Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Episode 06 - A Night in Paradise
Beginning Day: 13th of Lowsun
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Having vanquished their foes, our band of heroes secured the area. After assuring themselves the danger had passed, Kyla lit a small fire for them to gather about. Aelar took a few minutes to examine the now lifeless cornbabies, and managed to diffuse a magical trap he found there, revealing a small, pristine ruby at its center. Trying a second time, his fingers slipped and the doll erupted in a small fireball, burning him and putting him off trying further for the night. Seeing the commotion, Kaladan tossed the remaining cornbabies into the fire to burn, and they settled in for what remained of the night, too tired now to even make it back to their original camp. In the morning, Kyla and Aelar searched the remains of the fire and found a further pair of cracked rubies in the fire.
As the group headed back through the woods, following a line of warhorse-wrought devastation, Kyla spoke with a passing bird, and learned that the peddler's wagon had pulled itself into the clearing several days earlier and no horses had been seen. When they arrived back at their original camp, they scared off a pair of potential thieves and gathered their things, heading once more along the road to Fallcrest City. Just as the barest hint of the city began to be visible on the horizon, they came upon a final outlying village nestled against the bridge over Garen's Pride to Fallcrest City.
A trio of immaculate, ornate, gold and silver-inlayed carriages was rumbling through town off a street to the east, in the direction marked Peren's Paradise by a tall sign post. Below the sign, Kyla immediately recognized a druidic sign reading Come, friend. In all things, balance. She immediately set off down the road, followed none to stealthily by Aelar and Kaladan. Merla and Damaia tucked briefly into some high-quality yet reasonably-priced peach pies from the Prancing Elk Inn in town. They learned that the Innkeeper felt quite fondly toward the keeper of Peren's Paradise, before they and Naivara followed their companions east.
As they walked, the road became increasingly well kept, and the forest around them shifted from wild to tamed to sculpted. Rounding a final bend, they emerged into a paved courtyard upon which sat the three carriages and beyond which a towering hedge stood with a wide silver gate. Approaching the hedge, Kyla and Kaladan spoke briefly, through a very closed gate, with a stern hostess. Kyla attempted to subtly and not so subtly demonstrate she was a druid, whilst Kaladan stared down the unflappable and unblinking woman. Eventually submitting, they each paid the exorbitant entry fee, and were allowed admittance, with it being strongly suggested that Kaladan head directly to the baths.
In a flash of memory, Kyla recited all she had read on the post, and the demeanor of the woman changed immediately. While Kaladan still opted to be led to the baths:
Kyla and Aelar were taken along a winding outer path to a small, well-tended enclave where they were greeted warmly by the Drow Druid Peren, keeper and tender of the paradise. While they talked, they learned that Peren used this place to take as much money as possible from his ultra wealthy clients that he despised, and he seemed to use those funds to provide jobs to the surrounding area and to maintain his sanctuary here.
While he knew nothing of the troubles in Standing Stone, he did confide that he was quite worried about his friends the Swynwards, with whom he did business from the other side of the Little Easthorns. The Swynwards were several days behind in their latest shipment of pear apples and peaches. After Merla, Naivara, and Damaia arrived, Aelar showed him the symbols they had found on the stone and while he did not recognize most, the largest he had a faint recollection of, and he did not think it was a language.
He also identified the brand that had been burned into the hag's forehead as that of the Children of the True God, a group of religious fanatics that abhorred magic and all its practitioners.
After agreeing to look in on his friends, he welcomed them all to stay the evening, and they were all treated to the most luxurious evening of food, drink, and relaxation they could remember. While attempting to steal a silver spoon, Aelar even found it dropped into his hands by a creeping vine, a gift from Peren. In the morning, the group left rested, happy, and even with a small bag of tiny tarts for Merla, blessed to last abnormally long before spoiling. Several hours later they arrived outside the gates of Fallcrest, a sprawling metropolis split by a river.
As the group headed back through the woods, following a line of warhorse-wrought devastation, Kyla spoke with a passing bird, and learned that the peddler's wagon had pulled itself into the clearing several days earlier and no horses had been seen. When they arrived back at their original camp, they scared off a pair of potential thieves and gathered their things, heading once more along the road to Fallcrest City. Just as the barest hint of the city began to be visible on the horizon, they came upon a final outlying village nestled against the bridge over Garen's Pride to Fallcrest City.
