Chapter 9, Part I: Into The Maw Again
Tagg, accompanied by his companions Xerxes and Vance, stood before the statue of his parents, Scrod and Veronica Dyson, located at the Arcademy. Their likenesses, crafted from marble, appeared youthful, and a plaque beneath the statue acknowledged their legacy within the institution. Confused and intrigued, Tagg pondered why his parents were memorialized at a magical academy, given his belief that they had perished while smuggling contraband.
Determined to uncover the truth, Tagg entered Dyson Hall, breaking through the double doors with a reckless enthusiasm that shattered the locking mechanism. As he and Vance explored the dimly lit corridor, illuminated by Tagg's matches and Vance's magical Dancing Lights, they discovered a series of display cases filled with artifacts and posters detailing the accomplishments of various Arcademy students. To Tagg's astonishment, many items were labeled as recovered and donated by his parents.
As they searched the halls, a security guard employed by the Arcademy commanded them to surrender.Tagg quickly doused his light and complied, hoping to avoid trouble. Despite the tense situation, he managed to persuade the guard of their innocence, citing a misunderstanding about his credentials. The guard, recalling the good nature of Tagg's father, allowed them to leave without consequence, leaving Tagg and Vance determined to investigate further. They resolved to uncover more about Tagg's parents' adventures and the treasures hidden within the Arcademy, convinced that the answers they sought lay within the building's walls.
Of note, Vance read some informational posters and plaques on the Poison Veil, the fate of the country of Baraz, and the ruler of the first united Underdark city of Concordia, Queen Zigorby. The length of her rule seems to be an error as it starts in the Era of Tribes and continued on for about 800 years.
As Vance read more about the artifacts, he realized that his family had a song about Tagg's parents, called "Ballad of the Relic Seekers." He played the ballad for Tagg, who was moved to tears as he considered the possibility that his parents might still be alive.
Xerxes, Tagg, and Vance all found their way back to the dorms where Nohki and Drez had already returned to sleep. Teigrid waited at the dorm, visibly tense as she confronted Xerxes regarding her missing book. Vance, attempting to hide his own guilt, accused Xerxes of stealing it. Seeing that his friend was confused, and that Teigrid was clearly upset, the teenager took the book out of his own bag and confessed to the theft. His reasoning was simple yet desperate-- he wanted to unite the books to bring BOJO back. Teigrid, after a brief pause, accepted his apology with appreciation for the honesty and the toll grief can take on a person. Vance explained that his intention was to give the book to Chauncey, hoping it would aid in their cause. Teigrid acknowledged that, if anyone would know what to do with the book, her old classmate Chauncey would.
As the night settled, Drez began to drift into sleep, but his dreams were unsettling. He found himself running through a dense pine forest, a blurry figure chasing him as he became hopelessly lost among the trees.
The next morning, as the party made their way toward the lab, Drez noticed a small sapling in the courtyard. Vance, recognizing its significance, prayed to the spirit within the sapling, and as he did, the tree seemed to brighten in response. They then harmonized with the sapling to connect to the Wiltspar through it. Vance and Drez spoke briefly about the significance of these saplings now, and about the idea that each of them was likely some soul who had dedicated themselves to the tree.
Back in the lab, they met with Teigrid and Adriana, who provided more details about the spirit bracelets. Soon after, Teigrid finished the remaining enchantments on the bracelets and led them to the docks, where they met Wet Willy, their eccentric boat captain. He ferried them toward the Saw Tooth Cliffs and left them on the beach to their destination.
During their journey, Nohki discovered a glimmering area, and a strange looping version of a man named Corvum appeared to warn them about danger in Glintcove. Drez was the first to use his bracelet, passing through a wall, followed by Nohki and Vance.
Once inside the cavern, they scaled the side of the cliffs and spotted glowing houses. Mayor Jim Simpson greeted them with great enthusiasm, introducing himself as the mayor who needed their help finding the missing townspeople. Strangely, he gestured to an assistant named Raulph Randy who didn't appear to be there.
The party headed to the AGI where they met a corroded and corrupted AGI Concierge named Gertie. She explained that there was only one quest, that had been taken by the Major Mynerz, about 356 years ago. Gertie's raw mechanisms and wires showed on one side of her face as well as on parts of her arms, torso, and neck. Her speech was fragmented and she appeared to be missing some of her memory.
While exploring further, Vance prayed to Nihm at Terravox's house and experienced a powerful vision. In the vision, he glimpsed an Underdark kingdom, felt the joy of Nihm, and the cries of a baby, and for the first time in his life, truly felt love. He saw himself uniting the scattered tribes of the Underdark.
After the vision, Vance tried to shake Mayor Simpson's hand, only to watch his own hand pass through the mayor's form. They headed into the tunnels of the cave around Glintcove and followed some footprints in the mud that seemed a bit fresher.
The party entered a chamber with a large, poison-filled pool where a sunken ship's debris littered the area. Without warning, a giant venomous spider emerged and attacked. Acting quickly, Vance launched a fireball, pushing the spider back before they made their escape.
They continued their exploration, eventually arriving at the mine area. They saw evidence of a recent explosion, with poison seeping out from the site. Among the debris, they retrieved an arcane core from a mine cart.
Venturing further south, they discovered a reservoir, where a charred hole in the back wall filled the air with the scent of burnt flesh. Nearby, a metal grate had been blown through, and as Drez investigated, he stumbled into a peculiar ivory-like trunk embedded in the wall. Nohki speculated it could be bone, though the bone would have to be impossibly large. Drez prodded the wall, noticing there were softer parts between the ivory protrusions. When Drez stabbed it, the material groaned and began to gush a sickly liquid as the walls, ceiling and floor began to tremble, prompting the group to retreat.
Back in Glintcove, they found the farm area where the mine had burst open due to some intel that J3551CA was able to extract from the broken Gertie and her corrupted memory bank. Phasing through the rubble, they found another mine cart and sent Dr. Hoo to scout the mine, discovering it stretched over 100 feet deep.
They hopped on the cart and took off through the tracks. It wasn't long before an enormous, skittering spider dropped onto the tracks behind them, chasing them through the tunnels. The Talons defeated the spider and outran it, emerging at the other end of the mine. A ruckus attracted their attention and they realized the cause was The Harvestman and Pluveria, breaking through a wall out of the mines.