Day 3 (continued)
The party head back towards the city, along the banks of the river. Runcible has reported back that the barge is about a mile ahead of them and is filled with magical treasures. He is following the barge and will wait with it once it arrives at the city. He also reports back that he can see at least 6 people manning the barge.
Temerity passes Theren a health potion to replace the one used in the battle but then pauses when he spots something shimmering in the water. Deciding to investigate, he deposits his bag on the bank and wades into the river. However, the water is much deeper than he anticipates and he quickly gets into difficulty, flailing his arms about wildly. Lavender pulls him back out and throws him onto the bank, but as she does so, they hear a faint giggle from somewhere nearby.
Electing to ignore the laughter, they continue onwards to Avalon. Even though they know that they just have to keep following the riverbank, it still takes them a while to reach the city. As they journey, they continually hear the same laughter emanating from the forest a periodic intervals.
When they finally arrive at the north gate of Avalon, they are disturbed to see that the merchant is not there, despite them instructing him to wait for them there. Temerity opines that he thought the merchant looked shifty and surmises that the whole thing was a trap. He suggests continuing the search for the merchant, although Lavender and Theren are for abandoning the endeavour.
Runcible reports that the goods are being offloaded and they’re definitely very magical in nature. Lavender goes to speak to one of the guards on duty, while Theren heads to the market place to sell the weapons looted from the bandits’ corpses. The two guards that Lavender approaches are drow and they are not impressed with Temerity’s florid speech and effusive manner. He nevertheless informs them of the bandit fight and the information they gained from the interrogation. He presents Korako to one of the guards as an indication that he can be trusted. One of the guards is so impressed with Korako that he runs off into the forest to find his own rabbit. Lavender cuts in and the remaining guard’s mood changes upon seeing a noble. She informs him that stolen goods are being unloaded on the quayside. Upon hearing this, the guard agrees to take them to see the harbourmaster. She asks simply for his name and that she will go herself. He replies that his name is Guardsman Floyd and with that, she leaves. Temerity lingers to ask if the guard has seen a tiefling merchant come through recently. Floyd informs him that he saw the man in question and that he went towards the harbour. Temerity turns to follow Lavender before he loses sight of her in a strange city and as he leaves, Guardsman Floyd warns him that he’ll be keeping an eye on the bard.
Meanwhile, Theren has gone to the marketplace and found a weapons merchant. He places the weapons on the counter. His lack of social skills mean that the haggling is unimpressive and he finally gets 110 gold pieces for the assortment of cast-offs. He pockets it and heads towards the docks where he knows that Runcible is waiting for him.
Lavender reaches the harbourmaster’s office and finds a water genasi outside it scribing a sign. She leads Lavender inside the office. Lavender begins to ask for assistance but the genasi’s attitude is obtuse and argumentative. Temerity intervenes and asks that she impound the offending barge. Unfortunately, during the exchange, he refers to her as a ‘watery lady’ and she takes great offence. Lavender attempts to placate her and the genasi insists that she doesn’t want to get involved. However, again, Korako is too adorable for her to resist and she agrees to look the other way while they investigate in exchange for time playing with the rabbit. Theren arrives and goes with Lavender towards the barge while Temerity and Korako keep the harbourmaster busy.
Runcible reports that much of the cargo has been offloaded and only a skeleton crew is left, with the captain and first mate having disembarked. He stealthily enters the hold of the barge and sees minimal cargo, for all of the magical items have already been taken onto the quayside. However, he clumsily crashes into the boxes and has to escape through a window. Theren persuades Lavender to continue the hunt for the magical items. Temerity arrives having disentangled himself from the harbourmaster and Theren distributes the proceeds of the weapon sale. Temerity tries his usual jocular manner with Theren, but as usual, it falls flat when Theren doesn’t understand the interplay.
