The Adventures began with Tolbert the Paladin and Theolis the Ranger catching up with the party as they charged into the tomb of a long dead Club Noblewoman. As the door to the crypt slammed shut behind them the wizard Mysterios IX was separated and Bata the Druid disappeared in a flash of light to be replaced by Rolfitz Hair-Gatherer a Gnomish Rogue.
Rolfitz is a Gnome of Flintbarrow who was exiled after he contracted Burrow-Rot. He has spent the past ten years as a hired assassin in the service of the snakes, practicing his trade in the long war against the stoats. Rolfitz is an acquaintance of Bata, who spent time while training to be a Druid acting as an observer in the snake-weasel war. After his contract ended, he wandered the Faery wood as a diseased vagabond, one particularly morose afternoon while eating a tele-plum he happened to be thinking of Bata and magically swapped places with him.
The appalling, blood soaked apparition that faced them was a Banshee and after it became clear that she wasn’t going to offer them tea, the party braced for battle. As Theolis and Rolfitz advanced to bring peace to the dead through the judicious application of blades, the Banshee emitted a deadly wail that laid Pasco the Bard and Tolbert the Paladin low and wrought significant psychic damage on the rest of the party. With no place to hide Tekka began to unleash her magic, attempting to Hex the Banshee only to discover the dead are immune to necrotic damage. The situation looked grim but Theolis who was himself reeling from the wail, bravely turned his back on the Banshee in order to heal Pasco with his Ranger magic. Once restored, Pasco in turn revived Tolbert the Paladin and with renewed hope the hero’s attacked their adversary. The Banshee seemed somewhat impervious to the heroes blades, but she was being terribly wounded by Tekka’s Eldritch Blast and was finally brought to ruin by Tolbert’s holy smite delivered at the end of his massive maul.
After defeating the Banshee, the party found themselves trapped in her tomb. Two closed doors could not be opened, but each had a small hole going through the center of it. After examining the Club Woman’s sarcophagus they found an iron rod that seemed to fit the holes in the doors. The rod was charred at both ends, and the holes seemed to have carbon residue as well. After inserting the rod to no effect they finally determined it needed to be heated. Theolis and Tolbert used up all their torches heating the rod and then had to choose which door to open, the one they came through that would lead back to the surface or the other door behind which they knew not what lay. They chose the unknown and opened the stone door to reveal a chest containing the grave offerings of the Banshee, including a gold bird cage with electrum filigree and a large well made tapestry.
Now they faced another door that required the heating of the iron rod and had no remaining torches. While the party contemplated what personal belongings they might burn for fuel, Tolbert again saved the day. Casting Ensnaring Strike on the sarcophagus causing vines to sprout up, he set them on fire and cooked the rod. The way back to surface was opened. Slingoon the snake expressed his gratitude for the destruction of the man bones that drove him from his lair and vowed to make restitution to Nguru the Fox by providing her food for the rest of winter.
The heroes returned to the crannog to let Nguru know that Slingoon had left her den, and then made their way back to the Utari village. The village matron, Husiak expressed her gratitude by giving gifts of woven tunics and hide blankets. She offered to perform the ritual to allow Pasco and Bata to give their crocodile hearts to the Reed Witch. The Utari males agreed, and drank of a potent brew that transported them to a dream swamp where they found themselves confronting a gigantic crocodile. Bata charged the beast with Pasco just behind him. The Druid bludgeoned the creature with his shillelagh and the Bard pummeled it with the Shatter spell. The combat raged back and forth until Bata was swallowed by the beast. Facing the monster alone, Pasco tried a Sleep spell and the giant crocodile fell into slumber, disgorging Bata as it burst into flames that faded to reveal the Reed Witch herself. The two prostrated themselves before the Matron of Matrons who bid them rise as men of the Utari. She commanded them to defend her peoples and multiply. She then perceived a light inside the heroes and told them of the Utari’s long flight from darkness in the East, commanding that they kindle their inner flame to drive back the shadow.
While Pasco and Bata completed their rites of manhood, Huisak sensing the inner turmoil of Tekka asked the Warlock to follow her to the swamp. Tekka agreed and they led a goat to a sacred cypress grove. As the moon rose, Huisak sacrificed the goat and with its blood conjured a vision of the future. She asked if Tekka would share the vision and after some hesitation, she did so. The augury showed two futures, one where Tekka accepted her role as an Utari Matron growing wise and strong surrounded by daughters, and another where she followed a different path that culminated in an ultimate struggle with the Jabberwock itself. After the vision passed, Huisak told Tekka to choose, explaining that not all Utari women become Matrons, and that there was no shame in embracing a different fate. Tekka chose not to become a Matron, and gave her bear cub to Huisak to be returned to the Bear Mother, absolving her of the bargain. Huisak embraced her and extended a welcome to their crannog whenever she might need shelter.
