#session notes cc

Viliam is distracted catching up with Lea Peacock, and learns that Lea has started learning magic (which she is very excited about). She explains that everyone at Rosa Mors had been informed that anyone returning from Fundat might not remember anything about Cantata, and that she had been told to pretend she wasn't familiar with Aurora (and Viliam) unless they clearly remembered. This was framed as a way of protecting everyone involved.

Meanwhile, Alaria leaves the courtyard. Mother Morelle and Aurora follows, but at the door to Alaria's office, Mother Morelle asks Aurora to let her handle this. Aurora concedes and returns to the party, where Viliam finally introduces Lea to everyone.

With Lea's help, they go to find Conrad — a human who came through from Waldstad shortly before Cantata was shut off from the other worlds — in the dining hall, where dinner is being rationed out from the head table. The operation is overseen by Grandpa Peacock, and Viliam takes a moment to check in with him. Aurora heads out into the gardens.

The remaining members of the party have a conversation with Conrad, and Conrad asks about his daughter, Maggie, who is the herbalist in Waldstad. The party confirms that Maggie is alive and safe, though they may have inadvertently triggered her memories.

While speaking with Conrad, Viliam faintly hears Alaria and Mother Morelle arguing through the wall. He excuses himself and goes to check on them. Alaria expresses her frustration and tiredness that she, who is supposed to be the leader at Rosa Mors in Velaldel's absence, isn't privy to all information, and that she never wanted to be in this position in the first place. Viliam encourages her and Mother Morelle to work together going forward, then leaves them to resume their conversation.

Viliam returns to the dining hall where he casts Create Food and Water to add to the rations, then offers to do a detection spell on Niko to figure out Niko's connection to everything going on.

Viliam and Aaria then go to speak with Grandpa Peacock. Grandpa Peacock takes them to a quiet corner of the kitchen, behind some sacks of flour, and tells them about the day the moon fell — that it was something that could be felt throughout Cantata, though not necessarily seen — and that there was a group of elves south of Rosa Mors who worshipped Tangar. He also explains about Lus Umber, the final month of the year, when magic seems to become more potent.

Viliam then goes out to find Aurora, and they have a conversation about trust, about Niko, and about Alaria and Mother Morelle.

Meanwhile, Aaria speaks to Kilian Peacock, one of the hunters of Rosa Mors, about the world beyond the Safe Zone. Kilian explains that it's grey and barren, that they sometimes see creatures moving out there, but that they themselves never cross the actual boundary.

Aaria then goes to check on Alaria and Mother Morelle. When she leaves, she passes Aurora as Aurora comes to speak to Alaria and Mother Morelle. Afterwards, Aurora shares with Aaria that she (Aurora) has a secret that she can't tell Aaria yet, but that she wants Aaria to be aware that there are things she's holding back. She reassures Aaria that it won't change anyone's life or death whether tey know the secret.

Aaria shares with Aurora that she doesn't like Rosa Mors, and that she doubts she'll like anywhere else in this world. Still, she looks forward to visiting the other domains. Both she and Aurora think they'll likely end up venturing beyond the Safe Zones.

In the dining hall, Viliam expends the rest of his spell slots to cast Create Food and Water, then the party prepares to leave. Vorin goes to gather his things (with Fred's help), while Aurora and Viliam say good bye to Lea.

Aurora first invites Fred to join her. She shares some of her recently regained memories — particularly memories pertaining to Fred being the Lord of Air. She then brings up Niko, and explains Fred's role in bringing Niko to Fundat. Fred dislikes this and says that if the Lord of Air is the kind of person who separates children from their families, he doesn't want to be him. Fred also insists that Niko should know. Aurora fears that it might reawaken Niko's childhood nightmares, which are tied to some sort of terror that the Champions of Cantata shared.

It becomes an argument between Fred and Aurora, which settles somewhat as Aurora says she'll tell Niko some of it, but not all, and Fred says that he can't stop her, but isn't pleased with the situation.

After their conversation, Aurora invites Koi upstairs. They speak lightly about what Aurora recalled regarding Koi and Mara, and Koi feels guilty and distressed about the situation with Aaria. Aurora comforts them.

While they speak, Fred and Niko investigate the tower for the magic items Vorin mentioned. Using Detect Magic, they make their way to the top of the tower. As Fred opens the trapdoor above the top of the staircase, it slams open. Aurora appears from her chambers, where she's speaking with Koi, and chides Fred and Niko. Fred and Niko persuade her to let them keep looking. In the uppermost chamber, they find an Emerald Pen (given to Niko) and a bag of Dust of Disappearance (given to Aurora).

After her conversation with Koi, Aurora speaks with Niko. [Insert summary later.]

Aurora then speaks with Aaria. Aaria is still in somewhat of a mood, so Aurora offers her whiskey. Aaria asks if Aurora knew the Whisperer. Aurora didn't. They discuss the implications of the Champions being gone, and Aurora explains what she remembers of Alarion.

Aaria is still on the fence about becoming a Champion. She lights a candle and tries to pray to Alarion. She's successful, and for a little while, they speak. She asks about Alaria, then about Velaldel. Alarion admits that the last time they saw Velaldel was "at the fragments, the shards", but can't make themselves say more about Velaldel's state. They warn Aaria about investigation the shards — for now — and instead ask her to learn and seek knowledge of Cantata. Alarion admits that Fred, Aurora, and Koi were sent to Fundat to give them a fighting chance against the power that has infected Cantata.

When Aurora and Aaria come downstairs, Aurora gestures for Viliam to join her upstairs. Meanwhile, Fred sits at the foot of the statue of the Lord of Fire and invites Aaria to join him, to mediate between her and Koi, but Aaria is still tense and the they pivot to discussing the Champions instead. Aaria asks if Fred can hear prayers, and Fred takes a moment to listen. At first he hears nothing, then he begins to pick up the impression of voices swirling in the back of his mind, like whispers on a breeze. He finds it somewhat disconcerting.

Leaving Aaria to herself, he then checks in on Koi.

Upstairs, Aurora and Viliam discuss Niko and his role in all this. Aurora then goes upstairs to Velaldel's study and tries to pray to him, but hears no reply.

