1. Journals

65. Subaquatic Orchestra

May 14, 2026

6th Sypheros, 999 YK

  • They just killed The Coral and got rewarded for it, and swam back out of the god pit.
  • They have a quick chat about who to give the god grenade to. 
  • In the aftermath, they do some knowledge checks on the Quori, wondering what the fuck those things were. Both Bhaltair and Valaari recognise that they were Tsucora. They also make the logical jump that The Coral was a quori, shaped and moulded by the Quor-Toa
  • This is strangely comforting for Valaari, it's not a god, just a dream demon.
  • Valaari also makes the determination that, as a quori, it's probably evil. They should be careful using the Essence of The Grey they were given.
  • We can't remember if Rigwi accompanied them down to fight the Coral, so we just make a decision: she's with em.
  • Thankfully, Rigwi didn't really see what happened down in the pit. Warren's safe, this time.
  • Rigwi asks them what now? Fighting a god wasn't really on the itinerary.
  • Bhaltair says they should consider returning "home" for the day, they're tired. They'll have to pay to stay at the Everdelver's enclave though. Only a couple geld each.
  • Warren misses the comfort. Bhaltair says they shouldn't get used to comfort.
  • Runmae asks what the alternative is? Bhaltair says they want to summon their extradimensional room
  • Runmae says "isn't that a last resort?", Warren wants to stay in the room
  • Bhaltair points out they've been complaining about not having enough geld, they aren't paying for a bed they won't use (they don't sleep)
  • Runmae is also worried about the Stoneseers Circle being upset at Bhaltair fucking with the walls. Bhaltair thinks it'll be fine if they don't do it on The Break
  • Rigwi asks what the fuck they're talking about? They can summon a magic hole to sleep in?
  • Bhaltair explains they can draw a door, and it creates an extradimensional space they can sleep in, safely
  • That's a useful skill to have!
  • Fair enough, Rigwi will meet them tomorrow once they've found a place to put it
  • They exit Cartilay and head back up to Tor Udar. Bhaltair will summon it up there.
  • They find a relatively low-traffic area and cast the spell.
  • There is a quiet creaking sound in the walls of the extradimensional space, which is unusual. It reminds Bhaltair of home (their actual home).
  • Runmae asks why it's doing that? Bhaltair doesn't know
  • "Is it a problem?"
  • It's a little disconcerting, but they guess not
  • Bhaltair tells them not to worry, they'll be watching and listening (and so will Zaphkiel)
  • Warren says he's putting his faith in Bhaltair, which may be the first time he's ever put his faith in anything. He's not a very faithful rat boy.
  • The creaking is inconsistent in volume and frequency, but they're used to sleeping in precarious places with strange noises, so it doesn't disturb them too much.

