DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Ranza (Changeling 4)
Gnarl (Wood Gnome 5)
Hobbs (Hedgefey 6)
Hobbs (Hedgefey 6)
Thrax (Fighter 5)
[Slugs MacKenzie (Hedgefey 1)]
Leaving Jonesomon and Vegarious with the raft and Feedbag II, the rest of the party climbed the bluff. At the top they found a neat little campsite. A large, brightly coloured pavilion stood at one end of the clearing. Next to it fluttered a blue and black pendant, emblazoned with a silver crescent moon. A large black horse stood at a hitching post close to the remnants of a fire. Seeing nobody about, Hobbs called out, and in a few moments a figure emerged from the pavilion. It was a knight, over seven feet tall, and clad in a suit of blue plate. In a deep echoing voice, he said: "I am Sir Azra, Knight of the Blue; Whom might you be, and what is your quest?" Hobbs explained they were seeking the Tomb of the Half Blood King, and the Crown of the Forest therein. Sir Azra asked whom they served, to which Hobbs gave a somewhat evasive answer. Asked his purpose, the knight stated he was guardian of the tomb. He would let them enter if they brought him the key, for it was complex and the knight would need to explain it's use. Asked where they might find the key, Sir Azra stated it has been stolen by his co-guardian, Sir Pallis, a millennia ago. Find Sir Pallis in the Green Mist, get the key, and bring it back to the campsite. As he spoke this, Sir Azra was addressing Thrax, who immediately became convinced this was exactly what they needed to do. And for now, the party agreed. One last departing question was where exactly could they find the Tomb of the Half Blood King? The knight waved a hand to the west, indicating the grey fogbank over the lake.
Taking leave, the party returned to the raft and poled it around the point. However, it was getting dark so they decided to beach just outside the green mist for the night. Their rest was interrupted by a stealthy attack from a pair of jack-in-the-green, who were dispatched after a short bitter fight. When the sun rose, it dawned as a bright and calm spring day. A prefect day to penetrate the sickly green mist. Paddling out to the green wall, the party first nudged in the bows where Hobbs perched. To see what would happen. The hedgefey was momently disoriented, but that feeling passed. Hoping no one else would be stricken, the party rowed all the way into the mist. Most felt the same fleeting feeling, except Ranza who became bewildered and confused, unable to tell up from down and left from right. But with the rest of the party to guide her, she was OK.
Moving into the mist, they could see little more than a few feet in front of them. Thrax tried to use a gust from his sword to clear a path, but it had little effect. Somehow Gnarl was able to mostly keep them on track, or at least he thought so. As minutes passed like hours, there was occasional movement in the mist. At one point something slithering swam under the raft and disappeared. A short time later, a ghostly figure appeared off the port bow. Dressed in archaic armor, they first thought it was Sir Pallis. But it turned to attack, and the party swiftly slashed it back into the surrounding mist. After yet more drifting through the eerie green air, another figure appeared ahead. As it came closer, it resolved into the form of a knight in armor, riding a giant swan. He paddled towards him, and introduced himself as Sir Pallis. Questioning the party, his initial friendly demeanor turned to rage when told they had been sent by Sir Azra to recover the key to the Tomb. Sir Pallis had a different story to tell; one in which the Blue Knight turned on him and tried to steal to key for his masters, the lords of Faerie. The party tried to reason with Sir Pallis, saying they wanted the key to get the Crown of the Forest and help the Prince Who Would Be. The swan knight seemed amenable to the idea, but eyed Thrax warily. He would not turn over the key until Thrax was dead, knowing that the fighting man was under a spell from Sir Azra. He ordered the party to drown Thrax, becoming more and more vehement as time wore on.
The party tried to convince Sir Pallis all would be good, even going so far as to have Gnarl try entangling Thrax to keep the fighter out of commission. But the knight finally lost patience. He raised his sword, set a lance to float beside him, and the swan lifted into the air. He charged straight at Thrax. Their hand forced, the party retaliated. After the knights' first pass, Gnarl entangled the swan with a mass of water lily (this time catching Thrax at the same time), while Ranza turned on both swan and knight with colour spray. The rest of the party turned on Sir Pallis, and after a tight combat the old knight was slain. They quickly trussed up the swan (so Hobbs who later use the saddle to tame it) and Thrax (until they could figure out how to deal with the geas he was under). Looting Sir Pallis of jewelry and lance, they also pulled the key from under his amour. It looked just like any other key, which certainly raised the question again about just how much they could trust Sir Azara. They now turned around to head (hopefully) out of the mist. Gnarl's direction sense was good, and they found themselves once more just off the Blue Knight's headland as the sun dipped low in the western sky. They headed back to the cobble shore to rest for the night and plan for the next day.
TOTAL XP
7434
GAINS
67sp
helm with golden plume [100sp]
3x gold and ruby rings [3x 750sp]
Lance +1, Freehand
Key to the Tomb of the Half Blood King
Wattle the Giant Swan
KILLS/VICTORIES
2 Jack-in-the-Green
1 Lost Soul
Sir Pallis the Wyrd Paladin
LOSSES
none
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