Sundered Lands 58

The Sundered Lands of Palladium

Session 58
July 17 - August 5, 2017

Planning for a Trip

November 1st

Warning Essanos

Lavinia and the gathered companions make their plans to warn Essanos of the possible impending danger from the Savage Fever. Some ideas that have been floated about are going to the Dawn Council directly, contacting the Witch Wardens and alerting the local druids as well. 

Seeker eyes the team. “Based on what Brother and I have encountered, I think that Val, Silver, and Arn would do well going with Lavinia to talk to the Witch Wardens and Dawn Council. The folk here seem to distrust Wolfen. I could go talk to the druids, I guess. Sindri, you can give an eyewitness account of the terrible events at Kraken Cove to support the team. Ered, where do you see yourself fitting into all of this?”

Ered looks at Seeker with a quizzical look. “I go find Temple. Get sleep. Meditate.” With that he nods to everyone and smiles. He lingers near Silver for a moment, gazing upon her sparkling draconic scales. He bows slightly to her then walks on out the door. He stops and looks back over his shoulder, “Thanks to you,” he says and smiles before disappearing.

Lavinia speaks up again, “It has been a long couple of days, we have all been through a lot, let us rest and recover tonight before undertaking more stressful responsibility. Thank you all for your continued help and protection. I am sure I would not be here without your help.” She turns to Valinya and touches her arm softly. “Thank you again, so very much, for coming to my rescue. Thank you for saving Korra and driving those vile frogmen out of the manor. I am sorry that your big companion, Hrag, did not make it. I am sorry.” Tears fall from Lavinia’s eyes as she hugs the Elf sorceress.

Valinya keeps the hug a moment before holding Lavinia at arm’s length. “I’m glad I was able to help. I only wish I had come sooner. I’m truly sorry for all the losses.”

The druid considers how to address the problem and says, “First tonight I’ll hold council with my elders at the Bronzewood Lodge. The zombie worm infestation there that killed off Sings to Moon’s pack was similar in how it spread quickly through any species it infected - made the victims go crazy and attack everything around them and infected those they wounded. This at least can be cured - that couldn’t, but they managed to contain it and I believe wipe it out before it spread, so they should be able to offer advice on how to do the same here. Hopefully they can help contact others here in the region as well. I’ll be dreamwalking at night but able to help with things some during the day.” He looks at Lavinia and says, “I’m sorry miss but I think your neighbors are going to be a little irritable for a while. . .” He then turns to Valinya and asks, “Sis, we may need your insight in this - you know how to heal the fever and other healers may have questions for you that I won’t know how to answer. Please don’t be alarmed if we appear in your dreams these next few nights. It can take a little getting used to but it’s a very useful way to communicate over great distance.”

Valinya nods and says, “I am glad to explain what I can, though my form of weaving magic might not translate well into other styles. But anything I can do to help.”

Moonscar sets up his tent, draws his symbols, lays down and begins his ritual. Sings to Moon takes up a spot just outside the tent flap, as she commonly does when Moonscar is inside. The Kankoran Druid lays there, speaking the words and going through the motions of gathering the spirits he needs in order to Dreamwalk back to Bronzewood Lodge. Unfortunately, the spirits do not seem to be very helpful this evening. After close to 3 hours of trying, Moonscar finally gives up, realizing that tonight, this ritual will not happen. Dejected, he closes his eyes and goes to sleep.

November 2nd

A Busy Day Ahead

Moonscar wakes up the next morning feeling horrible. He experienced terrifying nightmares involving all his companions and loved ones, all infected with an extreme form of Savage Fever which included death by burning. The worst part was that Moonscar was the one infecting them all by smashing them in the head with an endless supply of Shadow Pearls! He tries to shake it as he rises and greets the day, but just cannot do it.

Seeker also experienced strange dreams during the night. He imagined being back in the north, near Nesme, hiking through the hills and forests of the area. He saw many of the rangers and hunters he had encountered there, though none of them paid him any mind as they seemed to be very busy and involved with something that Seeker could not figure out. Strangely, when Seeker awoke, he had some thistles stuck in the fur around his ankles.

Everyone else sleeps comfortably enough, though the thought of all the dead bodies to clean up this morning makes everyone just a bit uneasy. The large form of Hrag is going to be a difficult situation to deal with. And explaining the deaths of Red and her work crew may prove difficult to the authorities and their families.

Korra is busy putting together some food for breakfast and Lavinia is in the kitchen helping her, trying to keep the sadness from her face. Unfortunately, it seems as if the house itself, or at least all the dreadful things that have happened here recently, makes her sad. “Good morning, everyone,” she says with a false joy while bringing in a tray of fruit. “We have a busy day ahead of us, don’t we.” Her eyes dart to the nearby window that faces the small courtyard where Hrag’s large, black form can still be seen slumped near the small stream. Valinya noticeably sits so that her back is to the courtyard and does not look out there at all.

Seeker returns from his morning run as the breakfast commences. He bows slightly to Korra and takes a plate of Essanos breakfast to sit in a corner as the rest of the team assembles.



He rumbles his thoughts as he eats. He nods to Lavinia. “We do, indeed, ma’am.” He chews for a moment, his huge jaws and teeth making quick work of a small steak. “It seems like someone should go talk to the Watch as soon as possible. Once they are brought in, they will want to inspect the scene of the battle.” He clears his throat. “After that, they can help us take care of our fallen comrades.” He gets quiet as he reflects on their loss, and for a while the only sounds from Seeker involve chewing and swallowing.