The conversations wrap up and the party makes arrangements to exit the tower. Aurora wants to seal the tower after them, and so sends everyone else (including Mother Morelle) out first to distract. Viliam is supposed to make it look like he has cast some magic on it, but outside he finds the courtyard more or less empty, except for a lanky, blue firbolg girl. Seeing her, Viliam recognises her as Lea Peacock and remembers his many visits to Rosa Mors. Overwhelmed, he invites her to hug him — which she does, almost knocking him over — and he completely forgets to make it look like he is the one sealing the doors.

AARIA & ZIA

Aaria speaks a little longer with Alaria, then asks if there's anything Alaria can offer that might be of use to the party. Alaria suggests messenger pigeons, though the pigeons tend to vanish if they fly beyond the Safe Zone. Currently, the pigeons are primarily used by the hunting party and are kept by Kilian Peacock, the Pigeon Master.

Aaria and Zia leave Alaria to tend to the heliconia dragons. Inside the dining hall they notice a commotion in the courtyard and hurry out. They emerge at the same time as Niko and Fred, led by Vorin, emerge.

NIKO & FRED

Niko and Fred try to figure out if there's anything at Rosa Mors that might help them in their endeavours — specifically something of a magical nature. Vorin mentions that Mara, the Lord of Water, used to keep magic items close by her, so any magic items at Rosa Mors would likely be kept in the tower of the Lord of Fire. The tower is sealed, but they could have a look at trying to open it. He leads Niko and Fred outside, emerging at the same time as Aaria and Zia, and discover a commotion in the courtyard.

AURORA & VILIAM

Viliam and Aurora investigate the tower. The double doors are firmly closed, with a scorched handprint where the doors meet. Viliam encourages Aurora to try to open it. He then tries to shield her from view and pretends to command the doors to open, while she summons fire and presses her hand against the handprint. The handprint is noticeably larger than her own hand, presumably belonging to the Lord of Fire.

The doors open and Viliam ushers Aurora inside. They bar the doors and explore the ground floor — a statue of the Lord of Fire in their divine state, behind which a spiralling staircase winds up. At the back are two doorways, one filled with black emptiness with the Sylvan words for 'Hear the crackle' carved into the arch, while the other leads to steaming warm baths.

On either side of the staircase are pillars with empty braziers. Aurora lights the braziers, steps onto the first step, and is immediately struck by all the memories that had been erased. (Note to DM: See player notes from sessions 9.1–9.7.)

With her memories intact, Aurora goes to the top of the tower and finds it undisturbed. She and Viliam then sit on the steps she explains some of what she has recalled: becoming an apprentice to the Lord of Fire; meeting Zia and Mara; Fred being the Lord of Air; Viliam having been her friend; a conversation with the Lord of Fire about some great terror that haunts the Champions of Cantata; the things she learned about Niko and Niko's sister.

She asks Viliam for advice, and Viliam — in a moment of introspection — says that he has been acting out of fear, and that he wishes for her to choose how to act in this situation. She decides to speak to Mother Morelle, and asks if Viliam can fetch her. Afterwards, she thinks she would like to speak to the rest of the party members.

Viliam goes downstairs, and upon opening the doors discovers that they were not as stealthy as they tried to be. A number of people have gathered, including Alaria, who is surprised that they managed to open the tower. She makes it clear that she would like to investigate it once Viliam is done. Off to the side, Grandpa Peacock is trying to convince some of the soldiers that they didn't see Aurora using fire to open the doors.

Viliam invites Mother Morelle in, and Aaria, Zia, Niko, and Fred join. Aurora is upset that the rest of the party is there and takes Viliam aside to explain that she wanted to confirm details with Mother Morelle before speaking to the rest of the party, and that she wanted to speak to them one-to-one as she saw fit. Somewhat overwhelmed by the memories of the life she has lost, she then heads to her own chambers and breaks down sobbing. Viliam remains on the stairs, trying to figure out what to do.

The rest of the party pretend they weren't trying to listen in. While they wait for Aurora to return, Mother Morelle makes use of the baths.

Aaria takes the opportunity to confront Zia about Zia's multiple names and, supposedly, withholding her identity from Aaria. Zia tries to explain that most of what she knows now she only learned in the last few days. Aaria, still upset and distrustful, goes to pace around the baths.

Niko and Zia talk for a while, and Zia asks Mara if it's safe to reveal herself to this group. Mara, in her usual unhelpful manner, confirms that Cantata is safer for changelings than Fundat or Macawra.

Aaria returns and asks to speak to Mara. Zia acts as the go-between.

Viliam comes downstairs, shortly followed by Aurora. Aurora explains to the party that she's regained a lot of memories — some of which include Zia, Fred, and Niko — and that she would like to share bits of this with them one-to-one. She apologises to Aaria for having no memories of Aaria prior to meeting on this journey.

Aaria seems upset that everyone around her have more or less been confirmed to be champions or apprentices of champions, and Viliam offers to cast a spell to identify whether she might be one of them. Aaria agrees, and Viliam discovers a seed of divinity within her that indicates she may become the next Lord of Earth, as well as a divine heritage originating in Fundat. He asks about her parents and learns that her mother's name was Aamira — the same as the woman he once loved, a thousand years ago.

Aaria shows Viliam the box she has which contains her mother's possessions, including a ring with inscriptions along the inside. Viliam recognises this ring as a gift once given to Aamira.

Rattled, Viliam then turns to Niko to do the same spell on Niko, but Aurora asks him not to. Aurora apologises the Niko, but doesn't explain further in the moment. She suggests that it might be too dangerous for Niko to accompany them any further, but Niko is determined that one of the missing people — Rogan, Wish, Luca, and Adelaide — might be related to him, and that he'd like to find out.

Taking the opportunity, Zia then apologises to Aaria again and reveals to the party that she is a changeling called Koi, and shows the party her different personas and masks. Having a lot on her mind, Aaria goes back to pace by the baths.

The party has a long rest. Viliam advises them not to mention their associations with the various champions when they reach Rosa Mors. Zia and Niko decide to disguise Aaria, successfully making her look like a regular half-elven woman. Aaria decides her new name will be Phyllis Cassidy, and that she will adopt Niko's accent while wearing this disguise.