7th Sypheros, 999 YK

  • After about 8 hours, the creaking grows in volume and then one of the walls of the space begins to warp. Thankfully, Bhaltair is alert and is able to alert the others and respond.
  • "Huh, that's new. Anyone else see that?" - Bhaltair
  • "WOAH! What the fuck!?" - Runmae
  • "Is it supposed to do that?" - Valaari
  • "No, should we leave?" - Bhaltair
  • "Yes, let's leave" - Runmae
  • Bhaltair wants to see what's going to happen. Valaari wants to know whether this is because they're in Vralkast or if this is going to be an issue going forward.
  • They put it up to a vote.
  • Bhaltair wants to stay
  • Runmae wants to leave, she thinks the space is going to collapse.
  • Valaari wants to leave
  • Warren wants to leave
  • Naze wants to leave
  • They leave, even though Bhaltair wanted to see what was going to happen
  • There is a really loud creaking noise as the door disappears
  • "huh" says the plant man
  • Warren asks if they cast it wrong or something?
  • "Excuse you, you slept through the whole night"
  • "There's no shame in it, people fuck up all the time"
  • Valaari points out that they're carrying an item that connects them to a weird, eldritch, god-like entity. It's not out of the question that it could be related. Maybe it was just saying hi!
  • Runmae is concerned this will always happen when they use that spell now. Valaari says it's just a theory.
  • Okay! Bhaltair has two things they want to do today. One is in Cartilay, and they only have another 15 hours of water-breathing. Also, Bhaltair is worried they're going to get a fine or something if they go see the Stoneseers Circle for improper use of the stone.
  • Great Olm first, then they can go see the stone people.
  • Once they're in the water, Bhaltair feels a pull in a specific direction, but doesn't know where it's leading.
  • "Follow me!"
  • This instinct pulls them down, down, down to the bottom of Cartilay, and then into tunnels beneath it. Every time there's an intersection or split, they just know which one to go down. This isn't that unusual for Bhaltair, so they all trust it.
  • This eventually leads them to a large flooded cavern, where a merfolk approaches them and bows. The merfolk considers them for a moment, and then speaks in careful, slow common.
  • "Greeting, you are the one who played on the Break. You have done well to get here. You have brought friends, question?"
  • Yes!
  • They understand that the merfolk can't understand them, they're being told what to say. They ask the group to follow them, the Seer Unseeing would like them to play for her again.
  • The merfolk leads them to the concert hall, description below. As they enter, there's a fluting melody playing on the Olm Organ, and the crystals around the cavern light up in time with the melody.
  • The Olm isn't present, or at least hasn't revealed themself. Bhaltair is just stood on the stage, the others around them. They cast Hypercognition to try and identify the weird instruments under the water and also to learn what they can about the crystals on the wall.
  • Bhaltair also tries to recruit any of the others to help them play. Warren is actually trained in Performance?
  • Bhaltair goes through a bunch of songs they know to try and find one Warren knows. At the very least, he can follow Bhaltair's lead.
  • What instrument does Warren play? We decide it's pretty funny if he's been a violinist this entire time and just never mentioned it. Violin it is.
  • Bhaltair decides to try their hand with the crystallophone. It's going to be a long performance.
  • They try to get the crystals lighting up in an interesting way as they go. Bhaltair begins singing in Wildsong partway through.
  • It's a beautiful performance, Warren's is adequate. Bhaltair hears a whisper in their ear telling them to go on stage.
  • Once there, the voice asks Bhaltair if they know how the organ works?
  • They think so.
  • "Could you play it?"
  • "I think so"
  • "Please."
  • Bhaltair goes to the base of the organ, and is slightly dismayed to find there's no keys. Only the pipes, with holes.
  • Okay, cool cool cool
  • They take a moment to consider their options. They cast Gentle Breeze to get air flowing through the pipes, and try to play a melody using that.
  • They play a different song to the previous one, one better suited to this instrument.
  • They make some mistakes at the end, but it's a very good performance. They're startled when the sounds of an audience applauding fills their ears, but no one is here.
  • When Bhaltair turns to the rest of the group, they notice the enormous Great Olm wrapped around the wall, around the entrance. "Oh...thank you"
  • Valaari says they're welcome
  • "No, not you. Turn around"
  • Valaari does so, and oh wow there's an olm
  • Runmae says "great googly moogly", which is out of character
  • The Seer Unseeing detatches from the wall and creeps silently towards them, stopping at the foot of the stage. The organ begins to play itself, perfectly replicating Bhaltair's performance, including the mistakes. She then asks what they call this song?
  • "They're just melodies that I enjoy"
  • "Melodies that I Enjoy, very well. Why did you seek me out?"
  • Bhaltair explains that they were told by another Olm that she may be able to teach them to speak their language.
  • There is a solid 30 seconds of silence, broken by Runmae coughing.
  • When she finally speaks, it's to tell them that she won't do this. She doesn't believe that Bhaltair is capable, but in playing the Olm Organ, they did learn something.
  • Bhaltair has to consider this for a while, but thanks her nonetheless. It's not what they came for, but they did learn something.
  • The stillness of the olms is quite disconcerting. With their thanks delivered, the Seer Unseeing gracefully slides into the water and seems to disappear.
  • Valaari asks what happened? Bhaltair says they'll explain when they're out. Warren puts the violin back, after considering stealing it. He decides he's not stupid enough to steal from a Great Olm
  • They leave, heading back to Sowshore. They briefly stop to watch the artisans at the Godshell working to make the shrines for the Harbour Gods but they don't linger.
  • They find somewhere quiet, and then Bhaltair demonstrates their new ability. They start speaking normally, and then alter their voice, demonstrating ranges they previously couldn't, and their voice seems to come from places other than their body. They can project their voice up to 60 feet away!
  • Valaari comments how useful this will be in a fight!
  • "Yeah...in a fight. Definitely"
  • Bhaltair thanks the others for indulging them. They may not have got what they wanted, but they still learned something very cool.
  • They thank Warren specifically for their help, and then ask why he never told them he could play the violin?
  • "I mean, I do other things apart from stabbing" - Warren
  • "You could've joined in on so many of my performances!" - Bhaltair
  • "I'll be honest, I didn't see you as this multifaceted" - Runmae
