Session III

After having just won their gauntlet, and rescuing their dear acquaintance, Cat, our daring group, well partial group, for the reader will remember that Duke has been away securing information on The Dowfang's black account and, as of yet, has not returned, is asked, in no uncertain terms, to accompany two rather large gentlemen, both of whom we can confidently assume were in the employ of one Lorenzo Giobaldi. These gentlemen -- goons, as they may have been called -- escorted our trio up from the depths of the basement where the challenge was met and overcome, into the lobby, where we remind the reader of the decadence of both, it should be noted, the clientele and the decor and furnishings, and then up again to a room, not unlike the room of Mr. McGoughin, where we meet our trio's caller, Lorenzo Giobaldi.

Previously we but took a cursory glimpse of Giobaldi, not because we wished to leave him out of the narrative, but simply because we would come to a better moment in this story for which to describe him. So without trying our reader's patience overmuch, we will strive to do so now. Lorenzo Giobaldi was a squat man, rather short for the average of the day, it is said, and almost as wide, which would be rather unfortunate if he wasn't wealthy or infamous in his circles. His complexion was nearly pale, some evidence suggests like the pallor of death, but we will take this with a grain of salt and describe him as merely pale, not too pale that it is like looking through the abdomen of a glass frog, nor containing so much pigment that he could be mistaken for ruddy; merely pale. His hair was black, and stringy -- so most accounts say -- and always seemed to glisten with oil, or wax, or grease -- it is hard to determine, which. His eyes were a fair green, some likened them to the gleam of emeralds. He wore a fashionable mustaches, short neat and trim, some of the only facial hair our reports say he was able to grow. And it is this visage of our fellow, Lorenzo, that the trio are ushered in front of, a large desk between them, and Lorenzo if not angry, at the very least perturbed.

Our reader will forgive us if we admit that we are not so omniscient a narrator as to know the very words that transpired in that room between our subjects, however, we are also not so oblivious that we have not pieced together some semblance of what may have transpired. We know that Aerith, Cat, Cobb, and Lorenzo had a discussion. We know that the discussion became warm at one point. And we know that the trio left that room with a deal. Together with eye witness accounts of a 'demon' frog, and the trio's quick extrication from the premises, we believe that the party we, at first, in danger of consequences from Giobaldi, but, as our astute readers will remember, Cobb is a frog, who has already undergone one strange magical transformation, so perhaps he grew another eye as a result of some other strange magical phenomenon. At which point, the conversation became warm, and Cobb, having so far shown no knack for de-escalation, only made things worse. In the end, however, a deal was made and our trio agreed, the reader will no doubt be excited to know, to another illegal bout. This time in more of the 'gladiatorial tournament' style of illegalities. However, as our reader might have noticed, as well, we say eyewitness accounts of a demon frog, and the reader is correct, something did occur, the very reason we believe the conversation became so astonished in the closed room of Mr. Giobaldi, in the lobby of this complex of apartments: Cobb revealed himself whilst suffering from the grotesque effects of random magics, which set off a panic, which then saw our subjects whisked away into what we can only assume is a safe room, guarded by Giobaldi's so called goons.

What transpired next, our reader will be delighted to know, was of no consequence. The time was spent peaceably, with no attempts of buck against the hand that safeguarded them, that we can find evidence of, and they appeared back in the Beggar's Respite in under a couple of hours, where they supped and took rooms in that oddity of oddities of Anbaerin.

Now it should prove no surprise, that Cobb, ever the curious one, wanted not for questions when it came to the subject of the Respite. Particularly, Cobb wanted to know its secrets. With a rather inspired test, yet simple, test, Cobb determined that they were in an extraplanar space - another dimension, in other words. Not to mention that some of the patrons seen leaving defied mortal comprehensions -- Hippopotami, walking on two legs, clothed, and departing into an unfamiliar scene to the one our trio had come in from. The Goodwoman, Flo, that served our dear three was bombarded with questions, to which Cobb was told to speak with the 'Chef' if he wanted to know so badly. But he was not told how to speak with this 'Chef' nor where he or she could be found, which only increased Cobb's frustration.

This, however, was alleviated somewhat, as Cobb did something quite by accident, but being a wizard -- and not incompetent -- our froggish wizard discovered a unique magical quirk whereby he might fix the most immediate of futures by realizing a different one. If the reader is confused by this explanation, we humbly beg forgiveness, but also offer this solace: so was Cobb, for he understood not, at least not entirely, what had transpired. Instead, the malformed magical quirk he found, a 'hack' one may even call it, precipitated a series of magical randomness, whereby he also teleported, in front of a door, but teleported no less. To which we have reports that tells he rejoiced at becoming a 'god'. We will leave the assessment of Cobb's godhood to our astute readers, however.