A trio of immaculate, ornate, gold and silver-inlayed carriages was rumbling through town off a street to the east, in the direction marked Peren's Paradise by a tall sign post. Below the sign, Kyla immediately recognized a druidic sign reading Come, friend. In all things, balance. She immediately set off down the road, followed none to stealthily by Aelar and Kaladan. Merla and Damaia tucked briefly into some high-quality yet reasonably-priced peach pies from the Prancing Elk Inn in town. They learned that the Innkeeper felt quite fondly toward the keeper of Peren's Paradise, before they and Naivara followed their companions east.
As they walked, the road became increasingly well kept, and the forest around them shifted from wild to tamed to sculpted. Rounding a final bend, they emerged into a paved courtyard upon which sat the three carriages and beyond which a towering hedge stood with a wide silver gate. Approaching the hedge, Kyla and Kaladan spoke briefly, through a very closed gate, with a stern hostess. Kyla attempted to subtly and not so subtly demonstrate she was a druid, whilst Kaladan stared down the unflappable and unblinking woman. Eventually submitting, they each paid the exorbitant entry fee, and were allowed admittance, with it being strongly suggested that Kaladan head directly to the baths.
In a flash of memory, Kyla recited all she had read on the post, and the demeanor of the woman changed immediately. While Kaladan still opted to be led to the baths:
Kyla and Aelar were taken along a winding outer path to a small, well-tended enclave where they were greeted warmly by the Drow Druid Peren, keeper and tender of the paradise. While they talked, they learned that Peren used this place to take as much money as possible from his ultra wealthy clients that he despised, and he seemed to use those funds to provide jobs to the surrounding area and to maintain his sanctuary here.
While he knew nothing of the troubles in Standing Stone, he did confide that he was quite worried about his friends the Swynwards, with whom he did business from the other side of the Little Easthorns. The Swynwards were several days behind in their latest shipment of pear apples and peaches. After Merla, Naivara, and Damaia arrived, Aelar showed him the symbols they had found on the stone and while he did not recognize most, the largest he had a faint recollection of, and he did not think it was a language.
He also identified the brand that had been burned into the hag's forehead as that of the Children of the True God, a group of religious fanatics that abhorred magic and all its practitioners.
After agreeing to look in on his friends, he welcomed them all to stay the evening, and they were all treated to the most luxurious evening of food, drink, and relaxation they could remember. While attempting to steal a silver spoon, Aelar even found it dropped into his hands by a creeping vine, a gift from Peren. In the morning, the group left rested, happy, and even with a small bag of tiny tarts for Merla, blessed to last abnormally long before spoiling. Several hours later they arrived outside the gates of Fallcrest, a sprawling metropolis split by a river.
At the gates, they found themselves stopped and gently questioned as to their business by a small number of the Town Watch. Upon declaring their intention to visit the High Wizard, the watchmen immediately called over Lady Selaine, a blue and silver clad member of the Radiant Guard. After a long, and magically backed interrogation, she determined that they at least believed they had met with the High Wizard, and that Naivara was not interfering with her ability to read the truth of their statements. She confiscated one of the rings from Damaia, and told them all to enter and be ready when they called upon them at the Green Sickle.
Aelar and Kaladan attempted, mostly unsuccessfully, to do some quick shopping, before they all made their way to the Green Sickle where another member of the Radiant Guard was already waiting for them. They were led immediately across the river and into the Wizard's Keep where they were scrutinized, magically and otherwise, several more times before being led to the very top chamber where they once again encountered the High Wizard Alidar.
They spoke together for some time, most of Alidar's attention being paid to Naivara alone. The wizard seemed both dismissive of their presence and also in need of their assistance. His speech was halting and distracted, as if he was in many different mental places at once, his focus shifting constantly. Throughout this conversation, they learned that Standing Stone was not the only area of mysterious trouble that was plaguing the land. The bulk of the Radiant Guard had been deployed already south to the Silver Lake to investigate trouble there, while a smaller contingent was fighting a losing battle with an outpouring of evil creatures from the Eastwood across the Little Easthorns.
While the incident at Standing Stone was the first to flare to such intensity, the wizard had no further answers for them about the reasons of why or for what purpose the gash in reality had occurred, only that it had been a direct attack on the Veil Between Worlds, a feat Alidar did not seem to have thought possible. He was surprised to learn of the eighth stone they had found, and identified most of the runes as belonging to the Old Tongue, although he did not recognize the largest.