  • "I just don't like playing very often"
  • "I understa-"
  • "I also don't have a violin"
  • "Ah, yes"
  • Runmae offers to make him one, but he refuses. Bhaltair quickly takes her aside and whispers that they think Warren was forced to play the instrument as a child and now rebels against the instrument. It's the only logical explanation.
  • Runmae doesn't actually know how to make a violin, anyway. She was gonna make like, a plastic box banjo
  • Okay! Time to head to Sesshun Kesst!
  • There is some brief confusion around languages, but we sort it out
  • They go and get a gecko ride, their second today, up to Sesshun Kesst.
  • Sesshun Kesst is beautiful, the entire district a work of art, though it's cold and dark. It has the vibe of being one enormous temple.
  • They decide to head straight to The Stoneskin, as they can't really see anyway
  • Rigwi explains as they walk that the Stoneseers petrify themselves to better commune with the city. They get the impression she finds them creepy.
  • They flag down the first person they find, and Bhaltair says they're here about the line.
  • "What?"
  • "I was told to get off the line"
  • Bhaltair explains they were talking to the wall and somebody kept yelling at them.
  • "Are you a Stoneseer?"
  • "I guess in context, but also no. I can speak to it, but I cannot shape it"
  • There's a translation error from dwarven with the line! The stoneseer explains that they believe Vralkast has a consciousness, and allows the stoneseers to communicate instantly across distance. Bhaltair may have disturbed someone that was doing something that required communication, and they were distracting.
  • "Will I get yelled at every time I speak to the stone?"
  • "Possibly"
  • That isn't as much of a deterrence as they thought it might be. Valaari asks if Bhaltair actually spoke to the stone?
  • "I don't think I did, only the Stoneseers"
  • Bhaltair asks for permission to commune with the city. The Stoneseer communes for a while to check, and says there was some disruption this morning but it's all calm right now. It should be fine.
  • "What happened? Disruption?"
  • "Maze incident"
  • What?
  • The Stoneseer seems unsure whether to tell them. Asks what they know about The Eighth?
  • "The district that disappeared?"
  • The Stoneseer struggles to explain in Dwarven. "This city is alive, you understand this?"
  • Sure, we'll say they do
  • "The Eighth is too. It's alive, and it moves, it's everywhere and thankfully mostly nowhere. It's also malicious. It's an evil district."
  • A maze incident is when an entrance to the Eighth appears somewhere in the city.
  • "Oh, then what was with that minotaur that just vanished?"
  • They have no idea what they're talking about
  • Bhaltair asks if it's bad that they want to go to the Eighth? Valaari doesn't think they're allowed to
  • Runmae doesn't translate
  • Bhaltair debates casting True Speech to get around her.
  • They got the go ahead to commune anyway, so Bhaltair finds a spot to do so and casts Speak with Stone. They then ask "where is the oldest statue within this compound?"
  • They get several responses, but the consensus is that they don't know. "Do you know how old some of them are?"
  • "Older than any of us remember"
  • "Are you guys spirits?"
  • "No"
  • "No?"
  • "You're Stoneseers?"
  • "Yes"
  • "Hi!"
  • Bhaltair asks why there's no spirits in the city?
  • There are, you're talking through one right now.
  • "The city?" "Yes"
  • Oh, that would explain it
  • One of them also thinks the Harbour Gods scare them off
  • Bhaltair commits to using the entire hour of this spell. They ask so many inane questions of the Stoneseers.
  • Every now and then they get interrupted by somebody giving an update on something in the city.
  • Bhaltair asks if the Stoneseers were responsible for the weirdness in their extradimensional space this morning?
  • "Oh shit that was you?"
  • "Yeah, was it you?"
  • "No, that was the Eighth."
  • "Oh, so if I do that agai-"
  • "Don't do it again."
  • Got it
  • Bhaltair asks if there's any cool hangout spots? They get a list of places to visit in Sesshun Kesst
  • The Stoneseers are kinda chill tbh
  • These guys are an enormous spy network that see everything in the city, and they use it exclusively to fuel their hyperfixation on rocks.
  • Bhaltair asks if they actually see everything, or they just like have a feel for it?
  • It depends. They can move their consciousness from their body and through the stone, and can perceive their surroundings. The older and stronger Stoneseers can even physically move their body through the stone, instantly, to anywhere in the city.
  • Naze is concerned that they're watching people fuck
  • Seems unnecessary, they're already all rock hard
  • Bhaltair thanks them for speaking, wishes they could visit more often, and asks how they can avoid disrupting "the line"
  • They get the impression of senior stoneseers managing the "channels", who can speak to who, to avoid it becoming overwhelming for everyone. Bhaltair wishes to unlock the secrets of this "switchboard"
  • Bhaltair struggles to get off the phone for ages, just saying bye to everyone individually, when the spell runs out and they get kicked out.
  • Now free of the wall, Bhaltair tells the others what they were talking about for an hour.
  • "I hope you got some important information and didn't just waste an hour asking about hang out spots or something" - Runmae
  • They did get some useful information! They got a list of cool hang out spots!
  • "Also, Runmae, you like stones right? You're a dwarf?" - Bhaltair
  • "Bit racist but I guess?"
  • Well, you could learn to be a Stoneseer! They aren't sure how they'd learn it, but it's learnable!
  • Apparently the really powerful ones can perceive through the stone and transport instantly through it. It is pretty sick.
  • "How?"
  • Bhaltair imagines they need to ask one of the Stoneseers.
  • "Oh also there's a place you can fight, if you want"
  • "Fight what?"
  • "I dunno"
  • lmao
  • "It's one of those things you can't really talk about"
  • lmao
  • "Oh and it's totally safe to do the liminal doorway to sleep in"
  • "Oh is it? What happened then?"
  • "Oh that was them just checking in to make sure we were sleeping soundly"
  • The little fucker
  • "They said we should absolutely do it again"
  • Runmae doesn't like that they were watching her sleep?
  • "Oh they watch us sleep wherever we are"
  • "What?"
  • "Not specifically us, the whole city"
  • Oh they don't like that
  • Runmae critically succeeds on her Sense Motive to sniff out Bhaltair's bullshit, and understands that they just lied to her. They keep it to themselves for now
  • "So you wanna go fight?" - Bhaltair, giddily at getting away with the lie
  • Valaari wants to learn more before they commit to anything
  • Bhaltair gives them a quick rundown of all the places they were told about. They are particularly interested in The Sun Gardens and Godcreche.
  • We end the session there



