1. Journals

63. Wanna touch god?

April 11, 2026

6th Sypheros, 999 YK (4/12/993 FTC)

  • They're still in the Undamarket in Unda, after having bought a Hinterbelt from the Sanctioned Hinterpocketer
  • Bhaltair wants to find information on the Seer Unseeing, they ask around the market. They get nothing concrete, but do hear an urban legend: Stand on the lip of The Break and sing a song with true beauty, and the Seer Unseeing will supposedly bless you with visions.
  • They also look for any instruments, but they aren't satisfied with the quality of the make
  • Rigwi asks if they're hungry? They can go to Chumney and get fed in exchange for bringing an ingredient.
  • Bhaltair asks if they'll have sunlight? They won't :(
  • Runmae has the BBQ sauce! Bhaltair also wonders if they could cook with the warpwood seeds
  • Warren is starving, for real guys.
  • Naze asks if anyone who isn't cursed with eternal hunger is hungry?
  • Runmae could eat! Bhaltair is confused, isn't Runmae also cursed with eternal hunger?
  • Runmae is offended
  • Bhaltair asks if they all need to provide something? Rigwi explains that they will be fed regardless, but it is etiquette that they provide something in return. Even better if it's something they can cook
  • Bhaltair suggests they could head down to the Break while the group eats, but that's quite far to go.
  • They gather their belongings and work out what they can part with in exchange for food, and then Rigwi leads them to Chumney.
  • Naze doesn't want to give anything, so Bhaltair gives a ration (since they don't need to eat anyway)
  • Today's menu is: Gogmagog's Stew, Starworm Skewers with lucent ink glaze, and fried and salted gastropods.
  • Valaari ponders adding Sora Ghordra's soup to the pot. They offer it and explain where it comes from and what happened when they ate it.
  • The Undans are suspicious of the soup, they don't accept it
  • Bhaltair offers a flower from their body.
  • Runmae offers BBQ sauce.
  • Warren gives them some dog treats.
  • Valaari offers a potion of emergency escape, which isn't going in the stew but they will take it.
  • Runmae has some of the stew with some shroomloaf, and a skewer, and some gastropods. She reflects, fuck, Bhaltair was right
  • Valaari does the same, a bit of everything
  • They feel a bit guilty about it, but they've never seen food in abundance like this
  • Warren asks Bhaltair to order for them. Bhaltair is confused, why can't he do it himself?
  • "Cos I'm also gonna get some, but I want more food"
  • ...okay
  • Warren will owe Bhaltair a favour
  • Bhaltair goes and asks for a single skewer. Got him.
  • Warren goes to argue, but decides against it, and gets his own food.
  • "Easiest favour I've ever done"
  • Warren does the same as the others, a bit of everything
  • Naze doesn't think he can stomach the molluscs, he just gets some of the stew
  • The food is seasoned and spiced, so it's all good! The stew is a crazy mix of unidentifiable flavours, but this is comforting for them, as Maruk Dar also does this. It's more variable than their home stew though.
  • Bhaltair goes back and hands over all of their rations, because of the quantity of food the others have taken. A boggle dressed like a little lunch lady thanks them (in Dwarven) and adds the rations to the stew.
  • Those who eat, eat too much and make themselves feel sick. Gotta take the opportunity when good food presents itself.
  • Bhaltair is fascinated, where are they even putting it?
  • Once they've had their fill, they're ready to move on and go see the Harbour Gods (and maybe sing a song on the Break)!
  • Time for another gecko trip down The Cleft! (oh no)
  • It's a close thing, but none of them throw up despite the gorging.
  • Bhaltair wants to go sing on the wall first, to try and get the ball rolling on learning Olm.
  • As they walk along the wall, they see a Minotaur looking out to sea. The minotaur turns to look at them, lets out a silent full-body scream, and then pops out of existence.
  • What the fuck!?
  • Rigwi has no idea, sorry
  • They aren't sure if they recognised them
  • They go to check where they were stood. There's nothing, no trace of them
  • The minotaur was dressed as they'd expect for Vralkast. Rigwi is concerned it's related to Ṱ̷̫͙͙͉̖̹̮̥̓͜ͅḣ̴̨̢̡̢̤̗͎̜̻͇̦̔͛̎̃̄̉͌̄̅͆̎̎͝͝ę̴̛̙̥̟̫͍̖͂̚͜͠ ̸͈̙͚͓̠͔̺̥̳̅̾̽̓̓͛͋̀͠͝E̸̪̎͋̒̾͂̓̊̈̃̚ͅì̵̭͂̍͒̚g̸̛̞̪̀̒̒̊̑͂́̏ḥ̷̝̗̯̣̑̒̂t̵̢͔̞̖̝̹̞̠̤̖̳̺͙͋ḩ̶̛͔̟̈́́̂̎̒̄͛̆͠͝
  • While they're discussing that, Bhaltair casts speak with stone and tries to ask the wall what happened.
