Session Sixteen: The Trip to Ashbarrow

General Summary

- 5 of Solas -

Yarrow, Aldous, Alabaster, and Cyrus spent the day talking amongst themselves about what to do. They decided to go to the Scorched Grove. First they would visit   Underneath the town the head of the tenders set up a dark blood ritual and used an ancient artefact to set up the " href="/w/mardlo-arias-nuactna/a/ashbarrow-settlement">Ashbarrow to see the Tenders and see if they could get support with exploring the Scorched Grove.

- 6 of Solas -

During the morning Yarrow, Petunia, and Aiden made breakfast for everyone and the party prepared to leave. Yarrow said his goodbyes to everyone outside the home and as the group started to take to the road a figure was waving in the distance. It was a brown and white Tola with a large backpack on full of wares. He waved at the group and shouted out to them asking where the market was in Meadowfern. His name was Julav and he was a traveling merchant.

As the Tola approached Aldous used his new eyes to Detect Magic on the Tola. The Tola's entire form was outlined in transmutation magic. Aldous leaned to Alabaster and whispered to him that the Tola was hiding his true form. Alabaster called them out and Yarrow moved forward to ask questions. Julav began to sweat and claimed that he just wanted to know where the market was and he didn't know what the party was talking about.

Cyrus sauntered up and using Charm Person asked the Tola to stop lying. The Tola looked bewildered and swallowed and then looked at Alabaster and asked for their spellbook back. Alabaster laughed and refused. Aldous asked the Tola, who was Clara in disguise, what she was doing out of the Avium. She talked about how she was an esteemed professor and how she was recovering data that he stole. Yarrow confronted her and told her that esteemed professors don't steal others work and that they sent her notes to the Avium along with her journal highlighting her deceptions.

Clara realized that this was going no where and asked again for her spellbook. Again Alabaster refused and Clara, realizing just how much she was outnumbered, sourly left back to Winnowing Reach.

---

With that out of the way the Fermata's said goodbye to the party and they started making their way North, through the hills, towards Ashbarrow. The hills were wild and no road or trail was set to Ashbarrow, however with Alabaster and Yarrow both present the party had little difficulty staying on track. About halfway to the town the party came to the crest of a hill. Atop the hill the party could see the Scorched Grove in the distance. The land was dead, the grass destroyed, the trees petrified. Fires could be seen in the far distance and the whole grove looked desolate and barren save for one haven of greenery to the west. That must be Ashbarrow, the town of druids and healers. Down in the valley below were four armored figures attacking two robed figures in a circle. Even from this distance the party could tell that the two on the ground were badly injured.

The party ran at top speed down the hill. As they came into range Yarrow channeled magic through himself and a crown of thorns and vines dripping with a dark ichor sprouted from the head of one of the creatures. The creatures were all tall and moved mechanically. They each wore the same set of armor and helmet and each had a longsword with a dark sheen and a longbow. Cyrus stopped with Yarrow and started casting Slow. The figures began to move more erratically and seemed to have less coordination.

Alabaster ran forward and cast Shatter on two of the creatures trying not to hit the robed figures inbetween them. The creature in front pulled his longsword back and stabbed through one of the robed figures. The figure rolled to the side, it was a luma, blood pouring from his beak. The two creatures nearby turned towards Alabaster, dropped their longswords, and pulled out their bows and aimed to take fire. The one in the back raised their sword and attacked one of their allies but to no avail. the creature then shook its head and the crown of vines and rot fell to the ground and became dust. Aldous stopped and watched these creatures. The voices in the back of his mind sharing the secrets of their forms. Necrotic damage and nonmagical damage would be ineffective and they couldn't be put to sleep or poisoned. Aldous nodded and reasoned that they must be skeletons of some kind.

Yarrow ran towards the robed figures. Seeing the luma he knew that the bird was dead and turned towards the gallus. His horns and paws glowed with light and an aura wrapped itself around the gallus. With Healing Word they gallus opened his eyes and looked around to see the carnage around him. Cyrus cast Melf's Minute Meteors and sent some of them flying towards the enemy in front. The enemy began to approach but was hit with the vulpins flaming rocks, each striking the creature hard. One in the chest and another in the head and the creature exploded. A ball of force surrounding it and blowing the body apart.

