Thunsheer 29, 835
“How?” Sarielle asked, looking down at Tok’s body. “He was just alive…”
“I am sorry for your loss,” a shocked guard offered, motioning for the other to head up to the roof, “but transporting a creature like that here is reckless at best. Think of how many people could have died if it was still alive. Who are you and how did you come to be here like this?”
“You are correct,” ACHU admitted, “it was rather reckless of my friend. If we had been together, there would have been no need for it. My name is ACHU. Pleasure to meet you, friend. We were in a haunted tower named Betrayer's Rise, but myself and my old friend Tymlor,” ACHU gestured to the old drow looking down from the roof’s ledge, “were separated from my little feathered friend. We teleported here to rescue him and our new friend, Sari. Luckily we came, or they both would be dead.”
Turning to Sarielle, ACHU replied, “As far as I know, new friend. It looks like he dove off the rooftop to escape the creature you were fighting.”
“While I don’t know the full story,” Sarielle added, rising to stand next to ACHU, “I can confirm he is telling the truth. I was in Betrayer’s Rise with our friend Tok, when we were suddenly attacked by two very powerful creatures. Without our other allies, Tok was forced to use a tablet to teleport us here. We did not know it would teleport us nor would teleport one of the creatures, and to a crowded space as this. I can assure you, we meant no harm, although I understand if that’s hard to believe. That’s all I can remember as everything went dark shortly after and I was still atop that building.” She gestured towards the building.
“I was dead?!?” Sarielle mouthed toward ACHU.
“Yes, new friend,” ACHU replied, “but the Everlight and our new merchant friend over there,” he gave a thumbs-up gesture to the merchant who had traded the diamonds, “helped me to bring you back. Luckily Tymlor threw you off the roof. Once you spend too much time in the afterlife it can be hard to bring someone back. Most who are accepted into the Everlight’s embrace choose to stay. I did have to trade your swords for the materials required for the spell though.”
“I would rather have my life than a few swords,” Sarielle agreed. “I am indebted to you.”
Kneeling down to Tok’s body, Sarielle added, “I am also indebted to you. While I may not know what happened and I know you cannot hear me, you no doubt played a role in me being alive today. Thank you.”
“My name is Rodolpho,” the guard interjected, looking even more confused, “member of the Hand of Ord. I am assuming you are not from around here. You mentioned the Everlight, and you brought someone back from the dead. I can only assume you are a cleric, yes?”
“It is true,” Rodolpho added to Sarielle, “one cannot wield a sword when dead.”
“Oh yes, it's my name,” ACHU clarified for Rodolphi, “ACHU, Automated Clerical Healing Unit. Pleased to meet you Rodolpho. Again I apologize for disturbing your city's peace. Where exactly are we?”
“You are in the Suncut Bazaar in Ank'harel,” Rodolpho answered. “How did you appear here if you don't even know where you are? Someone in your group must have known the destination.”
“Oh, you mean our karate friend, Question,” ACHU surmised. “She is a member of the Cobalt Soul, like our old friend Tymlor.”
“The Cobalt Soul you say?” Rodolpho nodded.
Questioned jumped down from the roof, gracefully slid down the wall, and approached Rodolpho. “Good day. As I no doubt my friend here has already said, we are sorry for the disturbance. They are new here and we were in an incredibly deadly place. Clearly from the fallout he was in a desperate place when he activated the teleportation tablet. I also lost members of the Soul in there.”
“Indeed.” Sarielle agreed. “Plus I hope my life is worth more than a few swords. I don’t believe I introduced myself Rodolpho. My name is Sarielle. I apologize for the scene we have caused.”
“It's hard to say well met given the circumstances,” Rodolpho acknowledged, “but hopefully future meetings will be…less eventful. That aside I am glad at least your cleric was able to save at least one of you and no civilians were hurt.”
“Question of the Cobalt soul,” Rodolpho addressed the monk, “under normal circumstances, I would drag everyone here in for questioning, however, if you can assure me this was a fluke I will leave them in your charge and I will come by the Soul later to get a statement from you.”
“Of course,” Question responded. “I will be at the Soul giving my report to them from my travels. I will be there and I will let them know you are coming. Thank you for being so gracious.”
“One report is better than filling out what,” Rodolpho tried to count the newcomers, “how many people do you have up there? Six? Seven?”
“I haven't actually counted,” ACHU replied with a giggle. “There's Demot, Maggie, Ayo, Galsariad, Irvan, and my old friend Tymlor that would be six!”
“So nine reports!” Sarielle added, using her fingers to count.
“Eight more than I feel like filling out,” Rodolpho admitted with a slight chuckle, relaxing a bit at Question’s presence.
“Oh yes,” ACHU reiterated, “I forgot to count us. That would be nine. Thank you, Sari!”
“I have never seen the likes of either of you before,” Rodlpho addressed ACHU and Sarielle. “You have seemed pleasant. Please keep it that way. We have enough trouble with our local hellraisers. We don't need ones teleporting in from deadly places around the world with monsters in tow.”
ACHU held his hand out to Rodolpho. When the guard embraced it for a friendly handshake, ACHU leaned in closely and whispered, “If there are agents of darkness here, I will help spread the light. After we bury our friend, come find me for assistance.”