Valinya remains quiet, eating slowly… but steadily as one plate then another disappears. Finally she gives a sigh. “I think I might, among other things, give some time to divining how we might be able to slow or avert a potential outbreak of the vile disease. It could be that I get a vision of a potential carrier and we can go prevent it from reaching here or spreading. If it does come, it could cause unimaginable chaos, especially given how rapidly it acts.”

Seeker sucks the marrow out of one last bone and ponders Valinya’s words. “Seems to me that the disease starts with the Shadow Pearl. Find the source of them, stop them, and the disease is not an issue.”

Valinya pauses before replying. “Maybe. It may have a magical origin but could easily be it’s own creation now, independent of needing to be sustained by some magic. Something like a thing that is summoned or created but doesn’t need constant magic to keep it around. I’d rather hedge on being careful.”

Seeker shrugs. “Makes sense. Sounds like a worthy project. Please let me know if I can assist you in it.” He stands and stretches. “I have some resupplying to accomplish before we leave. Should I tackle that this morning, be out of the manor when the guard arrives, or would you like me to stay for that? Lavinia?”

Silver, having shifted into her elven form first thing in the morning, seems interested in Seeker’s idea. “If you’d like company, I would prefer to stay clear of the guard as well.”

The rather haggard Kankoran gives up picking at his breakfast (he’d been chewing his tail at least as much as his food) and replies morosely, “I should go with you too. I need to pick up my knife from the enchanter’s.” He reaches out to lay his paw on Valinya’s hand saying softly, “Sis, I could sing the Resting Song or a more general farewell for our friend. I could also speak to him and ask what he would want since we don’t know his people’s customs. Let me know what you think.”

After finishing her meal Valinya slowly heads out towards the body of the slain Hrag. Steeling herself she forces herself to honor him by carefully looking at him. She stands there quite awhile, lost in thought before nodding to herself. Taking a deep breath and keeping her eyes fixed on Hrag’s remains she sings …

Valinya finishes her new song and a large, fur and spike covered gorilla type creature appears in the courtyard. It is a Grimbor, not Hrag, but very similar to him. The morning sun glints off it's purple tinged fur. It looks around and settles its gaze on Valinya, waiting for her to give him some instruction. Though this creature looks like Hrag, it does not seem to have the same intelligent spark in its eyes.

Seeker acquiesces to Silver’s company, and the two set out for the market. “I believe you crossed paths with a magic shop before. Could we go there first? I have some items that would be best identified before we attempt to sell them.”

Heading to Glittermane's

Seeker and Silver head out toward Glittermane’s Vault. Moonscar hurries out of the death filled Vanderboren Manor and follows them. As they leave, Arn shouts out after them, “Hey Seeker, make sure you bring back a receipt for that stuff! You are still over on your share of the loot from the other day!” The Dwarf goes back inside and finds some ale before beginning the depressing work of dragging dead bodies around.

As the three companions make their way through the morning market, they experience numerous incidents of nearby but unseen folk shouting things like “Go home, Wolfen!”, “Your kind isn’t welcome here!”, and “Furries are evil!” Many folk sneer and give nasty looks and glares as they hurriedly get out of the way of the walking trio. The feelings of Wolfen (and Kankoran) being welcome in Essanos have greatly diminished this morning. Though no one directly confronts the group, there are several times when a rock, stick or rotten piece of fruit comes flying their way out of the crowd.

Not every citizen in the market is being hateful toward the Canines. There are many sad and downcast eyes in the crowd while the majority just turns away quickly, avoiding making eye contact.

Eventually, they make it to Glittermane’s Vault and Silver rings the bell. After a few minutes, a large illusion of a Gnome’s face appears in front of the door. “Hey, what? Who’s there? I’m very busy today. Very busy. Oh, my dear Silver, how do you do? Good to see you again so soon. What can I do for you? Oh, I see you have some friends with you. Wolfen friends. Hmm.”

Glittermane agrees to identify the items, though has to charge an extra fee to jump them to the front of his work load. For 1200$, he will identify the 7 magical items. He does freely identify one potion as Alchemist Fire and the Smoke Bomb, both taken off of Rowyn Kellani. The other items he finds very interesting and explains them as follows:

• 2 Major Healing Potions valued at 350$ each
• Spellstone-Body of Air valued at 460$
• Wand of Charm Person 5 charges (20 total) valued at 65070$ Recharge Cost 2400$
• Wand of Create Stone 5 charges (20 total) valued at 29470$ Recharge Cost 2000$
• Varandil, The Stalwart Blade Enchanted Balanced Fine Large Falchion Kigante’s sword valued at 19000$,
• Devil’s Grace Enchanted Balanced Fine Edged Rapier Javell’s sword valued at 23000$

He offers to buy the wands and swords for 60% of their given value.

After leaving the Vault, the trio stops by and sells the jewelry and other valuables to a nearby merchant netting nearly 20,000$ more!

Cleaning up the Mess

Back at the manor, Arn, with the help of Valinya’s magical Grimbor, begins moving the bodies of the deceased for better disposal. It has been decided that Hrag should have a hero's funeral and his body should be burned. That can be done at nightfall right there in the courtyard. Arn and the magically created Grimbor begin cleaning up the dead bodies. Kora, Lavinia’s Gnome servant, begins cleaning up inside the manor.