As they proceed towards Rosa Mors, Viliam asks Mother Morelle about the configuration and situation of the Court there. Mother Morelle explains that the Court is scattered, in that various individuals have vanished — most never to return.

The round climbs slowly upwards, and around noon they crest the final peak, finding themselves at the top of an open cauldron with a hill towards the north-east. The road winds down to the bottom of the cauldron, where two other roads meet it, creating a crossroads roughly aligned with the cardinal directions, where the northern road winds up the hill towards a pink marble castle of with four towers, the walls surrounded by red-and-pink rose bushes.

Clustered around the crossroads is a small town surrounded by hundreds and thousands of tents and half-constructed log buildings. As the party descends through what is, in effect, a small city, it becomes clear that the big majority of these are refugees: children, elderly, and families.

To draw attention from the rest of the party, Viliam reveals his lance and shield, and straightens to his full height as he assumes the divine persona of the Lord of Life. People take notice, and the further the party moves through the city, the more people gather along the roads to watch and whisper. Zia notices that the population seems to be made up of mostly humans and half-elves, with some elves, firbolgs, and fairies.

Viliam keeps an eye out for anyone who might be ill or injured. Eventually he comes across a single ragged tent set apart from the others. People make way before him, and he lifts the flap to find a dark-skinned woman with silvery hair, similar to Aamira Ok'oree in appearance. Her breath is hoarse and shallow, and she seems to be asleep. Nearby, Viliam sees a small family of other humans, also dark-skinned and silver-haired, and asks them whether he may enter the tent. The father nods, and Viliam steps within and cures the woman. She seems taken aback and is initially unsure of who Viliam might be.

Viliam returns to the road and continues leading the party towards the castle. At the crossroads, they find houses that seem to have been built like little shops. From there, climbing up the hill, the houses slowly become more grand and extravagant. Some of these have been opened to refugees, while others have not. Viliam takes note of the houses that have not.

Outside the gates of the castle, Viliam suggests that Mother Morelle goes ahead alone, so that Alaria Va'lielmo's impression of the party isn't tainted by her feelings about Mother Morelle. Mother Morelle agrees to this.

Through the gates, the party finds the road covered for some 30–40 feet, by a tall arch which then opens onto a courtyard with the large northern tower directly ahead, barracks and housing to either side, and the formal halls around the corner.

Clerics, soldiers, druids, and a few paladins line the walls as the party enters. Viliam catches sight of a firbolg with dark blue fur — the same colour as the fur of the Peacocks in Waldstad. In the centre of the courtyard, Mother Morelle has made herself comfortable and is slowly grooming herself. One of the doors to the formal halls opens and two individuals stride out to meet the party: a tall elven woman with curly red hair, halfplate armour, and a longsword (Alaria Va'lielmo); and a human man in his fifties, with armour and a sword (Captain Helm Bähr).

Alaria sternly welcomes Viliam. Viliam explains that the party is here to find friends captured by the Watcher, and that they're trying to make their way to Venas Adanath. Alaria suggests they speak privately, and leads the party to a small windowless office next to the banquet hall. One wall is covered with a large world map, on which four locations are circled. One of these locations is Rosa Mors.

Sitting in the only chair (behind the desk), Alaria asks that they speak candidly, and asks "what the fuck" the party is doing here. Everyone exchanges glances, then repeats that they're looking for a way to find their friends. Alaria is begrudgingly convinced of their sincerity. Viliam asks about travel times and modes of transport, and Alaria says they have no access to Rosa Mors' Sanctum or the Lord of Fire's tower — meaning they have no access to secure teleportation circles. She also says that magic has been failing, and that there has been no communication or travel between the Safe Zones for almost a year now. The party asks about the large birds, and Alaria's demeanour softens somewhat as she explains that it is the last remaining flock of heliconia dragons in Cantata.

She goes on to say that travel to Venas Adanath would take months, but they could speak with Rosa Mors' resident wizard, Vorin Treskell, and see if he has any suggestions. Viliam suggests Niko speaks to Vorin, and Alaria sends Captain Bähr to find the wizard.

Viliam then asks if he may take a look at the Lord of Fire's tower, to which Alaria snorts humourlessly and wishes him good luck. Viliam grabs Aurora and heads out towards the tower.

Aaria asks if she may see the heliconia dragons, and Alaria agrees to take her to the gardens. Zia joins them.

NIKO & FRED

Niko and Fred wait outside the office for Captain Bähr to return with the wizard. While they wait, Niko seems nervous as he looks around the grand marble halls. He has a memory of white halls, robed figures, and a lighthouse, but doesn't know which part of his childhood it's from — whether he was used to grandeur like the halls of Rosa Mors or not.

Through the windows onto the courtyard, Fred sees children playing: a dark blue firbolg girl with thick, green braids; and two elven boys who look remarkably like Hyacinth Paeleiros — likely two younger brothers. One of the boys is missing half a leg and moving around on crutches.

Captain Bähr returns with a small aarakocra coloured like a superb fruit dove. They are wearing embroidered blue robes with a white sash around their waist, and is carrying a silvery white staff with a little blue light at the top, as well as an armful of books and notes that seem to try to escape with every hop they make. A pair of thick, round spectacles are perched on their beak.

Niko and Fred ask whether this is Vorin, and Vorin introduces themselves. They discuss teleportation for a short time, and Vorin explains that higher-level spells are unpredictable, sometimes failing and other times completely sapping the caster. To explain better, they invite Niko and Fred to join them in their chambers.

As they are about to leave, Captain Bähr stops Fred and asks about the pendant Fred has been wearing since the attempted robbery of the caravan during their journey from Nordhafen to Waldstad. Fred explains, and Captain Bähr says it's a family heirloom. He asks about the two boys doing the robbery. Fred confirms they are alive. Fred then asks if Captain Bähr wants the pendant back. Captain Bähr agrees, and a soft, sad expression appears on his face as he regards the pendant for a little while, before hiding it away in a chest pocket.

