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[Spoilers Episode 15]
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Episode 15: Blood, Wine, and Moonlight
Last time, you began in the aftermath of the Battle for Mouse. Barabask's projection fading into the Winter sky, having declared you 'god killers'. Torian fled, sobbing, towards the castle. Having reasserted their trust in you all, the brothers followed him to offer some comfort. Left alone in the battlefield, Dolly began to search Morgan's body, her hands absent-mindedly touching his shadow, whereupon her visage changed to his and she sensed the last remnants of Morgan's turmoil in the hours before battle; how he wished to free himself of his compusion to fight. As Dolly sloughed off Morgan's features, the rest of you set to searching the bodies of the dead. Finding many carved stone whistles in the shape of skulls, as well as the numerous cloaks, masks, and gloves of the Gloam. I (tCntM) climbed to the top of the now ruined brewery and found Morgan's bedroll and personal effects. Among them was a letter, which Endellion/Ellowyn read and appeared to be from Morgan's mother. Endellion/Ellowyn headed deeper into the town of Mouse, where she found the body of Mina (master of arms for Castle Grēnweard) who had laid down her life buying time for the brothers to save the villagers as the Gloam attacked. Having paid her respect, you all headed back into the castle where you were greeted as heroes. You returned to Endellion/Ellowyn's room and discussed Rivenna and the Deck of Many Friends. Raidion telling the others that the Deck was too powerful an item for him to wield alone. The rest of you agreeing to use it only in moments of dire need. You dressed for dinner (I (tCntM) doing so with particular panache) before you dined with the Grēnweard family. Endellion/Ellowyn telling her family the story of how you came to be decried as 'god killers' and your involvement with The Web. You decided to journey to The Sanctum where Grawnoth had told you Parvus would be. Perhaps the Kobold Antiqua would have information on Themself (Kobold deity), the only Virtuous still unaccounted for. Dinner over, you made to leave. Torian taking Raidion's arm to ask about the Virtuous and the scene at the top of Mt Atria. Raidion spoke with him (and despite his previous penchant for telling believers that 'their gods are dead') he found the right words, perhaps for the first time. Torian emboldened by the strength he found in battle, told Raidion that he had something that could help Dolly; that she should see him before you leave. You split up and wandered the castle. Kelnys procuring a charcuterie platter for four as Dolly and Endellion/Ellowyn headed to the observatory at the top of the castle. There Dolly took Endellion/Ellowyn into her confidence revealing that she was also a native of Mouse, but she never felt the love for home that Endellion/Ellowyn had. Dolly took advantage of her new ability and assumed Morgan's visage once more, using his voice to contact The Spinner through a former associate's sending stone. "The supplies were delivered by the tiefling and the elf, but the Grēnweards held fast, Mouse stands." The reply from The Spinner arrived, "You know what this means, Morgan. She will pay the price." Back in Endellion/Ellowyn chambers, Kelnys shared out a stinky cheese and pickle platter before you all settled down to sleep. The next morning you woke, LEVELED UP, and (eager to learn what you could from the Grēnweards before you departed). Kylen schooled Kelnys in the use of martial weapons and gifted him a chain shirt so that he could be more aggressive in battle. Dolly went to see Torian and was given a book that could be studied to improve her constitution. Dolly questioned her friend's brother on the nature of good and evil, but the tiefling was wracked with doubt over matters of far greater significance. Her scent. Torian was instantly out of his depth but confimed that she smelled lovely. Finally, I (tCntM) was giften Kellin's magical Grēnweard crossbow, though the weapon was in need of attention from an armorer or blacksmith for it to function properly. The only condition demanded was that I was sworn to fight alongside his sister and keep her safe. He happily agreed. The party discussed Endellion/Ellowyn and her new name, with the Grēnweard daughter asking to be called Ellowyn from now on. Lesota gifted Ellowyn a large bag of gold originally intended for her dowry and mother and daughter shared a moment of understanding. Ellowyin then tracked down Agatha (her tutor) and asked for books that could help her teach I to read. Agatha found some suitable texts including a book of Ellowyn's own adventure stories written by her long ago. As you prepared to leave, you spotted Eden and his wife Isolde having a whispered argument. As your path to the Sanctum led you past Yannick (the open town where Isolde was raised) she wanted you to tell her mother Aeris (the Reeve (mayor) of Yannick) to relocate the populous to Mouse, thereby increasing the chance of both populations surviving another attack. You agreed to do so and then hit the road. Taking the path north towards Baruun, then crossing the Serafin river and heading into the woods known as Mab. That evening you returned to the tavern where you met Paddy and rested there that night, reaching the Serafin river the next morning. The river had changed, opaque and bright blue, much to the confusion of a dwarven fisher. Your investigations revealed nothing of use. The river behaved exactly as expected, the only change seeming to be the color. Despite your confusion there seemed little else to do and you continued over the bridge and into Mab. As you journeyed deeper into the woods, you began to smell herbs and perfume on the wind. On a verge beside the road you found wagon of hazelnut wood covered in layers of gossamer fabric. Sat at the rear of the wagon was a figure in robes the colors of Autumn leaves, their face hidden behind a golden mask with a long, hooked tube over the mouth. You recognized this figure as a member of The Gracious (an order of mystics who trade in scurrilous rumors, forgotten truths, and lost stories). Dolly wished to hear a truth and was taken into the wagon with the mystic, who she recognized as the senior member of the order (The Docent of Grace). Placing the end of the mask into Dolly's ear, the Docent breathed and whispered revealing that someone Dolly sought could be found in the Fort Forest in the southeast of the continent. Raidion was encouraged by the others to hear a truth of his own and under duress agreed to follow the Docent into the wagon. As she searched for a truth for Raidion, he was pulled into a vision. A figure with golden skin stood before and unscarred Raidion holding the bag that contains the Deck of Many Friends, then they spoke, "It will come for you Astarlis. Why? Why must you act on every impulse if you care about anything but yourself?" Raidion demanded that the vision stop and the Docent led him back out into the light to join his companions. As a token of good will, after the money the party had spent, she gifted them all a single line from a story. Then when she began to whisper to Kelnys, she shuddered and spoke something you first heard from the orbs in the peak of Mt Atria, "The Murk is thick, the Briar will hold." Kelnys, you feel the beak of this mask almost trembling. She takes a step back and the rest of you see she reaches out a hand as if to steady herself. Her masked face still turned towards you (Kelnys) and she says in a voice that you can barely hear, "I do not know this story."
