Participants: Sukemoru Uzuto, Cornix the Beaker, Vhel, Gharok
Location(s): Millennium Forest, Millennium Sequoia, First Landing
Keywords: Ahmad, Kal, Sequoia, Fey, Doppelganger, Redcap, Arrarak the Amazing, Aseron, Eye, Prison, Fae
The full, in-character reports can also be found here: Vhel's report and Cornix' reports (visual and textual).
Short summary:
The party decided to scout the closest bounds of the Millennium Forest, where they reached the Millennium Sequoia, protected by illusions and guarded by Gremlins. After failed attempts at diplomacy, they confronted the cruel trap-makers and killed them, gaining access to the Sequoia, which turned out to be a massive prison used by the Fey. There, the party fought against more Gremlins, and then the Warden of this gaol - a Redcap. They also discovered the real stablehand Kal, who got kidnapped and imprisoned.
Deducing that Kal in First Landing was an impostor, they rushed back, found Ahmad manacled and unconscious in his house, and confronted the false Ahmad, who was actually a Doppelganger who assumed this form after his previous Kal-guise was unraveled by Ahmad. A fight ensued, followed by a lengthy game of hide-and-seek, but the Doppelganger was found once again, hiding in a well. The party bound and interrogated him, discovering (among other things) that his name is Arrarak the Amazing, and that he was employed by King Aseron to spy on First Landing. He got thrown in Guild jail to be probed for more useful information.
Full report: Vhel
Investigate the Millennium Sequoia
Vhel’s writing is tiny and cramped, shoved together on as few pages as possible and seemingly written with haste. It remains legible, however.
I was asked to join a couple of individuals on an expedition to further scout out the forest to the east, a Monk named Uzuto and a Unknown Rogue, who left and was replaced with a man named Gharok. Cornix also joined me on this excursion. Our plan was to reach the Millennium Sequioa and then range southeast from there to do some scouting.
We stopped to speak with Ahmad, the stablemaster, briefly as we went from town. The majority of the party discussed things with Ahmad over an infant Hippogriff that was being raised, while I found something about Kal (Ahmad’s assistant, a teenage kid) terribly off. We had met before, as he was the one starting rumours about the Fey in First Landing(which turned out to be spies), but was acting as if we had never met before. I could not uncover anything of interest from Kal, however, and we left.
It hardly took any time to reach the Sequoia. Gharok had managed to spot that there was some sort of hazy illusion around the tree, and we went to investigate. We had a spear thrown at us, and we were warned by Fey speaking Sylvan and Undercommon (and one speaking broken Common), to leave. They did not wish to discuss the situation with us. We did, briefly, and I noticed the entity that threw the spear at us (it went to retrieve it) was a Nuglub, a sort of Gremlin. Evil, vicious trapmakers. They, like all Gremlins, are horrible creatures that often enjoy inflicting suffering and destroying plans.
The party had a very long argument about how to proceed. The Gremlins referred to the location as a ‘gaol’, a jail, so I had advocated investigation backed up by force if they would not cooperate, for the sake of making sure no innocents were being kept captive by evil, malicious Fey. There was strong contention, as some individuals wished to be diplomatic with entities known to actively try and backstab and harm people. This eventually resolved in my favor.
We approached, carefully, hearing no further words. I threw a stick through the illusion, and managed to hit something, and knowing there were creatures awaiting us beyond the threshold, we charged in hoping to catch them off guard. It was mostly successful, Gharok stumbled into a particularly painful trap which caused him great pain. I did my best to relieve this pain.
We dispatched the guards on the outside. Uzuto displayed his… rope work skills upon a captive, which I refined best I could at the time. We went inside, and started another fight with a huge group of gremlins. Mitflits, namely. They had magics on their side that blinded the majority of the party but myself, and we were flanked on the opposite side, but we had managed to rally and route the opposing forces with a quick and resounding victory.
After finding some items of note, we saw a staircase inside the tree going in two directions. We heard nothing from down below, and something sharpened up above. We decided to go confront who the alleged ‘boss’ of this place was. It was a long climb, with bloodstains near the top. We discovered it was a Redcap, and engaged it.
