Faila smiles at Meresaa, relieved and thankful that they didn't have to fight the spiders. The poor things are just trying to protect their home."I'll help you with the notes, Meresaa. I'm not too tired." Although she has little talent for such activities, she's definitely willing.
Following the wishes of the party, the Tree Knight Captain instructs its Knights to descend down the stairs and retreat back to the hidden Old Aerdy treasure hoard.
"So, you're them wood elves I've heard about, eh? You been here a long time by the sounds of it... You uh... like it here? In Oerth, I mean?"
Striking its chest, the Tree Knight Captain confirms Boyd's suspicions. It points its long tendril arms over the large treasure room, implying that it has been confined to the space for many a year.
Downtime - Long Rest
((Feel free to mark a long rest on all your character sheets. As this is a period of downtime, feel free to attempt to attune to any items/ask any questions; Faila and Meresaa will spend a good deal of time pouring over the documents.))
Seemingly trusting the party to a greater extent than the initial meeting, the Captain proceeds to take the downtime to show more of the hideout to the party. The Old Aerdy influence is clear, yet large portions of the area seem to have been given over to their allies from the Feyrealm. The Captain leads those that follow through to a small, underground grove in the centre of which a large statue stands, well maintained despite its age; made from precious white stone and holding a diamond-tipped wand, it depicts a beautiful elvish woman with fairy wings extending from her back, her arms are open and welcoming.
Beneath the statue, on its plinth, is carved both in Elvish and then in Common, "Fair Titania, Queen of Summer" followed, in smaller writing by, "let this statue commemorate the alliance between the Great Kingdom and the Seelie Court. Brought together through desperate need, our friendship flourished. Let all darkness perish before the Queen of Light."
Speechless (not that it makes a difference), the Captain prostrates itself in front of the statue and the other Knights follow their Captain's lead. After a few minutes, they rise from their positions, appearing renewed and, should the beings not have had expressionless faces, you could swear that they were happy; their chests puffed out, their movements more buoyant, eager to welcome the party into their grove.
((I shall assume that the following is happening whilst the others are with the Tree Knights))
Investigation
You both pour over the stacks of documents assembled in front of you. Initially, you can tell from the relative messiness of Asha's writings that they were written at different times during her childhood and early teenage years. A pang of sympathy strikes you as the content of the documents speaks of a young girl that was hidden away and ostracised from society; loneliness is abundant throughout, as well as the struggles between her and her parents, the visions she received (most of which were at first put down to childhood fancies), and her want to visit the lands contained within her dreams.
Sahmyr is also mentioned throughout, though his form frequently changes. As an outsider, you would most certainly assume that it was Asha seeing the mythical figure in everything from inanimate objects, to random strangers, to the local wildlife. However, given your own visions of the man and vague understanding of how the bizarre feyrealm works, could the figure have revealed himself in multiple different ways throughout the years?
The equations appear to be a mixture of some base mathematical understanding, far removed from a child's understanding (let alone a child from Oerth -- which itself does not seem overly advanced compared to (for Meresaa) Ravnica and the understanding of those that dwell within Nivix) and arcane runes. Though you do not doubt Asha's intelligence, it would appear that much of the information contained within has likely been provided to her; this fact is further supported by the evidence of a young Asha practising drawing the arcane runes (multiple attempts have been scribbled out).
Arcane
((High roll!))
The drawings of magical runes scrawled upon many of the documents speak of ancient magic. You are certain that, should the equations and runes have been used in the creation of the Hawkes Device (the artefact supposedly responsible for re-establishing the link between planes), they alone were not responsible for the resulting portal; at a guess, only through the direct intervention of a powerful being would such a sustained and growing portal be established (the idea that a being with no previously diagnosed magical talents, armed with a few pseudo-mathematical equations, should be able to single-handedly create a device capable of initially tearing the fabric between planes is as ludicrous as it sounds).
Indeed, you would surmise that the runes/device were likely involved in the summoning of this powerful being, likely Sahmyr, and used to help him establish a firmer foothold within Oerth in order to subsequently create the aforementioned tear. You are convinced that Asha is likely unaware of this fact and, given her rudimentary understanding of the arcane, genuinely believes it was her device responsible for the portal's creation.
In short, you find evidence that Asha has been playing the role of an unwitting pawn rather than a complex mastermind/manipulator.
Boyd looks very impressed with the statue. He whistles in appreciation of its craftsmanship. "Cor well that's a sight. Look at here, says there was an alliance 'tween some Great Kingdom and a Seelie Court... Do you think they mean Sealion? Like maybe that was the old spelling or something."
When the wood elves prostrate themselves, Boyd looks to his companions for direction, but eventually drops to his knees as well to conform with their hosts. He gets up when they get up. "So you lot have been here all this time, keeping it clean and what not? Fine work. Looks as new as if it were carved yesterday." He pats the captain on his back. "So is this the Queen of Light?" He gestures to the statue. "Does she really have butterfly wings?"
After talking for a while with the party and the wood elves, Boyd kicks back against the wall and starts to drift off. Before falling asleep he expresses some concern. "I know we can't go back right now, but I have a bad feeling about Saltmarsh after what Rosie said about O'Toole... I hope Nick can take care of himself and Esther..."
