Mola greets Griff warmly. He quietly lets Gwin fill the Harper leadership in on their adventure.
(Has Mola been to the Nether Mountains?)
He smiles in surprise to see Hadrus. "Well, the Pikes are going to be looking for you in Yartar. Might want to send them a note."
He'll help to recount the tale, and add in things as he can. "There is also this woman, a half-elf, Aralea. These enclaves of yak-men, they're not related to the Emerald Enclave, are they?"
During a quiet moment, he'll ask, "Has anyone been to the grandfather tree in a while? Is it okay? It seems we keep finding more questions."
The Nether Mountains have a western and eastern range, which are divided by the Moon Pass, through which the Rauvin River flows. The Harpers' primary focus--opposing the abuse of power and helping the oppressed and poor--has little to no overlap with the goings on in the remote, dark peaks of the Nethers. Therefore, none of the party members have any personal experience with this part of Faerun. Each of you has heard that tribes of orcs and hobgoblins are abundant in the mountains and , furthermore, that blue dragons are not uncommon there. Mount Thorog stands in the eastern range of the Nether Mountains.
He smiles in surprise to see Hadrus. "Well, the Pikes are going to be looking for you in Yartar. Might want to send them a note."
"I'll do one better, Mola. I shall be in Yartar before they arrive," Hadrus replies enigmatically.
"I believe you're welcome to know that this tower is connected to a particular location in Yartar by a teleportation circle," he explains. "Vital to the Harpers' success."
"There is also this woman, a half-elf, Aralea. These enclaves of yak-men, they're not related to the Emerald Enclave, are they?"
"Not at all. The Enclave works in harmony with the Harpers in many ways. Aralea may be very useful; so too may her friend Rhom. I suggest you keep that meeting with him. I would very much like to know what comes of it."
"Has anyone been to the grandfather tree in a while? Is it okay? It seems we keep finding more questions."
Mola's question is met with half a minute of silence before Griff speaks up. "Many are wondering the same. Has the tree begun to unleash some sort of ancient evil?"
Hadrus adds, "No Harper, to my knowledge, has visited the Grandfather Tree in decades. There's been no reason for such a dangerous endeavor. The Enclave, however, may have a different story, Mola. The wilderness is...well...their specialty."
Mola does a single, percussive grunt-laugh, arms crossed, and a smile creeping across his face when Hadrus talks of teleportation.
He follows up to Griff and Hadrus about the Grandfather Tree, asking if they're allowed to know why other people are wondering about it, and what we know of the dangers around it. "There was that note the Pikes left, but they don't remember writing it. So someone else does. Maybe when someone else was controlling them? Perhaps a yak fugue state. And we've heard the Tree Ghosts bury their dead around it. Seems like that could turn bad. Are there other reasons the tree's dangerous? It's not just a tree then."
Rixtonis opening the cabinets and looking inside them as he listens. He never seems to be able to sit still and just listen and this time is no different. "Is this for the Enclave to take over then? We may as well just commence preparations for these towns to defend themselves. The High Forest and and the Nether Mountains...they are really out of jurisdiction, no?"
His observation isn't so much a recommendation as an oblique way of pointing out they are quickly getting out of their depth.
He follows up to Griff and Hadrus about the Grandfather Tree, asking if they're allowed to know why other people are wondering about it, and what we know of the dangers around it. "There was that note the Pikes left, but they don't remember writing it. So someone else does. Maybe when someone else was controlling them? Perhaps a yak fugue state. And we've heard the Tree Ghosts bury their dead around it. Seems like that could turn bad. Are there other reasons the tree's dangerous? It's not just a tree then."
Griff explains that the Grandfather Tree has become a source of suspicion purely because the Tree Ghosts are behaving so unusually. "They revere one thing only: that tree."
"If it's more than a tree, then this is the first indication of such," adds Hadrus.
Rixtonis opening the cabinets and looking inside them as he listens. He never seems to be able to sit still and just listen and this time is no different. "Is this for the Enclave to take over then? We may as well just commence preparations for these towns to defend themselves. The High Forest and and the Nether Mountains...they are really out of jurisdiction, no?"
