The Windhovers' Call

As Frandal hands Ozum the ax it immediately falls to the ground. "How would you recommend we get there? Arissa and I can fly, but not forever. I could allow us all to breath water for a time, but I think a boat would be faster than swimming. Plus, we need to put our horses somewhere."

Frandal smiles and continue following Kurt.

"If she is already on the other island then we could ask at the tavern for help with a boat and the horses. But I still hope to reach her before she crosses the water."

(Waiting for confirmation from Kurt and Xellos that they also plan to return to the tavern)

Xellos says, "Well...I'd rather not delay any further by going back to the tavern again... it's possible we might find a boat or another way across if we track her now, but I suppose we could at least warn the townsfolk in the tavern of the undead creatures nearby. If that's where we want to go. Hopefully they have a way of sending a message by bird as well so we can let the other Windhovers know what she discovered."

Xellos continues, "We could always blast a few trees over and create a simple raft as well, rather than going back. We can use Ozum's Rope of Climbing to snake its way around them to quickly lash logs together. Just a thought."

"If we really think we can catch her I can send an animal back to the bar as a messenger and let them know what's going on." 

Ozum reaches into his rust colored bag of tricks and throws out a fluffy ball. 3 

"Crap, that's too big." As a mastiff appears. He reaches in and pulls out another fluffy ball. 5

A giant goat appears this time. "Ugh, that won't work either. One more try." Another fluffy ball. 4

A goat appears. "Well that didn't go as expected. Has anyone seen a bird." The gnome glances at Celebquesse. "Not you, you're too big ... but I suppose we could just attach a note to hooch here." Ozum points at the dog.

Kurt wishes to track the Mayor. Hoping to catch up with her.

"Lets ignore the tavern for now"

Xellos is kind of surprised at the impulsiveness, but says, "Well...it was just a suggestion. It seemed like a some of us wanted to go back, but anyway might as well make use of your animals..."

After a brief pause he continues, "...is it possible to send a message with all three? We might as well do that while we figure out what we're doing. Even if we go back to the tavern, we might get delayed on the way back, but the animals may not...then that one fellow who led us here can possibly meet us halfway. Frandal, Arissa, what do you both think we should do now? I wouldn't want to run off without hearing everyone's input."

"Send the dog " says Frandal " I think that the twon is safe for now, the undead only wants the Windhovers, but if we don't stop this attacks against the most capable defenders of the land they all will perish. Let's hurry"

(How are the horses? are they fit to continue galloping? )

"Does anyone have ink and paper? I can only magically send messages through very small animals." Ozum will hop on the giant goat instead to give his horse a break.

Everyone: While the five of you are standing in front of Oda's cottage, you become aware of a small animal that is flying in a mildly erratic circular pattern over your heads. In the darkness, you're not entirely sure what sort of creature it is, however. Celebquesse, on the other hand, recognizes the animal immediately, and she tells Frandal that it's a bat. A few seconds later, the bat makes an awkward landing on the roof of the cottage and immediately transforms into an elderly female gnome. Her over-sized black cloak and her long grey hair flutter in the night breeze. She gazes at all of you and says, "I must say. You're far better-looking than the last visitors I entertained. Am I overly optimistic to think that you might be more well-mannered as well?" 

Frandal, that is searching his bacpack looking for ink and parchment with no success, raises his head when Celebquesse tells him that a bat is approaching.

Once it turns into the gnome he smiles in relief.

"Oda? Oda Waywocket? I am Frandal Silvereyes, these are my brave companions, Arissa, Kurt, Xellos, Ozum and Celebquesse. We have come to help following the orders of the Windhovers. We came to warn you but to that we are late. Perhaps we can help you now."

"Hello Oda, seems we were a little late to the party"

Oda seems mildly surprised. "Warn me, you say? And sent by the Windhovers? That certainly sets my mind to working." She then grasps the edges of her cloak with both hands, spreads her arms, and flies silently from the rooftop to the ground. Upon landing, she says, "Greetings to all of you. I shall try not to be insulted that the Windhovers sent you rather than sending one of themselves." She gives a wry smile as she says this. "It seems we have some things to discuss. I think we six can just fit inside this wee cottage of mine."  She then looks at the dead wights in her flower bed and pumpkin patch and says, "Stay right where you are. I shall deal with you in the morning." She then opens the front door of the cottage and motions for all of you to enter. 