The next day, Aerith received a message attached to a package with a tidy sum inside, nearly 100g in total -- a most generous sum -- from her supposed 'cousin'; one Mr. McGoughin. The note, we are pleased to be able to report to you our dear reader, was an inconspicuous thanks for a night of elevated excitement. This, plus the sum they received from Mr. Giobaldi, a not insignificant sum of 50g for information about who may have facilitated their interference in the night's gauntlet, sets the party at a considerable 150g, plus their own funds. A rather, uniquely profitable night of illicit activities.

We won't dare to bore our venerable reader with the daily morning tasks of toilet and breaking one's fast, which has not changed sufficiently enough to describe in its entirety. The reader may instead infer that their own toilet and fast-breaking would be quite similar to what occurred, and we hope this reader, our beloved patron, will be satisfied.

No, we should then endeavor to follow the account of the party, such as it is, still just the three, with our Duke, in given name only, mysteriously, and otherwise, occupied with gathering intel on this black account of the Dowfang's -- so the party of friends supposes.

The first order of the day, apart from Cobb's curiosity concerning their most hospitable hostess and host, Flo & the Chef, for we must encourage our reader to keep this most forefront in their mind whenever our dear Froggish companion thinks of or is at the venerable Beggar's Respite, was, indeed, a mission of Cobb's own choosing. That being, due to Cobb's incredible, wise or otherwise, paranoia concerning Arcanists, particularly that most prestigious institution, The Arcanum, to find books or spells that might be purchased with good, solid currency, that might remedy his current predicament -- that of being a frog. As such, he desired to go where the magic flowed -- so to speak -- and so they found themselves in the Second Tier, High Town -- as it was and still is called.

Now, for our readers who are not experienced with High Town of Anbaerin, we shall endeavor to paint the picture. High Town, only one step removed from the Silver Spires of the Royal Palace of the House of Anbaer, home to Lord Eldric II, at the time, gleamed, if not of silver, of white. High towers filled with apartments, capped in brass, bronze, and some with golds or silvers, lined the walls and streets, interrupted by immaculate gardens, and nature paths, and grand white-stone estates. The guards of the tier patrolled the streets with pride and where always within sight, ensuring the safety of the city's citizens. And while it is true that no citizen, or, indeed, wayfarer, may be barred entry into the Second Tier, it is also true that the less fortunate did not venture often into High Town. It is said that there is was a strong sense of affluent pride, which can be understandable, and those of lesser socio-economic bearing were not entirely welcomed, and to some degree derided or shamed, which is quite ungentlemanly. Two notable exceptions exist, that is on the note of the wealth-deprived venturing into High Town, and that was The Arcanum and the Temple District. For neither institution held such aspersions of character for those who patronized them, at least not on the institutional level.

With this firmly in mind, it will not surprise our dear reader that upon entering a magical establishment, that is a shop specifically designed for the sale of magical paraphernalia, that they were promptly and summarily dismissed from the shop by it's owner. And, we have on good confidence, and some leaps in judgement based on the characters of our heroes, and some context, that they then designed for themselves to come back under stealth of night to purloin the goods of this seemingly snobbish proprietress. But having nothing else to do at the moment, they went on their way.

Aerith, now being in proximity to the Temple District, interrupted their hunt for a magical explanation -- and in truth, hope for a cure, of Cobb's predicament, to gain information on a most personal and pressing subject to herself -- what happened to her connection to the goddess Septur?

So, then, upon gaining directions, taking the local public transit, and finding herself in the district of temples, she forwent attending the Temple of Union -- that is the temple of both Sylvaril & Ishtariel -- and found herself in the Temple of Light. It is here that we meet Brother Edson, the Brightness Parfi, and Radiant Abernathy. Our worthy, Aerith, felt at home, but also a sense of pain, seeing that people still congregated and worshipped the goddess she loved. Upon meeting with Brightness Parfi, and upon his Brightness learning she was a cleric of Septur, Aerith was encouraged to stay a while and meet with the Radiant.

In this meeting, Aerith, his Brightness, and the Radiant, convened to discuss the goddess. Aerith, wished to know if both the Brightness and the Radiant, still felt the call and power of the goddess, to which both graciously acknowledged that they, indeed, were still filled with the goddess' blessing. After more conversation, they also explained, that there had been an unfortunate rash of excommunications from their goddess, but took the position of those of faith and questioned not their goddess' will. Upon hearing, this, Aerith asked of a blessing from the goddess, and was given one. And she was also given the last known addresses of the clerics coming to the temple seeking much the same information.

It is outside, however, that we can confidently tell our readers, that Aerith was none too convinced with the Radiant's explanation -- especially in light of, as she communicated to our other worthies, Cobb and Cat, that Septur is a goddess of revealing light, uncovering the truth no matter the cost, which the Radiant, a man of faith that should have known this, strongly cautioned Aerith against telling others that she was excommunicated as a cleric of Septur.

With this firmly in mind, the party of heroes, again sans our worthy Duke, and again, duke in name only, descended into The Bazaar, the Third Tier, deep in discussion with each other, whereupon they were nearly accosted by a man with freakishly large ears running from an establishment, followed by the most ridiculous, or perhaps unfortunate, or voices calling, "Yeah! You better run...! From these deals!"