The Sunken palace doors open with a reedy clack and a steady stream of Bullywugs start spilling out. Leading the group are the 2 warriors from the Proving Grounds.
Valrieth couldn't have done it without the fear and desperation driving her! Even though the thick fog makes it hard to know how high she is above the surface of the lake, she knows that it was a long climb up Finley's rope to the top of the stairs. Val jumps into the fog and feels that awful feeling in her stomach for a moment ("Eek!") before the surface of the lake appears with frightful suddenness and speed. Val jumped from the southern part side of the platform / rickety wooden staircase, making sure to jump away from the spot where they had left their boat at the foot of the stairs.
Round 7: Valrieth Free Action: As Val jumps off of the wooden stairs to fall into the lake below, she lets out an involuntary, "Eek!" Concentration: Spike Growth round 2 of 100 Note: Val is currently still in her Chalice Starry Form (round 7 of 100). She sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. Any boats that were close enough to Bavlorna's Hut on the lake would have seen a strange, cold glow in the fog, falling from a height before vanishing with the sound of a splash (and Val's exclamation).
Val takes 2 bludgeoning damage from the fall and plunges into the lake.
Valrieth - DC 10 CON saving throw: 8 for maintaining concentration on Spike Growth
Val positions herself so that she enters the water feet-first. Thankfully, the water is deep enough here that she doesn't hurt herself much, but the force with which she hits the water and the depth to which she plunges surprises her so much that gasps a little and inhales some water. She loses her concentration on her spell.
Val struggles to swim to the surface, trying to maintain her orientation, swimming up and south. Once she surfaces, she tries to stifle her gasping breath and coughing ("Bl-ugh. Swamp water.") as she clings to her wooden shield, which provides a little buoyancy, and treads water for a moment. She listens for any sign of pursuit, like the sound of rapid footsteps of the lightning-fast Lornings coming down the rickety wooden staircase.
High Above the slam of the trapdoor can be heard and the rickety stairs begin sinking into the lake. Bavlorna's booming gurgling voice echoes across Downfall and beyond. "Kill the wretched Harengon interloper. A wish granted for anyone who brings their head to me!" She then utters a quick description of Val.
Val is grateful that neither Bavlorna nor her Lornlings seem to leave the squalid hut. The booming announcement startles her. If you just escaped from a deadly hag who killed your closest friends, you'd jump too if you heard the hag's voice booming out above you. She knows that she's not in immediate danger, but she's hurt, all of her friends are dead, and the bullywugs will soon be scouring Downfall for her.
As Val bobs in the water below Bavlorna's hut, she realizes that she's both crying and trembling, not from cold but from the delayed reaction to the fear, grief, and shock of the last couple of minutes. She realizes that she's now marked as a fugitive in Downfall, and she has no friends and few allies even. She's all alone. At the same time, she feels a strange mix of relief and shame that she was able to escape Bavlorna's hut when her friends died. Between her sobs, she fiercely promises, "I'll finish what we started! I'll make sure that you didn't die in vain!"
Since Val is still in her Chalice Starry form, she casts Healing Word on herself and uses her Chalice form for additional healing. (+15 healing, rolled in game log) Feeling a little revived after that, Val thanks the Stars that she's still alive and prays that she has the strength to continue this quest alone, without Finley and Aoife. (And what about poor Octavian?! She tries to put that thought out of her mind: she cannot do anything for him in her current state.)
Val thinks of swimming over to the boat, but Aoife or Gan-Re always did most of the rowing. She's not sure that she'd make much progress, and she definitely wouldn't be able to out-run the boat-savvy bullywugs if they spot her. At least the thick fog provides some cover for her!
Val dismisses her starry form so that she's not so easy for the bullywugs to find. She listens carefully (Perception: 16) for the sound of approaching boats while she spends a couple of minutes to eat a bunch of her goodberries from the previous night's casting. (+17 healing, if she isn't interrupted by approaching boats first.)
It's been a couple of minutes since Val jumped into the lake, and she starts to worry about the bullywugs who are already looking for her! Remembering the crocodile she saw when she, Finley, and Gan-Re first met King Gullop XIX, Val secures her gear and then uses her Wild Shape to transform into a crocodile. As a crocodile, she doesn't need the boat. She becomes a powerful swimmer, and she finds that she can hold her breath underwater. She could probably comfortably swim nearly a mile without surfacing!
If Val gets through all of that successfully, she's now back to 40/45 HP, but she's very low on spell slots. She's currently in the form of a [Tooltip Not Found], which she can maintain for up to 3 hours. Since Val doesn't know whether any of the bullywugs (other than Margot and maybe Duke Ickrind) would protect her from Bavlorna, she plans just to swim (mostly underwater) out of Downfall, heading east and then north since she thinks that's where Gan-Re took Margot when they rescued her from the bullywug jail. Val needs to find a safe place to rest and recover and start figuring out what to do next. She might be able to hold off some harengon brigands or a troop of bullywugs knights all by herself, but she has never been alone in Prismeer before or even in a serious fight without Finley's help. She feels very lonely as she paddles along beneath the waters of Downfall's lake. If she could find Margot or maybe Tsu Harabax's house, she would at least have a safe place to rest and recover and start to figure out what to do next.
