[ OOC: I missed Session 17, and neglected to post a recap last week. But not only do I think it's the right thing to do--but Twitch needs the Hero Points! So here I am. Hopefully this recap refreshes everyone's recollection until our next session in two weeks. ] Twitch's breath came in ragged gasps, and she clutched her Sentinel Shield emblazoned with the symbol of The Traveler. "I hope Your path for me doesn't end here," she muttered sotto voce between breaths. She brushed away scorched, matted fur from her eyes with her free hand as she moved forward in the throne room antechamber. Once again the lives of Envy and the Outcasts had been a whirlwind. After leaving the Realm of the Eternal Dawn, the Outcasts had returned to Stormreach, only to discover that once again, time had passed in Eberron faster than the Outcasts had experienced in their extra-planar travel. It appeared that elections-- elections?!? --were being scheduled in Stormreach, and that the candidates included Lady Olivera of the Jade Vipers, Lord Lyrandar (the father of Twitch's childhood nemesis), and a bartender named ... Butane? Twitch hadn't quite caught that last one--sounded like some form of common magic item used as a firestarter. In any event, while Twitch was lost in thought regarding the implications of these developments, the Outcasts decided to continue the mission given to them by the giant Vhara from the Realm of the Eternal Dawn, namely, to deliver a vial of glowing liquid to the Dragon Prince. Given that several of the Outcasts were personally invested in meeting the Dragon Prince, that made sense. The companions had traveled to the last known location of the Dragon Prince. Several fire giants awaited. Somehow--Twitch was again unclear on the details--Lukar and a fire giant agreed to a game of chess, and somehow--again, a little murky--Lukar lost, which somehow--still a little vague in recollection--that led to a massive fight with the fire giants, in which the Outcasts prevailed. Let it never be said that the Outcasts are sore losers--that is, it will never be said because the Outcasts murder anyone to whom they lose. ("I suggest a new strategy--let the vampire win.") Beyond the fire giants lay disgusting and dangerous Red Slaads--creatures that reproduce by infecting their victims parasitically with their eggs by slashing with their claws. The Outcasts quickly disposed of the Slaads, only to discover an odd robotic construct, named Z-29, who had come from another dimension to study the Slaads. Z-29 informed the Outcasts that there had been a recent increase in Slaad activity--that Slaads of many different sub-species (which are differently colored) had been on the move. The constructs of Z-29's realm opposed the Slaads, but the Slaads had destroyed the rest of Z-29's crew. Yipping decided--as Yipping might--that it would be a kind gesture to offer Z-29 some magic beans he had purchased. When Z-29 declined, Yipping then decided--as Yipping might--that it was an appropriate time to plant and water one of the beans. Naturally--well, magically--the bean immediately grew into a Treant, which called itself Kent. Twitch was too astonished by all of these events to make much comment, and apparently the rest of the Outcasts weren't much impressed, either, because shortly thereafter the companions descended into a subterranean passageway leading to the Dragon Prince. Just outside what appeared to be the Dragon Prince's residence, the group saw two massive Frost Salamanders. Shaking herself from her reverie, Twitch suggested to the group that they try talking with the giant frost lizards rather than immediately attacking. For once, the group agreed. Twitch used her divine powers from The Traveler to attempt to communicate with one of the salamanders. In response, the Dragon Prince himself appeared--in the form of an ancient red dragon! When the Outcasts attempted to speak with the Dragon Prince, however, the Dragon Prince addressed himself directly to--Yipping! The Dragon Prince invited Yipping and his companions inside, and the Outcasts, dumbfounded, followed. Quickly, two things became apparent: first, that the wall to the Dragon Prince's residence was an illusion; and second, that the Dragon Prince's appearance was itself an illusion, and that the Dragon Prince was a powerful kobold illusionist. The Dragon Prince informed Yipping that he knew Yipping's parents, who were great kobold heroes who had saved the world; Yipping received that information as accepted fact while Twitch held her head in aching disbelief. In fact, the Dragon Prince, explained, Yipping's parents were possibly still alive; the Dragon Prince offered to get more information for Yipping. It turned out that the Dragon Prince was holding and torturing Yipping's former master, The Knack, who had treated Yipping cruelly; again, Yipping and the companions accepted that fact with little more than a shrug while Twitch's brow furrowed with ethical conflict. Yipping delivered the glowing vial from Vhara to the Dragon Prince, who accepted it and informed the group that it contained a Wish spell. As companions exchanged surprised glances at not realizing the value of the item they had carried, Lukar asked the Dragon Prince for his boon--help to resurrect Lukar's long-dead wife. The Dragon Prince agreed, on condition that the Outcasts collect three items for him from the domain of the Xen'drik giants: (1) Lusseth's Almanac from the Emperor's archive; (2) two vials of water from the giant king's fountains; and (3) the giant king's own crown. The Dragon Prince explained that the items were in the original city of the Xen'drik giants, which had been laid waste in the ancient war between the giants and the dragons. However, the giant king was immortal, and possibly still dwelled within. The Outcasts agreed to the tasks. Using teleportation circles that the Dragon Prince had inscribed--and with a little help from the Dragon Prince when Lukar proved unable to use