Rift City Recap #20

Willow’s First Adventure

The Church has assigned me two bodyguards—dwarf twins named Basket and Weaver—while I track down the missing merchant they are keen to talk to: Takkar d’Lyre. They’re a little too bloodthirsty for my liking, but I need the info this job will lead to. The brothers are pretty violent, too. My current lead is the notorious Boss Hollen, but as we are approaching his office in the Darkheart, another group of capable-looking adventurers is leaving looking annoyed but satisfied. Boss Hollen has scarpered. Perhaps these folks know something about the House of No. A fellow tiefling looks like he’s spent some time here.

And thus we are introduced to Oman, Brendel, and Ronan, though the ranger says nothing, just stares at the middle distance while chewing on something sticky. When I ask for their help, they seem loath to join us until I inform them Takkar is known for rewarding those who help him, and he also has information on the Rift rings…like maybe how to turn them off. This new information is enough for the adventurers to join us. Four hours later, we are deep enough to find the laundromat Sigils & Suds, which I think will be perfect for cleaning this dirty handkerchief that belongs to the House of No. Inside S&S, a flesh golem tells us we must give of ourselves to enter the House of No. We each sacrifice a little of our power and enter the portal to find a floating Beholder maintaining an anti-magic field. Which is terrible news for me.

The strangest thing happens next. We encounter an elf! And he’s nice! My new friends don’t seem bothered, and the dwarf twins don’t seem to even realize what’s happening. A little snooping and gambling later, Oman the bard takes the bartender downstairs for a good time, and the rest of us follow. Down a corridor we find four Church members beating Takkar. Magic seems to be coming and going at this point, and the ensuing fight proves tricky, except for the cleric, Brendel. We manage to defeat the Church people, and Brendel finds 1,000 gold and some bizarre pulsing spike charm. Something about this place is opening the possibility of teleportation, and the spike is pulling magic directly from the Rift.

The bartender returns and reveals that this place will mess with our memories, so we won’t remember much. Takkar is grateful for our help and gives us a Mantle of Spell Resistance and the promise that he can help us manipulate our Rift rings.