Zylo narrows his red eyes, which stand out from his black scales as he looks up at the bullywugs pouring out of the 'palace' and snorts. His massive form is protected by heavy black adamantine armor that clanks heavily as he moves forward, his royal purple cloak flowing behind him, only pinned down by his round shield with the image of the head of platinum dragon on top of royal purple with strange silvery circular runes all around the edge of the shield. "Is this Val so dangerous that it requires an army and a bounty to stop?"He turns to look over his shoulder at his companion.
Iali's aquiline features twist in a wry grin at her companion. "It must be. Maybe it will be worth seeking its assistance to make our way through this gods-forsaken land."
The grin turns into a grimace as she surveys the bullywugs and shakes her head, golden curls floating over her shoulders and greyblue eyes glinting. "These creatures are a scourge. Shall we see what assistance we can offer this Val, in turn?"
One long-fingered hand lazily traces a curlicue in the air and a shimmer descends onto her fine travelling clothes and cloak as she casts Mage Armour on herself. The other hand holds tight to the spellbook strapped across her chest as some might wear a bandolier.
Zylo pulls his shield from his back and pulls his mace off of his belt with a nod and looks around just in case for anything that isn't a bullywug. "Keep an eye out then. I''d hate to pass them up."
Val dismisses her starry form so that she's not so easy for the bullywugs to find. She listens carefully (Perception: 16) for the sound of approaching boats while she spends a couple of minutes to eat a bunch of her goodberries from the previous night's casting. (+17 healing, if she isn't interrupted by approaching boats first.)
It's been a couple of minutes since Val jumped into the lake, and she starts to worry about the bullywugs who are already looking for her! Remembering the crocodile she saw when she, Finley, and Gan-Re first met King Gullop XIX, Val secures her gear and then uses her Wild Shape to transform into a crocodile. As a crocodile, she doesn't need the boat. She becomes a powerful swimmer, and she finds that she can hold her breath underwater. She could probably comfortably swim nearly a mile without surfacing!
If Val gets through all of that successfully, she's now back to 40/45 HP, but she's very low on spell slots. She's currently in the form of a Crocodile, which she can maintain for up to 3 hours. Since Val doesn't know whether any of the bullywugs (other than Margot and maybe Duke Ickrind) would protect her from Bavlorna, she plans just to swim (mostly underwater) out of Downfall
Valrieth-crocodile initially takes a deep breath and swims toward the east, hoping to pass the Sunken Palace underwater and then head east and then north out of Downfall. But sound travels fast underwater, and she soon hears the clatter of many bullywugs in that direction and hears and probably sees their little boats starting to push off from the docks. Fearing that the water isn't deep enough in that channel or that the bullywugs will take a moment to kill a crocodile so close to the palace, she decides to swim the opposite direction.
Val has fond memories of arriving in Downfall with Finley (now lying dead in Bavlorna's hut) and Gan-Re (hopefully still safe back in Faerûn). She heads for the little stream (D1) on the west side of Downfall where they first met the bullywugs. As she approaches the place where the stream meets the lake, Val-crocodile surfaces, just the top of her head and eyes sticking out of the water. Her heart is still pounding, but she tires to paddle slowly, like a lazy crocodile, hoping not to attract the attention of any bullywugs while she tries to escape their "kingdom."
Val-crocodile looks especially for any bullywugs moving around the hill or up on the guard platform at D19 or patrolling along the little stream to the west (D1). If there are no bullywugs in sight, she thinks that she'll be largely out-of-view of the bullywugs once she makes it into the little stream. Perception: 9
As Val-crocodile finally gets to D1, she sees some new strangers in Downfall. Or, at least, non-bullywugs. Thinking about the other creatures she has met in Hither (bullywugs of the Sunken Court, harengon bandits, giant snakes and geese, and even the goblin Jingle Jangle and Tsu Harabax), they mostly seemed like wild beasts, happy swamp-dwellers, and/or poorly equipped people living under Bavlorna's oppressive rule. These two well-equipped strangers look more like adventurers from another world, like Toril, just visiting (or trapped!) in Prismeer like her. But even if they are not in league with Bavlorna, Val doesn't feel confident introducing herself to them. What if they want to capture her in exchange for Bavlorna's "wish." She decides just to swim right past them and out of Downfall.
Val-Crocodile keeps an eye on the strange pair, ready to dive underwater if they attack. "But why would they attack a simple crocodile?", Val thinks to herself. "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming...swimming..swimming." But just as she gets past them, she hears her name!
"Is this Val so dangerous that it requires an army and a bounty to stop?"He turns to look over his shoulder at his companion.
Val-crocodile's head twitches slightly in their direction. She stops swimming to listen. Then she slowly turns around and swims back to watch them more closely.
