05/08/5-10

The group continued down the surprisingly empty main road to Velimos. Sapphira, now without her mount, had taken the front seat of the wagon from where she could still keep watch. While there she noticed the same blue jay from last night had landed nearby and was eating some of the bugs from her swarm. She cast Speak with Animals and ask it to stop, but it refused, unless she fed him. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out some nuts and dried fruit and fed them to the bird. Sapphira asked it if it often roosted near people, and it said the small ones often feed him, but the large ones are not nice. Realizing she was talking about giants, she asked where it had seen them, but the bird said it hadn't, the forest has just told him about a big person to the east of here. She asked about anything else of interest and it listed a patch of darkness, an angry horse and the bears. Apparently one of the bears had been killed and they were not in a good mood. This continued until the spell ended.

07/08/5-10

The only notable thing the group saw was a wagon of grain, being escorted by a surprising number of knights, bearing symbols of Moratop. The party assumed it was due to the dangers they would have had to face in the valley of giants.

08/08/5-10

Around half-way through the day, about a mile away down the road, a caravan could be seen. Coming from the north side of the road, a huge individual approached the caravan, stopped there briefly, before picking something out of it and the returning north. The caravan then turned around and started travelling back from where they were coming. The party decided to hurry up before the giant returned and picked up the pace. Soon they had caught up to the caravan. They asked the man about what had happened and he told them it wasn't a robbery. He was just bringing some food to the fire giant lady, who was stuck there. Her name was Isra and she had been there for a bit without causing any trouble. The party thanked for his help and decided to speak with her, in case she knew anything about the missing fire giant girl - Hilda Firebrand. They veered of the road and back towards where the giant had gone. She was easy enough to follow and soon they could see a fire burning at the edge of a thicket near a lake. When they got closer, they could see the fire giant woman, in what would have once been, nice splint mail, but not tattered. She was roasting a deer on a spit with a large greatsword resting on the ground near her. When she saw the group, she stood up, grabbing her sword, but Valeyo convinced her, they were there to talk. They asked about the Valley of giants and any dangers. She told them they could start by being larger than their opponents, but barring that, to avoid Hill Giants, as they usually travel in group. When asked her name, she introduced herself as Isra Talonvar and when Valeyo asked if she was of the Barony of Reds, she became defensive, asking why they wished to know. Valeyo said it was the only clan they knew. She said she used to be a member of the Barony, but not anymore. When asked about what was causing the giants to be so up in arms, she said that the heir had absconded. Valeyo asked if she was claiming to be a princess and she lied that she was. Cassini and Sapphira knew from the etymology of her name that she had likely been a royal guard. Valeyo told her of the missing girl, Hilda, that Eletheria had been looking for and Isra got excited, saying that their friend might be close. The group messaged Eletheria, who said she was down in Goristri, but she was getting close to finding the girl.

10/08/5-10

The first thing that the group noticed when approaching Velimos was the expansive farmland spread near the river. The town itself was not walled, but boasted a large keep in the middle. It was around twice the size of Skalenvru's top layer. At the front of the cart, the little blue jay, that had been speaking with Sapphira, flew away towards the town, as they approached. The atmosphere upon entering was more intense than they had expected from a trade town. Guards were training and mustering to stations, the military presence being increased. The group found a travelers' tavern with stables, called the Bridge Inn, near the centre of town. A gnome man was behind the bar, and upon their entry said "Please tell me, you are not here for a room.". Valeyo just turned around and left the premises and soon after the group found another place they could stay, near the keep. A dragonborn behind the bar asked what they were looking for. They asked for rooms and were told there were only bunks up the ladder. Valeyo was not happy with this and asked why the city was losing its mind. The barkeep said people were scared to travel south because of a giant, so there was a kill squad being assembled. They told him they had arrived fine and he said people at the keep would want to hear that. Following the advice, the group entered the keep and found the person in charge, who appeared to be a half-orc man. They told him of their experience with the giant and the man was delighted to hear, she could be reasoned with. Valeyo said they could message her for him, if he could find them a place to stay. He agreed and Otto cast sending and in response Isra agreed to come to the town, as she didn't want to deal with being hunted down. The half-orc thanked them and then went in a back room, before returning with a map of the town where a building was circled and a key. He said this should be big enough for them, though he warned them it was recently seized. Valeyo asked if they were being sent to sleep in a murder site and he said it was nothing like that, just tax evasion. They followed the map which lead to a large town manor, near the entrance to town. There were archwayed entrances to the grounds and there was a covered area for wagons and horses. The furnishings were very nice, but the place had clearly been rummaged.

