We return to the party as they carve up the scavvers for rations and parts, before they make their way to Ljuha, and the city of Nariinels.
On-Planet, the party notices that most of the local population seems to be Goblinoids, but also a few Humans seem to be sprinkled in, making at least Volk Lesnoy not stand out that much. Limni Diluvi then leads the party to the residence of his contact on that world; a local noble Bugbear woman called Vana Bozan.
Vana invited the party into their home, but Philomena Snapdragon immediately noticed that she looked very familiar... and then she saw a painting of her, a stern looking bugbear man, and a bugbear-looking boy... with horns and black sclerae... looking suspiciously like a younger Hrazurr the Strangler.
A conversation about the Ribbon Stick of Celebration was started. It seems like Vana knows someone who recently acquired one such Ribbon Stick; an old family friend of hers, a Goblin wizard called Rirdrin Yerentai, who lived in a secluded tower by the edge of their particular world shard. While she asked the party not to hurt her, she also said that Rirdrin may not be initially ready to part with the Ribbon Stick; but she has interest in the old Magocracy from before the Shattering of Ljuha, and may give it up in exchange for asking the party to explore one of the local ruins.
In conversation, when she asked Limni for her payment for the information, it came up that she was intending to use this money to look for her missing son. Philomena asked for more info, and she revealed the son's name; Hrazurr. Philomena then decided to reveal that she may have met him, still alive. Vana jumped at the chance to learn more, cutting the original price for Limni in half for information. At Philomena's insistence, she also talked about what happened, when her husband died and her son became missing.
About 20 years ago, her husband and her son left for Sancstoryl to research ruins in Aiyetoa, as the relationship between the two planets in the Era of Mystery was her husband's favored field of study. However, her husband always treated her son cruelly, as he didn't turn out to be a Sorcerer like his parents; and things turned even worse after he turned into a Tirrdaka when he accidentally broke a Shadow Ena Crystal that his father was intending to study.
According to the helpers that her husband hired, he treated his son particularly harshly one day, and he snapped, killing his father with his own hands. The hired help then kicked him out of the group, and Hrazurr slinked off into the jungle, never to be seen again. Ever since then, Vana has attempted to find Hrazurr, to at the very last talk to him one last time, and also to find closure. While she always treated him well, she thinks she could've done more to shield him from his father.
With Vana emotional but hopeful, the party then decided to make their way... or rather, M.U.61 first decided to look around and shop a little, and after a short excursion in a potion shop, where he tried, and failed, to be as assertive as Suzzaeth, the party then started their travel through the desert; intending to first stop in the village of Bayanbürd. The first day of travel was uneventful, but on the second day, the party came across a random spire in the middle of the desert with a treasure chest on top. Philomena, after asking the party, decided to check it out.
Upon coming close to the spire, however, a two golems, one made from dragon parts, another made from dragon bones, as well as a Boneclaw, a failed lich that tends to serve other liches, popped out of the sand; an ambush! However, the party was able to deal with these creatures quite handedly, even though Volk almost got turned into stone. Philomena was then able to look through the chest, and found several gems, a interesting looking staff, as well as a letter, saying:
"Congratulations! If you’re reading this, you’ve managed to beat my servants and avoided becoming fuel for my Soul Jar. Respect, you must be a formidable warrior; or collection of warriors for that matter. While I may have missed out on some fuel today, I am a graceful loser, so you deserve a reward. Enjoy the gems and the Staff; especially the latter was once the pride of my collection.
Ps. Don’t bother looking for me, neither my Soul Jar nor my body are anywhere near your current location anyway :)
Love and kisses,
Jothos the Undying."
Philomena didn't know whether she was amused or annoyed.
And with that, the party continued their travel.
SESSION END.