Alabaster continued to run and cast Shatter on the one in the back that looked to be drawing its bow. The now three creatures each raised their bows and fired at Alabaster. Aldous ran up behind and using The Bellows of Dissolving Mist created a cloud in front of the hedge. Two of the arrows got through but the last turned to smoke and harmlessly whiffed into the Hedge. The creatures turned their heads towards Aldous and pointed their bows towards him. The gallus used this opportunity to grab the luma and began to crawl towards the party.

Alabaster yelled at them,

"What do you want?"

The creature's raised their weapons and in a chorus of broken and cracked voices shouted,

"Revolution!"

Yarrow cast Entangle on the creatures holding the two in place. The one in the back began to retreat still threatening with their bow. Cyrus moved up and sent two more meteors to the one in the back. Again the meteors hit hard and once struck in the head the creature exploded, magical force damage the area around them.

Alabaster, now no longer having to worrying about his spell area, cast Shatter centered between the two creatures. The sound resounded through the hills and they're helmets began to faintly flicker, as if something was glowing underneath. The creatures both fired at Aldous, two arrows striking the corvum and sticking into his frame. Aldous turned to one and cast Mind Spike directing his thoughts and voices to the creature. The creature reeled its head back and in a scream exploded, causing enough damage to the other to make them explode as well.

Yarrow ran to the gallus who was holding the luma in his arms crying. Yarrow healed him and handed him a cookie from his pack. The crying gallus looked up, a bit stunned at the gesture in the moment, and let the Tola put the cookie in his mouth.

Cyrus went up and healed Alabaster and the two of them started to look around the bodies. Aldous also began to investigate. Cyrus could tell from the residue and the body chunks that these creatures were stitched together and made out of several living creatures. The base for two seemed to be corvum while the other two seemed to be cervan but all of them had chunks of vulpin, tola, gallus, and others in them.

Aldous looking around noticed almost imperceptible fragments of gems in each of the blast zones as well as the residues of magic. He also took one of the swords and investigated it using his appraising eyes. The sword was magic and cursed in a way. If you were hit with it the sword would rot the flesh of the victim but also when this happened would damage the user as well. Looking at it closely it looked like Odwald's work just poorly done as if someone were copying him. Thinking of Odwald Aldous remembered reading about certain homunculi that were talked about in Odwald's book on Necromancy.

Yarrow, seeing the signs that these two were druids, began to talk to the gallus in a strange tongue that the gallus responded to favorably. The gallus was Maneba and the luma was Neffy. They were from Ashbarrow and were traveling outside to try and get to Meadowfern to try and get a message out to Alderheart to reach Gifu the leader of the Tenders. Druids had been going missing and couriers weren't able to reach Ashbarrow for the last few weeks. Gifu had left for Alderheart two months ago after dealing with some bandits to talk with the bird council about the fires.

The party overheard the conversation but couldn't understand it. Aldous however heard some parts of the language that seemed familiar. A chill ran across him and it sounded familiar to the voice in the void that tried to talk with him. They were speaking some kind of Primordial but it was just barely recognizable as such. Yarrow and Maneba stood up and Yarrow said that they would take him and his friends body back to Ashbarrow. The group then made their way to the town in the distance.

---

In the distance the group could see the greenery of Ashbarrow. Aldous took time and took Maneba aside. The corvum politely and slyly asked about Neffy's body and what the gallus planned on doing with it. Maneba was slightly offended by this but assumed the best intentions of the corvum and said that there were rights and a ceremony that the tenders did to send off their dead. Aldous nodded and continued ahead as Yarrow came up behind shooing the corvum away. As he left Aldous turned to Maneba and told him that Yarrow would like to be a tender himself. Yarrow angrily said that he did not and pulled Levant and Basalt from his bag. Maneba cast Detect Magic and seeing signs of the Fey pulled back a bit from the Tola. Yarrow walked away with his animals and the group continued onward.