Nikita takes a knee and bows her head before the statue of the Fey Queen of the Summer Court in silence.
Compared to most elves in Celene, she had never really paid as much heed to her own fey descent as perhaps expected of her. A youngest daughter, she had always striven outward, focused subconsciously on escaping her ancestry. Exploring this world. Oerth. Her rapier. Her longbow. Exploring the Welkwood. On a good day, her spells. And opposing cambions and demons. Always so impatient. What good is intelligence without understanding?
Only now, when it may be too late, does Nikita realize she should have paid more attention. For a brief moment, she sees her mother's cool gaze regarding her from Titania's eyes, welcoming posture replaced with an impassive, timeless one. For Titania is but one of seven. The Unseelie Fey await.
Nikita is happy for the tree knights, but her own chest is not puffed out. Ehlenestra protect us, when I, the least of all elves, having seen my companions die so untimely, now hope with this new motley group, to set right the rupture in the veil and disruption between the planes. But if not us, who?
After arranging a watch schedule with the tree knights and others, she says quietly before entering her four hours of trance: "You are right Boyd. An old alliance. One I wish I had studied. One I hope the Fey courts remember, at least the Summer Court. Rest well, everyone. I too worry for Saltmarsh. But a long, strange journey awaits us. Those of us who choose to take on this quest to seek and restore the seven artefacts from the seven courts. As I do."
"Most curious..." Meresaa mutters absently as she continues to leaf through the pages of notes.
The next morning, as everyone rouses themselves and prepares for whatever may lay ahead, she recounts her findings and theories.
"I'm most concerned that, if I'm correct, Ms. Hawkes' device had little to do with the portal and more with summoning a being powerful enough to create, maintain, or at least affect the portal in some way, which is quite a feat in itself. These equations," she holds up and fans out several sheets, "are nothing but rudimentary mathematics. Nothing that can tear a rift between planes." She tosses the pages back to the table where she had been reading.
"The runes, however," she says while holding up one finger and pushing a page away to reveal a few awkwardly scrawled symbols. "Those may be a different story. I can't imagine where she would have come across them as a child but she clearly practiced the strokes to learn to form them precisely. I'm worried that she was coached by this being who seems to have had a hand in their own summoning by taking advantage of a child and grooming her into an inquisitive adult who would perform the ritual while being mislead into thinking she was doing something else entirely."
She chews her bottom lip for a moment before continuing. "That may also explain the removal of the seven seals. If she were lead through the process and told what to look for and what to do with them, that would make much more sense than her simply forgetting where she put them or however the situation may have seemed."
Looking to each of the others in turn, she says, "I'm afraid Mr. Ami seems to be the most likely culprit and is very much more than we first thought. Now I'm uncertain if the most expedient path forward is to the portal, as we planned, or back to the carnival to question the Illuminated Man. What do you all think?"
Nikita, clearly unschooled in this topic, listens to Meresaa intently. She remains silent for a long while, thinking.
"I do not know, my lady. My worry is that if Sahmyr Ami is the culprit, a powerful being who then allows us to find him again. What then? He seems to have no reason to help us, and a massive advantage in knowledge over us. The only edge we may have is that he may not know where we are right now and what we are doing or hope to accomplish." She pauses for a moment. "Unless he also knows everything that Asha knows as soon as she knows it."
Shaking her head as if to clear the thought, Nikita tries to think of an analogy. "This Gellan Primewater that was the silent partner with Sedgewick, Rosetta and Brinck. Saltmarsh Town Councilmember. We know he is a culprit in their conspiracy, the only remaining living one besides perhaps Rosie Malloy. But similarly to Sahmyr Ami, I do not know if marching up and confronting him is our best approach, given his inherent advantages."
Faila is silent as Meresaa discusses their findings. All she can think about is the dream she had of chasing the painted man with goat legs. An ugly feeling twists itself in her gut at the thought that Sahmyr Ami used Asha to open the portal. It sounds so unlikely that something so dark and manipulative could be from a being that was so magical and beautiful. Sahmyr Ami! Asha's captivation by him is still something that Faila can't shake. Those who took me in taught me many things, but those things have terrified me for the rest of my life. It was all I knew. I want to know something different. Was he really a criminal? Or does he have knowledge that we need? That I need?
"I think we should talk to the Illuminated Man," she squeaks out, after a minute. "Or else we might not know if it was really him."
Nikita does not feel enough certainty about the situation to credibly oppose the growing consensus (or indifference) among her non-wooden, non-octodog, non-Toska companions that they should head back to the Carnival to seek out Sahmyr Ami under the guise of the Illuminated Man.
"All right," she relents. "What about our allies, the Tree Knights and the Sagacitas? We had committed to helping the back home soon. Is everyone agreeable to having them wait here? Including them? Since (I hope) we can agree that they should not come with us into Saltmarsh."
She repeats the question in Elvish for the Tree Knights and in her mind for the Sagacitas.
She turns to Meresaa and Faila: "I don't know what we do once we find the Illuminated Man (Sahmyr Ami). So I'll be following your leads once we do." Strangely, Nikita looks almost relieved as she speaks, as if she is happy to be out of the unaccustomed role of decision-maker for a time.