  • There's a few seconds of silence, before a response. "Who is that? can we keep the line clear, please?"
  • "I am Bhaltair, who is this?"
  • "I don't know a Bhaltair, are you a member of the Stoneseers Circle?"
  • "Nope, just trying to speak to a wall. What is the Stoneseer's Circle?"
  • "Huh. Are you in Vralkast?"
  • "uhh...yeah"
  • Bhaltair looks to the others with glowing eyes as they say this
  • "We're the architects and maintainers of the city. We built the wall you're standing on, ar-"
  • "Can we keep the line clear, please?"
  • "I'm sorry, if you want to know more, you'll need to come up to Sesshun Kesst"
  • The wall hangs up on them! Rude!
  • The others ask Bhaltair whats going on? They say they were talking to the wall. Where is Sesshun Kesst?
  • Rigwi says it's the district above Tor Udar, it's where the Sesshuna (Medusa) live.
  • Bhaltair says they've been invited to go speak to the Stoneseers Circle!
  • "Oh, cool!"
  • Anyway, Bhaltair wants to sing a song for the Olm. It'll be interesting to see if they also disappear and pop away
  • Runmae disagrees, actually
  • "Don't worry about it"
  • Valaari asks if they need to do anything?
  • Bhaltair gives them finger guns and says "keep clear of the line"
  • Bhaltair starts to play a song, incorporating the melody/name of [A Beautiful Song] and the Seer Unseeing, and tries to mimic some of the sounds they've heard of Olmspeech
  • From Bhaltair's perspective, they're playing and they start to derive meaning in the waves, calling them down into Cartilay
  • The others see Bhaltair stop playing, and begin to climb the wall to jump into the sea. Runmae grabs them, and they snap out of it.
  • Bhaltair admonishes Runmae for stopping them, they made contact!
  • Runmae says that could've been anything! They already know there's Sirens in Vralkast who wanna steal stuff.
  • Bhaltair doesn't know what the big deal is, they face threats everywhere they go
  • Bhaltair does concede that they didn't know they were climbing the wall
  • All good though, they know where to go now
  • Runmae gets a rope out and begins tying it around Bhaltair. "What's this for?"
  • "So you can climb back up"
  • That rope is nowhere near long enough
  • Bhaltair asks where Cartilay is? Rigwi points down to the water on the inside of the wall. "It's all of that"
  • "Is there a way down?"
  • Rigwi explains that the Wormshell Embassies are the only part of it that caters to air breathers
  • Time for a diplomatic mission, then!
  • After they see a god
  • Warren is apprehensive, he doesn't want to say something stupid and get his ass kicked by a god
  • "Don't speak, then"
  • Got him
  • Bhaltair tries to reassure them, they'll be fine. What's the worst thing that could happen?
  • Okay! God time!
  • They head back down to Sowshore, and then along the inside wall of the Break to the shrine of The Grey.
  • As they go, they spot many of the Godtenders and something clicks into place. The Godtenders are Quor-Toa.
  • Oh
  • They arrive at the shrine, and are approached by Dopboolp, of the Silver Shoal. Dopboolp's Dwarven is broken and not very good, communicating is a challenge. They ask what the group is here for?
  • "To see a god"
  • Okay
  • Dopboolp gestures to a large pearl in the shrine, emanating a baleful, grey light. "This is god! Is satisfy?"
  • Bhaltair asks if they can touch it? Runmae does not translate the question.
  • Valaari asks what kind of god would let themselves be trapped? Runmae translates this one
  • Dopboolp gives a rough, broken explanation of The Grey. "It is god of Sea-of-Death. Darkness hiding death, water with no breathing, very salt. Answers question?"
  • Bhaltair asks again if they can touch it. Fine, Runmae translates
  • "Yes"
  • Dopboolp grabs Bhaltair's hand (Dopboolp's is clammy and wet) (Valaari's are too) and takes them over to the shrine
  • Valaari also wants to touch it
  • Dopboolp leads them to the shrine, and shows them what to do. He touches the nacre, and his pupils fully dilate as his mouth hangs open for a solid 10 seconds before he removes his hand. "Do"
  • They do
  • Their pupils dilate and their mouths open like fish as their reality shifts. They feel like they're in a deep sea cavern, and swimming around them is an enormous, eldritch jellyfish-like creature that swims with a terrible grace. They feel like this is probably what it must feel like to be in the presence of god.
