Daydream Believers

General Summary

The party is relaxing by a roaring fire. Moose meat is roasting over an open fire, the fat droplets crackling in a soothing cadence. The mummy, Sahnar is staring into the flames, looking almost as he did in life. The raw meat seems to have a regenerative effect on his undead appearance. As the party finishes their meal, Jorg lights his pipe and the others are starting to nod off when Sahnar suddenly speaks.
His voice, while obviously disused, is much clearer than before. He starts to weave a tale about his life before. His voice is haunting as he tells about the elven village that he led, his wife and his most precious daughter. As the words drift and roll over the party, their eyes close one by one.
Suddenly, everyone startles awake to a scene much different than the icy winds of the north and a cozy fire. 
Korith lets out a startled yelp, while Chalmir says, "What in the Nine Hells is this?" 
Jorg starts whispering a prayer to Moradin, but the connection feels weak and distant. 
Hollow Phoenix notices an elf standing near a hut, staring off into the distance. He walks over to the elf with his Crag cat, Bruce Leroy to see if he can find out where they are. He suddenly takes a step back. He recognizes the elf as Sahnar!
Hollow Phoenix introduces himself, "Hail, is your name Sahnar?" The elf continues to stare unmoving.
Hollow Phoenix calls the others over. As Jorg approaches, he notices that the elven villagers to the east and west aren't moving, but to the north, near what looks to be an inn, there was motion. While Hollow Phoenix and Korith discuss what is happening, Jorg and Chalmir head off to the north.
Jorg and Chalmir enter the inn. Elves are milling about inside. Some of them are holding beers and sitting, but are frozen in place like Sahnar. 
Chalmir approches the bartender, who is moving, and says, "Barkeep, a pint of your finest ale!". The bartender speaks, but no sound emerges from his mouth. He then holds his hand out expectantly. 
Speaking louder this time, "How much, good sir?"  
The bartender makes a grabbing motion at the bar, as if he was scooping up coins for the ale. 
"Can you not speak?" A hint of annoyance creeping in. 
Again, the bartender's mouth moves but no sound emerges. 
"Who is the head of this fine village?" 
This time, the bartender responds by pointing back the way they came, towards Sahnar. 
"Is the leader friendly?"
The bartender throws back his head and laughs but no sound emerges.
"Thanks," Chalmir grumbles as he grabs Jorg and heads back to Sahnar and the others.
Hollow Phoenix and Korith are gone. 
Jorg snaps his fingers under Sahnar's nose in frustration. Suddenly Sahnar looks around, mumbling about how he must've been in a daze and then start walking to the northeast.
As Jorg and Chalmir start to follow, they catch sight briefly of Korith following from a distance. They pass a church and eventually arrive at a smithy.
Sahnar and the blacksmith start discussing some work on a new sword. After coming to an agreement, Sahnar heads back towards the village center. 
Jorg turns to talk the blacksmith and sees that he's frozen, unmoving and unseeing as Sahnar walks away. 
The trio hurries to catch up to Sahnar. Just as he arrives at the city center, he is greeting by a young elven woman and a young elven girl. 
The woman gives him a quick peck on the lips as she asks, "Are you all done at Erlin's?"
"He drives a hard bargain but he should do what we need."
Chalmir sees that the people in the inn are no longer moving and now the people to the south where Sahnar went are now active. 
Suddenly, Chalmir notices the temperature has plunged quickly and it is starting to snow. 
The elven woman holds her hand out as snowflakes settle on it. "That's strange. It is snowing."
Sahnar shakes his head,  "That makes no sense."
Hollow Phoenix catches up to the group. "I think this village was mentioned in elvish lore. We are somehow in the past and the snow is probably from Auril!" 
"Jorg, do you think it is Auril?"
Shrugging, "I don't have much truck with foreign gods."
Chalmir tries to talk to the elven woman. "Who are you? Whatis your name?" 
The elven woman ignores Chalmir. She turns towards Sahnar. "It shouldn't snow for another couple of months. What is going on?" 
The snow is coming down harder. Sahnar looks worried. "We should go home." 
They head to a small hut to the south. 
It's almost whiteout conditions and layer of snow is already covering the ground. 
Sahnar glances south with a very concerned look on his face.
Bruce Leroy starts growling low in the back of his throat. 
Chalmir, looking south, barely makes out three figures in the dim light. One smaller, one large wiht a hooded cloak, and one with great horns curling from their head. 
"Look, to the south! Who, or what are they?" 
As the others turn to look, there's a gust of wind and a flurry of snow. The figures disappear.
After a brief discussion, the group heads to the hut the family had entered. Chalmir knocks loudly. 
