Session 75: The Swan, The Porter, and The King
General Summary
In the wee hours of the night before morning at Aisling's family's house, Aisling hears a light rapping at the front door. Answering it, she finds Malrius and Nephmir at the door. Malrius tells Aisling that since the party sent the guard to Mr. Goety's Traveling Carnival Cacophony, he thought it best that he and his brother avoid it for a day or two and catch up with the carnival once it starts traveling again--something that they have done before. Since that means he has no place to stay, he followed the party to her house and asks if he and his brother can stay the night. The party agrees and he joins them.
He tells Illevaere that they still owe him a drink and Illevaere joins him in a tea laced with psychodelics. Malrius explains that even if he was back at the carnival, Naimh is vomitting up and sick, and they have an understanding. He tells Illevaere that he doesn't want to waste the high and offers to share a bed. Because Aisling is around, it makes Illevaere feel a little like they would be a bad guest and they tell him "next time".
Myohn sleeps out in the garden and wakes before dawn. Looking at the coy pond, he watches the reflections of the stars that fall, though the stars in the sky are not falling. Within the reflection all of the stars falll, leaving just the constellation Cygnus, the Swan, in the reflected sky.
Looking in the pool, the Swan Queen's reflection looks back at him. She tells him that she heard him when he looked into the stream and muttered his annoyance of the Stag King's offer to Illevaere. She also seems a little annoyed herself that an Autumn Court Fey would recruit one during spring in the presence of a member of the Spring Court.
After speaking with Myohn, she offers him a feather, plucking it from her shoulder and resting it on the pool of water. However, as the feather floats on the water, Myohn sees that it floats on his side of the pool, not hers. She asks him to accept the feather, and Myohn does.
She tells him that she knows him and that he must repay a gift given in kind. She states that since she has given him a piece of herself, that he owes her the same and she will take his loyalty and service in exchange. Myohn happily accepts, taking the offer of the Swan Queen being his patron.
As she readies to leave, she decides to give Myohn more than just the feather, wanting the Autumn fey to know that he is her charge. The feather blooms, as more and more feathers begin to show, forming into Swan Feather Epaulets. She then announces that Myohn will be her Court's Bearer of the Swan's Song, and her visage fades.
When morning arrives, Illevaere wakes with small nub horns, a gift from the Stag King. Tertius buries the white horseman figurine. The party wakes to the smell of breakfast being made as Sorsha Hawthorne, Aisling's mother, is making a breakfast feast. She tells Aisling that they got the note she sent to them with Angus, the family' mastiff, and that her father, Echan Hawthorne, ran out this morning to pick up a few things before they leave.
They also met Aisling's younger sister, Briane Hawthorne, who was dressed in the warmest, fluffiest pajamas and was focused on a Sending Stone. Sorsha tells Aisling that ever since she and Becca got the sending stones, they are on it all day sending messages to one another.
Echan returns during breakfast and he is accompanied by a boy of about 14 who is laden with a bunch of supplies. Echan tells her that he got her a few things for her journey and proceeds to go through everything the boy is carrying, which includes:
2 Daggers
10 foot pole
3 50’ coils of hemp rope
20 torches
6 Flasks of Oil
Tinderbox
3 Potions of Healing
Collapsable Hammock
New Tent
Folding Privacy Screen
Massive Quantity of Rations and Water
Small Spice Rack with Spices
Wines and Cheeses with a Charcuterie Board
Decorations and Fireworks
Several holy symbols of different gods
Mirror on the end of a pole
Crampons, ice picks, snow shoes
Fishing Pole and Net
Portable shovel
Sextant, Compass, and Barometer
Anti-itch Cream
Tiny white strips of cloth, holy water, small silver mirror, bit of wood and string, crystal beads, honey comb, sweet oils, copper wire (extra spell components)
Quill, ink, and paper
He then introduces the boy who is carrying everything as Porter Gallagher. Since it is a lot of stuff to carry, he hired Porter for the month to carrying Aisling's gear. Sorsha packs up the remaining breakfast for the party to take with them. Before leaving, Echan slips Aisling a small pouch with 25 gold in it, telling her that it is a little something extra and not to tell her mom. Sorsha also slips Aisling a small pouch of 10 gold, telling her not to say anything to her father. The party heads out toward Eastcross and Llywelyn, making camp at a group of Oathstones. Oathstones are just standing stones that people write their pledges on with chalk or paint, believing that the stones make the pledges more binding, and as the chalk and paint wear away, it is considered that it is the stones absorbing the oath. While is seems as if many of the oaths on the stone are pledges of love and romance, there is one that reads: “By this stone, I vow to take the life of the White Dragon That Breathes Fire that took my clan from me.” The party does not believe it to be Bolvaic's writing. The party makes camp and Illevaere notices during the night that there is a line of darker colored grass in the moonlight that leads to the nearby forest, which seems to have a couple of the trees autumn colors. It is recognized to be a trod, a faerie path that connects places. Illevaere wakes Myohn to see what he knows of it, but he has little more to offer. Illevaere muses if it is a "their" thing or a "whole party" thing. They decide to check it out along, though Myohn discretely follows. Illevaere is aware of being followed as they head along. The trees open up to large fields of wheat to either side, with the warm summer sun beating down overhead. Illevaere is uncertain of where they are, but Myohn recognizes it as the Summer Court of the Court of Golden Fields, ruled over by Grainmother Sheafheart. As Illevaere heads in a bit further, they find a man standing on the trod, blocking their path. It is a tall man, once proud and now slouching. He wears fine black and silver clothing, but they are old and frayed. His face is covered in soot and ash with tear streaks running down his cheeks. Upon his silver haired head is a crown that has been snapped in two. His shadow reaches toward the sun rather than away. He addresses Illevaere, first asking, "Can I have your name?" Illevaere does not give him their name, but they begin to speak. He tells Illevaere that he is known as the Broken King. He tells Illevaere that he knows where they are going and what they plan to do, but that they do not know of the difficulty that awaits them. He makes them an offer of aid. He offers Illevaere more time, or a second chance, or even the right path to take. As he makes the last offer, Illevaere sees that the trod now breaks into three, and he states that they all go to different places, some more useful. In return, he tells Illevaere that they may choose the price, offering to accept either a fragment of their shadow, a path not taken, or tears for his crown. When asked, he explains that the path not taken would be that he would take the potential of a choice that Illevaere did not take in their life. As for the tears, he explains that he is asking for Illevaere to weep for his crown. Ultimately, Illevaere refuses the offer and returns to the party. They decide to try to head along the trod during the day, and if that fails, wait until night to see if it is there again. When morning arrives, they see the darker patch of grass is much more difficult to see, and the autumn colored trees appear more like aging trees. However, they travel along the trod and the party finds themselves in the fields of wheat rather than simply in a forest. They travel along the trod and when they exit, Levi and Obadiah recognize that they are in Llywelynn, between Westcross and Hosfa. The party decides to head to Hosfa and they begin to set off.
