Session 010 - The Unicorn of Wayward Pool
General Summary
The session begins with Gahr Reigh asking Winterbow for directions to Wayward Pool, with the centaur drawing a rudimentary map into the dirt showing the characters where to head next. As the party are walking through the forest, they come across a group of six blink dogs who appeared to be burying a friend of theirs. Gahr notes that “Death is a part of life” but regardless the human lays a flower on the grave, and the blink dogs warn the party of Loomlurch and it’s dangers. Talia offers to be an ear for Kiara, however the tabaxi refuses and runs away.
The party continues their journey where they come across a circle of mushrooms, which on closer inspection identifies them as campestris. Lilygrove and Tarin immediately attempt to join the singing and dancing campestris but are stopped by Gahr, while Kiara begins to play the lute. Struggling against the fighter, Lilygrove and Tarin eventually break from his grasp and join in the circle. It is during this time they obtain truesight for a day. During the dancing Tarin sees Myrtles ghost on the Ethereal Plane, which causes the goliath to cry, noting that the elderly monk looks at peace and is not throat-punching any of the other spirits. Gahr impresses the campestris and receives a Potion of Heroism for his efforts.
As the party begins to leave the campestris it is identified that the jar Kiara took from Bavlorna’s pantry was a campestri, so the party decide to return to the circle and let him free (However Kiara made sure she kept the jar). During these events it is identified that Gahr Reigh may have been bullied by his mother, and Lilygrove swore revenge. During their travels in the forest, multiple party members find posters warning of Will of the Feywild and rewards if he is bought to Granny Nightshade.
It takes some time for the party to realise that even though they can see the lake they are trying to get to, nothing seems to allow them to get closer. They decide to rest for the night, with the watches being divided up, except for Lilygrove who doesn’t seem to understand what a watch is. Gahr Reigh takes the first watch and hears noises but doesn’t see anything. On the second watch Kiara is attacked by a dryad which causes Lilygrove to wait up and start attacking it with Tarin not far behind. After a short while Lilygrove is deep in the forest, and separated from Tarin, when she is attacked by a monster she doesn’t see and is taken. The party follow closely behind, and they arrive at a giant tree where Lilygrove and a boy named Will.
The party converse with Will and finds that the tree is called Little Oak, and it is the home of the Getaway Gang. The party meet the Getaway Gang which included Bobi, Zennor, Sloane and Star. The party and the children discuss a plan to infiltrate Loomlurch, learning that other children are trapped. Will and Lilygrove are instant enemies, with continual quips between the changeling and child.
The discussion moves onto the Wayward Pool, where Will informs the party that only unicorns can reach the lake, however the magic surrounding the place cannot tell the difference between real and fake unicorns, and therefore wooden unicorn horns would do the trick. During the discussion Tarin and Talia explore the treehouse finding a unicorn pantomime horse and an oil can. When Talia picks it up it animates, and introduces itself as Squirt, the guide of Thither. Squirt explains that he is almost out of oil, and he requires more from the boggles situated at Loomlurch.
Will gets everyone back onto the topic of infiltrating Loomlurch, explained his amazing three step plan including The Approach, The Distraction, The Escape. He agrees that it needs some fleshing out, and agrees to await for the party to return from the Wayward Pool to initiate it. The party then leaves Little Oak and head back to the Wayward Pool with Tarin and Gahr using the unicorn costume, while the rest of the party are given minor illusion horns from Lilygrove. During their trek Talia feels like the party is being watched to which Wirth responds “Neigh”. Lilygrove calls out that she sees Myrtle again, which causes Tarin to take off the costume causing her to be thrown by the magic around the lake about three hundred metres. To rejoin the party the goliath uses a stick as a horn.
The party reach the lake, and in hopes to turn into a giant swan with white and pink tips, Lilygrove drinks the polymorph potion they had found in Downfall, only to be turned into a giant frog. The party decide to use Lilyfrog by tying ropes to her body and having Talia ride Lilyfrog across the water to the island in the middle of the lake. Talia lies the rope off which allows the rest of the party to join her.
Gahr lights the bowl of coals that is located on the island and commences a “unicorn dance” when Lamorna the Unicorn appears causing Gahr to fainted. Kiara comes to rescue slapping the human fighter awake, and Lamorna speaks to him directly via telepathy. Lamorna explains that her mate Elidon was kidnapped and his horn has been used to imprison Zybilna. She is not exactly sure where her mate is, however she is confident that he is alive.
Lamorna continues to give information to the party including; Amador the Dandelion is the guide that will take the party from Yon to the Palace of Heart’s Desire; the Palace of Heart’s Desire has a library on its second floor where prized tomes are kept, and that there may be someone at Loomlurch that may be able to travel between realms to take Star home. After this Gahr askes the Lamorna to kick him, which she does and then turns to leave. At this time Zarak attacks causing the unicorn to teleport away. Gahr leaps into action attacking the assassin, who responds by drinking a potion of invisibility and disengages. The party doesn’t give up easily though, with Kiara identifying ripples in the water, Lilygrove moving into the water as a giant frog, Talia picking up some sand to throw, and Tarin casting Faerie Fire which only lights up Kiara.
Gahr blindly does a sweeping attack with axe, missing, and losing it. Lilygrove continues to chase after the assassin and Gahr walks along the bottom of the lake holding his breath. Eventually Zarak attacks Lilygrove and becomes visible again, and the party reacts in kind. Kiara shoots eldritch blasts but misses the target, Wirth hits Zarak with sacred flame and Lilygrove bites and grapples the enemy. Tarin rage-swims closer and Gahr dramatically imbues himself with the spirit of a water horse and tries to impale Zarak on his horn. The battle continues like this for a bit, and eventually Lilygrove is able to drag the assassin to the surface of the late and the session ends with Talia shooting Zarak dead.
Report Date
15 Sep 2023
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