At the foot of the town the was a large dome of magic around the trees and homes of Ashbarrow. The ground within the dome was lush and beautiful and the trees vibrant. Above the dome the trees were barren and petrified and the surrounding ground, though host to some resilient plants, was mostly forsaken. Maneba brought them through the forcefield and into the town. The trees here were shaped to form houses and staircases and the earth molded to be cellars and benches. The whole town was a haven of nature and natural magics. Maneba brought them to a large square where many druids and healers where organized. The masses looked at the group and mainly at Yarrow and whispers started to travel the town. The gallus walked up to a large house beyond the square and went up to the door to knock.

A tall and aged gallus answered the door. His warm robes surrounded his frail frame and he looked inquisitively at the group. Maneba told him that these travelers saved him and that he needed to talk at once about the missing druids. The old gallus ushered them in and waved a claw over some pots as he passed. Fireflies came from the pots and flew up towards the second level of the home. Soon a gaunt elderly luma came downstairs along with some younger druids in bright green robes.

"What is this all about?" Havel asked sitting down at the table.
"Neffy and I were attacked on our way to Meadowfern. The druids are in danger and it seems like the bandits are to blame." Maneba was clearly nervous and his feathers began to ruffle.
"And why did you leave town?" Maneba froze in place at the question. "We've known that people have been going missing and there were strict orders to stay within Ashbarrow." Alabaster interjected himself standing inbetween Maneba and Havel.
"How long have you been attacked by bandits?" Havel looked at the Hedge with impunity.
"Gifu solved it before he left months ago." Alabaster rolled his eyes and fell back behind Maneba.
"We believe that the bandits are raising undead." Cyrus added to break the tension. "They wore the symbols of the Bandit Coalition and shouted revolution at us as well." Aldous nodded. "Fascinating creatures seemed to be stitched together from several people and were charged with magical force." The Corvum seemed to almost talk to himself. "What are you doing here travelers?" Tevor lifted his beak speaking for the first time to the party. His voice was far more level than Havel's and showed his age more.
"None of your business!" Shouted Alabaster, mocking the two elders. Yarrow stepped forward.
"We are heading to the scorched grove to head to the temple there and stop the calamities."
"[color:#2ECC40]WHAT!"[/color] Havel and Tevor both stood and peered at the group. Havel with anger and Tevor with trepidation. The party looked amongst themselves and Aldous tipped his walking stick towards the druids.
"You know the temple in the south of the scorched grove." He said with a smile.
"You mean in the north of the scorched grove you fool!" Havel shouted. Aldous smirked and nodded his head.
"How do you know of these things" Tevor sat back down and regained some of his composure. "We did our research before coming here. We need to be prepared." Cyrus said with assurance and a little bit of boredom in his voice. Yarrow looked up at Havel and smiled.
"Oh do you guys know anything about the Seed of the Darkbringer?" Both elder druids fell silent. Havel lifted a clenched claw with two digits extended and the two attending younger druids, both startled, quickly collected themselves and left the building. After the sudden departure Havel looked at Yarrow through a snarling beak.
"How? How do you know of this?" Havel asked almost growling out the words.
"Do you know the white stag?" The Tola asked innocently.
"The protector of humblewood and the forest?" Maneba squawked out. Yarrow tilted his head and though for a second.
"Well you're half right, yeah that one, he told me about it. You guys feel safe from the fey here right?" The elder druids looked to one another in concern. Yarrow grabbed his flute and using wild shape changed. He grew in height and moved to all fours, his fur began to glisten and glow, his antlers remained and seemed to fit his new form. Havel pulled Maneba back away from the creature and a thick fog filled the house. Everyone looked to see other visages of the white stag in the mists and an overwhelming sense of Fey magic permeated the air.
"I didn't know we were traveling with the messaiah!" Cyrus shouted, "How come no one told me about this!"
