They catch Vedis up on the information they’ve unearthed. She responds with her own story. She was held for questioning by The Watchers, the Bralian Crown’s spy network. Ostensibly the reason was because of concern about “witnesses” who saw her use her fire powers during the Red Mask / Halfing war that recently broke out in Lowtown. As the questioning continued it became clear that they were really after info on Muwara or the Tenth Pit.
One of the Laughing Beholder tavern wenches stops by with a bag of tanglefoot bags for Simmi- a gift from Luigi. Simmi , of course, eats them all at once.
Vedis tries to make psionic contact with Parvatta, but senses no psi talent in her. Fascinated by the dual being she spends the rest of voyage getting to know the Dvati. In the course of doing so she steers the conversation towards Melkot and his connection to the Dreaming. From what the dvati tells her Melkot is a dvati sorcerer whose body has become infused with Dreamstuff because of his magics.
As the ship aproaches the orbit of Ironpiece it is met by something resembaling a tower with strange metal antenna and struts splaying out around each end. As it approaches a wall opens up and they see a catapault aimed at them. Suddenly it fires!
The projectile, a gnome in huge green goggles, overshoots the ship and tumbles through space until Ef Utan manages to shoot him a rope attached to a crossbow bolt. The gnome welcomes them to Ironpiece inquires about their business. Ef Utan informs him that they are there to inform the family of the sidewheeler’s crew that their ship has been found adrift, all crew dead. Tearing up slightly the gnome clears them for landing at Port Walkaway.
Landing in port they are greeted by Colonel-Commander Herphan Gomja, Commander in Chief of Base Security, Naval Port Walkaway, Ironpiece. The huge giff is attended by a small squad of gnomes, all a flutter. After thanking them for coming all this way to deliver the news to the famiies, he hends them towards the market.
An amazing array of clockwork devices and ridiculous gadgets fill the stalls, the periodic small explosions and electrical discharges are interspersed with gouts of steam and varicolored smoke. Vedis is absolutely thrilled to find a pair of protective goggles.
The day is spent researching the confusing and long winded records of gnomish inventors. Accoridng o what they can dig up the sidewheeler was testing new armaments, “strike-bolts” in the phlogiston.Ship was testing armaments.
Spend evening at The illustrious Sign Of The Failed Experiment And The Advancement Of Science That Follows In It’s Size 37 Footsteps. Drinks are raised to the fallen sidewheeler crew. Repeatedly. Rapidly thinks escalate into a full on gnomish wake, during th course of which they discover the ship’s route: first to the Flow, then to Spiral, then to Bral, and then home. All anyone at th bar knows is that it was a research mission. “But they’re all reasearch missions, aren’t they?”
As they head back to the ship to get some shuteye they run across a paniced giant space hamster that has escaped its handlers. As Kenari and Ef Utan engage the creature Ayrun nails it with a ray of enfeeblement. Someting glitches in the casting however, so while the creature drops in it’s tracks it also grows three times larger. The handlers are extremely thankful.
After finally getting to sleep they start early the next day seeking out Gomja to see if he can add anything new to their findings. Unfortunately, while friendly the gif has nothing new to add. Deciding to follow the sidewheeler’s path they decide to take off for Spiral .
Arriving back at the ship thy discover just how grateful the hamster handlers of the night before were. A very confused Aspodel Quickfoot is waiting for them with a baby giant space hamster on a leash. Kenari thinks it’s adorable, and it’s only the size of a mastiff.
After and uneventful trip to Spiral they land at Anfalas and seek out the elven sage Theron who was the person the sidewheeler crew went there to see.
The sage tells them that one of the reputed powers of the Dreamstone is the ability to manifest a target’s dreams, if you have the proper ritual.
The group head back to the ship and confer. Deciding that since there is a portal to Sigil right here in Anfalas they should leave the acolytes guarding the ship and make a side trip to The Cage.
After exiting their usual portal in the Market Ward of the city they split up. Vedis and Lenatta visit the Temple oof Morpheus, and leave an offering. Ef Utan heads out to get th latest gossip from other members of his guild.Kenari and Ayrun go shopping.
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