Perhaps Zylo notices the crocodile's strange behavior. Did it just turn around and stare at them? Is it thinking of attacking?
"These creatures are a scourge. Shall we see what assistance we can offer this Val, in turn?"
Val firmly believes that she has seen her future in the Stars: she believes that she is destined to free Zybilna and restore the Fey Queen of Prismeer. Val also believes that those who accept their Destiny and know how to read and follow certain Signs will find a Path laid out for them. The Fates will provide help when help is needed, and she has never needed help more than now! Comforted that she is going with the Stars, wherever they lead, she quickly makes a decision...
A crocodile emerges from the stream that Zylo and Iali were following into Downfall. It slowly crawls up the bank on the same side of the stream as them. The crocodile clearly looking at you both, but it's not charging at you or acting aggressively. It turns to the side and then slowly walks to a nearby tree or shrub, glancing at you every few steps. It stops on the west side of the vegetation. And then it suddenly shrinks and seems to stand up as it does so. In the blink of an eye, a harengon with mousy brown fur is standing where the crocodile was just a moment before.
Val stands barely 3-feet high, though her ears stand up nearly a foot over her head. She is equipped like an adventurer with a large pack and various pouches. She wears a dark green tabard over studded leather armor. Her feet are unshod, and she holds a wooden shield in one arm. Most of her gear looks old and well-used, but she also wears a fine cloak, a dull greenish-brown color, but the trim along the edge of the cloak and hood is in golden thread with little embroidered shapes of stars and moons. A monocle dangles just below her chin from a chain that's affixed to her head somehow. She has a small sword in a plain scabbard, but she makes no move to draw it. Her tabard may have been fine once, but it is currently covered in fresh blood stains from multiple wounds, and then stains have spread through the wet fabric.
Val regards them both for a moment with her large brown eyes. Her ears stiff and aimed at Zylo and Iali, and her whiskers twitch as she sniffs the air quietly for a moment. She looks straight between you both, but since her eyes are positioned more on the sides of her head than is normal for other humanoids, she can look at each of you directly even though it seems like she's facing and speaking to the blank space between the two of you. "You have found me," she says. "I am Valrieth, or Val. I have come to Prismeer to rescue the Fey Queen Zybilna, who was frozen in time by a coven of hags. Will you help me?" Her tone is tense. She seems afraid or maybe excited. Definitely "wound tight."
Iali flinches at the sight of the crocodile climbing out of the water and starts to prepare an offensive spell. As her hand begins to move in the first somatic for Fireball however, she is arrested by the sight of the crocodile transforming. As the harengon becomes visible, Iali drops her arm.
"You are a wily one!" she comments, looking the harengon up and down. "You don't look quite as dangerous as the bounty makes you seem, Valrieth. What did you do to deserve that?"
"Well, my friends and I...", Valrieth begins, but her voice breaks immediately, and her eyes well up with tears. She clears her throat and tries again: "we attacked the hag here in Downfall, Bavlorna Brightstraw. We hurt her pretty badly, too, but we were surprised by the speed and ferocity of her miniatures. My friends are..." She gestures toward the thick fog at the center of the lake but gets lost in thought, staring at the fog for a moment. She swallows hard and says, "My friends...uh...they um...they didn't make it. I'm sorry. I can explain it in more detail later, but if you want to help, we shouldn't stay here long. I really should get out of Downfall now while I have the chance. Or at least find a place to hide for a bit while the bullywugs are looking for me."
Zylo has the barest hint of a brief smile as he looks down at the little harengon before she gives her explanation. Any humor is erased from his face as he hears her tale."My condolences for your friends." He looks around them again before continuing. "Hmm, yes then we should leave before they catch sight of you. Although I wouldn't mind crushing a skull or two. Since you've been here longer, lead the way shall you?"
Zylo has the barest hint of a brief smile as he looks down at the little harengon before she gives her explanation. Any humor is erased from his face as he hears her tale."My condolences for your friends."
Iali's face softens a little as she hears Val's story. "I am sorry to hear of your friends' demise," she replies.
Valrieth looks sad and tired and wet. But she also looks relieved when she hears that Zylo and Iali aren't about to turn her over to the bullywugs. She says, "Thank you."
Zylo....looks around them again before continuing. "Hmm, yes then we should leave before they catch sight of you. Although I wouldn't mind crushing a skull or two. Since you've been here longer, lead the way shall you?"
"If we have the opportunity to assist you in avenging them..." She trails off delicately
She looks to Zylo and nods almost imperceptibly. She turns again to Val. "Lead on."
Val seems interested by cautious, "Yes, I expect that my Path leads back to Bavlorna. I may still be able to save poor Octavian, whom Bavlorna turned into a living doll, and I'd like to recover my friends' bodies." She considers the well-armored dragonborn. The platinum dragon symbol on his shield might look familiar to her, but she doesn't know that it indicates that he's a cleric (Religion: 5, in game log) Val spent more time studying the stars than she did the formal religions of Faerun. Valrieth saw the dragonborn's companion cast a spell, but the woman also carries a rapier. She gestures to the west and says, "I was planning to flee downfall, to make plans, and to return here....some day...to challenge the hag again. But then the Stars brought me right to you in my moment of need. I take that as a good Sign!" She emphasizes that statement with a nod and smiles a bit and looks back and forth between you both as though she expects you to find these clear signs of Fate and Destiny comforting too.