Redcaps are evil, murderous Fey that delight in slaughter. They dip their eponymous hats in the blood of their enemies, and gain intense magic powers through it. I recommend attempting to remove their hat when engaging one, as it is a major source of their power.
It nearly slaughtered Gharok on the spot, and brutalized Uzuto as well. Still with a healthy amount of fortune on our side we had managed to slay the vile thing, removing its hat once to minimize the danger it posed to us and to hamper its regenerative abilities.
We managed to slay it, and investigated the bottom floor while planning to make camp after such a draining fight. We found Kal (the genuine article) inside a cage down there, by himself and surrounded by bones of slaughtered individuals.
He was dehydrated, but otherwise in alright condition. He had been kidnapped, which I quickly understood meant the Kal back in First Landing was a doppelganger. I liberated Kal from his captivity and grabbed everyone else’s attention. One Fey we had knocked out and tied up (a guardsman named Gez, who spoke broken Common) escaped from his bonds. The other one was stuffed into Gharok’s backpack. I know not what he chose to do with it.
We returned to First Landing to confront the fake Kal, approaching the stables from two sides to minimize the chance of escape. I spoke to Ahmad, who greeted me incorrectly. I quickly realized the doppelganger had kidnapped and impersonated Ahmad now as well. It began a fight with us in response to this discovery.
It was a brutal and rough thing, dropping a plume of smoke to conceal itself and having enough reflexes to lash out at people simply trying to duck around it. We had engaged it successfully enough, though, us four bringing it low. It manifested a magic spell to escape through teleportation. We immediately fanned out to search for it.
For a very.
Very.
Very long time.
We eventually found it hiding down a well, whereupon we interrogated it:
- He called himself Arrarak the Amazing, considered himself a performer, and that his stage name;
- He claimed to be commissioned by the Fey lord of the area to spy on First Landing;
- The Fey lord he said is named Aseron, the Wellspring of Vibrant Melodies. Called him a ‘fellow artist’;
- He described his relationship with Aseron as a ‘business relationship.’
He then refused to cooperate. I advocated Cornix drop a bomb on him, as playing games with someone as skilled at lying as him was pointless. He did, and sunk into the well after casting some spell.
I tied a rope to myself and went down after him, he was still alive, casting a spell to let him breathe underwater. I engaged him underwater best I could, Uzuto jumped in to assist me as I was pulled out.
He was knocked out, when I advocated his death. There was another severe argument, and I attempted to slay him, but I eventually acquiesced to keeping him alive, though I think this to be a mistake. He kidnapped children and handed them over to evil, murderous Fey, and is a continuing threat to First Landing.
We manacled him and interrogated him further, during which he revealed:
- He considers himself an actor, one that has a ‘special bond between themselves and their character’;
- His original plan for the contract involved the execution of his kidnap target (Kal), involving the target’s execution, but he negotiated to keep the child alive;
- The Fey spies met on my prior excursion to interact with the Fey (“The Eyes”), were his handlers;
- Aseron is secretive, that he is a Dryad and a musician. He likes art, which mostly involves trees. He has typical Fey proclivities, but said that he also has a “vicious streak” untypical of Dryads. That anger will set him off like tinder, and that the tree is the prison where he keeps subjects that displease him; the locals fear that tree because of it;
- What upsets Aseron varies by the time of year;
- The doppelganger arrived by sea a while ago, coming from the east.
Ahmad was fine, if exhausted from the ordeal. He was knocked out and impersonated, for he had discovered Arrarak’s letter-bound reports to the Fey on his observations, which Arrarak then burned to dispose of.
Arrarak is kept in the First Landing prison, currently, and can be spoken to. I advise extreme caution in doing so, he can impersonate others freely and is an extremely skilled liar. Do not let him fool you into releasing him.
As always, should anyone have questions as to the contents of the report, I shall be glad to answer them.