10 foot pole
3 50’ coils of hemp rope
20 torches
6 Flasks of Oil
Tinderbox
3 Potions of Healing
Collapsable Hammock
New Tent
Folding Privacy Screen
Massive Quantity of Rations and Water
Small Spice Rack with Spices
Wines and Cheeses with a Charcuterie Board
Decorations and Fireworks
Several holy symbols of different gods
Mirror on the end of a pole
Crampons, ice picks, snow shoes
Fishing Pole and Net
Portable shovel
Sextant, Compass, and Barometer
Anti-itch Cream
Tiny white strips of cloth, holy water, small silver mirror, bit of wood and string, crystal beads, honey comb, sweet oils, copper wire (extra spell components)
Quill, ink, and paper
He then introduces the boy who is carrying everything as Porter Gallagher. Since it is a lot of stuff to carry, he hired Porter for the month to carrying Aisling's gear. Sorsha packs up the remaining breakfast for the party to take with them. Before leaving, Echan slips Aisling a small pouch with 25 gold in it, telling her that it is a little something extra and not to tell her mom. Sorsha also slips Aisling a small pouch of 10 gold, telling her not to say anything to her father. The party heads out toward Eastcross and Llywelyn, making camp at a group of Oathstones. Oathstones are just standing stones that people write their pledges on with chalk or paint, believing that the stones make the pledges more binding, and as the chalk and paint wear away, it is considered that it is the stones absorbing the oath. While is seems as if many of the oaths on the stone are pledges of love and romance, there is one that reads: “By this stone, I vow to take the life of the White Dragon That Breathes Fire that took my clan from me.” The party does not believe it to be Bolvaic's writing. The party makes camp and Illevaere notices during the night that there is a line of darker colored grass in the moonlight that leads to the nearby forest, which seems to have a couple of the trees autumn colors. It is recognized to be a trod, a faerie path that connects places. Illevaere wakes Myohn to see what he knows of it, but he has little more to offer. Illevaere muses if it is a "their" thing or a "whole party" thing. They decide to check it out along, though Myohn discretely follows. Illevaere is aware of being followed as they head along. The trees open up to large fields of wheat to either side, with the warm summer sun beating down overhead. Illevaere is uncertain of where they are, but Myohn recognizes it as the Summer Court of the Court of Golden Fields, ruled over by Grainmother Sheafheart. As Illevaere heads in a bit further, they find a man standing on the trod, blocking their path. It is a tall man, once proud and now slouching. He wears fine black and silver clothing, but they are old and frayed. His face is covered in soot and ash with tear streaks running down his cheeks. Upon his silver haired head is a crown that has been snapped in two. His shadow reaches toward the sun rather than away. He addresses Illevaere, first asking, "Can I have your name?" Illevaere does not give him their name, but they begin to speak. He tells Illevaere that he is known as the Broken King. He tells Illevaere that he knows where they are going and what they plan to do, but that they do not know of the difficulty that awaits them. He makes them an offer of aid. He offers Illevaere more time, or a second chance, or even the right path to take. As he makes the last offer, Illevaere sees that the trod now breaks into three, and he states that they all go to different places, some more useful. In return, he tells Illevaere that they may choose the price, offering to accept either a fragment of their shadow, a path not taken, or tears for his crown. When asked, he explains that the path not taken would be that he would take the potential of a choice that Illevaere did not take in their life. As for the tears, he explains that he is asking for Illevaere to weep for his crown. Ultimately, Illevaere refuses the offer and returns to the party. They decide to try to head along the trod during the day, and if that fails, wait until night to see if it is there again. When morning arrives, they see the darker patch of grass is much more difficult to see, and the autumn colored trees appear more like aging trees. However, they travel along the trod and the party finds themselves in the fields of wheat rather than simply in a forest. They travel along the trod and when they exit, Levi and Obadiah recognize that they are in Llywelynn, between Westcross and Hosfa. The party decides to head to Hosfa and they begin to set off.
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
13 Oct 2024
Primary Location
Secondary Location
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