Navi straightens up her stance and salutes Faelen. "Sure tootin', Captain!" She giggles, playing along with everyone calling him Captain. With a loop de loop she zips down to Flynn.

The little fairy lowers herself down and sits on Flynn's chest. She reaches forward to take his face in her hands as she starts humming an old Celestial hymn. She plugs his nose, then covers his mouth, then remembers the mouth should be open and she should be tilting the chin, doing that next. Navi leans over, then kisses him on the forehead. Her fae magic envelopes him, enough to nudge him awake.

Cure Wounds: 11hp

Navi beams with appreciation when the 'baddies' return Faelen's scarf to him. They weren't so bad after all considering it was not her or her friends who picked the fight. And it appears they were only following orders. Her head tilts a moment then she says to Faelen. "They might be the kind of folk that follow a leader no matter what. Maybe they can be helpful." Or maybe he can just assign another captain.

(lol my one char who doesn't have the Healer feat and healer kit, and I realize I went light cleric and not life cleric to change it up on myself. I don't have the back up upon back up resources I usually set myself up with! Funny. But happy to spend slots to heal others if needed.)

From above Zeg sees the brigands surrender and now swear allegiance to Faelan? Was he seeing this right?  The moonbeam disappears as he descends and picks up the branding iron.  He gives it a few swings and looks to see if it was something he could use.  

Flynn eyes open to a blur of fairy wings.  "Th th thank you milady"

Faelan tries to not roll his eyes too much. He does not see himself as a leader, and being called captain feel a little strange for the happy go Haregon. Now, it means that he may have some responsibility on his shoulders. "Oh brother..." He catches himself. "Ah mean, alright! Ah sure could use some trusted lieutenant to help mah fellas here." Faelan shakes Jonozul's hand vigorously. "What about you start by telling us all about this place? Then, most importantly, how can we make our way to Downfall?"

Flynn regains consciousness thanks to Navi's ministrations. Zeg gives the discarded branding iron a few swings, but the heat and magic has gone out of it - it would make a decent club. Jonozul hops about eagerly as he provides answers to Captain Cottontail's questions.

Ah, we are in the Third Octant of the Tollway. The Big Stump is this way. From there we can take you to Downfall. Lets go!

All the other now-revived harengon return to the boats and begin paddling back the way they came, while Jonozul hops ahead of the group, leading the way. As the group travels along, Jonozul explains the history of their 'former' captain:

In days gone by, Agdon Longscarf made a name for himself as he and his band of miscreants menaced travelers throughout various Feywild domains. It was in Prismeer, however, that Agdon’s antics came to an end by Zybilna’s hand. As punishment for his offenses, the archfey demanded that Agdon give up his beloved scarf. When he refused, Zybilna cursed him so that he would never be able to remove it. She then pinned the scarf to a young sapling with a magic nail made of gold and iron, and she bade the tree grow until its branches raked the clouds. Agdon was thus carried into the sky, where he was stranded for a long time. 

Recently however, Zybilna's reign has been apparently usurped by that of the Hourglass Coven. With Zybilna out of the way, Agdon’s loyal gang was able to chop down his tree prison. But his scarf remained pinned to the felled trunk, and him with it, until Bavlorna Blightstraw struck a deal with him — she agreed to remove the nail and free the scarf in exchange for the best prize from each of his raids thereafter.

The walkways converge gradually from more and more directions until they all meet at an enormous stump that juts out of the swamp. The top of the stump rises thirty feet from the water surface, and is about eighty feet wide and dotted with patchwork tents. Rope ladders hang from the top to the level of the walkways and the cattails. Jonozul whistles loudly to attract the attention of the harengons who must be stationed here as guards... but there is no response.

Huh! That's weird. There's normally a dozen here at least.

As the party sets of Zeg flies into the air and find a particularly wet open water spot in the marsh. He then drops the branding iron into the water so it hopefully is never found again by Agdon.

