Freedom over Order. Honor over Freedom.
The morning after defeating the gall and ending the storm I was informed that Whistlehollow was going to throw feast in our name to thank us in keeping the village safe. I thought this was a fine idea.
During breakfast a Tabaxi burst into the Tavern. At first I didn't recognize her but then she announced she was Gina and that she was the George I was Looking for. With that all the memories came flooding back. George, Gina, Georgina, of course. I remembered her from San Martin. She was an old acquaintance of mine and we may have had a thing before but it never worked out. Gina then claimed that she had the confession with her and one more thing.
She then reached behind her and nudged a Tabaxi kitten towards me. "Gatonio I want you to meet Junior. Junior this is Gatonio. Your Father."
My mind turned into mush at this. The Reaction on my face must have been priceless for our table exploded in laughter. After awhile I managed to compose myself. I gave Junior a look over. He was a Ginger Tabaxi just like me, Quite the Handsome looking child if I do say so myself and a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Yep this is my child alright and thank the gods she didn't give birth to a litter. At first I did not know what to say (Impossible!) but seeing my child and Gina giving me an expectant look I decided to just accept my faith. This was my child and I will not reject him. I gestured for Junior to come closer and I ruffled his head fur and said "Hello there son." I started just talking to him, he didn't say anything but he stared at me the whole time I was talking giving me his attention. I Handed Junior a Bag of 100gp but I shot Gina a look as if to let her know to spend the Money for the kids needs only. I then told them I will join them when My work in the Margreve is over. (I know, I still Hate the Margreve but I had a feel what ever was going down here and what ever will come to light I had a feeling it was going to be significant and it will need someone like me to set it all right. But still "Fuck the Margreve.") I also noticed that junior was sick I asked Stev and Dodgy to check up on him and see if they can heal him but sadly they said they can't.
Later on I shared what the owl told me last night with my Companions."To save the child you must also save the forest." I told the party that I think it means that in order to save Junior from the sickness that he has I had to save the Margreve as well. The group agreed that that may be the case. I then Climbed to tallest tree in town that I can find and actually meditated and actually ask the Margreve what I need to do in order to save my child. All I got in reply was a faint fading Heart beat coming from somewhere in the forest. I spend the rest of the time before the feast with Junior and Gina trying to get to know them both.
During the feast I was enjoying myself but I cast a longing look at some of the fine Señoritas in town thinking to myself if I did not have a child or an old woman now I would hit on that so quick their heads will spin. "You know creatures in the forest have been known to have multiple partners." Lavaell said suddenly appearing right next to me as if reading my thoughts. (Did he?) What he said pricked my interests but before I can ask the Feast was Disturbed.
The ogre from The Tower crashed into the town center and she had four vine creatures with her that looking like elk skeletons. When I first met her she'd been covered in horns and eyes, Now she was covered in plant like growth, as if she was changing into something else.
She shouted, "The King of Thorns promises that we shall rule this forest. Dryad, nymph, and vila will serve us; man and alseid, wolf and hag, will bow to us. The Kingdom of the Briar is coming," and With that It was on.
I told Junior and Gina to run and Hide I will handle this. I pulled out my bow ducked behind the tavern and took a shot at the ogre. It hit but she was till up. The rest of the Group did what we did best and focus our attacks on the Ogre. Eluine climbed the Tavern and Took a shot from the top of the tavern and the shot struck true. Really He's gonna try to upstage me? I climbed after him and then I gave him a wink before I jumped from the Tavern doing a 360 Spin before landing on the Ogres shoulders and thrusting my rapier into its neck. That didn't seem to get her attention and the ogre still focused its attacks on the rest of the party instead of me. Fine this will get her attention. I scuttled until I was looking at her eyes I them gave her my most beautiful smile before licking the Ring of the Ram and aiming it at her face. The force of the ring hit her with such strengths that it pushed her ten feet off the ground before falling on her ass (Try to Ignore me now!). I dismounted her before she staggered back. I did a corkscrew moon flip before landing on my feet and coming up spreading my arm out and Yelling "Are you not Entertained!" To the adoring crowd. I shot Junior a look as if to say "Watch how Daddy Works!". My Party finished the Ogre and her companions off pretty easily after that.
We consulted with Hazel after the battle and she cast a spell that would let her spy on the king of thorns and only to get back this message:
Thorn King nestles in a green enclasp,
Seekers find nothing but a thorny rasp.
His lair cannot be known or shown,
Thanks to the wisdom of a Spider Crone.
Great more Riddles.
In the morning we set out to find Baba Mavra, the Spider Crone. We retraced our steps but Her house wasn't at river where we first found it so we once again had to use Dodgy's Nail of pointing to lead us in the right direction.
That night I got woken up with a force that seems to miss me by inches. My eyes shot open I saw an odd sight a dwarf and a human fighting tentacles coming out of a box. I reached for my Swords and Engaged the box. It First I tried to use the Ring of the ram to push the Tentacled back into the box but when that didn't work I just used my swords. Eventually more of my companions came awake and we made short work of the tentacles enabling us to close the box.
