Friday the 13th

Having found themselves before Iskar in the Underdark, Aden, Brotor, and Fenris sought a way forward. Their goal was to acquire the Storm Cauldron to maintain Lux Astra’s presence in the Astral Plane. When they turned to Iskar for help, he made a counter-request: to hide the residents of the Green Gorge within Lux Astra. Brotor proposed housing them in the heroes’ own home. After a brief discussion, they agreed: Iskar would open a portal to the Astral Plane, Brotor would lead the villagers through, and in return Iskar would help secure the cauldron.

Aden doubted Iskar’s wisdom, and Fenris and Brotor didn’t see him as a sage at all. In response, Iskar revealed his true nature, appearing as a radiant being with bright misty streaming from his eyes. None of them could determine his race. Iskar remained evasive, giving only vague answers to direct questions.

Leaving the dungeon behind, Iskar opened a portal to the Astral Plane. “Strange…” he muttered as he stepped through. The heroes and the villagers of Rucheyok followed. A bright beam of light shone down from above at the portal’s location. Without hesitation, all entered, and the portal closed behind them.

Having traversed the Astral Plane, they arrived in Lux Astra. Brotor guided the newcomers into the heroes’ home. Startled by the unusual surroundings, the villagers peppered him with questions: “Why is everything so beautiful here?”, “What’s with this leather armchair?”, “Where will we sleep?” Brotor tried in vain to contact the steward, and only after 300 mysteries was he able to rearrange the space to accommodate everyone. Some grumbled, but after a firm response from Brotor, they accepted the conditions as they were.

Fasir Ramur informed the heroes about Datalia, a journalist who held artifacts once belonging to them, including the needed cauldron. These items had to be retrieved from Stellar Tower. He reminded them that Lux Astra’s resources were not limitless, especially now with the extra mouths to feed. The plan was to alter their appearances using Iskar’s illusions and enter the city via the Astral Plane. Brotor changed the color of his beard and tattoos, Aden took on the form of a sun elf named Rosalia, and Iskar became an elderly elf with a staff crowned by a ruby. The others also adopted disguises.

Stepping through the passage, the heroes found themselves in a cramped storeroom. Voices buzzed behind the door. Upon emerging, they realized they were in a tavern. Patrons fell silent, staring in surprise at the strangers who seemed to appear from nowhere. Rosalia casually adjusted her hair and said, “Phew, boys, that was rough… Bartender, some ale!” The barkeep smirked and served four mugs. Fenris took two, Rosalia drank one, and Brotor claimed the last.

In the tavern, the heroes learned that “mysteries” were now forbidden and had to be surrendered to Stellar Tower. Not wanting to linger, they set off to find Datalia, guided by Fasir’s instructions. Along the way, they noticed an unusual beam of light descending from the sky, but to avoid drawing attention, they simply moved on, pretending nothing was amiss.

Reaching Datalia’s home, they negotiated briefly and entered. The journalist demanded a house in Lux Astra in exchange for the artifacts, including the cauldron, and information on the whereabouts of the Deck of Magical Cards. After lengthy discussions, they agreed that if within two Terragon months no house was provided, Datalia would gain partial rights to the heroes’ home in Lux Astra and the right to live there. They sealed the deal with a contract, then everyone rested for the night.

In the morning, before heading to the Tower, townsfolk visited Datalia. They thanked Ptaris for the return of newborn children to the world and asked Datalia, as a journalist, to share this joyful news with everyone. Datalia listened attentively, making notes for a future article.

Approaching the Tower, Fenris suddenly halted, warning that proceeding was dangerous. They decided Datalia would go inside alone. When she returned, her hands were trembling and her voice quavered: “We must get to the Astral Plane immediately. They’re looking for us. It’s too risky to stay here!”

Iskar, still nearby, calmly said, “My help ends here. If you need me again, you know where to find me” and vanished.

Withdrawing from the Tower, the group found a quiet alley. There, Tari produced the only scroll that could transport them all to the Astral Plane. As she neared the spell’s final word, a clear cry of “Counterspell!” resounded from the shadows, snuffing out the scroll’s magic. Emerging from the darkness were cultists, among them Kei, once humiliated by the heroes. A fight broke out. The odds were stacked against the heroes: they managed to kill only Kei before enemy reinforcements drew close.

Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, the heroes hid inside Tari’s Bag of Holding. With no scroll left to use, Tari activated her magical tattoo. Becoming invisible and incorporeal, she slipped through a wall and emerged onto a bustling street in Stellar Tower. Blending into the crowd, she vanished from sight, carrying her companions within the bag and hoping for a safer future.