Session 32 - A Family Mission

General Summary

27 Amberspell

After spending the season of heat scattered on personal endeavors, the party is once more drawn together. Following messages sent them by Ell, the rest of the team met in Englemarket, finding the young noble at The Pasture.

Janora was the last to arrive and as the witch took their seat, Ell looked around and his friends and cracked a smile, "I suppose you are all wondering why I have gathered you here?"

Denye shook her head and stared up at Ell, "Did you just? But yes, I am very curious. I was in the middle of some very interesting research."

Ell winced, "Well, it seems that my brother has found some kind of problem. Disappearing people and plant monsters and he would like us to meet him in Cliffside. I wish I had more, but my brother isn't know for his loquaciousness."

"Well..." drawled Jilken as Denye said, "3 days, then we should probably start right away."

"Oh, I should introduce you to my friend," said Ell turning to the almost sleeping dwarf who hadn't said anything since the others sat down, "This is my friend Ranunkel." Over the telepathic ring he added, "Always good to have extra muscle around."

"It's a pleasure to meet," chirped Denye. "How did you two meet?"

Ranunkel shrugged, "You see, I am on a quest from my temple to recover an ancient artifact. I ran into Ell a few days ago and he offered to help."

"Mysterious artifact," mused Denye, "I'm curious?"

Jilken looked up as well, "We've run across a few of those in our time."

"The problem you see," Ranunkel began, "is that I'm not entirely sure what it looks like. I have been told it can take many forms."

"Well," asked Jilken, "aside from the ability to change shape do you know what it does or at least have a name for this mysterious object?"

"It is called the Star Stone," replied the dwarf, "I know not of its full power, but it will awaken the magic of our stone circle...whatever that may be."

"An object that could look like anything doesn't narrow your field much," commented Denye. "How are you tracking it?"

"Well," replied Ranunkel, "the abbot told me to follow the star Etirri as far west as I could in a year. He said I should look around there and I would probably find it."

"Ohhh," said Denye looking perplexed.

Jumping in, Ell asked, "So what has everyone been up to for the last few months?"

"What I want to know, Denye," said Jilken with a smile, "is if you had a chance to do any research on that weapon and crystals that we found."

Denye beak-grinned a bit, "Well I did have a bit of time at the end of my first apprenticeship, I think it was...it was all something of blur. But yes I made some progress on the crystals." Going into a long and detailed description, the wizard explained that she knew how to recharge them but had not learned how to create more quite yet. "The pistol itself is very complicated, but now that the stones can be recharged, I've been practicing with it some. I'm not great...but I'm getting better."

"That is excellent," laughed Jilken, "Maybe sometime we can practice together. I can give you some pointers and maybe you'll let me fire a few shots."

Ell was quite excited to hear that Denye had found a way to do recharge them, quickly passing over his now spent gem in exchange for a fresh one.

"Absolutely," agreed Denye. "After that I spent some time in Arborlisle Harbor, that's all the way down south in Umberfell. That was really hectic. Lot's of stargazing, lots of classes, and so much complicated theory."

"So you had fun," replied Jilken in a deadpan voice.

"I did," Denye nodded, "but it was a lot. I still owe two papers and Brol is waiting on revisions from my final assignments. But yes...things are good. How about you?"

"It was a good quarter," smiled Jilken, "I rode the Plains of Va’dovasin with the Liha'erden."

"They are down in the south right?" asked Denye. "I've heard the clan name, but I don't think I have met any."

Jilken nodded, "They were good people, for all they kept calling me cousin. But if I never have to drink fermented horse milk or stringy goat again I will happy. The tea was pretty good though."

"Really," quipped Denye, "I'm surprised to hear you say you were tired of a particular food."

Jilken lifted her hands in a shrug, "When it's the same thing every night it gets to be a bit much. We did get some variety on a few hunts."

Ell asked, "Did the others eat what you hunted?"

"Most of them," was Jilken's unconcerned reply. Turning to look at Janora she asked, "How about you? Everything well in the village?"