Valinya was pleased with her new spell and the Grimbor servant. What he lacked in real intelligence he made up for with actually understanding the common tongue and no qualms about following her instructions. While having him do work she tried to assess the limits of his strength and coordination as well as running him through some practice combat using the boggard bodies. Might as well get some use out of them.

Arn and the magical Grimbor work hard to clean the mess in the manor up. A short while later, the guards show up, summoned by Lavinia. They take the bodies of the boggards and dispose of them and also take custody of the bodies of the work crew, promising to inform pertinent other parties if possible. They leave the body of Hrag there and give their blessings for a funeral pyre that evening.

Once the guards arrive and Arn is relieved of duty, he requests a break from his friends so that he can make his way to the armorer’s to do some repairs to his equipment before they make their way off to any new adventures.

Alerting the Authorities

Lavinia heads out with Valinya and Sindri the Gnome to alert the city guard and to try to talk to the Dawn Council and Witch Wardens about the many threats to the city.

She leads the way from the manor to the nearest Guard Station.

Valinya says, “We’re here to support you … just let us know if you need us to say or do anything.”

Lavinia leads Valinya and Sindri to first the guard station then over to Castle Teraknian to warn the Dawn Council. They are very appreciative and thankful for the warning. They then stop at the Witchwardens and Valinya explains what she knows to some of the mages there. They also thank them and say they will do what they can to protect the city and its citizens.

Come Together

Later that evening, everyone comes back together with their work for the day done. Everyone has gathered up their commissioned items from the various craftsmen that were working on them. Some coin has been gathered for sold loot and the authorities of Essanos have been warned. It feels that the general feeling in the city toward Wolfen (and Kankoran, those nightblind can’t tell the difference!) had taken a dive. Tomorrow the group plans to introduce Lavinia to Captain Tahir and planning for the voyage south will begin in earnest.

Cast of Characters: 

Arne J plays Seeker, a teenage Wolfen Warlord

Stephen K plays Valinya, an Elven Wildsong Mage

Mike B plays Arn, a surly Dwarven Warrior

Amergin O'K plays Moonscar, the esoteric Kankoran Druid

Daniel W plays Silver, a young and curious Dragon
Mike W plays Sindri Fetzil, an a Gnome rogue and alchemist
and Jason GURPS as the GM

Wandered Roads 51.5

Wandered Roads of Varisia
Session 51.5
July 15 - August 7, 2018

Campaign Timeline

Looking For Dijjit

Moonday 4th Kuthona

Sad Dragon

A heavy calm settles over the marshy lake-side glade as everyone makes their way back to the drier path. Though it is not hot, the air is thick with moisture here near the lake.  Several members of the group are soaking wet and the rest are covered in mud from the run across the moist ground between the path and the lake.

The Faerie Dragon, Riddywipple, curls up on a rock near the path and moans, his cries can be heard out loud as well as telepathically, which creates a strange sort of echo. “Oh my, they are all gone, all dead and now dead again! Acaclus and Rhokon, how could you let this happen to your nobility.” The strange little Dragon does a little flip and bounds off the rock and lands on Paka`s back, causing the firepelt to leap and growl.

“Did you know that a group of pegasi are called a nobility? That's very interesting to me. Not a herd our a flock, but a nobility. And they are such noble creatures.  And my friends,” he says in his sing-song voice before breaking down into crying again. He spirals down to the hard packed earth of the trail and continues, “Capamedes, Demodas, I'll never see you again. Thyestus, Selerine, we'll never play games or race across the lake again even though I always let you win.  Oh me oh my, this is almost too much to bear!” The dragon lets out one final, mournful howl then slumps to the ground, silent.

As Daellin steps back onto the path he pauses for a moment assessing the current situation.  With a look of grim resignation he wipes the mud and grit from both of his enchanted blades onto his thoroughly sodden cloak.  A brief inspection confirms them clean and free of any nicks or imperfections. With a hiss of metal on metal he slides both weapons back into their scabbards.  

Rummaging around briefly in his pack he pulls forth an intricately engraved brush.  Murmuring softly under his breath his eyes close briefly. An imperceptible breeze whisks about his lithe form.  Slowly at first and then with increased speed the water and detritus radiate outward from his clothes in an elegant downward spiral.  In no time his outfit is as clean and fresh as the day he picked them up from the tailor.

Feeling properly elvish again he relaxes ever so slightly.  Concerned about Thim’s close call with the Kelpie and already forgetting about his own inadequacies he watches closely as his friends ready themselves on the pathway.

Feeling a bit sorry for their obviously disheveled appearance he attempts to attend to the needs of his companions.  He’s definitely at least partially concerned about being seen with such a scruffy looking bunch of rogues. It’s a wonder that no one has confused them with scoundrels considering the state of their appearance.  To avoid any possible confusion and subsequent embarrassment, he offers up his brush and it’s services. Who knows, they might just appreciate a bit of freshening up after an impromptu dip in the pond.

The lamentations of Riddywipple he ignores to the best of his ability.  The fey creature hasn’t been traveling long with the company yet Daellin is already looking forward to their farewell.

Calina shakes her head at Daellin and walks slowly over to the poor creatures side. She sits down next to him and strokes his head gently. "I know your pain little one,  and I offer sympathy from the deepest part of my heart. They were your friends, and it hurts very much to think of them being gone.”