Korako tries sniffing for the merchant but detects nothing. The dock is too busy and chaotic. They all agree to abandon the search and head back into the city for some lunch. They dine alfresco at a small restaurant. During the repast of chunky, homemade sandwiches, a suspicious character sidles up to them. He tells them that he spotted them in the harbour and wonders what they were after. Theren and Temerity begin an argument which Lavender has to defuse. The shady interloper pulls a bag of fairy dust from beneath his cloak and Temerity begins to haggle with the stranger over price. The negotiations turn sour when Temerity threatens him and he promptly vanishes. Lavender argues with Temerity that this was a waste of their time. They all agree, somewhat with bad grace, to continue heading north.
Their journey to the village of Frostpeak Pass is largely uneventful and they reach there by nightfall. They find it to be a small village, merely a stopping point with very little of interest. They turn in for the night at an inn called the Golden Griffin. Upon speaking to the innkeeper, she knows that there are griffin’s nearby, as they live up in the mountains. They pay one gold piece each and sleep.
Day 4
The next morning, during breakfast, Theren uses his collected herbs to brew up a minor health potion and then speaks to the innkeeper about finding someone who knows about griffins. She suggests heading up to Mightrest, where they would likely be a griffin expert. Temerity decides to try and experiment, for he has noticed that people seem to have fits of delirium upon seeing Korako. He presents the rabbit to the innkeeper, who promptly runs off into the forest in search of rabbits.
Unfazed by this, Temerity hops over the bar and quickly steals 30 gold and some beer before coming back to join his companions. Lavender asks him what he was doing behind the bar but he lies and she asks no more.
They head to the market, where Temerity picks up some cheese for Guido, along with an assortment of potions of healing, necrotic resistance and even a potion of fire breathing, which he gives to Lavender. The others he distributes evenly across the party. They leave Frostpeak Pass and head north to Mightrest.
They walk for a while and continue to hear sporadic giggles from the forest to either side of them. It reminds them of their encounter with the hag. Lavender draws her sword and bellows for their adversary to show themselves. The laughter continues and Theren joins Lavender in the search for their tormentors. The laughter now sounds as if it is coming from the river. Lavender begins to get severely irritated and once again demands that they come out and show themselves, that they had no time for games. Now they hear dryad voices. Theren begins to get irritated with the mocking too and threatens to burn down the forest in order to find the dryads. Temerity instantly dissolves into fits of laughter. Lavender thinks that he has been charmed as the hag’s voice comes again. She whirls round and Temerity’s hand closes on her neck from behind as he continues his ruse, stating in the hag’s voice that he has got her now. Lavender spins round and her elbow catches Temerity in the face. It takes a while for Lavender to realise the extent of Temerity’s prank but when the does, she challenges him furiously about it, grabbing his collar and shaking him. Theren uses prestidigitation to make the word ‘idiot’ appear on Temerity’s forehead as a punishment.
Suddenly the laughter sounds again, and this time, it is no joke. Lavender and Temerity both fall asleep instantly and Theren finds himself paralysed. Runcible, coiled around his shoulders, is paralysed also. Theren watches, helpless, as golden fey, almost human in appearance, emerge and tie the group up, putting bags over their heads. He feels himself being moved but has no idea where.
When the party come to, they are in a dark room but can’t see where. They are still tied up. Theren tells them what he saw of their kidnapping and of the fey. He felt that they were not evil, just mischievous. He can tell by the fact that the word ‘idiot’ no longer shows on Temerity’s face that it has been more than an hour since they were taken. Upon examining the room they are in, they notice a locked box in the corner where their gear is being kept, but before they are able to investigate it, fey enter the room and inform that party that they will be seen now.
They are taken from the room and realise that they are on a boat somewhere, but something doesn’t seem right. The water beside the boat is glistening oddly. They are led through a beautiful passage filled with ivy that is coloured to represent the four seasons. Plants and ornately carved wood are everywhere.
They meet with two eladrin. One appears to represent Summer and the other Winter. Summer speaks and she welcomes them. Lavender is awestruck and looks down. Temerity, worried about his animals, asks after them and Winter reassures him that they are fine. Temerity, on a sudden whim, blurts out the effect that Korako seems to have on people, but Winter does not recognise what he is talking about and cannot help. The two eladrin tell the party that they are good, not evil and congratulate Temerity on his excellent imitation of them. Summer asks them if there has been a lot of unusual fey activity in their realm, for they are worried about possible mortal interference in the fey realm. They ask for help in finding out what is going on. Temerity, unbeknownst to the others, skims the surface thoughts of the feys’ minds. From Summer, he senses fear and from Winter hubris; he is less concerned about an incursion into their realm but the thought of such an event terrifies her.
