Session 26 - The Wooden Feathers

General Summary

Petra explains that not too far away, there is said to be the place where the five feathers are held, but that unfortunately they are also said to be guarded by a dragon. The place is called The Watcher, and it is on a rocky outcrop at the northern end of the Whispering Hills. The hills seem to be of a different type or rock, and some are said to resemble animals. The Watcher is apparently humanoid in shape, hence the name, and seems to be shading its eyes and peering out to see. It is about 100 foot tall.
Few elves live in the mountains, and there are some passes through which they travel, and some braver ones might venture into the woods. Generally, they avoid them because of the strange rocks, rumours of whispers, and their own natural superstitious nature. Parts of the main forest are so dense that walking in them even during the day can seem like night.
Petra says that once we put the feathers in map, we will be able to locate the other Ekar hawks. She provides us with horses for the journey, food and water, and after resting for a few days we are all back to full hit points. Lilrie benefited from Petra’s knowledge of herbs and she has learned of some local ones which may help us so she will keep an eye out for them on our journey. Petra cannot join us on our quest.
We set off and have an uneventful day riding thru the forest and set up our camp for the night. Lilrie takes the opportunity to look for herbs and finds some which could be useful, including Kalvantary, which can be used to treat burns. It is a quiet night and we are able to get a good night’s sleep.
The next morning, we head off and after a while we start to see hills in the distance and the ground starts to rise. There are strangely shaped rocks around us, one like a domestic cat, about the same size too, and another like a snake. Soon we start to glimpse what only must be The Watcher, sitting on a higher outcrop, surrounded by trees, but rising above them. It looks like a giant humanoid, peering out across the tree canopy. We can’t decide if it is peering out across the see, or shading its eyes, but from different directions it looks more or less humanoid. It is made of sandstone, different to the other rocks of the Whispering Hills.
It is around lunchtime as we approach and there are animals as you would expect in any forest. Riele has caught up with us, looking tired, and alights on Baka’s shoulder. We approach The Watcher and the surrounding trees limit our line of sight somewhat. Moving closer still we can see that it would be a relatively easy climb, even for someone inexperienced. We decide to walk around the based and quickly see that there are no entrances or any unusual features.
Riele takes off, knowing that Baka wants to get a look at the whole figures, but she also sees nothing. She settles on the top and can see thousands of miles of forest in all directions. Baka notices something in the periphery of Riele’s vision and asks her to examine it further. A little down the slope, on the opposite side to our approach, in a clearing there is a small cottage, which is the only point of interest visible.
We start to make our way towards the cottage. Digby, Tripp and Lilrie pull ahead as the others are making tough going behind them. Moving closer to the house, they can see it is made of rough timbers with windows and a thatched roof. They signal the others to stop since in front of the house, by the door, there are three humans with their backs to them. They are all wearing a leather cuirass with chain mail, shields, twin daggers over their shoulders and broadswords. The leather cuirass seems to be inscribed with some kind of scales, an ominous reminder of their friends, the dragons.
Three others are out in the clearing, scanning the tree line, armed in the same way. As these watchers turn towards our three forward scouts, we see the familiar sigil of a dragon with two serpents entwined. These appear to be our enemies, the Serpents of Amnos.
The three by the door try entering, but our rebuffed by something, which appears as a shimmer of blue light, which is strong enough to prevent them entering. It doesn’t seem to harm them, but just pushes them back.
We know that we need to attack them, but only three of us are in place. The others are 200 feet away so will take time to get in place once the attack starts. Tripp decides to stalk forward to get a clear look which he does easily getting right to the tree line. Digby readies his battle axe and casts Shield on himself as Sai Kyo also stalks forward to get level with Lilrie and Digby. He tries to prepare adrenal speed, but fails.
Tripp fires two arrows in a surprise attack, the first arrow for a 30E puncture critical, which hits the unfortunate target thru the thigh for 3 more damage, and the second arrow hitting for a 35E puncture critical, plunging into his weapon arm, breaking it for 10 more damage, and stunning him. At this signal Brovar sprints in to attack as does Sai Kyo and Lilrie.
Brovar attacks with his sword for a 10A puncture critical and 1 more damage, and then hits with his mace for a 22E crush critical for 15 more damage. Brovar would normally expect this kind of damage to stun his opponent, but for some reason he was not. One corner of Brovar’s mind had noticed the guy bite down on something and there is a trickle of juice at the corner of his mouth. He can think about that later. Sai Kyo strikes his opponent for an 11B and does 6 more damage. Baka starts preparing Jolts 3. Tripp hits with his first arrow for 14C puncture for 5 more damage, and then a 19E puncture critical with his second getting +20 on his next attack. Lilrie attacks with her morning star for 8 damage. Digby swings his battle-axe for an 18B slash critical for 7 more damage, putting his opponent on 6 hits per round. Maybe that is what makes him slip and unable to hit Digby in return. Brovar takes a 16D puncture critical, putting him on -10 and losing him the initiative. Sai Kyo takes a 14C crush critical for 1 more damage. These guys are not going down without a fight.
Brovar attacks with his sword and his mace, but just as he was about to hit, the guy blinks to one side by about 5 feet. That is a trick we haven’t seen before. Digby’s battle-axe cleaves his opponent for a 32D crush critical which does 4 more damage. Unfortunately, just seconds later, Digby takes a 14D crush critical which does 15 more damage, knocking him off his feet and stunning him for 3 rounds. Sai Kyo strikes again, doing 15D critical for 4 more damage. Lilrie hefts her morning star for a 28E crush critical, breaking her opponent’s leg for 4 more damage, and 2 more damage from the electrical critical, killing him. Nice work Lilrie. Tripp draws his long sword and hits his opponent for 5 damage. Baka is hit for a 20E crush critical and 10 more damage, leaving her stunned and unable to parry, and breaking her concentration on her spell.