At the shrine to Titania (aka the Summer Queen, aka the Queen of Light, aka the Faerie Queen), the Tree Knight Captain patiently takes time to answer Boyd's questions. It would appear that the Knights have been maintaining and guarding the shrine since it was initially gifted to the Seelie (perhaps a misspelling of Sealion) Court. Everything about the area screams of feyrealm, as though the place the statue occupies stands on ground existing in both planes simultaneously; plants of a multitude of different colours open and close, quickly cycling from closed bud to open bloom, though no natural light enters the place, the light that is there is comprised of unstable colours which occasionally break and admit rays of moonlight, brightly illuminating the place.
There is truth behind Boyd's words suggesting that the statue looks as new as the day it was carved; for not only does the statue appear void of age or grime, but it also has an ethereal sheen. The Captain quietly taps its chest, confirming that the Summer Queen did indeed have butterfly wings, though the guise she took was as changing as the realm she presided over.
Meanwhile, waves of unease wash over Meresaa as she reveals the truth behind Asha's research. Sahmyr Ami's manipulative hand has clearly been moulding Asha Hawkes for years. It is clear that whoever the mysterious figure is, his goal was clearly to re-establish the link between planes, but to what end? The question definitely provides food for thought as the party settle down for the night.
((I shall move to day 4 in due course... love the in-character discussion over what to do next! If I do move the timeline on, I am always up for retrospective adding 'flashbacks' or additional discussion that would have happened prior to the day's end.))
"Well"Boyd chimes in. "It'd be good to make sure Nick and Esther and the rest are all right. I don't have a good feeling about the goings-ons in Saltmarsh. They might be safer if we clean out this house - except for the smart spiders - and let them stay here. There are still some bad people in Saltmarsh." He shifts against the wall and sits up straighter, rousing himself out of almost falling asleep for the night.
"I don't know about the Illuminated Man; I never really met him except in passing. Sounds like he could be this Sammerammy fellow, but I wouldn't know what to say or ask if that was true! On the other hand, we did tell the wood elves we'd help, but they've been waiting for a long time by the sounds of it - they can wait another day or so, right?" He asks the last question toward the wood elves themselves.
Boyd - The Tree Knights confirm that there is no urgency for them to return to the Feyrealm. However, they are loathed to leave the shrine and will opt to stay there rather than return with the party to Saltmarsh.
An overwhelming sense of companionship fills the party as they enter the land of nod, or in the case of the elves, begin their trances. No more lonely, sleepless nights, no more lies and fights, the world, at least for the moment, is still. There is a cool chill around the old Aerdy treasure hoard; the golden coins of the Great Kingdom glisten as much in the torchlight now as they did back when they were first minted, and their glow is warming.
Images, as before, flood the minds of those huddled together in that ancient place. A palette of colours, blurred and out of focus assumes a shape; that of an old book, rain splattering on its open pages. The reader is hidden, a grey woollen cloak hiding them from sight. Drawings decorate the book's pages, they tell a story of a magical and mystical place -- deep, luscious forests, vast-spanning oceans and waterways, a city of crystals.
The book pages continue to flip for you, the reader eager to show their work. It stops on a particular page, a young redheaded girl and a mischievous-looking Satyr smile back at you. "Happier times," Asha's voice dreamily floats over the image. Pulling back her cloak, you see the reader's face for the first time -- the young girl from the book, a young Asha Hawkes, of that you are certain. The rain continues to fall, teardrops from above.
Fading, the scene returns to an unfocused mass of colour and blurred shapes. "Please, you must not tarry. I'm... afraid," Asha's voice maintains its whispy quality, "I... I don't want to lose myself... again."
Within the muddle and mess of colour, a clock face appears though the hands turn in reverse, back to zero. Starting up a brand new day.
Morning
Dew covers the ground as the party emerges from Prospect's hidden basement. There is a crispness in the air as a gentle breeze greets the group. In the light of the day, the carnage wrought at the front of the house is plain to see; corpses litter the ground and the stench of blood and ichor is pervasive. You note that the vast majority of those that died were the crew of the Flayed Finger, Rosetta's ship. Many of the crewmembers died with cutlasses undrawn, unaware of the fate that waited for them.
A smattering of creatures, clearly not of the crew, lie among them. Spriggans, Boggarts, and another stranger creature that you have not seen before. In life, the creature would have only stood around 3ft tall, with silvery skin and moth-like wings. Now, she lies with one wing severed and horrible, deep sword slashes covering her body; her thin, decorative scale mail seems to have provided little protection against the blade that she faced.
"Urgh..." Boyd grimaces, seeing the remnants of the battlefield for the first time in broad daylight. "Not a great way to start the morning." he opines grimly. "Hope Esther didn't have to see that when they was leaving."
"Did everyone else have that dream about the book and Asha? Hard to tell what's real in this place."When everyone affirms it, he looks troubled. "Well what do we do now? Saltmarsh ain't that far, but maybe this portal business is more urgent than we thought. It would do any good to sort out whatever's going on in Saltmarsh just to have this portal thing break forever and spill out those little oily things and spiders and dogtopuses everywhere."
Carefully, Nikita walks amid the carnage, checking for any that still remain living and mentally cataloging the creatures as dispassionately as she can. I have witnessed this scene before, only with demons instead of fey, and my friends dead instead of pirates. She stops at the winged, silvery creature with ornate armor, straining her mind, wishing she had paid more attention to childhood stories and lore so she could identify them.
