SOUTHSPIRE
We do some planning, addressing the transport of the freed slaves from the The Elder Brain, assuming we are successful. We figure out that the easiest method would be by boat. We have to tow the boat as the current is strong and in the opposite direction. We will polymorph Berdyn into a crocodile, they have good towing capacity.
We have a formal visit from the Thane Cormac Brasshandand his wife Niswyn Brasshand to the royal guest suites. This is an official lunch, and much of it is to accommodate the other guests, that being Trauban Silverchaser and Delre Silverchaser, Berdyn’s great grandparents.
Trauban is old and pretty racist, but he is excited to meet the Thane, and it is good for Berdyn’s family life.
Comac chats with Trauban, who monopolizes the conversation, and Codex chats up with Niswyn, talking about towing capability of a crocodile.
We have lunch with the Thane, Bale trying his best to be polite to Trauban, and doing an ok job of hiding his distaste for the racist old fuck. Trauban doesn’t notice the held back anger, but the Thane does, and notes it.
When the lunch is done, the Thane and his wife make their excuses and leave. Trauban is genuinely proud of Berdyn, and says as much to Bale, proud that his great grandson is serving a member of the royal family. It is oddly touching, and Delre and Trauban leave.
Berdyn heads to the Silverchaser store and hands over a donation to Ovina – to help open up the training apprenticeship for the clanless dwarves.
We then teleport circle back to the Kingston Royal circle, and then return to Bale’s Royal quarters. On the way we notice that the sky is red, and it is mid-afternoon. Berdyn and I recognize it as being a dangerous weather event, a storm of incredible power. It will hit sometime in the evening.
There is a massive evacuation effort happening in the bazaar near the Circle of Boccob. People are getting sent to the undercity or teleported to Everlife. Maud offers to use her remaining spells to send others to Everlife, and works to save a few hundred people.
We find out that no one expected this kind of weather. Notably, the elves were completely surprised by the onset of this storm. It is most certainly unnatural.
We secure the two horses in the extradimensional space, Clip Clop and the other one.
We use the gates to move through our extradimensional space, heading first to the Summit to see the extent of the storm, it is red light at the summit as well.
We then head to the Tower, and secure Mouse, Brute, and the animals in the extradimensional space. The two phoenixes have been born, a boy and a girl, and they are upset.
From there, we word of recall to Lasthaven, and speak to the Steward, who tells us that he has most of the people in the tunnels beneath the Duke’s Manor, and then to Cinnabar Rhogar, who has the children in the connecting tunnels between the manor and the orphanage. They should be safe.
Lasthaven is boarded up and quiet, everyone is below the ground hunkered down.
We then head to the trading post, and meet with Katla, Cynthia, and Lerath Ralordor. Lerath tells us that the Elven Queen spoke to them, and they believe that a gateway or a tear to the astral plane was created, and an Astral Tempest escaped into this world. Astral Tempests are ruinous storms that flay flesh from bone.
They don’t know exactly where it was done, but they suspect it was done in or near the Citadel, and has something to do with Tiamat’s imprisonment. Though the storm will be blunted by the mountain range, it will still cause incredible damage. None of the divine powers are claiming responsibility, so they suspect it is an arcane act.
The storm will arrive at night, in a few hours.