Chapter 1: Intermission 1

''Finding Velloqui is the least of the party's problems. That, or they forgot about her''... Following their escapade within the Mortimer Manor, the IKP finished up with that spooky, spooky mansion, and with the town of Cape Marlin. After that, they finally decided to continue the main plot by searching out their would-be employers.

Cleaning Up at the Manor
After Velloqui disappeared, the IKP still had some things to take care of inside Mortimer Manor. When Planchette was knocked out, the iron pendant around her neck shattered, and her eyes reverted to normal. The IKP argued about methods of extracting information from her for a while, with the suggestions including Krumgrum's casting of stinking cloud and "leaving her in the room with the stink" for a while, to Nyx poisoning her and only offering the antitoxin once she told them what they wanted to know. In the end, they decided to leave interrogation methods for after they had assessed her mental state.

They tied her to a chair and waited for her awakening. When she woke up, she appeared to have regained her previous personality and autonomy, and just seemed, understandably, scared. The party then cast a Zone of Truth spell on her, which Krumgrum cast and Nyx convinced her to submit to the effects. After some questioning, they found her to be innocent of any actions she committed during what appeared to be a possession of some sort. Following this, they let her free, and she travelled back to Cape Marlin with the rest of the kidnapped sailors, who woke up following Planchette's exorcism. The party then searched a side room, where a great deal of treasure was stored. Faetra notably acquired her Cloak of the Rat here, along with a few possessions of Velloqui's, including her staves, and most importantly being her fat stacks of cash.

Return To Cape Marlin
Shortly afterwards, the IKP headed back to town as well. They had intended to return to Wishbone, to see if they could afford any of Eärendil's wares, but found that his stand had disappeared mid-mansion run. Resolving to ignore that issue for now, they visited Planchette, who had since returned to her monastery and was still recovering from her bout in Mortimer Manor. However, tragic as the incident may have been, it awakened a new side of Planchette's personality - one of a cool teen detective. She, along with Dwynwen, committed herself to solving the mysteries surrounding her possession and the disappearances around town. As the IKP returned from the last of the islets, Nyx had yet another curious vision in one of the pools; this time, instead of an image, all he saw was the colour pink. Due to the fact that none of them had any idea what that meant, they decided that now was as good a time as any to continue their journey. They referred to the map that was contained inside the letter from the MMSS, and set out into the wilderness once more.

Journey Through the Bluffs
Leaving the relative safety of Cape Marlin in favour of the Stygian Woods once more, the IKP departed. About a week into their journey, when they were about to start heading inland, deviating from their mostly coastal path up until then, they were assaulted a group of perytons, a type of monster resembling a cross between a large bird of prey and a stag. Notably, this battle saw the first use of Krumgrum's Stinking Cloud spell, which proved unexpectedly useful, and Faetra's Giant Insect spell, which created fierce giant dragonflies to help her in combat. Later, while going through the forests at the base of the Strigidae Bluffs, their apparent destination, they came across a pit trap, which the IKP narrowly avoided.

They then found tracks leading to the camp of a Hobgoblin hunting party, which they immediately engaged. This fight notably included the first use of Krumgrum's Dimension Door Slam Dunk Splash, in which he teleported both himself and Callus twenty feet above an unwary Hobgoblin and attempted to attack him from above - unfortunately, both of them failed terribly, injuring themselves in the process. Nevertheless, the two of them persisted, taking out the hobgoblin quickly afterwards. Additionally, Nyx first utilized his Hold Person spell, paralyzing the Hobgoblin leader and tore him to shreds. Meanwhile, Faetra used Call Lightning to fry the last one. Aside from these two encounters, the IKP didn't run into any major issues. Shortly after their fight with the Hobgoblins, they began their ascent through the Strigidae Bluffs.

After a small period of travel, they found themselves on a smooth cliff wall with intricate carvings of animals, foliage, and spiral patterns. When they investigated further, they found an impression of a small door surrounded by five carvings of winged creatures. As they touched the door, the creatures emerged from their stone framework and revealed themselves to be five sentinels taking the forms of owls with porcelain, human faces. The strange figures spoke to the IKP:"Entrance, you seek. Answers, we seek. Open your mind to open the path. A scholar must have a sharp wit. Shall we begin? It is large, yet never grows; has roots that cannot be seen; and is taller than the trees. Of what do I speak? Round she is, yet flat as a board; altar of the lupine lords; jewel on black velvet, pearl in the sea; unchanging but e'erchanging, eternally. Of what do I speak? At night they comes without being fetched, at dawn they are lost without being stolen. Of what do I speak? Echoes from a shadow realm, thought's strange sister dwells in night, is swept away by dawning light. Of what do I speak? I'd neither a guest nor a trespasser be. In this place I belong, that belongs to me. Of what do I speak?"The IKP answered their riddles correctly: Mountain, Moon, Stars, Dream, and Home. After the IKP answered these questions, the avian guards returned to the stonework, seemingly satisfied. With that, the impression of a door materialized into a real one, swinging open to reveal a beautiful scene, after they travelled through the narrow passage; however, they didn't have much time to take it in before a human man with fabulous hair, wearing a pair of breeches and a poet shirt, ran up to them to greet them.

The Strigidae Bluffs
The Strigidae Bluffs are a remote, mountainous region located in the expansive wilderness off the Sword Coast. The landscape is dominated by towering evergreens and sleet grey cliffs. The difficult terrain, in combination with the dangerous wildlife, make the Bluffs largely uninhabited and untraveled by humanoid life. The Strigidae Bluffs are infamous among experienced wildlife experts for housing an unusually high number of owlbears.

Entrance to the Meta-Magical Scholar's Society
The entrance to the Meta-Magical Scholar's Society is disguised at the peak of one of the Strigidae Bluff mountains. Any who ascend this particular mountain will find a smooth cliff wall, intricately carved with images of animals, foliage, and spiral patterns. One section of the wall contains the impression of a small door, surrounded by five carved, winged creatures.

As the IKP discovered, attempting to interface with the door awakens the avian sentinels, who emerge from their stone framework and assume the form of owls with porcelain, humanoid faces.

Satisfying the sentinels causes the door to animate and open, revealing a narrow stone passageway through the mountain to the secret MMSS base.

New NPCs

 * Lazlow Balter

Loot

 * The Cloak of the Rat. A black woollen cloak with a hood and long train. While wearing the cloak and in an area of dim light or darkness, the wearer can use an action to cast Polymorph on themselves, transforming into a rat. Original Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are retained. Afterwards, the cloak can't be used again until the next dawn.
 * Velloqui's Staves (reclaimed). A pair of staves that Velloqui dual-wielded to cast wizardly spells with. One is a wizened-looking wooden staff that curls towards the end, and the other is a black adamantine staff with the top shaped into a spider; Velloqui looted the latter off of the IKP's former nemesis in Phandalin, Nezznar, the Black Spider, after they killed him.
 * Party Funds (reclaimed). The majority of the monetary wealth that the IKP had acquired over the course of their adventuring career.