Day 21.2: Bubble dreams & deals

The party immediately charges in to help the old man. Mutu moves around the counter, ready to strike. Kiren decides on a more direct route over the counter. Great move…except for the ink on my ass (So much for those pants). Thankfully the creature doesn’t do much better, missing Mutu the first time (must have had soap in its eye LOL) but catching him with void dmg the next time. Charles pounds the creature with Holy Light for massive damage! Mutu inspires the group with his shimmy while Mutu/Him/Kien attack the creature Giving Charles time to destroy the creature with a Divine Lance [DEAD].

A young woman rushes down the stair as the old man collapses (her uncle). Charles heals the shopkeeper. The niece fusses over him claiming he needs to slow down or he’ll come down with the fever sickness too. The party learns people have been buying herbs from them as the niece mixes a concoction for her uncle. Charles discerns a combo of meds-herbs-and even a treat disease and make a suggestion to make it even stronger. Since Charles offered the help, she took it well and together they discussed other meds that might be beneficial as well. (Hopefully Charels is garnering even more information from her).

ACTUAL SHOPPING! The party gears up for the next round with dreamland creatures and Kiren casually mentions Geist got a letter from Moria wanting to meet with us. (Geist wasn’t happy). We decide to return to the Inn for food and discussion of where to go next. But not before Mutu adds a dance scarf to his ensemble! 

---

Professor Wreidt appears in time at the Inn (not sure whose time or when, but seemed to be there after we needed her before…ok my head now hurts). Anyways, she asked us to discretely (that leaves out Mutu) investigate a friend of Dr, Ritalsin’s – Dr. Victor von Rictus. She described some experiments on students resulting in an unusual phenomenon with spiderweb like black veins that was covered up. Then she started rambling about secret signs and threads for one who walks in both light and shadow (Charles?) and in the library shadows and black sand coming from the books and the Chem lab creature. Something about Tuesday (This Tuesday? last Tuesday? Next Tuesday?) Okay…my head hurts again. Then she described black sand coming from the walls and filling the room, which had my skin crawling (MY DREAM!) Then leaves. I think I got whiplash from all that and am more confused and concerned than before. 

---

After a discussion, we decide we should meet Moria at the library before sleeping and before going to investigate the concerns Professor Wriedt has about the academy & Dr. Rictus.

Down by the dock almost to the library we detect a shimmering in the air between us and the library (here we go again). Out of the disturbance a blue-eyed creature(?) steps out identifying us as the “Marked Ones”. Calls himself {MEMOOROS] a messenger from the Withering Man. Claims Moria is a memory thief and was trying to bind us to her will (according to him Bad). He wanted us to follow another path and make a deal with the Withering Man instead.

DEAL: Will shield us against the nightmares but will ask for 1 favor (as of now an unknown favor – BS) sometime in the future.

Party says they need to hear both sides before we can make a decision. While the discussions are ongoing, shimmers zip past him every now and again. (Feel like we are being set up). He claims we shouldn’t take too long to decide and dissipates. Except 5 creatures pop into existence. Yep. Set up. 

---

The party moves into action. Some days you are the bug, some days the windshield. Today the party was a flyswatter! With finesse like skills, the party locate and piece apart the five creatures. Even going invisible didn’t seem to help them. The creatures, at first confident, loose control quickly and in the end after watching 2 of their fellows splattered by Mutu and Him (Mutu has gotten quite good at his inspiring interpretive dance! – It must be the scarf!) try to run. But Kiren knows where they are. As does Mutu and Charles. Diana & Him are not sure, but when three party members surround a spot, it’s a fair bet. Diana’s Shadow blast destroys two in one strike and Kiren finishes off the last one.

NOW can we get to the library?