them, leading to a scolding from the Dragon Prince about Lukar's inadequate magical skills--the Outcasts transported themselves to the giants' city. Although the city might be in ruins, it was certainly not dead. Immediately upon their arrival, the Outcasts encountered two Spirit Trolls, which attacked the group. After dispatching the Spirit Trolls, the companions made their way to the chamber leading to the Emperor's archive, where they confronted two Iron Golems. These, too, fell quickly under the Outcasts' onslaught. Feeling confident from their swift victories, the companions passed through a portal into the Emperor's archive. Within, the Outcasts saw a library filled with scrolls and tomes of all description. Before the companions could begin their search for Lusseth's Almanac, however, they encountered the archive's guardian--a powerful golem called a Trobriand. Flushed and overconfident from their earlier victories, Twitch told Envy to cast Bane upon the creature, following which Twitch cast a Polymorph spell on it to transform it into a turtle. Twitch's overconfidence proved fatal. The Trobriand was immune to magic that would transform it against its will. Instead, the Trobriand raised a hand, spoke a word of immense and deadly arcane power--and, instantly, Yipping fell dead! Aghast, Twitch recovered herself and successfully cast Banishment on the construct, which gained the companions only a minute's reprieve. Twitch rushed to Yipping's side and--with The Traveler's blessing--cast forth the Revivify spell she had stored in her Ring of Spell Storing. It was enough to restore Yipping. Relieved, Twitch used as much healing magic as she could from her Staff of Healing to restore some of Yipping's strength while the other companions searched desperately for the Almanac. The minute Twitch's Banishment spell had bought the companions proved insufficient, however, and the Trobriand returned. After Lukar's skeleton minion was unsuccessful in containing the Trobriand in a Bead of Force, Lukar cast a Banishment spell of his own to exile the Trobriand for another minute. Again the companions searched desperately--yielding both a number of powerful books of knowledge, as well as the Almanac--and the group dove back through the portal, hoping that the Trobriand would not follow. On the far side of the portal, the group sprinted back to the chamber containing the teleportation circle, set magical alarms on the door, and summoned Leomund's Tiny Hut for shelter while they rested and recuperated. Blessedly, the Outcasts were able to rest undisturbed and recover their strength. The group discussed tactics--Twitch asked for The Traveler's blessing to be able to locate a creature such as the Trobriand if the group needed that ability--and then set out to find the other items. Descending into the bowels of the giants' city, the group encountered three stone giants standing guard in a narrow hallway. Despite Twitch's entreaty to try stealth or subterfuge, the group attacked the stone giants, and, after a pitched battle, brought them down. Mysteriously, Legion decided to take a sash from one of the giants that appeared to bear a family crest; although Twitch asked Legion about the item, she was unable to pierce his evasive answers. Beyond the stone giants lay a chamber containing the magical fountain the companions had been tasked to find. With the aid of Envy's Invisibility spell, Legion snuck into the chamber, gathered two vials of the fountain's waters, and left, all without being detected by the fountain's two storm giant guardians. The companions decided to go find the giant king's crown. Ascending the giants' tower, the Outcasts located massive doors leading to what they presumed to be the throne room. Once again against Twitch's better judgment, the group opened the doors--while Twitch used The Traveler's boon to turn herself invisible--only to discover two storm giants and the Trobriand within! Knowing the Trobriand's fearsome and deadly power, Twitch rushed forward and prepared a Banishment spell for when the Trobriand closed within range. Legion assisted by casting Silence on the Trobriand's location, which prevented it from using its deadly spell powers until it moved from within the Silence spell's sphere. Nevertheless, one of the storm giants stepped forward and unleashed a massive lightning bolt, which struck Twitch and several of the other companions. The damage caused Twitch to lose concentration on her readied Banishment spell. Cursing her luck, Twitch stood helpless as the Trobriand stepped forward--but as the Trobriand prepared to cast a spell, Lukar saved the group from the spell's consequences by casting a Counterspell. As the battle raged, Twitch was successful in casting a second Banishment on the Trobriand--only just barely defeating the Trobriand's own Counterspell--while Lukar's skeleton again succeeded in containing one of the storm giants in a Bead of Force. The magic of the Bead of Force rendered both bead and storm giant within with a weight that was little more than mug of ale. While Twitch hid, concentrated on her Banishment spell, and healed the fighting companions, Lukar's skeleton heaved the magically contained storm giant out a window. Meanwhile, the rest of the companions combined their might in bringing down the remaining storm giant. Time was short, however, as both the Trobriand and the beaded storm giant would not remain imprisoned for long. Legion rushed to the top of the stairs that led to a further chamber. What Legion saw within, however, was not revealed to the other companions. Instead, as the rest of the Outcasts moved to join Legion at the inner door, Legion stepped inside the door and closed it behind him! From the other side of the door, Twitch could hear Legion's muffled, metallic voice. "I need to speak with you," Legion said to someone or something within. Twitch's eyes bulged in disbelief. Mighty Traveler! she thought. What path have You set me upon now?