They agreed to his plea to head North to Eastwood with a small contingent of the Radiant Guard that was leaving in the morning, and took their leave of the High Wizard, who had already forgotten their presence. As they left, Damaia was returned her ring, now identified as a Ring of Waterwalking!
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Ending Day: 14th of Lowsun
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Episode 05 - The One Where Aelar Beans Himself
Beginning Day: 11th of Lowsun
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After an hour or so of walking along the road to Fallcrest City, our adventurers realized they had failed to warn anyone in Newford about the dangers posed by the possessed demon cornbabies. Conscience getting the better of them, they returned to the small village to attempt to spread the warning. Damaia and Merla were met with incredulity at The Falconer inn, while Naivara, and Kyla failed to get past the red tape and extraordinarily bored young man staffing the front desk at Town Hall. Aelar, Damaia, and Merla did learn that the Woodleaf family, whose house had burned the previous evening, was now staying at the Millers's, and set off in that direction.
While Merla went inside to try to speak to the victims, Damaia and Aelar threw rocks into the river, the shore, and, in Aelar's case, his own head. Inside, Merla convinced Farien Miller to wake one of the Woodleafs, and a few minutes later, Borin Woodleaf came down to speak. While it was not clear that the man believed her story about the doll, he was more receptive than Sadon had been at the inn, and she further learned that the lockbox they had found nearly empty was meant to contain a small quantity of gold, and his wife's green-stoned necklace.
Back in town, Naivara and Kyla went to speak to the alchemist Elel, hoping he might have more insight into the arcane nature of the dolls. While he clearly believed them, he appeared to be far more interested in the story itself, than in any imminent danger. Nevertheless, when they suggested he too might become a part of the tale by warning the town, he immediately leapt into action and stationed himself on his roof, yelling for all to hear that the dolls were possessed, and calling on the town to drug their children and take the dolls while they slept.
Convinced they had done what they could, our adventurers set off again down the road to Fallcrest City. As they walked, a small contingent of the Radiant Guard passed them on the road, polished armor and blue cloaks flying, and accompanying a robed figure who rode with them. Their leader slowed just long enough to speak to our heroes, who informed him of the trouble ahead in Newford. The guard promised to send a man to speak with the village, before moving on, citing urgent business to the north in Garen's Well. He left with a warning to watch out for increased Suneye activity in the area.
As the day grew long, Aelar's watchful gaze spotted a well-used campsite a few hundred feet off the road, and the group settled in for the evening. Merla marked their passing by carving a well-equipped centaur into a nearby tree, while Kaladan finally opened the mysterious bag he had purchased from Elel, and found a single, mostly shriveled and dried purple mushroom with red spots.
Well past midnight, Naivara was alerted to a rustling sound within camp, as if someone was rummaging through their pack. Searching about, she spotted the cornbaby resting quietly near Damaia's bag. Rousing the rest of the camp to alertness, the cornbaby sprang to life and darted off into the woods with incredible speed.
Kyla and Aelar gave immediate chase, struggling to keep pace with the cornbaby. Kyla soon transformed into a graceful panther, and leapt at the doll, slashing through it with her claws, ripping through cornhusks that seemed to writhe and re-knit as the claws passed through. Pouncing on it, she attempted to hold it in place but it wriggled free and darted off into the woods again, but not before Aelar leapt into the fray, swinging down gracefully with his rapier to cleave one of the arms off. Before the creature could make it much further, a final swipe of claws from Kyla shredded the doll, whatever magic had been holding it together fading, and it fell still.
Back at camp, Naivara examined the remains once more, sensing the remnant magical traces, and the barest hint of something tying the doll to the northwest, in the direction of Newford. They divided the pieces of Horace's remains amongst themselves, Merla finding a tiny, cracked ruby among the husks, and took what rest could be found for the remainder of the evening.
In the morning, they continued on their way, but not before Damaia took time to be inspired by the centaur that Merla had inscribed the previous evening. Along the road, they noticed an increase in early morning traffic, and stopped a passing dwarf to ask about any peddlers that had come this way matching descriptions they had heard back in Newford. The dwarf remembered passing such a wagon several days back, headed in the direction of Fallcrest City.
Near midday they came upon a small hamlet, with a single two level inn run by an extremely friendly dwarf. Merla helped the dwarf invent drive-through ale, being served through a window she had, inexplicably, decided to attempt to stealthily peer through to scout out the inside. They heard once more of the peddler's passing, and Damaia procured a substantial quantity of ale to-go in a somewhat beat up waterskin.