"Questions I've asked myself, Rixton," answers Hadrus. "I am persuaded that, for now, we have a role to play. Two of our own--Ferrian and Finnegas--were pulled into this, intentionally I believe. Aralea's involvement leads me to think the Emerald Enclave has been targeted as well. Our jurisdiction, as you say, may have just broadened."
Before the group leaves Moongleam Tower, Hadrus asks that you apprise him of what is learned from Rhom. "He's a scholar of history. Who knows what he might dig up."
Addressing Rixton directly, Hadrus says, "I'll contact High Sorcerer Vaeril in the meantime. If anything is garnered from the captured Tree Ghost tribe member, I will pass it on to all of you."
A few hours later, the four of you are once again seated with Aralea and Rhom in Dannivar's House. Rhom, sipping his wine as usual, is eager to provide a bit of history to the group.
"The Yikarian Empire was far away, in Zakhara, as Elrik has said. There is evidence, however, that since the fall of that empire centuries ago, some yikaria have established enclaves here in Faerun. They are secretive and dwell in the remotest of places. Mountain peaks, hostile deserts, underground labyrinths, impassable jungles, and so forth. They are malevolent and cruel masters of slaves. They are highly organized, maintaining a structured utopia, albeit an evil one. They are fiercely monotheistic, devoted to their faceless god, to whom they sacrifice the lives of others.
He opens a book and reads.
“With chanting and the beat of drums reverberating off the cavern walls throughout the ritual, the yikaria sacrificed four human slaves, each in a manner elemental. The first was buried while yet alive, in the manner of the earth. The next was thrown from a high place, in the manner of air. The third was doused with oil and set ablaze in the manner of fire. Lastly, in the manner of water, a slave lashed to a stone was thrown into a large cauldron of water wherein he drowned.”
He looks up from the book and remarks, “Elemental magic is their fascination and delight."
Rhom takes a long, deliberate pause, during which he empties the contents of his wine glass. “Of all that you have told me, the most intriguing and unnerving thing is this notion that you, Aralea, and the Pikes were unaware of their surroundings and their actions for many days on end.”
He begins to read from the book again.
“If a yikarian was physically able to touch another being, it could possess the body. This process took several minutes to complete, but once concluded, the yikarian had complete access to the possessed individual’s memories, skill, and abilities.”
Turning the book for all to see, Rhom shows an illustration of a yikaria:
Lastly, the old dragonborn summarizes what he knows of the Grandfather Tree. "The tree is...or was..an arakhor, which is Elvish for tree warden. It was summoned millennia ago by the elves to guard the location of something called the Hall of Mists, for fear of the evil inside. Over the following millennia, the arakhor grew and became known as the Grandfather Tree. What is the Hall of Mists, you ask? Information is scant, but it seems it was a stronghold for a group of sages devoted to studying the most primitive forms of magic. I know nothing more."
Thanking Rhom for his time, the group bids him and Aralea farewell and returns to Moongleam Tower for a final meeting with Hadrus. "Rhom did not disappoint," he remarks.
Hadrus then summarizes what Vaeril "learned" from the captured Tree Ghost. "Greatchief Boorvald Orcbane has declared the age of the Tree Ghosts is now come. The Grandfather Tree has confirmed this to the tribe's shamans through many visions."
Hadrus shakes his head, indicating his dislike for what he's learned this evening. "Maybe the tree is the problem."
"As I suspected, the Harpers are venturing into unknown territory. We may need some additional equipment. Can the Harper's help in this regard? Nothing outrageous, just basic supplies."
Whether or not financial support comes from Hadrus, Rixtonwill purchase:
Rixtonrequests to carry one of the potions of healing. At the enchanter's shop, he delights in the staff of birdcalls, paying for it immediately. When he shows it off to everyone else, they can only hope he will tire of it quickly...
“So we are to look into what’s wrong with this tree, and try to remove the yikaria from the area, right? Maybe protect the Hall of Mists? Not kill the tree or anything like that? Just wanted to get on the same stage, so to speak.”