"And right now, all you have is a heavy heart. This you can not escape. You must grieve first."  She turns her gaze upward to the sky, and points to the white, fluffy clouds. "I'm sure your friends would love if one day, you would remember all the wondrous times you had and be able to smile again. You may even see them cavorting about in the clouds."

He continues to wail for a few minutes longer, then slows to a few sobs. He curls up next to Calina, lays his head on her lap and falls asleep.

Samad considers Daellin’s offer of grooming as he looks down at his mud covered clothing. Thim shakes and tries drying out his clothing as much as he can, shuddering more from the thought of being in the water. Riddywipple makes a strange bubbling sound as he sleeps and Calina can feel that he is quite warm as he snuggle up against her. Paka looks on in disdain and lets out a low growl before disappearing into some tall grass nearby.  A dark cloudbank drifts in and obscures the sun as a chilly wind blows in from over the lake.

The sound of crows start to fill the air as several large black birds swoop into the area and land among the low foliage between the path and the lake. Kallin watches as his crow companion Peck and Tarn`vasi, the invisible spirit crow, fly over and join them.

Kallin watches his companion crows for a moment and smiles at fun they  seem to be having. He looks to his other companions then realizes he needs to check them for whatever first aid that needs to be given.  As he wanders the group, they mostly have a few scrapes, bruises and some fatigue which can be covered a little first aid. As he gets to Alistair, he sees and remembers that he took a few hooves to his body. Kallin starts by doing some first aid and bandaging. Then he stands in front of Alistair and casts a Major Heal to bring his health back up. When he gets to Daellin, he is just standing there with a forlorn look and a brush out. Kallin asks him, “Do you want me to use that?”  The elf responds with a sniff and a “yes”. Kallin awkwardly uses it and says “Thanks”, shrugs his shoulders and moves on.

When Kallin is finished, starts to get a little bored.  He spys a leaf with some mud on it and thinks, “That looks like a picture of an apple”.  He gets an idea. He gathers up some mud and a big clean leaf, and a stick. He fills the stick with some mud and tries to paint a horse on the leaf.  When Kallin finishes with his very childlike painting of what looks vaguely like a horse. He goes around the group to proudly show his accomplishment.

Just as he is removing the last of the gunk from his brush Daellin notices Kallin approaching.  Hastily he stuffs the brush back into his pack with a mental note to introduce the half orc to proper grooming ... someday.  He smiles as his friend comes to stand in front of him with his artwork.

Daellin takes the leaf drawing offered by Kallin and studies it for a few moments.  In truth it’s probably not much worse than what he himself would accomplish if he were inclined to make a mud horse. “Not bad at all considering what you had to work with Kallin.  I definitely like it better than some of your other paintings you’ve done. I mean Sorshen’s taste was a bit ... ahem ... eccentric. I’m glad to see that you’ve moved on from that sort of thing.” He gently hands the decorated leaf back to Kallin.

“Perhaps we should try speaking with Riddywipple. He’s not going to want to hear this but we really don’t have time to delay any more. Every hour that passes puts more of his woodland friends at risk. Someone needs to stop this scourge before it decimates the entire forest.”

Kallin decides to see what Peck and Tarn`vasi are up to so heads off in the direction that he last saw them.

Wanna See a Dead Body?

Curious, Kallin heads back off the path toward where the crows are congregating in the tall grasses near the trail. Thim watches him go curiously, then gets up and follows the Half-Orc. Trying to avoid the muddier parts now that the excitement of the battle is over, Kallin picks his way through the marshy area between the path and the lake, heading over to where a large group of crows has gathered. He smiles as he sees Peck and Tarn’vasi both perched up on a branch of a short shrub while the other birds swarm something below. Kallin calls out to the crows, thinking that since he has some crow friends, then other crows might automatically like him. That is not the case, though, and the whole murder cries out at once and surges into the air filling the sky with flapping black wings and indignant squawks.

As the birds clear out, Kallin and Thim see what they were flocked around. It looks like a dead body of a person of some sort. One of the zombie pegasi was also grazing here, if Kallin remembers correctly. The body is face down and badly mangled and torn apart. One of its arms and part of one of its legs is missing. As Kallin approaches, he thinks he hears soft sobbing sounds coming from a small tuft of tall grass nearby. He pauses and looks at Thim, then realizes that the Half-Elf does not, or cannot hear the crying sounds.

Meanwhile, back on the trail, Riddywipple lifts his head and looks up, first at Calina then at Daellin. “Yes, let us press on, hey, how did you get so clean? We must get to the bottom of this pesky problem and zap the zombies and their mean master!” He flies up and perches on Calina’s shoulder, nuzzling against the side of her head, ear and neck. “Do you really think this could mean the end of Sanos Forest? This is my home, I’ve never lived anywhere else. I don’t want to move! How will I ever get all of my things to a new forest? And what if there isn’t another fallen, hollow log in a ravine in this new forest? What if there IS a hollow, fallen tree, but I don’t like it? No, no, no! We must get to the bottom of this and avenge my twice fallen Pegasi friends. Though you know what? I didn’t see Arinora with the group, maybe she made it out.”

Calina moves to her feet and smiles at the little dragon as he perches on her shoulder. "Riddywipple, rest assured that I will help you find your friend.  And at the most remote chance that you would have to move, I would be honored to help you find the perfect new home for you."

Calina nods in the general direction of the rest of the party. "I'm pretty sure they would help as well."

