Session 17: A Bittersweet Reunion

General Summary

The party left Ma'Zar mid-morning, heading northwest towards the Silverdew Pools in search of the petrified plants and their cause. Their only encounter was with Dra'Zahna of The Flask's assistant, who was out picking herbs. He knew less than the party about the plants, but confirmed they were headed in the right direction. Doug noticed two of the plants he was picking and thought to collect some himself. Before he left, Rome gave him the ogre fingers she'd obtained a couple days prior, asking him to take them back to Dra'Zahna for use in her potions.
Continuing on, Doug managed to find four small yellow flowers and six plants where smooth, thick, pointed leaves with slightly spiky edges grew out of a smooth central shaft. The group camped for the night as the sun began to set. Doug made four javelins on his watch.
Awakening, the party continued the last hour to the Silverdew Pools. Seeing nothing from the south side of the lake, they walked around it to the west. On the north bank, Shadow noticed that farther into the trees, the forest was darker than it had been so far. Investigating, the party found that further in, all the living matter had been petrified: the trees, the fallen leaves and undergrowth, even worms and a fox. Continuing into the darker part of the forest, the party was set upon by humanoid-like plant creatures, some of whom shot needles at the party and some of whom tried to entangle them with vines. The party was able to defeat them easily, with a large brown bear single-handedly killing one of the vine creatures.
The bear was a druid, shifting back into her water genasi form, though the cloak and hood she wore hid most of her features, including her face. Despite deciding that the party wasn't an enemy of the forest, the druid, introducing herself as Ornalia, refused the party's offer of help, heading off northwest. Rome, hoping the druid was a childhood friend, couldn't bring herself to call out the name "Viridian", but Doug did it for her, stopping the druid in her tracks.
Revealing that she was, in fact, Viridian, having changed her name to Ornalia, she determined that Rome didn't know what had happened between Viridian and Rome's adopted family, the Damariens, believing that Rome wouldn't talk to her otherwise. Accepting the party's aid now, on account of her past friendship with Rome, they headed into the forest as Viri told Rome about what had happened.
As a child in the Damarien And Delirium Travelling Troupe, Viri was often put on display for her innate ability to control and shape water. Rome's closest friend, she was heartbroken when Rome left the troupe to pursue her singing career. A few years later, the troupe made the decision to cross the Rashtara Span in a heavy rainstorm. Pushed to use her ability to divert the water in front, improving visibility and making the dangerous crossing easier, Viri lost her concentration when Elios Damarien unexpectedly put an arm around her waist to steady her. Accidentally turning a beam of water on him, Viri knocked him off the span, where he fell to his death in the ocean below.
Immediately jumping off after him, Viri was unable to save him, or even find a body in the cold ocean below, but she noticed she'd unconsciously turned into a dolphin as she fell. Swimming for hours, she eventually ended up on a beach in the southeast Nythenor Plains. Sick with grief at killing someone she always viewed as family, she lived alone and took the name Ornalia. Realizing she had druidic abilities, she sought training, eventually journeying to J'Zanassi Forest for a solitary existence keeping the western end of the forest safe, living in an underwater cave in the Silverdew Pools.
Rome was overwhelmed at the story, finding out one of her brothers was dead while being no closer to locating the rest of her family. Viri too was shocked to see a friend, shaken by having to recount the story of Elios' death and her part in it.
Rome and Viri agreed that for the time being, they'd set their thoughts aside and focus on saving the forest, and with the rest of the party, they continued walking among the darkend trees.

Notes

Takes place on YA 2269, The Panther, days 18 and 19

Campaign

Temshai Campaign

Protagonists

Eirame Windthistle

Douglas Fir

Alden MacTabbinshire

Romeindra

Shadow

Tamugar

Report Date

11 Sep 2020

Primary Location

J'Zanassi Forest

Secondary Location

Silverdew Pools