He then rejoins the others as they travel the walkways.

When they reach the spot dotted with tents he goes up in the air and flys around the area to see what he can scope out before returning to the others to report.

After hearing the story of Agdon, the little fairy kind of felt like a real meanie for threatening and dropping the dagger to pin him once more. Navi makes a mental note to apologize to him if their paths ever cross. Sure he picked a fight, probably with lots of people, but considering the history, she felt she understood his perspective better. She also wasn't on the receiving end of the branding iron.

Navi flutters along with the group. While Zeg checks high in the air, she hovers a couple feet over the water. "Marco!" She calls out loudly, as if she'd get a response over Jonozul's whistle. The fairy holds a hand to her ear to listen expectantly.

"Ahh, gottia. Ah'm gonna guess Agdon wasn't a big fan of this Zybilna's lady. Ah can't say ah would be happy either." While they wait for a response from the tents. "So, Jonozul, do ya know what happened to this Zybilna by any chance?"

Flynn walks along with the group almost in a daze

The branding iron drops into water, never to be seen again. Yet another treasure goes missing in Prismeer...

Zeg does a recon fly-over of the camp site atop the stump. Based on the open tent flaps and miscellaneous scattered debris, Zeg concludes that the tents have been recently and hurriedly emptied and vacated. Navi hears no harengon voice, but is certain that the whispers from the breeze-blown reeds sound a lot like "Polo", which reminds her a little of the whispers of the trees from Telemy Hill. Navi does notice though that there are about eight mooring posts for boats around the base of the stump... but no boats. Presumably all the would-be occupants of the camp were careful to take all the boats with them when they left.

Flynn walks along silently, but eventually realises that the two harengon bagpipers have been following him. When he finally looks around and notices them, they cautiously ask the bard if he would share some advice with them. They have a great many questions about his playing style, where he gets his reeds, the spread of the finger-holes on his chanter-pipe, circular breathing, and a host of other insightful bagpipe-related questions...

Jonozul hops along beside Faelan, eagerly answering his questions, while Farwarin hops along directly behind, adding his own thoughts to the conversation.

Well, Captain, no-one rightly knows. Some say she's gone away, some say she's asleep, or a prisoner...

Or dead!

Yeah, or that. All we've heard is that Bavlorna and her sisters say they've 'liberated' Prismeer from Zybilna's 'tyranny'. But things weren't too bad under Zybilna.

She was a bit cruel sometimes though, eh Jonozul?

Yeah, so I've heard. But some fairies are a bit... fickle... unpredictable... Farwarin, what's the word I'm looking for?

Er... capricious? mercurial?

Mercurial, that's it! And it also depends on who's telling. You see, she's a kind of... of fairy godmother, is Zybilna. It's said that she grants wishes to those from the mortal world brave enough to travel here and visit her in her abode - that's why it's called the Palace of Heart's Desire. Admittedly, it's said that sometimes her wishes would bring despair instead of happiness, but usually the stories tell of good things for those who are lost, or forsaken or betrayed.

Things have changed a lot though, right Jonozul?

Truly. It's always wet and mushy here now, when it used to be green rolling hills. There's mists that prevent passage between parts of the realm we used to go. The Jabberwock is running amok, with no sign of the big owl that used to keep it in check.

Huge owl!

Yeah, enormous.

Gargantuan!

OK, Farwarin, that's enough. And now the rumor is that Bavlorna is searching for a unicorn horn. So I'm sorry I can't be more exact Captain, but that's all we knows.

Flynn takes the time to share methods and some spare reeds with the pipers.  He tries to teach a tune he had been working on but can't quite get it right "sorry friends until I get back what was taken the song is incomplete."

Looking at the others.  "Looks like they bugged out in a hurry....and chance of resting here for a bit?" He asks with a wince

Faelan looks up. "Hey Jonozul. What's the easiest way to get up there?"