The next morning, Lady Haldora the Thorn Knight arrived on the back of a Griffon. The heroes gathered around her as she spoke; “Well well, you are all still alive. Odolotino has told me of your deeds and much else besides. You have proven to be both clever and resilient. And your decision to let the ogre go free proves that you have kind hearts and independent minds.” She drew her sword which transformed into a giant thorn, “this is a bramble sword symbol of the Knights of the Thorn, the servants of the Faerie Queen and sacred protectors of the Tulgeywood. If it is your desire, I will now accept your oaths as initiates’ into the holy knighthood, come forward to swear fealty to the Faerie Queen and kiss the blade! “
Everyone agreed to do so and kissed the blade, then made the initiates vow of Knighthood.
“I swear to honor and obey Monalee the Faerie Queen, to forsake tribe, pack, and family for a place at her side, to make no home of my own but to accept her grace and shelter. From this day unto the end of days let her enemies be my enemies and her will my command. By the light of the queen and the power of the wood I swear this.”
After making their oaths, Lady Haldora explained that on the next Queen’s day in the season of Grillib they would be called to the Glade for the coronation of Knighthood. Until then, the Elf maiden Nicnevin, commander of the River Wardens has asked for assistance patrolling the Sweetail and protecting the Western Wood from the goblins of the east. Lady Haldora commanded that they offer their swords to Nicnevin, who would judge if they had sufficient prowess as battle captains to become Knights. The party agreed, and after saying goodbye to Huisak and her clan stated north for Highhold, fortress of the River Wardens.
As they left the Maze Marsh and entered the Tulgeywood, they were greeted by Billwix and his band of Satyrs. Billwix had tracked them down to thank them for saving him from the Hag, and gave each member of the party a skin of potent Satyr wine. He also gave them set of pipes to be blown if they ever needed the aid of the Satyrs. Pacso graciously took the pipes and they continued their journey north. When they reached the western bank of the Sweetail near Highhold, the River Warden Clemmo met them with spruce canoes to take them to the fortress.
Satyr Wine restores 1d6+1 HP when drunk. If drunk more than once between short rest the imbiber becomes wildly intoxicated until their next long rest.
At the island fortress of Highhold, the party was brought before the Elf Maiden Nicnevin, who stopped the Jabberwock’s horde after the Battle of The Wabe. The party bowed before her, in awe of her might and beauty. Nicnevin explained that the evil druids known as Wickerlings had been increasingly seen leading bands of goblins across the river and raising the ancient Club dead that lay in the ruins throughout the wood. She asked that the party assist the Wardens and patrol from Highhold north to the Boars-run a stream that feeds the Sweetail. Instructing them to slay any goblins they find, and explore the ruins along the way to ensure they posed no threat to the people of the Faerie Wood. At the end of the audience, to everyone’s bewilderment Pasco stepped forward, he improvised a song in praise of the Elf maiden and the brave River Wardens and much to the relief of the rest of the party, Nicnevin seemed pleased. Her daughter Neohain was also in attendance, and she told Pasco to come and visit her when he returned from the patrol so they could share songs.
As they crossed the courtyard of Highhold, they found the Ogre with no heart in a cage. Clemmo explained that he had been caught crossing the river and claimed that he only wished to return to the Goblin Wood and live in peace. The heroes vouched for the ogre, corroborating his story. Clemmo agreed to tell the Maiden so she could pass judgment. They next day the again crossed the Sweetail and set off on their patrol.
With a chill in the air, and snow on the branches of the fir trees the party started north. On the second day of the patrol they heard screams; Tolbert rushed to investigate and led the party into the perfect position to ambush a group of bugbears who were in the process of flaying a dryad. Bata explained that if a bugbear eats the heart of a fey it will transform into a troll and the party wasted no time in bringing the fight to the goblins. Tekka gained magical control of one with Crown of Madness, and Pasco put the dryad out of her misery and destroyed her heart with a Shatter spell. The bugbears proved to be vicious but after a sharp fight they were destroyed.
The Knight Initiates now face a long patrol in woods now made treacherous with goblins. Several ancient ruins must be explored and secured. Will they make it through the winter season of Brillig and prove themselves to be worthy Knights of the Thorn?
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