Forest of Wyrd #28 - Black Dog & Twilight Path

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Vegarious (Changeling 3)
Ranza (Changeling 3)
Jonesomon (Specialist 4)
Gnarl (Wood Gnome 4)
Hobbs (Hedgefey 4) 

Thrax [NPC] (Fighter 3)

Though slowed by Gnarl's intervention, Ranza's arm continued to swell, so Vegarious offered up her potion of neutralize poison to clear it up once and for all. That done, the party settled down to rest for the night, but opted for the edges of the clearing instead the tumbled down and (until moments before) haunted cabin. Next morning dawned dull and misty, and Gnarl went looking for another feathered guide, this time to lead them to the standing stone that marked the start of the Twilight Path. Once more using speak with animals, Gnarl had to bribe a lark with a steady stream of juicy worms and grubs before it would  cooperate. But by late in the day, the bird led them to a clearing some distance to the east, almost at the forest edge. Here, standing 50' tall  was the stone. Jet black, slightly tapered at the top and inscribed with the symbol of the new moon. Waiting until nightfall and moonrise, Gnarl entered the clearing and called out. In answer, a black dog emerged from the north west edge of the trees; oddly they had not seen this animal while earlier scouting the perimeter. The dog walked to within 10 yards of the wood gnome, looked at him a moment and then turned to head back to the northwest. Before entering the trees, it stopped and turned to look at Gnarl, as if expecting him the follow. He complied, and with the rest of the party in tow, headed into the dark woods. 

They followed the dog all night as it led them down familiar paths and past familiar sights, until by  the next morning they were once more at the edge of the swamp where they'd slain the Frog King just a few days before. Here the party paused to rest. The dog, first seeming impatient to continuing, eventually settled down for a rest itself some distance from the camp.  After resting most of the day, the party moved out again in late afternoon, slogging behind the dog through the swamp, always heading north west. Just as it was getting dark, they were ambushed by a group of giant frogs. Judicious use of a colour spray neutralized two, which frightened off the rest. Gnarl and Ranza  turned to kill the two stunned amphibians, but Hobbs stopped before they could finish off the last. The hedgefey  grabbed his saddle of domestication of the mule and, when the frog regained consciousness, he plunked it on the creatures back and had himself a compliant, hoppy mount. 

After a cold and damp day at rest in the swamp, they headed out once more following the dog, reaching the River of Sorrows just a few miles south of Wickerwood by about midnight. Gnarl and the black dog swan across, the wood gnome hauling along a rope to build a rope and pulley system to transport all their stuff (and the heavily laden characters) across the deep, flowing river. As Ranza was making her way across, she was surprised to see a small collection of candles in reed floats move past her on the water surface. While a little distracted by this, she also noted that just beyond the lights on the opposite side of the river came a reed fence festooned with thorns, likewise floating downriver. Behind it came tall heron-like creatures. They did not see the changeling, for she was travelling invisible, but they did see Vegarious, Jonesomon and Feedbag on the left bank. The four heron-men turned to attack them, attempted to haul them away into the water with their long clawed hands. But another lucky colour spray and some fancy sword work killed them all. Danger thus past, the party continued their crossing and made their way into Wickerwood itself early in the morning. While Jonesomon headed off to resupply their food and drop cold iron bolts off for Vora, everyone else followed Gnarl and the black dog to the next waypoint, the standing stone at the edge of town. There they watched Gnarl go over to the stone and touch it. At that point, the dog started to writhe and  fade in and out of existence, eventually settling back into existence solid as ever, but now twice as large as before. And once more it headed off to the northwast, and once more the party followed. 

