Flood and Flame: Secrets of the Brothers and the Path to the Druid
Our party stands at the edge of the forest, watching as cries of people ring out below. Someone is desperately trying to reinforce the destroyed dam using improvised means—pitchforks and sticks. Each of us is lost in thought; for example, Erdal is missing fire. But suddenly, Danaya, hearing the cries of children, women, and men, realizes that she is above petty disputes and “misunderstandings.” Understanding that she can’t remain idle without a plan, she rushes to help, followed by the dwarf named Nameless. Tari, sensing that things will get interesting, decides to stay and observe. Erdal and Aden decide that this is a good moment to visit the brothers’ house, and if they can’t retrieve their belongings, at least replace them.
At the same time, cargo wagons with barrels full of fish fry are heading towards the village. While Erdal and Aden stealthily make their way to the brothers’ house, Danaya and Nameless are busy rescuing peasants trapped under debris and at risk of drowning. While saving a drowning man, Danaya herself nearly drowns, but with the help of the furious dwarf, they manage to pull the farmer out, although they lost one of his legs.
Meanwhile, after sneaking into the brothers’ house, Erdal and Aden begin searching for useful items. On the first floor, they find only a cat, which they take with them, and continue exploring. On the second floor, Aden discovers a half-rusted sword and documents about the purchase of fish fry, while Erdal grabs items for the whole party. As they leave the house, with a little help from Erdal, the brothers’ house suddenly catches fire.
Returning to Danaya and Nameless, they face a new challenge: how to stop the farmer’s bleeding. Nameless decides to check the pockets of other victims in hopes of finding something to help apply healing magic. However, finding nothing resembling mysteries, he realizes they’ll have to cauterize the wound. Meanwhile, Danaya, trying to recall how to apply a bandage, sacrifices part of her wardrobe, but without instructions from Tari, they wouldn’t have managed.
While Danaya and Nameless unsuccessfully try to convince the crowd to shift their attention from the dam to the burning house, Tari heads to the road to meet the wagons, where Erdal, Aden, and the cat soon join her. The wagons have already approached the brothers’ house, and the guards accompanying them immediately take defensive positions. Remembering how many mysteries were spent on these fish fry and possessing the documents, the adventurers decide to use their charisma to negotiate the return of the goods. In the end, they hand over the documents, write a letter waiving any claims, and receive 900 mysteries in return, although the original price of the fish batch was 32,000 mysteries. The group of adventurers, with more or less full pockets, disappears into the forest. Running up to the wagons, the brothers try to resolve the issue peacefully, but one of them, under the influence of Erdal’s spell, suddenly draws a dagger and attacks the merchants. A fight breaks out, and the last thing the adventurers see is the brothers falling.
In the forest, the cat decides it likes Danaya more. After this, the group decides to find the “druid” Iskar to learn more about the events that have happened to them and about the balance he spoke of.
Reaching a small village, they learn that Iskar is not just a mad “druid,” but also a highly respected head of the settlement. The locals show them where he lives—in a large house resembling a Nordic hall or guild building, with hills on both sides. Entering, they see Iskar and an old woman assisting in a childbirth. Similar to the situation with the dam, a dead child is born, but the old woman sacrifices her life, and the child begins to cry—the balance is restored.
What follows is an extremely confusing conversation with Iskar. He knows even more about what’s happening than he should. However, he refuses to give answers until the heroes understand what they’re dealing with and at least tell him his real name, since Iskar is likely a pseudonym. The group tries to guess but without success. He also informs them that to understand who or what they’re dealing with, they need to visit all the places of glory—the very ones where the camps involved in the attack on Tiamat were located. He asks if they understand where they are, and the group realizes they truly have no idea. Eventually, they ask him about the tower, and he replies, “The answer is under your feet.”
After this, the group heads to a tavern. Danaya puts on a concert there; they talk with the locals and learn that Iskar is an incredibly old elder who is deeply committed to the idea of balance. The next morning, they set off again for the slab. Passing by the village, they notice that several more houses have burned down, and some people are preparing to leave the settlement. This time, Aden stays behind to keep watch, and the others immerse themselves in the vision once more. The same thing happens: again, a flying man in golden armor appears, giving a speech about the upcoming battle. He approaches them and calls himself Ptaris, even showing the medallion that Tari now possesses. The conversation with him also turns out strange—they accuse him of not being Ptaris but Varis (the one who built the tower). He jokingly deflects the accusation, saying they must be drunk. From him, they also learn that the hills where Iskar lives are actually towers that guard the entrance to Litar’s Underdark. During this conversation, Tari, holding the amulet, feels hatred toward the army gathered there. Unable to restrain herself, she touches Ptaris with the amulet again, and at that moment, the vision ends, and they return to the clearing.
