Tof-240327-eric

We're getting ready to sail back to Binsogim, but a flying monkey shows up on the ship
- It's got a note that it hands me
  - It's from Myungja Guanyin, she says she's going to be in Tosanvik due to “a last minute meeting,” and that we should meet her there
    - We adjust course and head east
A few days into the sailing, about halfway through our journey, we encounter a shark person on a raft
- He's talking to an elf who is also on the raft
  - The shark is likely there to trade, so we pull up alongside to see what's what
    - He's selling spices and hard to find items
      - Ell buys some spice packets
        
        He's punching tickets to Flavor Town
      - I buy some Arcane Oil
  - The Elf says her name is Coraline Quickshell and she would like to come with us
    - She has a dog?
      - “Dog”
        
        She's an eel-thing
Riven Acciperan asks where we're going, I let him know we've changed course
- He is upset that we're “going to hang out with that pompous lizard” who cheats at poker
  - He wants us to drop him off at Hikou on the way, which is a little out of the way but alright
Coraline Quickshell is able to identify the huge fish that Ell caught as a Celestial Sturgeon
- Apparently its meat has magical properties, it makes you feel good / brave / etc.
  1. Sounds like it might be a hero's feast type item?
  - During the voyage, we discuss what happened with the fight last session
- Milhouse says he was investigating the rituals, he was curious about the materials
  - The runes were apparently made using powdered ruby, which is an uncommon substance in this part of the world
    - He believes this indicates some additional forms of fast travel that the cult is employing
      - He doesn't believe he did anything to trigger the summoning ritual to go off
- Drex brings up that there may be more of these runes in other cities
  - The cult could be planning to similarly destroy other towns in the area
    - The powdered ruby would be a lead we could follow
We drop Riven Acciperan off and make our way to Tosanvik
- We see Myungja Guanyin's ship when we arrive, along with another behemoth ship made of iron?
  - We ask around, and find that Myungja Guanyin is likely in the castle
    - We head that way
  - This castle is in much better shape than the one in Binsogim
    - The castle seems to be very elaborately decorated
  - We notice a small red pseudo-dragon following us around
  - A butler shows up to ask what we're here for
    - We let him know we're here to see Myungja Guanyin
      - He leads us to where she's playing cards with an elf Sylessa Baraxus, and a dragonborn Fiandraska Goldenscale
        
        We deliver our report on the situation
        
        The dragonborn seems to know Riven Acciperan
        
        Myungja Guanyin lets slip that Avercrumbie Finch's life has some relation to the amount of time before something seemingly important happens
        
        I let them know about the runes and the summoning, and our suspicion that this may be a threat to other settlements in the area
        
        Fiandraska Goldenscale straightens up at the mention of this, and he frowns when we mention the powdered ruby
        
        Fiandraska Goldenscale mentions that Avercrumbie Finch is going to want to see him, and that if he wants to get his signature then he'll have to bring him the heart of some ancient black-scaled dragon
        
        The dragon is in Kamangara, somewhere in the forests east of their capitol
        
        We could take a shortcut, a moon gate to the mirage?
Fiandraska Goldenscale asks us to burn down the university, without it tying back to him
- Offers us 500g each if we can do it
  - He found a discrepancy with their books after they asked for a budget increase
    - Someone is skimming off their rubies
      - He's going to let them rebuild, and we'll both be working to weed out the cult collaborators
We discuss taking the university job
- We go and pick up Milhouse who was there checking the place out
  - He tells us there are a couple of associates there who are connected to the powdered rubies
    - He isn't happy about us potentially burning down a place of learning, especially without investigating it ourselves
      - We decide to investigate it first
Drex, Fish-Kicker, and Crawn go during the day to check things out
- It sounds like it did not go well, as Fish-Kicker shows up in bird form and tells us that Drex and Crawn fell into some pit
  - We run off to try to catch up before it's too late
We get into the university, it's already crumbling and falling apart
- I yell for everyone to get out
- We find the beast with Drex in its coils, crushing him
  - I leap into the pit and attack it
    - It manages to grab me and starts crushing
    - The rest of the party continues attacking
      - Ell turns into a giant snake!
    - I hit it again, and then Misty Step out of its grasp to heal up
      - It looks really fucked up, so I jump back down and bury my sword in its brain
I ask them how they got into this mess
- Drex explains that someone who they thought was a janitor noticed them, and realized they might not belong here
  - He told them he was going to take them to “the special collections,” after saying he wanted to learn about ritual burial rites
    - He opened the door to a downward staircase, so they went down
      - The “janitor” shut the door behind them, and the stairs gave way
There's a side room we can investigate

session, TOF