Vorin leads Niko and Fred to one of the houses in the residential part of the castle, up a central staircase, to a small ensuite on the top floor with a window overlooking the rose-covered hill outside the castle walls and the forest beyond, stretching into the horizon. The room is covered in books and scribbled sheets, and there are notes, letters, and illustrations pinned to the walls. Three cold half-finished cups of tea are scattered about, as well as bits of food. Some robes and tunics have been crumpled up on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Here Vorin explains to Niko that, the last they heard, attempts were being made at stabilising spells and magic. Wizards under the Lord of Earth were making some progress there, trying to incorporate certain charms and incantations into pre-existing spells to circumvent the instability. Similarly, there were some attempts at neutralising the aberration. Niko asks if he might be able to perform teleportation magic, and the conversation turns to the mechanics of teleportation, Niko's skills, his self-taught abilities, and how he might refine these. Vorin is thoroughly impressed that Niko has come so far on his own and, after a look at Niko's spellbook, suggests points of improvement.

While they are talking, Fred keeps an eye on Luna and snoops around the room looking for bits to eat. He finds some oatmeal biscuits and a bag of nuts.

AARIA & ZIA

Alaria leads Aaria and Zia through the banquet hall — a grand chamber with long tables and benches, and a dais backlit by the southwest-facing windows. Behind the central chair is an enormous stained-glass image of a red-haired elf in black armour edged with flames. The sunlight pours in, casting colours across the floor.

Aaria asks if that is the Lord of Fire, which Alaria confirms.

They head out into the gardens, where there are neatly kept rosebushes and perches hammered into the turf. Some 20–30 heliconia dragons are present — large, raptor-like birds with enormous beaks, red feathers, and golden wings. Alaria explains that she used to breed heliconia dragons before she came to Rosa Mors, and that these are the only ones that made the journey. The oldest of the flock, a heliconia dragon called Lucy, is twenty-five. In captivity, they can live to be about 40.

Aaria asks how Alaria came to be the leader of Rosa Mors, and after some consideration, Alaria explains her journey of training to become a druid, of her home-town being led by an archdruid, and of the archdruid leaving her in charge when they set out to seek an end to the aberration. Alaria then led the people of her town to Rosa Mors, where she found the court scattered after Velaldel's departure. People looked to her for leadership, and she felt that she had no choice but to do what she could.

Aaria asks why they haven't gone to Fundat, to which Alaria reminds her of the Watcher and that the crack between the worlds only appeared a week ago. They are supervising it, but want to ensure nothing ill will come of it if they move through. As it stands, she has over 6,000 people here in Rosa Mors to look out for, and the Safe Zone is slowly shrinking. She guesses they may have a few years still, but feels in her gut that it's less than a year. The only solution she can see, for Rosa Mors and Cantata, is some kind of miracle.

The party follows the brick road deeper into the forest. Trees rise tall on either side, like the pillars of cathedrals, and vanish into shadows above. Faint daylight seeps down, revealing moss-covered banks and tufts, fallen trees, half-rotted stumps, and little white flowers that fade into the distant twilight. Every thirty feet, the road is flanked by marble pillars with bronze braziers on top holding flickering flames that illuminate their immediate areas.

Two narrated scenes take place:

Viliam. Your divinity — your domains — are inexorably tied to Fundat. At your core, you are a Champion of Fundat, a fundamental force only slightly younger than the plans themselves. Entering a different world always raises uneasiness in the back of your mind — a feeling of uprootedness, like you have stepped out of your front door and found a vast, unknown world before you. And yet, you are not helpless, for travellers exist everywhere — even in Cantata. And you recognise that you are not a prime deity here, but you are not unknown; whispers touch your mind — “Keep my sons safe” — “Protect our path” — “Bring them home” — “Bring them home” — and you know the divine part of yourself, the true Lord of Life, is embracing these prayers that have gone unanswered since Cantata’s Champions vanished.  You have taught yourself distance, to remain rooted in the present while some subconscious part of your mind handles the everyday mundanity of divine tasks, but here, in this world that is both new and old and deeply terrifying, you take stock of what you hear, and you find a familiar voice — a thin thread of golden light that winds between the trees, beneath the roots, into Cantata itself: an image of a tall, dark-skinned woman, in her forties, with silvery curls glittering like starlight. She turns and looks at you, her eyes sparkling like bottomless pools of radiant life, and she smiles. “Hello, old friend. Do you remember me yet?”

Viliam now remembers the face of the woman he once loved, Aamira Ok'oree.

Next:

Fred. The last couple of days have shown signs that there may be more to it, but in your heart, you know Nordhafen has always been, and will always remain, your home: the streets you roamed as a child; doing your best to stay out of trouble; coming home with scraped knees; helping the your dad at work; helping your mum at home; helping the neighbours with home repairs and decorating for festivals and that little celebration when the couple down the street finally, successfully, delivered a daughter — Some might have called it a small life, but it was full, brimming with life, laughter, joy, and sorrow. It was home. Walking down this cobblestoned road, your feet tread unfamiliar ground, and yet these memories come back to you, carried by a gentle gust of air that tousles your hair and brings a warm vividness to your mind. You look around, and it is like a foggy morning has cleared: colours present themselves in ways you have never perceived; whispers fill your surroundings — the natural chatter of the world itself — and yes, Nordhafen is your home, but this feels damn good too. Fred, roll me a d12. Until your next long rest, you have [1d12] temporary hit points. 

Aaria then receives a vision. In this vision, the forest closes around her into an underground tunnel. The roof is held up by interwoven roots. At the end of the tunnel lies a green hollow with multiple other tunnels emerging into it. Sun filters down through large apple trees. In the centre of the hollow stands a carved wooden statue, life-sized, of an armoured woman with a sword in her hands. Her face and curly hair is that of Aaria's mother.

Aaria approaches the statue. Ivy climbs up along it. It must have been there for a long time.

Reaching out, Aaria places her hand on the statue. The wood is smooth, polished, and pulses under her touch. A warm glow emerges from beneath her palm. The statue opens its eyes and says: "She's here."

The surroundings then rush past Aaria — down another tunnel, further and further, through winding, underground chambers, into the bedrock of Cantata — until she arrives in a domed chamber. In the centre, roots have pushed down to create a cage. Within this cage sits a golden tiefling with antlers instead of horns. They must have been beautiful once, but that beauty has given way to sunken, green eyes and jutting bones.