Val suggests, "Maybe...since you're both fresh, maybe it would make sense to go right back to Bavlorna's hut before the hag has a chance to do anything awful to my friends' bodies!" That thought seems to appeal to hear, but she rubs her furry head a moment and closes her eyes. Then she continues,"But I am afraid to face the hag again after such a loss and in my current state. I would at least need to rest and recover a bit. And, you! I just met you, and I don't even know your names yet. I definitely do not want to get you killed too! Let's find somewhere that's not so exposed to rest and talk before we decide what to do next. I want to get to know you a bit, and before you decide to help me, you should first know of the dangers, especially if you only recently arrived in this Fey realm."
(OOC: So, the new party is coming together. Here's the map of Downfall. I think that we're on the south bank of the creek at D1.)
Valrieth was originally planning to head entirely out of Downfall, but with Zylo and Iali's help, she suggests that they could maybe find a spot to take a Short Rest and talk here in Downfall while hiding from the bullywugs. Since Zylo and Iali are not yet known associates of Val, she suggests that if they could hide her, they could probably rest at any of the spots where there aren't currently bullywugs, like D18.
Val thinks that she's going to have to avoid being spotted by any bullywugs at all. If anyone sees her and gets away, the whole Sunken Court will probably come after her. If that happens, she'll probably have to to put on a big display of power, like using Call Lightning to kill a bunch of bullywugs from 100+-ft away until the rest of the bullywugs decide to run away and leave her alone. But should would really like to avoid that: "Some of the bullywugs are ridiculous or even deceitful, but they're mostly not bad bullywugs. It's not their fault that the hag decided to settle here, and it's not like they have the power to defeat her."
Val was thinking that they could head around the south side of the lake since they wouldn't need to "borrow" a bullywug boat and cross the water to do that. She briefly explains the locations around that side of the lake as the group gets started:
D19 is a sort of wooden guard tower or open platform on top of a hill.
If there are bullywugs there, they would need to capture / kill them first.
If the party could get up in the guard tower / platform, it would be difficult for any other bullywugs to sneak up on them. This is probably the highest point in Downfall, so Val thinks that they'd see any bullywugs before the bullywugs saw them. It should also be easy to defend if the bullywugs decided to attack them.
D18 - A cliff above the lake. Val has never been there, but as long as there's some cover from the bullywugs at the guard tower (D19), they may be able to hide there while watching what the bullywugs are doing below.
D17 - Unknown. Val has never been to this bullywug hut.
D16 - Unknown. Val has never been to this bullywug hut.
D15 is an empty / abandoned bullywug hut. At least it was 1 week ago last time Val was there. But she worries that the bullywugs will be searching all of the huts door-to-door first.
D14 is Octavian's patch of giant toadstools, but it sounds like the bullywugs captured him there, so it's not a perfect hiding place.
D13 - Val has never been here. It's a big tree at the top of a hill / cliff that rises above the lake. Val would like to avoid this location simply because it's quite close to the Sunken Palace (D11).
"I would like nothing more than to crush the hags skull," Zylo pauses looking down at her again, "You don't seem awfully physically hurt, but I, Zylo of the great Esstyrlynn clan, can heal you if you need it. Either way, we've been here but a short while and finding somewhere to gather thoughts and a plan would be fortuitous." He nods towards the nearby structure. "There's a great tower here, shall we take it for ourselves or do you have a better place in mind?"
Iali bows her head slightly at Val. "My name is Iali. I am a wizard, of a sort; one who uses a blade as well as I do my spells. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Val."
She looks at the tower Zylo indicates. Can she see any movement on it? (perception 16)
"Yes, that may be best," Valrieth says. "I'd like to get to that ridge over there," pointing to D18, "because I don't think that I've ever seen any bullywugs there. But we'd probably be spotted if there are any bullywugs in the tower or in the huts on the south side of the lake. Hopefully, we can take the tower without having to hurt any bullywug guards." By way of explanation, she says apologetically, "I need to rest before I can transform into an animal like I did with the crocodile: that's not something that I have a lot of practice with."
The group is going to try going to D19. Val flattens her ears back, pulls the hood of her cloak over her head, and pulls the cloak around her so that it's not obvious that she's a harengon from a distance. As they approach the wooden tower, Val goes behind the other two, hoping to remain mostly obscured from any bullywugs in the tower.
(OOC: I had been thinking that maybe Zylo could pop Val into a sack so that they could hopefully get to D18 without any of the bullywugs seeing her, but then I realized that none of us have a sack!)
Iali bows her head slightly at Val. "My name is Iali. I am a wizard, of a sort; one who uses a blade as well as I do my spells. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Val."