Sahnar opens the door, looks around. "Thought I heard something," as he closes the door. 
Chalmir knocks louder. 
Sahnar again opens the door and yells, "It's too cold for pranking!"
Hollow Phoenix tries to step past Sahnar before the door closes. As he brushes him, Sahnar jumps back startled. "Excuse me, the inn is up the street."
"I'm sorry, sir. But we saw three mysterious figures to the south. One with great curled horns, one hooded and the other looked to be an elf."
"Strange magics are happening. It shouldn't snow here for 3 months. Anyway, we have no room for a stranger. You'll need to go to the inn." 
"Please, can you come with me to go look to the south?" 
Sahner looks suspiciously at the strange elf before him. Sighing, he puts on a heavy cloak and steps outside.
"Are your friends at the inn?"
A wave of understanding washes over Hollow Phoenix. Sahnar only started interacting with him when he touched him. 
"I must warn you. My companions are right here. Some foreign magic cloaks them from your sight. Don't be alarmed if you feel them touch you. It seems that breaks the spell."
One by one, the rest of the group touches Sahnar's arm. Staring in disbelief at the people before him he says, "Strange magics indeed."
Suddenly there is a ferocious burst of wind from the east and a scream to the northeast. Sahnar warily looks to the northeast. 
Chalmir turns in the direction of the scream. "Did everyone hear that?" 
Sahnar nods in agreement and rushes inside to get his sword. 
While Sahnar is inside the hut, Chalmir asks, "Should we tell him who we are and where we are from?"  
Jorg shakes his head saying, "It won't mean anything to him." 
Sahnar takes off to the northeast and the party follows. When they reach the forests edge, they see a man sized figure with a young child in their arms. They notice the party approaching and back into woods. 
Sahnar, recognizing his young daughter, charges after looking for the kidnapper. 
Jorg reaches the woods and notices there is a border of nothingness just beyond the treeline. 
Sahnar screams, "Come out and show yourself!!!"
Just then, there's another scream to south. 
Abruptly changing direction, Sahnar charges towards the second scream. 
The elven woman is outside and the man sized figure is now there. It's a Drow! They have a sword drawn holding the elven woman at bay. 
The horned figure is now the one holding the young elven girl. As he backs away towards the south, Korith suddenly throws a dagger at the Drow. His aim is true as the dagger buries itself in their throat. They grab feebly at the dagger as Bruce Leroy comes charging in.
The crag cat gives a mighty yowl and leaps at the Drow, but with elven grace, he dodges to the side. 
Hollow Phoenix, moving in right behind the cat, launches into Returning Storm and with his open hand, drives the dagger deeper into the Drow's throat. 
The Drow crumples to the ground. 
The horned figure stuffs the girl into a sack, just as Jorg prays to Moradin. A streak of light slams into its face. It snarls and its tongue curls out hanging several feet towards the ground. 
The cloaked creature appears in the light from the spell.  "You will all freeze!" 
A swirl of of frozen energy coalesces in one hand. The hooded  one throws a frozen orb. It slams into  Hollow Phoenix, knocking him flat on his back.
Sahnar charges forward screaming, "Give me back my daughter!" He slashes his sword across the shoulder of the horned one. 
The horned one just looks at Sahnar as his tongue contemptuously licks the wound.
Meanwhile, Chalmir starts chanting words of power as he hold his cupped hands slightly apart. A swirling ball of lightning quickly grows and as he pushes both hands towards the hooded one, the ball shoots forward hitting it in the arm holding the sack.
Muscles twitching uncontrollably, it drops the sack. As the the sack hits the ground, it partially opens up.
Korith charges in, scooping his dagger out of the throat of the Drow, and swings his rapier at the horned one. The rapier stabs deep into its thigh. Following up with an upward stab of his recovered dagger, he slices deep across its belly. 
The hooded one snarls in rage and pain. Its tongue lolls out of its mouth and comes striking at Korith. Grabbing him and crushing him. The sizzle of flesh is heard as the acid coating the tongue starts to burn. 
Bruce Leroy pounces at the hooded creature from the back, but as soon as he is about to hit, the creatures claws constrict and grab the crag cat by the face. 
Jorg, praying again to mighty Moradin, casts searing smite on his warhammer.  As flames erupt around the head of the warhammer, he charges hooded one and slams the warhammer into its ribs. As the warhammer connects, the cloak ignites. 
The hooded creature reaches out grabbing Jorg's armor and frost starts to spread. 
Sahnar attacks the horned creature again. But his rage and grief  leads to a wild swing and he misses.
Chalmir readies another lightning orb and sends it flashing through the air at the horned one. The orb blasts a whole through its chest, sizzling its flesh. It collapses, dead. 
