Ep23 began with Lylliannes taking her polar bear, Charlemaine out of the stables and teaching him how to dance in the hope of making a performance at the coming Spring Fair. Taking three hours to train the bear, Lyllianes used her Staff of Beast Commune to speak with Charlemaine and explain to him what she wanted him to learn as she showed him the steps and techniques. SIDE NOTE: To see the ruling regarding Animal Training in this scenario head on over to our facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HeartSphereQuest" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/HeartSphereQuest</a>. There is a post about this scenario and my homebrew ruling there as well as other information you may find interesting! The first hour was an immediate success (roll of 24 on a DC10) as Charlemaines enthusiastically attempted to learn the dance with the help of Lylliannes. Entering the second hour of training, Lylliannes rolled again on higher DC of 12, making a CRIT ROLL to total 26. Charlemaines wanted to please his new companion the best way he could and he diligently learned the steps she taught. The CRIT ROLL benefit lowered the next DC to 8 which Lylliannes easily succeeded on! To affirm the training, Lylliannes made one more Animal Handling roll which she succeeded in and Charlemaines now new the dance and could perform it anytime he, or Lylliannes desired. Having completed the training, poor Charlemaines was worn out. Taking him back to the stables, Lylliannes settled him and headed for town though, on leaving the stable, she was stopped by two wide-eyes girls who asked if the bear they had seen her with was hers and asking if they could pat it. With a chuckle, Lylliannes conceeded and allowed them a short time to see and pat Charlemaines before moving them on again to allow the bear to rest. As they ran off, Lylliannes heard them saying, "Wait till the others hear about this!" The Tiefling then headed to the Tanner to see how the saddle was progressing where she was told it was nearly ready and to come back in two hours. Not knowing where her new friends were up to she headed to the market where she bought a trinket for Charlemaines and spent the next few hours wandering around the town before returning to the Inn. Secure in the knowledge that he had captured the Mayor within the underground room, Jett made his way back to the Inn to look for his friends. However, seeing none of them about he changed course to the Apothecary to collect his vials of hallucinogenic liquid made from the mushrooms he had found on his way back from Ensburn, and to find out if the Gnome woman had identified the white powder. After testing it and asking a few of her trusted peers, she figured that the powder was crushed bone mixed with Kokha, a ground dwelling root weed that when dried, burned and inhaled creates a mind-altering affect. Not as powerful as the mushrooms Jett had found, she believed that the powder was probably used in a ritual of sorts to enter a state of mind enabling the user to become open to mental communication. The bone powder, he presumed, was possibly a sacrifical element to the ritual. Neither her, nor her peers, had seen such a powder in their years of profession. With the information gained, Jett decided to head back to the Inn to wait for the rest. After borrowing the scroll from the library, Tados made his way back to the Inn to inform the others of what he had found. On his way he met with Jett coming out of the Apothecary and he told the Elf a little of what he knew on thier way back to the Inn. Once seated and waiting, Jett decided to take out the four scrolls he had stolen from the chest and see what they were about. On opening and reading them, he saw that each was an antiphon to a deity named Zaphanna; the first being centered on offering of sacrifices and rituals being conducted to create a connection to Zaphanna, the second centered on killing the sacrifice and shedding its blood to create the connection, the third centered on praise and thanksgiving to Zaphanna for her power and her magnitude, the fourth centered appeared to be an ending prayer calling for her to be in the world and rule it. They were soon joined by Calico and Bardryn as they returned from the Cathedral. Calico politely bought Bardryn some ale and they all sat together while she drank. Having completed training with Jasper, Catsi made her way to an enchantment store to try and get the menacle bound to her by a spell taken off. Tiefling Twins greeted her as she entered and on looking at the menacle told her they could not help her but if she went to their older brother, Charisma, in Eaden he would be of help as he was more powerful than they. Once done, she asked if they had anything useful for blowing up Rock Trolls where she was directed to go see the Alchemist who could possibly help. Heading across town, she found the Alchemist store, run by an old Gnome man who appeared frail. The Gnome showed Catsi to his store of explosive powder where she bought a small keg of the powder and two canisters to put the powder in. Once all this was done, she headed to the Inn to find her friends already there and waiting. Once they were all together again, Jett told them of what he had found in the Mayor's house and that he had trapped the Mayor in the underground room. Disbelieving at first, he showed them the scrolls, mask, and key proving his claims to which they all were astounded that the findings were greater than they realised. Asfter hearing all that Tados had found about the Cult and its name - Zaphacism - they made plans to get assistance from Bartelot before returning to the Mayor's house so that the soldier could arrest him. Come five o'clock, Bardryn headed off to the Cathedral to keep her appointment where she found the Priest she spoke to earlier. Telling her to wait, he walked off and returned later with another male in tow dressed in robes of purple and yellow. Around his neck hung a thick gold chain on which a pendant