The gnome named Tumblestrum continued walking unabated, stopping only to scoop up Cad's gold piece and put it in her pocket with a nod.
"There are things I can do and things I can't, things that I can say, and things that I cannot. And here's one more piece of information to give you pause: The trip I can send you on to Prismeer is one-way. Once you arrive, you must find your own way back."
Matilda leads Alyeira and Horatio to join the rest of the party.
Tumblestrum leads you toward the Hall of Illusions. You see a pair of customers enter ahead - a young gnome and a very large rabbit.
Matilda smiled grimly, the Hall of Illusions yet again....
Seeing the others, Horatio tries to motion Matilda to gold back. He whispers, "They've been unhelpful all night. Too tied up in their own fun to care about what's happening here. If they see me try to enter the Hall of Illusions they'll watch like hawks. Best to let them go first, then make our way in once they've gone."
" We need help Horatio. And Ben is a good egg at least."
" I will go first if no others will. I am not afraid."
Cad gawps after Ben. Surely he can't mean to really go! He follows along, dumbfounded but not willing to let Ben and the others blindly follow this fool bard. Hearing her last warning he laughs with incredulity. "Find our own way back? Oh sure, I travel between the planes every other Tuesday!" Spotting Horatio lurking behind them he tries another tack. "Horatio! You've been saying all night that this place is dangerous. Surely you don't mean to let this vagabond send you off into the Feywild to fight the hag that has your--" It hits him midsentence: he hadn't wanted to tell Horatio about the hag. This Tumblestrum has got you all flustered! No, it's Ben following her that's addled your wits. Stolid, careful Ben!
Matildas eyes went wide at Cads words, " ....ok....perhaps a little afraid.", she said to herself.
" Does this thing have My Brother as well? And the wee Kitten?"
Her eyes flashed, " If so...then I would very much like to meet it.", she said through gritted teeth.
The mute ticket-taker is nowhere to be seen; he seems to have left his post, and a small "closed" sign has been placed at his station.
Tumblestrum leads the group - or at least whoever chooses to follow her - into the tent.
Two customers are still inside. The bored-looking rabbit sits close to the entrance, scratching behind his large, white ears. The young gnome is tracing her fingers across the glass of one mirror, looking at her reflection with awe.
"We only have a few minutes," whispers Tumblestrum. "It's now or never."
"Woah!" the young gnome turns around at the sound of voices, her cyan eyes lighting up in excitement. "Hello! Who are you guys? Are you visiting the carnival like me? Wait... by any chance, did you guys lose something like me?"
As she talks, she sways on the balls of her feet, and her giant rabbit moves to her side, gently nuzzling his face into hers. They make an interesting pair - a snow white bunny twice the size of the gnome beside him, who herself couldn't have been much older than 17, yet she wore on her back two daggers that could do some serious damage in the right hands.
"Oh! Right," the gnome giggles, petting her companion lovingly. "I'm Titaani Leelathae, and this is my familiar Tiny."
(Hello everyone! I'm so exited to join you guys in this campaign :) )
Momentarily confused by Cad's questiin, Horatio's eyes widen. "The little girl in the mirror is a hag?! She is the one who stole my reflection and cursed me?.. Then... she must be the one taking people too?" He stands up straight, loosening his shoulders, then sets his shoulders slightly forward. He clenches his fists until his knuckles crack on both hands. A menacing look crosses his face. "I wouldn't normally ever consider hitting a girl, but I'll gladly beat the snot out of a hag!" He follows the others into the mirror.
Cad is so dismayed by his gaffe and Horatio's reaction that he doesn't notice Matilda step toward the mirror. He turns just in time to see her disappear through it. "No!" He rounds on Tumblestrum, face pale. "You've no right! Bring her back! These others can do whatever dumb thing they please, but she's a child!"
"High time you folks were elsewhere,” mutters Tumblestrum. She turns to one of the mirrors and intones a verse: "Hither, thither, here and there; wander yonder, show me where.”
Mist swirls in the mirror, blotting out all reflections.
Ben steps up and is swallowed immediately, without even a sound. Without hesitation, Matilda joins him and vanishes, followed by Horatio.
Tumblestrum turns to Cad and shrugs. "She's stronger than you think. Why don't you go and help her?"
"It doesn't matter how strong she is, she's a CHILD!"he erupts at the bard. "You can't bring her back, can you? You're as bad as the hag, using people -- a child! -- to go face dangers you won't face yourself! And now..." He eyes the mirror like it's his death personified. You know you can't leave them over there. Go back to your little house, fritter away the years as the guilt gnaws at you... Without another word, shoulders slumped, eyes tearing, he steps toward the mirror like a man mounting the gallows, and through.