She also tries, somewhat less successfully, to identify whether there had been a battle between the fey creatures and Rosetta's pirates, or whether some third attacker or group had done for both groups of combatants. Investigation: 14
Thumbtack suddenly takes wing and glides in a quick circuit 20' up, searching for any possible hazards, threats or other fallen creatures nearby using her Keen Hearing and Sight. Returning to Nikita's shoulder once finished. Perception: 23 (Crit).
Replying to Boyd's ambivalence about the risks of seeking the portal or searching for Sahmyr Ami, Nikita can't disagree. "I too am uncertain, and my slight preference was to deal with the portal first. But I think the majority opinion is to seek out this powerful fey... confidant of Asha's."
((Was going to say that the check would be a high DC, but 24 absolutely nails it.))
Straining your mind, you manage to recall vague references to creatures known as Gloura (sometimes referred to as Unicorns of the Deep). Fairytales tell of the creatures belonging inhabiting the Underdark/Feydark that are incredibly rare and elusive. Though generally believed to be good-natured, tales of the creatures are conflicted; you remember one such tale that claimed that many Gloura were loyal to the Queen of Air and Darkness.
You seem to recall that the wings of a Gloura contained magical properties and were generally quite sought after. A skilful alchemist could crush the wings down to make a draught that when consumed grants the user unparalleled speed ((Potion of Speed)).
You are unable to tell for certain, but you believe that there were only two parties that were fighting; Rosetta's pirates and aggressive, orchestrated fey ambushers.
Otherwise, you find nothing of particular note on the bodies other than several cutlasses, shanks, the occasional tricorne hat, the odd (non-magical) seafaring charm, and (among the 8 dead pirates) 92 gp, 32sp, and 17cp.
Thumbtack takes to the sky and flies over the grounds of Prospect. It picks up on the following;
Frolicking at the back of the property (to the north), the Sagacitas bounds through the giant, overgrown grass, enjoying its new-found freedom.
To the east, the animated bear rug scratches idly at a nearby tree, leaving huge scratch marks down its trunk.
Further to the north, Thumbtack notes the greenhouses ((as referenced in post #564)) with giant plants with red leaves and fang-like spikes... It is clear that these would pose a threat to any attempting to enter their vicinity.
To the northeast, is the large lake with the small building (likely Asha's workshop/device/portal) sitting slightly obscured to the east of it. As before, Thumbtack does not immediately see any threat from the lake but is sure something stirs beneath its surface (best that a wide berth is given when accessing the workshop).
Past the bear, to the east, is the ruined crypt that Toska entered the grounds from.
To the south (Prospect's entrance), Thumbtack notes all manner of strange, alien wildlife but nothing that would constitute an immediate threat. Since the battle, the ground appears quite quiet. Much of the snow has melted and the day feels more like spring rather than mid-winter.
Faila looks at the scene of carnage in alarm, her dark eyes widening... and widening... and she bites her lips with a grimace, as if to keep unwieldly teeth in her mouth. "Who killed them all?" she gasps. Swallowing hard remembering the sad deaths she has already witnessed recently, she creeps closer to the bodies and looks to see if she can tell what, or who, killed them, or if they killed each other.
The magical colors of her dreams and the spell of Sahmyr Ami seems cold and distant, faced with this alarming scene. The bodies and smell of blood swim with mad confusion in her mind. Who is the enemy? Who is chasing us? Will they follow us to Saltmarsh?
Standing over the carnage, Boyd answers Faila. "Best not think too hard about it. Figure they fought and Rosetta won... her and that cursed sword of hers." Looking away and changing the subject, Boyd asks, "So what do you think, Faila? You have good intuition. Did you get that dream too? Should we hurry with the portal or head back to Saltmarsh?"
Nikita looks tense. Her Mage Hand gently closes the eyes of the slain.
"The best I can tell, it was the fey who ambushed Rosetta's men and caught them unawares. Rosetta did mention losing her crew. You can see far fewer fey were slain. We should remain alert - the surviving fey could do the same to us. This one," She points at the winged silvery creature. "I... I have heard of them. As a child back in Celene. Gloura, they are called, sometimes known also as the Unicorns of the Deep. Reclusive, rare, magical and mostly thought not to be outright malicious, but some few of them are said to be different - to serve the Queen of Air and Darkness who rules over the darkest of the seven fey courts, the Unseelie. Keeping in mind that there are seven artifacts to secure the portal, one for each court."
She hesitates. "The wings of the Gloura are thought to contain potent magic that alchemists can use to create potions that grant speed. But we should not desecrate the corpses of even malign fey." Nikita straightens up.
"If the other fey await us, Thumbtack did not see them. The large animated bear rug we heard bust out of the mansion is still active on the grounds to the east - one to avoid. North beyond the observatory appear to be dangerous spiked plants. To the northeast, a lake with a large creature stirring beneath the surface. But threading the needle between these dangers is our target when we seek the portal - Asha's workshop, obscured just east of the lake. However, if we are leaving the grounds now - the entrance back to the road is there to the south - Thumbtack saw no specific danger there."