She looks at the tower Zylo indicates. Can she see any movement on it? (perception 16)
Valrieth looks delighted: "Oh! I've been interested in magic ever since I was a kid. Hello, Iali." Val makes an awkward sort of curtsy. "My name is Valrieth, but you may call me 'Val'. I'm a druid, and my studies focused on the the movement of the stars in the sky and their meaning and effect on the world and our lives. I've been here in Prismeer, this Fey realm, for a couple of weeks already, and I've had enough time to start taking measurements and tracking the stars here too. I came to Prismeer a couple of weeks ago with three of my firends from the land of Faerun. We came here through a magic mirror at the fantastical 'Witchlight Carnival'. I can tell you all about it once we find a spot to rest."
Lali at first sees no movement but then sees the top of a bullywug at the watchtower though this bullywug seems rather short or maybe it's a bullywug youth.
High Above the slam of the trapdoor can be heard and the rickety stairs begin sinking into the lake.
Bavlorna's booming gurgling voice echoes across Downfall and beyond.
"Kill the wretched Harengon interloper. A wish granted for anyone who brings their head to me!" She then utters a quick description of Val.
End of Combat
The Sunken palace doors open with a reedy clack and a steady stream of Bullywugs start spilling out. Leading the group are the 2 warriors from the Proving Grounds.
Valrieth - DC 10 CON saving throw: 8 for maintaining concentration on Spike Growth
After escaping from Bavlorna's Hut
Valrieth couldn't have done it without the fear and desperation driving her! Even though the thick fog makes it hard to know how high she is above the surface of the lake, she knows that it was a long climb up Finley's rope to the top of the stairs. Val jumps into the fog and feels that awful feeling in her stomach for a moment ("Eek!") before the surface of the lake appears with frightful suddenness and speed. Val jumped from the southern part side of the platform / rickety wooden staircase, making sure to jump away from the spot where they had left their boat at the foot of the stairs.
Val positions herself so that she enters the water feet-first. Thankfully, the water is deep enough here that she doesn't hurt herself much, but the force with which she hits the water and the depth to which she plunges surprises her so much that gasps a little and inhales some water. She loses her concentration on her spell.
Val struggles to swim to the surface, trying to maintain her orientation, swimming up and south. Once she surfaces, she tries to stifle her gasping breath and coughing ("Bl-ugh. Swamp water.") as she clings to her wooden shield, which provides a little buoyancy, and treads water for a moment. She listens for any sign of pursuit, like the sound of rapid footsteps of the lightning-fast Lornings coming down the rickety wooden staircase.
Val is grateful that neither Bavlorna nor her Lornlings seem to leave the squalid hut. The booming announcement startles her. If you just escaped from a deadly hag who killed your closest friends, you'd jump too if you heard the hag's voice booming out above you. She knows that she's not in immediate danger, but she's hurt, all of her friends are dead, and the bullywugs will soon be scouring Downfall for her.
As Val bobs in the water below Bavlorna's hut, she realizes that she's both crying and trembling, not from cold but from the delayed reaction to the fear, grief, and shock of the last couple of minutes. She realizes that she's now marked as a fugitive in Downfall, and she has no friends and few allies even. She's all alone. At the same time, she feels a strange mix of relief and shame that she was able to escape Bavlorna's hut when her friends died. Between her sobs, she fiercely promises, "I'll finish what we started! I'll make sure that you didn't die in vain!"
Since Val is still in her Chalice Starry form, she casts Healing Word on herself and uses her Chalice form for additional healing. (+15 healing, rolled in game log) Feeling a little revived after that, Val thanks the Stars that she's still alive and prays that she has the strength to continue this quest alone, without Finley and Aoife. (And what about poor Octavian?! She tries to put that thought out of her mind: she cannot do anything for him in her current state.)
Val thinks of swimming over to the boat, but Aoife or Gan-Re always did most of the rowing. She's not sure that she'd make much progress, and she definitely wouldn't be able to out-run the boat-savvy bullywugs if they spot her. At least the thick fog provides some cover for her!
Val dismisses her starry form so that she's not so easy for the bullywugs to find. She listens carefully (Perception: 16) for the sound of approaching boats while she spends a couple of minutes to eat a bunch of her goodberries from the previous night's casting. (+17 healing, if she isn't interrupted by approaching boats first.)
It's been a couple of minutes since Val jumped into the lake, and she starts to worry about the bullywugs who are already looking for her! Remembering the crocodile she saw when she, Finley, and Gan-Re first met King Gullop XIX, Val secures her gear and then uses her Wild Shape to transform into a crocodile. As a crocodile, she doesn't need the boat. She becomes a powerful swimmer, and she finds that she can hold her breath underwater. She could probably comfortably swim nearly a mile without surfacing!