“Everything you seek and more lies beyond this mirror, but it's a one-way portal," explains Tumblestrum. "The land beyond the mirrors is called Prismeer, wherein dwells the carnival’s secret patron, the archfey Zybilna. But something is wrong. The hag Bavlorna and her kin have spread aggravation and misery. If you're prepared, go. It won't be easy. But maybe you can undo some of the damage and deliver some much-needed comeuppance. I have learned that all your fates are intertwined with the fate of Prismeer."
Still revelling and retching from his win at the Feasting Tables, the haregon follows along without much thought. When his mind clears a little it is just in one to see Ben, Matilda and Cad disappear into one of the mirrors. "What in the world are you doing?" he shouts at the empty space that had been Cad. Looking around frantically he panics and hops straight into the mirror. His only thought is to bring his fellow carnival-goers back through the swirling surface. If only he'd been listening to the gnome.
The room is rapidly emptying. Only Thing-Me-Bob the kenku (and his little mechanical friend) and Titaani the gnome (and her big rabbit friend) remain, together with their mysterious gnome benefactor.
"Go or don't go, but hurry. Time is short," urges Tumblestrum quietly, staring intensely into the silent, mist-filled mirror.
Titaani is still a little confused, but she understands that this is something she must do. With a curt nod to Tumblestrum, she jumps onto the saddle attached to Tiny's back.
"Forward," she whispers to the rabbit in gnomish, and he jumps into the mirror immediately.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pronouns: She/her/her's
Currently playing as Titaani Leelathae in The Wild beyond the Witchlight
Titaani and her mount leap into the mirror, followed by (we'll presume) Bob.
As they do, Tumbelstrum has two more cryptic pieces of advice: “Mind the Rule of Three: future, present, past,” she says, and then, “Find the alicorn and free the dormant queen at last....”
(Welcome to Level 2! Update your characters and sheets accordingly.)
Recap from PMs:
You stand at the edge of a raised and broken causeway under a hazy, twilit sky. The causeway, which is built from pale stones that glow faintly from within, towers over the surrounding landscape, but large sections of it have crumbled away. The parts that remain in place are separated by large gaps where portions have collapsed.
A fog-shrouded swamp spreads out below you in all directions, and up from its murk wafts the smell of rotting plants. Also rising from the swamp is the music of nature—a discordant symphony of croaking frogs and singing birds.
The mirror has vanished; there's no portal remaining behind you.
The smell of the swamp is potent. The air seems thick, and there's a glow in the air as well as a haze. It is just before dawn (or perhaps just after sunset?)
You find yourselves high on a broken bridge or elevated highway of some sort, 20 feet wide and 100 feet above the swamp. Ben notes that the next section of this ancient, elevated highway is hundreds of feet away, although your eyes play tricks on you and you find it difficult to judge long distances. But it's definitely not a gap one could jump.
The fog is much thicker along the ground – it's hard to know what could be hidden down there. What you can see appears to be wilderness – no dwellings or other structures other than this ancient bridge, which extends as far as you can see in both directions, albeit in long-broken sections.
Alyeira, Ben, Matilda, and Titaani have had a funny feeling upon arriving here. It is a nagging sensation that the thing they lost is somewhere in this realm, although they don’t know where. (The others do not share this feeling.)
Ben notes that the masonry is old, although he cannot tell how old, nor how long ago it fell into disrepair. Looking over the side, he spots large, colorful shelf mushrooms clinging to the lower half of each support pillar. The marshland surrounding the pillars is hidden under a thick blanket of fog. Handholds and footholds carved into each pillar lead down to the mushrooms. It looks relatively safe to descend (at least as far as the mushrooms.)
Alyeira and Ben notice it first. In the distant sky, they spot a great balloon made of patchwork material. It spins out of control as though punctured, causing the wicker basket that hangs from it to swing wildly. The balloon plunges out of sight, disappearing into the fog approximately a mile away. (We'll call this direction "East" although there are no obvious ways to determine compass directions here.)
Matilda and Horatio find that descending the pillar using the hand and footholds is quite easy (no ability checks needed), and that the shelf mushrooms are strong and stable as well. They soon disappear into the thick fog below, but call back up that they have reached the ground.
The marshland below is very wet – completely saturated with water as if from a heavy rain or recent flood – and full of colorful insects and the chorus of croaking frogs. The fog is extremely thick on the ground, and the two cannot see far.
Standing near the edge of the bridge and directly above the voices of his companions, Ben calls down, “Stay where you are. There is something curious that just happened a mile away. I will throw my hammer in that direction and you can use that to set our direction over the ground.”
Lining up as best he can on the site the balloon went down, Ben throws his small masonry hammer that way. he then starts to climb down after he hears his hammer hit the wet ground.
