Arc 2, Episode 6 - "The Missing Verse"
General Summary
When last we left off, Aucienne, Everett, and Isadora had just returned to the Tipsy Triple from Master Tuddeak Hardbrand’s shop, where Everett began his journey down the Arcanist’s Path.
Later on in the evening, just after Isadora and Everett concluded a sparring session in the inn’s sideyard, the Orb of Imprisoned Sight hanging from Everett’s waist flashed, and Daymon emerged. Daymon’s experience in the orb largely consisted of him sitting in his dormitory at the Temple of the Raven Queen, talking with his mentor, laughing. This scene was intercut by static flickers of him, in a crowded tavern, playing music for enthralled audiences. Daymon reiterated his commitment to finding Lazar, presumably still lost in the Shadowfell, as well as his belief that the Divine Hunter Lodmus, known to walk across the many planes of existence, could help the party locate the missing paladin.
After a brief aside from Isadora where she revealed she took part in the Veldtish Rebellion approximately 90 years ago, the party entered the tavern, and were greeted by Hasdrig Frostmaker, the injured dwarf Everett healed the day before. He correctly guessed that Daymon was a bard, and invited him to play in a bardic duel. Hasdrig’s first song was a raucous number deriding the Rock Breaker Clan, whom the party found reference to back in the Bubblepot Fens, and boasting of the glory of the “Stone Borns”. Daymon responded with middling success, after which Jerry and Perry were asked to play “that elvish song”. Verses were sung by each of the gnomish brothers, which were recognized by those who spoke Elvish as tales of childhood adventures, each told from the perspective of a brother. However, where the third verse would be was, instead, simply silence - as if the words were lost to time.
At that moment, Daymon sensed a presence, and, activating a mystical ability of his instrument, saw the spectral image of a young gnomish boy, holding a length of rope attached to a wooden horse. Using Speak with Dead, Daymon learned that the boy is, in fact, Terry Twinklefoot, the third child of Lodmus and Old Lady Gimbal, and brother to Perry and Jerry. Terry told Daymon the missing words of the song’s third verse, which Daymon then performed to stunned silence.
Afterwards, Jerry approached Daymon, thanking him for the verse, and that he hadn’t seen his brother in 60 years. Terry fell ill with the Shatterjaw Plague, and was brought to the temple of the Raven Queen in Highkeep Heathersage. This temple, known as the Queenspire, took Terry in and set about treating his condition. The Twinklefoot family was told to go back home, and that agents of the temple would send a message if he got better. That message never came.
The next morning, the party set out for the well, the last known location of the missing Andersfield villagers, Gretchen and Lars. Shortly after arriving, it became clear that something strange happened at the well - lots of water on the ground and muddy footprints around the stone lip of the well, with a set of boot prints heading off to a small cluster of boulders. The party pulled up the water bucket from the well, only to discover a strange mirror, made of the same material found in the basement of the Oaken Casket in Sal Senin.
Later, after following the tracks towards the boulders, the party located a small crevice leading underground. After descending into a cavern filled with gnawed bones, several gray, twisted forms leapt out of the darkness at the party. A short combat ensued, with the party overcoming a strange life essence draining effect when injured by these seemingly undead beings. Following the bootprints, the party encountered the subterranean tentacles of a cave jellyfish, which caught Everett, paralyzing him. After Isadora revived him, the group dashed down the tunnel, evading combat and fixating on the boot prints ahead, which ended unexpectedly at a cave-in.
With the boot print trail gone cold, the party entered a large cavern bisected by a chasm filled with gray mist. As more of the horrible gray forms emerged from the darkness, Daymon enthralled them, defusing a potential combat and allowing just enough time for the party to head down a tunnel to escape.
It was not until halfway down this escape tunnel that the party realized that each of these tunnels were fully square, just as in the Stairway of the Gods, and each one was pointed straight in the direction of Highkeep Heathersage.
Later on in the evening, just after Isadora and Everett concluded a sparring session in the inn’s sideyard, the Orb of Imprisoned Sight hanging from Everett’s waist flashed, and Daymon emerged. Daymon’s experience in the orb largely consisted of him sitting in his dormitory at the Temple of the Raven Queen, talking with his mentor, laughing. This scene was intercut by static flickers of him, in a crowded tavern, playing music for enthralled audiences. Daymon reiterated his commitment to finding Lazar, presumably still lost in the Shadowfell, as well as his belief that the Divine Hunter Lodmus, known to walk across the many planes of existence, could help the party locate the missing paladin.
After a brief aside from Isadora where she revealed she took part in the Veldtish Rebellion approximately 90 years ago, the party entered the tavern, and were greeted by Hasdrig Frostmaker, the injured dwarf Everett healed the day before. He correctly guessed that Daymon was a bard, and invited him to play in a bardic duel. Hasdrig’s first song was a raucous number deriding the Rock Breaker Clan, whom the party found reference to back in the Bubblepot Fens, and boasting of the glory of the “Stone Borns”. Daymon responded with middling success, after which Jerry and Perry were asked to play “that elvish song”. Verses were sung by each of the gnomish brothers, which were recognized by those who spoke Elvish as tales of childhood adventures, each told from the perspective of a brother. However, where the third verse would be was, instead, simply silence - as if the words were lost to time.
At that moment, Daymon sensed a presence, and, activating a mystical ability of his instrument, saw the spectral image of a young gnomish boy, holding a length of rope attached to a wooden horse. Using Speak with Dead, Daymon learned that the boy is, in fact, Terry Twinklefoot, the third child of Lodmus and Old Lady Gimbal, and brother to Perry and Jerry. Terry told Daymon the missing words of the song’s third verse, which Daymon then performed to stunned silence.
Afterwards, Jerry approached Daymon, thanking him for the verse, and that he hadn’t seen his brother in 60 years. Terry fell ill with the Shatterjaw Plague, and was brought to the temple of the Raven Queen in Highkeep Heathersage. This temple, known as the Queenspire, took Terry in and set about treating his condition. The Twinklefoot family was told to go back home, and that agents of the temple would send a message if he got better. That message never came.
The next morning, the party set out for the well, the last known location of the missing Andersfield villagers, Gretchen and Lars. Shortly after arriving, it became clear that something strange happened at the well - lots of water on the ground and muddy footprints around the stone lip of the well, with a set of boot prints heading off to a small cluster of boulders. The party pulled up the water bucket from the well, only to discover a strange mirror, made of the same material found in the basement of the Oaken Casket in Sal Senin.
Later, after following the tracks towards the boulders, the party located a small crevice leading underground. After descending into a cavern filled with gnawed bones, several gray, twisted forms leapt out of the darkness at the party. A short combat ensued, with the party overcoming a strange life essence draining effect when injured by these seemingly undead beings. Following the bootprints, the party encountered the subterranean tentacles of a cave jellyfish, which caught Everett, paralyzing him. After Isadora revived him, the group dashed down the tunnel, evading combat and fixating on the boot prints ahead, which ended unexpectedly at a cave-in.
With the boot print trail gone cold, the party entered a large cavern bisected by a chasm filled with gray mist. As more of the horrible gray forms emerged from the darkness, Daymon enthralled them, defusing a potential combat and allowing just enough time for the party to head down a tunnel to escape.
It was not until halfway down this escape tunnel that the party realized that each of these tunnels were fully square, just as in the Stairway of the Gods, and each one was pointed straight in the direction of Highkeep Heathersage.
Report Date
30 May 2025
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