#viliam

The party reconvenes at the Perlen Tavern. It's early afternoon. All their sources seem to be pointing north of Waldstad, so they decide to head that way, towards the river.

As they come through Waldstad and reach the overgrown path that runs north through the woods (the Walden), Zia—who has some familiarity with paths—remarks that this one looks like it was frequently used, then suddenly came into disuse a couple of years ago. Viliam takes a moment to tap in with the Lord of Life, and sees echoes of the people who travelled this path before them. Passing around them, he sees the impressions of merchants, soldiers, and travellers, but he also sees familiar figures: three firbolgs, barely any younger than Granny Peacock and her daughters/granddaughters; a familiar orc leading two young women away from the river, all three differently dressed but clearly recognisable as Fred, Aurora, and Zia, and Zia is clutching her eye; the same orc, this time carrying a blonde boy, maybe 6 or 7 years of age, away from the river; then himself, carrying a blonde girl, maybe 6 or 7 years of age.

Viliam asks if anyone remembers coming this way before, and explains his visions. Niko remembers being carried away from something—he doesn't remember what—and being reassured that everything would be alright. At the time, he didn't know the voice, but thinking back he recognises it as Fred's. Niko then remembers a blindfold being removed, and seeing this path and the world as though for the first time.

Aaria has second thoughts about everyone going to the river, wondering if Viliam's visions might be premonitions of things yet come to pass. Viliam casts Warding Bond on Zia and Niko, and Niko casts Mage Armour on himself.

As the party reaches the end of the forest, they see a path winding down a steep slope, some 60ft from the river. Where the path meets the river, stand the rotted remains of a bridge, and lying in the bridge's place is a ladder stretched across the river. In the middle of the river, directly above the ladder, is a rift, approximately 3–4ft wide—large enough for a medium creature to squeeze through. The rift looks as though a sheet of glass has cracked and been forced apart, revealing a view of a different world through the crack. The river itself is 30ft across.

Viliam casts Detect Good and Evil. He picks up on a presence that seems to stretch along the centre of the river, as far as the spell allows him to sense. The presence is, at its core, celestial, but has a touch of aberration to it. Other presences in his vicinity are Aaria (celestial) and Zia (fey).

Viliam asks the party to stay back, and explains that he has seen things like this before. These are spectral watchers, usually created by Champions to protect or guard an area. If the people they are looking for—Rogan, Wish, Luca, and Adelaide—have been taken by the watcher, they will have been placed in stasis on a demi-plane, sort of like being put in a bag of holding, and will in theory be safe. Watchers are only triggered if they perceive a threat, and what constitutes a threat will have been defined by the Champion who created the watcher.

Aaria decides to approach the rift and tries to send a message to Wish using the Message cantrip. She gets a reply in a language she doesn't understand. She messages back, and after a moment, she gets a reply from a young male voice who seems to understand her, and who she in turn can understand. A length back-and-forth occurs, during which the party learns:

The young man is an elf/part elf who goes by Hyacinth Paeleiros. Hyacinth is a Light Cleric of the Lord of Fire, and lives in the Safe Zone surrounding Rosa Mors in Cantata.

Cantata is a third world, similar to Fundat and Macawra, that has been cut off from Fundat and Macawra with a "divine weave". Cantata was cut off 2–3 years ago, after their third moon, Tangar, fell from the skies and caused war, famine, and illness to spread across the land.

Four Safe Zones were established by the Champions of Cantata (Lord of Water, Lord of Earth, Lord of Air, and Lord of Fire) to keep the war, famine, and illness at bay. Within these Safe Zones, people are safe. Outside, beings are aberrated and magic keeps going awry.

The Lord of Water and the Lord of Air passed into Fundat before the "divine weave" separated the worlds.

The Lord of Fire and the Lord of Earth are still in Cantata, though anyone who tries to contact them is never quite right again after. Hyacinth says he could try, but he doesn't want to, as he has two younger brothers who need him to look after them.

Rosa Mors is the centre of the Safe Zone established by the Lord of Fire, and is where the Court of the Lord of Fire used to be. This is where Hyacinth has been living for the past 2–3 years, since he and his brothers left the family farm in Lepidaria to seek refuge in the Forest.

Hyacinth has had two visions of an elderly elf with a big beard, the last vision being a week ago when the weave ruptured. Hyacinth was making lunch for his brothers when he heard a knock on the door. He turned around to see the elderly elf. "They're coming," the elderly elf said, then vanished. Hyacinth was not frightened, as he believes the old man has good intentions.

The person who might be able to answer more specifically about the watcher and people caught by the watcher, is Mother Morelle, who resides at Rosa Mors. Hyacinth summons here, but says it might take a couple of days for her to arrive at the rupture.

Viliam has a couple of recollections. He remembers Morelle DomCopia, a Li'shay (elf-adjacent race) from Cantata. In his memory, Morelle was over 6ft tall, with white skin, eyes as black as soil, and a mantle of green leaves cascading down her body. He recalls her having one of the highest positions within the Court of the Lord of Fire.

Viliam also recalls being told that Tangar, the third moon of Cantata, was deteriorating.

When being told about Tangar, Niko remembers sitting in a woodland hollow surrounded by trees, with a small fountain-like geyser in the centre. Tunnels and doorways lead from the hollow, into underground caves and tunnels. In the memory, he looks up at the moons: the two big ones, close to their intersection, and the third, like a white star, directly above the treetops. He doesn't know why he's looking at the moons, just that he's looking. While he sits there, a golden tiefling places a hand on his shoulder and suggests he return inside to go to bed. The tiefling has gold, flowers, and laurels hanging from their horns, and smiles warmly at Niko.

During the conversation, Zia examines the weave and tries to figure out how far upriver it goes. She then reaches within herself, asking Betta if Betta knows anything. Zia then has a memory she does not share with the rest of the party. (DM-note: How Zia lost her eye.)

The party decides to split up while they wait for Mother Morelle to arrive. Viliam, Zia, and Fred stay by the river overnight to keep an eye on the rift, while Aaria, Niko, and Aurora go back to Waldstad to try to figure out who Rogan Underbite might have visited and spend the night in actual beds.

Back at the Perlen Tavern, Aaria asks Sylvia the barmaid some more questions about Rogan, and learns that while Sylvia was working that evening, Rogan was asking about herbs and botany. There are two places in town to get plants, so he might have gone to one of those. He didn't leave with anyone, but he might also have found someone to spend the night with.

Niko comes across a couple talking about a strange guy asking about a dwarf (Niko was the strange guy), and the girl says her mother saw a dwarf visit Maggie the herbalist a week ago. Niko grabs this information, catches up with Aaria, and heads directly to Maggie's Herbarium.

They find the Herbarium closed for the day, but persistent knocking draws Maggie out. Aaria convinces Maggie to talk to them about Rogan. Maggie invites them in and makes them some tea, then explains that Rogan came around asking about the aerofleet plant that grows north of Waldstad, fixed some plumbing issues she had, and stayed the night. Maggie says she herself hasn't been north of Waldstad in a few years, and some prodding makes her suddenly remember that her dad went that way some years ago to restock and never came back. She had completely forgotten. She's visibly shaken by this recollection, but the house always being in disrepair suddenly makes sense, as it's her father's house and he has been gone for months, if not years.

Aaria tells Maggie they think Maggie's dad might be wherever Rogan is, and that hopefully they're all fine. She entreats Maggie to stay in Waldstad, maybe talk to some friends, and promises that she and Niko will look for Maggie's dad.

Aaria and Niko then excuse themselves and return to the Perlen Tavern to have a drink and go to bed.

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.