Enola Yarn – blogpost 49

Day 1
When I wake, I ready myself for a day of studying. I eat breakfast in the tavern and after, I accompany Farryn to the library.
He is going to study his Tome of Clear Thoughts, and I am going to go through Spites’ and Drivvins’ spellbooks to find spells I can learn and have a use for.
Almost without breaks, we study the whole day long. At the end of the evening, I drop into my chair in the inn and eat dinner – famished.
In bed, I repeat cone of cold, lightning bolt, detect magic in my head, and fall asleep.

Day 2
During breakfast, Farryn is very distracted. He doesn’t want to go to the library again and conjures a rope trick to again study the whole day.
I decide to study banishment today and run off to the library. During lunch, I return to the inn and see Valentine walk in with a black raven.
“This is Mip,” she says.
We talk a bit about what we wanted to do in the upcoming days. Do we want to purchase some magical items, perhaps?
We decide we’re going to divide some money from the party stash to make sure everyone can buy whatever they please – within limits, of course.
“Hey Valentine,” I call before she leaves with Mip. “are you going to search for magical items?”
“Yeah, I’m looking for some stuff…” she says tentatively. “Why?”
“I am too, but I have to study today, but I’m going tomorrow. Do you want to go together?” I ask.
“Yeah! Sure,” she says.
I go back to the library and study until supper. After a long day of revision, I’ve learned the spell banishment.
During dinner, Valentine and I talk about Turbulence and Violence. Farryn and Calyx join us too, and we introduce the sisters to Calyx.
Violence and Turbulence tell us they tried to go to Waterdeep but didn’t find the place that interesting. “We’re back and don’t know how to find a new goal and find a happy ever after.”
“You’re saying you want to learn more magic, but where are you going to go?” asks Farryn.
“I don’t know, but I hope we can find another place than the academy.” says Turbulence.
“We want to be more powerful and become better spellcasters, but no one has information about a teacher,” adds Violence.
“What about Trobriant?” asks Farryn.
“Um, the metal mage?”
“His student, Zox, is busy developing stuff, maybe you can help him and learn in the process?”
“Well, if it’s an apprentice of Trobirant, we’ll stay away. That guy is super weird.” says Violence.
After a while, Violence and Turbulence leave, and the Never Evers are alone at the table.
Then, Valentine bows in closer. “Guys, I’ve got something to tell you.”
“I need to do something. I need to get to Freek – and I want you guys to meet him. I need to sacrifice something, and I don’t want to kill myself, so I thought of a soul coin. A soul coin has a soul inside – so destroying will set it free, and that’s a good thing, right?”
“Um, Valentine… I think it is good to FREE the soul, not SACRIFICE it.” I say.
“Can’t we use an evil being?” asks Calyx.
“We don’t really know whether the coin is host to an evil or good soul…” says Valentine.
“Oh, but we do. If you hold it, you know what the soul is: you feel anger (evil) or despair (good). That is how you’ll know.” I inform them.
“Actually… I found someone who wants to sell one to me. It’s a gnome who asks 5000 gold pieces for it.”
“Okay… And if we buy it, and we feel it’s evil – what are we going to do then?” I ask.
“Let’s first see what the gnome offers. Maybe it is a desperate soul in there.”
I say goodbye to Calyx who wants some time for himself and look at Valentine.
“Are you coming?” she asks me via message. I follow her as she stands up. We bid Violence and Turbulence goodbye and walk upstairs to my room.
On the floor, we find a small note. It’s poorly written in Infernal and I can already spot the spelling errors from looking at it. It says: I heard you’re in town, you coming to my match tonight?
After a while, we go downstairs for supper. Calyx divides some potions of healing he made himself. I invite everyone to attend the match, I don’t feel like going alone.

Together we go to the match. We enter the stadium under the roaring sounds of the public and the moderator screaming: “AND NOW… OUR REIGNING CHAMPION… KENRAI!”
We see him enter the dome from one side and watch his opponent – a buff-looking barbarian – on the other flex his muscles. Valentine wants to watch more closely and tries to pull me to the front. Luckily for me, I succeed in pulling her back onto her chair.
I see Kenrai is looking for me in the crowd. I try to be invisible, but Valentine casts prestidigitation and conjures lights above my head pointing towards me and lighting up my face. He sees me, smiles, and waves.
We watch the fight and see Kenrai breaking some bones of his opponent.
“Shall I fight him?” asks Valentine casually.
“Um, no! Have you seen what he’s doing? He’s breaking the guy’s Adam’s apple! No way you’re going to fight him!”

