Mini 4: Shadow Exploration Report
General Summary
31st of Emmanir 1524 Continued Over the course of the day the group relaxes and potters around a little with the intention to get an early night and visit the shadow world before the sun is up. Isabelle reads her book while Galanith spends the day in prayer and makes sure all the fires are lit and burning brightly. Balthazar really struggles to make sense of the wizard's leftover books, but with a little help from Brienda they get somewhere. Brienda pulls out a book and doesn't notice as a card falls out of it since she yawns. Balthazar notices though as he had been interested to grab that book just as she had since it had a symbol on it that reminded him of a book from his library. Balthazar picks up the fallen card to examine it.
Dear Brienda, I am sorry if I am not there to greet you as you wake. Given the events that have led to me leaving and trying to protect you, there is a small chance I will not be able to return. If this has happened, stay low and find allies. The forces against your family are mighty, but I will do what I can to ensure they will be less at least if not gone. Allies are hard. Depending on how much time has passed, some of the lords and ladies you knew will be long gone. However, there is a group I do know that have been around since the time where dragons freely roamed the lands. Before they were hunted to near extinction with only planar dragons hiding across our lands now. The Umbraconti. They are a hidden group that can help you and I cannot tell you where to find them. You have to find them yourself by following the breadcrumbs and facing their challenges. Otherwise they will not help or accept you. They believe in intelligence, wit and determination. You have all three in spades, you just need a chance to show them. They spread their breadcrumbs far and wide for possible new members. Check libraries and remember all your lessons with me. I know your magic lessons were not your favourite, but I know somewhere in you is a spark of magic. You just need to find it. It is not a requirement to know magic, but it will certainly help. Just don’t forget your own curious nature to pop and pry into things, this will also help you. Lastly, I know you’re connected to the fey. I am still a little concerned about this, but the fey Queen in the garden and your close friend have looked after you and even risked their own lives for you. I understand they care for you. Still. Be careful. Not all fey are as kind as these two have been to you. Sometimes they’ll tell you what you want to hear. They’re lies dressed up to make you feel better. Look through these illusions. All knowledge acquired with no intent of applying it is time wasting, and people who waste their time cannot be trusted. Good night sleep tight, may your dreams take you on a wonderful flight. Magus ShaemesBrienda admits her Uncle was fond of breadcrumb style games. Balthazar tells the group about a book he at a library he worked in had information about the Umbraconti but it was destroyed. Brienda is worried someone will do something to her Uncle's books after they leave while Galanith worries about the portal.
Meanwhile, Leolen has cracked the lock on the door that he and Killi failed to get in last time. It reveals a Master bedroom. They go about exploring the room and side rooms. Leolen finds some bracers and a coin pouch. They try to get out onto the balcony but can't seem to unlock the door. He also finds really nice leather armour in cases. Realising that it would be too obvious they were in here if they took the armour to their new ward, they think they'll suggest the girl check out her parents' room herself. Inside the coin pouch is 4 gems, a small silver spoon and a mixture of coins (158g, 10s, 10c). They give that other door another go but are unable to get it open. On the way out Killi bounces on the bed and they leave.