He looks to Gwin with a smile.
Did Aralea express interest in going to look into this?
Mola is impressed at Rixton’s preparation. He’s a bit concerned about the power of the yikaria to take over minds, so he looks at enchanters shops for anything that would help keep someone’s mind their own. He tells the group about the compass he found, and brainstorms a bit about what it could be used for. He also brushes up on his Primordial.
Did Aralea express interest in going to look into this?
Yes, when the group departed Dannivar's House it was understood that Aralea remains committed to learning why she was targeted by the yikaria. I accidentally omitted this.
Mola...looks at enchanters shops for anything that would help keep someone’s mind their own.
Mola's search for such a warding item doesn't turn up much; he does, however, stumble upon an Orb of Shielding (Psychic) in a curiosity shop. Its owner is asking 127 pieces of gold for it.
“So we are to look into what’s wrong with this tree, and try to remove the yikaria from the area, right? Maybe protect the Hall of Mists? Not kill the tree or anything like that? Just wanted to get on the same stage, so to speak.”
"Yes, removing the yikaria...and determining what interest they have in any of this," responds Hadrus.
"Regarding the Hall of Mists, I'm uncertain, however. Is that the true cause of these troubles? Has it corrupted the Grandfather Tree? So, destroying the tree may be necessary, Mola. I cannot say for certain."
(We shall soon leave Everlund behind! Just waiting to hear from Gwin and Jheric about any final preparations they wish to make).
Gwin had been listening with almost trance-like intent, stroking an invisible beard on her chin, but at Mola's jape her eyes smiled. It sounds like we first need to make for the Grandfather Tree and see what we can uncover there. I am ready to leave at a moment's notice. I perused some of the shops hoping to find some magical shoes to make me more fleet of foot, but alas I found none.
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‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
“We really should try to find out any way we can make it harder for these yikaria to take over minds. It would be very hard to have to fight them plus one of us they have stolen. I found an orb that protects against psychic energy but I don’t think they would work against the yak men.”
"It is a definite concern," Rixton says. "But lets not rely on that one defense. We should make sure we are equipped for battle at range, that we have good defenses against sneak attacks, and perhaps a code word or phrase that only we five know to test if we have been compromised."
This Harper business was getting too much out of hand for Jheric. Evil yak-people that possess bodies, a sentient tree directing barbarians on a warpath, and a threat that stretches across the whole region....what did he get himself into? He was just an investigator, albeit a damn good one with a lot more tricks than the guard, who got tangled up with what he thought was just an independent group in the city. It was too late to back out now, though. He wouldn't be able to go home knowing all this was happening and he just walked away. With a heavy sigh, he focused on the next step and tried to ignore the rest.
Travel. Travel was next, and those first few days out of Yartar made him realize he could handle himself but was grossly unprepared. However he was nothing if not resourceful under pressure, and experimented enough until he learned to create a rudimentary shelter. Nothing fancy, but it was warm and dry. However it still didn't make the ground any softer. Luckily, his benefactors offered to supply anything needed. So, he took a walk for a little while and made a list.
3 Flasks of Oil
2 Blankets
1 Tinderbox
1 Mess Kit
1 Rain Catcher
With his modest shopping list filled, Jheric returns to the others for one final piece of business. "There's this spell we would use when tracking a particularly elusive suspect or fugitive. It uses either a specially-crafted horn or spyglass - Usually it was kept in a secure room for use to loaned out with enchantments for quick return. I was able to see and hear everything happening from far off. Very handy when you need information or to know what you're getting into." Jheric hesitates a moment before getting into the catch, "However I talked to our quartermaster one time - really jittery and particular type about his supplies - and he said these things are on the order of 100gp a piece. That's 100gp per article. From that point on, I stopped signing them out unless I absolutely needed to. Even then, I walked around like I was carrying the king's balls in my palm. I guess what I'm saying, is I don't have enough on me for one, but it could really help us to have even one of the two. We could either see if the Harpers can loan us one, or I can shell out everything I have if you all can squeeze a little to cover the rest."