Rejoined by Jonesomon (and the long absent Thrax), the party was soon once more traversing the paths and trails around the hive of the Queen of All Bees. Leaving that area behind, they climbed further into the hills that dominates the central Forest of Wyrd, spending two mostly uneventful nights and days being led onward by the black dog. They continued to travel mostly at night, thinking thee was a need to do so given the circumstances of their quest.  By evening of the third day out of Wickerwood, they climbed a trail up the side of a tall and bare hill, thinking the next standing stone must be close by. Passing under a large pine, they were somewhat surprised and disturbed to see red ribbons and severed rooster's heads tied to the branches. Now wary, they luckily were alert when the sound of a cock crowing was heard from the hill above them. Four figures climbed into view at the crest of the hill; three men covered in red ochre and a fourth dressed in the accoutrements of a shaman. The three ochre-men prepared to roll boulders down on the hapless party below them, but Gnarl was quicker and entangled the trio. The shaman attempted to cast a spell, but was foiled by the magic absorbing properties of the wood gnomes ioun stone. Before the party could get to complacent however, they were surprised by another trio of ochre-men. These succeeded in loosing their boulders, one of which hit Jonesomon hard. They then rushed down the hill with nets, turning on Vegarious and attempting to capture her. The shaman also fired a magic missile at the unfortunate Jonesomon. However, Gnarl skewered the spell caster with his spear and it's shocking grasp, while Hobbs followed up by hurling a boulder using Stonethorn. That splattered the shaman across the rocky hillside, and the rest of the party was able to handle the remaining ochre-men. Searching the bodies recovered only a silver circlet from the shaman. 

Hobbs climbed the hill and picked up the ochre-man trail. The party decided to investigate, but Gnarl insisted he would continue on, following the dog. The rest of the party, after lashing Feedbag and the frog to a tree, headed off into the growing darkness behind Hobbs.  The trail led along a low ridge to a large cave opening at the base of the next hill. The party took cover and watched a few ochre-men come and go from the entrance. Watching longer, they later observed a band of armed and organized men emerge and head in their direction. Likely off to search for the missing ambushers. This band, however, was itself ambushed. A pair of colour spray and several sword points later, all ten were dead and the party moved over close to the cave entrance. After killing another pair of ochre-men who had the misfortune to exit the cave as the party arrived, Ranza glanced in, using her infravison to perform a quick survey.  Inside the huge cave she could see quite a few more orchre-men, perhaps 30 or more, as well as other uncertain shapes in the shadows at the back.  Pulling back, the party had a whispered conversation to decide what to do next ...

TOTAL XP

1445

GAINS

Silver circlet with yellow gem [300sp]

KILLS/VICTORIES
1 Giant Frog

4 Heron-men

18 Ochre-men

Ochre-man Shaman 

LOSSES
none

Forest of Wyrd Session #27 - Strange Days in Brakenrae; and The Frog King

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Vegarious (Changeling 3)

Ranza (Changeling 3)
Jonesomon (Specialist 4)

Gnarl (Wood Gnome 4)

Hobbs (Hedgefey 4) 

The party now felt they'd spent more than enough time in Wickerwood, and started to prepare for their interrupted journey north to Fortress Iacarta. Unfortunately, their sojourn in the town and keep had depleted their supplies and they decided a return to Brackenrae was necessary to resupply, rest and pay their rent and the henchmen guarding the cottage. One last stop to see Thorguld was unsuccessful in obtaining any further healing poultices, the gruff woodman grumbling something about being treated like a mass production line for the party's needs. Gnarl and Jonesomon also mad a trip to see Vora; Gnarl hoped to learn more about his vision of the twilight path standing stones  from the well travelled trapper. Cantankerous as always, she insisted Gnarl turn over the rime wolf pelt he carried (and insulted his pelt dressing skills in the process) in return for info. Gnarl agree, and she told him the first standing stone was located on the other side of the River of Sorrows, beyond the swamps [Hex 13.08]. Now knowing the location of two stones, the wood gnome was confident he could find the others, and he started to plan a journey to follow the path. 

For now though, they travelled south under a hot summer sun along the riverside trail towards Brackenrae, the three days passing without incident. There they fanned out across town to shop and take care of various business:

