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Audience Participation Question: The farmer (and family) was so grateful for Leone cleaning up their house as well as the party killing the insect-things, that they slipped something into one of the character’s packs, what was it?
Date: Sevsday, Kheris 34th 105 TA / 471 AR
Setting out from the farmer’s house in the morning. Leone tries to strike up conversations on various topics. What do other people bring to the party? What can they do? What magic items do they have? Trying to draw out info. and see who is the most forthright. The group discovers:
- Gildy’s musket is a bit intriguing for these parts
- Jacob can heal and has experimental elixirs
- Leone has magic items – liquid light and bull’s-eye lantern rod (aka flashlight)
- Mint has boots of speed? Sort of…
- Gildy has a stick? Yes she does
- Leone can summon things (currently an umbrella) – Can Leone summon a small trebuchet…? Ah… no.
Around the midday meal – Leone asks how people feel about the war in the south (Mornish vs Dhelhyr)… Gildy gets upset, “hasn’t heard anything” and stalks off – others are mostly non-committal about it.
- Generally known things: Mornish Navy has larger ships which are not well equipped for river battles.
The rain ends by afternoon and the sun comes out. It’s a nice day. Then a shadow passes over the party – a Pegasus! It lands and drops a small package. The party approaches – Talyn in the lead. He opens the bag and finds a driftglobe and a note for him specifically. Tells the others it’s from “his god” the Archmage – an “Ascending God”
The Pegasus leaves.
Yeah, but what’s in the pack – what’s the farmer’s gift?
That night at camp – near the shadow forest.
- Mint and Tor on watch – see glowing eyes, there one moment, then gone.
- Jacob and Gildy on watch – discuss her other ventures into the Shadow Forest – she has family in city – He teaches her a dice game – Yay?
- Leone and Talyn – talk magic – speak Elvish – Talyn grew up in Monastery/Temple – had to leave – something he needed to do. He is trained in illusion. Talyn has been in the Shadow Forest before and tells of the monsters he encountered: Shadow Wolf & Shadows.
We still don’t know what’s in the pack…
Date: Korinsday , Kheris 35th 105 TA / 471 AR
After an uneasy night of sleep – but no attacks – Talyn and Leone, who’d been on the last watch together, have an early breakfast and do a tour around and near the forest – find nothing.
Then, the group enters the Shadow Forest. Everything seems fine, it’s a bright and sunny day. What’s the worry?
Stop for lunch in clearing – this is where merchant/guard was taken – find a path into the forest where person was taken.
- Tor is good at survival/tracking
Into the forest proper – things get darker – difficult terrain, but not really, because of Gildy’s Rangery goodness.
Party suddenly in darkness, first encounter with Shadow Smoke…
Jacob’s memory – scared in darkness – some presence there with him: he says “I’m Scared.” A voice from nowhere responds: “I’m here.” Then a loud bang/crack and Jacob is back in reality and the shadow smoke is gone, drifting away.
Come on already… What’s in the pack?!
Attacked by demon deer:
- Gildy hurt quite badly very quickly
- others hurt as well (these deer roll well)
- Gildy Disengaging
- Faerie Fire = Disco Dance Party of Death
- Sorry, you only get one reaction
- Cover = bonus to AC
- Bomerang gone = Talyn done with combat
- The party gangs up on the deer, taking them down one at a time – eventually getting all five.
Settle down for a dinner, short rest, and healing. Tor looks in his pack… Finally! Pulls out an amulet with an insect on it – Ick? Leone identifies it as an amulet of Protection from Insects, more specifically, it’s an amulet of Insect Slaying. Will this be a good thing? We’ll find out.
Tor and Mint on watch. Again, there is something out there – Shadow Ogre – sets off alarms – end of episode!