Next round Brovar hits with his long sword for 2 damage, and his mace does a 19B crush critical, breaking his opponent’s weapon arm, doing 8 more damage. Sai Kyo strikes for 5 damage and is hit for 12B puncture critical, but it is a glancing blow and does no more damage. Tripp attacks with long sword doing a 17D puncture critical, but no extra damage as his opponent fumbles and is unable to attack this round and next.
Sai Kyo strikes for 11B for 6 more damage, stunning his opponent. Tripp swings again, his long sword for a 20E crush for 6 more damage and he is rewarded as his opponent slumps to the ground dead. Brovar attacks with his long sword for 8 damage, as his mace lands a 17C crush critical which finishes off his opponent too. Baka attacks with her short sword for 9A puncture critical which breaks her opponent’s shield arm, distracting him from killing Digby. As he turns to attack Baka (that wasn’t worth saving Digby’s life for, she thinks to herself), Riele dives in to scratch his face, but the guy blinks out and reappears 5 feet back. Tripp takes a 4A puncture critical for 5 more damage. Sai Kyo is hit for 10 damage and takes 2 more from a critical putting him on -10 for attack.
Sai Kyo is hit again for 6 damage and returns the favour with a 17D critical strike to the area behind his foe’s knee tearing the tendons and cartilage, putting him on -75. Baka is next hitting for 6 damage. Lilrie’s morning star lashes out again doing 4 damage. Brovar makes a perfect strike with his long sword, doing 30 damage and E and B crush criticals. The B critical does 10 more damage, stunning his opponent for 2 rounds. The E critical does 9 more damage, shatters his weapon arm at the elbow, and stuns him for 2 more rounds. His mace does a comparatively paltry 6 damage. Their attacks are simultaneous, and Brovar takes a 10B slash critical for 7 more hits, stunning him for 3 rounds, making him fight at a further -20. Tripp attacks with his long sword for a 9A puncture critical, doing 4 more damage and giving him +10 to his next attack.
Sai Kyo attacks first again doing a 6A critical making his opponent fumble his weapon and stunning him. Digby is back in the fight with a vengeance blasting a helpless opponent with 54 damage and E and A slash criticals. The A critical gives the hapless victim a major wound, doing 6 more damage, giving him +20 on his next attack. The E critical severs his weapon arm, and now Digby has +30 to his next attack. Tripp attacks with his long sword for 3 damage, and Lilrie connects with her morning star for 1 damage. Baka attacks with her short sword and misses. Tripp is hit for a 5A crush critical and 2 more hits.
Next round Sai Kyo hits with a 17D strike critical knife hand strike breaking his target’s collar bone, stunning him so that he is unable to parry for 2 rounds, and is on -25. Baka lands a superb blow which does a 16E crush critical and 6 more damage. Tripp is hit for a 13C crush critical and takes 7 more hits. Tripp does a 13B puncture critical for 2 more damage in return.
While the others gather around a single opponent Sai Kyo has been fending off two of the enemy for a while now and does not know if that speaks of the confidence the rest of the party has in him, or whether they simply do not care if he lives or dies. Either way, it is time to finish this.
Digby, his blood up, lands another awesome blow doing 49 damage and E and A slash criticals. The result is another severed weapon arm, and Baka lets out a laugh as the broadsword, still clutched said weapon arm, flies over her head into the woods. Brovar follows up with a 23D critical for 4 more hits and the guy dies. Sai Kyo strikes one of his opponents for a 17D critical which does 2 more damage, taking him out at last. The last opponent standing is on -75 and tries to strike Sai Kyo but fumbles and swallows his tongue, and we all stand around watching as he struggles to recover.
Lilrie casts a level 3 muscle repair on Brovar as we scan the area. In the distance we can see a stone dome, smaller than those we have seen before. We then search the bodies and find the remains of a dark berry in their mouths, which seemed to have prevented them being stunned for some time, maybe 5 or 6 rounds of combat. We find 12 similar berries on them and take them for future use. Lilrie inspects them, but has never seen anything like them before. How they blinked and moved 5 feet in an instance, remains a mystery.
Digby decides to interrogate the wounded man, but is unsuccessful, and before we can decide other means to get information out of him, Digby butchers him in a fit of pique. The rest of us watch in resignation as the light fades from his eyes.
Turning to the house we wonder whether we can enter and as Baka approaches the door, she senses something but does not get pushed back. Brovar tries and is also able to get thru. We enter the house which has a musty smell inside, but there are signs that people may have lived here as recently as a few months ago. Herbs and dried food in the kitchen still seem edible. There are books on a shelf in one room and on a small table by the window is a dilapidated leather book, which looks very old.
This old book has no title on the cover. Intrigued, Baka picks it up and opens it, and it appears to be a visitors’ book with dates of someone checking in and out, written in the same hand for over a thousand years. Tripp has a quill and pen and surprisingly knows how to write, so he makes a note of the dates for future reference.
Tripp, always on the lookout for secrets, pulls up the rug, but finds nothing beneath it. Looking under the bed, he finds a chest, and after checking for traps he pulls it out to reveal a trap door beneath. Checking again for traps, he opens the chest, but it just contains clothes.
It is now late afternoon and weary from the battle we decide to rest for the night. Before settling in Lilrie heals the whole party, but screws up with Baka who flinches as the expected healing turns out to weaken her. Lilrie makes up for it by healing her again, this time successfully.

Kitty

• Session start – minus 80 gold!
• Income – none
• Expenses – none
• Session end – minus 80 gold!

Report Date

01 Feb 2022