The Concert Hall

You are directed towards the concert hall. It is an enormous, circular cavern, half flooded and half breathable air. There are steps eroded into the stone to allow you to exit the water and stand on the stage. The walls around the stage are covered with hundreds of long bones, surrounded by crystal-like structures that emanate from the stage and cover much of the walls around the cavern.

Each of the bones has holes carefully placed into their surface at different points, forming vertical organ pipes and fluting that create a beautiful, haunting sound as air passes through them. It is very similar to the chamber you, as players, encountered on Melody's Break, the lair of another Olm.

Beneath the water, on another tier around the main stage, is an array of other alien instruments. There is something that looks kind of like a corkscrew, with several strings stretched along the top of it, ending with something similar to the horn of a trumpet or gramophone. There's a long device that has multiple layers of crystalline vessels, graduating in size, along a central pole made of bone, with something like a handcrank at the one end. There's a huge number of what look like small, upside down metal bowls, each intricately engraved with organic looking patterns, and with an accompanying malet. There are drums, of various sizes, and the most peculiar instrument of all: a violin crafted from some kind of bone.

As you climb up onto the stage, a quiet, fluting melody plays on the organs, and with each note the crystals around the cavern light up in time with the music. The sound is otherworldly and almost magical to your ears, it must've taken years to tune this instrument.