She shows the party a collection of gold, silver and copper (just under one hundred gold pieces' worth) that she has collected from the corpses of Rosetta's pirates. "Unless one of you has an objection, I am taking these coins for Lady Isolde to give and help look after the families of those affected by the Sanguine Cabal's vile actions. Those whose life forces the Cabal drained using the Sagacitas."
It is clear that the Fey forces slaughtered Rosetta's crew. Many of the Spriggans appear to be a lot taller than tales often tell, likely confirming rumours that the creatures are able to manipulate their height by will.
Many of the slain Fey creatures have wicked-looking gashes down their sides. The decay around some of these wounds appears blackened and rotted -- you are able to surmise that these wounds were likely caused by the blade Rosetta carried.
Assuming that the crew of the Flayed Finger amount to at least 30+ souls, this appears only to be a forward force and likely means that the rest are aboard the ship, captainless. Several crew members died without first drawing weapons.
Faila smiles at Meresaa, relieved and thankful that they didn't have to fight the spiders. The poor things are just trying to protect their home. "I'll help you with the notes, Meresaa. I'm not too tired." Although she has little talent for such activities, she's definitely willing.
Midnight - Day 3 - The Better Part Of Valour
Following the wishes of the party, the Tree Knight Captain instructs its Knights to descend down the stairs and retreat back to the hidden Old Aerdy treasure hoard.
Striking its chest, the Tree Knight Captain confirms Boyd's suspicions. It points its long tendril arms over the large treasure room, implying that it has been confined to the space for many a year.
Downtime - Long Rest
((Feel free to mark a long rest on all your character sheets. As this is a period of downtime, feel free to attempt to attune to any items/ask any questions; Faila and Meresaa will spend a good deal of time pouring over the documents.))
Seemingly trusting the party to a greater extent than the initial meeting, the Captain proceeds to take the downtime to show more of the hideout to the party. The Old Aerdy influence is clear, yet large portions of the area seem to have been given over to their allies from the Feyrealm. The Captain leads those that follow through to a small, underground grove in the centre of which a large statue stands, well maintained despite its age; made from precious white stone and holding a diamond-tipped wand, it depicts a beautiful elvish woman with fairy wings extending from her back, her arms are open and welcoming.
Beneath the statue, on its plinth, is carved both in Elvish and then in Common, "Fair Titania, Queen of Summer" followed, in smaller writing by, "let this statue commemorate the alliance between the Great Kingdom and the Seelie Court. Brought together through desperate need, our friendship flourished. Let all darkness perish before the Queen of Light."
Speechless (not that it makes a difference), the Captain prostrates itself in front of the statue and the other Knights follow their Captain's lead. After a few minutes, they rise from their positions, appearing renewed and, should the beings not have had expressionless faces, you could swear that they were happy; their chests puffed out, their movements more buoyant, eager to welcome the party into their grove.
Meresaa's (with Faila's assistance) Investigation & Arcana checks:
((I shall assume that the following is happening whilst the others are with the Tree Knights))
Investigation
You both pour over the stacks of documents assembled in front of you. Initially, you can tell from the relative messiness of Asha's writings that they were written at different times during her childhood and early teenage years. A pang of sympathy strikes you as the content of the documents speaks of a young girl that was hidden away and ostracised from society; loneliness is abundant throughout, as well as the struggles between her and her parents, the visions she received (most of which were at first put down to childhood fancies), and her want to visit the lands contained within her dreams.
Sahmyr is also mentioned throughout, though his form frequently changes. As an outsider, you would most certainly assume that it was Asha seeing the mythical figure in everything from inanimate objects, to random strangers, to the local wildlife. However, given your own visions of the man and vague understanding of how the bizarre feyrealm works, could the figure have revealed himself in multiple different ways throughout the years?
The equations appear to be a mixture of some base mathematical understanding, far removed from a child's understanding (let alone a child from Oerth -- which itself does not seem overly advanced compared to (for Meresaa) Ravnica and the understanding of those that dwell within Nivix) and arcane runes. Though you do not doubt Asha's intelligence, it would appear that much of the information contained within has likely been provided to her; this fact is further supported by the evidence of a young Asha practising drawing the arcane runes (multiple attempts have been scribbled out).
Arcane
((High roll!))
The drawings of magical runes scrawled upon many of the documents speak of ancient magic. You are certain that, should the equations and runes have been used in the creation of the Hawkes Device (the artefact supposedly responsible for re-establishing the link between planes), they alone were not responsible for the resulting portal; at a guess, only through the direct intervention of a powerful being would such a sustained and growing portal be established (the idea that a being with no previously diagnosed magical talents, armed with a few pseudo-mathematical equations, should be able to single-handedly create a device capable of initially tearing the fabric between planes is as ludicrous as it sounds).
Indeed, you would surmise that the runes/device were likely involved in the summoning of this powerful being, likely Sahmyr, and used to help him establish a firmer foothold within Oerth in order to subsequently create the aforementioned tear. You are convinced that Asha is likely unaware of this fact and, given her rudimentary understanding of the arcane, genuinely believes it was her device responsible for the portal's creation.
In short, you find evidence that Asha has been playing the role of an unwitting pawn rather than a complex mastermind/manipulator.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Boyd looks very impressed with the statue. He whistles in appreciation of its craftsmanship. "Cor well that's a sight. Look at here, says there was an alliance 'tween some Great Kingdom and a Seelie Court... Do you think they mean Sealion? Like maybe that was the old spelling or something."