  • They feel like they're here for an eternity, and not long enough, when clammy hands remove theirs from the shrine.
  • "Was good?"
  • Valaari asks about the god, do they speak to it?
  • "Many speak"
  • "What do you talk about?"
  • "Divinity"
  • They stare at each other. Dopboolp gestures at Runmae and goes "touch" as they do it again, pupils dilating and mouth hanging on, making a droning sound from the back of their throat
  • fuck no
  • Runmae doesn't think Warren should either
  • "We're not fucking with powers beyond our control"
  • "What do you mean, we do that all the time"
  • "Maybe you do!"
  • "We ate the fruit from that weird tree and now I speak Dhakaani!"
  • "I GOT AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS"
  • She's right, she did
  • Warren wanders up to the shrine and gestures Naze, but Naze also doesn't want to.
  • Warren, in the presence of the Divine. He is totally overwhelmed, and begins to cry. Tears flow down into his real mouth, but he isn't aware of it until he snaps back and tastes the salt.
  • "Was good? Sometimes it happen" says Dopboolp as he points to the wet on Warren's face
  • Warren is embarassed, and scoots back to the others.
  • Every time Warren does one of these things he comes away traumatised :(
  • Bhaltair and Valaari try to work out what the Grey is
  • Valaari, for the first time, feels their esoteric knowledge source refuse, and is frightened.
  • Bhaltair can think of nothing like it, as far as they know The Grey is unique.
  • Dopboolp audibly thinks, and asks "want see another one? real one? not shrine"
  • Bhaltair nods enthusiastically
  • "Are strong? Powerful?"
  • Yes
  • "Hmm. Brave?"
  • They guess so
  • "Lacking basic survival instincts?"
  • What?
  • "Not associated with Fomor'ren?"
  • No
  • Very good
  • "There is God you can see. Coral. Tended to by Amber Shoal. Yesterday a ship was wrecked by the Coral, and it didn't calm down. We put in pit at edge of town. Need to beat it up a bit. Too strong, won't calm down. Need to return to Shrine"
  • They ask what The Coral is like?
  • "God of Fertility and Hatred. Many life make many more life, many not survive, so life make more life in hopes some life survive. Coral is god of those that not survive, and those not born"
  • "The Coral is it's name?"
  • "Title. No name. Name bad. Name lead to self-actualise, and self-actualise...bad"
  • Valaari asks what upset it? Dopboolp doesn't know, something on ship. Was pirate ship but no pirates.
  • How do they know it won't happen again? "Will be fine once in Shrine"
  • They start debating it, and Dopboolp tries to tempt them further. "Can reward. Have religious symbol, hold incense, and also-"
  • They get out a tiny pearl with the same baleful glow as the big one, and Dopboolp's pupils dilate with it in his hand.
  • "Tiny god"
  • Oh that is pretty tempting.
  • Valaari is willing to check it out, assess the situation.
  • "Also, can big money"
  • Bhaltair asks what? "To who?" "Anyone who can translate"
  • Runmae translates, and they ask Dopboolp what the items do? Dopboolp explains
  • Oh that's pretty sick actually
  • They're debating it for a bit
  • The rewards are really good, but it does mean fighting a god
  • Valaari wants to do it
  • They say they'll check it out, but no promises yet.
  • Dopboolp starts to lead them there, but Rigwi points out none of them can breathe under water.
  • "Why not?"
  • huh
  • cos they can't
  • Dopboolp has a couple suggestions! They can go to the Wormshell Embassies and get a temporary enchantment to breath underwater, or Dopboolp knows a pervert who can sort them out forever.
  • A pervert?
  • "Chimeramancer can give gills forever, for free. He says to improve understanding between peoples but Dopboolp think it a fetish"
  • Oh, a pervert
  • Gills cost 450bg, these are free! The only cost is that some guy might get off on it
  • Some costs are too high
  • This triggers a debate about whether they should give the wererat the ability to breathe underwater. That could be dangerous.
  • They're more concerned with moving about underwater. Dopboolp says they can't help with that. Or can they?
  • Dopboolp's checks their spells. Dopboolp can help with that!
  • But only for 5 minutes
  • Some of the group want to go to the embassy, and others want to see the pervert.
  • Warren wants the gills. They debate whether they would judge him for this.
  • They decide they would
  • Dopboolp asks again where they want to go? Embassy or Pervert?
