Session 24
Way of the Forest
AAfter the encounter, the team decided to keep watch during the night. It is to be a 2-man watch, Kaimos and Aragir are first, then Delbellis and Cerrule, and finally Cassius and Cynic.
During Kaimos and Aragir's watch, they start talking about the current situation, their connection with the Scarlet Academy, and the Crimson Dawn. Kaimos mentioned that he would return to his assigned task after dealing with Weylin. Pressed for information, Kaimos reveals the north has been tampering with unnatural magicks and necromancy, allowing the dead to rise again. He explains they knew about cultists attempting this for a while but they seem to be succesful in recent times, forcing the hand of several other factions to go investigate.
He also briefly expressed his interest in the Crimson Dawn and how he ended up joining, it appears to be a small group of about 5 or 6 members headed by one of the founders of the Scarlet - he would not deny whether it be Garr Hylthe or not. Nonetheless, Kaimos wanted something exciting, a group that would reach their goals, that it would give their all and allowing him to offer help where it is needed. However, recent revelations surrounding Weylin and issues arising with the undead in the north, his pursuit for his personal goals may take precedence after all.
The next 2, Delbellis and Cerrule start keeping watch. Aragir decides not to go to bed, but stay watch. The three continue and keep their conversation, including Cynic's battle behaviour as well as looking for strengths against ghost-type
creatures they may encounter when getting deeper into the forest. Ghosts seem immune to physical attacks and most status effects, however they are vulnerable to most elemental and magic based spells/attacks.
The last pair: Cynic and Cassius are next. Cassius starts a conversation and asks Cynic a few questions. He seemed to be especially interested why he is hiding his wings. It seems he has met a person that resembles Cynic, but more so has white wings instead of Cynics black ones. Seraph is his name, he encourages Cynic to see this person if able and mentions Diremound, a place somewhere up north in a different region. The two exchange their past with each other, where they came from and how they came to be the person they are today. Here, Cassius reveals he has a mother and sister who live anonymously on the southern regions of the Kingdom. He hopes to see them soon again. He relates to Cynic's lack of a father figure as Cassius himself also never knew his father growing up.
The following day, the group tells Lavarr and Jules goodbye and go on horseback further into the Siren Woods. Eventually they reach a crossroads. They decide to continue on foot and sent the horses back to the cabin where Lavarr and Jules are, using Aragir's familiar bird. Moving deeper in the woods, they find a hidden chest under a crack in the ground. Using a rather unconventional way they attempt to retrieve it: shrinking Kaimos and then lowering him down with a rope, they were able grab the chest and open it. A claw-like weapon was in it, a beautifully decorated blue'ish green metal. It seems special, the weapon is able to warn the user of impending danger. Delbellis has decided to take the claw weapon as a weapon for her.
Further ahead, the party encounters an open misty area. Inside the mist there was a small pond. A noticeable chest was conveniently placed in the middle of it underwater. Cerrule decided to use her Shape Water spell, and brought the chest all the way to the edge. Not trusting what it may contain, Cerrule went ahead to detect if its under magical effect - it was. She proceeds to dispel it of any kind of trap, succesfully. With the support of Cynic's Mage Hand, the chest was pulled up on dry land and then opened. A harmless puff of air sprayed out, but allowing the contents to be safely taken: 250 gold pieces and a large diamond gem, worth 300 gold pieces!
Without a break, the party resumes their journey and encounters a fork in the road. There, in the middle of it, they meet with a rather friendly goblin: Zazz. Zazz advises the party to not take the right side of the forked road, as it leads them into their goblin village. They do not want any trouble. The left road is the better choice and would lead them further into the forest towards the mountain path. The party decides to take a break here and share a drink with Zazz. The goblin tells them about their village and how it's protected by a larger tree: the Elder Tree. Their goblin village used to be where Greenmill is now but were drawn away by humans, they would fight over territory for a while until the Elder Tree offered a pact of protection. Zazz explains the night is full of dangerous creatures and mentions a three-headed monster looking for their young. The forest may be enchanted by some evil witch, the goblin explains. But he's never encountered it before and doesn't believe it's true. After some more talk, the party wave goodbye to Zazz and continue their path.
During the trek through the forest, Kaimos begins teaching Cynic a new magic spell that Cynic had seen him do a few times. After a little while, Kaimos speaks with Cerrule about her origins, the time travel and how it worked. Cerrule offered no answers but intended to head to Avalon and find out more. Here, Kaimos reveals that the concept of time travel troubles him but he shares a secret: in his years before the Crimson Dawn, he was looking for a legendary artifact that was capable of controlling the flow of time - an object called the Wand of Continuity. He intended to undo a petrification effect on a large amount of people in Abador, which included his parents. Alas he deemed that quest a failure and was never able to find it nor the cure for the petrification, even with Eldgran's help. Joining the Crimson Dawn he could at least help others in different ways.
They reach a large rock formation with a shallow tunnel eroded through. Unfortunately, the party would find, the tunnel housed several unlucky adventurers who lay on the ground, disembowelled. After examining the bodies, it seems they may have attracted a group of young owlbears that ultimately killed them, possibly by improper use of shelter and the warmth of the campfire. As the party moves in to examine the scene to determine the identity of them, Delbellis discovers a sketchbook in the pocket of one. Flipping through the pages, it is revealed the body belonged to a young man they have met in Brassdorf before, on the day the Adventurer's Guild was closed for investigation: a young man named Penzi.
The party decides to give these unfortunate travellers - and Penzi - a proper burial and begin digging a grave for each. Aragir honors them with the symbol of Angharradh, may it watch over the dead, and plants a seed to allow a moon flower to grow. Kaimos whispers a silent prayer and suggests to keep moving. The party agrees.
They begin entering a denser forest and encounter a small opening between the trees. Here, they encounter what looked to be an old altar portraying the god of the Hunt - Malar, a malevolent deity. The party deliberates a little among them whether to stay or go. Delbellis recalls a nomadic group, the Minari, who honor this god to give them the strength to form a unique community: they are all cursed with lycantrophy. Cerrule insists to keep moving and leave this place. The group obliges and they depart.
The dense forest splits away from its more sparse region by way of a large ravine with only a rope bridge that may be used to cross it. Delbellis and Cynic were unfazed as they can simply fly over, but the rest cannot. Aragir was thinking of using his floating disk to allow several others to stand on it as he crosses the bridge himself. Delbellis and Cynic were ready to support him in case something happens. As Aragir begins to step onto the planks to cross the weak rope bridge, it quickly turns to be a disaster. The planks begin breaking apart and falling into the dangerous water stream below, leaving Aragir hanging onto the rope. As the rope begins to thin and split, in a moment of a heroic decision, Delbellis swoops in to catch a falling Aragir and saving him from an untimely death! By the skin of their teeth, the group makes it across. The bridge behind them, however, succumbs to the weakened ropes and splits in half leaving behind an open ravine with no proper way across. A worry for another time, remarks Kaimos.
The group hears voices, they lay low and look over two individuals some 30 meters ahead. A man named Peshka speaks to the half-ling Jago, who are then joined by Gustav and another unknown individual in silver armor. Gustav came to pick up Peshka in order to help Weylin prapare for his journey to Yggdrasil. Jago is left behind to welcome the final donors. And as the three men walk further into the dense forest, Jago begins to talk with the party who were still watching over. He appears frustrated with the party, telling them Weylin seems to think they are powerful and a part of some destiny to be fulfilled. In his increasing rage, Jago shouts his disagreement with that and instead believes destiny is the fight that is ahead him with the party, right there and then. In a final threat, Jago calls out the party to come live or die!