"Things in the village have calmed, replied Janora, "They are still changing uncontrolled but they are no longer violent when they do so. I spent some time in Haven looking into the Bells and the Bright Shiners. I was on my way home when I got, shall we say, led off the path and spent some time in the swamp with the Yaga." Pulling their left hand out of their cloak, Janora held it up, showing off a large crow talon instead of an index finger. "She gave me this as well and changed my coven. Things may get a bit more interesting now."

Denye stared at the claw for a moment before visibly shaking herself. Turning to Ell she asked, "What about you, Ell?"

"I spent some time catching up on the family business in Wexwood," replied the young man. "I've also been looking into Milani, that goddess that was mentioned in Starfall. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot know about her, but I did find some strange ties to an ancestor of mine. While I was in Haven I discovered that my idiot elder brother had gotten himself mixed up in some sort of new drug trade."

Janora leaned forward and asked, "And this is the same idiot brother you want us to help out?"

Ell sighed and nodded, "I am hoping that we can extract my brother from whatever he has gotten himself into in the hopes that he will not sully the family name. Staying in the good graces of the Crown would also be ideal."

"Well, here's hoping we are able to do something," mused Denye, "What kind of trouble do you think he is in?"

"I am almost certain that he is tangled up with the Shado, a crime syndicate out of Dreford," was Ell's almost instantaneous reply.

Finishing the last of their drinks the party decided that they would stop for potions and then head out toward Duskcairn. Asking after the teifling that the party had met before, you learned that she had packed up her shop and moved to Duskcairn. With luck, there was another alchemist a few blocks over, a small shop on the northern side of the Mud District. The owner, an odd man by the name of Trawick Scarrac, was more than happy to see them and sell them a few of his wares.

Setting off into the late afternoon, the party made good time on the road south. Much of the countryside they passed through were rolling hills covered in fields of wheat or corn. As darkness fell, the party stopped long enough to rest and water the animals. By the time they were ready to ride, Rilar had risen fully and they were able to easily continue the journey.

Shortly after midnight, Jilken spotted a barn just off the road. Pointing it out to her companions and said, "Could be a good place to get out of this rain." The drizzle that had begun a few hours ago had shifted and was now beginning to pour in earnest.

Approaching the structure cautiously, Janora could see no signs of life or sounds of movement. Pushing the door open carefully, the witch found a large open barn with a sanded wood floor. Waving the others over, Janora said, "I'm pretty sure it's a threshing barn. No one will mind if we use it as long as we don't make a mess." Stepping inside Janora pulled out their ritual spell book and began casting Tiny Hut.

Finding a small lean-to on the far side of the barn Jilken unsaddled the horses and began brushing them down as Ell and Ranunkel brought all the packs inside. Denye finished the evening's preparation by casting an Alarm around the barn and everyone settled in for the night.

29 Amberspell

The rest of the trip was uneventful and blessedly dry. Dusk found them approaching the town gates of Ell's ancestral home and the young noble quickly directed them to the Ruddy Table. The town was mostly quiet but pushing into the common room, it was clear that a good bit of the town was in the bar.

Ell led the way over to the innkeeper, an oldish man with short wirey black hair. Smiling Ell said, "Bartholomew my good man, it has been too long. I am hoping that you still have a few rooms for some weary travelers."

"Lord Ell!" the man said straightening, "I did not know you were in town. Did the family come down from Haven for the Harvest Faire?"

"No, no," assured Ell, "nothing like that. Some friends and I are passing through and I would prefer not to go up to the estate. I'm not really sure who all is around at the moment."

Bart smiled and tapped the side of his nose, "Not a problem m'lord." Moving to the end of the bar, the man pulled five keys off of a board. Returning, the innkeeper handed them to Ell and said, "Top of the stairs, last five rooms on the right. Steamhouse should be empty right about now should you be interested." Turning to survey the crowd, he added, "Would you like a private dining room as well? Or I could have trays sent up to your rooms."

