The Road and the Wilderness - Session 3 Report

General Summary

The week slowly passes and, as the adrenaline from the group's adventure subsides, Fenveyd and Earendil independently decide that the risks of adventuring are too great. Each feels the weight of coin from their share of the party's loot and decide to head home. The rest of the party, Nazgog, Sticky, and Morgana, continue preparations for crossing the wilderness of the Flanaess.

Days later the party retrieves their commissions from the blacksmith and sets forth toward Thornward, where a choice of paths awaits. The narrow trail wends its way out of the mountains taking hours before familiar sites appear. Following the trail through an ever-thickening forest, the group can see the river parallel the trail and an easy banter exists amongst the group. Suddenly, the banter gets interrupted by the sound of a melodic voice drifting back from the trail ahead. As the party moves forward to investigate, Nazgog's eyes lose focus as she mindlessly states, "Such a pretty voice, I must seek her out." Nazgog strides forward with Sticky and Morgana quietly moving inward too. As the group nears the voice, two women become visible. The women have long oily black hair, large wings sprouting from their backs, and are completely naked. Harpies! One of the ladies sitting within the lower branches of barren tree looks eastward as the other rakes her claws across the belly of a tall elf that has several musical instruments hanging limply from his back. Upon seeing Jagger, the tall elf as well as Fidelia, a female sorcerer, hiding behind a tree, Morgana enthusiastically waves at them while yelling, "Hi! I'm Morgana!" As Fidelia attacks the harpies with her eldritch darts, Nazgog regains control and states, "Such a pretty lady... Nazgog *hate* pretty!" The harpy singing in the tree, ceases her siren call and swoops down knocking out Jagger with claws piercing his chest. The one on the ground begins to sing distracting everyone but Morgana who then strikes it down. Slowly you all recover your senses as the mystic notes fade away. Both groups quickly slay the remaining harpy and Morgana requests divine help from Celestian to heal her newfound friend Jagger. As Jagger regains his breath, introductions are made with Johnny being pragmatic, Nazgog being gruff, and Morgana bubbling over with enthusiasm. When discussing objectives, Jagger and Fidelia state that they are heading toward Oakhurst based on rumors that there is reward for finding lost adventurers. Sticky, while rooting through the pile of bones at the base of the tree, relates that those adventurers are already dead and have been returned to the town by us. As part of his tale, he relates how the group overcame the Gulthias Tree and defeated a corrupted druid. He also highlights two of their group decided to head back to their homes. He then suggests that Fidelia and Jagger would be welcome additions with seeking out Durgeddin's hoard beneath the Stone Tooth. Intrigued by this quest and the suspected riches, both Jagger and Fidelia are quick to agree. Within a few short hours, the newly formed group find yourselves in Thornward. Sticky canvases the local shops and starts to convert the party hoard into more liquid coins while also gathering information on the ways from Thornward to the Pomarj, basically confirming what Morgana shared. There are two paths. First, you can go east along the Fals river and then to Veluna City and onward. Second, you can head southward to Thawr and follow the great Watchtower Road. There is no direct path to the Pomarj due to the large craggy Lortmil Mountain range southeast of Thornward. Finally, the group purchases several weeks of road rations. The following morning, the group leaves Thornward behind with an open road to Shakara which takes less than a day. From Shakara, the road heads southwest to move through a pass before snaking it's way down steep hills to the plains of Bissel. That night, Morgana selects an area to pitch tents away from the road in a small furrow to the side. The next morning, you wake damp from the water coursing through the camp due to a small rainstorm overnight. Fidelia frustrated with the situation makes a snap decision during the overcast skies and all of you start heading out. By mid-day, the sun's started to peek out and you can all tell that you've been heading north along the road, so you turnaround and head back southward with a few jokes about navigating by moss. You get a bit further south this second day and strike camp upon a rocky outcrop. Several of you sleep restlessly due to the rocky ground poking into your backs and preventing comfort. Again the morning is overcast and again Fidelia struggles with orientation, but you catch the error quickly and turnaround without too much ground lost for the day. That night, Morgana selects a perfect area for camp. It's has nice soft loam on a slightly risen mound that's surrounded by scraggly looking bushes that provide a bit of privacy. Hours later, Nazgog and Sticky feel their blood run cold during the first watch because they hear sounds of rustling. Rustling exactly like the aberrations found within the grove of the Sunless Citadel. Quickly, they wake everyone as several shambling blights invade the camp. Jagger and Fidelia are horrified at the shambling mounds of vegetation, but the rest of you quickly engage. Nazgog enjoins with the larger of the blights with her attacks sweeping through it's vines and then also striking into a twig blight next to it. The blights never had a chance against the coordinated attacks you provide and quickly are kindling upon the ground. Sticky methodically searches the area and finds some loose coins but nothing of real interest. The next morning is a short jaunt into Thawr where you quickly find an inn and rest for the day. You think about spending a few days, but Thwar is smaller than Thornward and doesn't hold your attention. Dawn on the fifth day has you heading southeast toward the town of Truelight. You spend several days along this section of the Watchtower road and notice that there is a definite increase in traffic. People of all sorts travel this road compared to your previous travels. One morning had you stepping off the road to allow a small procession of horse-led carts pass you by. A few hours later you passed out some rations and a bit of water to pilgrims that wore threadbare clothing. At the end of the eighth day, you see a circle of brightly colored wagons ahead of you. As you approach, a man clad in clashing clothes yells out "Greetings and Blessings upon you traveler! It is tradition with the Vistani that visiting travelers make for good blessings! Come join my family for an evening of feast and entertainment! Perhaps the great Madam Odile will read your fortune through the Tarroka." After setting up your camp, you join the feast. The Vistani heap lamb, goat, and beef upon your trencher and then pile stewed vegetables above and finally drench it with stew. You're feeling full and happy as they bring a strong heady liquor while you are seated around a table. Then a hush falls upon the crowd. A woman exits a wagon covered with mystical symbols. She's wearing a hooded cloak covered in blues and pinks that remind you of a fanciful bird. Beneath the cloak she's wearing a flowing blouse and layers of skirts that she's pinned up flashing color as she walks toward you and joins your table. "Greetings travelers. I am Madame Odile. I know all. I see all! You have a great shadow upon you and my words will be a guide to you if you will have any hope to defeat your enemy." From within the folds of her cloak she pulls out a deck and splits it. She shuffles one and proffers it over to Morgana, "Your hands must guide the fates, split the deck and return it". Mdm Odile then shuffles the smaller deck and prompts Fidelia, "You as well should guide your future, split the deck and return it." With both decks shuffled and cut, she deals out three cards from one and two from the smaller deck in a cross pattern. With her hand hovering over the left card she intones, "Heed well my words for this card tells of history. Knowledge of the ancient will help you better understand your enemy." She then flips the card and with a start upon seeing the Beserker states, "Find the Mad Dog's crypt. The treasure lies within, beneath the blackened bones." Her hand drifts upward to the top card and like a ritual states "This card tells of a powerful force for good and protection, a holy symbol of great hope." Flipping the card, the ghoulish face of the Necromancer stares back at her. "A woman hands above a roaring fire. Find her, and you will find the treasure." Her hand shakes as she hovers above the right card, "This is a card of power and strength. It tells of a weapon of vengeance: a sword of sunlight." She cries out in despair upon seeing the helmed face of the Myrmidon. "Look for the den of wolves in the hills overlooking a mountain lake. The treasure belongs to the Mother Night." Her hands shaking with fear, she drifts to the bottom card and states, "This sheds light on one who will help you greatly in the battle against darkness." She then flips the card revealing a wooden figure reaching toward a chalice. The Marionette. Her face pales as she cries out "What horror is this!? I see a man made by a man. Ageless and alone, it haunts the towers of the castle." Pale and shaking, Madame Odile leans toward the center card reciting her litany, "Your enemy is a creature of darkness, whose powers are beyond mortality. This card will lead you to her!" She then flips over a card revealing mists. "ARGH! The cards can't see where the evil lurks! The mists obscure all!!" as her head falls forward in exhaustion.