Valeyo, Sapphira and Milivoj headed into town to purchase some supplies and a horse, while Shiek remained to craft some poison and search the manor. As they left the house a human man walked up to them, dressed in quite nice clothes, but his hair and teeth were that of someone not well off. He looked at each of them in turn and said "Easiest 10 gold you will ever make, sell your body when you are dead.". Milivoj asked who they are selling their bodies too and the man pointed down the road, where at the side was a caravan. He said the mage Kallaia was buying people's bodies when they die. The group recognized the name as that of the Arcanist who had hired the group to kill the unicorn. The man told them he collected a commission and showed a stamp on the back of his neck, saying that was how the mage would collect the body. Valeyo asked to check it out, saying this had peeked his interest, while Milivoj protested saying the practice must be illegal. Valeyo told him of the educational cadavers in his College, which were protected from being raised as undead. On the way there, he urged the group to be careful, as he reiterated how horrible the Arcanists were. Milivoj asked why they were allowed to exist, if they were that bad, and Valeyo said to take it up with his King, who was one of the main patrons.

In the caravan, it immediately became apparent that the space was bigger on the inside that it looked. Standing there was a gold-skinned tiefling, whose horns had been cut off to flat stumps. She greeted them and asked if they were there to sell their bodies. Valeyo looked around and saw a symbol of the Conclave, asking if she was the arcanist Kallaia, which she confirmed, saying she was the arcanist of necromancy. They asked what she needed to bodies for, and she said she had a contract with King Jaromir of Malzem to create a workforce of undead, which didn't need to rest and can build and farm all day long. She wanted to use to rehabilitate necromancy's image, believing that once people saw how useful it could be, they would come around. Valeyo told her that was not a good idea and she called him short-sighted. He retorted saying that he was saying this with a very long look back at the history of his homeland, where it ended poorly for everyone involved, referring to Temeria and the Undead Court. Milivoj told her people in Dragomir and specifically the clans, would never accept it, but she believed they would. The group decided to leave, seeing they would not manage to understand each other. They purchased a horse for Sapphira

Back in the house, the group talked about potentially setting up the telescope again, as it was a full moon. They would use Otto's Tiny hut and some other spells to prepare, in case another creature was summoned. Right as they were about to leave, there was a knock on the door and a black haired Tabaxi with a small blue jay on her shoulder stood there. She looked at them and said "I am here to inform you, that the Order's investigation into Sapphira has been completed and we are aware she is not a vampire. As for your other afflicted companion, I suggest, you separate from him.". The party was surprised to hear they had been followed for so long, by yet another organization, but were glad this ended without a fight. Valeyo lamented being on the Order's watchlist and Sapphira still worried about Kalen returning, but they decided to instead focus on the problems at hand.

They all walked about a mile down the river and began preparing, when suddenly, Cassini felt a familiar presence apparated. Coiled a few dozen feet away was the same Quatl, that Cassini had seen in the temple of Sehenine in Skalenvru. It told them to stop what they were doing. Cassini quickly put the telescope in the dome and Valeyo asked the creature if it was there to steal the telescope again. It denied that and asked if they knew what its kind were tasked with. Valeyo said that they work in libraries and temples, protecting knowledge. The creature clarified that it was forbidden knowledge in particular, and their actions were grating on his mistress. Valeyo asked if she had sent it to stop them and it said it was powerless to do so, but he wasn't sent by her, she was not fully aware of what they were doing. After a brief conversation, it became clear that Sehenine didn't want Arvandor freed, but the Quatl believed that was due to a deception by Lolth the Queen of Lies. Valeyo asked about Cassini's eye and the serpent explained that at the Full Moon, there is a break in the absorption, when the Lord of Strife is at his most powerful, neither can see through the eye. When asked about the Cataclysm, it said it was uncertain if it was true, but it knew that Sehenine hadn't taken corporeal form in a very long time. It wanted its mistress to find balance again, but was worried, that if Cassini looked through the telescope Lolth, might pay note to that.

Despite the warnings, Cassini insisted on seeing things for himself and checking if the moon was cracking. The Quatl cast Sanctuary on Cassini and teleported away.