After passing out the keys most of the party headed up to their rooms, the general consensus being trays...in about an hour. Turning back to the bar, Ell passed along the requests and after ordering a cider asked, "So any interesting family come to town recently?"

"Well m'lord," started Bart, "You know I'm not one for telling tales, but your cousin Lochehi was in here the other night looking to start a rucus...or looking for husband number four if you pardon my say so. I eventually had ask Gerrold and Magda to take her back up to the big house and they left her with Old Widdershins." Thinking for a long moment, the innkeeper shrugged, "Might be others up at the House but none who've come into town." Thanking the man, Ell followed the lead of his friends and sought his room.

30 Amberspell

After a delicious breakfast of ham, eggs, and pancakes the party turned westward and with the morning sun on their back began the trek to Cliffside. The morning passed peacefully, but an hour or so after noon, Jilken spotted a stretch of road where the brambles had overgrown the path on both sides, leaving only a narrow, single-file, passage between.

Stopping to discuss, Jilken was all for burning the encroaching brush, but Denye was concerned about the flames escaping into the surround trees and hills. Janora suggested that before they did anything, they should try to see if there was anything magical or dangerous that could be sensed.

Agreeing that was a sensible starting point, Denye slid off Ironheart's back and began pulling out caulk and her spellbook to ritually cast Detect Magic. While the wizard set up the spell, Janora and their mastiff looked for hidden ambusher or strange magic portals. Finding nothing, Janora turned in time for Denye to finish, glance around, and shake her head as well.

Confident that there was no threat, Janora suggested that they just move carefully through the gap and press on. Jilken led the way, with Ironheart carefully picking her way through. It seemed to be going well, but as Janora, at the rear, entered the space, the brambles and vines pulled themselves out of the ground and turned on the party to attack!

Jilken sent her mare trampling one of the vine creatures, which began to wrap itself around the horse's leg. Whipping out her shock spear, the elf slammed into the plant and the vines spasmed and went limp. Ranunkel whipped out his sword and swung at one of the brambles. Unfortunately, his pony shied and the blade sliced only air.

Ell looked at the chaos and holding his hands out in opposite directions shot off two Eldritch Blasts. Both vine creatures were thrown back away from the young man but still moving. The bramble blights scrambled in trying to wrap thorn covered arms around the various party members. One of them managed to wrap both arms around Ell, grappling him. Ell reacted by casting Hellish Rebuke causing the blight to explode...just in time for another one to sneak up behind and grapple him again.

Denye, shaking off her own attack, turned and called out, "Ell, hold very very still." Raising both claws, golden light flared before forming a small red orb, she added, "You too, Janora." Throwing the bead of flame past the warlock's ear, it exploded into a flaming Fireball roasting several of the blights, but leaving the party members and their mounts untouched.

One of the remaining fire ivy blights tried to grab on to Jilken, but was blasted back by a wave of force. The other rushed Ell and whipped it's vines around Ell, crushing the breath out of him. Janora stepped forward and touching the creature cast Blight. The vines shriveled and blackened before crumbling to dust. Stepping over to Ell, the witch handed him a healing potion and asking if he was okay. Hands and face rash red from the fire ivy, the noble only shook his head numbly in reply.

Jilken dispatched the two remaining blights and turned to look around. "I think we're safe now, we should take a short rest." Ranunkel rushed to help Ell off his pony and onto a nearby stone...out of the ambush site. Jilken gathered up the reins of both ponies and tied them to Ironheart's saddle. Uttering a command word, the Shin'a'in trained horse led the other mounts over to some nearby bushes carefully, almost as if the horse was expecting the plants to attack.

Denye and Janora spent quite a bit of time examining the new blight forms...those that were still extant and comparing them to the forms they had seen before. Both were quite interested in the poisons on the plants, taking multiple samples.

