We’ve successfully managed to drag another of our extended family into the fold; Maximilian!
What new temperament will he bring, if any? Will he be a quiet, watchful, thoughtful player who offers the occasional brilliant insight, or a critical-thirsty, loud and instigative player who leaves a trail of bodies in his wake?
Let’s find out, shall we?
WELCOME MAX!
- Minoru – knows wolfcastle because she started developing these abilities wehre she can see multiple realities – she was put into the Priestess’ organization, and Rainier was her therapist. They realized the Archmage’s wards really are failing, and this poor girl is suffering from this fact. She wants to travel with him because she wants her counsellor nearby, and he’s taking her warnings of the Archmage’s wards public.
- Magnus – WIlderness mercenary… human but in the womb, his father used Elf Blood to try and enhance his abilities – a hybrid… human with eleven abilities
- Rainier – Was before a military guy working in armies of emperor – lost faith of being a soldier – turned to a cleric of the priestess – brutish background, but trying to go more towards peace – conflicted with the Emperor now
- Minoru – has a contact in the Archmage’s organization that has knows of strange ‘goings-on’ in the Dragon Wood and has asked her to report on them
- Kitty paying for escort up front – Location Oxhill
- Rainier – Knows how to pack for these types of trips and despite Brath‘s ‘things’ being only alcohol, he’s able to pack efficiently on the drakes
- Party agrees to escort floss drakes from Oxhill to Candlefen for Kitty
- Hears of the party’s need for a guide through the Dragon Wood and volunteers, “Ain’t nobody know these woods like I do.” (drunk)
- Location Candlefen – 2.5 days travel from Oxhill, deep in The Dragon Wood, at the foot of Starport mountain. At the edge of Wicklight Marsh – the last part that passes ofr civilization in these parts – many villages north, but plagued by dragons. Trading hub for hunters and other inhabitants, and there’s a town elder named Jon Doonal
- I’ve hearrrrrd there is a woman by the name of Kitty who is looking for able bodied persons to help her escort her floss drakes through the Dragon Wood… she’s a merchant of some sorts… I’ve heard there are bandits that have attacked travelers within the woods… Worrrrrrd is she’ll pay handsomely and is easy on the eyes…. I’ve also hearrrrrd there may be more work for you, if you’re interested, in the village in which you are to escort Miss Kitty….
- What say you hmmmmmmm?
- the group was hired to escort floss drakes by Kitty (who wears lingerie as normal clothing lol)
- the domesticated floss drakes are large enough to ride but aren’t like horses
- paying us 20gp each – for every drakes that arrive safely, she’ll pay an additional 10gp
- there have been some problems in Candlefen – and she’s looking for people to hire
- Brath knows enough about the floss drakes that they are valued for their milk – the main component in the equivalent of Healing Potions
- Minoru has received word from the Archmage that there have been strange goings-on nearby and she should report back
- Minoru doesn’t feel the Archmage is bad, but that he’s taken on too much and she’ll do it in the hope that he’ll take something seriously
- Brath heard about comes over, staggering, introducing himself knowing the woods better than anyone else
- So, you lot? You’re going to help us through this?
- It appears so, doesn’t it?
- She gives us the money upfront
- Have you had any experience doing this before?
- B: Walking? Plenty.
- R: Not protecting quite so many
- A couple of days travel – walking to make sure none of the drakes escape. The heroes spend an hour or
- going through the Dragon Wood
- ti’s called this because there are actually dragons in the wood
- Brath sometimes forgets how quickly he moves through the forest, and gets ahead of the group, but holds up and takes another drink or two while he waits for the rest to catch up
TRAVEL MONTAGE!