She whispers to Riddywipple, "We didn't mention it before because 'some' of us don't like to brag." She gives Daelin a hard stare, "We are the Heroes of Sandpoint and have assisted the  unfortunate many times. We will not give up on you and your friends."

After taking a breather. Alistar says “We should burn them. Set their souls free and clear the forest of this taint. If you give a little bit more time to catch a second wind I can create the pyre.” He then offers up a prayer “Dawn from on high vist us to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. St. Judith, giver of hope, be with the fallen in their desperate hour. St Christopher, bearer of burdens, lift from where they have fallen. Amen."

Hearing no objections, Alistar uses create fire and then fast fire to incinerate the Pegasus. Alistar had hoped to gather some samples from the Kelpies but realizes that both of the aquatic creatures retreated beneath the surface of the lake and it is unclear whether they were defeated or just chased away.

Kallin cautiously approaches with his staff at the ready the small tuft of grass to see where the sobbing is coming from.

Spirit of Faun Past

As Kallin approaches where he hears the sobbing, Thim looks over the dead body that is smashed down in the mud and muck of the field. The Half-Elf notices that the deceased is wearing a strange and highly rusted gauntlet on his right hand. Thim has no idea what was worn on the left hand because that hand and arm have been forcibly removed from the badly mutilated body. The metal gauntlet appears to be in quite bad shape, though the the body is still quite fresh, only a few days old at the most based on the smell.

As Kallin examines the small tuft of grass, he sees, sitting in the center of it, the spirit of one of the forest creatures. It is a Faun and appears to have the lower half of a goat and the upper half of an Elf maiden. She sits there, crying looking down as if she were cradling something on her lap. As Kallin leans in, the Faun looks up, a startled look in her eye. She speaks to Kallin but he realizes that it musts be speaking some other language, because he cannot understand her. It sounds like it might be Elvish or some other sylvan tongue.


Meanwhile, over on the other side of the path, Alistar casts some spells and begins burning the zombie Pegasi. It is more difficult than he imagined, due to the moisture present in the glade and the recently deceased nature of the creatures, but after quite a few minutes, he has the first of the abominations burning nicely. A thick, putrid, greenish-black smoke billows up from the monster’s burning corpse.

The twisting columns of smoke pique Daellin’s curiosity.  He wonders what kind of fun Alistar, Thim and Kallin might be getting into without him. With a smile spreading across his face his long graceful strides quickly catch him up to the rest of his companions. He approaches Kallin as the half-orc is bent over obscuring the elf’s view.  

His eyes widen in surprise as he steps up beside Kallin. He looks back and forth from the tuft of grass to the half-orc several times. His smile fades into a look of bewilderment at first. “Uhm... Kallin is everything alright? I would’ve sworn you were talking to someone for a moment there. Is there anything I can help with?”  

While waiting for his friends reply Daellin looks at what is left of the mutilated body. “Huh, whatever could that be?” He asks more to himself than any of the group. Gently with respect to the dead he eases the gauntlet slowly from the grip of its its former owner. He brushes the loose mud and grass from the dented steel and examines it more in depth.

While Kallin, Thim, and Daellin check something out in the tall grass and Alistar works on burning the zombie corpses, Calina continues to sit on the path playing with Riddywipple while Samad stands nearby, impatiently tapping his foot.

Daellin examines the worn out gauntlet. It is old and rusty and has several holes right through the metal. The cloth or leather lining that once graced it's insides is completely deteriorated and only the faintest remnants remain. ‘It's clearly magic,’ Daellin thinks to himself as Thim looks on, having lost interest in watching Kallin stare at some tall grass.

Thim thoroughly looks over the body after watching Daellin slip the gauntlet from its hand. He searched for anything that might tell him how long the being has been dead or where they might be from. After spending some time looking over the body, Thim looks upwards at things have changed around him. There are some of his old friends, but they have taken up arms. Quickly his head pivots to his side, and reacting almost naturally, blocks an incoming hammer with his blade. The force from it knocks him backwards into the entrance of a tent and onto the ground. Suddenly the blur of two figures come into focus, and the shock of his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend bring him to his senses and he finds himself gazing off in the distance.

Thim rubs his eyes, taking several moments to come from this haze. He looks around catching that Daellin was still examining the gauntlet. He makes way over to the elf and looks down at it, taking in more of the items looks. “Do you think it might be magical?”

Kallin doesn’t take his eyes of the spirit as he sets his staff on the ground.  He puts his hands up and shouts, “Hey, ummm...I have a spirit here that I believe is speaking Elvish.  Can anyone translate?”

“Ehh, hmmm,” Daellin mutters as Kallin shouts past him. “I am right here, friend, and as you know, I am of fine Elvish heritage and speak all the finest Elvish words.” He turns to Thim, looking at the gauntlet he holds in his hands. “How about you, Thim? You clearly have Elvish blood in you, do you speak the tongue of our people?” Thim frowns a bit and responds that he does know some Elvish, but is not fluent in the language. Daellin turns back to Kallin, “Well, then, I suppose I can translate. Sadly, though, I cannot see any of the spirits. Nor can I hear anything.”