of four circles surrounding a larger inner circle hung. Taking her down a spiral staircase, the Scholar lead her beneath the Cathedral two floors where the stairs ended in a room full of shelves of books and scolls. Looking at Bardryn he swept his arm out indicating for her to go ahead and look for whatever it was she wanted to research. Not knowing where to look she asked the Scholar if he knew anything about Zaphacism to which the Scholar's eyes went wide and he instantly put his finger to his mouth to indicate silence. Leading her down the shelves, they went to the far end of the room where he searched through scrolls until he came up with one, handing it to her. As she opened it she saw that it was written in runic letters she did not understand. Pulling out some parchement the Scholar writes that it is an ancient language used in the First Era that is no longer used in Primundu, however, he knows of an old Elven Scholar in Thyse Serin that could decipher it. Asking if she could take the scroll, the Scholar writes that he will have to ask the head Scholar. Leading her back upstairs he bids her wait as he walks off to get the Scholar. He returns shortly with a smaller fat male in the same coloured robes who questions Bardryn to why she wants to take the scroll. She says it has some information that she would find useful to a friend who is searching about a religion, to which he replies that she can take it as long as she brings back a copied translation of the scroll. Behind the head Scholar, the mute one shakes his head to Bardryn indicating for her not to. With permission granted she heads back out and makes her way to the Military Encampment to meet up with the others. The rest of the group heads to the Military Encampment where they speak with Bartelot about what has occurred. After a bit of convincing, and Jett showing Bartelot the scrolls, mask, and rings, he agrees to go with them to the Mayor's house to get the matter of their concern dealt with. On arriving, the front door is opened by a female who Bartelot addresses as Melicent and asks if they could speak with her husband, Jaxon (the Mayor). She agrees, inviting them all in and showing them to the seating where the Party first met Jaxon, before heading upstairs to the second level. She returns a few moments later with Jaxon following behind, still dressed in the grey piin-striped suit he wore earlier. The Mayor warmly greets Bartelot and asks why they are all there to which Bartelot explains the Adventurers believe that Jaxon was involved in a Dark Cult. Appearing shocked, Jaxon informs that they had been there earlier and told him of the same and that he knew nothing about the Cult. Bartelot produces one of the scrolls that Jett had gven him and asks Jaxon if he could have some letterss or such to compare the writing, and when Jaxon returns from his office Bartelot sees that the writing styles differ greatly. Jett then asks the Mayor if they could see the painting in his office which Jaxon reluctantly agrees to. They head to the office and enter where they see the painting is of mountain peaks capped with snow and the plaque underneath reads The Everlasting Peaks . Surprised by the change in the painting Jett searches it for the keyhole and any sign of mechanism that enables the change but finds none. Jaxon explains to Bartelot that the painting was made by his father and fixed to the wall so that it could not be lost. As Jett looks deeper at the painting, he whispers the name he prevously saw on the plaque " Vul'Torien H'Ul" and sees a shimmer of the darker painting superimposed on the newer one. He tries again speaking louder hoping that it will change the painting, however nothing happens and no one notices (low PERC rolls) any change except Bardryn who notices the painting becomes blurred before sharpening up again. In a last bid to prove his claims, Jett pulls out the two gold rings and the devil's mask and puts them on, speaking the name once more loudly. As he does so, a low CON Saving roll of 3, does not stop the power of the mask ripping his consciousness from his body and sending it hurtling through the sky toward the towering snowcapped crests of the Everlasting Peaks. He is pulled further in to the mountains where he sees the same dark mountain with the skull on it that was in the painting, and he speeds through the mouth of the skull, through dark stone corridors, and finally ends up caught within a crystal ball in a room filled with shelves of books, a forge at one end, and a bubbling laboratory on the other wall. Before him a drk form huddles before a desk lighted by many candles spread across the top of it, as it furiously scribbles with an ink pen. Back at the study, everyone is surprised when Jetts body suddenly falls limp to the ground. Though he is still warm and breathing, they cannot rouse him and conclude that somehow the mask has altered his consciousness. Using the occurrence to his advantage, Jaxon takes the mask off Jett proclaiming that it is dangerous and should be locked away, as Melicent begins telling them to leave and take Jett to a healer. Using one of his plot points - the first player to do so in game since the introduction of the points - Calico uses a spell slot to make a sending spell (while holding onto his Hold Person spell) to try and communicate with Jett. After a discussion the use of the point was allowed and Jett was able to inform the others of what had happened and where he was, telling them to make sure they get the rings and mask. While this was happening, Tados tried to use dispel magic on the painting which did not seem to do anything, and then used his experience in reading people for his performances he determines that the Mayor is not being truthful in his claims of not knowing about the painting, the mask, or the Cult. Once assured that Jett seemed okay, and seeing as they are not getting anywhere in proving their claims, they leave the Mayor's house and return to the Inn where the episode ended.