- Brath Problem: I hope you’re already to get your feet wet, there’s a swamp coming up that’s as wide as the forest is long
- Gallydyn Solution: Using his elven teleporting, he can ferry people across
- Gallydyn Problem: Large group of trees seem aware of our presence and their branches swaying
- Rainier Solution: there are some paths that he can find between the branches to avoid them touching the heroes
- Rainier problem: All of a sudden, surrounded by a swarm of crickets and odd insects coming at us from all over the place
- Minoru Solution: The constant swatting doesn’t seem to be working – finds a dry place, sits in front of a black candle found in her back. Within a minute, a huge flock of crows starting eating up the crickets, and after the crickets take off, the crows form chase, and Minoru extinguishes the candle and
- Minoru Problem: At one point, the heroes realize they’ve wandered into a bog… so thick that it seems tough to breath
- Magnus Solution: No stranger to surviving in the wilderness, shows everyone how to moisten cloth and hold it to their mouths to avoid the nastier effects of the stinking bog
- Magnus Problem: the heroes find that the path is actually blocked – some trees and rocks strewn across the pathway, blocking direct passage
- Ereveron Solution: Being no stranger to the woods himself, Ereveron is able to use his tracking abilities that other animals use to get around this blockade, and carefully leads everyone to the other side
- Ereveron Problem: As we get to the other side, it turns out the block was created to funnel animals to a certain area, we seem to notice that we’re being watched by someone or something… we know not
- Brath Solution: Brath decides the best course of action since we can’t see who we’re observing, he leads the party through thick underbrush and a winding route that limits people’s abilities to watch them from afar – if they’re going to follow, they’re going to have to do it on foot and from the ground
- Approaching a bridge, we see three figures up ahead – Rainier can’t determine if they’re armed or not
- But now we see it’s a woman and two zombies
- Brath gets serious, and says as much to himself as the party, “These ones don’t belong here…” and takes a whip off his belt
- Magnus tells Kitty to slow the pack down until this encounter is resolved
- Minoru whispers to Rainier, “It looks like the alcoholic is gonna go pick a fight – is this something we should get involved in?
- R: Let’s see how it plays out…
- Kitty: Is she threatening?
- Magnus: she doesn’t appear to be, but walking with undead – we shouldn’t take this lightly
- Kitty – I don’t discriminate, they don’t seem to be threatening right now, but if you think otherwise, by all means
- Minoru: Ok, we’ll see how this plays out…
- Mysterious woman: Howdy.
- Brath moves forward towards her – she puts her hands up, and the zombies stop according
- Brath continues walking, “You keep strange company – let me get rid of them for you.
- These are my friends
- What kind of person keeps friends like this!?
- Are you judging me?
- Yes, consider yourself judged.
- And why are you doing that, Alcy
- Those things don’t belong – they are not part of the natural order
- Some might say the same thing of alcoholics
- Minoru asks Magnus: Should anyone be doing anything to stop this?
ENGAGE!
- Magnus tells her to call off her ‘friends’ and he grabs Brath to try and hold him back
- Ereveron holds his actions – cautious
- Minoru gathers focus and gets a bit closer to the fight – getting cover behind a log
- Lady Luna thanks Magnus for holding Brath back, saying that he probably doesn’t act like this all the time, does he?
- M: I wouldn’t know, I just met the man
- B: I don’t need to not have been drinking to know that these things don’t belong here.
- M: Why are you travelling with the undead?
- LL: They’re my servants. Why are you travelling with a drunk?
- Brat wraps his whip and raises his hands in surrender, I don’t know what’s going on here but someone better start talking before I get the inkling to whip some zombie butt again.
- M: Why don’t you take a look at the drakes?
- LL: I’m heading to Candlefen. If you’d like to join me, you may. I’ve heard there are bandits.
- Magnus says that wouldn’t help because our
- Minoru: I can understand wanting to be kept safe, especially if no one else will. You can understand our cargo here wouldn’t do well with your servants.
- Archmage’s comet going through the sky
- going through the atmosphere it broke up and parts fell to the earth
- Ereveron uses his animal training to try and find the leader of the floss drakes to calm it down and bring it back to the herd
- The heroes find cover from the fiery rain, rocks, and branches. Some of the steam and fiery branches scald the heroes, and they are able to recover 11 of the 20 floss drakes, but 9 still were astray.
- Securing those they found, some of the heroes set off in search of the other 9 floss drakes.
- Ereveron and Brath find a brigand leading some of the floss drakes into the forest, and even though they call out, the brigand doesn’t hear them. Following him to a clearing, they see a semi-permanent camp where other brigands and a pen for floss drakes is set up.
- Ereveron sends Brath back to the camp to tell Minoru, Gallydyn, Rainier & Magnus
- When the heroes return and join Ereveron, they ambush the bandits to reclaim their (and other!) drakes
ENGAGE!
15gp total
+15 floss drakes (the 11 we lost and four new ones) = 24
- The next morning, as they continue to lead their larger group of drakes along the paths, screaming is heard in the distance, tough to make out.
- Arriving at the Green Star River – fast-moving river.
- skill check – bust lost 3 drakes – down to 21
- continuing along, the road is blocked with a massive impact crater
- a dozen dead bodies, ripped skin, half-eaten
- When inspecting the bodies, horrible creatures become visible. They’re clearly deviant, malevolent, octopus-like flying monsters from a dimension where space obeys different geometry. No one understands their language, but everyone can understand their squeals of glee when they kill and feed.
ENGAGE!
- Minoru thinks the Archmage’s wards are failing and she wants to let him know
- Minoru knows of a nearby mage tower that might help to send a message off to The Archmage