Aaria approaches the cage. She touches the roots. A golden glow pulses from her palm. She tries to push the roots apart to free the tiefling. The tiefling tells her to leave it be, that the cage is there to protect everyone else. They then introduce themselves as Alarion, or "what remains of the Lord of Earth". They will remain imprisoned here in their domain, in Dar Tarium, either until they die or until their successor takes up the mantle of the Lord of Earth. Aaria asks what happened, to which Alarion says: "Your predecessors made mistakes. We thought we did the right thing." They then admit that the previous Champions of Cantata tried to kill another Champion. They tell Aaria to be careful, that she has little time, but that (for now) she is concealed.

As the vision begins to fade, Aaria turns to run back to the statue of her mother. She never makes it. The last she hears is Alarion's request: "Please put Velaldel out of his misery."

The vision vanishes and Aaria realises she is running down the brick road, back the way the party had just come. She stops. Zia follows to check on her. Aaria admits she had a vision, but doesn't elaborate.

The party proceeds. The more perceptive of the group begin to notice the forest teeming with life: creatures scuttling out of sight; the furry back of something vanishing between the trees; the slim limbs of a white, horse-like creature with a single horn protruding from its forehead. Above them, the large red birds with raptor-like feet continue to follow, slowly coasting from one branch to the next.

They stop for lunch. Aurora and Viliam wander off to talk. Niko asks Aaria about the Message cantrip Aaria has been using, and acquires a piece metal string from her to practice with as he begins to decipher the cantrip.

Zia settles down to rest against a tree and feels the tree adjust around her, making itself more comfortable. She drifts off into a dream-state, wherein she's underwater in some kind of pool or lake. Around her drifts seaweed. Among the seaweed she catches a glimpse of purple as Betta emerges.

The scene alters, so that Zia and Betta are in some sort of white marble-like structure with a domed roof above. It overlaps with the underwater scene in the way dreams often do, looking like one thing but feeling like another. Betta changes into Mara, the blue-haired halfling who was the previous Lord of Water, though Zia can still see the outline of Betta around her — almost like Betta contains Mara.

Zia and Mara have a conversation about Zia's past and her purpose now. Mara confirms that ferrying people between Macawra and Fundat was an important part of Zia's work, and that prior to coming to Fundat, Zia was training to become the next Lord of Water. Mara clearly doesn't know the details of Zia's life prior to arriving at Venas Adanath (the domain of the Lord of Water), but provides the following insights:

although Zia looks to be in her mid-twenties, she is actually in her mid-forties;

Zia was born to the House of Natica, a family that resided in Daravana;

Zia's mother was called Lyer Natica, and Zia's father was Piccasso;

Zia was identified as the next Lord of Water when she was twelve, but only came to train when she was twenty-one or twenty-two;

the triggering event that sent Zia to Venas Adanath was rescuing a small ship that had been caught in a sudden storm outside the ports of Daravana;

Zia spent some time at the University of Daravana studying music and art.

Mara confirms that this conversation is happening entirely within Zia's head, that it's likely a dream, and chastises Zia for trying to help when Mara was raising the boundary that separated Cantata from Fundat and Macawra.

Zia eventually tries to figure out how to wake up. She settles into a beanbag-type of stool her mind summoned into the dream and waits. While she waits, Mara asks if Fred is still around. Zia confirms that he is, and that he has learned to levitate one inch off the ground. This makes Mara laugh heartily. She asks Zia to tell Fred she said hi — when Fred remembers her.

Zia finally awakes to find Aurora and Viliam back. Niko has foraged for herbs and found some basil and oregano, which Viliam has added to the party's lunch for slightly more pleasant rations.

The party resumes their journey. The road seems to be slowly sloping down. Eventually they reach a bridge across a longer lake. Next to the bridge are two black foals grazing on grass and moss. Across the bridge, further along the bank, they spot a lithe woman in a plain green dress. The woman, perhaps twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, has dark chestnut-coloured hair bundled in her neck. She seems to be bathing her feet.

Viliam greets the woman, while Aaria checks her out. The woman replies in a pleasantly melodious voice. She introduces herself as Sylvia, and Aaria immediately remembers Sylvia the barmaid, from the Perlen Tavern in Waldstad. She seems to recognise some of them, notably Aurora, and says she remembers Aurora coming through some years ago. She also refers to Velaldel, the Lord of Fire, by first name.

The party crosses the bridge. As they reach the other side, Aaria approaches Sylvia to check if Sylvia is alright. She asks if Sylvia lives nearby, and Sylvia gestures some ways off along the bank. Sylvia then asks Aaria to hold something for her. As she asks, a green glow emerges in the depth of Sylvia's eyes as Sylvia casts Charm Person. The spell fails, but Aaria still accepts the bundle of seaweed Sylvia hoists out of the water. The seaweed immediately grapples her.

A brief battle ensues, wherein Viliam cuts Aaria free while while Aurora casts Hold Person on Sylvia, effectively paralysing Sylvia before she can do anything else. The two foals, meanwhile, speedily clip-clop across the bridge with their eyes clearly set on food as they attack Zia. One gets a bite out of Zia's shoulder. Fred comes to help Zia.

More seaweed shoots out from the water to grapple Aaria, but Viliam persuades it to release her. When Aurora releases the spell on Sylvia, Sylvia changes into a kelpie and calls the foals off, snarling at Viliam: "LEAVE."

The party hurries on, climbing up a steeper hill until the loose sight of the bridge and the lake.

They continue walking. Eventually, Viliam, Zia, and Aaria catch sight of a large creature speeding towards them. It looks like a large, elongated bear. It has longer legs, pointy ears with tufts at the tips, and a long tail with a poof of fur at the end.

Viliam ushers the party off the road, to let the creature pass undisturbed, but the creature slows and turns golden eyes upon them. Its pupils widen into round circles as it observes them. "Hello, Viliam," it says, and Viliam guesses (correctly) that this might be Mother Morelle.

Together with Mother Morelle, the party continues their walk towards Rosa Mors. A lengthy conversation ensues, wherein Mother Morelle confirms and reveals information, some of which Zia runs by Mara in her head:

Mother Morelle states that the Watcher north of Waldstad was created by Mara when she raised the boundary between Cantata and Fundat. Any prisoners taken by this Watcher will be captured within Mara's Prism Cube.