These words, "the mists obscure all", echo with you as she rises without another word and is helped back to her wagon. Your host rises looks solemn for a moment as he states, "It appears you have dark times ahead of you. May your journeys be profitable." He then brightens noticeably as he shouts "Tonight! You are honored guests of the Vistani! And we treat our guests with gusto!!" Raising his cup, he toasts "To the health of the company! Hip! Hip!" and the crowd echoes back "Huzzah!!". The celebration lasts for hours with your cup being ever full. In the morning, you rise with the sun nearly reaching it's zenith. Your camp remains, but the Vistani are gone. Looking around, you find no evidence that they were here. No wagon ruts. No firecircle. Not even ash where the fire had to have been. Puzzled but feeling groggy, you pack your gear and continue along the road as it head southeast. Based on travelers heading the other direction, you should reach Truelight the day after tomorrow. As the sun begins to set, you reach a wide clearing with a few copses of alder trees. Having learned from previous camp misfortune, you walk the area extensively and settle down into loamy flat area with a small group of trees blocking your sight from the road. Exhausted, you fall into a deep but troubled sleep. Upon waking the next morning, a thick bilious mist surrounds you, hemming you upon the narrow road that's crowded by rows of pine trees. The sky is thickly overcast with nary a ray of sunshine peeking through. As you speculate about the weather a long low howl sounds in the distance. As you break down camp, Fidelia remarks "Weren't we in a field last night?" Morgana chimes in, "Yes and we only had a smattering of alder trees. How are these pine trees?" "Perhaps," muses Fidelia, "this is an elaborate illusion. What surrounds me is not real!" She squints her eyes closed, then peeks and mutters a few choice words. With your camp packed, you start down the narrow road heading west. After a few minutes, you look back at the trees and mists that crowd your steps. The road only heads west. It appears that as you head west, the road shrinks away from the east to keep you heading in only that direction. Another wolf howls in the distance. You trudge forward looking for any break in the mists. After several hours, the fog begin to thin. Ahead of you, jutting from the impenetrable woods on both sides are high stone buttresses looming in the fog. Giant iron gates hang on the stone work with dew clinging to the rusted bars. Two headless statues of armed guardians flank the gate. Their heads lie among the weeds at their feet. As you approach, the gates squeal in protest as they slowly begin to open. You pass through them beneath the stonework and then the squealing sounds again as the gates close behind you, sealing you within.