Thim notices that Daellin seemed to ignore his question about the gauntlet being magical or not. Realizing that he was still examining the body on the ground, Thim looks back down and sees that he had turned the body over before his flashback hit. The body is that of a Human man, bearded and stocky. He is dressed like a woodsman or ranger. The body bears numerous impact marks, probably from the hooves of the zombie pegasi, as well as many places where the undead beasts had begun gnawing upon  him. He cannot be more than a few days dead as the body has not bloated enough in this moist environment.

Kallin jumps a little after Daellin speaks, and says “sorry, I was concentrating”  Kallin faces Daellin and casts Affect Spirit.

Daellin suddenly realize that they can hear a small female voice crying and talking nearby in Elvish, though Thim can only catch every 3rd word or so, she is speaking so fast. The voice sounds like it is coming from the center of the tuft of grass that Kallin has been staring at.

The voice cries about losing her beloved Donnegal and the horror she experiences when her friends, the pegasi, attacked them. Daellin discovers that her name is Fysae and that her and the ranger, Donnegal, were attacked and killed, though Fysae does not realize she is dead and is somewhat confused about where Daellin’s voice is coming from. She is also confused about the Half-Orc she can see but cannot understand. Daellin tries his best to explain without giving her too much of a shock by telling her that she is a spirit and dead as well.

On the other side of the clearing, Alistar moves on to the second zombie pegasus corpse and he comes across the body of a mutilated faun, nearly trampled down into the mud. The body, which is twisted and partially face up, reveals what remains of a sweet, Elvish face and upper body with furry goat legs. The body is battered and mangled by numerous powerful impacts, possibly strikes from pegasus hooves. He calls over to the rest of the group and lets them know that he has found the dead faun. As he looks back at her, he notices a small pouch hanging from her belt that has the aura of magic about it.

Kallin looks at Daellin and asks if he could ask for permission for everyone to see her.

Daellin translates this request to Fysae and after a bit of explaining and smooth talking, she agrees. Kallin invokes the power of his Mistress, the Lady of Graves, and casts his spell.

Takes the small pouch from the faun and then attempts to drag the fauns body away from the Pegasus.

“My apologies Thim, I was a bit lost in my own thoughts there for a moment.”  He holds the battered gauntlet up for the half-elf to take and inspect if he so desires.  “Yes this does appear to be magical, although I have no clue as to what purpose the enchantment serves.  We need to let Alistar take a look however if we want to know more.”

Daellin pauses for a moment as he processes what Kallin is trying to do.  Once he understands, he addresses Kallin. “Let me assist you my friend.” He puts his hand on the half orcs shoulder and murmurs a few words in elvish.  “Anna-o-lambe” he intones and Kallin seems to feel his ears tingle, even feel sharper ...dare we say pointy? Now Kallin discovers that he can understand elvish fluently.  Daellin smiles one of his infamous grins as he notices Kallin checking his ears, which haven’t changed ... at least physically.

Alistar pockets the small pouch and easily moves the body of the deceased faun away from where the pegasus corpse lies. He deposits the body of the Faun near the path.

Back on the other side of the lakeside clearing, Kallin concludes his casting and then Daellin and Thim can now see the spirit Faun that Kallin had seen and they could hear. “Oh,” she says in Elvish. “There you are, hello. I am unsure what is going on here, but my love Donnegal has been slain and I am sad. These Pegasi have for years been our friends and allies, but when we came by to visit them recently, we found they had been killed somehow and turned into undead abominations. Deep in their midsts, we were overwhelmed. I guess I was knocked out and when I came to, I found my love dead.” She cries a bit more and appears to be stroking someone’s head in her lap, though no one sees anything there.

As burning these corpses is taking a lot longer and more energy than expected, Alistar finds a nice spot to sit down and have a short rest. He plans to rest for about 30 minutes then resume burning corpses.

As Kallin, Thim and Daellin talk to the young, deceased Faun, Riddywipple becomes curious of their activity and flies over, leaving Calina and Samad alone on the path. The small Faerie Dragon circles around then lands unceremoniously on Kallin’s head, shooing Peck away with a loud squawk. “I am feeling oh so much better now, I think my cuddles and pets have soothed my… why hello there Fysae, how are you? Where is Donnegal?” The Faun spirit looks up and sees Riddywipple and greets him, though the small Dragon cannot seem to hear her words. Fysae seems equally confused as to why she cannot hear her friend Riddywipple. “What is going on here, why can’t I hear her? Wait, who is that?” he cries out looking at the nearby mutilated body of Donnegal. “Is that, oh no, it is, isn’t it?” He swoops down and lands on the ground next to the body and begins crying all over again. “This is too much, we have to end this madness, this Marigana must be stopped! Please we can wait no longer!” He leaps back into the air and flies up in a tight spiral, yelling in his tiny, high pitched voice the entire way. Finally he stops rising and seems to stall and then fall, plummeting back to the earth, pulling out of his dive at the last moment and landing once again on Kallin’s head. “We should go now, I think. I saw some things slinking through the trees back there, several things. I was too high to get a good look, but it seemed that they were coming this way?” he indicates back behind them, from the way that they initially came. “We need to go this way anyway.” He turns back to Fysae and starts to speak but then turns to Daellin, “She is dead, isn’t she, this is some sort of spirit magic here. Please tell her I love her and I will avenge her and Donnegal, they were such a good couple!” He turns away, unable to look at his two former friends again and flies  back toward the path but further down past where Samad and Calina wait, coming to rest on a branch from a small tree.

