The Dangers of Darkbough - Part 4
Session 29 Recap
General Summary
The chief researchers at the dig discover a wealth of information about the ancient dwarves that lived in the dwarven ruins long ago, but find themselves ultimately stymied by the realization that the remaining settlements likely lay behind miles of collapsed stone tunnels. With the initial exploration completed, Genis finalizes her report for the Academy while the other members of the team start taking down the non-permanent dig infrastructure and preparing for the long trek back to Nettle Lake. With the month-long partnership with the local lizardfolk coming to an end, Chief Sses'el'iss calls for a feast in the village, and invites the expedition members to attend. Graciously accepting the offer, the foreigners pack up their things and head to the Vass'anasss village for a night of celebration with their new allies.
Upon reaching the village, many of the expedition members split off and join their lizardfolk hosts in the festivities. The leadership team and the Outkasts watch the feasting and celebrating while waiting for their invitation to join the council in the elder's hut, but notice a team of very concerned looking scouts return to the village and make a beeline for the chief's hut. Minutes later, Tess'tess passes the group, making the briefest of greetings and explaining that they should wait here while the chief finishes up his work, before joining his brother in some sort of private meeting with the scouts. Ever curious, Qas follows the warrior to the chief's hut and listens in on the conversation. While the particulars evade her eavesdropping, she is able to tell that the scouts have lost track of something called the "Anasss'gura," and that the chief is concerned about the development.
Unable to discern much more from the muffled voices, Qas returns to the party and tells them about her discovery as the meeting breaks up and the formal feast begins with the council of elders. At the feast, there is an exchanging of gifts between the villagers and the expedition team, primarily in the form of tools and trinkets, but including a promise to revisit their arrangement in the future, should it continue to benefit both parties equally. In a surprise move, however, Sses'el'iss and Clutchmother Aaa’lashees also have gifts to present to Rayne and Qas as thanks for their tireless aid to the tribe during their time in the region. Qas, still regarded as an emissary representing the Arcana Academy, is bestowed with a rare gift of Darkleaf armor and a ceremonial dagger of sharpened bone, both in the same style as that used by Aaa'lashees. Rayne, seen as one of the mightiest warriors in Darkbough, is granted the name Ssza'rah by the chief, meaning "Small Rage," and is given a pair of enchanted climbing claws fashioned from the hide and bones of local bears. She is also given a sturdy leather harness and collar from the clutchmother, enchanted to boost Oskra's already potent combat abilities and "unleash the strength of her spirit."
With the gift-giving portion of the celebration finally concluded, and the feasting beginning in earnest, Qas takes the opportunity to inquire as to the nature of the chief's emergency meeting with the scouts. Sses'el'iss initially tries to play down the issue, but with a little pressure, Tess'tess reveals that the "Anasss'gura" in question was another tribe of lizardfolk, a splinter tribe from the Vass'anasss, and an occasional trading partner. Despite their connection, however, the chief cannot bring himself to send his people into the "Deep Forest" in search of the missing tribe, especially with the expedition leaving the following day, thus diminishing their defensive force. There is a fair bit of hemming and hawing over the topic, but eventually the Outkasts make a deal with both the Vass'anasss and the expedition team: Tess'tess and his warriors will help the Outkasts finish their contact, and escort the rest of the expedition to the safety of Union lands - when they are done, Bara, Qas, Rayne, and Morgan will return to Darkbough to search for the Anasss'gura on behalf of Vass'anasss. The chief is taken aback by the continued generosity of the foreigners, and acknowledges that while he would never ask such dedication from an ally, nor provide it without significant justification, he can see why his allies in the Halis'allah are so keen to work with the new soft-skinned settlers. With a roar, he calls for more berry wine, and continues to toast to the greatness of the tribe's partners in the Union.
The following day, with the promised escort, the expedition collects their belongings and starts the trek back to the east. Thanks to the superior prowess of their guardians, and the experience of the Vass'anasss locals, the journey is much faster and less perilous than the one made into Darkbough a month earlier, and not even a week later, the team arrives back in Union lands, on the edge of the farming communities surrounding Veradil. Along the way, Tess'tess regales the team with stories of the dangerous "Deep Forest," but it was on the final night of the journey that he reveals the most shocking revelation yet: somewhere deep within Darkbough lays "a mountain built by the ancients" that is older than even the tribe lorekeepers know.
Beyond stoked to hear about the possibility of yet another undiscovered ruin in Darkbough, Genis and the others researchers all but begs the Outkasts to see if the so called "stones of the ancients" existed, and to return to the Academy with any information they could find. In exchange, Genis approves the restocking of their supplies from the expedition's coffers, and sees that they are outfitted for a long term trek into Darkbough. Qas, in particular, is surprised with an unexpected treat when Misel Stonebow hands over a cold iron dagger forged in Arboris to compliment the bone knife provided by the Vass'anasss. Misel tells Qas that without her acting as a bridge between the two people, the success of the expedition would have been severely compromised. As such, Misel thought it fitting that the "Speaker" should be suitably equipped as both a native lizardfolk and a Union adventurer. Cheers and toasts are made all around, and the group spends their final evening together in revelry and good companionship.
Finally, after a good night's rest, the remaining expedition members bid a heartfelt farewell to the Outkasts as they go their separate ways - one group heading back to the relative safety of the Union, the other into the deepest reaches of Darkbough Forest.
Rewards Granted
Gifts from the Vass'anasss -
- Training harness with Dire Collar
- Masterwork Bone Dagger
- +1 Darkleaf Hide Armor
- Claws of the Ice Bear
- Masterwork Cold Iron Dagger
- Alchemist Fire x2
- Scroll Box
- Wand of Cure Light Wounds
- Wand of Ray of Frost
- Arcane scroll of Corrosive Touch x2
- Arcane scroll of Burning Hands x2
- Arcane scroll of Magic Missile
- Arcane scroll of Fire Breath
- Divine scroll of Ant Haul x2
- Potion of Protection from Evil x2
- Potion of Cure Light Wounds x3
- Potion of Pass Without Trace
- Potion of Enlarge Person
- Potion of Detect Undead
- Potion of Good Hope
- Potion on Invisibility
- Potion of Goodberry
- Potion of Darkvision
- Potion of Sanctuary
- Oil of Bless Weapon
- Oil of Make Whole
- Oil of Magic Stone
- Oil of Magic Fang
- Belt of Tumbling
Missions/Quests Completed
- Safely escorted the Bregaran Expedition Team back to Union lands
Character(s) interacted with
Rayne
Bara
Qas
Report Date
14 Mar 2020
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Comments