After everyone's been seated and Oda has set the kettle on the fire, she says with a smile, "So, which one of you is the best storyteller?  Please tell me what has led you to Old Oda's home!" 

 Frandal looks to Arissa with a smile, his knees close to his chest as he has seated on the floor and tries to fit as well as he can in the cottage.

Xellos is relieved that no hard travelling needs to take place, but is mildly put off by the ball-busting joke at their expense. He keeps the feeling to himself, however, and goes inside to be polite.

(When he sits down, he takes out the needle to see if the direction has changed.)

He introduces himself after taking a seat in the small cottage and unveils his cloak, "Xellos at your service. I'm no story teller, but I appreciate another arcane master. When did these undead things attack you?"

"I have been called a racaraide extraordinaire before." Arissa offers a grin, and launches into the story, her telling suspenseful and exciting, detailed and informative.

Everyone: Oda listens to all that Arissa has to say. All the while, the old wizard is silent and focused as if she's sifting through Arissa's words, looking for tiny clues. She does not interrupt, and she asks no questions. When, at last, it is Oda's turn to speak, she speaks first of her dismay about the death of Ro Venna. "Such a thing has never occurred. No Windhover has ever died while wielding a fragment of Aeris. I cannot comprehend this. I cannot."  Oda's tone becomes a bit more somber and far less facetious as the conversation continues. 

She is quiet for a minute or two and then answers Xellos' question. "Two days ago, the creatures you see outside interrupted a peaceful fall evening, master sorcerer. I fared well as you can see. Ten minutes after the battle I entered the Broken Oar to talk to Cordo, a local fisherman who had been telling some rather unbelievable tales about walking skeletons he'd seen on Grimshaw. Cordo is a good fisherman, but he's a better drunkard; so most of the time, people pay little heed to what tumbles out of Cordo's mouth. As you can imagine, after my encounter with the wights I was inclined to reconsider what Cordo had been babbling about lately. Cordo stuck to his story; so I set the Magic Mouth spell to trigger on the opening of my front door, and off to Grimshaw I went. My [magicItem}Cloak of the Bat[/magicItem] served me just fine, and I made it to that barren rock in the sea without any trouble."

She hops up and pours more tea for everyone before continuing. "I found no undead on Grimshaw, however. I found something far more worrisome, I believe." She looks at each of you as if she's trying to read your thoughts before she asks you this question. "Have you any knowledge of shadow crossings?"

Xellos: The needle is aimed southwest, which coincides with the destination Bharash wrote about in his letter. 

“Shadow Crossings? “ says Frandal trying to remember. 

Xellos perks up when she mentions she has a Cloak of the Bat and then rubs the fabric of his magic cloak in-between his fingers. He ponders Shadow Crossings when Oda mentions it.

Arcana 18

Insight 22

History 4

Frandal and Xellos:

 Everyone: Oda continues, "Yes, a shadow crossing. And never could I have imagined that I would find one in the realm of Syndaris. It is a place where the veil between this world and the dark world of Shadowfell has become so thin that creatures in either world may travel into the other. On Grimshaw there stands an ancient ruin; I have seen it many times but never visited it. Last night, however, I flew to the top of the rocky outcrop where that ruin stands and  planned to walk among the broken pillars and crumbling walls. I climbed the steps, passed through an archway, and, BOOM!, there I was, standing in a world of ashen grey, both lifeless and hopeless. The archway I had just passed through was still there, but rather than being made of smooth, pale stone, it was formed of gnarled, ancient vines, seemingly blackened by disease. I stepped through this sinister-looking doorway and immediately stood once again atop the rocky summit of Grimshaw.

She sips her tea a few times and concludes. "Journeying alone into Shadowfell is a challenge beyond me at my age. So, I quickly returned home, where I found all of you. Undoubtedly, Bharash, Sariel, and Thoradin must be told of this."

Oda then asks, "You mentioned that some items had been removed from the wall in The Keep, but you didn't say which previous Windhover had once possessed those items. You weren't able to deduce that information?"