Galsariad sits with eyes eye open, looking past Merek. After a moment, his eyes focus on the kind wizard’s face. “I-I thought that. The fire. I was sure. Sure it would hurt it.” He holds up his quaking hands with his mouth hanging open loosely. “My fire did nothing to it. It just flew right through it like it wasn’t even there. And then… And then, I just... froze. The scream. That awful scream.” His face twists in pain against the memory and tears well up in his eyes. He looks at his friends, who all are unsure how to respond. They avoid his eyes. All except Ayo, who looks altogether heartbroken as she looks upon him, and Entropy, who seems disgusted by his behavior.

“My fire was weak. My magic is weak.”

Merek shakes his head, but his expression is one of kindest. "I've been doing this a long time, and I thought fire would do the job too. Most things burn... but shadowy creatures from behind the veil aren't most things. That's not weakness, it's just we didn't have the full picture of what we were facing. Learning from a book is to internalise someone else's experience, but there are some things that were either never written down, or weren't in a library either of us has ever seen. At that point, other people's experiences have to give way, and we have to make do with our own. Like you and I both did today. We won't throw fire at creatures of darkness in a hurry again, and we're better wizards for knowing it.

Don't worry about the scream, it froze my blood in my veins too and knocked out a very sturdy looking horse. I could barely move myself, and it nearly took my guts out through a convenience new hole it torn for the job. I doubt I'll ever have the constitution of a draft horse, so no shame on that count either." he pauses, still clutching his side and breathing heavier than usual. "We live and we learn, tomorrow will be a new day, and I'll need your help with the arcane circles while my body sews itself back together, if you feel up to it."

 Galsariad looks uncertain, but his spirits seem to be buoyed some and his nerves calmed ever so slightly. At the very least, he seems to have gotten over the very worst of the battle shock with Merek's gentle guidance. He gives a wan smile and nods. Ayo smiles gratefully too and turns back to face the road and the forest ahead. 

Ylis scrambles into the seat and gives the reins a light flick, "Onward Rumble! Adventure awaits!"

"Did you know that not all black flying things are evil? Yeah yeah, it's true. In the make-pretend land of Kara-tur, they have great big moths, which of course are black. But when they come and stay by your house they are the spirits of a loved one. So often, when a near relative dies, a black moth would come to say hi."

The two wagons roll on into the dense forest. The overcast sky disappear from under the tightly woven branches of the trees, darkening everything around the party even further. 

DM: Dim Light to 60ft, Darkness beyond that. 

As the two parties travel the narrow road, just wide enough for one wagon and shoulders enough for another wagon to squeeze by, the party can see shadows and moving things in the trees. The parties are being watched, surely, and reflective eyes blink into and out of your visual range. 

You break for a midday meal and while you feast, a scream that sounds human, but also decidedly not is heard in the distance, then silence. At one point, you chase off a wispy, small creature that had appeared in your food stock to try to steal some. It hisses at you and disappears, empty-handed. 

Near the end of the day, when the starved light begins to fade, the party realizes that they will not clear the forest today as anticipated. The end is nowhere in sight on this reasonably straight path. Up ahead though, there is what appears to be an overturned wagon.

As the parties draw closer, it is a battered ruin. The rear axel is broken, many of the spokes of one wheel are torn free, and the harness where the beast of burden would be is caked in far too much dried blood. 

Randa greatly enjoyed the walk through the forest...it was not as dense or lush as home was but still it was nice to be beneath trees once more.

Randa moved forward to see how long ago this had occured and to try and pick up any tracks or spoor that might tell what had attacked the wagon.

Survival- ( To investigate Wagon and surrounds)-23

Nature- ( To identify wisp and scream)-17

Ylis begins flicking tiny bits of waybread to the side of the trail to coax the creature to return and maybe get a better look.

*1 day of rations expended. 

Randa can see many tracks surrounding the overturned wagon, none of which are humanoid. Most are tracks from creatures Randa is familiar with, predators and scavengers. But some are alien to her. By her best estimate, some are monstrosities. That surely is the sound of the scream from earlier and the creature that raided the rations was known as a br’er, a rabbit-like fey creature known to make a mess and generally be an inconvenience, but are usually harmless.