• Ranza and Hobbs went to see Jaskin the alchemist, to look for healing potions and have the sniveling man check out the red goo from Lithilith's lair. They obtained three potions of healing, and learned the goo was a jam made of some sort of fairy berry from the twilight realm. He did note it was often used by the fey to make magical potions and such, but this sample obviously no longer held any power. He did give Ranza a few silver pennies as he liked it on his morning toast; 
• Ranza also went to see the sage Timpanious to follow-up on their inquires into the Vernal Manor. She some additional detail about it and the Lady Vernal, and duly tucked that away for possible future need as Hobbs continued to blather on about going back to rescue Granya some day;
• Jonesomon, having taken the rumor of Earl Olfric's fey blood to heart, inquired discretely about town into the matter. He heard the same vague rumors repeated many times, plus one slightly more specific note from a drunken ex-servant of the Earl: 'you can see the answer in his eyes!'. At that, Jonesomon recalled the Earl always ware an eye patch over one eye;
• They all heard troubling stories of Gnarl and Jonesomon's 'time paradox twins'. It seems the old/original adventuring party was still spending time in Brackenrae (though away at the moment) and there had been several examples of mistaken identity between Gnarl/Jonesomon and ur-Gnarl/ur-Jonesomon. The party took steps with a system of signet rings to minimize confusion with  the people that mattered, especially the guards Angor and Beck, and their landlord.  
• Gnarl spent some quality time with his Goblyn Fair kitty, noting that it was growing quite fast and at this rate would likely be the size of a mountain lion rather than a house cat. Those curious knobs on it's shoulders were likewise growing longing and more tentacle like; what curious creature could this be? 

The most shocking and significant event in Brackenrae was Ranza getting hauled before the Earl by a posse of his huscarls. The Earl was in a rage at her, and threatened execution and torture to the bewildered changeling. She eventually figured out he was enraged by the shield she carried, the one recovered from Wickerwood Keep. For it carried the arms of the treasonous Thayn Lorgan. And the Earl suspected Ranza of formatting some sort of rebellion or  trouble in the name of the dead Thayn. She was able to talk her way out of it by discounting any interest in the shield; which unfortunately cost her the shield itself. Hoping now to be let free, she was further shocked when an old hag was lead out from the shadows behind the Earl. She was obviously a witch, tall, thin and emaciated. Foot long  nails grew from her hands and her eyes were sewn shut. As the huscarls held Ranza tight, she stopped to the fire and hauled out a brand, which she applied to the changling's neck. That done, she whispered in Ranza's ear: 'now I see what you see' and was lead away. And at this point, the thoroughly traumatized Ranza was hurled form the room and scurried off the meet the rest of the party, who in the meantime had gathered outside the castle to see is they could do anything to rescue her. 

Now thoroughly wary of the Earl, the party opted to immediately leave town. And started to make longer term plans to return later to get all their stuff and move their centre of operations to a less hostile location such as Wickerwood. Once out of town, Gnarl hauled out his silver flask of true water, and gently washed the brand on Ranza's neck. To everyone's relief, the anti-magic properties of the water washed away and negated the brand. Now at least they would not have to worry about the Earl tracking their every move. They then hired a boat to get them across the river, opting to help Gnarl find the first twilight path standing stone while at the same time taking a less than obvious route north in case the Earl decided to pursue them. 

The party cut across a landscape of  open woods interspersed with farms before approaching the edge of the Forest proper. Following a series of old game trails, they came to a clearing in the forest just as the sun was starting to set. In the centre stood, or rather leaned, the dilapidated and moss covered remains of a log cabin. Ranza cast invisibility, joining Hobbs and Jonesomon to creep up to the cabin and look inside, while Vegarious and Gnarl covered them from the trees. At first they saw nothing, but as the twilight darkened further, they noticed the faint glow of flames forming in the fireplace. And then a quartet of ghostly figures appeared, huddled around the fire as if trying to warm themselves. Jonesomon noted they were dressed as woodsman or hunters, and in an old style. The trio pulled back to confer with the rest of the party, then Hobbs and Gnarl approached the cabin and tried communicating with the ghosts.  They responded, despondent that they were cursed to sit shivering before this fire for all eternity. They offered the wood gnome and hedgefey a silver torc, asking that they kill the Frog King who'd cursed them and release them from their bondage. Once more offered the torc, Gnarl and Hobbs declined and moved away. The party discussed it, and decided to do as the ghosts asked. But only after a good nights sleep somewhere less creepy than the haunted cabin. 