Zia asks Mara about this, and learns that Mara's Prism Cube is on the top shelf to the right in her bedroom, by the foot of her bed. This is in Venas Adanath, the domain of the Lord of Water.

Mother Morelle suggests that Zia might have had a different name once. Aaria is somewhat upset that she doesn't know Zia's true identity, and Zia explains that she used to take different names while travelling.

Mother Morelle recognises Aurora, who she says trained under Velaldel, the Lord of Fire, for a short amount of time. A friend of Aurora, Luca, came to visit occasionally.

Mother Morelle is far older than Viliam, and has seen many Lords of Fire come and go. Describing them, she says that Velaldel was "like the sun itself". The one before him was particularly stern, then there was one who was gentle, and one who was young.

She explains that Velaldel (the Lord of Fire) and Alarion (the Lord of Earth) went out to face the curse that descended upon Cantata when Tangar fell, while Mara (the Lord of Water) and Fred (the Lord of Air?) took the apprentices (Zia and Aurora) to Fundat for safekeeping.

The curse is a form of aberration that seeps into things and corrupts them from within.

There are rumours of Velaldel's whereabouts, but nothing that Mother Morelle knows for certain. Alarion, meanwhile, she has heard "crawled back to his domain" to willingly be imprisoned. He has, supposedly, been infected with the aberration.

Mother Morelle recognises Niko, though he was much younger when she saw him last. He mentions his dream/vision of the golden tiefling, who Mother Morelle confirms to be Alarion. She says Niko and Adelaide were brought through Rosa Mors, on their way to Fundat, when they were very young. According to her, they were sent away to be kept safe, though she doesn't know what from.

Aaria asks if any of the Champions tried to kill each other, which Mother Morelle denies. Zia checks this with Mara, who laughs at the notion. She says Velaldel was too good, that Fred wouldn't have tried to, and that although Alarion was a bit weird, they were ultimately kind. The archives of the Avarium might have more information, according to Mara.

Aurora asks what Mother Morelle is. Mother Morelle declines discussing this, simply saying that she is the last of her kind.

Mother Morelle suggests the party keeps quiet about their identities when they reach Rosa Mors, as Alaria, the Head of the Council, is not necessarily someone to be reasoned with at this time. There is an implied history of disagreements here. Alaria supposedly exiled Mother Morelle from the Council on the grounds that Mother Morelle encouraged Velaldel (the Lord of Fire) to rush out into battle unprepared.

Velaldel is Alaria's brother.

In Cantata, the souls of the dead go to the Lord of Earth. Life is generally considered the domain of the Lord of Water.

Throughout this conversation, whenever Zia dipped into her own mind to speak to Mara, Mara was entertaining herself by juggling various pieces of fruit.

Aaria, Aurora, and Niko stay overnight at the Perlen Tavern, while Viliam, Fred, and Zia camp by the river.

At the Perlen Tavern, Aaria prays to the Whisperer before bed. The Whisperer appears to her as before, and she asks questions about where the party is headed — whether they'll still be with her there, whether she should go, what awaits her, why they're only talking to her now, after years of ignoring her. The Whisperer is evasive in their answers, stating only that they want Aaria to go to Cantata. Before the Whisperer leaves, they tell Aaria to remember her mother.

In another room, Niko makes notes of arcane nature, while Aurora in her own room takes medical notes of the party.

In the morning, Aaria, Aurora, and Niko have breakfast at the tavern, buy baked goods from Böhler Bakery (bread, lemon cake, chocolate cake, and a tray of almond croissants), and stock up on paper and ink. They then set off back to the river to meet the others.

Meanwhile, Zia is trying to process her last conversation with Viliam. Fred joins Viliam by the campfire to settle for the night and enjoy a cup of tea. They talk about life, family, and love, and Fred remembers a series of images from his youth:

He's helping his dad on a construction site, repairing someone's mansion, when a heavy beam falls towards his dad's head. Fred reaches out to stop it, but is too far away. Still, the beam freezes. In Fred's mind, the air solidifies around the beam and sets it gently down on the ground.

He sits in his bedroom and hears his parents argue.

He walks with his dad to the Temple of Life in Nordhafen. On the steps he sees Viliam waiting for them.

In a completely different place, he meets an ageing bird person (aarakocra) similar to the one he has seen in his dreams.

Fred immediately reaches for arms and threatens Viliam, asking what Viliam knows about him — what Viliam has to do with the bird person — and in this moment Viliam remembers bringing Fred to Kumar Rao, an elderly aarakocra.

Viliam admits to only now recalling this. Fred expresses concern about becoming someone else, and wonders whether his dreams about flying were true. While he contemplates this, he has other memories: training with Kumar, the deep drone of Kumar's voice, studying Aerodynamics: Book I. He also remembers dining with Kumar, reading a letter from his mum, and Kumar offering to support his parents financially.

Fred decides to test whether the flight translates to real life. He stands up, his axe in his hands, focuses on flying, and manages to lift an inch off the ground for 6 seconds before landing again.

In the morning, Viliam and Zia forage and find a bush of gooseberries and a Mother's Rest. They return to the campsite at the same time as Aaria, Aurora, and Niko return from Waldstad with two bags of baked goods.

During breakfast, the party discusses what to do. They debate waiting for Mother Morelle to arrive. Aaria checks in with Hyacinth, but all has been quiet on both sides. Fred tries to replicate flying, but fails. Aurora mentions knowing that people can become Champions.

The party decides to test the limits of the crack between Fundat and Cantata. Viliam disapproves and sits some distance away.

First, Aaria ties Fred's rope to one of the almond croissants. Fred tosses it through the crack, and Hyacinth picks it up. Using Mage Hand, Niko then stealthily floats a slice of lemon cake through, and the air visibly wobbles. Hyacinth picks up the rope and ties it to a tree on the other side. He happily devours the croissant and lemon cake.

The party then debates trying to sneak through the crack. Hyacinth uses the Light cantrip to catch Aaria's attention and asks what they're planning, then warns them that if they try to come through, he will stop them.