It would be hard for many to tease out the details of this wreckage, but Randa is exceptionally skillful with anything related to the wilds. She can see that this wreckage is fairly new. Perhaps a few days old. This was an ambush by the look of it. Some creatures are smart enough to plan and coordinate with each other. Lions, for example, often attack from multiple positions. Something similar happened here, where the wagon was scared into fleeing, then attacked from the front to cause it to turn so hard that the wooden axel burst.

Looking inside the wagon, Randa can see some of whomever drove this wagon. A blue silk sleeve with frills at the end cover an arm, and 12 golden rings for the 5 fingers, many of them jeweled. The rest of this person is nowhere to be seen.

They were not alone however. An orc made it to the trees after suffering a grievous wound. It wears a chain shirt that seems to be useful. At least, potentially more useful than it was for this poor soul.

An axe of dwarven make lies next to a bundle of general goods. It seems to not have even been touched before whatever happened to this group fell upon them. A war hammer, covered in black ichor and mud lies next to the wagon. A broken bow is nearby too. However, Randa also catches the scent of oxidized iron under the debris by the axe. She pulls back a blanket and finds an overturned heavy chest.

Ylis: Give me a Persuasion Check at Disadvantage.

Ylis Pursuasion check 4

DM: Lol, it seems the rations were not appetizing. As you have had to live on the hard tack in your travels, you perhaps may understand why.

Randa rapidly points out the weapons, armour and chest to those more skilled in appraising such things and retrieves the rings from the dead fingers.

" There was some cunning and thought behind this attack, I think."

" Perhaps the human-like scream we heard earlier belongs to whatever did this........definitely more than one attacker."

She set the rings down in front of Ayo and Ylis as she began to walk the boundary of the site, on watch for returning attackers.

Ylis frowns while looking at the rings and tries to remember her lessons on the arcane "Tear drops are fear and illusion, The sun burns intrusion, The hook dips into time, The tombstone when you're out of time...."

Ylis Arcana check 24

"Nobody would really THIS many magic rings but might as well look at them right?" she says to herself.

OOC: I’m assuming I just hop in, right? We’re retconning to say I’ve always been with the party? Once Mezz and whomever else joins start posting, could we get a bit of a recap on some of the major events so far? 

Sacha looks upon the wrecked wagon with a grimace. She recognizes the rings as a symbol of wealth among settled folks. What drove such a rich group to travel this dangerous forest? If only they could have arrived earlier, maybe Sacha could have protected them. 

“The wagon has been overturned. If someone helps me, we might be able to flip it upright,” she suggests. 

Athletics: 21

If she succeeds, she looks underneath. Is there anything underneath the wagon? 

Perception: 24

If she doesn’t find anything, she goes to the Orc to inspect it’s wound and the armor. She looks for obvious wounds. Where was it wounded? Does it look like claws, blunt force trauma, or something else killed it? And are there any signs of scavengers having picked at the body?

Investigation: 9

Orcs are quite a bit bigger than wood elves. Would the chain shirt fit her if she were to wear it? 

"Uh mmm..." the white bunny girl pauses in thought.

"Hey Sacha, remember that celebration back at uh...Jigow? I gotta tell ya the pie eating part was the hardest. I mean, I know there was the swimming with sharks thing but have you ever had barf come up into your mouth and then have to swallow it back down?" Ylis shivers.

"I think the giant turtle dudes would have been good right about now but getting one would have required a dragon hoard to afford." When the horse makes grumbling noises she reassures him, "Aw Rumble don't worry so much, those turtles would be great! We could fir your whole barn and a exercise yard on the back!"

"Anyway, what do you think about Randa getting the god amulet? I'm of two brains on that. One - YAY! a legendary thingie! Other - oh man..the responsibility....So yeah, I'm glad it wasn't me that got it." she shrugs.

"I'm glad you're here though, your muscles are good for more than just goblin tossing!"

OOC: Thank you!

Sacha nods her head, recalling their journeys. "Yes, the pie tasted good. But I quickly learned that it's possible to have too much of a good thing. If my memory serves me right, I ate a bit more than you did, but still lost." 

"The turtles reminded me of home, in a strange way. Everything is too . . . static in most of the lands I've travelled to. It was good to meet other nomads." (OOC: I'm assuming this is about horizonback tortoises. I tried searching this thread to find what you were referencing. Disregard this part if I'm misunderstanding.)

