Chapter 13: Session 08

The PCs try travelling through the streets of Hrulgaard by night, and find themselves being watch, then followed by a horde of children who remain perpetually at the shadowed periphery of the ring of light cast by Lugh's druidstaff. However, at time, their eyes can be seen -- oily and black, and wide open. Mitu moves toward the children, lunging to grab one. The child almost disintegrates in his hand, withering and rupturing as bugs and wormlike grubs erupt from the sagging, sacklike skin and propel themselves up onto Mitu's outstretched arm. The bugs bite and burrow into the Ogren's flesh, and almost as suddenly, Mitu collapses, spasming. He is dying, but luckily his abnormally strong physiology withstands the assault. The bugs inside him die, but Mitu is far from alright. Escaping death, he remains in a coma for the better part of a day...

The party opts to spend future evenings in Larka City while travelling the central avenue through Hrulgaard by day. However, strangeness abounds...

Rin collapses as he and Lugh speak with Gorvalyk and Tarsus. Around the city, various shouts and screams accompany the action. Each would later report the same image: the face of a man, pale, his skin drawn and slightly gaunt, but not unnaturally so; long black hair streaked white in places, bird skulls braided in to it; dark eyes, flat like a moonless night. The face of Cabot Darkhollow.

Almost immediately after, those in Larka City see a golden light that resembles the sun, except for it arising from far south... the golden light spreads, bleeding out along the horizon until a massive, golden bird is seen streaking through the sky, racing north. It is, they surmise correctly, the Phoenix of Light trying to make its way to Minulex...

The party figures they know a good place to test their theory, and Soreiss opens a portal to the transit Tower by the boneshores. Outside, they can see the light approaching from the south, and the descent, just south of their actual position. They encounter Athis Hel and his animist companion, the blind woman with mastery over trees. He claims to have been watching the tower through a burning campfire, hoping the PCs might arrive. Together, they all decide to find the convocation of the Phoenixes... but immediately a wizened old woman steps from the forest. She is stooped slightly under the weight of a sword strapped across her back. Her name is Liera, and she claims to know the Phoenixes quite well, warning that their meeting is not for the likes of the party, or even for herself. The mortal mind cannot fathom what she calls "the song", the truth of their speech, which she says could damage their minds. In short order, it is revealed that she is the Talmoril, the chosen of Mevonn the Steel Phoenix, and essentially the central mortal figure among the Phoenix Cults.

She waits with the party until a spectacular light show to the south indicates that the various Phoenixes are departing. She too gets up to walk back into the trees, but informs the party that someone wishes to speak with them.

Indeed, a short while later, Minulex -- in the guise of Min the Storyteller -- steps into the clearing. He talks, confirming Cabot's reformation, and revealing that the Phoenixes have little more than questions about Cabot and their strategy of dealing with them. The central concern of the Phoenixes is discerning if Cabot is in fact the Darkweaver himself, incarnating, or if he is something similar to, but different than a Phoenix. Essentially, is Cabot their brother, or their Father, returned. They are assuming the former...

The party returns home... Mitu awakens... Rin starts feeling better, only to realize that he seems to have lost his shamanic powers. Owl seems to have fled from him. The timetable for activity must now be rushed, and the PCs realize that every moment is critical. After a series of discussions in Larka City, the party comes upon a plan. The next day, Soreiss flies to the start of the lantern path, the true beginning of the Violet Path, and marks it as a translocation point. The following morning, they plan on reappearing there, and walking the Violet Path.

And at least, after a day has passed, Rin seems to regain his powers -- Owl has returned to him.