblin that is partly responsible for saving Droaam. Leonus asks if he's ever met a manticore named Saar'osh, Lozaal says no. Kal asks for a description, which Leonus provides. "He has the face of King Boranel"
  • "Oh, that manticore" - Kal
  • Leonus isn't sure how to proceed. "The manticore said he knew many things, so maybe he knew you Kalshana. He directed me towards you because I need your help, my good Hobgoblin Friend."
  • Kal asks if he needs money.
  • Leonus says no, he has gotten off on the wrong foot completely. He explains that he's on a mission for Queen Etrigani to investigate Emerald Claw activity in the area. How fortuitous, the Mist Walkers have dealt with the Emerald Claw before!
  • Lozaal asks how much this job pays, Leonus says it's negotiable. Lozaal wants a number, so Leonus goes for 100 gp each. Leonus also mentions hazard pay, which Lozaal just runs away with. "We get paid extra for every threat we run into!?"
  • Lozaal and Kalshana, via the mindlink, talk about fleecing this guy. They should run into every threat they find.
  • They finally get to the point of where Leonus actually needs to go, and explains he needs to go to a ruin north-east of Turakbar's Fist.
  • Lozaal doesn't trust this bone knight, and he doesn't think that 100 gp is really worth selling out his culture. He asks for 5000 gp up front, and Leonus can't pay that. Leonus is beginning to think that the manticore and Lozaal are in league, and are trying to scam him.
  • Lozaal tells Leonus that he needs to go with him to his party, to make his case. Leonus needs to go back to the inn to get some stuff, and Lozaal judges him for staying at the travel lodge gold dragon inn.
  • While they are talking, Dax is with Warden, playing with the coin that Lozaal threw away when The Traveler failed to answer his prayers.
  • Leonus gets his skeleton warhorse, and they go out to the outskirts of Graywall to meet the others.
  • Zedd warns Dax that Lozaal and Kal are coming, but are accompanied by a bone man on a bone steed. Warden asks "like, a skeleton?"
  • Zedd flies closer to get a better look, and spooks Leonus. Lozaal jumps up and does jazz hands, which initially startles Leonus but then assuages his concerns.
  • Dax and Warden are very confused. What would a Bone Knight want with them?
  • Leonus is concerned at seeing that Dax has a Double-Bladed Scimitar, considering Karrnath's frequent scuffles with Valenar.
  • Lozaal introduces Leonus as "the guy that stalked us outside the shops, apparently a manticore told him he needed our help"
  • "Oh! You met Boranticore! That's what we're calling him, yes?" "Manticoranel"
  • "How weird, he said his name was Saar'osh."
  • Leonus explains his mission, that he's investigating Emerald Claw activity. They ask why he needs Lozaal, and he explains that the manticore told him he needed Lozaal.
  • The others discuss it in the mind link. They think he'll go to the ruins anyway, so they may as well get paid.
  • Leonus explains his intel, that he thinks the Emerald Claw are active there and the ruins are within a Mabar manifest zone.
  • Dax asks why Karrnath trusts Leonus to come here alone, is he just really good?
  • Yes, he is really good.
  • They all introduce themselves properly. 
  • After much private deliberation via mind link, they agree to let Leonus come along with them to Nasaar Kol. Lozaal can't guarantee that the Kech Nasaar won't attack him, and he doesn't know him to vouch for him.
  • Lozaal asks for the money upfront, which Leonus does not have. "I just have to write a letter to the crown"
  • They make Leonus write the letter (for 100 gp) before they leave, and promise to sort out the hazard pay based on what happens. Lozaal maintains that he cannot guarantee Leonus's safety with the Kech Nasaar.
  • Lozaal warns Leonus that if Dax gets cold, he should stay away from her.
  • "Speaking of, does this fucker set off my balls?" - Warden, clutching his balls (gatekeeper stones)
  • Lozaal asks Leonus if he would like to get to know them intimately. He assures it's weird at first but is nice after a while. (He means introduce him to the mind link)
  • Kal adds Leonus to the mind link, he is very unsettled by this, especially when Kal giggles.
  • Dax casts Tiny Hut for them to sleep in.
  • Dax stays up all night in vigil, as per tradition for Rebirth.