If Val gets through all of that successfully, she's now back to 40/45 HP, but she's very low on spell slots. She's currently in the form of a [Tooltip Not Found], which she can maintain for up to 3 hours. Since Val doesn't know whether any of the bullywugs (other than Margot and maybe Duke Ickrind) would protect her from Bavlorna, she plans just to swim (mostly underwater) out of Downfall, heading east and then north since she thinks that's where Gan-Re took Margot when they rescued her from the bullywug jail. Val needs to find a safe place to rest and recover and start figuring out what to do next. She might be able to hold off some harengon brigands or a troop of bullywugs knights all by herself, but she has never been alone in Prismeer before or even in a serious fight without Finley's help. She feels very lonely as she paddles along beneath the waters of Downfall's lake. If she could find Margot or maybe Tsu Harabax's house, she would at least have a safe place to rest and recover and start to figure out what to do next.
Zylo narrows his red eyes, which stand out from his black scales as he looks up at the bullywugs pouring out of the 'palace' and snorts. His massive form is protected by heavy black adamantine armor that clanks heavily as he moves forward, his royal purple cloak flowing behind him, only pinned down by his round shield with the image of the head of platinum dragon on top of royal purple with strange silvery circular runes all around the edge of the shield. "Is this Val so dangerous that it requires an army and a bounty to stop?" He turns to look over his shoulder at his companion.
Zylo Esstyrlynn - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Iali's aquiline features twist in a wry grin at her companion. "It must be. Maybe it will be worth seeking its assistance to make our way through this gods-forsaken land."
The grin turns into a grimace as she surveys the bullywugs and shakes her head, golden curls floating over her shoulders and greyblue eyes glinting. "These creatures are a scourge. Shall we see what assistance we can offer this Val, in turn?"
One long-fingered hand lazily traces a curlicue in the air and a shimmer descends onto her fine travelling clothes and cloak as she casts Mage Armour on herself. The other hand holds tight to the spellbook strapped across her chest as some might wear a bandolier.
Past characters:
Cariadne - Forest of Celador
Daphyra Fuffletail - The City of Cats
DM - Geek Legends - Wild beyond the Witchlight
Leela Steadystone - Adventures in the Sands
Mirri Goldenhorn - Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Lola Smythe-Whyte - Larkin Expedition
Daphyra - Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver
Vanja - Binder's Hold and the Problem with the Mine
Zylo pulls his shield from his back and pulls his mace off of his belt with a nod and looks around just in case for anything that isn't a bullywug. "Keep an eye out then. I''d hate to pass them up."
Zylo Esstyrlynn - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Valrieth-crocodile initially takes a deep breath and swims toward the east, hoping to pass the Sunken Palace underwater and then head east and then north out of Downfall. But sound travels fast underwater, and she soon hears the clatter of many bullywugs in that direction and hears and probably sees their little boats starting to push off from the docks. Fearing that the water isn't deep enough in that channel or that the bullywugs will take a moment to kill a crocodile so close to the palace, she decides to swim the opposite direction.
Val has fond memories of arriving in Downfall with Finley (now lying dead in Bavlorna's hut) and Gan-Re (hopefully still safe back in Faerûn). She heads for the little stream (D1) on the west side of Downfall where they first met the bullywugs. As she approaches the place where the stream meets the lake, Val-crocodile surfaces, just the top of her head and eyes sticking out of the water. Her heart is still pounding, but she tires to paddle slowly, like a lazy crocodile, hoping not to attract the attention of any bullywugs while she tries to escape their "kingdom."
Val-crocodile looks especially for any bullywugs moving around the hill or up on the guard platform at D19 or patrolling along the little stream to the west (D1). If there are no bullywugs in sight, she thinks that she'll be largely out-of-view of the bullywugs once she makes it into the little stream. Perception: 9
As Val-crocodile finally gets to D1, she sees some new strangers in Downfall. Or, at least, non-bullywugs. Thinking about the other creatures she has met in Hither (bullywugs of the Sunken Court, harengon bandits, giant snakes and geese, and even the goblin Jingle Jangle and Tsu Harabax), they mostly seemed like wild beasts, happy swamp-dwellers, and/or poorly equipped people living under Bavlorna's oppressive rule. These two well-equipped strangers look more like adventurers from another world, like Toril, just visiting (or trapped!) in Prismeer like her. But even if they are not in league with Bavlorna, Val doesn't feel confident introducing herself to them. What if they want to capture her in exchange for Bavlorna's "wish." She decides just to swim right past them and out of Downfall.
Val-Crocodile keeps an eye on the strange pair, ready to dive underwater if they attack. "But why would they attack a simple crocodile?", Val thinks to herself. "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming...swimming..swimming." But just as she gets past them, she hears her name!
Val-crocodile's head twitches slightly in their direction. She stops swimming to listen. Then she slowly turns around and swims back to watch them more closely.
Perhaps Zylo notices the crocodile's strange behavior. Did it just turn around and stare at them? Is it thinking of attacking?
Val firmly believes that she has seen her future in the Stars: she believes that she is destined to free Zybilna and restore the Fey Queen of Prismeer. Val also believes that those who accept their Destiny and know how to read and follow certain Signs will find a Path laid out for them. The Fates will provide help when help is needed, and she has never needed help more than now! Comforted that she is going with the Stars, wherever they lead, she quickly makes a decision...