Korith leaps over the horned corpse and attacks the hooded creature with his rapier piercing its shoulder. But the follow up strike with the dagger misses as the creature hisses at him. 
Bruce Leroy is struggling mightily to get out of the creatures grasp, but is held fast. 
Hollow Phoenix channels his ki into Dragonfly Dances on Water and heals himself. J
Jorg again prays to Moradin. The warhammer erupts into flames again and he lands a solid hit. 
The flame goes out, however, as the creature creates another icy orb and throws it at Hollow Phoenix. It grazes off of his shoulder, but having regained his balance, doesn't knock him down.
Sahnar grabs the fallen sack  and drags it back towards his hut. His only thought is for the young elven girl.
Chalmir taunts the hooded creature. "Have a taste of lightning!" and throws an orb of lightning, striking it in the thigh
The hooded creature shakes it off with a laugh. 
Korith attacks again and lands a double hit. The rapier piercing its abdomen and the dagger slicing across the thigh. But, he notices the wounds start closing up almost immediately.
Jorg directs a quick prayer and words of healing flow through Hollow Phoenix. Immediately he says another prayer and casts a guiding bolt of light at the hooded creature. The radiant bolt slams into its chest and the creature lets out the first shrieks of agony yet. 
It holds its arms up and large chunks of ice fall from the sky. Chalmir and Jorg dodge the worst but Korith takes the full brunt and disappears. 
Korith wakes up at the fire. Looking around, he says the others are all sleeping while sitting. He tries to wake up Chalmir by shaking him, but nothing happens. 
Sahnar putting the sack into the hut, runs back to the fight. 
Chalmir, shouting sorcerous words, unleashes a clap of thunder. But the creature chuckles, unphased. 
Korith, back at the camp, moves on to Jorg. Trying to shake him does not wake him up. 
Bruce Leroy gives a mighty twist and is able to break free of the creatures claws. H
Hollow Phoenix moves to Chalmir, again focusing his healing ki into him. 
Jorg, seeing how the creature flinches from the light of his attacks, says another prayer. The blolt streaks at the creature, but it dances to the side and the bolt streaks into the darkness. 
The creature creates another icy orb and throws it at the sorceror who taunted it. Chalmir is stunned and near death as the orb slams into the side of his head. 
Sahnar comes back holding his sword overhead and screams "Begone from here, Auril" but overreaches and misses sending him flying onto his stomach. 
Chalmir throws another clap of thunder at Auril and this time the sonic wave slams into her. 
She suddenly melts into slush. But she quickly reforms into a tall humanoid icy figure. 
"Clever mortals."
Back at camp, Korith puts one hand on Sahnar's shoulder and one on his head and shakes him. Again, nothing happens. 
Bruce Leroy snaps at Auril. His teeth grazing the back of her leg. 
Hollow Phoenix struggles to maintain his mental balance, again channels his ki to heal Chalmir. 
Jorg, feeling his connection to Moradin stretched to its limit, says another prayer. The radiant bolt hisses into existence and flies at Auril. It misses again, flying off into the woods. 
Auril throws her hand out shooting icy shards at Chalmir, piercing him in multiple places with the ice.
Sahnar gets back up and readies himself while Chalmir casts a quick spell and an invisible shield of force appears around him. 
Korith goes to shake Hollow Phoenix awake. This time it works! As Hollow Phoenix wakes up, Jorg and Chalmir see him wink out of existence in the elven village.
Bruce Leroy spring at Auril again and latches his teeth into her arm.
Hollow Phoenix, back in the real world, decides to throw Sahnar into the fire. 
Sahnar, the undead, suddenly wakes up. As this happens, the rest of the group wakes up. 
Sahnar drops to the ground and rolls to put the fire out. 
Jorg grabs a blanket and helps Sahnar with the last of the flames.
Shaking back and forth at the fire, Sahnar starts to explain. 
"I'mmm sssorry. That wasss a gglimpssse into the passst. Howww I lossst myy dddaughter."
He goes on to haltingly tell that he has the ability to pull people into his dream world. A form of therapy to help people confront their fears. 
While we successfully saved his daughter in the dream, in reality she was taken. He hunted for her relentlessly. Eventually finding and killing the horned creature, Krampus. But never found his daughter. He did get Krampus' sack though. 
"Heerrreee, a gggifft ffooorrrr helllpingg, evennn ifff onllly innn a drreeammm." He gives the sack to the group.
Korith asks, "Do you know where Auril is?"
"I cccaannn'tt quitte rrremmemmberrr."
"Would you like to join us in finding Auril?"
Sahnar slowly nods his head in agreement.

Dramatis Personae

• Jorg Ancrath
• Chalmir the Galvimancer
• Korith
• Hollow Phoenix
• Bruce Leroy

Report Date

25 Jan 2021