“Well, we do have a few,” Rodolpho replied, slightly caught off guard, “and help will always be appreciated. I don't know if you know this but we often work with the Cobalt Soul. So you are in good company if you are sincere about what you say.”
“I am ever in the company of the Everlight,” ACHU continued, “and would love to help friend Rodolpho.”
“Then I would question your cobalt friend,” Rodolpho gave a small smirk, “about how you can help. I am sure they have things you can help with and it would give you more flexibility than joining us. Though to be honest from what I have seen I think I wouldn't mind you working with me.”
“Thank you, friend Rodolpho,” ACHU responded. Then he looked up to the roof and called out, “We're all clear down here, Tymlor and Ayo. I have made a new friend, Rodolpho.”
“I wish you the best ACHU,” Rodolpho added, “and please, try not to bring any more monsters into the city. The paperwork is a nightmare.” He waved toward the people on the roof and began to walk away.”
Looking down from the roof, Tymlor saw a sprawling city surrounding the bazaar and to the east were large purple and blue spires around a very ornate-looking building. On the roof was a narrow trap door. Tymlor stepped off the edge and floated down to the ground.
“Everlight, you saved this soul please allow me to get them out of danger,” ACHU intoned, placing a healing hand on Sarielle. “There, Sari, you should be feeling a little better now.”
“I think this is one of the best feelings I’ve had in a while compared to everything that has happened recently,” Sarielle indicated. “Thank you.”
Ayo led her companions through the trap door, down a latter, out of the building, and out to the bazaar. The building they emerged from was a slightly seedy-looking tavern named First Eclipse.
A familiar-looking kenku arrived behind them. It was Tik, Tok’s brother. He said he had been training under The Raven Queen for months until he was sent here by the Seelie Archfey Lady Titania and seemed eager to overthrow the evil that had taken his brother’s life. With him was a sprite familiar named Leery.
Question said a temple to The Raven Queen could be found in the Guided District. Tymlor gave Tok’s possessions, including his ring and hunter’s cloak, to Tik and cast Floating Disk to carry Tok’s body.
Before departing to brief the Cobalt Soul at their local headquarters, Question gave Tymlor a scroll containing a map of Ank’Harel.
The Clockwork companions passed through the Sigil district to the Guided district and eventually found the Raven Queen’s temple. On the way, the companions shared their adventures with Tik and discussed Sarielle’s Changeling heritage and lack of memory prior to Bazzoxan.
When they arrived, they met Brother Zadir who helped prepare Tok for the funeral pyre and oversaw the ceremony. Tik and Tymlor gave eulogies, Tok about his brother’s upbringing and hardships, and Tymlor about his role in converging against the coming catastrophe and having fulfilled his destiny by ensuring they reached their destination when they did.
Seeking lodging, Zadir recommended the Harried Mongoose in the River District. On the way, the companions stopped at Kruuk’s bakery, where Kruuk, the half-orc proprietor, tried to sell them overpriced mediocre pastries until Tik showed his presence and negotiated a better deal.
When they reached the Harried Mongoose Tavern, a rustic but nice crystal domed structure, they grabbed tables and were served drink and meat pies by Selena, the female human barkeep.
Tymlor wanted to do some research at the Cobalt Soul’s library, which they learned was in the temple of Ioun in the Guided District.
They were greeted by Thalador, a male elf, who fetched a male half-orc named Iwo Zalarre, who brought them upstairs.
When asked about the Consortium of the Vermilion Dream, Iwo explained that they were a secret occult society obsessed with acquiring magical artifacts, that they usually hung around First Eclipse in the Suncut Bazaar. When asked what type of artifacts they might most be interested in, Iwo refused to reveal any specifics for fear of non-members learning of this secret.
Tok asked about joining the Cobalt Soul, and Iwo said they would first have to prove themselves and said he had just the mission. Leading the Clockwork companions out to a balcony, he pointed down to a pale, robed wizard covered in numerous piercings and carrying a staff topped with a serpent’s head carving. Iwo claimed that he was a cultist of Zehir the Cloaked Serpent, one of the Betrayer Gods. He wanted to know why he was in Ank’Harel and recommended following him to his home.
The companions departed the temple, Tymlor expressing concern that Ayo and her friends might be in greater jeopardy than they realized if they tried to unknowingly confront Aloysia in the Consortium’s headquarters.
Tik briefly confronted the wizard nonchalantly, but the wizard abruptly flagged down a carriage and departed. Tik had Leery stow away in the wagon to follow the wizard.
At Tymlor’s insistence, they returned to First Eclipse. Changing into the form of a human woman, Sarielle entered first alone, engaging the blue dragonborn barkeep in conversation. Two minutes later, Tymlor, ACHU, and Tik entered, grabbing a table.
The barkeep eventually revealed that Ayo’s group had been there, but left. ACHU pointed out that one of the barrels behind the bar was sticking out and bore a symbol of a red crescent moon.
When they departed, Tymlor sent his owl to scout the area. It soon alerted the artificer that it had spotted Maggie and they found her outside the Golden Chip, the tavern where they had rented rooms.
When they returned to the Harried Mongoose, Leery said the wizard was staying at an apartment in the Sigil District. They rested for the night, preparing to resume their mission in the morning.
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