Ravenna wakes up Magnus and Mar’Khabazza and over breakfast in the Tempest common room relays the contents of her dream. Over breakfast she realizes that the voices in her head are silent. The only times that happens are when she is in the void or under the toxic influence of the Yoxonqu plant.
The consensus is that this dream, as strange as it is, might be an incredible experience. Feeling giddy with the newfound silence in her head, Ravenna is gushing, “Freeing the God of Knowledge from Tothkubad is an opportunity to have access to an incredible wealth of knowledge!”
Mar’Khabazza isn’t so sure. “But where’s the profit in putting our lives at risk to chase down the legend of a god? There’s money to be made, enemies to run out of town, and a home with hot running water to acquire.”
Ravenna is pragmatic. “If we actually rescue Faylin from Tothkubad, she can tell us what happened to Beryl and how to prevent it from happening to Opal. Surely that would be worth a boon from the city council.”
In the end, Mar’Khabazza’s quest for fortune wins out over his survival instinct and he acquiesces. “So, my daughter, what is the plan?”
“First we need to find Savenia Loresong. She is the third archmage in the city-” Mar’Khabazza sputters at this – “the third archmage in the city and should be invited along. Perhaps this is the reason why all three of us have been guided to Opal.”
“And then?”
“And then we pack up and go. We take the void pathway to Tothkubad and then infiltrate the dark city.”
“And then?”
“We make it up, of course.”
In the next twelve hours, Savenia has been located at the Crow Club and briefed in to the mission, gear purchased, supplies provisioned for a week’s travel, leaving enough for roughly two days in Tothkubad unless provisions can be sourced in the dark city itself. The thought of mystery and adventure brings even more excitement to Savenia’s ebullient self.
January 11, 7762
Early in the morning, before the steam whistle summons Opal’s morning shift into the mines, the foursome depart via the Ranger’s Road in the falling drifting snow.
They reach the cemetery gates and the portal stone. Ravenna attunes and opens the portal and, with varying levels of apprehension, the four step through the gate into the swirling nothingness, exiting via the Tothkubad gate two days later.
January 13, 7762
The foursome exit the void into the northern Tothkubad gate.
Knowing in only the vaguest sense where the dark city is located, they descend from the western slopes of the Tothkubad mountains onto the plains, heading generally westward across the icy plains. Ravenna uses her art to create an affinity with the earth that guides the group west into the harsh wind.
It is a long arduous walk, and at one point the travelers are forced into hiding as a winged serpent of shadow appears from the storm clouds to wheel and dive across the sky for several hours. It eventually dives to the ground and disappears from view far to the north.
Pressing on, they do eventually see a reddish glow on the horizon and for the first time they can make out the source of the glow. Calithil, the Dark City of Tothkubad.