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
With their sights set on the Grandfather Tree and hoping they've outfitted themselves appropriately for whatever lies before them, the five adventurers depart Everlund through the Bridge Gate. Rixton celebrates the beginning of the journey by summoning an eagle's shriek from his staff of birdcalls, and Jheric reflects with satisfaction on the fact that his component pouch now contains--complements of the Harpers in Moongleam Tower--a small, jeweled horn and a glass eye. Mola made certain that Tarnie's saddlebags contain an abundance of sugar beets and apples, and Gwin wonders if her discovery of the yikarian high place on Mount Thorog will have any significance in the days to come.
Aralea is outfitted in studded leather, a scimitar, a longbow, and a quiver full of arrows. How and where she procured her armor and weapons she does not offer to tell, which merely reinforces to the other group members that there might be more to this wood elf than meets the eye.
After briefly traveling southward on the Evermoor Way, they cut across the open fields that border the outlying farmlands. The High Forest looms ahead, a seeming fortress-like wall of verdant green. With a few hours of daylight remaining, the party takes its first steps under the shadows of ancient trees of the forest. They are met with a noticeable change in the air and mood; the place feels mysterious and, somehow, unhappy with the group's presence. The crunching of leaves and twigs beneath the party's feet seems like an unwelcome intrusion into this quiet world.
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Weather 76 | Encounter 4, 7, 1 | Survival 23
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During the night hours of day two in the forest, Mola is on watch when he notices that Gwin and Jheric begin behaving oddly in their sleep. The cleric and the wizard first become restless, moving their hands and arms as if they're shooing something away; soon after, they begin to mumble incoherently. What they say makes no sense, but Mola can discern the distress in their voices. He approaches them and, in a start, both awaken.
Gwin sits up, breathing heavily, and her dream--or nightmare, or vision--is perfectly vivid in her mind: she wanders through a damp, foggy, featureless world, and with each step she takes she becomes less tangible, less real, as if she herself is becoming a fog, a mere ethereal vapor. Loved ones call to her for help; she rushes to them but can do nothing because she cannot touch anything. She merely passes through objects and people because she no longer has any material form. Her loved ones, at first, weep because they receive no aid. Their weeping quickly turns to anger, then rage, as they realize Gwin will not help them. She pleads with them, screaming that she is trying, that she would never forsake them, but they cannot hear her, for her voice, like her body, lacks substance.
Jheric's eyes snap open, and, bewildered, he stares at Mola, for it was in Jheric's troubling dream that Mola repeatedly turned Jheric into some kind of helpless animal that he would then immediately kill or maim with great satisfaction. First, Jheric was transformed into a rabbit which Molasmashed with a club; then Jheric became a frog that Mola tossed into a pot of boiling water; then a butterfly that had its wings ripped off; lastly, a fish gasping for air as Mola repeatedly kicked him across the forest floor.
Both Gwin and Jheric, despite the hours of sleep they received before their dreams, feel very un-rested. In fact, they feel weakened and drained physically and mentally.(Both characters' hit point maximum is reduced by 10).
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Curious," Rixton says upon hearing of these dreams and their effects. He considers what he has heard in his readings and discussions with people about the effects on outsiders entering the High Forest.
History: 18
Between thinking about the High Forest and packing up his gear and preparing one of the worst breakfasts he or anyone has every eaten, Rixtonalso spends some time trying to formulate a call-and-answer pass phrase for detecting any compromised part members.
"Before I tell you what I've come up with," he says. "Let's try and verify that we are all who we claim to be. Since we are already in the High Forest and experiencing some unusual effects, that is. Just state three things that involve specifics that one or more of us know to be true. For example, Gwinbeat me at the archery contest, much to my regret. Molaconvinced Tarnie to come with us and the damned mule has the easiest of us. Araleatook my short bow and somehow turned it into a long bow."
Rixtonnarrows his eyes at the woman on that last remark. "Gwin, Jheric, let's make sure you are the you I know and annoy. Molaand Araleaas well."
