Fair Weather
General Summary
Introduction
The morning started with a crackle of excitement in Beyonder's Blades. The fair was in town! Many colorful tents had been erected and a large pavilion set up for the main events. The enticing smells of the food vendors wafted through the air promising delicious food. The stalls hustled and bustled offering all sorts of exotic weapons, armor, and cyphers! Over the hum of the crowds a live band played upbeat tunes which radiated warmth and happiness.
Trouble at the Inn
Before they headed to the fair, the adventures passed by the Inn Message Board. Several new items listed caught their attention. Firstly, it would seem their experiment with Eustace as the innkeeper had hit a snag because the very first line was a plea from Eustace to find another innkeeper. Somewhat concerned about the outcome of their decision, they entered the inn with Mo leading the way. Once inside, the inn appeared to be at least somewhat functional (although the breakfast portions looked rather sparse). Behind the main counter was a very worn out looking Eustace.
Mo approached and asked Eustace how he liked being an innkeeper. Eustace perked up a bit on seeing the group who had helped him the previous week. He said that there was a lot more to running an inn than he had planned for, such as the necessity to plan ahead and order sufficient supplies for breakfast! He did enjoy pouring drinks, especially his specialty at which point someone from the back of the room shouted that the specialty made a much better paint stripper than beverage!
However, Eustace had not been entirely idle. Once he had sobered up, he considered what sort of a job he might like to have. He asked the group about the possibility of opening an Aneen stable as the settlement lacked one. He had even gone to the trouble of recruiting his replacement, and had a list of interested people. After some discussion, the group agreed to his plan and they convinced Toby to let them have the land which had been abandoned by Surry. Eustace quickly threw his apron off and cheerfully set off to clear the property of empty bottles and set up an aneen stable!
A Crack in a Cliff
Another item on the inns message board had caught the attention of several party members. Bob the hunter had discovered a new crack in the World Ship Cliffs with a mysterious land glimpsed through it. Dante, Tidran, Dariyana, Farren, and Cassandra all decided to explore this strange new location. The group followed Bob through the wilderness, and after a few hours arrived at a crack in the cliff face. A fissure just wide enough for a person to walk through had opened up. The group stepped through and all felt a fleeting sensation of being off balance for a split second.
Before them lay an expanse of seemingly pristine meadow. A small brook babbled its way through the center. The air was warm and smelled of something slightly sweet. Flowers dotted the meadow and birds sung in the distance. All seemed tranquil and the group started walking towards the brook.
Trouble in Paradise
Suddenly, the group heard a loud roar along with sounds of heavy feet running furiously. A Bellowheart burst out of the trees across the meadow and charged full speed at the group waving the tentacles around its mouth and inundating the air with its monstrous bellow! The adventurers gamely pulled out their weapons and prepared to withstand the ferocity of the monster. In a flash the huge creature was on the group and an intense battle ensued!
The party had faced down dangerous beasts before but they quickly realized this one was much more deadly. Each of the creature's six tentacles dripped toxins and the bellowheart whipped them around with tremendous speed and precision. The explorers dug in hard and put all their effort into damaging the rampaging beast. They rained down many hard blows on the bellowheart but the creature's thick hide seemed to absorb most of their strikes. After only a few rounds of combat, several adventurers were seriously injured and the fight took on a very grim aspect.
Cassandra realized the group was in serious trouble. She sent a plea into the ether for aid from anyone who might be around. Suddenly, a hand appeared from between the trees on one side of the meadow. The hand threw a large red piece of meat out into the meadow and then withdrew between the trees again. The bellowheart stopped its incessant attacks and sniffed the air. It let out another deafening roar as it smelled the fresh meat. The huge creature charged over the meat and began to ravenously devour it!
The group took advantage of their foe's momentary distraction and ran as fast as they could back through the crack in the cliff. Once again they all felt off balance for a second and then they were back in the familiar woods of the Beyond. Tired and wounded, the adventurers quietly limped back to Beyonder's Blades for some much needed rest and healing.
Shopping at the Fair
After such a discouraging setback, the group decided they could use some entertainment; fortunately the fair was in full swing! Joining with Mo and Sirkel, the entire party set out to enjoy the fair. First, they visited the various vendors. The fair's blacksmith was very popular and he produced a series of extraordinary weapons for the group (priced accordingly!). Next, the 'enchanted' stall offered a dizzying array of powerful cyphers and potions. With lighter purses Bane and Dariyana headed back to the settlement to rest while the rest of the group attended one of the main events: the magic show!
The Magic Show
The group were all seated in the large pavilion at the center of the festivities. The lights dimmed and a deep voice proclaimed the wonders the audience was about to see. Suddenly, small flying lights appeared on the stage. The figure of a woman strode forward. Suddenly, a ravage bear charged in from the side! The woman effortlessly floated above its head as it growled and tried to swat at her. With a flick of her fingers, a cage rose from the ground around the bear. With another gesture, the cage containing the bear lifted off the stage and floated away. The woman landed gracefully when suddenly a large appeared chasm on stage! The woman’s side of the stage erupted into flames! Out of nowhere, a rope stretched out connecting to two sides of the chasm. The woman performed a hand stand and then walked calmly across the rope on her hands! The woman then picked up a bucket of water, drew a circle in the air threw the water through it. The water appeared over the fire and doused the flames!
Finally, several enormous boulders where wheeled on stage. The woman asked the audience to verify their extreme weight. Dante volunteered and could not budge the boulder at all. Mo next attempted to use her abilities to levitate one of the boulders. She did manage to just barely lift one of the stones an inch or so off the stage before its weight overwhelmed her powers and it thudded back down. The woman was then chained by her assistants with one hand to each boulder. A bunch of sharpened spikes appeared beneath the woman’s feet and begin to travel upward threatening to impale the woman! After struggling with the chains dramatically, she simply snapped her fingers and rose with the boulders up into the air and safely off the spikes! She then gently lowered the gigantic rocks off the stage and the lights came back on. The woman bowed to a hearty applause from the audience.
The woman introduced herself as Grazelle of Ivannia. She thanked Ivannia for sponsoring the fair and announced she would be available for questions from any audience member. Dante and several other audience members questioned how she performed such amazing feats. Grazelle responded pleasantly but beyond again referencing training in the floating city of Ivannia she would not disclose her trade secrets.
A Past Connection
Throughout the performance, Mo had felt somewhat ill at ease. She thought she recognized the performer, but could not put her finger on from where. Once she heard that Ivannia had sponsored the fair she became visibly uncomfortable. Grazelle finished with Dante's question and suddenly focused like a laser on Mo. Grazelle called Mo by name and asked to chat with her! Grazelle remembered Mo from Ivannia and mentioned that Mo's family very much desired her return. Sensing how uncomfortable this made Mo, Grazelle suggested that they could catch up later as the fair would be at the settlement for a while. Mo agreed to talk later and quickly left the pavilion.
Report Date
11 Apr 2020
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