When Leolen and Killi come downstairs. Balthazar explains what they found and that they would like to investigate it in the future. However, tomorrows focus will still be the shadow world. Looking over the card Killi recognises that the writing is very old draconic. The group looks over and eventually Isabelle shows it to Kaida who understands it. Balthazar apologies to Brienda for being so scattered brain with their approach to taking care of her. She seems a little jaded by the whole situation. Yesterday she had all her living friends with her and now she has the group. Killi uses this as an opportunity to check her parents' room. She takes the suggestion seriously and immediately goes to do so. After a bit of prompting from Isabelle, Killi follows Brienda to go up to the room. When Killi catches up their is an awkward exchange about the door already being unlocked and the bed being messy. Killi tries to cover it but Brienda sees through her and calls her out. Brienda blackmails Killi into getting her half the money from the coin pouch (including gems) or she will tell the group that the pair have been stealing from her. They can keep the items. She just wants to have half of the money. She does not say how much was in there. It is a test of trust to honestly give her half. After it is agreed on, Killi shows her the armour and Brienda takes a set. Afterwards they head back downstairs, with the door freshly locked. Killi immediately tells Leolen he needs to give Brienda half of what's in the coin purse (79g 5s and 5c plus 2 gems). The group gets a long rest while Leolen and Galanith take turns for watches. 32nd of Emmanir 1524 - The day of the Winter Solstice The group gets up and is ready to enter the shadow world for 2am. Balthazar quests if Brienda should be going with them. However, in the end it is decided she will come. Together, they carefully head into the portal. Balthazar and Killi casts mage armour. Many people cast light. This annoys Leolen who keeps trying to get into the darkness. Brienda seems to be able to see a strange light of rope which she guides the group in following. They very quickly find a zombie ogre which turns to attack them. Brienda surprises everyone, including herself, as frost shoots out from her hands at the creature. Once the creature is defeated they collect a handaxe and it's morningstar but leave the severed hands on it's belt. As they continue, Isabelle and Brienda hear a creature in a room nearby and silently continue to follow the rope of light Brienda can see. The floors become sticky with blood as the group moves through. Kaida does a little hop walk to try and avoid touching the ground. There is the sound of screams and violence around the house. As they move through the house they cut down any undead they find but do not search these bodies. Meanwhile the sound of the creature in that first room they heard sounds like it is slapping at the door. The disturbing vision of her family home is clearly having an effect on Brienda. Balthazar and Galanith help her to focus on the rope and remind her as needed when she seems distracted or distressed. She tells them this is what the manor looked like after an attack. The rope leads into Brienda's bedroom. The egg is on the bed. The vines on the walls are all dead but one section. The opposite to what they had seen in her room in Cerilia. Kaida sniffs the egg and it smells of death. Isabelle prays for the egg to have found peace before getting Brienda to touch it to see if anything would happen. Nothing does and Isabelle pick it up. The group decides it's best to leave now rather then explore. Leolen quickly scouts ahead to the exit and finds the only concerning thing to be the creature still making the noise. They plan to take out the creature rather then hoping for the best. During this fight Brienda does not participate. She is struggling to keep it together as she starts dry heaving. Once the problem is dealt with they head to the portal. As the approach the portal they can see the vines come out of the window for Brienda's room and leads to the portal. Including that one living vine section. It seems to be a mirror of the vines on the other side of the portal. In the end they decide to go through before messing with the vines in case they get stuck in the shadow world. Then they cut the dead vine but to no effect. Everyone but Killi heads inside with Brienda to get some rest. Killi attacks the portal but to no effect. Afterwards Killi joins the group. The toys greet the party. Isabelle puts the egg near the fire. Puff rolls the egg into the fire and sits on it. This turns into a small object that puff gifts to Isabelle. The other toys all give the party members something special. Each toy had seen something special in each adventurer and the gift represents that. Snoogie gets Brienda some tea.
Rewards Granted
| Character | Toy | Reward | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balthazar | Master Wizard | Crystalline Chronicle | Magus Shaemes found it useful when he was first starting out and Master Wizard believes Balthazar will find great use with it. |
| Galanith | Sir Frithkin | Guardian Emblem | Sir Frithkin respects Galanith's protective nature regardless if the effects were big or small for the people within the manor. He finds her to be a noble warrior and hopes this item will serve her well. |
| Isabelle | Puff | Dragon-Touched Focus (Slumbering) | Puff can see Isabelle's connection with Kaida and cannot think of anyone else to entrust their clutch mate to in the hopes that they will find a second life even if it's not in the traditional sense. |
| Killi | Snoogie | Far Realm Shard | Snoogie herself once used this item before her death and believes it will help Killi as her magic grows. |
| Leolen | Big Ted | Bag of Tricks (Tan) | Big Ted played a small prank on the group with the tree and got the impression that Leolen himself likes a bit of mischief and wants to help with that. |
Missions/Quests Completed
| Toy | Quest | Complete? |
|---|---|---|
| Snoogie | Defeat the creeping cold | Yes |
| Sir Frithkin | Take on the ogre in the stables with the night. Mr Tiddles has suggested they do so at toy size. | Yes |
| Puff | Retrieve the egg of his clutchmate from the Shadow World before the portal becomes hard to pass through | Yes |
| Wuffles | Play! | Yes |
| Big Ted | Retrieve an axe from a tree out back by the pond. | Yes |
| Mr Tiddles | Remove the Shrieks and Blades Nightmare from the house without violence. | He's on the loose |
| Master Wizard | Negotiate with the fey queen for a brew to wake the Mistress. | Yes |
