Session 8 Report

General Summary

Dorent 30 Vindenn 834EA

The team rested at The Maiden and Cask Inn after a fight with bandits. After dinner, they discussed their plans now that they had defeated the ‘flying lion’ which sent them west. Pōtiki asked the innkeeper, Makili if there’s been anything weird going on lately, and they told them that there has been an increase in bandits around. Bain de Soleil noticed a wealthy-seeming man in the bar, and attempted to see if he and his companion would be interested in some travelling guards (he was human and his companion was a female elf. He was slightly put off by Bain’s advances, and assured her he was a local merchant with no need to travel. After gaining both damage and gathering more life from the bandit ambush outside Vanimprotret, Pōtiki, trying to avoid another restlessly-full evening, went into the forest to attempt their ritual. Again unsuccessful, they instead healed their own wounds, releasing the tension within. At this point, both Pīpī and Hāmua arrived, both seeming agitated. Pō asked the birds if there was anything they should be doing, and the birds both indicated that they were able to help. They performed a flitting dance, indicating a number of directions. A circle, followed by a number of lines, Pō was confused, and attempted a number of drawings based on the directions, but was not able to discern the meaning. Deciding to ponder further on the issue and not sure how to continue, Pō headed back to the Inn. While Pō was elsewhere, Suiadan Innion resolved to sleep outside for the evening, and attempted to climb up to the roof of the Inn. After a failed attempt left him bruised and on the ground, Bain emerged from the Inn and offered to help. Bain gracefully climbed the building, and then threw a rope for Shoo. Atop the roof, they shared a drink, and Shoo whispered his true name to Bain, who, somewhat baffled, thanked him. He told her he was sad and missed her mistress. He asked her if she knew what he was meant to be doing and if she had a direct connection to the sun. Bain was confused and did not understand so changed the subject. Eventually Bain returned to the Inn, and a more comfortable bed. Meanwhile, Pō returned to the Inn, finding only Harthe still awake. Harthe asked Pō how things were. Pō, knowing that Harthe was a clever sort and after peering at the man to try to discern if their secrets would be safe with him, decided to reveal their problem. Pō explained that they gather the souls of the dead on behalf of their patron, Te Tauheke o te Wairua. Harthe asked somewhat nervously where they go after they’ve been gathered, and Pōtiki explained that they are passed through the roots of the trees and into the land of the dead. Pō goes on to describe how they are supposed to perform a ritual to pass over to their patron the souls they carry, but the ritual has not been working. They tell him that their siblings, the birds Hāmua and Pīpī, have communicated to Pō that something is wrong, but not what. Pō explained the dance they performed, and relays the directions to Harthe. Harthe, being significantly more clever than the firbolg, did another drawing, and Pō realised that it was an approximation of the symbol of Kuzmjir — the god of life and death, and who both Te Tauheke o te Wairua and Pō themselves ultimately serve. Pō decided that they must head toward the closest temple of Kuzmjir, and as this is southward in the capital city Grechia, that this will suit the rest of the party. Satisfied with having a plan, Pō then headed to bed, and sometime later Harthe did the same. In the night, Shoo had restless dreams, and was woken in the early morning by an insistent rustle of whispers. He saw on the far shore across the bay, that there were bright dancing lights. Shoo urgently woke the others, (barging in on the extremely unimpressed merchant and elf Bain spoke to in the evening, in the search for the correct rooms). The party went down to the shore. None of them except Shoo could hear the voices and the lights looked much further away than they looked to Shoo. Bain suggested they could try to find a boat. Pō explained it’s FAR by boat and asked if any of them knew how to sail. None of them did so they decided to wait till the morning. Harthe and Bain went back to bed and Pō and Shoo stayed on the beach to keep watch in case of danger. Moren 1 Redfall
As the sun rose, the lights began to dim for the others, but less so for Shoo. He no longer heard the whispers. Pō pointed out that the lights can often be seen on the shoreline, and Shoo began to wonder if it was just the light of will-o-wisps. He mentioned to the others that he heard them whispering, but could not discern what they were saying. They decided that there was no immediate danger so did not go to investigate further. After breakfast in the inn, Pō explained that they want to go to Grechia to visit the temple there, and the team agreed to continue, heading to Maksary as the last town in that direction. They arrived at around 2pm in the declining village, with its pub The Hero and Cauldron, and considered sleeping there but there’s no inn. The barkeep, Torgall Brewski didn’t know about any weird problems in the area and was rather rude to the group so they decided to leave. Bain had recently learned Leoman’s Tiny Hut spell so they knew they could safely sleep in the forest, and decided to press on till nightfall. On route, Bain discerned that there was signs of traps in the road, the team snuck past them, and realised there was a group of probably-bandits waiting in likely-ambush. They attempted to sneak past them, but on of them activated a trap and they were set upon. The battle proved extremely difficult. Harthe attempted to scare off the bandits several times during the fight, but many of the foes were determined and skilled. In Harthe’s eagerness to terrify the bandit leader, he became separated from the group, and was knocked unconscious. Through Shoo’s quick thinking and agile movement across the battlefield, he was able to restore Harthe, although Harthe continued to pursue the leader, and the team notice red veiny tattoos on Harthe’s arms which light up as he cast spells. Ultimately the group defeated the enemy, though only just, and a final fireball from Shoo means no loot can be found on the leader. They found some coins and a Divination card with a strange picture, a gold piece minted in a foreign land, and some gems. Exhausted and shaken from the near-miss of their ally, the team retreated to Bain’s magical hut, and rested for the night.