Dinner At The Whispering Courtyard

Quick Recap

The party dined at the Whispering Courtyard, a fancy restaurant, where they shared their backgrounds and recent adventures with Iriqa. They discussed their journey through the labyrinth, encounters in the Shadow Realm, and plans to visit the library in Friula. Iriqa warned them about the library’s dangers—scholars sometimes don’t return or come back changed. The group learned about Nyxilfane, a white shadow fae who visited Iriqa’s shop seeking adamantine and ebonscrib. Halvor’s tree sample carried the same scent as Nyxilfane, and the party has a painting of him with a message addressed to “Lynneaverdia.” After Frankie paid for dinner, Iriqa asked Elian to walk her home.

Next Steps

Party: Complete the contract work in Trombei before leaving for Friula
Halvor: Bring the painting of Nyxilfane to Iriqa’s shop to confirm if he was the visitor
Halvor: Bring the bottle with brown fizzy liquid to Iriqa’s shop for identification
Halvor: Continue searching for shadow realm shining alder to create a portal key

Summary

Dining at the Whispering Courtyard

Iriqa led the party through the spice market district to the Whispering Courtyard, an exclusive restaurant marked by a cat-shaped door knocker. The entrance opened to a courtyard featuring a central fountain, lanterns, and silk-covered alcoves offering private dining areas. The establishment caters to wealthy merchants and visitors from other countries. The party’s unusual composition—a “menagerie” of different races—drew attention from other patrons as they stood out among the wealthy clientele.

The group recounted their origins—most members met on the high seas during various circumstances. Halvor emerged from the Shadow Realm through an ocean entrance. Early in their adventures together, they fought a kraken that destroyed their original ship. Recent adventures included defeating a black dragon on Roshgazi, navigating an extensive labyrinth, traveling through the Shadow Realm, and discovering ruins in the swamps. The party described themselves as problem-solvers who “fixed the corruption in the labyrinth.” Iriqa expressed curiosity about this unusual group and their origins.

Warning About the Library in Friula

The party discussed their plans to visit the library in Friula, which is renowned for its extensive collection of elven artifacts. Iriqa expressed serious concerns about this plan—scholars who visit the library sometimes don’t return, or return “not themselves any longer.” The library was created by elves but has become dark, infested with some kind of malevolence. Strange occurrences plague it, such as books appearing from impossible sources like “The Chartbook of the Lost Fleet of Roshgazi.” The library is accessed through “the old thorn door” and consists of extra-dimensional spaces connected by portals. The bibliotori (library administrators) are secretive about the corruption and won’t explain what happened. Frankie mentioned that his former teacher had headed towards the library, adding to his motivation to visit despite the warnings.

Halvor’s Tree Quest and the Nyxilfane Connection

Halvor is searching for a specific type of tree—shadow realm shining alder—to create a portal key. When he showed Iriqa his tree sample, she recognized the scent. A white shadow fae named Nyxilfane had visited her shop 2-3 months ago carrying the same smell. Nyxilfane was seeking two rare materials: adamantine and ebonscrib. Ebonscrib is a poisonous material from near Friula that can be turned into magical ink. The party has a painting of Nyxilfane from the labyrinth with a message on the back addressed to “Lynneaverdia.” They agreed to bring the painting to Iriqa’s shop to confirm his identity.

Elian’s Temple Research and Iriqa’s Work

The group discussed Ellian’s recent exploration of a temple related to lizard people history in the swamps. The party had helped protect him from frogmen attackers during this research. Elian successfully found and studied the site, and he plans to return to take rubbings and conduct further research. The conversation then shifted to their current location in Trombei, where they were completing contract work before heading to Friula.

Iriqa explained her own research as a potion maker specializing in memory-related potions and restoration. She came from the Southlands and now works at The Crooked Astrolabe with a business partner. Her research requires ingredients from the swamps, which is why she values Elian’s friendship and knowledge of the area. She keeps detailed notes of all customer requests for rare materials.

The party tried to help Elian impress Iriqa by highlighting his accomplishments during the conversation. Elian was notably uncomfortable in the fancy social setting initially but relaxed as the evening progressed. The group observed the growing connection between Elian and Iriqa throughout the dinner.

Frankie paid the entire bill of 27 gold and left a generous tip. As the evening concluded, Iriqa asked Elian to walk her home—a promising development for the budding romance.