When the wood elves prostrate themselves, Boyd looks to his companions for direction, but eventually drops to his knees as well to conform with their hosts. He gets up when they get up. "So you lot have been here all this time, keeping it clean and what not? Fine work. Looks as new as if it were carved yesterday." He pats the captain on his back. "So is this the Queen of Light?" He gestures to the statue. "Does she really have butterfly wings?"
After talking for a while with the party and the wood elves, Boyd kicks back against the wall and starts to drift off. Before falling asleep he expresses some concern. "I know we can't go back right now, but I have a bad feeling about Saltmarsh after what Rosie said about O'Toole... I hope Nick can take care of himself and Esther..."
Nikita takes a knee and bows her head before the statue of the Fey Queen of the Summer Court in silence.
Compared to most elves in Celene, she had never really paid as much heed to her own fey descent as perhaps expected of her. A youngest daughter, she had always striven outward, focused subconsciously on escaping her ancestry. Exploring this world. Oerth. Her rapier. Her longbow. Exploring the Welkwood. On a good day, her spells. And opposing cambions and demons. Always so impatient. What good is intelligence without understanding?
Only now, when it may be too late, does Nikita realize she should have paid more attention. For a brief moment, she sees her mother's cool gaze regarding her from Titania's eyes, welcoming posture replaced with an impassive, timeless one. For Titania is but one of seven. The Unseelie Fey await.
Nikita is happy for the tree knights, but her own chest is not puffed out. Ehlenestra protect us, when I, the least of all elves, having seen my companions die so untimely, now hope with this new motley group, to set right the rupture in the veil and disruption between the planes. But if not us, who?
After arranging a watch schedule with the tree knights and others, she says quietly before entering her four hours of trance: "You are right Boyd. An old alliance. One I wish I had studied. One I hope the Fey courts remember, at least the Summer Court. Rest well, everyone. I too worry for Saltmarsh. But a long, strange journey awaits us. Those of us who choose to take on this quest to seek and restore the seven artefacts from the seven courts. As I do."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
"Most curious..." Meresaa mutters absently as she continues to leaf through the pages of notes.
The next morning, as everyone rouses themselves and prepares for whatever may lay ahead, she recounts her findings and theories.
"I'm most concerned that, if I'm correct, Ms. Hawkes' device had little to do with the portal and more with summoning a being powerful enough to create, maintain, or at least affect the portal in some way, which is quite a feat in itself. These equations," she holds up and fans out several sheets, "are nothing but rudimentary mathematics. Nothing that can tear a rift between planes." She tosses the pages back to the table where she had been reading.
"The runes, however," she says while holding up one finger and pushing a page away to reveal a few awkwardly scrawled symbols. "Those may be a different story. I can't imagine where she would have come across them as a child but she clearly practiced the strokes to learn to form them precisely. I'm worried that she was coached by this being who seems to have had a hand in their own summoning by taking advantage of a child and grooming her into an inquisitive adult who would perform the ritual while being mislead into thinking she was doing something else entirely."
She chews her bottom lip for a moment before continuing. "That may also explain the removal of the seven seals. If she were lead through the process and told what to look for and what to do with them, that would make much more sense than her simply forgetting where she put them or however the situation may have seemed."
Looking to each of the others in turn, she says, "I'm afraid Mr. Ami seems to be the most likely culprit and is very much more than we first thought. Now I'm uncertain if the most expedient path forward is to the portal, as we planned, or back to the carnival to question the Illuminated Man. What do you all think?"
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Boyd shrugs at Meresaa. "I uh... I'm not sure. I'll leave that sort of stuff to you magic folk."
Nikita, clearly unschooled in this topic, listens to Meresaa intently. She remains silent for a long while, thinking.
"I do not know, my lady. My worry is that if Sahmyr Ami is the culprit, a powerful being who then allows us to find him again. What then? He seems to have no reason to help us, and a massive advantage in knowledge over us. The only edge we may have is that he may not know where we are right now and what we are doing or hope to accomplish." She pauses for a moment. "Unless he also knows everything that Asha knows as soon as she knows it."
Shaking her head as if to clear the thought, Nikita tries to think of an analogy. "This Gellan Primewater that was the silent partner with Sedgewick, Rosetta and Brinck. Saltmarsh Town Councilmember. We know he is a culprit in their conspiracy, the only remaining living one besides perhaps Rosie Malloy. But similarly to Sahmyr Ami, I do not know if marching up and confronting him is our best approach, given his inherent advantages."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Faila is silent as Meresaa discusses their findings. All she can think about is the dream she had of chasing the painted man with goat legs. An ugly feeling twists itself in her gut at the thought that Sahmyr Ami used Asha to open the portal. It sounds so unlikely that something so dark and manipulative could be from a being that was so magical and beautiful. Sahmyr Ami! Asha's captivation by him is still something that Faila can't shake. Those who took me in taught me many things, but those things have terrified me for the rest of my life. It was all I knew. I want to know something different. Was he really a criminal? Or does he have knowledge that we need? That I need?
"I think we should talk to the Illuminated Man," she squeaks out, after a minute. "Or else we might not know if it was really him."
