Durendal
Visited
When: Entry 26 (Traveling south from Adalens) Region: Avalonean Empire
Overview
Durendal is a town located north of Avalon along one of the main roads heading toward The Frost. While normally a peaceful farming community, it serves as a stopping point for travelers and hosts local festivals.
During our visit, the town was unusually bright and active at night, hosting a “fantastical market” filled with shifting colors and fey influence.
Points of Interest
The Fantastical Market
A vibrant, magical marketplace operating at night during our visit.
- Staff Seller’s Stall: Run by an unnaturally beautiful, androgynous elf selling rare wizard staves. They attempted to trade a staff for Runcible or a “favor” involving mischief.
- Esoteric Arcane Stall: Run by a gnomish being selling magical items (including magical gold) in exchange for body parts.
- Goblin Vendor’s Stall: A stall run by a goblin-like creature enticing children with games. This vendor was responsible for kidnapping Merisa.
The Daisy Circle
Located just outside the village near some topiary bushes, this ring of daisies serves as a portal to the Fairy Garden, a fey pocket dimension.
The Tavern
A local establishment where we encountered a distraught mother crying for her missing daughter.
Notable Events
The Fey Kidnapping
During our stay, a young human girl named Merisa (previously noted as Malissa) went missing in the market. Her mother provided us with her cloak, which Runcible used to track her scent to the goblin vendor.
Under interrogation by Lavender, the vendor admitted to taking her as a “favor” to the fey. The party (minus Temerity, who was traveling separately) entered the Fairy Garden via the daisy circle to rescue her, engaging in a brutal battle with dryads, redcaps, and blink dogs.
People
- Merisa - Young human girl who was kidnapped by fey during the market festival.
- Thumpy - A mysterious harengon encountered in the market who followed us into the fey realm.
Services
As a small town, Durendal offers basic services:
- Local inn or lodging
- General supplies
- Farmstead goods
Travel Connections
Our Experience
We arrived in the evening with Zadhir’s caravan. Theren investigated the magical market but refused a trade that required him to cause “mischief”.
The visit quickly turned into a rescue mission when we discovered Merisa had been taken. We tracked the kidnapper, forced him to reveal the location, and entered the fey pocket dimension. The subsequent battle was nearly fatal for Theren.
Region: Avalonean Empire
Related Locations: Avalon • Fairy Garden (Durendal)