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Mola greets Griff warmly. He quietly lets Gwin fill the Harper leadership in on their adventure.
(Has Mola been to the Nether Mountains?)
He smiles in surprise to see Hadrus. "Well, the Pikes are going to be looking for you in Yartar. Might want to send them a note."
He'll help to recount the tale, and add in things as he can. "There is also this woman, a half-elf, Aralea. These enclaves of yak-men, they're not related to the Emerald Enclave, are they?"
During a quiet moment, he'll ask, "Has anyone been to the grandfather tree in a while? Is it okay? It seems we keep finding more questions."
The Nether Mountains have a western and eastern range, which are divided by the Moon Pass, through which the Rauvin River flows. The Harpers' primary focus--opposing the abuse of power and helping the oppressed and poor--has little to no overlap with the goings on in the remote, dark peaks of the Nethers. Therefore, none of the party members have any personal experience with this part of Faerun. Each of you has heard that tribes of orcs and hobgoblins are abundant in the mountains and , furthermore, that blue dragons are not uncommon there. Mount Thorog stands in the eastern range of the Nether Mountains.
"I'll do one better, Mola. I shall be in Yartar before they arrive," Hadrus replies enigmatically.
"I believe you're welcome to know that this tower is connected to a particular location in Yartar by a teleportation circle," he explains. "Vital to the Harpers' success."
"Not at all. The Enclave works in harmony with the Harpers in many ways. Aralea may be very useful; so too may her friend Rhom. I suggest you keep that meeting with him. I would very much like to know what comes of it."
Mola's question is met with half a minute of silence before Griff speaks up. "Many are wondering the same. Has the tree begun to unleash some sort of ancient evil?"
Hadrus adds, "No Harper, to my knowledge, has visited the Grandfather Tree in decades. There's been no reason for such a dangerous endeavor. The Enclave, however, may have a different story, Mola. The wilderness is...well...their specialty."
Mola does a single, percussive grunt-laugh, arms crossed, and a smile creeping across his face when Hadrus talks of teleportation.
He follows up to Griff and Hadrus about the Grandfather Tree, asking if they're allowed to know why other people are wondering about it, and what we know of the dangers around it. "There was that note the Pikes left, but they don't remember writing it. So someone else does. Maybe when someone else was controlling them? Perhaps a yak fugue state. And we've heard the Tree Ghosts bury their dead around it. Seems like that could turn bad. Are there other reasons the tree's dangerous? It's not just a tree then."
Rixton is opening the cabinets and looking inside them as he listens. He never seems to be able to sit still and just listen and this time is no different. "Is this for the Enclave to take over then? We may as well just commence preparations for these towns to defend themselves. The High Forest and and the Nether Mountains...they are really out of jurisdiction, no?"
His observation isn't so much a recommendation as an oblique way of pointing out they are quickly getting out of their depth.
Griff explains that the Grandfather Tree has become a source of suspicion purely because the Tree Ghosts are behaving so unusually. "They revere one thing only: that tree."
"If it's more than a tree, then this is the first indication of such," adds Hadrus.
"Questions I've asked myself, Rixton," answers Hadrus. "I am persuaded that, for now, we have a role to play. Two of our own--Ferrian and Finnegas--were pulled into this, intentionally I believe. Aralea's involvement leads me to think the Emerald Enclave has been targeted as well. Our jurisdiction, as you say, may have just broadened."
Before the group leaves Moongleam Tower, Hadrus asks that you apprise him of what is learned from Rhom. "He's a scholar of history. Who knows what he might dig up."
Addressing Rixton directly, Hadrus says, "I'll contact High Sorcerer Vaeril in the meantime. If anything is garnered from the captured Tree Ghost tribe member, I will pass it on to all of you."
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A few hours later, the four of you are once again seated with Aralea and Rhom in Dannivar's House. Rhom, sipping his wine as usual, is eager to provide a bit of history to the group.