Zeg lands where the others are and reports what he had seen.  "Perhaps Agdon returned here and everyone bugged out, or fled?"

Navi would giggle softly to herself as she hears the reeds whisper in response. She’d float around, running her fingers through the reeds as she calls out Marco here or there just to hear it again. 

“Rolling hills? Did they roll left or right? High or low?” The little fairy does a barrel roll anti clock wise, then clock wise. Forward and then backward. It was entirely for her own amusement.

”A gargantuan owl?! Like bigger than Zeg?” She holds her arms out as if she could accurately represent and measure the size of a huge owl.

”You’re the first one to mention the horn first! I usually ask about it.” Navi nods. “I’ve been wondering where it is too.” 

Jonozul points out the rope ladders to Faelan, which makes climbing to the camp site a simple job even for the injured Flynn. The camp cots in the tents are all covered in harengon fur, but are suitable for taking a short rest, although sitting outside is equally restful.

Farwarin agrees that most likely Agdon returned here after his defeat and ordered the guards to depart with him. However, he adds his suspicion that Agdon may intend to muster all the remaining harengon bandits throughout Prismeer, and consolidate his forces. It's unlikely the disgraced captain will inform his troops of his defeat at the hands of "Faelan's Four" (the name Farwarin is promoting, as opposed to "the Cottontail Corps" as Jonozul proposed), nor lightly relinquish his dominion over the realm of Hither.

The harengon stare quizzicly at Navi, not quite comprehending her responses about the motion of stationary geographical features, or the proportions of monsters several orders of magnitude too small than reality. However, Navi's reply about the unicorn horn piques Jonozul's interest, and he asks if Navi knows why the hags might be searching for one. He explains that unicorns are rare and magical creatures, even for Prismeer, and doesn't know where else you might find a unicorn's horn except on a unicorn's head.

"If we must, we can take a breather here, but we shouldn't take out time here." Faelan turns to Jonozul. "Ah don't think this Agdon fella ain't a happy camper about us. And ah mean, us the stranger, not you guys. Say, do ya know a way to Downfall that ain't gonna bring us too much attention? Ah ain't sure if you know whatah mean."

"If we need to keep.moving we keep moving. I'm ok"

"I could use a short breather if we have the time." Zeg answers. "Perhaps our new compatriots want the opportunity to collect anything they need or own from the camp."

The group take some time to rest, as do the harengon that were beat up. Jonozul makes the suggestion to Faelan that he and the other harengon should remain here at the Big Stump to keep guard over the headquarters lest Agdon Longscarf attempt to return and claim it back - they don't seem to mind whether or not Faelan cares about his new role as their leader, but holding this base seems important to them. Furthermore, he says that the harengon rarely go to Downfall, as that is the domain of King Gullop XIX and the Soggy Court, a group of pompous bullywugs that look down on the harengon. Farwarin also maps out in better detail for the group exactly which of the wooden paths to take through the Tollway to get to Downfall most efficiently.

A number of objects lay strewn around, and the newcomers get the impression that this wasn't just a result of the harengon leaving in a hurry, but that they are normally untidy. In particular there are an unusual collection of minor treasures piled up messily around the wooden throne, most notably the following:

- a cookie cutter shaped like a unicorn
- a tiny wooden box containing a croquet set for pixies or sprites (even too small for Navi)
- an emerald Chess piece shaped like a dancing satyr wearing a bishop’s hat and clutching a gnarled staff
- an empty paper bag labelled "Candy"
- a small bag of truffles
- a glass slipper
- a pewter saltshaker shaped like a wizard's tower
- an 8-inch-long glass figurine of an ant

Everyone can gain the benefits of a short rest. I'll assume everyone is ready to move on towards Downfall after that, and will post again shortly.

Flynn plays a song of rest.  Anyone using hit dice to Regain ho gains an additional 6

Plus Flynn uses 2 HD for 7 hp