"The Changebringer is a fickle maiden. She loves and tests her children. Many don't survive. Her trials are great, but her rewards are often greater. I, too, do not envy Randa's burden. And the gods' gifts can end up acting more as curses than boons." 

DM: Correct Leviathan, you have been with the party since at least Jigow; the beginning of this adventure. The party has been active together for the last 10 years in-game. I will allow you and the party to determine exactly where you came into play, but at the latest, the start of this adventure which has been going for 3 days now, in-game. 

I will absolutely do a full recap once Mezz is ready too. 

OOC: sumup

Wagon blocking the road.

Draft animals are gone.

Arm in fancy sleeve with rings.

Dead Ork in chain.

Warhammer with icor, broken bow, axe with oxyclean smell.

Blanket with chest.

Recap

The Fellowship returned from many years traveling apart on their own solo adventures. The Festival of Merit had arrived, the famed harvest celebration, where games are held in the city of Jigow. For those from the Dwendalian Empire, rumors of the highly competitive people of Jigow are fairly well known. Many Dwendalians cross the border to test themselves in the Festival of Merit. For those of the Kryn Dynasty, the city of Jigow evokes both a sense of pride and frustration. The surly people of Jigow are often resistant to the firm authority of the Dynasty, but were also a mighty diplomatic win for the Dynasty when their Kryn diplomats organized peace between the goblinkin and orcs of Jigow. In fact, it was this marriage of the two peoples which ultimately led them to accept Kryn rule.

Anyone traveling from beyond the Dwendalian Empire or Kryn Dynasty will likely not have heard of the Festival of Merit unless they are specifically seeking unique ways to challenge themselves.

When the Fellowship arrived, they immediately began festivities, enjoying things like pie-eating contests, mazes, races, and so on. Most in the Fellowship won, but the one time they did lose was in a swim race against Ayo, a water genasi orc with exceptional ability in the water. She is young, eager, and brash. She has the competitive streak of her people, but also a powerful desire to one day become a history-making hero.

Along with her is her lifelong friend Dermot, a goblin cleric. His family of 11 brothers and sisters are all talented in some way, but Dermot has never sought fame or fortune; he just wants a quiet life and to keep everyone safe. However, when Ayo announced her intention to win the Festival of Merit championship this year and to use the winnings to begin her adventures, Dermot knew she could get hurt and decided to leave his quiet life behind to protect her.

Maggie, a massive ogre with a brain arrived in Jigow a few weeks back. She is a hardened mercenary and a lover of reading and having discussions of tactics. Ayo immediately saw deep thoughts behind the ogre eyes and befriended Maggie. Maggie adores Ayo for seeing the shadow cast by her mind rather than her body and would kill near anyone to protect Ayo.

Galsariad is a Kryn (drow) wizard and fairly unpracticed. The party has not learned much from him yet other than what Merek was able to recently pull out of him; he brings shame to his family and is starting his profession in magic far later than most Kryn or elves tend to do. He is reasonably intelligent, as far as wizards go, but is prideful and sensitive to criticisms of his magical stumbles.

Irvan Wastewalker is a human and one of the last to join Ayo’s party (the day before yesterday) and is a bit of a mystery. His surname belongs to an infamous band of nomadic murderers and raiders here in the Wastes. Ayo asked him to join because of his exceptional skill with his daggers. His vice seems to be alcohol, however, and he doesn’t seem to care much about the mission the two parties share (detailed below).

Entropy, a yellow tiefling is also a member that few have gotten to know. She joined Ayo’s crew during the games, same as Irvan, and she seems to want nothing more than to vanquish evil, using the most violent means at her disposal. She is a terror with her sword, which seems to delight her much.

These 6 party members formed Ayo’s crew and since they were all victors of their own games (or placed second in games that included the Fellowship), they were invited to the championship race, the winner of which would be granted a sizable coin purse and major discounts on all wares and services for the entire year.

The rules: bring back the Emerald Eye, a massive jewel buried deep within the grotto near the port city. The race began and the Fellowship and Ayo’s crew bolted into the grotto. They took diverging paths and endured incredible dangers in the underwater cave. At the end, the Fellowship found a massive shark draped with the emerald, which attacked them immediately.