The Dwarf and Two Humans then Explained themselves. Evidently the box was some kind of escape route for a heist that had gone almost well. They were supposed to meet up with some Khazzak bandits in Zobek using the box. They thanked us for helping them and then they reached into the bag they were carrying and gave us a nice saddle that sprouted wings. It was then that I heard dodgy's voice in my head "I wonder what else their keeping in there? Wanna find out?". Using my Ample skills I managed to get my hand into their bag and snag a pair of gloves. After they left Dodgy came out of nowhere, no doubt casting some sort of invisibility spell on himself. I Then showed him what I managed to steal. I was a Beautiful Pair of Gloves studded with gems. I Tried to give it to him but he said I should keep them to which I am happy to.
We Continued on our journey the next day and we ran into a cave. We Entered The cave and saw a humanoid with Multiple arms and a spider head, behind him were thick webs and giant spiders. He tried to talk to us but none of us could understand him. He then made a gesture like he was about to strike us and I acted. After a quick scrimmage The spider humanoid dropped his weapons and saluted us as if to surrender. I took his Rapier and we continued on and we found Baba Mavras house at back of the cave and we entered. To our Surprise Baba Mavra was there and we spoke to her for the first time and asked her Some questions. She told us the King of Thorns used to be a piney who was part of the Wild Hunt, but he'd changed and was something else now. More plant than piney. Originally she'd shown him how to hide his Palace Briar, but now was willing to aid us. She then gave us a magical spider that is capable of finding the King of Thorns and his Palace of Briars.
We were Following the Magical Spiders threads when we found an unusually Erie Totem. After some inspection we concluded it wasn't magical and was only giving us the uneasy vibe so we just continued on. After awhile we came before some plants that made a loud screeching. I tried to water the plant but it did nothing. We concluded that the plant was Harmless and was only making noise and attempted to move along. That was when we were attacked. The Creature was huge, a mass of plant and animal bones with the skull of a dead stag for a head, following him were crows cawing about the King of Thorns. The monster gave us a lot of problems during the battle, it can command animals, it can call on spiked roots to come out off the ground to attack us and its own claws where devastating. That was when I remembered the Hollow man and saw the resemblance of it and this monster before us. So I started lighting up bottles of oil and hurling it at the creature. After Awhile we managed to Burn the Creature down. What the Hell was this thing. We pressed on.
We ran into some creepy looking children on the way and they followed us to the Briar Palace which was in the Middle of a Series of Barrows. Surrounding it were a group of plant type creatures and undead looking plant type creatures. After some initial scouting by me, Eluine and Dodgy, Stevnar volunteered to draw all their attention while the rest of us Sneaked in. We Agreed on this plan. He Made a lot of noise and pranced about like like a magical pony which drew the attention of the creatures and they gave chase. After they were some distance away we snuck in with me leading the way to look for traps and scout ahead.
I picked lock and silently nudged doors while the party was behind me and the things I saw made me think we accidentally went through a portal to hell. Some rooms had this little plant creatures collecting blood from people that were impaled on large thorns in the ceiling bathing in the blood and chanting as they went along. Some Rooms looked like Laboratories of Mad Wizards and some just Contained What looked like either jars of Honey or blood. Stevnar eventually caught up to us and we continued with him. Until Finally We found the King of Thorns in the Central Chamber with him a was what looked like a Beautiful woman who was baring her fangs with a stake impaled into her chest (My guess was she as a Vampire).
We talked after awhile and When we realized he was a threat to the Margreve some of our more Margreve Allied Companions Attacked. It was a rather hard battle with the Throne room itself fighting on behalf of the King of Thorns. He Managed to get into Stevnar's head and turned him against us. Stev Grabbed The King of Thorns and ran from the room intending to save him. I was about to follow when The room got a lucky hit on me and my Vision went black.
My Party Managed to get me up after they took The King of Thorns down. We took his Sword and Talked to the Vampire who was sitting on the throne. We Agreed to let her go if she would tell us everything she knew about the King of Thorns and that she don't attack or conspire against us. She agreed and told us that the Briar King was giving much of the vampire blood to someone named Kerok. She Believes that Kerok was simply using the Briar King, and was never going to let the Briar King become a power in the Margreve. She didn't know where Kerok was or What he was, only thing she can tell us was he mostly haunts the Eastern Margreve. Her suggestion was to seek out Baba Yaga and make a bargain. If anyone could find a power such as Kerok, it would be her. With that we let her go.
We proceeded to loot the place and bodies ending up with a pretty impressive haul. After we came out off the barrows we had a lot of questions that needed answering. After Some Debate Where we were going to head next we decided on The Village of Levoca to Check on the villages people and to ask Baba Migori some of our question. And onward to Whatever the next phase of our adventure was.