Session 74: A New Path
General Summary
The battle against the werewolves continued, with both Nortle and Levi seeing things from the psychodelics that they had consumed. During the battle, Illevaere saw a white stag off to the side of the battle. It met their gaze, then started to move away, seeming as if it wanted to be pursued, but Illevaere remained to continue the fight.
The wolfsbane incense in the cabin continued to slow and disorient Ciorstag who was unable to strike the peasant in the cabin. Levi, meanwhile, saw the trees sway in the wind and hallucinated that it was a treant and Nortle, saw a bunch of sticks, but hallucinated that they were snakes. As the party took out the last of the werewolves, Levi saw one of the fleeing peasants as a werewolf, but was halted before he could attack him.
With the battle concluded, Nortle took the teeth of three different lycanthropes to grind in her mortar and pestle and Illevaere went to track the white stag. Illevaere went to where she saw the stag, but there were no tracks. However, they saw the stag again in the distance. They began to follow the stag which led them to a clearing in the forest, where a woman of about eight feet in height stood. She had antlers and wore green war paint. Her flowing blonde hair spilled over her fur lined cloak which, when closed before her body, showed the gold tree on it.
She introduced herself to Illevaere as Elen of the Ways, an Emissary of the Stag King. She spoke to Illevaere, saying:
You have walked within the Stag King’s domain before, the Court of Leaves and Whispers, and you have done good in protecting the Moonwell passage to the land. And when you protect the land, you protect its King. The land and its King are one.
Illevaere recognized the phrase 'the land and its King are one'. The fortune teller at the carnival said it to them while reading their cards. And Dewspark had also said it to them at the wedding. Elen of the Ways continued:
There are roads set out for you to take. But roads are dangerous. One thinks that they are making choices. They believe that they have free will to turn right or turn left, but they didn’t build the roads. The big choices already got made for them a long time ago. I am here to show you, not a road, but a path. Paths are sacred, but disappearing. When wheel first touches path, it ceases to be, and it becomes a road.
Illevaere also heard that definition of when a path becomes a road when meeting with the witch that they and Tiarjead led Dane to. Illevaere also noticed that the leaves on the trees were no orange, gold, and red instead of the lush green spring leaves. The Emissary continued:
I am offering you an opportunity to step from the road and walk the path–to create the path. The leaves whisper through the wind of a danger that is approaching. The loss of paths and connecting ways. We need someone to stop the growth of roads and to create pathways in the world. Serve the Stag King and you can forge your own path and you will be granted much in return for you to complete what it is that you require.
Illevaere asked if it would take them away from their work with Caena, but Elen of the Ways stated that Caena favors the Autumn Courts and that they walk in tandom. Illevaere also asked if it would take them away from the tasks and goals that they have set with their companions and she reassured Illevaere that it would not, and that she instead said that she wishes to aid Illevaere and their companions in their endeavor.
Illevaere accepted the offer and the Emissary led Illevaere to a large oak at the edge of the clearing. She handed Illevaere a knife and asked her to kneel before the oak and carve her make on it. As Illevaere did, sap ran from the knife's cut. The Emissary then asked for the knife back and if she could mark Illevaere, who consented. She then cut a marking of the Stag King in her palm--a mark with two antlers--then asked Illevaere to press their hand to the sap so that the sap and blood would mingle. Illevaere did so and felt the joining of a pact as sap and blood became one. With the pact made, Elen was gone, and Illevaere saw that the clearing was a lush green once again and they returned to the party.
Baremin Barleyhare and the soldiers arrived and made certain that everything was in order. It was deemed that it would be best if the guard take credit for this. The party informed Baremin of everything that they knew of the lycanthropes still in the carnival and Baremin told the party that he would take the soldiers there and talk to the proprietor, Mr. Goety, and try to ferret out any remaining lycanthropes.
The party thought it would be best not to return to the carnival camp and instead took up Aisling's offer to go back to her house and she would put them up for the night. During this time, Illevaere told the party what they encountered and Myohn recognized the mark of the Stag King, remarking that they do not often offer themselves as patron to many. He also explained the way that the divisions and courts of the Fey were structured--there there were Seelie and Unseelie Courts, but no one Court makes up those Courts, instead they are the group allegiance. The Summer and Spring Courts align as Seelie, each with a myriad of other Courts beneath them. The Autumn and Winter Courts align as Unseelie, also with lesser Courts beneath them. The Autumn Court, however, is also known as the Court of the Empty Throne, as its ruler, the Pumpkin King, was lost a long time ago, but Mab influences the Court in his stead, and no fey has stepped up to claim the empty throne, for fear of Mab's retribution.
The party arrived at Aisling's family's home and were impressed with the expansive manor. Levi communed with nature, finding that there were many fey within the vicinity, which wasn't that surprising, but also he felt the presence of General-Headquarters-Hindquarters-Gives-Orders-Front-and-Rear-Sergeant-Billygoat-Legs, an Archfey Satyr, that Myohn recognized as the ruler of the Summer Court's Court of Heat and Passion. Aisling deduced that the satyr was likely here for the fair, since, technically, it is celebrating a military victory and they venerate a goat who gave them the advantage in battle.
Late in the night now, the group had drinks and prepared for rest, knowing they have a hard and fast trip ahead of them. Ulfr planned on summoning The Wild Hunt during the full moon, which was only a week away.
Levi Obadiah Kilgore
Chaotic Good Human, Northlander (Marked by the Beast)
Barbarian 11
Barbarian 11
115 / 115 HP
STR
17
17
DEX
14
14
CON
16
16
INT
14
14
WIS
12
12
CHA
9
9
Nortle
Chaotic Good Tortle (Sailor)
Warlock 9
Warlock 9
57 / 57 HP
STR
15
15
DEX
16
16
CON
13
13
INT
10
10
WIS
10
10
CHA
12
12
Aisling Hawthorne
Neutral Good Half-Elf (Entertainer)
Bard 5
Paladin 6
Bard 5
Paladin 6
75 / 75 HP
STR
12
12
DEX
18
18
CON
12
12
INT
7
7
WIS
14
14
CHA
18
18
Illevaere Solandra
Chaotic Good Wood Elf (Outlander)
Druid 10
Druid 10
83 / 83 HP
STR
11
11
DEX
18
18
CON
16
16
INT
14
14
WIS
20
20
CHA
12
12
Myohn Leerick
Chaotic Neutral Salamar (Entertainer)
Bard 9
Bard 9
75 / 75 HP
STR
11
11
DEX
19
19
CON
17
17
INT
15
15
WIS
15
15
CHA
20
20
Snirk
None Kobold (Burnfist Clanmember)
Paladin 1
Paladin 1
10 / 10 HP
STR
10
10
DEX
15
15
CON
10
10
INT
8
8
WIS
14
14
CHA
17
17
Tertius Greyhall
Neutral Good Human, Daoine (Noble)
Fighter 6
Warlock 2
Fighter 6
Warlock 2
50 / 50 HP
STR
8
8
DEX
16
16
CON
11
11
INT
15
15
WIS
8
8
CHA
18
18
Report Date
23 Sep 2024
Primary Location
Secondary Location
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