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
The girl was already climbing when Cad turned to look. Child has a death wish! She shouldn't be the first one down! He's distracted from his fretting by the tumbling balloon, watching as it plummets into the fog. Not a good omen. Then Ben hurls a hammer into the swamp. "What...? How is that supposed to help?" He notes the direction of the balloon's supposed crash site -- about 60 degrees from the line of the causeway -- and begins his own descent, grumbling the whole way. "Reckless... impulsive... don't have the sense Silvanus gave a goose... end up in a cookpot..."
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" No more so than usual for tonight...."
Matilda smiled grimly, the Hall of Illusions yet again....
" We need help Horatio. And Ben is a good egg at least."
" I will go first if no others will. I am not afraid."
Matildas eyes went wide at Cads words, " ....ok....perhaps a little afraid.", she said to herself.
" Does this thing have My Brother as well? And the wee Kitten?"
Her eyes flashed, " If so...then I would very much like to meet it.", she said through gritted teeth.
The mute ticket-taker is nowhere to be seen; he seems to have left his post, and a small "closed" sign has been placed at his station.
Tumblestrum leads the group - or at least whoever chooses to follow her - into the tent.
Two customers are still inside. The bored-looking rabbit sits close to the entrance, scratching behind his large, white ears. The young gnome is tracing her fingers across the glass of one mirror, looking at her reflection with awe.
"We only have a few minutes," whispers Tumblestrum. "It's now or never."
Ben:
Nodding, Ben says, “I will go,” and steps forward to be transported, presumably through a mirror.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Matilda stepped up to follow Ben.
"Woah!" the young gnome turns around at the sound of voices, her cyan eyes lighting up in excitement. "Hello! Who are you guys? Are you visiting the carnival like me? Wait... by any chance, did you guys lose something like me?"
As she talks, she sways on the balls of her feet, and her giant rabbit moves to her side, gently nuzzling his face into hers. They make an interesting pair - a snow white bunny twice the size of the gnome beside him, who herself couldn't have been much older than 17, yet she wore on her back two daggers that could do some serious damage in the right hands.
"Oh! Right," the gnome giggles, petting her companion lovingly. "I'm Titaani Leelathae, and this is my familiar Tiny."
(Hello everyone! I'm so exited to join you guys in this campaign :) )
Pronouns: She/her/her's
Currently playing as Titaani Leelathae in The Wild beyond the Witchlight
Horatio:
Momentarily confused by Cad's questiin, Horatio's eyes widen. "The little girl in the mirror is a hag?! She is the one who stole my reflection and cursed me?.. Then... she must be the one taking people too?" He stands up straight, loosening his shoulders, then sets his shoulders slightly forward. He clenches his fists until his knuckles crack on both hands. A menacing look crosses his face. "I wouldn't normally ever consider hitting a girl, but I'll gladly beat the snot out of a hag!" He follows the others into the mirror.
Cadwallader:
Cad is so dismayed by his gaffe and Horatio's reaction that he doesn't notice Matilda step toward the mirror. He turns just in time to see her disappear through it. "No!" He rounds on Tumblestrum, face pale. "You've no right! Bring her back! These others can do whatever dumb thing they please, but she's a child!"
Ben and Matilda step forward first to volunteer.
"High time you folks were elsewhere,” mutters Tumblestrum. She turns to one of the mirrors and intones a verse: "Hither, thither, here and there; wander yonder, show me where.”
Mist swirls in the mirror, blotting out all reflections.
Ben steps up and is swallowed immediately, without even a sound. Without hesitation, Matilda joins him and vanishes, followed by Horatio.
Tumblestrum turns to Cad and shrugs. "She's stronger than you think. Why don't you go and help her?"
Who's next?
Cadwallader:
"It doesn't matter how strong she is, she's a CHILD!" he erupts at the bard. "You can't bring her back, can you? You're as bad as the hag, using people -- a child! -- to go face dangers you won't face yourself! And now..." He eyes the mirror like it's his death personified. You know you can't leave them over there. Go back to your little house, fritter away the years as the guilt gnaws at you... Without another word, shoulders slumped, eyes tearing, he steps toward the mirror like a man mounting the gallows, and through.
"Um...what's going on?" Titaani says, turning to Tumblestrum. "Where are you guys going?"
Pronouns: She/her/her's
Currently playing as Titaani Leelathae in The Wild beyond the Witchlight
“Everything you seek and more lies beyond this mirror, but it's a one-way portal," explains Tumblestrum. "The land beyond the mirrors is called Prismeer, wherein dwells the carnival’s secret patron, the archfey Zybilna. But something is wrong. The hag Bavlorna and her kin have spread aggravation and misery. If you're prepared, go. It won't be easy. But maybe you can undo some of the damage and deliver some much-needed comeuppance. I have learned that all your fates are intertwined with the fate of Prismeer."
