Session 12 Report

General Summary

Having arrived at Hindarskjall and having met with the Jarl, the party went in search for a place to sleep. They followed the Jarl's advice and went to the Old Helm's Inn, located in one of the older parts of town. They met with Helmut, the proprietor of the place and rented two rooms to stay in for the 5 days around the festival and had a couple of drinks. In the meantime, Rho looked to capture a couple of mice, to feed to an owl, so he could bribe them into acting as a guard. Having caught the mice from the inn's storage, he and TT went into the woods to look for an owl, suitable for his needs. They found one, and Rho used his magic to be able to speak with it. The owl introduced himself as "Hooward" and agreed to work for him in exchange for a mice per night.
After sleeping the night, the party headed out to look for Elhandra, on the advice of the innkeeper that she was not like the other 'quacks' that did fortune telling at the festival. The house is located against the outside of the northern wall around the city, and had a grove of trees growing towards it. Elhandra greeted the party and invited them in. She agreed to read the party's futures for a bit of money and started her rituals. One by one, the party had their fortunes told, during which Nafikta prepared to cast Identify on her, to find out what kind of magic was flowing through her. She turned out to truly be magical. Nafikta went last in the order and the ritual went differently than expected and Elhandra's voice changed and spoke in a shaky manner. Elhandra explained that this must have something to do with her having magic in her blood, somehow. Whether she is aware of it or not. Elhandra adviced her to speak with Calder, one of the Jarl's sons, since they have had some experience with similar problems. And that her vision reminded her of a book in the Hall's library named: "A song for the Way in Heaven". The party also asked about the trouble that the local lumber operation was having, and Elhandra spoke of a forest spirit of the hunt, enraged now that its habitat was in danger, as it lashes out to the loggers to keep them out of the area. She advices speaking to Glessin if they want to help the loggers.
Right before sending the party off to rest, TT asked her whether she knew any strange spices which she could use for food. Elhandra said that she could look for Arrowroot, which grows in the nearby forests. She warned that is could be poisonous in large quantities, but could provide a kick if used carefully. She also admitted that she was surprised that the party was not here to drag her back to a stake to burn her as a witch. She is a Seeress after all.
TT and Nafikta headed into the woods to look for Arrowroot, but after a few hours turned up empty handed. Nafikta felt something watching her in the distance but saw nothing. Eventually the pair heard an ungodly scream and they ran back out of the woods. Nafikta turned her head during running and saw the visage of an owl-like creature with antlers lunging at her. The two made it out of the woods and met up with Rho and Yerin.
The party then went to the Hall of Stags, to take the Jarl up on his offer of showing them the Menagerie and the Hall's library. The Jarl greeted them and gave them a quick tour of the menagerie, showing off his collection of animals including a Griffon, Carrion Crawlers, a Guard Drake, Aurochs, a large selection of birds and a few exotic cats, which were currently being fed by another Tabaxi. The Jarl introduced him as Azar, a friend and employee. Azar headed towards the party and met Rho with open arms, Apparently, the two were born from the same tribe, and Azar explains that he has not seen Rho since he was a little kitten. He says that he wishes to speak further with him, however he has further duties currently, meaning to meet with him in private later.
TT and Nafikta went for the Library to meet with Calder, the Jarl's son. After a conversation revealing that they were sent by Elhandra because of Nafikta's magic, the Jarl reveals that he was planning to use the dinner he had invited them to to interrogate the party about their goals in the city, as he feared for an Inquisition incursion and the safety of his children who were touched by magic, like Calder. But since Elhandra had trusted them, he would defer to her judgment. The two in the library received some books from Calder, including the one recommended by Elhandra, and started reading.
TT's book spoke of a small lake to the east of the city where a legend says that an Elven woman once met some sort of beautiful male spirit whom she fell in love with instantly. The spirit fled at the sight of her. She continued searching for it until she starved, but upon her death, she continued to guard over the place where she met him, in order to keep anyone else from seeing the spirit and stealing her lover. This place is now affectionately called the "Lagoon of Dead men". For people only go there to die.
Nafikta's book, "A song for the Way in Heaven", is an epic poem that speaks of a legend of a hero that witnessed a star falling from the skies and dedicating himself to finding it and returning it to where it belongs. At the end of the story, he finds the fallen star and finds it to be blazing with the power of the sun, revealing a great power inside of it, which he could use to guard the heavens. Before he could claim it however, he had to defeat another who wished to claim the power of the star for themselves, named "Shra-tak Cor'Mezra", translated to "She who would steal the flame for herself".
In the meantime, Rho and Yerin made a bet to see who could mount the Hippogriff the quickest. Both came close, however Rho managed to mount the Hippogriff the first and used a rope to try and control it during flight, which, miraculously, seemed to work. During this spectacle, Azar walked in, and appeared thoroughly impressed with Rho being able to fly the creature. When he dismounted, the three had a conversation about the Xabat and how Azar came to this place. Turns out that he was sent with one of the scouting parties to look for signs of the Great Roc. He and five other Tabaxi were sent to this region and when he was the only survivor, he came to Hindarskjall to be taken in by the Jarl. He regrets never being able to find his goal and fears that he has betrayed the Xabat and their ways. Rho reassured him that this place must be where the Great Roc had meant for him to be. Azar thanked him for his words and offered Rho his necklace totem. He says that the Totem was made by the Feathered Ladies in the Old land, and he has carried it with him ever since. He also claimed that if you wear it long enough, it will guide you somehow towards the right path and that it was this power that led him here.

Rewards Granted

Wooden Roc Totem
Cryptic divinations into the party's futures
XP Previous total: 4355 XP
Owl Buddy: 15 XP
Elhandra's divinations: 200 XP
Encounter with the spirit of the woods: 50 XP
Information about new species of creatures from menagerie: 100 XP
Wrangling of Hippogriff: 50 XP
415 XP, New total: 4770
XP tot level 5: 1770

Character(s) interacted with

Elhandra, the Seeress of the Not-Wholly-Here
Jarl Hindar V
Calder the Tempest
Azar the Cat 
Helmut the Innkeep
Hooward the Owl

Report Date

18 Jul 2020

Primary Location

Hindarskjall