Just before dusk, the party arrived at the small village of Cliffside. Clearly an older village, the dozen or so cottages that made up Cliffside were wooden and show signs of aging in the salt laden winds. A series of switchback stairs lead down to a tiny dock where a half dozen fishing boats are moored. 

The largest building in town was the inn and the Salty Siren only had five guest rooms. Looking at the building, Ell pulled a note out of his pocket and consulted it. "This is the place...but why would Gorscha want to meet all the way out here?" 

Leading the way inside, Ell looked around the smallish common room. Several of the tables were filled with drinking fishermen and a single human man was sitting at a table in the back corner. As the party entered, the bartender waved and called out, "Welcome to the Salty Siren, what can we be getting fer you?" Janora quickly acquires the last three rooms and orders food and drink. 

Taking the last remaining quiet table, the party began discussing the new blight forms and the likelihood of it being related to the elder Darnet's problem. As they talked, the man sitting at the table leaned forward and then got up from his seat before stepping up to the table. "Excuse me, did you say bramble blight?"

"We did," said Ell and Denye at the same time. Janora narrowed their eyes and asked "And who the hell are you?"

The plain looking man held up his hands and stammered, "Oh, ah sorry, I'm just, it's fine, from a nearby, it's fine, just what do you know about them?"

"We met some very unfriendly ones this afternoon," grunted Ranunkel cheerfully.

"In the forest?" the man asked confusedly.

"No," replied Ell, "On the road an hour or two east of the village."

By this time Denye had found the right notebook and looking up said, "We've encountered a Gulthais Tree before, it grows out a vampire staked through the heart. The blights come for it some how. These were different than the ones we had encountered before, but along similar principles."

"If I can stop you for a moment," said Janora holding up their hand, "Again, stranger, I asked who the hell you are?"

"Oh my name is Vellikar," said the man, "My village is a few days west of here and I am trying to figure out...again can you describe the blights? How to find them and how to kill them?" Seeing Janora's hand coming back up, Vellikar took a deep breath, "It's just, my village, we have had attacks. These blights of bramble and vine that you speak of. That's why I'm here...to try and understand what these things are and how to stop them. They might not be the same thing, but they sound very similar and I just thought..."

Denye looked at the witch and said, "That sounds like someone who needs help, Janora."

Ignoring the comment, Janora asked, "And you normally wait around taverns listening to other people's conversations?"

"Well no," replied Vellikar, "only here and Wyldcoast. But I was sent here, see, my mentor told me she had had a vision and I didn't want to, but she told me that I would find a way to stop the blights here in Cliffside. Trust me, I'm not trying to impose on you or asking for help. I promise I will stay out of the way, I just need to learn what you know about them and then I will on my way."

"I can respect that," said Janora thawing a bit, "to answer your question, yes we have dealt with these before. But we don't know where that is and we're already on a mission."

"You've encountered them before" asked Vellikar excitedly, "where?"

"Far to the north," was the terse reply.

"Near the village of Oakhurst and the Sunless Citadel," chirped Denye helpfully. She then began to relate the the story of the kobolds, the goblins and the tree. "From what I was told later, the blights seemed to vanish a few weeks after the Tree was destroyed."

Vellikar nodded vigorously, "Again, I'm not trying to impose and I know you don't know me, but I feel like it is important for me to go with you. I promise that I will stay out of your way...I just want to learn. Maybe I can find the Tree later...especially if it's in the Forest, but I don't think it's there, this is new."

Over the party radio, Ell said, "We don't really know what we are getting into. If nothing else having another body along could be useful, someone else to take attacks from those things."

Likewise telepathically, Denye responded, "Agreed, but he better help too."

Ranunkel grinned at the rest of the party oblivious to the scheming, "Clearly this poor man and his people need help. If you know of these creatures, you should help." 

Ell flashed his brightest smile and nodded, "Of course you are right, Ranunkel. Vellikar, please, pull up a chair  and sit down. Have you been here long?"