  • Pervert first, then Embassy
  • Dopboolp takes them the Leaky Bivalve in Sowshore, and asks for Slippery Guillermo. Guillermo does not speak dwarvish, he has a conversation with Dopboolp in thalassic, and then Dopboolp asks who's getting the gills?
  • Warren is
  • Dopboolp says that Guillermo also has a bunch of other grafts, but the gills are free
  • Just the gills for now
  • Very well
  • Warren gets in the water, and Slippery Guillermo does his slippery magic and Warren grows gills.
  • Woah, he can double breathe!
  • Guillermo gives them all a thumbs up
  • Valaari asks Warren if he's good? Any pain?
  • "Feel a bit tingly, but I can breathe...twice"
  • Guillermo says something to Dopboolp, who translates for Valaari, who translates for Warren. "Apparently you can also speak underwater"
  • Warren dips under the water and speaks, and it works! Yay! He can also breathe, which was the point
  • Blub blub blub
  • Warren then gets out of the pool, looking like a drowned rat (he can't drown anymore)
  • Runmae says "congratulations, you have one less path to death now"
  • Rat immortality coming up!
  • Warren goes up to Valaari and asks if they're noticeable? While the flaps on the side of his neck open and close
  • Valaari doesn't answer that and just asks if he's happy?
  • "Yep"
  • Guillermo is too
  • Another step taken towards understanding between the dry and wet peoples! That's definitely what it is
  • They leave, and head to the Wormshell Embassy.
  • Dopboolp just climbs into the water, and waits for the others. Runmae and Valaari look at their full plate armour. Hmm.
  • "What waiting?"
  • Armour heavy
  • They get in the water, with the grace of a fish that's really bad at swimming
  • Dopboolp tells them to follow, and then swims under the water. They follow. They find that they can breathe! The Embassies are enchanted!
  • Dopboolp leads them to a reception, and the receptionists explain that the temporary water breathing enchantment is 25bg each.
  • Bhaltair and Valaari try to claim "business expenses" to get Dopboolp to pay for it. Dopboolp says it's not his fault they're broken.
  • Dopboolp takes it out of their reward, so they'll only get 1875 bg instead of 2000 bg.
  • Okay, let's go!
  • Dopboolp leads them to the God Pit on the edge of Cartilay, where they meet the Amber Shoal. The Coral is in the pit, it looks like an amorphous, cohesive school of fish, with an orange light in the middle.
  • Valaari wanted to ask about survivors from the shipwreck but got distracted by the whole pervert thing, fuck!
  • Too late now
  • Bhaltair tries to query the spirits. They get one question.
  • Bhaltair asks "what has the Coral so upset?"
  • The spirit answers, "rival god", and then gets taken over by the Coral and becomes a spectral coral reef segment. The Amber Shoal freak out and cast it into the pit.
  • Bhaltair communicates this, and a ripple goes through the Godtenders before Dopboolp says "no, impossible. No other gods active"
  • Bhaltair asks if the Coral has a rival? "Can't say, only one god active"
  • It clicks for the players that Blink was a spy for Toolgolgin, a rogue Harbour God. The characters don't know this, though.
  • Valaari asks the Godtenders why it hasn't calmed down?
  • They say it's "going supernal"
  • What?
  • They don't want that to happen, for obvious reasons
  • Are they obvious?
  • "How will fighting it help?"
  • The Godtenders explain that they want the group to, basically, be stress relief. Bleed off it's energy, calm it down, so they can get it back to its Shrine.
  • Bhaltair wants to try and calm it down nonviolently first, if that fails then they have to fight it anyway.
  • They head down into the pit, with the plan being for Bhaltair to try and calm it before anyone starts swinging.
  • They notice that reality is warping a bit down in the god pit, stuff's getting a bit weird. Geometry's getting a bit non-euclidean.
  • Bhaltair starts to play music as they descend, to make sure the Coral is aware of their approach (trying to reduce threat)
  • Bhaltair goes straight, but notices the reality-warping-zones are moving, so tries to avoid them.
  • Bhaltair gets to within 100 feet of the Coral, and starts to cast Peaceful Bubble, which is a 10 minute cast. The Coral doesn't give them that much time, it reacts as soon as they start casting.
  • One of the reality-warp-zones zooms to their position, and both Bhaltair and Valaari get caught in it and are teleported next to the Coral.
  • Bhaltair tries to swim, but it's a bit turbulent this close to the god and struggles, floundering in the water. They manage to get the hang of it, swim closer, and casts garden of healing, which has a calming effect.
  • Reality inverts on itself, and we end the session.