As they were exiting town, they spotted in the distance a pair of farm boys playing with suspiciously familiar corn dolls. While Merla distracted the boys with a song, and Kyla played with them in the form of a small kitten, Kaladan scared the shit out of them and Aelar deftly snatched one of the dolls away, and the group made their exit. Naivara sensed the same magical presence coming from the dolls, although these seem tied to the small hamlet, rather than Newford. That evening, when they set up camp, they bound and hung the doll from a small tree, Naivara setting an alarm around it. As they settled down, Merla took the opportunity to carve a bat or cat-woman in a nearby pine that held several other drawings placed there by passersby over the long years.
Once more past midnight, they were awoken to activity, as the little doll deftly freed itself from its bonds, setting off Naivara's alarm in the process. A frantic chase through the woods, Aelar riding the massive war horse that Kyla had transformed into, ended with the cornbaby vanishing into a clearing where a peddler's wagon sat quietly. While the others hid, Kaladan strode up to the wagon and knocked loudly, awakening a sleeping man who stumbled out, asking the dragonborn to just leave him alone. As they talked, the man spotted more and more of the party hiding in the woods and became increasingly agitated.
Just as the exchange began to get heated, Aelar spotted one of the dolls leaping, screaming from the trees above them and the world went dark. One by one, eight pairs of glowing red eyes winked on in the darkness, and our team found themselves surrounded by cackling demon dolls who slashed and hacked at their ankles. Unfazed, Naivara unleashed a trio of magic missiles that obliterated three of the dolls in the blink of an eye, and shortly thereafter the darkness lifted, revealing the peddler slinking off into the trees.
Charging from cover, Damaia leapt at the man, swinging her greatsword clean through his neck, shattering the illusion and revealing a small, withered hag in the peddler's place. The hag reached out with burning hands, searing those closest to her, but shortly felt a whip of thorns and vine wrap around her neck, yanking her into the clearing. As she was pulled toward Kyla, Damaia swung out with her sword, carving a horrendous gash into the hag's leg. With almost casual ease, Naivara sent another trio of magic missiles flying at the hag, ending the creature's life, and causing all the nearby cornbabies to fall lifeless, their husk bodies unraveling in the night.
As they caught their breath, Merla searched the wagon, finding a trove of odds and ends that looked as if they had been gathered without purpose from a wide range of places, as well as a small handful of money and some useful items. A necklace with a small, green malachite stone stood out among the trinkets.
Searching the hag's corpse for a trophy, Damaia found a trio of rings, and noticed, burned into its forehead, a barely-healed brand:
While Merla went inside to try to speak to the victims, Damaia and Aelar threw rocks into the river, the shore, and, in Aelar's case, his own head. Inside, Merla convinced Farien Miller to wake one of the Woodleafs, and a few minutes later, Borin Woodleaf came down to speak. While it was not clear that the man believed her story about the doll, he was more receptive than Sadon had been at the inn, and she further learned that the lockbox they had found nearly empty was meant to contain a small quantity of gold, and his wife's green-stoned necklace.
Back in town, Naivara and Kyla went to speak to the alchemist Elel, hoping he might have more insight into the arcane nature of the dolls. While he clearly believed them, he appeared to be far more interested in the story itself, than in any imminent danger. Nevertheless, when they suggested he too might become a part of the tale by warning the town, he immediately leapt into action and stationed himself on his roof, yelling for all to hear that the dolls were possessed, and calling on the town to drug their children and take the dolls while they slept.
Convinced they had done what they could, our adventurers set off again down the road to Fallcrest City. As they walked, a small contingent of the Radiant Guard passed them on the road, polished armor and blue cloaks flying, and accompanying a robed figure who rode with them. Their leader slowed just long enough to speak to our heroes, who informed him of the trouble ahead in Newford. The guard promised to send a man to speak with the village, before moving on, citing urgent business to the north in Garen's Well. He left with a warning to watch out for increased Suneye activity in the area.
As the day grew long, Aelar's watchful gaze spotted a well-used campsite a few hundred feet off the road, and the group settled in for the evening. Merla marked their passing by carving a well-equipped centaur into a nearby tree, while Kaladan finally opened the mysterious bag he had purchased from Elel, and found a single, mostly shriveled and dried purple mushroom with red spots.
