9.0 - Approaching Storm Report
General Summary
There are no further problems in the night after their chat with Korinth. A light rain begins in the early morning, making Kilith, Holg, and Atani feel just a bit irritable—particularly Atani. The rain picks up as they continue on their way to Hvithavon. Sil'Ferrous makes a noble attempt to gather branches to craft makeshift coverings from the rain, but ultimately requires Kilith's aid in climbing the enormous evergreen trees to cut down said branches.
Makeshift coverings in hand, the group stays relatively dry as they camp for the night. The rain continues to climb in intensity as they set out on day four of six to Hvithavon. However, they encounter a detour in the evening. A man sits on a mile-pillar along the road, and—knowing bandits run amok on this road—Holg attempts to cast Cause Fear on the man. As it goes off, Holg feels a spike of panic, and passes out. The man turns to the group and cautiously approaches.
The red-haired half-elf reaches them and asks if everything is ok as the group wakes Holg up. More noticeable than his stylish hair is how the rain doesn't touch him. Questions are exchanged back and forth as the party learns he comes from a very small settlement north in the woods; a bit of a inn so to say. He's also very interested in any magical trinkets the party has. Their pleasant conversation is broken by a young man sprinting from the forest calling to the man—Viran. Viran follows to young man to the location of an out-of-control rift, and the party follows Viran in turn.
The rift is much like the first the party encountered, except the border of the tear in reality is much smoother. Water rushes from the bottom of the rift, steadily tearing free soil and smaller plants from the ground. Another difference this time, is the ticking Holg constantly hears coming from the rift, and the two opposing voices Kallista hears in her head.
Nora, a nature Parr aligned with Viran's group, tries to close the rift while a couple others fend off water sprites from interrupting her. Viran, Holg, Atani, Sil'Ferrous, and Kilith join the fighters in engaging the numerous water sprites. Kallista follows the directions of her siblings voice in her head and heads to the rift to help close it. First, however, she fires an arrow imbued with necrotic energy through the rift. A shudder of necrotic energy pulses out from the rift and through the water and sprites.
Kallista eventually makes it to the rift and pulls it closed while everyone else subdues the sprites. However, Nora screams in pain right before the rift closes, and she collapses to the ground. Upon inspection, she's alive, but babbling in an unrecognizable language. Seen behind her raised arms—now covered in a layer of bark—is her disfigured face, continually burning in acid and healing.
Atani and Sil'Ferrous present Sil'Ferrous's script tablet to the broken Nora. Her speech becomes more structured, in a bit of a rhythmic cadence. Viraon arrives and is distraught. He claims she's gone. Kilith picks her up and proceeds to carry her to Viran's camp, the party foolishly hopeful there's something they can do to save her.
Missions/Quests Completed
- Met the Grey Cloak Bandits
- Closed the water rift plaguing the Grey Cloak Bandits
Character(s) interacted with
Viran
- Atani
- Holg
- Kallista
- Kilith
- Sil'Ferrous
Comments