"The Yikarian Empire was far away, in Zakhara, as Elrik has said. There is evidence, however, that since the fall of that empire centuries ago, some yikaria have established enclaves here in Faerun. They are secretive and dwell in the remotest of places. Mountain peaks, hostile deserts, underground labyrinths, impassable jungles, and so forth. They are malevolent and cruel masters of slaves. They are highly organized, maintaining a structured utopia, albeit an evil one. They are fiercely monotheistic, devoted to their faceless god, to whom they sacrifice the lives of others.
He opens a book and reads.
“With chanting and the beat of drums reverberating off the cavern walls throughout the ritual, the yikaria sacrificed four human slaves, each in a manner elemental. The first was buried while yet alive, in the manner of the earth. The next was thrown from a high place, in the manner of air. The third was doused with oil and set ablaze in the manner of fire. Lastly, in the manner of water, a slave lashed to a stone was thrown into a large cauldron of water wherein he drowned.”
He looks up from the book and remarks, “Elemental magic is their fascination and delight."
Rhom takes a long, deliberate pause, during which he empties the contents of his wine glass. “Of all that you have told me, the most intriguing and unnerving thing is this notion that you, Aralea, and the Pikes were unaware of their surroundings and their actions for many days on end.”
He begins to read from the book again.
“If a yikarian was physically able to touch another being, it could possess the body. This process took several minutes to complete, but once concluded, the yikarian had complete access to the possessed individual’s memories, skill, and abilities.”
Turning the book for all to see, Rhom shows an illustration of a yikaria:
Lastly, the old dragonborn summarizes what he knows of the Grandfather Tree. "The tree is...or was..an arakhor, which is Elvish for tree warden. It was summoned millennia ago by the elves to guard the location of something called the Hall of Mists, for fear of the evil inside. Over the following millennia, the arakhor grew and became known as the Grandfather Tree. What is the Hall of Mists, you ask? Information is scant, but it seems it was a stronghold for a group of sages devoted to studying the most primitive forms of magic. I know nothing more."
Thanking Rhom for his time, the group bids him and Aralea farewell and returns to Moongleam Tower for a final meeting with Hadrus. "Rhom did not disappoint," he remarks.
Hadrus then summarizes what Vaeril "learned" from the captured Tree Ghost. "Greatchief Boorvald Orcbane has declared the age of the Tree Ghosts is now come. The Grandfather Tree has confirmed this to the tribe's shamans through many visions."
Hadrus shakes his head, indicating his dislike for what he's learned this evening. "Maybe the tree is the problem."
"As I suspected, the Harpers are venturing into unknown territory. We may need some additional equipment. Can the Harper's help in this regard? Nothing outrageous, just basic supplies."
Whether or not financial support comes from Hadrus, Rixton will purchase:
Blanket
Caltrops
Chalk (10)
Climber's kit
Fishing tackle
Hammer
Hunting trap
Manacles
Steel mirror
Flask of oil (4)
Piton (10)
Rations (10)
Silk rope
Signal whistle
Soap (5)
Tent
Brewer's supplies
Dice set
Total: 78 gold, 7 silver, 5 copper
If the Harper's give some additional funds, he will also buy
Acid
Antitoxin
Viol
Total: 105 gold
If the Harper's provide sufficient gold to cover all of the above expenses, Rixton will check out the enchanter's shops to see what they have.
(Assuming we are taking our mounts with us, he will put some of this equipment in his saddlebags remain unencumbered.)
Rixton would also like to sell his rapier and buy a new shortbow and arrows.
Regarding any preparations the adventurers would like to make before leaving Everlund...
Having no need to spend his own gold, Rixton wonders if he might find anything useful that he can afford from the enchanter's shop...
Rixton requests to carry one of the potions of healing. At the enchanter's shop, he delights in the staff of birdcalls, paying for it immediately. When he shows it off to everyone else, they can only hope he will tire of it quickly...
I'm just going to assume he donated his rapier (and quarterstaff) to the Harpers and picked up a spare shortbow and arrows from them in return.
