Session 97 - All The World's A Stage

Wed 19th November 2025

In-game timeline: Alturiak 14 - Ches 8

Our "Heroes" hope that they have completed all The Harlequin's challenges. But it seems there is a final test to follow.

They are led onto the stage that they saw at the start. But the theatre is empty - almost. The only member of the audience is The Harlequin, who sits and beckons them to the centre of the stage. The adventurers spot, slowly emerging from a strange mist around the edges of the stage, two musical scores - one on each side. As they watch, and listen to The Harlequin describe their final challenge, one score rises up to the top of a set of floating, crystal steps as the dimensions of the stage itself seems to extend in all directions, showing the score only reachable by jumping onto each of the precarious, somewhat erratically moving, steps. Beneath, a deep chasm opens up, inviting any who fail one of the jumps to fall to an uncertain, but obviously unhappy, fate.

On the other side, beneath and before the musical score fragment, the mist seems to form into a knight-figure of sorts, though his armour is painted with jester-like diamonds. His double-edged crystal sword seems razer sharp and his beaming smile does nothing to make our "Heroes" think he will be a simple opponent.

The Harlequin invites each of our Heroes to choose which challenge to undertake, explaining that they must both be overcome, concurrently and in short order, for the full Song of Power to be revealed.

Sanada quickly chooses the staircase, hoping that her agility will aid her in obtaining the music. Solveig decides to join her. Alwaith takes the obviously more combat-focussed challenge, and requests that Faith join him, hoping the cleric's healing powers could maintain him through what could be a tough fight.

Thus split, a shimmering wall of power forms between the two sides of the stage, cutting them off from each other. The Harlequin giggles and invites the fun to begin!

With time limited, the two groups set to work. Sanada and Solveig easily jump up to the first platform, which, although being some distance away, is not moving and quite easy to grab hold of. Meanwhile Alwaith feels the full force of the attacks of the Jester Knight, but returns in kind and deals significant damage, whilst taking some himself.

And so the challenges progress. Sanada and Solveig are faces with increasingly difficult jumps to each platform, but there is always an alternative way to attain the next step - perhaps by working out when it comes close, perhaps by predicting where it will float next, and, in the case of one step which seemed more sentient in nature, by persuading it to move closer! Sanada relied on her considerable acrobatic ability in all but the final step which was perhaps above even her ability, where she managed to persuade it to get a little nearer. She slipped up once, but, and with the help from Solveig at one point, she did manage to reach the top just in time to retrieve the song. Solveig was close behind, having taken the less energetic route for many of the steps, but managing to predict the movements enough to reach the last but one step to aid Sanada. 

On the other side of the stage Alwaith and Faith were throwing everything they had at the knight. Spiritual weapons, guardians, Agathys' armour and Spirit Shroud all adding damage to Alwaith's swinging blade, whilst Faith's healing prowess managed to keep Alwaith alive to withstand the considerable blows from the Knight's glass sword, as well as the piercing laughter that seemed to cut through the mind. In the end they managed to defeat the Knight - at least to the point where he conceded, whilst still laughing and to the immense joy of the watching Harlequin. Had one or other of our "Heroes" not made it to this point, the challenge would have been a lot tougher - if indeed doable at all - but as it was they made it look relatively easy.

Both fragments of the song thus obtained, The Harlequin took to the stage and performed and flawless and moving rendition of the Aria of the Trickster, as Solveig recorded the tune in the Lyrica Noctis. Song performed, The Harlequin waved his hand and the party found themselves outside a dark theatre in the middle of a gloomy glade in a wood.

The group decide to rest up before heading back to The Council, using the Everhollow ocarina, whereupon they meet once again the faun, Sylvaris. He says that he can return the group back to their own land, at the point where they entered the Fey realm, though he asked for the ocarina back - their tasks in the Feywild now complete. In return he proffered to each of them a small box - a gift from the High Lady Lunestra - before sending them back.

Now back in the Material Plane, a little outside Neverwinter Wood, the group decide upon their next steps. Faith is still keen to go home to Easting to aid his family and friends against the threat of the Black Sun's Blood Ritual, but the others want to head for the site of the other Ritual - Secomber - as that is close to the site of the Vessel they need to defeat. And the time of the eclipse - and the Second Corruption - is close upon them. Closer, now, as it seems their time in the Feywild advanced time here in the Material Plane quicker than they thought. The skies darken even now and they think they only really have time to get to Secomber before the start of the eclipse.

The gifts from the Lady Lunestra seem at first to be empty boxes, but the true value is revealed as they each meditate upon them - each manages to open their mind enough to receive a level of experience!

As they travel towards Secomber, Faith continues to message his parents in Easting. His mother escaped when he told her to, along with a few other members of the town, but his father remained behind, as did many others, as they saw no evidence of danger. As no danger appeared for many days, meaning his parents' warnings were even less believed and listened to. But then, as they approached the town of Secomber, his last message to his parents was concerning. Easting had been raided! Many townsfolk taken by bandits of some sort, leaving the town almost empty. Faith's mother was still hiding well away from town, and his father - forewarned - managed to avoid being taken, though he was part of a small group of remaining villagers who were heading out after the raiders to try to recover their friends and families - or at least to see what had become of them.

Faith is distraught. Has he let his family down? Or were his warnings the only reason why his mother and father were still alive? Too late to get to Easting to help, but possibly ruing his decision to follow his friends to Secomber, he is deep in thought. The others, aware and respectful of their friend's distress, press on the few miles left towards Secomber - Faith's insights via his parents perhaps giving them some forewarning of what they may find there…