Sitting down, the man shook his head. "Only a few days," he said, "I don't want to get into it too much but like I said I was sent here. I was told, or show, or whatever; long story short, the answer to my village's problem and these attacks is supposed to be here. It's very frustrating, I don't really know what I'm doing here. I just know that I need more information about these things if I am going to have any hope of stopping this."

At that point, Felix, the innkeeper brought out steaming bowls of fish stew and fresh hearty rye bread. Digging into dinner the party answer what questions they could about the blights and shared some of the reason for their own visit to Cliffside.

As dinner was winding down, a hooded man walked into the bar. Looking around, he approached the table and asked, "You Ell Darnet?"

Turning to look at the man Ell asked, "Who wants to know?"

Pulling back the hood the man revealed a grizzled face with short stubble for hair and a scar down one cheek. Smiling he bowed slightly, "Grol Evenoak, at your service my lord. I am a business associate of your brother's. You have a similar likeness, I assume you are hear at his request."

"We are," replied Ell, "But we were not expecting you. Where is my brother?"

Taking a moment, the man sucked air in between responding, "See there, that is part of the problem. Your brother disappeared three days ago. I'm sure that it's whatever damn horror is in that tunnel took him." Turning his head and spitting, he added, "I told him we should have just collapsed the damn thing and be done with it. But no...he had a whole plan to get y'all to come out here, clear it out for him, and he could claim some sort of imagined treasure from another age."

Ell pushed out another chair with a foot and said, "Why don't you have a seat and tell us a little more about this business you and my brother are involved in."

Taking a sit, Grol smiled, "As I said, your brother and I, along with a few others, are in business together. We...we operate out of a private seaside cavern. Three or four weeks ago, there was a small earthquake. It dislodged a rock pile and revealed a tunnel leading further down. I knew it was cursed as soon as the first party we sent down failed to come back. We put a door on the passage, it didn't stay closed. We barricaded it, but the every more the door was open. But no one has ever seen anyone or anything come out of the tunnel. I agreed to Gorscha's plan as a last measure. He said that you had dealt with strange things before and was convinced that you could stop whatever is happening."

Listening, Ell tilted his head and asked, "What is it exactly that you and my brother are moving through these caverns."

Crossing his arms, Grol looked offended, "That, sir, is my business and I would prefer to keep it private."

"Seems like," drawled Jilken, "If you are asking for help, then your business is our business."

Pushing away from the table, the grizzled man stood up, "Look, Gorscha was the one who wanted you all to come. He has vanished, but I thought I would at least try to see it through on his behaif. If you are not interested, I can just have the tunnel collapsed and pray that the disappearances stop."

Looking him dead in the eye, Janora warned, "If you collapse that tunnel without allowing my friend to search for his relative you will regret it for the rest of you very short life."

Using the Helm of Telepathy, Jilken scanned the man's surface thoughts. Speaking through the ring, she told the others, "He is telling the truth about your brother. He would much rather we find him alive and bring him back. But he's also worried about loosing two of the Darnet sons down the tunnel."

"Well," replied Grol, gaze going from Denye, to the rest of the party before landing on Ell, "I will give you some time to think it over. I will be here tomorrow at noon." With that he turned and stalked out the door.

The party spent some time discussing Grol's story and his reluctance to discuss his business.  They all agreed that they should explore this tunnel, but more information would be helpful. Deciding to talk to a few villagers in the morning, most of the party headed up to their rooms. 

Jilken stayed downstairs a bit longer, moving over toward the fishermen where she could overhear their conversation. Most of it was simple town gossip and big fish stories, but she did hear a few complaints about the canna being particularly problematic this season.

One story in particular caught Jilken's attention. An old man named Devin claimed to have been out night fishing seven or eight weeks ago when his little fishing boat was almost capsized by a much larger ship, painted all in black. Jilken quizzed him for more details, but beyond an hour or so west along the coast and big enough to be an ocean vessel, he couldn't remember more. Rolling that around in her mind, the Aiel elf made her own way up to her room to trance for a few hours.

Report Date

24 Sep 2021