Edgardo
Still revelling and retching from his win at the Feasting Tables, the haregon follows along without much thought. When his mind clears a little it is just in one to see Ben, Matilda and Cad disappear into one of the mirrors. "What in the world are you doing?" he shouts at the empty space that had been Cad. Looking around frantically he panics and hops straight into the mirror. His only thought is to bring his fellow carnival-goers back through the swirling surface. If only he'd been listening to the gnome.
“Matilda, wait!” With one last glance towards the carnival, Alyeira follows the others through the mirror.
The room is rapidly emptying. Only Thing-Me-Bob the kenku (and his little mechanical friend) and Titaani the gnome (and her big rabbit friend) remain, together with their mysterious gnome benefactor.
"Go or don't go, but hurry. Time is short," urges Tumblestrum quietly, staring intensely into the silent, mist-filled mirror.
Titaani is still a little confused, but she understands that this is something she must do. With a curt nod to Tumblestrum, she jumps onto the saddle attached to Tiny's back.
"Forward," she whispers to the rabbit in gnomish, and he jumps into the mirror immediately.
Pronouns: She/her/her's
Currently playing as Titaani Leelathae in The Wild beyond the Witchlight
Titaani and her mount leap into the mirror, followed by (we'll presume) Bob.
As they do, Tumbelstrum has two more cryptic pieces of advice: “Mind the Rule of Three: future, present, past,” she says, and then, “Find the alicorn and free the dormant queen at last....”
Chapter Two
(Welcome to Level 2! Update your characters and sheets accordingly.)
Recap from PMs:
You stand at the edge of a raised and broken causeway under a hazy, twilit sky. The causeway, which is built from pale stones that glow faintly from within, towers over the surrounding landscape, but large sections of it have crumbled away. The parts that remain in place are separated by large gaps where portions have collapsed.
A fog-shrouded swamp spreads out below you in all directions, and up from its murk wafts the smell of rotting plants. Also rising from the swamp is the music of nature—a discordant symphony of croaking frogs and singing birds.
The mirror has vanished; there's no portal remaining behind you.
The smell of the swamp is potent. The air seems thick, and there's a glow in the air as well as a haze. It is just before dawn (or perhaps just after sunset?)
You find yourselves high on a broken bridge or elevated highway of some sort, 20 feet wide and 100 feet above the swamp. Ben notes that the next section of this ancient, elevated highway is hundreds of feet away, although your eyes play tricks on you and you find it difficult to judge long distances. But it's definitely not a gap one could jump.
The fog is much thicker along the ground – it's hard to know what could be hidden down there. What you can see appears to be wilderness – no dwellings or other structures other than this ancient bridge, which extends as far as you can see in both directions, albeit in long-broken sections.
Alyeira, Ben, Matilda, and Titaani have had a funny feeling upon arriving here. It is a nagging sensation that the thing they lost is somewhere in this realm, although they don’t know where. (The others do not share this feeling.)
Ben notes that the masonry is old, although he cannot tell how old, nor how long ago it fell into disrepair. Looking over the side, he spots large, colorful shelf mushrooms clinging to the lower half of each support pillar. The marshland surrounding the pillars is hidden under a thick blanket of fog. Handholds and footholds carved into each pillar lead down to the mushrooms. It looks relatively safe to descend (at least as far as the mushrooms.)
Matilda and Horatio begin to try to climb down.
Alyeira and Ben notice it first. In the distant sky, they spot a great balloon made of patchwork material. It spins out of control as though punctured, causing the wicker basket that hangs from it to swing wildly. The balloon plunges out of sight, disappearing into the fog approximately a mile away. (We'll call this direction "East" although there are no obvious ways to determine compass directions here.)
Matilda and Horatio find that descending the pillar using the hand and footholds is quite easy (no ability checks needed), and that the shelf mushrooms are strong and stable as well. They soon disappear into the thick fog below, but call back up that they have reached the ground.
The marshland below is very wet – completely saturated with water as if from a heavy rain or recent flood – and full of colorful insects and the chorus of croaking frogs. The fog is extremely thick on the ground, and the two cannot see far.
Ben:
Standing near the edge of the bridge and directly above the voices of his companions, Ben calls down, “Stay where you are. There is something curious that just happened a mile away. I will throw my hammer in that direction and you can use that to set our direction over the ground.”
Lining up as best he can on the site the balloon went down, Ben throws his small masonry hammer that way. he then starts to climb down after he hears his hammer hit the wet ground.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Cadwallader:
The girl was already climbing when Cad turned to look. Child has a death wish! She shouldn't be the first one down! He's distracted from his fretting by the tumbling balloon, watching as it plummets into the fog. Not a good omen. Then Ben hurls a hammer into the swamp. "What...? How is that supposed to help?" He notes the direction of the balloon's supposed crash site -- about 60 degrees from the line of the causeway -- and begins his own descent, grumbling the whole way. "Reckless... impulsive... don't have the sense Silvanus gave a goose... end up in a cookpot..."