“So we are to look into what’s wrong with this tree, and try to remove the yikaria from the area, right? Maybe protect the Hall of Mists? Not kill the tree or anything like that? Just wanted to get on the same stage, so to speak.”
He looks to Gwin with a smile.
Did Aralea express interest in going to look into this?
Mola is impressed at Rixton’s preparation. He’s a bit concerned about the power of the yikaria to take over minds, so he looks at enchanters shops for anything that would help keep someone’s mind their own. He tells the group about the compass he found, and brainstorms a bit about what it could be used for. He also brushes up on his Primordial.
Perfect.
Yes, when the group departed Dannivar's House it was understood that Aralea remains committed to learning why she was targeted by the yikaria. I accidentally omitted this.
Mola's search for such a warding item doesn't turn up much; he does, however, stumble upon an Orb of Shielding (Psychic) in a curiosity shop. Its owner is asking 127 pieces of gold for it.
Mola thanks the proprietor for the offer but allows that the price is too high for him and he departs with a half salute.
(Dis Hadrus have any response to Mola’s attempt the clarify the mission? Also did the party?)
"Yes, removing the yikaria...and determining what interest they have in any of this," responds Hadrus.
"Regarding the Hall of Mists, I'm uncertain, however. Is that the true cause of these troubles? Has it corrupted the Grandfather Tree? So, destroying the tree may be necessary, Mola. I cannot say for certain."
(We shall soon leave Everlund behind! Just waiting to hear from Gwin and Jheric about any final preparations they wish to make).
Gwin had been listening with almost trance-like intent, stroking an invisible beard on her chin, but at Mola's jape her eyes smiled. It sounds like we first need to make for the Grandfather Tree and see what we can uncover there. I am ready to leave at a moment's notice. I perused some of the shops hoping to find some magical shoes to make me more fleet of foot, but alas I found none.
‘The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.’ - Buffy Summers
“We really should try to find out any way we can make it harder for these yikaria to take over minds. It would be very hard to have to fight them plus one of us they have stolen. I found an orb that protects against psychic energy but I don’t think they would work against the yak men.”
"It is a definite concern," Rixton says. "But lets not rely on that one defense. We should make sure we are equipped for battle at range, that we have good defenses against sneak attacks, and perhaps a code word or phrase that only we five know to test if we have been compromised."
This Harper business was getting too much out of hand for Jheric. Evil yak-people that possess bodies, a sentient tree directing barbarians on a warpath, and a threat that stretches across the whole region....what did he get himself into? He was just an investigator, albeit a damn good one with a lot more tricks than the guard, who got tangled up with what he thought was just an independent group in the city. It was too late to back out now, though. He wouldn't be able to go home knowing all this was happening and he just walked away. With a heavy sigh, he focused on the next step and tried to ignore the rest.
Travel. Travel was next, and those first few days out of Yartar made him realize he could handle himself but was grossly unprepared. However he was nothing if not resourceful under pressure, and experimented enough until he learned to create a rudimentary shelter. Nothing fancy, but it was warm and dry. However it still didn't make the ground any softer. Luckily, his benefactors offered to supply anything needed. So, he took a walk for a little while and made a list.
3 Flasks of Oil
2 Blankets
1 Tinderbox
1 Mess Kit
1 Rain Catcher
With his modest shopping list filled, Jheric returns to the others for one final piece of business. "There's this spell we would use when tracking a particularly elusive suspect or fugitive. It uses either a specially-crafted horn or spyglass - Usually it was kept in a secure room for use to loaned out with enchantments for quick return. I was able to see and hear everything happening from far off. Very handy when you need information or to know what you're getting into." Jheric hesitates a moment before getting into the catch, "However I talked to our quartermaster one time - really jittery and particular type about his supplies - and he said these things are on the order of 100gp a piece. That's 100gp per article. From that point on, I stopped signing them out unless I absolutely needed to. Even then, I walked around like I was carrying the king's balls in my palm. I guess what I'm saying, is I don't have enough on me for one, but it could really help us to have even one of the two. We could either see if the Harpers can loan us one, or I can shell out everything I have if you all can squeeze a little to cover the rest."