"Stop this at once!" Havel demanded. Yarrow lowered his head and shifted back into his Tola form.
"You should not know of these things, any of you. These things are carefully guarded knowledge." Tevor said sternly to the group.
"Guarded? Why did you send those other druids away?" Tevor peered at Alabaster, "They aren't ready to know these things yet. Knowledge can be dangerous so we restrict what members can learn from our resources until they have advanced enough." Alabaster peered back at him, "I don't like that" "You don't have to."
Yarrow hopped over to the table and grabbed a quil and paper. "This is what the stag told me." 'It is returning. The Seed of the Darkbringer, the Creeping Evil, is spreading. This primordial nature consumes all and its presence is disrupting the balance of the world. The calamities are returning. Nature is in danger and its spirits and guardians are threatened. Find the source of the Creeping Evil and eradicate the Seed of the Darkbringer lest the The Great Rhythm be disrupted to the point of silence.' Alabaster waited impatiently for the elders to read the note. "Are you going to tell us about the Darkbringer now? ... Wait who's the Darkbringer?" Alabaster took the note and began to read it himself.
"An old legend, nothing real, an old story about heroes and mythical beasts with a moral at the end."
"It's happened before and that's why the calamities are happening again." Yarrow said calmly.
"We need to get in touch with Gifu," Havel and Tevor looked to each other "He would know what to do here."
"My minion here can use sending to get in touch with him in Alderheart. In exchange what do you know of this temple and of the scorched grove?" Aldous put a hand on Alabaster's shoulder distracting him from the note and receiving a glare in exchange.
"Don't go to the scorched grove, it would be suicide." Havel was tired now of this. Tevor looked to the group, "and the temple is a sacred place and under protection, you could make the fires worse by visiting. There's too much we don't know about the Grove."
"Or we could fix them by visiting the temple, who knows, you clearly don't." Alabaster handed the note to Aldous.
"Gifu said to never travel there and if we needed to he would cast a ritual to enter the temple." Cyrus stepped toward Tevor. "What's the ritual?" Havel waved a claw as if to banish the question. "Only Gifu knows."
"You're not much help." Alabaster scoffed at them, Aldous handed the note to Cyrus. "What about the guardian there?"
"The guardian is Oakheart, an ancient tree that protects the temple." Havel rolled his eyes. "You cannot be serious. You cannot be going." Alabaster waved his paw to mimic Havel's earlier movements.
"I'll use sending to get in touch with someone in Alderheart and we are going to the temple, you can't stop us. You should tell us what you can before then and maybe send some people with us to help." Tevor looked to the Hedge with hope.
"We will not send our people it is too dangerous. If you could use magic to contact Gifu we would be grateful and would help you where we can."
"You can of course stay in town," [color:#444444]Havel said, "Let us talk amongst ourselves and we will try to aid you where we can. In the meantime do not talk about this with anyone. We do not want to create a panic." [/color]Havel waved the group away and Maneba put his hand on Yarrow's shoulder.
"You can all stay with me and the other fledgling druids. I will bring you there and then I will go and bury Neffy." Maneba looked down and gathered himself, "Thank you again."

Maneba shows the group where the house is for fledgling druids. The druids here are all fairly young and busy getting ready for bed. Maneba talks to a few of them and they go outside to bury Neffy. Alabaster decides to use Sending and contact Captain Baldwin Halfclaw who should be in Alderheart by now. Alabaster thought of his message and then cast his spell.

"If you are in Alderhart; urgent message to Gifu. Ashburrow is in danger, druids going missing. Have him return quickly. You can respond to this."

"What magic is this? I am in Alderheart? Where are you? Anyway are you working for the - oh the Tola - so he was a tender. I-"

Alabaster relays what he received to the group and makes a note to remember to instruct Baldwin on how the spell sending works next time. The druids come back and help the group settle into beds and sleeping arrangements.

The group all gets ready for bed. Aldous staying up as usual. Yarrow before going to sleep pulls Rose (Mountain Rabbit) from his bag and instructs her to look after Aldous.

Report Date

27 Apr 2020