Our adventure resumed right where we left off—Waldo pulling Wrenn and the Mordenkainen book from the room after a chaotic fight with magical swords. Waldo managed to stabilize Wrenn’s wounds, and DU.EE stepped in with a potion to heal him up. Grabnar, in a clumsy fashion, let go of the swords and tripped over the ropes. One sword went flying, narrowly missing Lis, while the second lodged itself in the ceiling near Grixori.
Waldo and Wrenn quickly grabbed the ropes, wrestling the swords back under control. After several strikes, Lis managed to take out one sword, and after a team effort from Lis, Waldo, and DU.EE, DU.EE finally took down the second sword—his first real victory with his book flail! To top it off, he tried to hang the mangled swords back on the wall so that Coriander and Cumin wouldn’t notice the damage. With the battle behind them, the group took a much-needed short rest.
The Discovery of Liberty
Feeling rested, the group decided to investigate the adjacent room. Waldo immediately found another Mordenkainen book—this one marked with an “E.” That’s when we realized the books spelled out “L-I-B-E-R-T-Y.” (At this point, Grabnar, Lis, and Grixori were asked to step out of the room during the session.) DU.EE, Waldo, Wrenn, and Ferdinan rushed back to the castle entrance. With a shout of “Liberty,” Waldo reopened the portal, revealing the study we had come from. Only 10 to 12 hours had passed in the real world, and the room was oddly clean, with a strange smell of something freshly scrubbed.
As we investigated, a guard burst in, calling for Zor. Things escalated quickly when Zor began interrogating us, asking about a crime that had occurred while we were gone. Matreous had been killed by the venomous sting an Imp, who also stole a page from the very book we used to enter the other realm. The Imp also attacked Sprig after killing Mataris, making the situation even more suspicious. She perhaps survived by the Imp’s venom being all but spent on the lethal dose that had killed Matreous.
We tried to explain where we had been, with Ferdinand and Sprig vouching for us. Despite this, Zor remained skeptical and ordered DuU.EE back to his work at the gate, despite our efforts to keep him with the group. (At this point, Du.ee, Wrenn, and Waldo were asked to leave the room during the session, while the other group returned)
Grabnar, Lis, and Grixori decided to have a look at the Arboretum. Lis had an interest in capturing a Faerie Dragon. He even brought a large specimen jar with him. The three entered the lush garden with a bit of caution. It wasn’t long before they heard rustling ans snickering by unseen creatures in the foliage above. Lis moved forward, when suddenly a dazzling array of flashing, colored light burst forth out of nowhere. Lis and Grabnar were temporarily blinded, and the three immediately staggered back out into the corridor, with the sound of giggling ringing out from the treetops.
The Return of Grabnar, Lis, and Grixori
As the rest of the group returned, Lis, Grixori, and Grabnar came through the portal behind us, weapons drawn and ready to fight. Wrenn quickly called them off, reassuring them there was no danger. Their arrival through the portal backed up our story in front of Zor, who finally seemed to accept our version of events. Still, she left with a warning—we were being watched.
Lis, ever curious, wanted to see how others would react to him disguised as Matreous. The group made its way to the courtyard to figure out our next steps and how to solve the mystery of Mataris’ murder.
The Hearth and the Impersonation
Waldo decided it was time to reunite with Scale, his goat, and the group headed to The Hearth to track down Little One. Waldo made a grand entrance, trotting in on Scale as if it were completely normal. We found Little One, who was relieved to see us. He didn’t have any new information about the murder, though he mentioned the body had been taken to the morgue, located in the big tower.
While at The Hearth, the bartender spotted Lis in his Matreous disguise and called him out. Matreous, after all, was dead—and Lis’ behavior, like blowing up bottles behind the bar, wasn’t helping his case. The bartender requested Lis to come to the back room behind the bar, while the rest of the party watched from the fireplace and bar. Waldo, indignant at their treatment by Zor (particularly her attitude toward DU.EE) and by the confrontational stance of the bartender toward Lis, helps himself to a bottle of ale, and sits astride Scale in a position where he hopes to overhear Lis’ interaction with the bartender.
And that’s where we ended our session. What will happen next? Will the group figure out who the real culprit is, or will Lis’ charade get them into deeper trouble?