As they continued along their narrow path through the Canyonlands, the Wild Rovers spied battles afar between many more warring horrors on parallel ridgelines. Inevitably, they encountered more menacing monsters barring their progress. After smashing through minotaur skeletons, the Rovers faced a pair of monstrous centaur-like creatures. Like shooting kuo-toa in a barrel, the centaurs used their arm-mounted lightning lances to blast the Rovers as they stood single file. After they had taken down one of their assailants, Desmond charmed the other, bringing it over to their side just as a lifeforce-siphoning bat-like creature attacked. The bat was perpetually shrouded in magical darkness, blinding them as they swung their weapons wildly. They struck poor Desmond nearly as often as the creature, repeatedly bringing him to the brink of death. Against the odds, they managed to win the fight, and even survive each other.
Exhausted by a long day of fighting, the Rovers were apprehensive when they saw yet another creature traversing the path in their direction. However, this one, a well dressed and bearded humanoid wizard, greeted them amiably, explaining he was just passing through after visiting with Thales. His demeanor was enigmatic, and he avoided giving his name even when pressed. After making a joke and declaring, “I’m just kidding,” Urs took this as an introduction, and the moniker “JK” stuck.
JK offered to escort the Rovers back to Thales’s abode. Over the next few hours, as they completed the final leg of their journey, JK effortlessly repelled the few monsters that tried to intercept them. The Rovers were able to squeeze only a few personal details from JK. He claimed to be a power broker, working with Thales, who braved the dangers of the world in search of knowledge of artifacts. They told him of their mission to stop a cabal of supervillains and their desire to recover the mortar and pestle, and in this he showed great interest.
When they arrived at their destination, they found only an empty quarry-like space littered with rubble. Along the outskirts, many darkened alcoves suggested anything could be lurking nearby. Urs quickly checked two, finding that they seemed to lead somewhere, before the earth began to shake. Fissures formed beneath their feet, and they heard a high-pitched sizzling noise. Emerging from one alcove, a gargantuan serpent slithered forth and approached the Rovers.
Thales spoke: “One of you is foul… I cannot tell which… Why are you here?”
As the serpent looked them over closely, its tongue tasting the air around them, Vara and Aengus both privately reflected on their own sins and wondered if they might be the cause for this examination. But before Thales could finish his scan over them, he suddenly ceased moving.
“Oh dear, don’t worry, I can fix this,” said JK.
As he waved his hands and spoke an incantation, the great serpentine form instantaneously disapparated.
“Oh my, how strange! I don’t know what happened!”
After briefly staring slack-jawed at the now-vacant space, the Rovers turned to their new acquaintance. “What did you cast??”, they demanded, but JK was as evasive as ever. As she cast her own spell, Vara asserted that if JK had nothing to hide, he would submit to a Zone of Truth. This was immediately counterspelled by the wizard, who appeared to be grievously offended by this manipulation.
As the words continued, Urs gripped his warhammer more tightly and quietly whispered, “Why the hell are you guys being so stupid right now??”
In the blink of an eye, JK teleported 500 feet away to the far side of the quarry, and then he vanished completely.
A few tense moments passed before Thales suddenly reappeared, once again free to move and speak after JK’s spells had worn off.
Desmond took his turn explaining why the Rovers had come, earnestly articulating that there were many seeking to do evil in the world and few who sought to go real good. The Rovers believed Thales to be one of them, and they needed his help. This answer pleased the great serpent.
“How many years are you, young one?”
“18,” replied Desmond.
“Ah, you are most wise for 18 years. This is good, and it is good you have come to me, for I am 18 times 18 millennia wise…”
Days since the Rovers pledged their service to the paper dragon: 5
Days since Aengus used Divine Intervention: 2
Days since Aengus sent his letter: 1
Weeks since Tyresha got pregnant: about 6