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser
Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale
Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
With their sights set on the Grandfather Tree and hoping they've outfitted themselves appropriately for whatever lies before them, the five adventurers depart Everlund through the Bridge Gate. Rixton celebrates the beginning of the journey by summoning an eagle's shriek from his staff of birdcalls, and Jheric reflects with satisfaction on the fact that his component pouch now contains--complements of the Harpers in Moongleam Tower--a small, jeweled horn and a glass eye. Mola made certain that Tarnie's saddlebags contain an abundance of sugar beets and apples, and Gwin wonders if her discovery of the yikarian high place on Mount Thorog will have any significance in the days to come.
Aralea is outfitted in studded leather, a scimitar, a longbow, and a quiver full of arrows. How and where she procured her armor and weapons she does not offer to tell, which merely reinforces to the other group members that there might be more to this wood elf than meets the eye.
After briefly traveling southward on the Evermoor Way, they cut across the open fields that border the outlying farmlands. The High Forest looms ahead, a seeming fortress-like wall of verdant green. With a few hours of daylight remaining, the party takes its first steps under the shadows of ancient trees of the forest. They are met with a noticeable change in the air and mood; the place feels mysterious and, somehow, unhappy with the group's presence. The crunching of leaves and twigs beneath the party's feet seems like an unwelcome intrusion into this quiet world.
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Weather 76 | Encounter 4, 7, 1 | Survival 23
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During the night hours of day two in the forest, Mola is on watch when he notices that Gwin and Jheric begin behaving oddly in their sleep. The cleric and the wizard first become restless, moving their hands and arms as if they're shooing something away; soon after, they begin to mumble incoherently. What they say makes no sense, but Mola can discern the distress in their voices. He approaches them and, in a start, both awaken.
Gwin sits up, breathing heavily, and her dream--or nightmare, or vision--is perfectly vivid in her mind: she wanders through a damp, foggy, featureless world, and with each step she takes she becomes less tangible, less real, as if she herself is becoming a fog, a mere ethereal vapor. Loved ones call to her for help; she rushes to them but can do nothing because she cannot touch anything. She merely passes through objects and people because she no longer has any material form. Her loved ones, at first, weep because they receive no aid. Their weeping quickly turns to anger, then rage, as they realize Gwin will not help them. She pleads with them, screaming that she is trying, that she would never forsake them, but they cannot hear her, for her voice, like her body, lacks substance.
Jheric's eyes snap open, and, bewildered, he stares at Mola, for it was in Jheric's troubling dream that Mola repeatedly turned Jheric into some kind of helpless animal that he would then immediately kill or maim with great satisfaction. First, Jheric was transformed into a rabbit which Mola smashed with a club; then Jheric became a frog that Mola tossed into a pot of boiling water; then a butterfly that had its wings ripped off; lastly, a fish gasping for air as Mola repeatedly kicked him across the forest floor.
Both Gwin and Jheric, despite the hours of sleep they received before their dreams, feel very un-rested. In fact, they feel weakened and drained physically and mentally.(Both characters' hit point maximum is reduced by 10).
"Curious," Rixton says upon hearing of these dreams and their effects. He considers what he has heard in his readings and discussions with people about the effects on outsiders entering the High Forest.
History: 18
Between thinking about the High Forest and packing up his gear and preparing one of the worst breakfasts he or anyone has every eaten, Rixton also spends some time trying to formulate a call-and-answer pass phrase for detecting any compromised part members.
"Before I tell you what I've come up with," he says. "Let's try and verify that we are all who we claim to be. Since we are already in the High Forest and experiencing some unusual effects, that is. Just state three things that involve specifics that one or more of us know to be true. For example, Gwin beat me at the archery contest, much to my regret. Mola convinced Tarnie to come with us and the damned mule has the easiest of us. Aralea took my short bow and somehow turned it into a long bow."
Rixton narrows his eyes at the woman on that last remark. "Gwin, Jheric, let's make sure you are the you I know and annoy. Mola and Aralea as well."