“Oh, Enola, that won’t happen!” laughs Valentine.
In the chaos of people screaming and celebrating Kenrais’ win, she slips away and pushes her stuff into my arms. “Bet on me!” she says.
I walk to the moderator and bet 500 gold pieces on Valentine as she asked me to. I hear there is a ratio of one to ten that she’ll win. Valentine is so witty, I know she’s going to win – but I’m always afraid of what it might cost. I see Valentine enter the ring and Kenrais’ confused expression. He laughs at her but stops as she approaches and slaps him across the face. He yells at the moderator to get an explanation for why he is fighting a small Tiefling but is interrupted by another slap.
I see she is trying to anger Kenrai. It’s working: he is trying to slap her as well but misses and is surprised by another slap across his face. Then, he hits her a couple of times: she takes them like a champ, and he stumbles back at each attack. I see that it’s the effect of her resistance – she’s pretty smart, and she lets him do the work.
After a couple of minutes, Valentine defeats Kenrai.
“DID YOU SEE THAT, AUDIENCE? THE NEWCOMER WON!!”
Before it gets very busy, I run toward the payment station to get my winnings. A couple of creatures get very angry with each other and are getting into fights. I quickly stuff the 5000 gold pieces into my bag and find Valentine still in the arena. Also, Kenrai is still there, lying on the ground. I approach and give him a potion of healing: he wakes up.
“Wow… what happened? Did I win?”
“Um… no. You lost.”
“Against such a small girl?”
“My sister has other stenghts, Kenrai.”
I help him stand up.
“Can you help me get out of the stadium?” I ask. “I need to find my sister,” I add when I cannot find Valentine anywhere.
Kenrai pushes some people aside, helping me to get away from the brawl in the stands.
“I’ll find you.” I hear in my head. Valentine will meet me outside.

Outside, it’s calm. Valentine runs towards us.
“Sorry for defeating you, Kenrai. I probably trained too hard.”
“Noted. Remind me not to fight you again.” he chuckles.
I give her her stuff back and say goodbye to Kenrai. He probably wanted me to go with him to his house, but I choose to go with Valentine, back to the inn.

Day 3
Today, we’re trying to get the soul coin from the gnome. We decide it is wise to disguise ourselves when we buy the item. I alter my appearance to look like Kenrai, although more muscular. I will pretend to be Valentines’ assistant. I am looking for a Grimoire myself, and around noon, we find one. Valentine bargains and gets it for 2000 gold pieces.
After this purchase, we go to the Gnome. Valentine made an appointment with him in a dark alleyway.

“Good day, we’re here for the soul coin,” says Valentine.
He greets us.
“What kind of soul is in the coin?” I ask in a low voice.
“Oh, well, this is the good kind. It’s filled with despair,” he says happily.
“Can I feel it?” asks Valentine.
“Um. No.”
“Let the lady feel the coin!” I say intimidatingly.
The Gnome still holds the coin in his hand when he lets Valentine touch it. She tries to make him let go because she wants it in her hand only. He won’t budge.
Then, she grabs the coin from his hand, takes my shoulder, and casts dimension door.
“Byeeee!”

We got out and were transported to Valentines’ room in the inn.
“I feel despair,” says Valentine sadly.
This is a good soul, not an evil one… We have to release it. I know we have to remove the curse, destroy it with a hellfire weapon, or bring it to hell and throw it in a furnace.
“Let’s discuss with the others what to do with it.”
She agrees, and together we walk downstairs. On our way, we see Calyx enter Farryns’ room.
“Oh! Did you find the soul coin already?” he asks.
“Yeah, but we stole it – there was a good soul inside it. You shouldn’t pay for it, it needs to be set free,” says Valentine.
We discuss this with Calyx for a bit. He wants to set it free too. We decide to remove the curse. Calyx checks with Farryn if he agrees, and when he does, I put the soul coin on a table and perform the spell.
The coin starts to rust and before our eyes, it is reduced to dust. We saved a soul today.