The adventure continues with the Order of the Swan...
PC: Rowen - Syvani Wical of the Huntress. Female Archer and
divine caster.
PC: Cinder - Kirith Syvani Mage. Master of Fire and arcane
power. (Absent this session)
PC: Khabsha - Oroka shamaness of Mogda - Deathwalker.
Gallows humor with bones in her hair and bone armor.
PC: Baern – Durin Warrior. Yer typical bearded jewel freak
with a penchant for chopping things with his axe.
PC: Graham – Neran warrior. Freebooter in search of
employment.
It turns out, being stranded in the depths of Mar nan Os isn’t
so bad with a wical of Cynwen in the party. After a funeral for Weylin, Though it
takes a little time, Rowen is able to contact a friendly spirit and lead Cinder
and Khabsha to a safe gateway back to the prime plane of Alkevaaron.
Unfortunately, the gateway puts them in Ffom, on the far northern coast of
Aeranos, in the fringes of the Winter wood. A long travel from the Forever
plains.
Since they are all interested to learn the outcome of the
battle between the Badgers and the Bloodwolves, and to learn the fate of Fathak
– who must have been left in the cavern, and Beta – who led the tribeless in
battle, they decide to travel back to the tribelands of the Oroka.
Taking advantage of the proximity to a Mage Guild's tower,
where he has some business to conduct, Cinder offers to catch up to them later.
After equipping themselves with horses and travel supplies, Rowen and Khabsha
make their way along the old trade route between Neb and Neued, where they plan
on skirting the Winter Wood. It is here that we pick up the tale, with the tall
Syvani druidess and her fair Oroka Shamaness companion just arriving at a
ruined tower just off the road, where an old stone wall and a travelers fire offers
respite from the cold north winds.
The Old Tower is actually an aging Neran structure built
inside the fallen ruins of an even older Giant’s tower. The whole thing
somewhat resembles giant, gnarled and ancient teeth reaching from the hilltop
and devouring the stone ruins within. A glassy pond lies at the base of the
hill and a huge Warden Oak spreads its branches nearby. Permanent shadows
underneath, and thick gnarly roots create small caves at the base of the tree. A
stream trickles under the oak and makes it way into the pond.
Rowen and Khabsha are welcomed at the fire and introduced to
the other travelers. They include:
-
A Fimar craftsman by the name of Ferg Wayfinder,
traveling with his trade-wagon and his two guards, Geordie Finn and Malis Ap
Dearg, a Neran and Kirith-Syvani warrior.
-
A quiet, local farmer named Tom McAislin, tall
and thin with a long, thin beard.
-
A dour Durin warrior named Baern, who offers
little other than ad admission that he’s “travelling south”
-
A roguish looking mercenary named Graham, who
immediately gains Rowens attention by the fine and well cared for Syvani blade
he carries.
-
And last, an unobtrusive begger in threadbare
cloak and rags, with a nasty cough, who stays well back from the fire.
Ferg and Geordie are the most outgoing of the group,
inviting the two priestesses to share their fire and tell a bit about
themselves. Malis, the beggar and the farmer are all less forthcoming, though
none are rude. Geordie explains that the river has made the nearby ford
impassable, and thus everyone is waiting it out here until the river subsides. Rowen
regales the group with a well told tale of their recent adventures. Ferg tells
of his less exciting adventures in trading with the hardened villagers of Ffom,
Tom explains that he’s traveling to visit a sick mother in Kaergot and Baern
and GRAHAM are two lone travelers temporarily “path-bound” as traveling companions
while their journeys match.
After a shared meal, and a bit of dicing between Baern,
Malis, Graham, Geordie, Khabsha and Ferg, in which Graham walks away the winner,
the beggar offers to play a tune on his tin whistle in return for the meal,
though he still shies away from conversation. He’s very good. Even though no
threat presents itself, the adventurers blood in all their veins requires that
a watch be set, though Rowen and Khabsha are willing to share it with the
others. For his part, Ferg says goodnight and sleeps in his wagon, while his
guards take turns keeping their own watch near the wagon.
In the early morning hours, Khabsha hears a strange ringing
coming from their gear. A quick search reveals the source to be the magic
blade, Hawkwing, that has set a small iron pot to humming with its vibration. Waking
Rowen, they quickly discuss this newfound power of the blade, and note that the
Silver Swans explained the blade had powers against demons. Thus alerted, they
make a scan of the camp and find both the beggar and the farmer gone.
A few moments later they hear a strangled cry from the pond
at the base of the hill. Rushing there with weapons drawn, they find the beggar
pulling the farmer from the pond. Once he’s safe, he explains he awoke to find “something”
dragging him into the depths of the small pond. The beggar explains that he was
getting a drink from the stream when he heard the farmer and was first on the
scene. He saw no attacker, but pulled the farmer from the water.
Rowen explains the swords powers to Ferg and the others and
they build the fire high, keeping careful watch until morning, but no other danger
presents itself.
In the morning, Baern, Rowen, Graham and Khabsha search the
area for clues. Guessing that something might live in the bowels of the tree,
Khabsha searches there. Rowen investigates the pond while Baern looks through
the ruins. Graham examines the tracks around the attack site. Several of the
party notice Geordie arguing with Ferg, but don’t know what it’s about.