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[Spoilers Episode 5]
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Episode 5: The Girl in the Cell
Last time we began in the aftermath of the fight with Jasmee. The five of you and (Housewives' Choice) Morgan, the newly dead, alone in the forest. Holding a letter in which Barabask had condemned you. Morgan told you it was time for him to depart; that he would be reporting back to The Spinner, who had been kept abreast of developments up to this point. Knowing that your path led towards Baruun, you said goodbye. Before the sounds of the Festival of Benediction and the promise of caramel treats proved impossible to resist. Dolly, I and Kelnys convincing Endellion and Raidion to let them 'check out' the market. You slipped unnoticed into the tents, I stealing his body weight in artisanal gnomish popcorn before Endellion was finally able to take the edge off with a goblet of spiced wine. Dolly spied an opportunity to make some quick coin and set up a store hawking the many spoons that Kelnys has made along his travels. A crowd soon gathered and spoons were selling like hotcakes before Endellion spotted Pollyanna (the junior cleric of Theolon who you first met when you entered the festival). Kelnys scrambled to gather his spoons as you all prepared to run before a clutch use of Thaumaturgy from Dolly attracted the attention of Pollyanna and the other festival goers to a new caramel seller's startup. It's rich story telling. You left the festival, and guided by Kelnys, you knew the roads well. Made your way to a tavern, the Old Oak. There you drank and ate your fill; Kelnys gifting Dolly an ornate spoon and I gleefully discovering the existence of high chairs. As the others made for their comfortable beds, Raidion sought out the quiet of the forest. He dug a hole in the earth and buried a deck of cards inside it, silencing the perpetual whispers and screams he could hear in his head. With that done, he burst into uncontrollable tears (God he's complicated, but I know I can fix him!) The next morning you headed for Baruun, taking a shortcut through the forest so as to avoid a ponderous journey by road. As you made your way through the dense trees and foliage, Kelnys spotted light and heard whispered voices. I (the character, not the me) and Raidion snuck forward, spying two figures dressed in slate gray cloaks with silver masks. They were disagreeing over their orders (to wait in the forest) with one of them relishing the chance to "bleed the council" and making particular reference to someone called Trusk. The other insisted that, having written the message, they were now to wait for further instructions. Raidion snuck back to relay this to the others and Dolly approached, but a misplaced step in the dry bracken alerted the vicars to her presence. She attempted to pass herself off as a lost traveler heading for the toilet miles from the road, but as she headed back into the dense forest I watched as the masked figures prepared to follow. The kobold bolted back to you all with Dolly still in the open and the others hid as an arrow flew from the trees and struck Dolly in the chest. Another followed and Dolly fell. Two enemies, one wielding an axe and the other a bow, approached to inspect the body. Raidion cast web, restraining two of them, as Endellion emerged to slice into the axe man. A third enemy emerged from the trees, wielding a rapier, and he too went on the attack. I was first to Dolly, bringing her back with a potion of greater healing and from this point on, Dolly rescued from death, it got pretty dark. Raidion killed the archer with a mote of acid. Before the rapier-wielding mask man battled with and (sliding a rapier between his ribs) downed Kelnys. I (the character, not the me) slew the axe man with a crossbow bolt as Dolly brought Kelnys back with a healing word. Raidion cast mind spike on the rapier wielder and gained the ability to psychically locate him. Realizing the danger he was in, your remaining enemy fled into the forest with the words, "the shadow will flood". Thanks to the Mind Spike, Raidion and I were able to track him through the trees before another well-placed crossbow bolt to the back brought the runner down. I approached, wearing a mask like that of his enemies (having cast silent image) and attempts to gain more information, but learning little. You discovered a letter on the body. Raidion arrived and begrudgingly praised I before reading the letter which said, "Camino, write the message on the mural, then return to the forest and wait. The water will soon rise." As Raidion put the letter in his pack, he discovered the deck of cards he buried in the forest had returned to him. As you searched the bodies in the area around the campfire (where you had happened upon your enemies) you discovered black paint and and a brush before Raidion suggested that Dolly, Kelnys, and Endellion adopt the identity of the three enemies you had killed, and wait for instructions to arrive. This course of action decided on, you remained in the forest and that's where we are now.
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