Next morning, Gnarl used his speak with animals to strike up a conversion with a passing crow, offering shiny objects to the bird if it could lead them to the Frog King. It agreed, and the corvid led them on a convoluted path west towards the marshes that bordered the river. By mid afternoon, they'd arrived at the point where forest started to give way wholly to bog. There, in the middle of a watery pool, stood seven standing stones, leaning drunkenly at extreme angles. Sitting on top of one was an enormous frog, on who's head sat a bejeweled golden crown. After a few moments of discussion, it was determined preemptive attack rather than attempted parley would be the best option.  Assuming the ghosts were telling the truth, this Frog King could be dangerous. 

Jonesomon and Ranza (invisible again) slipped around the bog to get as close as possible to the regal amphibian. Jonesomon slipped quietly into the water to stab the scaly king in the back. That, unsurprisingly, removed the element of surprise for the party, so Ranza splashed over the help and the rest of the party prepared a rain of arrows. The Frog King, shocked by the attack started to yell for his guards. As almost immediately, a half dozen frog-men emerged from the bog to protect their liege. Gnarl cast entangle to hold his majesty in place, but the Frog King burst into song and dispelled the growth. However, sword and arrow soon cut eliminated many of frog-man guards, as well as seriously impacted the health and well being of the King. He called for the last guard to protect him, and jumped off the stone and into the water to escape, singing another song and dropping a fog cloud behind him to interrupt the party's line of sight. Alas, it was too little to late, for with a final volley of arrows, the party finished off the King as well as the last of the frog-men. They immediately grabbed the crown, and after a quick search around the base of the stone circle for any other treasure, climbed out of the bog and headed back to the cabin. 

Reaching there again just before sunset, they first watched to see if the ghosts and the fire would reappear. They did not; all that could be seen was the silver torc sitting on the hearthstone in from of the fireplace. Carefully entering , they picked up to torc and started to poke around. Ranza discovered the hearthstone was loose, and lifted it aside to uncover a hollow space. In it was a box with a sliding lid, and an onyx and jade earth mother statuette of great antiquity. The changeling picked up the box to slide it open (inside which was a pile of silver pennies and a potion of extra healing), and noticed stinging in her right hand and arm, which immediately began to swell to grotesque proportions. Thankfully Gnarl was handy with a slow poison spell, which kept the swelling under control. 

TOTAL XP

5850

GAINS

Golden bejeweled crown of the Frog King [1500sp]

Silver torc [35sp]

Onyx & jade earth mother statuette [800sp]

235sp

KILLS/VICTORIES
The Frog King

6 Frogling Guards

LOSSES
none

Forest of Wyrd Session #26 - The Gloaming Lord Released

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Vegarious (Changeling 3)

Ranza (Changeling 3)
Jonesomon (Specialist 4)

Gnarl (Wood Gnome 4)

Hobbs (Hedgefey 4) 

A whispered conversation (out of earshot of Lithilith) resulted in a plan of action to deal with all their potential foes.  First step would be take care of Lithilith and the wolf. Remembering the anti-magic properties of the true water , the party decided to lure the strange creature to the moon pool and push her in, hoping that she was some sort of magical construct and could perhaps be deactivated that way. Getting her there was easy; she simply followed along after the party as they made there way to the chamber.  Once there, Ranza distracted the creature by asking questions about the inscription, the moonlight, and so on. Once Lithilith  was distracted, Hobbs dropped down behind her and Vegarious pushed her over the hedgefey and into the pool. The water unfortunately had no obvious effect, but it at least got her out of the way for a bit as she swam to shore. The wolf, however, now turned on Vegarious and breathed a chilling cone of frost at the changeling. In return., everyone else turned on the beast and in short order the animal was dead and floating in the pool. By now Lithilith, having endured a rain of missile fire, reached the edge of the pool and hauled herself out, lashing out at Hobbs who stood closest. It turned out her touch also spread a chill, but the tough hedgefey shook it off. And in short order Lithilith was likewise slain, her bone and porcelain body shattered by multiple blows.