A crocodile emerges from the stream that Zylo and Iali were following into Downfall. It slowly crawls up the bank on the same side of the stream as them. The crocodile clearly looking at you both, but it's not charging at you or acting aggressively. It turns to the side and then slowly walks to a nearby tree or shrub, glancing at you every few steps. It stops on the west side of the vegetation. And then it suddenly shrinks and seems to stand up as it does so. In the blink of an eye, a harengon with mousy brown fur is standing where the crocodile was just a moment before.
Val stands barely 3-feet high, though her ears stand up nearly a foot over her head. She is equipped like an adventurer with a large pack and various pouches. She wears a dark green tabard over studded leather armor. Her feet are unshod, and she holds a wooden shield in one arm. Most of her gear looks old and well-used, but she also wears a fine cloak, a dull greenish-brown color, but the trim along the edge of the cloak and hood is in golden thread with little embroidered shapes of stars and moons. A monocle dangles just below her chin from a chain that's affixed to her head somehow. She has a small sword in a plain scabbard, but she makes no move to draw it. Her tabard may have been fine once, but it is currently covered in fresh blood stains from multiple wounds, and then stains have spread through the wet fabric.
Val regards them both for a moment with her large brown eyes. Her ears stiff and aimed at Zylo and Iali, and her whiskers twitch as she sniffs the air quietly for a moment. She looks straight between you both, but since her eyes are positioned more on the sides of her head than is normal for other humanoids, she can look at each of you directly even though it seems like she's facing and speaking to the blank space between the two of you. "You have found me," she says. "I am Valrieth, or Val. I have come to Prismeer to rescue the Fey Queen Zybilna, who was frozen in time by a coven of hags. Will you help me?" Her tone is tense. She seems afraid or maybe excited. Definitely "wound tight."
Yep Val is able to accomplish all of that and is healed.
Iali flinches at the sight of the crocodile climbing out of the water and starts to prepare an offensive spell. As her hand begins to move in the first somatic for Fireball however, she is arrested by the sight of the crocodile transforming. As the harengon becomes visible, Iali drops her arm.
"You are a wily one!" she comments, looking the harengon up and down. "You don't look quite as dangerous as the bounty makes you seem, Valrieth. What did you do to deserve that?"
Past characters:
Cariadne - Forest of Celador
Daphyra Fuffletail - The City of Cats
DM - Geek Legends - Wild beyond the Witchlight
Leela Steadystone - Adventures in the Sands
Mirri Goldenhorn - Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Lola Smythe-Whyte - Larkin Expedition
Daphyra - Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver
Vanja - Binder's Hold and the Problem with the Mine
"Well, my friends and I...", Valrieth begins, but her voice breaks immediately, and her eyes well up with tears. She clears her throat and tries again: "we attacked the hag here in Downfall, Bavlorna Brightstraw. We hurt her pretty badly, too, but we were surprised by the speed and ferocity of her miniatures. My friends are..." She gestures toward the thick fog at the center of the lake but gets lost in thought, staring at the fog for a moment. She swallows hard and says, "My friends...uh...they um...they didn't make it. I'm sorry. I can explain it in more detail later, but if you want to help, we shouldn't stay here long. I really should get out of Downfall now while I have the chance. Or at least find a place to hide for a bit while the bullywugs are looking for me."
Zylo has the barest hint of a brief smile as he looks down at the little harengon before she gives her explanation. Any humor is erased from his face as he hears her tale. "My condolences for your friends." He looks around them again before continuing. "Hmm, yes then we should leave before they catch sight of you. Although I wouldn't mind crushing a skull or two. Since you've been here longer, lead the way shall you?"
Zylo Esstyrlynn - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Iali's face softens a little as she hears Val's story. "I am sorry to hear of your friends' demise," she replies.
"If we have the opportunity to assist you in avenging them..." She trails off delicately
She looks to Zylo and nods almost imperceptibly. She turns again to Val. "Lead on."
Past characters:
Cariadne - Forest of Celador
Daphyra Fuffletail - The City of Cats
DM - Geek Legends - Wild beyond the Witchlight
Leela Steadystone - Adventures in the Sands
Mirri Goldenhorn - Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Lola Smythe-Whyte - Larkin Expedition
Daphyra - Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver
Vanja - Binder's Hold and the Problem with the Mine
Valrieth looks sad and tired and wet. But she also looks relieved when she hears that Zylo and Iali aren't about to turn her over to the bullywugs. She says, "Thank you."
Val seems interested by cautious, "Yes, I expect that my Path leads back to Bavlorna. I may still be able to save poor Octavian, whom Bavlorna turned into a living doll, and I'd like to recover my friends' bodies." She considers the well-armored dragonborn. The platinum dragon symbol on his shield might look familiar to her, but she doesn't know that it indicates that he's a cleric (Religion: 5, in game log) Val spent more time studying the stars than she did the formal religions of Faerun. Valrieth saw the dragonborn's companion cast a spell, but the woman also carries a rapier. She gestures to the west and says, "I was planning to flee downfall, to make plans, and to return here....some day...to challenge the hag again. But then the Stars brought me right to you in my moment of need. I take that as a good Sign!" She emphasizes that statement with a nod and smiles a bit and looks back and forth between you both as though she expects you to find these clear signs of Fate and Destiny comforting too.
