2nd May 2021 - Session 11 - The Tower of Zephyros - Ciara

Bright and early, the day after the party, Kella knocks on the cottage the adventurers are staying in.  She is looking for the horses loaned out to them to save the villagers.  After some "helpful" suggestions on how to do introductions from Dunbarr, Kella decides to ignore him and gather the horses herself.  She wanders out to the field next to the cottage.  As she starts to gather up the animals, Dunbarr starts negotiating with (and secretly distracting) Kella by offering up all the shiny things he can think of.  This gives the wily Graupel time to sneak her disguised horse out of Kella's grasp.  Dunbarr starts to get excited that he might finally offload his matching salt and pepper shaker but it all amounts to nothing but talk. 

Morak arrives in the town square with a bundle and Bearnabus takes the opportunity to hit him up for some requests.  He jumps at the opportunity to help the people who saved his life and his village.  In the end, he provides Bearnabus with:

2 lodestone + a healer kit

He also provides Dunbarr with a little parcel for the group to say thank you:

10 throwing axes, 3 potions of healing, 5 javelins, an intricate dagger with Auril carved into the side of it (+1) and a short piece of parchment saying the following:

These brave adventures have performed a heroic feat in saving the villagers of Nightstone and our village owes them a debt.  Please know they are honourable people and deserve safe passage in the Mines of Mirabar if they ever need it.  

Morak Ur'gray.

As these items are being handed over, in rolls a very firm looking cloud holding up a hat topped tower.  The hat adds quite the flourish as it floats into the town 1000ft in the air.  Dunbarr raises his horn to his lips and releases an almighty sound.  Dipple and Graupel hear the sounds and head to the town square.  Kin decides it's best to start the day on a full breakfast and stays to finish his well-earned tea before tidying himself up and heading to the square.  

In the town square, magical cloud stairs designed with human-sized steps descend from the cloud.  After much debate about the dimensions of the individual steps, stair height, cloud height and anything else worth measuring, they decide to climb.  Graupel is careful to bring the horse she invested a lot of espionage in retrieving.  As they ascend, Bearnabus takes a few minutes to use her most recently acquired magic powers to mend Blunty back into Sharpy.  The mending proves successful and it looks like Dunbarr won't have to suffer the severe psychological damage of losing his axe.  

As they reach the top of the stairs, they see the slippered feet of a giant appear at the top of the tower entrance.  They hover lower and lower until they touch down on the ground.  In front of them stands a tall billowing wizard cloud giant with a purple cloak covered in silver stars.  He has a long grey beard and a tinted purple skin.  Dipple takes it upon himself to introduce the group to this new ally.  The giant's name is Zephyros and he was expecting their company (or so he claims).  

The group ask why cloud giants were attacking the city.  Zephyros seems very confused by this line of questioning and is unaware of any other cloud giants in the area.  He does know there are very few flying clouds left in the world and they mostly come from the spine of the world.  Graupel is familiar with the cold and barren land along the spine but doesn't have any knowledge of the cloud giants there.  Zephyros isn't aware of the history of the Nightstone but remembers that it was thought to be a relic from a time when giants ruled all this land.  

Zephyros has heard of this band of adventurers from the planar elements which he alludes to.  He thinks they are on an important mission that might impact giant affairs.  Without asking many questions, he decides to help them on their quest and dissipates the cloud stairs without a second thought.  He indicates that they should settle themselves in on the ground floor and ask that they don't travel to the upper levels.  The adventures have many questions on how he knew they were coming and who they were.  They also want any details he has on the mission they are on.  However, Zephyros seems to lose interest at this point.  He tells them the details do not concern them and its impact is on the ordning.  He invites them to help themselves to food and settle in for the 11-day trip.

Over the next few days, the adventurers have a whole bunch of less than helpful interactions with Zephyros.  He seems absent-minded and at one point goes searching for his griffon while they are asleep upstairs.  

On the 3rd day, Zephyros received some visitors.  A crowd of cultists fly in on giant vultures and announce their arrival.  N'von is the leader and has come to speak with the cloud giant on behalf of Yan-C-Bin, Prince of Evil Air.  Each rider wears a steel helm that covers their eyes and resembles a stylised bird head.  They wish only to speak with Zephyros.  As with most problems in the lives of the adventurers, the encounter starts with Dipple attempting to use diplomacy.  Things escalate but the cultist is more focused on negotiating with Zephyros than messing with the adventurers.  The cultist offers Zephyros pixie dust as a gift so he will listen to their proposal.  They want the world returned to its primordial state and think the chaos in the ranks of the giants is the perfect time to achieve that.  They are recruiting giants to their cause.  Zephyros is happy to listen to their proposal and takes them upstairs to discuss.  He feels it would be best to consult with the planar elements. 

Left on their own in the room below, the group work on a scheme to hear more about going on.  Bearnabus transforms into a giant spider and carries Graupel up the wall and across the roof into the room above.  There they find a bed, a chest and orb that looks like it is used to move the cloud.  They continue up the tower to the Aerie.  Inside the giant Zephyros seems deep in meditation and the cultist seem to be happy to wait on the outcome.  There are also a few griffon in the chamber.  Then the characters head back downstairs so they don't get caught disobeying a direct request from Zephyros.  In the end, the wizard giant decides that the wishes of Yan-C-Bin do not align with his own and the cultists leave.

A few days pass quietly as the group travel to Triboar.  On the 7th day, a huge silver dragon glides through the crowd, approaching quickly.  It is clutching a number of armoured dwarfs in its talons.  Dipple calls out to the dragon but he is completely ignored.  The dragon drops off 6 dwarves and flies away to perch on the top of the tower. Dunbarr doesn't recognise them. 

And there the session ends.