While considering what to do next, the party headed to Lithilith's chamber to search for loot and clues. Apart from the two blue and silver tapestries, the only items of real interest was a stone jug and basin. The jug contained a thick and viscous blood red liquid, the purpose and power of which the party could not decipher. While most of the party was engrossed with the gross liquid, Jonesomon headed out into the outer round corridor to look around. And ran head long into one of the column guardians from the central dome. Clubbed nearly to death, he yelled a warning to the party and started to retreat back to the room. Thinking to trap the thing in Lithilith's chamber so they could leave it there out of (their) harms way, Vegarious cast invisibility and slipped out of the other door to get behind the thing. Everyone else prepared to meet it and lure it in the room. The plan went somewhat to plan, with the guardian  in the room, but obviously powerful enough to beat down the door, as it now turned to do. So the party opted to destroy it instead, a task at which they were successful after much beating and hammering on it. Pausing for a moment after that battle to mend wounds and clean weapons, they next decided to take care of the last column guardian, so as to not leave it in the rear. It still stood immobile in the central chamber, so everyone opened up on it with long range missile fire through the portcullis separating Lithilth's room from that chamber. The guardian pushed forward and ripped open the portcullis, but luckily had taken so much of a beating the party was able to turn it into a pile of rubble like the first with little additional harm. 

However, several of the party had taken some harm, so they decided to climb back above ground and spend a few days at rest in the inn to recover and prepare to face the Gloaming Lord. Heading back to the chime room, most of the party assembled around the Gloaming Lord's resting place while the still invisible Vegarious range the chimes to reproduce the tune hummed by Lithilith. This caused the resin in both sarcophagi to soften, but not enough to allow someone to reach in. Jonesomon went to the empty sarcophagus and attempted to drive in his spear. Which did work, but at the same time it seemed to draw in both the spear and Jonesomon; only by luck and quick reaction was the specialist able to release his grip on the spear to time to avoid being drawn in himself. And once he let go, the resin 'rejected' the spear, pushing it back out to fall on the floor with a clatter. As this was going on, the others noted the Gloaming Lord started to stir, settling back into somnolence when Jonesomon and the spear had been expelled from other resin filled sarcophagus. And it then dawned on them what needed to be done to release the Gloaming Lord; another living thing had to be encased in the second sarcophagi to take his place in whatever realm of statis he lay. 

But did in have to be intelligent? Gnarl headed up above ground, and scooped up a wayward squirrel. While everyone else got ready the shank the Gloaming Lord if necessary, Vegarious rang the chimes with Lithilih's tune, and the wood gnome tossed the squirrel into the softening resin. It sank almost immediately to lie down among the crown and other treasures. Meanwhile, on the other side the Gloaming Lord stirred and rose out of the resin. He was obviously blind, his eyes completely white and sightless. Clad in mail made of lacquered metal leaves and clutching a gold and lapis lazuli rod, he stepped out of the resin, essentially ignoring everyone around him. Hobbs and Ranza started to ask questions. But he brushed them off with non-answers, being particularly dismissive of the changeling, who got the distinct feeling she was considered less than dirt to this fey lord.   The only useful tidbit they gleaned was he had been imprisoned here by Lord Iroch, a name they recalled from the Woad Chief's Barrow and the Twilight Archon. 

Ignoring all, Nimon just walked away, heading to the upper level. While Hobbs and Jonesomon worked to recover the treasure in the resin, the invisible Vegarious followed close behind the Gloaming Lord, and Ranza and Gnarl trailed further back out of contact.  Nimon went straight to the secret room. There, he laid his hand on the surface of the levitating cube, and in an instant it split in two. Inside was a golden reliquary, inside which Vegarious could see a beating heart. Thinking nothing good would come of whatever was happening here, Vegarious and the now arriving Gnarl and Ranza drew their weapons and confronted Nimon. He just raised  a hand, cast a spell, and the three found themselves trapped in an extra dimensional maze. Thankfully, it was only temporary, but when they retuned Nimon the Gloaming Lord has disappeared.  

TOTAL XP

9650

GAINS

Mirror in silver flower setting with round moonstone and onyx [900sp]

Scepter of golden vines, topped by a large ruby [700sp]

Silver fife inscribed with flowing unreadable script [300sp]

Goblet carved from a single piece of translucent, blood-red stone and set with green gems. [600sp]

A gold crown, carved to resemble a laurel, bedecked in green gems [1500sp]

A brass and silver telescope, inlaid with images of unknown constellations. [200sp]

A miniature, folding astrolabe [200sp]

KILLS/VICTORIES
Lithilith, the Watcher of the Resting Place

Rime Wolf

2x Column Guardians 

LOSSES
none