Another Astral Year
Written by Mike
The Talons departed Porta Sacura, setting out across the sea in their magical, sea-worthy wagon towards Rehoth Landing on the continent of Tharuunden. Drez captained the wagon, while Tagg sat beside him, fishing. Meanwhile, Nohki, Xerxes, and Vance relaxed inside, enjoying light-hearted conversation.
During their banter, Nohki mused that if given a fortune to spend in a short time, he'd sample all kinds of different foods. When the group discussed desires that might not be worth the trouble, Vance quipped, "Women!" Ah, kids really do say the darndest things.
Tagg attempted fishing with a makeshift pole crafted from his spear, taking care to avoid tangling the line on the wagon. Despite his efforts, Tagg found better success using his Shape Water spell, conjuring a hand of water to scoop fish directly from the sea.
As the wagon approached Rehoth Landing, Tagg's Shape Water spell netted an unexpected catch-- a potion. Moments later, a merman named Ricardo surfaced, explaining that the potion was his and had been taken inadvertently. Ricardo shared that he resides in Kale City, an underwater metropolis, and, much like Tagg, sells potions crafted by the Platinum Talons' docent, Candice Cully. The two exchanged potions before Ricardo returned to the depths.
Before the wagon could reach the shore, a storm rolled in, dark clouds churning ominously overhead. A colossal eyeball appeared within the tempest, launching beams of light at the wagon. Drez's expert piloting avoided most of the blasts, though one grazed the wagon's side without causing significant damage. The danger escalated as a massive whirlpool formed, drawing the wagon into its clutches. At the whirlpool's heart, a gaping mouth full of razor-sharp teeth swallowed the wagon whole.
Instead of meeting their doom, the Talons found themselves aboard the Moonlight Carnival boat in the astral plane, greeted by the enigmatic Midnight Duo-- Adalair and Trixie. The heroes engaged in a game of "In Jeopardy," with the team of Vance and Xerxes emerging victorious over Nohki, Tagg, and Drez. Their prize? An Orb of Ctrl+Z. After the game, the Midnight Duo offered to answer some of the Platinum Talons' questions.
The group discussed the No%#hhging, a reality-tearing anomaly discovered near Nohki's childhood home. They learned it poses the greatest threat to Fynali, existing in multiple locations. Crucially, it is not caused by the powerful shards of darkness the Talons have previously encountered.
Suddenly, the storm's giant eyeball reappeared, this time attacking the Moonlight Carnival ship alongside other figures who transformed into dragons. Adalair and Trixie, also revealing their dragon forms, were quickly overwhelmed. Acting swiftly, the Talons used the Orb of Ctrl+Z to rewind time and warn the Midnight Duo. Grateful for the warning, the duo gifted the Talons additional orbs before sending them back to their wagon and escaping their attackers.
With the storm cleared, the Talons continued towards Rehoth Landing. To their astonishment, a massive sea creature emerged from the waves, carrying none other than Candice Cully. After recounting the tale of the giant eyeball, Candice revealed its origin-- the South Pole. The sea creature, wounded, received healing from Xerxes, then departed to recover fully. Meanwhile, Candice stayed behind to join the team.