Zia finally turns to Viliam and asks him if there's anything he can do. Viliam has been quietly conversing with his associates, informing them of Cantata's existence, asking for advice, and requesting that a garrison be stationed at this location.

He offers Zia the Ring of the Cautious Traveller, saying it will allow her to disguise herself. Zia is confused by this, as she can already disguise herself, and the rest of the party begins to question Viliam's intentions. Zia eventually accepts the ring. Viliam then offers Niko an unused spellbook, which tongue-ties Niko for a while. Viliam then does his best to reassure the party that he wants to help them and ensure their safety. Aaria asks whether Viliam thinks Zia might be in more danger than the rest of them, but Viliam says his gift is based on his conversation with Zia the night before.

Aaria asks Zia what happened the night before, as Zia over breakfast had said nothing of note happened. Zia says she had a memory of Fred carrying herself and Aurora out from Cantata, and about how she lost her eye.

Once the questions and worries have somewhat settled, Viliam approaches the boundary between Fundat and Cantata and commands it to let them pass. And it does. One by one, the party steps unhindered through.

What they see first is this: an overgrown riverbank, with moss curling around the edge and condensation dripping into swirling eddies of water; little star-like flowers glowing against the green; enormous, gnarly roots winding into the water, and rising far above, trees with the first branches starting 10–20 ft above the ground. Red raptor-like birds with long necks watch from distant branches.

Pillars of pink marble stand on either side of what was once the base of a bridge. Brass basins on top of the pillars hold flickering flames. A cobblestoned road leads off between the trees, between mossy banks and roots, and kneeling before a small campfire is a young brown-haired elf with golden eyes and white armour.

The elf struggles to speak as they arrive. Viliam introduces the party, and the elf slowly stands. He acknowledges that he's Hyacinth, the one they have been speaking to, and that Viliam is the man from his visions.

The party asks about Mother Morelle and Rosa Mors. Hyacinth says that the road will lead to Rosa Mors, and that Mother Morelle will be a day or so away. He then sends a message to Mother Morelle, saying, "They are here, in the company you expected."

Fred asks what Hyacinth means by this, but Hyacinth struggles to form words as he looks at Viliam. Fred then turns to Viliam. Viliam suggests Zia explains, but Zia refuses to. Viliam then reveals that he is the Lord of Life, one of the five Champions of Fundat.

Zia corroborates this, and Fred recognises the similarities between Viliam and statues of the Lord of Life in Nordhafen. Aurora is shocked to find her deity present in mortal form and begins to inch away in the direction of Rosa Mors.

While the party digests this information, Viliam confirms what Aurora said over breakfast: that people can become Champions; he himself has been one for over 2,000 years, and he is seeking his successor. He again states that he's deeply concerned about the situation with Cantata, and what might have had the power to wipe it from the memories of the Champions themselves.

Fred goes after Aurora and encourages her to speak to Viliam. When she stutters and tries to explain that she can't make herself look Viliam — look the Lord of Life — in the eye, Fred picks her up onto his shoulder and carries her back to the party, placing her right before Viliam. Viliam explains that even though he is the Lord of Life, he himself is still quite mortal and doesn't hear people's prayers.

The party decides to set off towards Rosa Mors. Hyacinth warns them that spells sometimes go awry. He mentions the four Safe Zones again, and says they're focused around the Cantatian Champions' seats of power: Rosa Mors (where they currently are), Sum Nebuli, Venas Adanath, and Dar Tarium. Aberrations usually can't make it into the Safe Zones, though strays occasionally find their way through.

Aaria leaves Hyacinth with a loaf of bread and several almond croissants.

As the party begins to leave, Hyacinth calls after Viliam: "My Lord, what would you like me to do?"

Viliam clearly feels uncomfortable about everyone suddenly looking at him as a Champion, and tells Hyacinth to come find him when Hyacinth is able to.

Aaria, Zia, and Niko head towards the Perlen Tavern. Along the way, Niko splits off to go speak to people in the streets, to hear if anyone's heard of Wish or Rogan Underbite.

At the tavern, Aaria and Zia speak to Sylvia, a human barmaid in her early twenties—blonde bangs, large ear rings, and (in Aaria's eyes) an attractive figure. Sylvia tells them Wish was there a week ago, with three others: a dwarf, a wealthy lady, and a bland guy whose face she doesn't recall. The party stayed overnight in rooms rented by one Rogan Underbite, though the dwarf went out in the evening and didn't return until the morning.

Aaria and Zia get each their glass of a fruity beer called lumiere, made by the local brewery, and get a table. Other patrons include a man day-drinking in the corner, and two people either having a late breakfast or an early lunch.

Fred and Aurora make their way back from the mayor's, bickering like an old married couple. They stop at Böhler Bakery, where Fred treats them to a chocolate croissant (for Aurora) and two slices of raspberry and white chocolate cake (for himself). They make for the tavern, where Aurora reveals she's somewhat uncomfortable with the atmosphere taverns normally garner. Fred reassures her, and they join Aaria and Zia.

Zia takes the stage to play gentle lunch music.

After speaking to Dr Schmidt, Viliam heads to Granny Peacock's Pancakes—a stone-built square tower, two floors, with children's paintings on the lower stones and a little flowery herbal garden surrounding it. Inside, a Alena the firbolg greets Viliam. She has rich blue fur and thick green hair with golden tips. She tells Viliam to take a seat upstairs, and that she'll come take his order shortly.

Upstairs, Viliam finds a panorama view of Waldstad. Most of the tables are small, made for two, with candles and fresh flowers. He sits by the north-facing window and lights the candle on his table. Alena comes up and takes his order. While he waits, he observes the Walden, the forest beyond Waldstad, and sees birds flying across the tree tops.

A couple, two young men, arrive and sit by one of the other tables. (One of them is the young man who served Fred and Aurora at the Bakery.) Alena comes up with a plate of three fluffy pancakes arranged around a blue sugar flower of a design Viliam has never encountered. Viliam asks about the flower, and Alena reveals that Granny Peacock calls it a 'Dream on a Plate'. Viliam asks how the firbolgs came to be in Waldstad. Alena says they travelled there some 2–3 years ago, from some village to the north, and settled here. Apparently the tower used to be a kindergarten.