Well past midnight, Naivara was alerted to a rustling sound within camp, as if someone was rummaging through their pack. Searching about, she spotted the cornbaby resting quietly near Damaia's bag. Rousing the rest of the camp to alertness, the cornbaby sprang to life and darted off into the woods with incredible speed.
Kyla and Aelar gave immediate chase, struggling to keep pace with the cornbaby. Kyla soon transformed into a graceful panther, and leapt at the doll, slashing through it with her claws, ripping through cornhusks that seemed to writhe and re-knit as the claws passed through. Pouncing on it, she attempted to hold it in place but it wriggled free and darted off into the woods again, but not before Aelar leapt into the fray, swinging down gracefully with his rapier to cleave one of the arms off. Before the creature could make it much further, a final swipe of claws from Kyla shredded the doll, whatever magic had been holding it together fading, and it fell still.
Back at camp, Naivara examined the remains once more, sensing the remnant magical traces, and the barest hint of something tying the doll to the northwest, in the direction of Newford. They divided the pieces of Horace's remains amongst themselves, Merla finding a tiny, cracked ruby among the husks, and took what rest could be found for the remainder of the evening.
In the morning, they continued on their way, but not before Damaia took time to be inspired by the centaur that Merla had inscribed the previous evening. Along the road, they noticed an increase in early morning traffic, and stopped a passing dwarf to ask about any peddlers that had come this way matching descriptions they had heard back in Newford. The dwarf remembered passing such a wagon several days back, headed in the direction of Fallcrest City.
Near midday they came upon a small hamlet, with a single two level inn run by an extremely friendly dwarf. Merla helped the dwarf invent drive-through ale, being served through a window she had, inexplicably, decided to attempt to stealthily peer through to scout out the inside. They heard once more of the peddler's passing, and Damaia procured a substantial quantity of ale to-go in a somewhat beat up waterskin.
As they were exiting town, they spotted in the distance a pair of farm boys playing with suspiciously familiar corn dolls. While Merla distracted the boys with a song, and Kyla played with them in the form of a small kitten, Kaladan scared the shit out of them and Aelar deftly snatched one of the dolls away, and the group made their exit. Naivara sensed the same magical presence coming from the dolls, although these seem tied to the small hamlet, rather than Newford. That evening, when they set up camp, they bound and hung the doll from a small tree, Naivara setting an alarm around it. As they settled down, Merla took the opportunity to carve a bat or cat-woman in a nearby pine that held several other drawings placed there by passersby over the long years.
Once more past midnight, they were awoken to activity, as the little doll deftly freed itself from its bonds, setting off Naivara's alarm in the process. A frantic chase through the woods, Aelar riding the massive war horse that Kyla had transformed into, ended with the cornbaby vanishing into a clearing where a peddler's wagon sat quietly. While the others hid, Kaladan strode up to the wagon and knocked loudly, awakening a sleeping man who stumbled out, asking the dragonborn to just leave him alone. As they talked, the man spotted more and more of the party hiding in the woods and became increasingly agitated.
Just as the exchange began to get heated, Aelar spotted one of the dolls leaping, screaming from the trees above them and the world went dark. One by one, eight pairs of glowing red eyes winked on in the darkness, and our team found themselves surrounded by cackling demon dolls who slashed and hacked at their ankles. Unfazed, Naivara unleashed a trio of magic missiles that obliterated three of the dolls in the blink of an eye, and shortly thereafter the darkness lifted, revealing the peddler slinking off into the trees.
Charging from cover, Damaia leapt at the man, swinging her greatsword clean through his neck, shattering the illusion and revealing a small, withered hag in the peddler's place. The hag reached out with burning hands, searing those closest to her, but shortly felt a whip of thorns and vine wrap around her neck, yanking her into the clearing. As she was pulled toward Kyla, Damaia swung out with her sword, carving a horrendous gash into the hag's leg. With almost casual ease, Naivara sent another trio of magic missiles flying at the hag, ending the creature's life, and causing all the nearby cornbabies to fall lifeless, their husk bodies unraveling in the night.
As they caught their breath, Merla searched the wagon, finding a trove of odds and ends that looked as if they had been gathered without purpose from a wide range of places, as well as a small handful of money and some useful items. A necklace with a small, green malachite stone stood out among the trinkets.
Searching the hag's corpse for a trophy, Damaia found a trio of rings, and noticed, burned into its forehead, a barely-healed brand:
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Ending Day: 13th of Lowsun
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