Nikita does not feel enough certainty about the situation to credibly oppose the growing consensus (or indifference) among her non-wooden, non-octodog, non-Toska companions that they should head back to the Carnival to seek out Sahmyr Ami under the guise of the Illuminated Man.
"All right," she relents. "What about our allies, the Tree Knights and the Sagacitas? We had committed to helping the back home soon. Is everyone agreeable to having them wait here? Including them? Since (I hope) we can agree that they should not come with us into Saltmarsh."
She repeats the question in Elvish for the Tree Knights and in her mind for the Sagacitas.
She turns to Meresaa and Faila: "I don't know what we do once we find the Illuminated Man (Sahmyr Ami). So I'll be following your leads once we do." Strangely, Nikita looks almost relieved as she speaks, as if she is happy to be out of the unaccustomed role of decision-maker for a time.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Long Rest - Day 3/4
At the shrine to Titania (aka the Summer Queen, aka the Queen of Light, aka the Faerie Queen), the Tree Knight Captain patiently takes time to answer Boyd's questions. It would appear that the Knights have been maintaining and guarding the shrine since it was initially gifted to the Seelie (perhaps a misspelling of Sealion) Court. Everything about the area screams of feyrealm, as though the place the statue occupies stands on ground existing in both planes simultaneously; plants of a multitude of different colours open and close, quickly cycling from closed bud to open bloom, though no natural light enters the place, the light that is there is comprised of unstable colours which occasionally break and admit rays of moonlight, brightly illuminating the place.
There is truth behind Boyd's words suggesting that the statue looks as new as the day it was carved; for not only does the statue appear void of age or grime, but it also has an ethereal sheen. The Captain quietly taps its chest, confirming that the Summer Queen did indeed have butterfly wings, though the guise she took was as changing as the realm she presided over.
Meanwhile, waves of unease wash over Meresaa as she reveals the truth behind Asha's research. Sahmyr Ami's manipulative hand has clearly been moulding Asha Hawkes for years. It is clear that whoever the mysterious figure is, his goal was clearly to re-establish the link between planes, but to what end? The question definitely provides food for thought as the party settle down for the night.
((I shall move to day 4 in due course... love the in-character discussion over what to do next! If I do move the timeline on, I am always up for retrospective adding 'flashbacks' or additional discussion that would have happened prior to the day's end.))
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
"Well" Boyd chimes in. "It'd be good to make sure Nick and Esther and the rest are all right. I don't have a good feeling about the goings-ons in Saltmarsh. They might be safer if we clean out this house - except for the smart spiders - and let them stay here. There are still some bad people in Saltmarsh." He shifts against the wall and sits up straighter, rousing himself out of almost falling asleep for the night.
"I don't know about the Illuminated Man; I never really met him except in passing. Sounds like he could be this Sammerammy fellow, but I wouldn't know what to say or ask if that was true! On the other hand, we did tell the wood elves we'd help, but they've been waiting for a long time by the sounds of it - they can wait another day or so, right?" He asks the last question toward the wood elves themselves.
Boyd - The Tree Knights confirm that there is no urgency for them to return to the Feyrealm. However, they are loathed to leave the shrine and will opt to stay there rather than return with the party to Saltmarsh.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Morning - Day 4 - Startin' Up A Brand New Day
Night
An overwhelming sense of companionship fills the party as they enter the land of nod, or in the case of the elves, begin their trances. No more lonely, sleepless nights, no more lies and fights, the world, at least for the moment, is still. There is a cool chill around the old Aerdy treasure hoard; the golden coins of the Great Kingdom glisten as much in the torchlight now as they did back when they were first minted, and their glow is warming.
Morning
Dew covers the ground as the party emerges from Prospect's hidden basement. There is a crispness in the air as a gentle breeze greets the group. In the light of the day, the carnage wrought at the front of the house is plain to see; corpses litter the ground and the stench of blood and ichor is pervasive. You note that the vast majority of those that died were the crew of the Flayed Finger, Rosetta's ship. Many of the crewmembers died with cutlasses undrawn, unaware of the fate that waited for them.
A smattering of creatures, clearly not of the crew, lie among them. Spriggans, Boggarts, and another stranger creature that you have not seen before. In life, the creature would have only stood around 3ft tall, with silvery skin and moth-like wings. Now, she lies with one wing severed and horrible, deep sword slashes covering her body; her thin, decorative scale mail seems to have provided little protection against the blade that she faced.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
"Urgh..." Boyd grimaces, seeing the remnants of the battlefield for the first time in broad daylight. "Not a great way to start the morning." he opines grimly. "Hope Esther didn't have to see that when they was leaving."
"Did everyone else have that dream about the book and Asha? Hard to tell what's real in this place." When everyone affirms it, he looks troubled. "Well what do we do now? Saltmarsh ain't that far, but maybe this portal business is more urgent than we thought. It would do any good to sort out whatever's going on in Saltmarsh just to have this portal thing break forever and spill out those little oily things and spiders and dogtopuses everywhere."
Carefully, Nikita walks amid the carnage, checking for any that still remain living and mentally cataloging the creatures as dispassionately as she can. I have witnessed this scene before, only with demons instead of fey, and my friends dead instead of pirates. She stops at the winged, silvery creature with ornate armor, straining her mind, wishing she had paid more attention to childhood stories and lore so she could identify them.
