Sad Tidings, Healing Waters

Before Safad could begin, another voice broke the silence. It was hopeful and joyous as it asked,

"Heathayla...is she just behind you then?" It was Davna, walking through the crowd, craning her neck to see catch a glimpse of her love coming through the door. 

"Heathayla?" she called out again, confused. 

One look at Dala'gse's face told her everything. 

"No. No. No, it's not--why are you looking like that...no." She started shaking and High Madame Surnal rushed to wrap an assuring arm around her as she led her and the others outside. 

Dala'gse explained that Heathayla had been cursed and stumbled into the Mootscarp in labor where he helped a Night Wing midwife deliver the premature baby. They were charged by Bhin and Ledo to deliver Heathayla and the child to Melarn's Door, but as they were making the crossing, a band of Hark attacked and Heathayla was lost in the struggle. They tracked her down, and--at the point Falka interjected--at great cost to their own health and resources managed to slay the vicious Hark themselves. Dala'gse nodded but said it was too late for Heathayla. 

"We failed," he said mournfully, "but we brought you this," he explained as he knelt to the ground to unwrap the smoked and pickled corpse of the baby. 

Davna grabbed the infant to her chest and sobbed into the charred remains. 

Selanie held her and thanked them for their efforts, while Dagnar suggested they all give the woman some space and retire to Becky's. There they explained what had happened on the Night of 500 Arrows, as they freed the Hark fanatics from the clutches of their corrupt ruler, Di Brigawn. They explained that the Hark goblins had forsaken the name and would take back up their old ways, as the Jooschaggi.

Recognition crossed Dagnar's face at the word--yes that is what they used to be called. This was momentous news indeed, and bought a round of peatsmokes. They celebrated their reunion, despite the sad tidings, and proceeded to get very drunk. 

Everyone attempted to pour the pungent cheerwine into Safad's drink but Rook and he were on the lookout and steered clear of over-imbibing. Rya fended off drunken suitors and left with one--to take him back to his room, she swears, nothing happened! Falka diverted a solicitous flirt from Slothrop to go check on the drunkard, and hoped that something would indeed happen. Dala'gse cozied up to Becky who took a liking to the dwarf. He went to help her in the back room. Safad played it cool with a spurned Alicia and chatted up Dagnar at the bar.

Falka took the Hark's scepter and journal to a table and studied the journal, evoking a grim pscyhometry--which launched her into a strange reverie. She could see the journal being written and an obsessed Di Brigawn scratching every infant hash mark into her book. Brutal. 

They eventually called it a night and slept in Rya and Safad's quarters. 

At dawn they tried the Door of Melarn's Door again, with them all present this time, but nothing happened. Malice in their hearts? Not us! Well if this stupid door won't let us in, let's go kill this bastard monarch!

Safad finally told his story about growing up with sorcery and learning from the wizard Bandur the Wise. Dala'gse had a final tryst with Becky. Rya had a farewell talk with Undoos. 

Then they left, heading south to Dragonspear, on the way to Candlekeep. 

As they passed the Boiling Lake, an offended Dartajon reared up out of the shallows and demanded a gemstone payment for the affront on his dignity when Falka shot at him. She hucked a gemstone into the water and told him to go fetch. He laughed and told her he liked her foolish gumption. He wished Rya and Safad well and told them to watch out the elf didn't get them killed. He gave them a departing gift of some stone that he said would block the thermal vents in a series of hot springs along the trail, making them suitable for bathing. 

They turned south, and ran into a group of Red Tusk, bathing in one such spring, hiding from their wives, they claimed, and drinking Dun-kan. They offered them some and Dala'gse stripped down and joined them in the pool, wrestling a friendly one underwater. The party watched on, mystified by this strange island dwarf. They left with a bottle of Dun-kan, and the orcs told them to look out for their tribesmen who were huntin a griffon nearby. 

The party departed and walked until they grew tired. They found a hotspring of their own and a tossed Dartajon's rock in. The water cooled and as they waded in, they saw the night sky reflected in the pool was different than the actual night sky: all of their star signs were visible in the reflection, as though Arumbelle were speaking to them. 

As they sunk into the water all their weariness washed away--their blisters, cracked skin, callouses all healed.

They rested well that night.