Val suggests, "Maybe...since you're both fresh, maybe it would make sense to go right back to Bavlorna's hut before the hag has a chance to do anything awful to my friends' bodies!" That thought seems to appeal to hear, but she rubs her furry head a moment and closes her eyes. Then she continues, "But I am afraid to face the hag again after such a loss and in my current state. I would at least need to rest and recover a bit. And, you! I just met you, and I don't even know your names yet. I definitely do not want to get you killed too! Let's find somewhere that's not so exposed to rest and talk before we decide what to do next. I want to get to know you a bit, and before you decide to help me, you should first know of the dangers, especially if you only recently arrived in this Fey realm."
(OOC: So, the new party is coming together. Here's the map of Downfall. I think that we're on the south bank of the creek at D1.)
Valrieth was originally planning to head entirely out of Downfall, but with Zylo and Iali's help, she suggests that they could maybe find a spot to take a Short Rest and talk here in Downfall while hiding from the bullywugs. Since Zylo and Iali are not yet known associates of Val, she suggests that if they could hide her, they could probably rest at any of the spots where there aren't currently bullywugs, like D18.
Val thinks that she's going to have to avoid being spotted by any bullywugs at all. If anyone sees her and gets away, the whole Sunken Court will probably come after her. If that happens, she'll probably have to to put on a big display of power, like using Call Lightning to kill a bunch of bullywugs from 100+-ft away until the rest of the bullywugs decide to run away and leave her alone. But should would really like to avoid that: "Some of the bullywugs are ridiculous or even deceitful, but they're mostly not bad bullywugs. It's not their fault that the hag decided to settle here, and it's not like they have the power to defeat her."
Val was thinking that they could head around the south side of the lake since they wouldn't need to "borrow" a bullywug boat and cross the water to do that. She briefly explains the locations around that side of the lake as the group gets started:
"I would like nothing more than to crush the hags skull," Zylo pauses looking down at her again, "You don't seem awfully physically hurt, but I, Zylo of the great Esstyrlynn clan, can heal you if you need it. Either way, we've been here but a short while and finding somewhere to gather thoughts and a plan would be fortuitous." He nods towards the nearby structure. "There's a great tower here, shall we take it for ourselves or do you have a better place in mind?"
Zylo Esstyrlynn - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Iali bows her head slightly at Val. "My name is Iali. I am a wizard, of a sort; one who uses a blade as well as I do my spells. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Val."
She looks at the tower Zylo indicates. Can she see any movement on it? (perception 16)
Past characters:
Cariadne - Forest of Celador
Daphyra Fuffletail - The City of Cats
DM - Geek Legends - Wild beyond the Witchlight
Leela Steadystone - Adventures in the Sands
Mirri Goldenhorn - Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Lola Smythe-Whyte - Larkin Expedition
Daphyra - Deathworld: Lost Mine of Phandelver
Vanja - Binder's Hold and the Problem with the Mine
"Yes, that may be best," Valrieth says. "I'd like to get to that ridge over there," pointing to D18, "because I don't think that I've ever seen any bullywugs there. But we'd probably be spotted if there are any bullywugs in the tower or in the huts on the south side of the lake. Hopefully, we can take the tower without having to hurt any bullywug guards." By way of explanation, she says apologetically, "I need to rest before I can transform into an animal like I did with the crocodile: that's not something that I have a lot of practice with."
The group is going to try going to D19. Val flattens her ears back, pulls the hood of her cloak over her head, and pulls the cloak around her so that it's not obvious that she's a harengon from a distance. As they approach the wooden tower, Val goes behind the other two, hoping to remain mostly obscured from any bullywugs in the tower.
(OOC: I had been thinking that maybe Zylo could pop Val into a sack so that they could hopefully get to D18 without any of the bullywugs seeing her, but then I realized that none of us have a sack!)
Valrieth looks delighted: "Oh! I've been interested in magic ever since I was a kid. Hello, Iali." Val makes an awkward sort of curtsy. "My name is Valrieth, but you may call me 'Val'. I'm a druid, and my studies focused on the the movement of the stars in the sky and their meaning and effect on the world and our lives. I've been here in Prismeer, this Fey realm, for a couple of weeks already, and I've had enough time to start taking measurements and tracking the stars here too. I came to Prismeer a couple of weeks ago with three of my firends from the land of Faerun. We came here through a magic mirror at the fantastical 'Witchlight Carnival'. I can tell you all about it once we find a spot to rest."
Lali at first sees no movement but then sees the top of a bullywug at the watchtower though this bullywug seems rather short or maybe it's a bullywug youth.