Nikita Nature: 24
She also tries, somewhat less successfully, to identify whether there had been a battle between the fey creatures and Rosetta's pirates, or whether some third attacker or group had done for both groups of combatants. Investigation: 14
Thumbtack suddenly takes wing and glides in a quick circuit 20' up, searching for any possible hazards, threats or other fallen creatures nearby using her Keen Hearing and Sight. Returning to Nikita's shoulder once finished. Perception: 23 (Crit).
Replying to Boyd's ambivalence about the risks of seeking the portal or searching for Sahmyr Ami, Nikita can't disagree. "I too am uncertain, and my slight preference was to deal with the portal first. But I think the majority opinion is to seek out this powerful fey... confidant of Asha's."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Nikita's nature check:
((Was going to say that the check would be a high DC, but 24 absolutely nails it.))
Straining your mind, you manage to recall vague references to creatures known as Gloura (sometimes referred to as Unicorns of the Deep). Fairytales tell of the creatures belonging inhabiting the Underdark/Feydark that are incredibly rare and elusive. Though generally believed to be good-natured, tales of the creatures are conflicted; you remember one such tale that claimed that many Gloura were loyal to the Queen of Air and Darkness.
You seem to recall that the wings of a Gloura contained magical properties and were generally quite sought after. A skilful alchemist could crush the wings down to make a draught that when consumed grants the user unparalleled speed ((Potion of Speed)).
Nikita's Investigation check:
You are unable to tell for certain, but you believe that there were only two parties that were fighting; Rosetta's pirates and aggressive, orchestrated fey ambushers.
Otherwise, you find nothing of particular note on the bodies other than several cutlasses, shanks, the occasional tricorne hat, the odd (non-magical) seafaring charm, and (among the 8 dead pirates) 92 gp, 32sp, and 17cp.
Nikita's Perception check:
Thumbtack takes to the sky and flies over the grounds of Prospect. It picks up on the following;
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Faila looks at the scene of carnage in alarm, her dark eyes widening... and widening... and she bites her lips with a grimace, as if to keep unwieldly teeth in her mouth. "Who killed them all?" she gasps. Swallowing hard remembering the sad deaths she has already witnessed recently, she creeps closer to the bodies and looks to see if she can tell what, or who, killed them, or if they killed each other.
The magical colors of her dreams and the spell of Sahmyr Ami seems cold and distant, faced with this alarming scene. The bodies and smell of blood swim with mad confusion in her mind. Who is the enemy? Who is chasing us? Will they follow us to Saltmarsh?
Medicine: 5
Investigation: 18
Standing over the carnage, Boyd answers Faila. "Best not think too hard about it. Figure they fought and Rosetta won... her and that cursed sword of hers." Looking away and changing the subject, Boyd asks, "So what do you think, Faila? You have good intuition. Did you get that dream too? Should we hurry with the portal or head back to Saltmarsh?"
Nikita looks tense. Her Mage Hand gently closes the eyes of the slain.
"The best I can tell, it was the fey who ambushed Rosetta's men and caught them unawares. Rosetta did mention losing her crew. You can see far fewer fey were slain. We should remain alert - the surviving fey could do the same to us. This one," She points at the winged silvery creature. "I... I have heard of them. As a child back in Celene. Gloura, they are called, sometimes known also as the Unicorns of the Deep. Reclusive, rare, magical and mostly thought not to be outright malicious, but some few of them are said to be different - to serve the Queen of Air and Darkness who rules over the darkest of the seven fey courts, the Unseelie. Keeping in mind that there are seven artifacts to secure the portal, one for each court."
She hesitates. "The wings of the Gloura are thought to contain potent magic that alchemists can use to create potions that grant speed. But we should not desecrate the corpses of even malign fey." Nikita straightens up.
"If the other fey await us, Thumbtack did not see them. The large animated bear rug we heard bust out of the mansion is still active on the grounds to the east - one to avoid. North beyond the observatory appear to be dangerous spiked plants. To the northeast, a lake with a large creature stirring beneath the surface. But threading the needle between these dangers is our target when we seek the portal - Asha's workshop, obscured just east of the lake. However, if we are leaving the grounds now - the entrance back to the road is there to the south - Thumbtack saw no specific danger there."
She shows the party a collection of gold, silver and copper (just under one hundred gold pieces' worth) that she has collected from the corpses of Rosetta's pirates. "Unless one of you has an objection, I am taking these coins for Lady Isolde to give and help look after the families of those affected by the Sanguine Cabal's vile actions. Those whose life forces the Cabal drained using the Sagacitas."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Faila's medicine/investigation checks:
It is clear that the Fey forces slaughtered Rosetta's crew. Many of the Spriggans appear to be a lot taller than tales often tell, likely confirming rumours that the creatures are able to manipulate their height by will.
Many of the slain Fey creatures have wicked-looking gashes down their sides. The decay around some of these wounds appears blackened and rotted -- you are able to surmise that these wounds were likely caused by the blade Rosetta carried.
Assuming that the crew of the Flayed Finger amount to at least 30+ souls, this appears only to be a forward force and likely means that the rest are aboard the ship, captainless. Several crew members died without first drawing weapons.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)