Viliam eats the pancakes, then heads downstairs to pay. Another firbolg—Gloria—also young, though shorter and rounder, takes the payment. In the corner, Viliam sees an elderly firbolg with greying fur, grey streaks in her hair, and little round spectacles perched on her nose, hunched over a table and a lamp making detailed sugary works. He compliments the flower he had, and Gloria laughs and says Granny Peacock learned the art from her grandfather, but that she's not taught either of her grandchildren yet.

The party travels with Adrian Tanzer, a half-elf in his late twenties, for the remainder of the afternoon and evening. The road is distinctly narrower than the main road from Nordhafen to Gre'gel, and continues to slope faintly up towards a wooded horizon. Fields of wheat and grass grow on either side, untouched by sea or salty air.

While they walk, Adrian and Fred chat, and Fred recommends Adrian try "the old man's tea", implying it's "the good stuff".

When they set up camp for the night, Adrian dons studded leather armour and equips himself with weapons (short bow and two short swords), and takes a swig of some kind of flask. He warns the party not to wander off. He's to keep watch all night, and they're welcome to keep watch with him should they wish to.

Fred takes first watch, alongside Adrian. This night, he's keenly aware of the sound of crickets, of the smell of grass and cooling soil, and of how far away from Nordhafen he is.

During the second watch, Zia hears something moving in the field beyond their camp. She alerts Adrian, and they go to the edge of the firelight when a hoarse, bone-chilling scream cuts through the air. Adrian shoots towards the sound. Out of the field and the darkness barrels what must once have been a deer: bloated, with predator-like teeth and lips that curl into a snarl, a second head growing from its neck, with visible wounds where the skin and fur has split to permit it. It lashes out, teeth narrowly missing Adrian and Zia.

The rest of the party wakes up—Fred and Viliam move to help Adrian and Zia, while Niko, Aurora, and Aaria keep back. Fred deals a significant amount of damage, but it's ultimately Viliam's spear that brings the creature down.

Adrian checks that no one has been injured, then goes to retrieve an oil cloth to wrap the carcass and bring it back to Waldstad, for Dr Schmidt to examine. While he does so, Aurora and Viliam examine it for themselves: Aurora carefully performs a partial autopsy, finding the joint in the neck where the second head seems to have sprouted from, and identifying the second one as only a week old, while the rest of the deer is a couple of years old. Using magic, Viliam detects an infection in the deer's blood and saliva. He warns everyone to clean up properly after handling the deer, and Aaria assists with prestidigitation.

Aurora and Viliam take samples of the blood, which Aurora keep. Adrian wrap the deer and bind it tightly, and hoist it onto the cart.

Meanwhile, Niko asks Aaria how she was able to terrify the creature during the fight. They discuss the different ways in which they cast spells, and Aaria offers to show Niko how she casts spells, to see if it's something he can learn.

After the encounter, Fred and Aurora have each their cup of Viliam's tea:

Fred dreams that he's in Nordhafen, in the temple of the Voice of Fundat, kneeling in front of a shrine with his mother. He's a decade younger, and his mother is lighting a candle for his father who recently died of illness and old age. Fred is perturbed, as he left both his parents alive and healthy in Nordhafen only a week ago. He hugs his mother and the dream shifts: he's drifting in mist, directionless. Walking forward, he finds a ledge of sparkling rock, and when he tosses himself over the edge, he flies. He rises up above the mist, to the palace on the mountain top, and sees the sunrise glitter in the stonework. He lands on the nearest landing platform. A door at the end opens and a guard welcomes him back, saying that breakfast is ready. When Fred walks through the door, he wakes up.

Aurora dreams that she's in the Rose Garden: a beautiful, lush garden of roses and pink quartz statues. She's standing on a round platform, together with an elf with curly red-golden hair and glittering jewellery. The elf shows her how to manipulate fire by creating a trickling waterfall of it, from the top of his palm, to his fingertips, then trickling down and fizzling out. He tells her that it's important to be able to control it. When she tries, she partially recreates it, which seems to please the elf.

Viliam and Adrian talk. Adrian explains that Waldstad has been aware of this creature for a few days, and that it has stalked the outskirts at night. He himself is a part-time monster hunter, which is why he's ferrying the party from the main road up to Waldstad, instead of the usual coachman. When he's not monster hunting, he works at the stables.

They don't know much about what has caused the deer to become like this, only that it spreads through bites. They've been lucky that no humanoid has been caught yet, but they've lost some livestock that they've had to put down. Dr Schmidt is currently researching the disease to try to find some antidote.

Viliam then asks if Adrian has seen a white-skinned red-haired tiefling come through Waldstad in the last week. Adrian hasn't noticed a tiefling, though there was a wealthy young woman who dropped her horse off at the stables just over a week ago, who talked about travelling with some companions. She said they were staying at the Perlen Tavern.

In the morning, Adrian stows his armour and weapons, and prepares Klara the horse. Fred tells Viliam he doesn't want any more of the tea that's been making him dream, and warns Viliam to be careful with it, as not everyone might be able to handle it.

An hour or so before noon, they arrive in Waldstad. Adrian points out the Perlen Tavern. Aurora takes note of Mugs'n'Bugs, one of the stores at the square, and sees a display of jars and medicinal herbs through the window.

The party goes directly to the Garrison, where Adrian and Fred unload the carcass and the crates Fred is delivering. Dr Schmidt, a scrawny elf with glasses and bony fingers, comes out to briefly inspect the carcass and sign Fred's papers. When Fred asks whether anyone would be able to approve leave time, Dr Schmidt suggests Fred talk to Sir Corrint, the mayor.

Meanwhile, Zia, Aaria, and Niko head off to the Perlen Tavern to ask about Wish, the tiefling. Viliam instructs his bearded dragon, Alvin, to follow the crates and find out what's inside them. Viliam then helps carry the carcass upstairs, to Dr Schmidt's research area. Various chemical tests are undergoing in different parts of the room. A separate table has been prepared, with oil cloth around it to avoid contaminating the floor. Dr Schmidt directs them to place the carcass there.

Viliam asks Dr Schmidt about the disease, but Dr Schmidt doesn't seem to know much more than Adrian has already shared. All other instances have been burned to avoid a further spread.