Quick Summary
The team experiences Atropus' effects on Ambar firsthand. The team plans to assemble the pillars of Soltura and discusses their options for allies. Ellsee and Arye have a conversation about responsibility and second chances. Ishanii is reunited with the team and her memories. Solstice releases the Hashalaq into the soul cage.
Session Recap
Solstice pulled Ellsee out of their empathic spiral into Ishalba’s death, and the team took in their surroundings. Solstice determined that there was a psionic dampening effect on the area, which is why no one had heard the fight and come to investigate; as Rin and Chicory investigated Ishalba’s body, Chicory noticed that the blood-snow settling on Ishalba’s corpse and the nearby pools of blood was having a magical effect and warned the team as Ishalba’s skeleton rose as a crimson shambler and the pools of blood generated minor malleables.
Though there was risk of contamination, the team managed to resist the creatures’ attempts to infect them with Atropus’ necrotic energy and swiftly dispatched the creatures by magic, bolt, blade, and aid from the spellhound summon. During the effort, Ellsee sensed that there was an intelligence to the malleables, and as Arye was drained of some of her psychic energy she overheard the malleables’ hungry cries. As Solstice cast disintegrate to destroy the crimson shambler, it stared at her with red ember eyes before being reduced to dust.
The team wondered about the risk of this happening elsewhere, Ellsee received three overlapping sendings from Bridget Kildare, Elanor Poemme, and a mysterious woman. On their way back to the shop on the stealthing damselfly, Solstice received a sending from Atlas, and Ellsee used their astral bracelet to let Justice know of the blood-snow risk, and he said he would pass the information along. Chicory helped Solstice create a looping loudspeaker message to warn the neighbourhood: The snow interacts with pools of blood and the dead. Keep inside until you hear from the tirista or your local Crisis Intervention. Thank you.
Ellsee assured Arye that Chicory was strong and would be alright, and encouraged her to prioritise rest and her survival. In return, Arye comforted Ellsee by pointing out that Atropus was already on its way to Ambar, drawn by the activity of the Annulli, and so it wasn’t Ellsee’s fault. Ellsee confessed to her feelings about the similarities between themself and Laetus, and the two discussed the power of second chances.
As everyone convened, they made a plan to assemble the pillars of authority and power in Soltura in order to share what they know about Atropus, and discussed the potential of disseminating information to different factions with which they have connections. Rin volunteered to seek out Lossëa and begin arrangements for a gathering and left. After Ellsee performed the hypermnesia incantation in order to hear the three sendings she received, Chicory detected a message spell seeking a target and received a cry for help from Glitter nearby.
Everyone raced outside and found an inert Glitter, who had been heavily damaged by a familiar laser weapon. Chicory cast hold person on the fleeing assailant, who was revealed to be Ishani, though she was still calling herself Shar. Solstice and Arye dragged the struggling Ishanii into the shop, and Chicory and Ellsee brought Glitter into Jerem’s workshop to be repaired later. In the shop, Solstice removed the mesarthium circlet in Ishanii’s hair and tried to get through to her, but it was only after a greater restoration and the Hashalaq assisting psionically that Ishanii’s mind was restored and she could remember the team.
Ishanii explained that the Kaliesh’erai had moved against The Named Ones that night, and the team assured her that there were bigger problems with Atropus’ arrival and explained the situation and the team’s plan. Ishanii agreed to speak on her people’s behalf at the assembly of the pillars, and Ellsee assured her that she had everything she needed within herself to be a leader and save her people.
Finally, Solstice realised that her fight with Ishalba and saving Ishanii had burned through her time with the Hashalaq. In support, the team readied the modified soul cage, and Solstice was able to resist the lure of its power. With Solstice’s promise that they would find a host for it one day and her support, the session ended with the Hashalaq resisting its darker urges and willingly entering the cage.