Daellin bows his head ever so slightly acknowledging Riddywipple’s request as the fey retreats down the path.  Turning to the faun he kneels down bringing his eyes level with hers. “You are about to embark on a wonderful journey Fysae.  It’s beginning is immersed in sorrow and it is no doubt frightening to embark. But have hope. Your beloved is awaiting you. Your friends like Riddywipple will cherish their memories of your love.  Take heart that they seek to honor your life by bringing justice to those who have aggrieved you so horribly. Rest now little one and be at peace.”

Bowing respectfully to Fysae, Daellin stands.  A solitary tear hangs at the corner of one eye as the elf turns and heads back down the path to join Calina, Samad and Riddywipple.  

Kallin looks at the spirit of Fysae and he wishes he didn't have to explain these things to her but since he can magically speak her tongue, he does so as simply as he can.  There is so much to convey but he knows Donnegal and Fysae will be taken care of. Kallin moves Donnegal’s body over to Fysae body. As Kallin kneels down to start the ritual, he cries a little over the body of Fysae. He then prepares them to meet Pharasma. Kallin grabs his staff and heads up to the path.  He knows his purpose here, we must take down this Marigana.

Riddywipply flits about nervously, “Come, come, others are approaching, no telling what it might be. This place was coveted by many, like those nasty Kelpies. Others will bother and keep us from our task. Once we are done we may return and bask.” Looking back behind the group to where the Faerie Dragon indicated trouble was approaching, Calina gets a bad feeling.

“But I’m not done here. Surely the Hero’s Of Sandpoint can handle a few wandering monsters,” Alistar says with a haughty look on his face.

Calling upon the magic from his new gauntlet Alistar shouts “TO THE ABYSS WITH IT! BURN!” and ignites all five of the remaining abominations.

As Alistar hurries and ignites all the pegasi corpses. Huge clouds of black smoke fill the area accompanied by a noxious stench. Jo, the Grey Maiden, calls from the rear of the group, “Hey, all, something is coming. I see several figures moving through the bushes. Actually it looks like the bushes are moving!” She takes a step back and readies her sword and shield.

“Bushes moving, you say? That's not good. Sounds like Twigjacks. Not good, we should leave!” Riddywipply says.

Alistar heads off in the direction indicated by Riddywipply, “Come on we are done here.” At the same time he gets out a Paut potion and consumes it.

Riddywipple Leads Onward

The Faerie Dragon seems relieved to move on away from the killing field filled with his former friends. He seems to quickly forget his sad and forlorn mood from a few moments ago and returns to his hyper and carefree self. He leads the group along the path and through the forest. A rushing stream can be heard of to the right through the trees somewhere nearby.”Oh look here, hoof prints,” the little Dragon calls out with glee. “I believe that Arinora made it after all! See here,” he spins in the air above a muddy patch of trail.

Daellin steps forward to where Riddywipple has found the prints. Sweeping his cloak up over his arm he crouches beside them careful not to get too much more soiled in the mud. He studies the tracks intently for a few moments. He’s hoping to confirm Riddywipples suspicion that these tracks do indeed belong to Arinora. Perhaps even get lucky and discern when they were made and where they are headed.

Daellin clearly sees the tracks that appear to be those of a horse, unshod, moving about somewhat erratically on the path but in the same direction that the party is going in. The hoof prints indicate that the horse, or pegasus possibly, was wounded as one of the hooves seemed to make dragging tracks here and there. His keen Elvish eyes also detect another set of footprints, much smaller, narrow and long, wearing poorly made shoes or wrapped in something. A further inspection of the area reveals numerous tracks of small animals as would be expected in a forest. There is an unexpected amount of what look to be porcupine quills as well spread around the area.

Daellin shares what he has found with the rest of the party.  As long as everyone agrees he suggests heading after the tracks of the pegasus and the small footprints to see where they lead.

The tracks seem to lead in the same direction that Riddywipple was leading them. “Maybe Arinora was following them, trying to fight back, maybe even help the captured Gnome,” he says enthusiastically and continues down the trail.

Session Notes

Characters Present:

Kallin Hawkril, Half-Orc shaman and budding Priest of Pharasma - played by Dan E
Calina - Varisian Human archer and scout - played by Carol C
Daellin Silvanthalas, Elven Farstrider Ranger - played by +Ben L
Samad Aldhul, Human ex-mercenary - played by JeCorey H
Alistar Gavin Lourdis, Human Mageknight- played by Don K
Thim Westerdale, Half-Elf rogue - played by Malcolm G

and +Jason GURPS as the DM

Wandered Roads 48.5

Wandered Roads of Varisia
Session 48.5
April 8-May 1, 2018

Campaign Timeline

What's This?

Oathday 11th Neth

The Heroes of Sandpoint, exhausted and battered, head up to the strange sanctuary through the teleporter. They are greeted there by the strange sound of breathing or wind. After a few moments, the sound is not even noticed anymore by the tired group. Alistar sets himself up near the three leather bound books and starts to analyze them magically, careful not to touch them while the rest of the group tries to make themselves comfortable.