Summer turns to Theren and appeals to his fey ancestry. He appears discomforted but asks what they wish. She asks if they, as strong adventurers, will investigate the areas where there is weakness between the worlds. Theren asks where these places are and she replies that she can take the group there from this side. Lavender is very uncomfortable with knowing that they are in the fey realm. They discover that they are in the fey equivalent of Avalon, in Bridgeport on a ship.
Temerity asks that, in return for their assistance, that the fey turn Korako into a true familiar, instead of merely a rabbit with whom he shares a bond and can communicate. Summer explains that this is beyond her power but she can offer other boons instead. She summons a chest with their gear inside and they retrieve their belongings.
They are led by the fey through a bustling city filled with pixies and all sorts of fey. The royals are bombarded by their subjects but don’t seem to mind. Magic and music seem to be everywhere and it is all quite overwhelming for the party. One fey places a hand on Theren’s shoulder and calms his nerves. Lavender is amazed by what she sees and is intensely curious, but also extremely apprehensive.
Lavender shakes off her awe and decides to get on with the job at hand. Bracken teleports the group to a dimly lit area of the forest. It feels very odd and eerily quiet when compared the bright, energetic city that they have just left. Lavender draws her sword. Theren breathes deeply and feels the breath being stolen from him. Runcible can detect nothing. Lavender calls out for them to show themselves. A swirling maelstrom of darkness appears behind her and stabs her, draining lifeforce from her before moving past. She swings her sword at it as it passes. It goes straight through, but still somehow damages it. She charges after it, but this time misses, still hazy from the necrotic damage that she suffered. Theren tries an eldritch blast, but it is absorbed by the creature. Temerity heals Lavender’s wounds and it moves away from her again. She slashes at it again and it audibly gasps. It launches a spike at Temerity, the source of the magic that it felt, which hurts him badly. Lavender chases it down and swings her sword in rage, striking it. Theren shatters it and lifeforce oozes out of it, causing the limp flowers beneath it to suddenly spring back to life.
Temerity tries out his new crossbow and manages to hurt it. It responds by shooting out two tendrils, penetrating Lavender and Theren and drawing life energy from them. Lavender’s swing misses because of the draining tendril but Theren manages to hit it with a blast of force. Temerity hits it again with a crossbow bolt and this time it noticeably diminishes in size. It attempts retribution against Temerity but misses. As it moves towards Theren, Lavender slashes at it and then charges straight for it, doing considerable damage. Theren shatters it once more, leaving it desperately weak. Temerity heals Theren and boosts Lavender but it whirls upon her and causes her significant injury. Blood courses from her. She is too badly wounded to strike it and falls to one knee. Theren is so distracted by her condition that his next blast accidentally hits Temerity instead of the creature. Temerity is also alarmed by the sight of Lavender and rushes to her aid, forcing her to drink his healing potion, of which she barely seems aware. The cloud turns angrily from Theren and lashes out. It misses Lavender but hits Temerity, who falls, mortally wounded. Feeling guilty that Temerity had to sacrifice his safety to rescue her, she screams in fury and swings at the cloud, slashing through it with a brutal uppercut. A shockwave blasts across the clearing and the life force returns to normal. The plants cease wilting, butterflies begin to flutter and a dragonfly corpse that was on the ground nearby lifts off and buzzes around them.
Theren quickly gives Temerity his healing potion and Lavender helps the injured bard up. Behind them, they see the teleportation rune activate once more. However, Lavender and Temerity slump down by a tree, exhausted and seriously wounded, leaving Theren time to investigate the clearing. His arcane senses tell him that this thing was no accident. Someone caused this deliberately to destroy life and weaken the boundaries of the realms. The goal was to destroy magic. It feels unnatural and definitely not related to the fey, for the magic bears the same feel as that which summoned the two spectres in the inn room the night that the party first met. Temerity christens the disturbance a ‘dimensional sucker’.
