Siriel

When last we left our heroes, they had just left the cave after bothering a god. Once they exit, Zack uses his psychic powers to seal the entrance for...some reason. I really don't know, and I don't believe anyone in the group ever knew that he was responsible for it. All it really accomplished was stop anyone from going back in and try to get the Orb.

They return to Komerfest, now that it's not being besieged, and are warily welcomed once they announce that they're acquaintance of Taris (who is now something of a hero for being part of an effort to beat back the army when it managed to breach the gates.).

They promptly head to report to Taris for that quest they took yeeaars ago (ok just a few months IC) to investigate the Enlightened Flame (and they receive payment; the first time in the history of the campaign that they actually increase the amount of things they have), and also see if he maybe knows anything about that deserted town. He does not, and generally seems quite tense at any mention of the supernatural, requesting that they not mention it in his house. He does direct them toward an acquaintance who might be able to tell them more about what happened...an acquaintance that lives outside of Goldar, the first sign in the campaign that they might escape the frozen hellhole.

Unfortunately they insist on mentioning supernatural stuff, and he evicts them from the premises (though he notes Tasha is allowed to come back if she wants).

Still, despite having alienated yet another ally, the party is in fairly high spirit and heads to the inn where they plan to rest.

After this is accomplished and the group is back at the inn, Corim detects someone apparently spying on them and promptly jumps out the window to catch them. This starts a rather amusing and nonsensical sequence where almost everyone jumps out the damn window to follow him despite having no idea why he did it in the first place, while the few exceptions look on in bemusement as to why everyone is jumping out the window.

At any rate, Corim finds a young girl with golden hair named Karai, who speaks in golden text. OOC this draws some interesting speculation regarding a possible link between Karai and Kiira; weirdly none of them notice the naming pattern.

Despite her being slightly annoyed at the fact that someone just jumped out a window toward her and a seeming unfamiliarity with the language (she speaks like someone reading from a book) she manages to communicate that no she wasn't spying on them and doesn't care about them.

While Corim and Solomon follow her out of suspicion, another part of the group head out to buy things, which Tasha's player generously offers to handle; I let him do it with the note that he should tell me if anyone uses supernatural abilities.
Zack does, repeatedly, for no reason. Because of course he does. I promptly roll die to detect and open roll, which as we will find out is not good for the group.

Meanwhile, Team Pursue Karai catches up to her as she and a taller man appear to be discussing what they should do next; they overhear that the man with Karai is searching for Sheridan (an NPC from waaayyy back in the prologue) and appears quite determined to find him, though he claims to be contract-bound to not say why.

The duo originally refuses to say what they know about Sheridan (which isn't much) and the man is about to depart when Karai speaks up and offer a trade; if they talk about Sheridan, she'll tell them about a danger targeting one of their party members.

They point the duo toward Taris, and in exchange Karai reveals that the group of mages responsible for Tasha's curse is looking to capture her when they leave the city, though if the group hurries they can leave before they're gathered together.

Some strange things happen that don't make much sense with the emergency, like Solomon and Corim getting drunk, but eventually the group gets it together and leaves the city. They decide that they'll rest at Ark's house, figuring that it's the safest place they know about and that their pursuer might not think to look for them at.

They head there, and that's where things go south.

Next Time: Zack, stop using psychic powers!

Note: If you're keeping track, the only NPC they haven't antagonized yet is Ark.