Been another couple weeks in the Changing Ways. Went through a stretch where the way up flipped around and sometimes all the walls and ceilings were down. Ran into some spider-men (four-armed too - seems to be common down here) who bit me something nasty so I was numb and couldn't move. Luckily Dizyk had some antitoxin and it cured it or wore it off or something.
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Next day Parna draws me aside, says Feheley, of all people, is down here and wants to talk to us. Party agrees to meet. He goes through a big sales pitch for the Silver City - says Nothoreadel first reached by portal through Dreaming from City, and only later connected to Delving tunnel through gate back out. Fastest way to get there! Need a Guardian to get in to City which, oh, look, you just happen to have! Plus City sealed to deal with creatures coming back out of portal from Dreaming, so relatively unlooted! No money down! Zero percent APR! It's shiiiiiny!
We agree as how we might want to head to Silver City. More scouting than anything, not intending to try to use portal, as Dreaming portal contrary to "walk length of Delving" rule and issue of Keys not even addressed.
Get to village near City and turns out some orcs are there who'd been travelling with guy claiming to be lightbringer. And Barg is with them! Turns out there's a lightbringer weapon he can get in City that will show he's who he says he is, but he can't get into City, no Guardian. Also the orcs he left with have been moving weapons caches around. Also also the false lightbringer has been calling himself Emsariel but is in fact *Draegloth*, the former Goraj (who Feheley had thought Lucan had run into). Just to confuse things further. Emsariel last seen razing half of Bar'khedan with army of demons. Great.
Gate of Silver City guarded by v. large golem-type with sledge and sickle, but Korenne able to open door. Once inside we quibbled a bit over armory vs. strategic goals but finally headed for city forum hall. Detoured around a sphere nasty then end up fighting it anyways when squishy things led it to us. Squishy things small, faceless, formchanging, easy to squish. First encounter with them turned into meeting with Time Twin, which Korenne called "broken" and would like us to destroy. Time Twin then recruited second batch of squishies which is when they got the sphere in which turned out to shoot lightning. Not too hard to take down.
Kept going. Purple hexes formed in the air and arms came out and attacked us - Korenne recognized as a sharn, somewhere nearby. Olc Eishe able to find by smell, and had it cornered when it said it would hurt us badly taking it but would leave in peace to try to get out of City. Spotted that it had regenned where wounded and agreed. Not what we were there for. Barg hopes to track down and kill later.
Noticed that some squishies wearing warped Twin faces, some doing wings and horns, some forming Barg's magic axe. Bad tip-off that a murlendi somewhere in City to be copied. On guard from skies.
Got to great hall. Could see Barg's axe in Gate-lights but not touch. Figured out was in Dreaming and would have to go in, bring back. Barg, Matsuko and me to go in, Grettir, Dizyk and Parna to guard outside. Matsuko had a potion for Barg to help with the Dreaming stuff.
Woke up in Dreaming no problem, axe right there, but Barg couldn't wake back up with it. Had to walk out with it physically by stepping off portal. Coming through doing this, axe *ripped* through Dreaming/waking veil leaving hole. Expected Greater Dreaming beast to promptly follow out.
Instead, Grettir points out crowd of squishies outside is now entirely wings and horns. And Emsariel shows up with three huge hulking demon guards, thanking us for opening door for him to get to Nothoreadel.
Communal blink.
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It was beautiful like a hammer falling on steel. Like a masterwork crossbow, every piece perfect to shoot an arrow straight through the heart of the enemy's plans. He lived, he'll regroup, he'll come back twice as cunning and vengeful to boot. But by the Seven my party kicks ass.