Khabsha’s thorough search only gets her muddy, and even a
detection spell around the tree and pond reveal no spirit activity. Baern’s
search reveals a large, grass covered mound behind the tower, that to his
trained Durin eye, appears to hide an old, namer-made structure of some sort,
but he finds nothing further. Rowen keeps Hawkwing to hand, but feels no
further emanations from the blade, and finds no clues. Graham discovers that Tom the Farmer appears to have
walked down the hill to the pond, while the beggar’s story seems to have been
the truth. These investigations all take a great deal of the day.
Ferg sends Malis to the river to check the ford, and Graham,
when finished with his tracking, accompanies him. While they are away, and
while the group is busy investigating, a shout is heard from the tower, When
everyone comes running, they find Ferg bleeding from a stab wound with the
beggar and the farmer kneeling at his side. They explain that Geordie stabbed
the Fimar and ran off over the hill. Though Ferg is weak, he adds that Geordie
was angry and raving at losing at dice, though why he was mad at him, Ferg
couldn’t say. He was trying to calm the lad down when Geordie stabbed him and
ran off. Nearly done in by the deep wound, Ferg than passes out.
While Baern and the beggar chase after Geordie, Rowen and
Khabsha set to healing Ferg while Tom keeps watch. Rowen’s magic does the
trick, and what was probably a fatal wound for Ferg, becomes an old scar. Baern
expects that Geordie is long gone by now, which leaves him surprised to find
the young man not far off, sitting in the grass, crying and confused. Geordie
pleads some kind of temporary insanity to Baern and the beggar. The beggar takes
Geordies dagger, handling the blade with a familiarity that leaves Baern wondering at the
beggars true talents, before they lead Geordie back to the tower, where he is
relieved to find Ferg still alive.
Malis and Graham return from the river ford, having found it
still too high and fast for a crossing, to discover all that has transpired in
their absence. Malis is understandably angry at Geordie, who is miserable and
ashamed. Rowen and Khabsha reiterate to the group that demonic influence may be
at work. After discussing everyone’s motives for being at the camp. They decide
Tom’s story is the weakest, since everyone else is traveling south, and thus
must wait for the ford to lower, while Tom is supposedly traveling north, and
thus has no reason to hang around.
When they confront the farmer, he grows nervous, but answers
that he doesn’t often venture from his farm, and was just enjoying the trip.
This is obviously not likely, since Tom has barely interacted with the others.
When he decides he’s had enough, and starts to gather his supplies to leave,
Rowen pulls out the truth spell and hits him with “What is your true purpose
here?” Tom blurts out, “To sew the seeds of chaos for the master” before he can
stop himself. Realizing the gig is up, he takes off running, with Baern and
Graham in hot pursuit.
Tom makes it to the edge of the pond before he’s slammed to the
ground by the two warriors, snapping his leg in the process. Thus immobilized,
they proceed to start questioning him, but he refuses to answer, claiming that
the Syvani witch forced him to say these things. No one buys it. They search
Tom’s bag and find a satchel of old gems and jewels.
It’s at this point that Khabsha notices Geordie is no longer
by the fire pit. A quick search finds him inching toward Ferg, with his hands hidden
behind his back. With little time, she shouts a warning, but no one is close
enough to stop Geordie as he pulls a dagger and lunges for Ferg. Khabshas arrow
finds Geordie’s back and kills him before he can murder his employer. In the
confusion that ensues, Tom tries to throw himself into the pond, but is stopped
by his leg and his captors.
Once dragged back to the tower, Tom is tied up and
questioned further. When Rowen attempts another truth spell, Tom begins to shake
violently and turn purple. Shadows bleed from his eyes and ears and wrap about
his throat. When Hawkwing is pressed to his throat, the shaking grows worse,
but the shadows disperse. Tom is left alive, but incoherent and catatonic,
possibly permanently.
Several discussions are had at this point. One revolves
around why Tom was heading toward the pond? Another revolves around what was
controlling Tom and Geordie. A third is centered around the possibility of
packing up and leaving before anyone else ends up dead or worse. Ferg is all
for heading out. Strangely, the beggar sides with Rowen, Baern and Khabsha in
wanting to stick around and solve the mystery. They decide to let Ferg and
Malis go. Ferg offers his thanks and reminds them that he owes them a debt
before departing, taking Geordies body with them.
Once the craftsman and his guard have left, the beggar is
questioned, and comes clean. He reveals himself to be Dags McRowd, the Ffomish
King’s Bard, sent to investigate the
disappearance of the King’s cousin, Jory Talis from this area a few weeks ago.
He offers to search the pond, and after being secured with rope he dives in and
makes a thorough search, but only gets really muddy.
It is decided that Tom isn’t likely to recover, and might be
a threat. Tom is put down, and then questioned by Khabsha with her Death
Whispers spell, specifically about where his “master” is and how to get there?
The first answer is “through the gateway, in the shadows”. The second is “when
the light of the moon reflects from the pond.”
Thus informed, the party knows where to go and how to get
there. It is only left to wait for nightfall, which is close. Dags retrieves
his armor and gear and the group gathers about the pond….
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