Theren begins eying up the transportation portal and it is clear that he wants to return to the city. Temerity is uncharacteristically subdued and offers little, which Theren finds disturbing, for all that the bard can be irritating. Lavender remains ignorant of all that is around her. They manage to drag themselves to the portal and pass through back to the fey city, where they find themselves back in the temple with Bracken.
Summer is there and is deeply concerned by their condition, instantly healing them all. Theren relays his findings back to her and she offers the assistance of the fey to them. Lavender asks for rest and recuperation. Before leaving, Temerity asks for her help with Korako. Summer cradles him, light emanating from her palm as she strokes the rabbit, imbuing him with the power to cease aging. Temerity is filled with a deep gratitude for their kindness and Summer leads Lavender and Temerity off to their rooms.
Theren remains behind awkwardly and asks Winter what it means to be fey, as he has never known his elven mother and his fey heritage. Winter replies that it means the same as being of the humans and that there are many in the world who come from multiple backgrounds but he stresses that a person is not defined by those who came before but by their own words and actions. Theren is visibly disappointed with the answer but nods regardless. Winter asks what more he was expecting. Theren replies that he wasn’t sure, but was simply looking for somewhere to belong. Winter touches his shoulder and senses Theren’s feelings, that his mother was never welcomed anywhere. Winter tells him that just because he doesn’t feel as if he belongs to the humans or the fey, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t somewhere that he does belong. Theren follows Winter’s gaze to the retreating backs of his companions. He nods and follows them to rest. The group are led to beautiful rooms with large beds covered with comfortable, mossy duvets. Exhausted, they fall asleep immediately.
Upon awakening, they see that some spring eladrin have brought them breakfast, but then quickly realise that their guests cannot eat it and shuffle from the rooms in embarrassment. Outside in the corridor, a small furry, winged quadruped flies up to Lavender with a note grasped in its mouth. She takes it, pats the creature and it flies off. The note simply asks them to come down to the throne room at their convenience. Theren joins her and they both hear sounds coming from Temerity’s room that are almost sad, but then he bursts from the room with Korako in his arms and Guido on his shoulders, asking if they had missed him. Theren gives a small, awkward smile and claims that he hadn’t noticed the bard had been gone, trying his best to join in the joking of the group.
They all head down to the throne room, where Winter and Summer are seated on natural wooden thrones. Temerity thanks them again for his boon and Lavender explains their quest and asks the royal pair for aid. They offer access to their scrying pool to see if they can see Bromelia. Lavender hesitates and Temerity, in a devious act of gall, reads her mind. He sees her brother, Orris Locke, who is a mage. He feels her suspicion of him but also her hopes that it’s not what she fears; however, evidence is pointing to something shady. Temerity agrees to the scrying pool and Bracken leads them there.
The pool is white marble with a sculpture of an eye hanging above it that is slowly being pulled open. The mage Florian greets them at the pool and Lavender agrees to be the one to enter the pool at Temerity’s suggestion, since she knows the parties involved. Theren agrees and Florian guides her to the scrying pool. As the pool engages, Temerity calls out that her family will be proud of her. Lavender jolts and the water shudders. She sees the world through her grandmother’s eyes. Grandmother is talking angrily to Lavender’s father, demanding to know why ‘she’ has gone, for ‘she’ was the best warrior that they had, making reference to the power that they could have had in the city. She berates his carelessness and lack of ambition. Lavender’s usually stoic father shrinks from the grandmother. Lavender is expelled from the vision, floating on her back in the pool with a haunted look in her eyes. She trembles as she rights herself in the water and wrenches herself from the pool. Florian uses magic to dry her instantly, but she screams in primal rage at Temerity. He is flustered and tries to read her mind again, but it fails. He asks her what is wrong but she leaps towards him in anger and he is forced to shove her aside, causing her to overbalance. He jumps into the scrying pool and declares that it is his turn, so Florian activates the pool again. Temerity thinks have of Lavender’s brother or, at least, what he knows of him from reading Lavender’s thoughts. The marble of the pool shakes. Temerity feels vague sensations of cold and white and tiredness. When he comes to, Lavender has left the scrying room and he feels thoroughly discombobulated by the travesty that has occurred. He worries that the party will fracture as a result and leaves the room after Lavender. Theren asks for a turn but sees nothing in the pool. He is deeply disappointed, for he secretly thought of his mother.
