Dear Anya,
Maybe you are accustomed to her, but I had forgotten how completely abrasive that Xichil Queen could be. Tavist and she stomp into the warehouse and demand to know everything – literally every-single-thing that has happened. Oh and she’s a little hoarder of body bits too – apparently that’s how she found us – by using Fen’s blood. Horrifying. But she and Tavist know their business and in short order they drag everything out of us and she’s scribbling notes and going through the Maenad Captain’s journal. The Illithid were expecting their shipment in Realmspace – right near the Tears of Selene. The bug damn near shakes when she hears that bit of news.
She comes across a secret page and deciphers it – something about columns of numbers and bills of lading – about using this info to figure what the Maenad crew was up to. Supposedly the Harmonium was just one group of people interested in time magic. We revisit our increasingly paranoid speculation about how many different groups/bureaucracies could possibly be under Illithid control. Some days, it feels like all of them are.

That Charm spell must be a doozy – because I have never seen your Uncle so happy to brush a cat’s tail.

The Journal also references the Citadel of the Plains – City of Dis. That gets bandied about for a bit. It’s in Arboria apparently – edge of the River Styx. Charming, I am sure. Fen pipes up between brush strokes and mentions that it was on of the last great constructs of an architect of the planes and every room in the Citadel is somewhere else.

Kenari describes the orb to Taj Pach who waves her fancy staff around and then eventually says it sounds like a primitive version of a nuclear warhead. Kenari is hot to find this thing and take it back from Saphira. Taj Pach asks if Saphira was injured – may aid in scrying. By Taj seems fairly distracted by the idea that there are Illithid in the Tears. Her Hive is there apparently – along with her children. Eventually, the scrying is done in a large bowl of water. Saphira is out on a deck of a squidship. There are Hadozee in the rigging. Lenata recognizes the starfield and says the ship is in this system. There’s a male on deck with Saphira. Tavist looks like he is going to hit something and mutters “Falkirk.” I wasn’t with the Seven Stars for very long Anya, but I can tell you this Falkirk guy – he’s basically a dead man walking.

Tavist spends a great deal of time fixing The Probe. I need to come up with a new name. But he does get it fixed and we decide to take both ships. While we are waiting – Illiana sends a message to Taj and Tavist that a subcontractor group is on the run because they have a chronomancer in the group. Taj asks a bunch more questions about the chronomancers and then you can see her mind move off somewhere. She snaps to and announces that she has just alerted well….everyone apparently – that all chronomancers anywhere are welcome to seek refuge with the House of 7 Stars. This Xichil does not do subtle. And she really does not like Illithid – which is probably the only thing we have in common.

It takes us three weeks to catch up to Saphira’s ship. We are – every one of us – thoroughly questioned by Taj Pach. She chases after the most minute of details and constantly makes notes in her book. She does offer everyone psionic tattoos though – which a lot of people take her up on.

We catch up to Saphira’s ship. Kenari and I try to teleport ourselves over. Something hits me in a way and I stay on The Probe – but Kenari is gone. Turns out she got re-routed straight into a cell, but she got herself out. She tries to convince the other prisoners it’s a good time for a prison break, but no one is interested. She’s teased by an ancient gnome somehow still alive in a cell. She says the traps in the hall were pretty good but she was still able to get around them. Taj Pach goes over with Tavist and Ef Utan. Taj landed in a room with some guards, but Tavist and Ef Utan wound up in cells. It’s Tavist though – so they are out pretty quickly. There’s a tussle with some guards – but those three are pretty quick about their business and the guards end up dead.
Taj Pach is holding a half dozen conversations in her head psionically and it’s decided that I, Lenata and Captain Vedis will head over to join Taj Pach, Tavist, Kenari and Ef Utan and take the ship. We teleport over and this time I get there – but I am in a cell. So is Vedis – so that is a consolation. Tavist turns to Kenari and asks “Want to race?” with that wicked grin on his face.

TBC