Episode 5 - The Stranger in the Horizon

General Summary

After leaving the decrepit German style inn on the side of a cold and stormy mountain, the group continues down the treacherous mountain pass, trudging through ever increasing snow drifts. Luckily the party locates a small outcropping in the side of the mountain that provides a little protection from the chilling elements. Darla forages for food and supplies and locates several red berries which Slem Jem consumes and falls into a deep state of comatose. Davwyn and Darla sleep on Blanch and Dorothy, keeping the horses and themselves alive with their shared warmth. Chief, Beldhir and Slem Jem sleep inside the covered wagon huddled together for survival. In the morning Davwyn creates a potent potable which he feeds to the horses, imbuing them with uncanny speed, saving the party from certain frozen death. The party then finds themselves among vast wheat fields with only a lone cottage seen on the horizon.
While exploring the open grasslands and warming their frozen faces in the sun, Darla locates and befriends a ground dove which she names “Carl.” Darla utilizes her feathery companion as a type of scout, watching out for possible threats as it flitters through the tall grasses. Davwyn collects several wild wheat samples, 5 ephahs of red wheat, and places them in the back of the wagon to be utilized for further brewing research later. Davwyn additionally makes popped wheat over a campfire which he shares with his famished companions. The halflings stare over the gentle landscape as the sun baths the ground in warm rays. The grass moves back and forth in a hypnotic pattern turning and bowing slowly, led by the passing winds as if changing between separate dance partners. The campfire’s flame’s also mimic the dancing blades of grass, moving forwards and backwards. The little adventurers huddle around the warm flames, happy to be free from the bitter mountainside.
As they warm themselves around the fire, the sun begins to set. The light begins to pass beneath the horizon as it does every day but this time the party sees a strange beam travel along the horizon line, beyond the suns normal birth. Inside the nexus of the sun’s outline, a silhouette emerges, walking towards them. Walking slowly and calmly, the hooded figure approaches the camp but mysteriously does not set off the alarm spell set around the camp, additionally Carl the dove gently lands on the stranger’s shoulder, oddly comfortable with the unknown figure. The party holds their breath, waiting for the figure to reveal himself.
Finally, the Stranger In The Horizon speaks and asks for permission to enter the halfling camp, asking for something to eat. Davwyn provides a bounty of soggy waffles and popped wheat which the stranger happily takes in stride. The stranger advises the party that he needs their help in order to accomplish a great good in the coming future. He instructs the party to travel to the mainland where they must help the city with their political strife. The hooded figure advises the party that this city will become the center of all economic policy in the world; their goal would be to make sure that the city is properly named so that the land does not fall into disrepair and destruction. “A bad name can really dull a bright future” he tells the group with a wink. Knowing that something strange was a foot, Davwyn believes the stranger may have actually be a god, recognizing the god's domain based on the symbolism and the stranger’s behavior as the ruler over "travels and trickery."  Darla, catching onto Davwyn’s hints, asked the stranger for compensation for such a monumental task and for proof of his ability to pay. Promising the group a single wish as payment, the stranger reaches his hand out towards the campfire. A small line of fire is siphoned from the burning logs which coils itself on his palm. He mutters a few low tones of an unknown language, as if telling a secret to the twisting fire serpent in his hand. The fire begins bending and twisting into a symbol which they recognized. It was the same rune on chief’s head from the encounter with the night hag, the same rune that was currently illuminated on chief’s forehead. The stranger then stands up, thanks his audience and walks back into the sunset, disappearing from sight.
The party continues the next morning towards Spyglass. As they approach the city walls, Davwyn creates two potions of flying, one of which he hands to Beldhir. Both halflings quickly gulped down the gossamer concoction and drifted over the city walls, unseen by the horribly inept town guards. Both halflings sail over the town the ridgeline of nearby Fleuga  but nearly miss the rift; Davwyn nearly falls into the abyss but Beldhir was able to successfully pull him to safety. Darla and Chief tiredly travel through Spyglass, searching for somewhere to rest. Darla locates and breaks into a tailor and steals a glittering green robe which she wisely hid in her knapsack. The two halflings then travel to the Dust Bunny Inn where they learn how they can earn their passage across the Rift. Beldhir and Davwyn locate The Mystery Shack amongst a town of gnomes and their oddly perfect cookie cutter like houses. They meet a drunken Falk Halsfire in the back of the mystery shack where he advises he will help them on their quest in exchange for a satchel of Pixie Dust, known to be an illicit substance. He points them towards Chastin Welldon who is a known supplier and simultaneously the coach of the Fleuga Fliers, the city’s rift team. Determined to accomplish thwarting The Viscount’s mischievous deeds and save their livelihood both halflings resign themselves to join the team. In the morning both sets of halflings demonstrated their magical abilities to join their respective town’s team. They unknowingly faced off on either side of the rift but in the end the town of Spyglass rose victorious, as of course was tradition. Davwyn and Beldhir were instructed to return to the Mystery Shack with their team while Chief and Darla returned to the Dust Bunny Inn as conquering heroes.
Who was the strange man the party met in the wheat fields? Will the party find a way to enable Falk Halsfire’s addiction to pixie dust? And most importantly, whatever happened to Carl?!

Report Date

20 Feb 2022