Outside in a courtyard, Lavender is facing a pillar, seething and afraid. Temerity goes to her, stops at a safe distance and delivers a heartfelt apology. He tells her that he successfully scried and that they are in the mountains. Lavender takes a long time to reply. Before she does, Theren joins them, concerned for them both. Lavender fixes her face in iron and tersely tells them that they should be going. She takes a deep breath and hears soft music all around. She remembers who she is and what she must do and steels herself for what is to come.
They return to the throne room and Guido remonstrates Temerity for his lack of tact. Summer greets them and Temerity asks that, if there is nothing more that the party can do for the fey, could they be teleported somewhere, saying that they want to be in the mountains to the east of Mightrest. Winter offers to provide them with a charm that will protect them from the adverse conditions. Instead, Theren suggests going, not to the mountains, but to the town itself to try to gather information, rather than searching blindly through uninhabited areas. Temerity, trying to appease the group, agrees.
A fey mage called Millicent teleports them just to the south of Mightrest and they are shocked to discover that they have arrived back in the mortal plane only ten minutes after they first left. Upon approaching the city, they see that there is some sort of ague running rampant and then spot an incongruous person speaking to a merchant. He’s wearing a cloak but with cloth wraps on his hands with writing scribed on them. Theren approaches and can see that they are all different languages and story phrases. Temerity reads the stranger’s mind and senses frustration with the merchant. He also detects the phrase ‘The Order of the Ancient Fable’.
Temerity tells the group that he overheard the phrase, not wishing to reveal his spell that can read minds. Unfortunately, the man hears and spins round, grabbing Temerity and demanding that he repeat himself. Temerity simply replies that he wanted to order a baked bagel, but the stranger is unconvinced, demanding to know how the group knew about the order. Theren mistakes him for their quarry and says that they’ve been tracking him for days. At this, the stranger punches Temerity in the stomach, with some kind of stunning energy in his fist, but Temerity manages to resist it. Temerity mocks his punch. Through gritted teeth, the stranger again demands to know how the party knows of his order. Lavender grabs him and his cloak pulls back to reveal the wrappings extend across his entire body. He goes limp and doesn’t resist, recognising her superior strength.
She threatens him unless he tells her everything. It seems that the Order of the Ancient Fable stretches back a very long time, with their mantra being that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Lavender binds his hands with Temerity’s rabbit lead and takes him to the nearest inn, the Howling Harpy. Temerity pays the innkeeper for a room and no disturbances. They head up the stairs and lock the door. Tying him to the chair in the room, Lavender asks why his reaction was so severe. He responds that his order is under attack, but that they don’t know by whom. Lavender suggests that their goals may align and prompts him to continue. He claims not to know anything, just that people are going missing. He came to Mightrest to investigate the disappearances. She informs him that their investigation has led them north and asks what he has seen. He mentions the extremely powerful fey activity recently and she asks specifically about griffins, but he has not seen anything suspicious. The group move away and Temerity suggests that they tell their captive everything. Lavender agrees
Temerity addresses the stranger and tells him that they will inform him of their quest and what they have been doing. He responds acerbically so Temerity offers to release him and discuss their mutual goals. Lavender unties their captive and Temerity relates the tale, beginning with the spectres in Durvish City, getting into the royal wedding in Avalon, the kidnapping of the bride who was abducted on a griffin which they have been chasing. He says that they have encountered the fey on many occasions and that the party were actually summoned to the fey court and defeated a dimensional sucker for them before coming here.
The stranger listens and agrees in the alignment of their goals but he doesn’t know how his people are going missing, merely that he recognises that he cannot do this alone.