In Ank'harel, still seeking the mystery of ruidium and the meaning of the visions of the long-ago war….
The factions -
Cobalt Soul (NOT Kobold Soul) - a magic-oriented group. Blue robes. Sheeza belongs to them. They are very interested in ruidium, and also worried about it.
Allegiance of the All-Sight - ostensibly allies of the Cobalt Soul. Interested in general learning and knowledge. Monopoly on access to Cael Morrow, the underwater/underground city under Ank'harel. Our "rival" adventuring group are allied to this group.
Consortium of the Vermillion Dream - Red robes. Aloysia was one of these. They've been hostile to us. More interested in profit and power. A shadowy group.
Hands of Ord - the official police force of the city.
The Veil - instrumental in the cultists of Zahir plot - the thieves guild
Sentinels of Memory - working with the Consortium. Don't want anyone getting into Cael Morrow. Not much known about them.
Another tournament! Senzei faced off against a goblinoid sort of fellow with a ruidium-infused hammer. He failed, quite ignominiously, and those of us that wagered on him lost our money.
A message from the Cobalt Soul - the high curator wished to speak with us. The Allegiance has decided to give us access to Cael Morrow. We need to get the key to get from Cael Morrow to the "Netherdeep" -- the source of the ruidium.
"Insight" Acurere - our Allegiance contact. We were asked to earn her trust and find out from her what the key is and how to get into the Netherdeep.
We went to the guarded opening to Cael Morrow! The hired guards checked our passes received from the curator and we passed down the spiral staircase -- the "Maw" of Cael Morrow going down 500 feet.
We were taken to the "base camp" and met "Insight" the researcher. Along the way, Bumi received a message. Something about Alyxian "burning the world if I cannot live"??
We helped "Insight" with some various errands -- apparently she was very short-handed. One of her companions (an elf) was lost, although apparently she wasn't too worried about it, one Galeokaerda, a high elf professor of ancient literature.
We found reference to "Apotheon" - an ancient Elvish word comparable in some way to Alyxian (perhaps even identical?).