Battle commenced and Randa performed exceptionally well, trying to retrieve the Eye without harming the shark. Late into the fight, a badly beaten Ayo and her party caught up and joined the fray with the goal of gaining the Eye. However, when Randa was nearly to be killed by the shark, Ayo risked her life to save her.

Doing so meant that she gave up the Eye however, as the Fellowship scooped it up. The Fellowship then slayed the shark which, in its death throes, collided with a pillar and knocked a hole into a wall, revealing a hidden tunnel of light. The Fellowship hesitated, Ayo dove in while her party chased after.

When the Fellowship followed, they found a hidden (and dry) oasis, where an amulet was sitting on a crystal pedestal. No one wanted to touch it, not even the rash Ayo. Randa took it upon herself to touch it, which triggered a terrifying vision.

You all see a vision of an ancient hero (detailed here) named Alyxian, who begs you to help free him from his prison. You all lost consciousness and when you woke, Ayo and her friends were hauling you out of the grotto, where they declared you the winner (Ayo’s idea and one that not everyone in her party was in agreement on).

The next day, the Elder revealed that he had seen the jewel and it is a Vestige of Divergence, called the Jewel of Three Prayers, which he took as an omen of something great in the near future, for better or worse. He also knew little of it other than it is dangerous and no one accidentally finds a Vestige. He encouraged the party to find answers in a city named Bazzoxan, a place currently under martial law by the Kryn, though no one knows why.

The elder, Ushru, also granted you the deed to some property he had in Ank’Harel, the Jewel of Hope. He had the property held from his youth but hadn’t been back in decades. He saw no reason to return now as his life is in Jigow. Because the party inherited the Jewel of Three Prayers and because of Ayo, a person the elder feels somewhat connected to, Ushru signed it over to the two parties to make it their base of operations. However, because the property had been unoccupied for so long, the caretaker in Ank’Harel needs to fix it up. They will contact you once it is built. In case you were wondering, this is me working Bastions into the adventure. Please see post 3 in the OOC PM for details.

The party set off after acquiring a wagon and steed and on day one, encountered a gloomstalker corpse, and on day two, its still woefully alive companions, which attacked you. You survived, continued your journey, and have now come upon an overturned wagon in a small forest along the path to Bazzoxan.

Note: it is a 12 day journey to Bazzoxan from Jigow at a normal pace. You can travel faster or slower if you want to take on the modifiers to travel doing so, but so far the party is traveling at a normal pace.

Thank you! 

Ylis looks over the rings piled up before her and Ayo. Ayo herself looks deeply displeased over how they came by such a treasure.

“12 rings. Could be a coincidence, but there are 12 of us.” Dermot says and shivers hard at the possibility that this was no coincidence. He looks over his shoulder and inches a little closer to Ayo.

None of the rings smell of magic to Ylis, but they do seem undeniably valuable. Perhaps these bloody rings will fetch a fancy price in the market. The owner doesn’t appear to have any need for them, at least.

Sacha is able to easily turn the wagon over herself. Her muscles bulge and her skin strains under the effort, but Sacha finds a point of leverage and tips the wagon back over. It crashes back upright and leans back into the busted rear in a way that seems rather forlorn for an inanimate object; unless a professional takes the time to repair the broken axel and ruined back wheel, it will never serve its purpose again.

Sacha nearly steps on another body underneath as she righted the wagon. Quite dead, of course. It seems the wagon crushed her. A drow, likely Kryn though maybe not… the eyes are wrong. Blood red. Kryn drow eyes are shades of purple, blue, or gray. The eyes of this drow match those of Lolth raiders beneath Sacha’s forests.

The orc body was cut many times. By the look of it, something had the orcs back and clawed at his front. The chain shirt is unmarked, which speaks to its quality, but right where the shirt ends and flesh begins, there are several deep gouges. Up the neck, down the lower arms and legs. It almost looks like the orc pulled itself free through a collection of blades, then bled out just before cresting the small hill into the deeper forest.

No scavengers have picked at the body, though the size of the wagon does suggest that it had a company of greater than one orc, one drow, and one maybe human person of wealth.

The chain shirt has adjustable clasps, in fact, which were set to one of the larger settings for the orc. With some minor adjustments while donning it, it could quite easily fit the elven frame.