Everyone notices Kallin eyeing them uncomfortably and on several occasions he seems as if he is going to say something, but the Half Orc manages to hold his tongue. Several times he approaches the unconscious Grey Maiden, who Oriana carried up here so she could watch over her. Oriana lets Kallin know in no uncertain terms that he is to keep his distance from the sleeping woman or else there will be trouble. Kallin starts to argue but is shooed off to the far side of the room where he watches everyone while stroking his newly acquired Sin Shard in a very provocative manner.
Daellin and Ehlyna begin going through the sacks and pouches that were found up here earlier by Ehlyna. In one of the very first pouches, Daellin uncovers a small pink and green stone marble that he immediately recognizes as the Ioun Stone needed to activate the Shard of Lust. Wasting no time, the Elf rushes it over to Kallin, who misinterprets his approach as something more and begins disrobing. Daellin stops him quickly and inserts the Ioun Stone into the round depression at the base of the Shard. Kallin quickly blushes and begins lacing his shirt back up. Daellin snorts and walks back to the treasure sorting, sure he hears a “nice ass” comment from the Half-Orc.

Daellin pauses and looks back over his shoulder. To himself he thinks, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good time ... “ looking Kallin up and down as if for the first time he smirks, “Not nearly long enough though, we will be back in Magnamar before I get that desperate.”
Daellin and Ehlyna find quite a haul in the assorted sacks and pouches. One silk pouch holds 12 tourmanlines, 6 black pearls, and 2 sapphires. Daellin thinks they are worth around 3000$ total. They place the goggles, which are definitely magical, and the strange Thassalonian coin, which is also magical, next to the fashionable red boots, which also radiate as magical.


Ehlyna then grabs a small sack that has some weight and appears to be full of some bulky items, but she is surprised to find some unusual items inside. First she pulls out a medium weight steel breastplate that does not even seem to fit inside the small sack. Daellin takes an interest and sees that the armor is enchanted, as is the sack itself. Ehlyna next pulls out what appears to be a hollow glass sphere, about the size of a Halflings head. The glass is clear, but tinted pink, making it hard to see through. This is also magical. Next Ehlyna pulls out a short silver rod, about 10 inches long and less than an inch in diameter, also magical. Next comes a small gold ring with a stylized lightning bolt on it. Daellin nods to indicate that it too is magical. Finally she pulls out 4 small spidersilk drawstring pouches that seem to be filled with dirt or dust. Daellin comments that they too are magical.

With the impressive array of loot spread out before him Daellin arranges his backpack against the wall.  He sits down gracefully on the floor reclining against his pack as a makeshift chair. Idly he examines each of the items individually hoping to spark some memory of what they could be.  He realizes Alistar will be occupied for a significant time identifying the spellbooks. After several minutes trying to get comfortable he jumps up and quickly walks over to the seal on the floor. Confidently he steps on the seal and disappears.

After a few minutes he reappears although it’s hard to recognize him for the large armload of pillows and pelts he’s carrying.  Unceremoniously he dumps the items on the ground. In no time he has arranged the linens into a comfortable mat. Satisfied with his industry he settles in.  Smiling contedly he continues to study the magic items. He ignores the the under breath muttering from the dwarf, something about a “pansy elf,” he’s pretty sure, and enjoys his comfy mat.

Wearily, Calina sat on the floor to rest against her backpack. She took off her cloak, loosened her armour and took off her boots. She stretched and wiggled her toes. She sighed heavily. When was the last time she had walked barefoot through the grass? She couldn't recall. The recent battles had been difficult and she still felt ache from her wounds even though she had been healed. Her bond with Paka gave her a sense of contentment knowing he was safe and wandering through a wooded area somewhere near the swamp. After a while she felt hunger and realized no one had eaten for quite a while.  Calina spent time trying to make a meal for the group out of what meager rations are left. Surprisingly, the results were too bad. She hands everyone a portion and apologizes for the lean servings.

Calina sat against the wall to eat her food but her eyes were staring at the strangely decorated boots. What was the fascination?  She tore her eyes away and tried to finish her meal. Abruptly she stuffed the rest into her mouth and stood up quickly. She moved across the room and grabbed one of the boots. She held it close to her face and examined the markings. The color of the boots hurt her eyes but yet she could not stop staring. She blinked several times, sat down with a grunt, then slipped her feet into the boots.
Calina slides the boots on, finding that they fit her quite comfortably. The bright red boots feel supportive and comfortable. They are definitely a different look from her sturdy and worn Boots of Endurance, though they feel as if they would provide at least a similar amount of protection to her feet if worn. She begins to wonder what the enchantment on them is.

Eventually, Alistar is able to cast Analyze Magic on each of the three spellbooks. He says that it appears that the only enchantment on the books is Resist Magic and that any trap that had been on them has been triggered and rendered useless now. He tests this hypothesis out by touching the book from a distance with an object, then with his hand. Fortunately, nothing happens this time. He sees that the books are very old, but well preserved. Each of them is highly decorated with Thassalonian runes, gemstones and engraved precious metal strips. The books are also locked and held closed by numerous metal straps connected by one lock. Still exhausted by the events from earlier in the day, Alistar sits down heavily on one of the pillows to rest.

Session Notes

A Continuing Story between two sessions.

Characters Present:

Kallin Hawkril, Half-Orc shaman and budding Priest of Pharasma - played by +Daniel Ernst
Calina - Varisian Human archer and scout - played by +Carol Coburn
Daellin Silvanthalas, Elven Farstrider Ranger - played by +Ben Lipe
Samad Aldhul, Human ex-mercenary - played by +JeCorey Holder
Alistar Gavin Lourdis, Human Mageknight- played by Don K
Ehlyna Fuzziface - Dwarven Warrior - currently played by Malcolm G

and +Jason Woollard as the DM