- Vhel
Full report: Cornix
🜋 Cornix the Beaker 🜋 the reverent Disciple of the Lady of Graves the Scholar of Alchymy, Reborn in Fire courteously presenteth ꕥ De CARCERE SEQUOIAE ꕥ a Treatise on the Verdant Lands to the East of First Landing known as the Millennium Forest as well as one of the most remarkable Landmarks of the Region call'd the Millennium Sequoia |
Capitulum I: Adventus ad Sequoiam
Reader,
Mine name is Cornix, and some knoweth me as the Beaker. I am a humble follower of the teachings of the Mother of Souls, and but a student of the Great Work and of the Mysteries of the Art, but in this report, I intend to present findings of a mostly different nature. I hope that thou findst the following work satisfactory.
Following the rumours of the Fey that liveth in the Millennium Forest (a name that wast first given to one of the Adventurers of the Guild, called Faemyra Grey, by the means of a Fey-influenced dream, and lat'r confirmed in oth'r ways, via Lady Ayla Lidarya), and also urged by our own curiosity, our group did decide to explore the edges of the Forest, as well as the most obvious landmark within - the Millennium Sequoia. Our party consist'd of Vhel, an Unknown Investigator and a close confidante; Uzuto Sukemoru, a Unknown Monk of the Manatori Mountains; Gharok the Cleaver, an amicable Unknown Barbarian; and myself - I wast invited to serve as a translator from Sylvan to Common, in case negotiations were possible.
We prepared for the Quest diligently, which for myself did include brewing various alchymical tinctures:
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Thus did we set out in search of an answ'r to this intriguing marvel of nature. After the heavy rains the night before, the weather wast most agreeable - the skies were clear, the ⚙Sunne wast bright and warm (indeed the Dawnflower h'rself smiled upon us that daye!), and we gath'r'd at the Eastern Gate during the middle moments of morn.
Aft'r some pleasantly bonhomous conversation, we pass'd by the whinny-touched stables of Ahmad, and decided to visit them. As always, while sweeping, he wast most subtle with his persuasions to buy 'r borrow his horses, which we resisted, since the journey ahead wast short. While the rest of us were discussing the rath'r adorable and amicable, though skittish young Hippogryph hatchling with Ahmad, and trying to decide on h'r name (a task which still awaited resolution at that point - mine proposal wast 'Aquila', but I hear that 'Brynn' hath been selected in the meantime), Vhel seem'd suspicious of the stable boy Kal, and interrogated him for a while. The Reader wilt soon discov'r that the ꕥSeeds of h'r suspicions were sown upon quite a fertile patch of soil. Furth'r detail about this situation followeth lat'r.
The journey towards the Forest wast unremarkable in every way, oth'r than some (mostly) idle conversation betwixt all of us, which also involved speculation about the mysterious substance that anoth'r group discov'r'd previously. Furth'r inquiries and research into the subject were perform'd at a lat'r date, especially aft'r mine quest into the ruins of Stone's Warden, and thus the results wilt be available soon.
The Blackness of the Night did not yield to the Whiteness of the ☽Moon, but the unknown constellations seem'd to be a suitable replacement, shining like a fragmented memory of light.
On our way through the Forest, we passed through several clearings; Vhel discover'd edible fungi, while I came upon one of the most delicious fruits which mine tongue hath ev'r tasted - not unlike the ambrosia of the Gods, 'r the promised Lesser Stone of the Wise. The ꕥSeed to nurture mine new ☥Life, to plunge myself into the purifying clarity of 🜄Aqua upon which the ☽Silver Swan glideth ev'r so majestically. Unfortunately, there wast only one such fruit, and thus I couldst nor share it with oth'rs.
The woods grew denser from that point onwards, but when we reach'd the Sequoia by middaye, there wast a clearing about it, obviously artificial. The giaunt, vibrantly red-barked tree (perhaps a particularly massive specimen of Sequoiadendron gigantaeum, 'r an unidentified subspecies?) pierced the heavens hundreds of feet above our heads, and its circumference wast greater than that of an imposing house; moreover, there wast a hazy and permanent illusory aura around it. We tried to approach the tree, but a crudely-made spear wast thrown at us, and it landed und'r our feet.
Aft'r this sign of aggression, and unsurprisingly failed attempts at a parley, we were told by the guards (whom we lat'r determined to be Gremlins, more specifically cruel and despised trapmakers known as Nuglubs), in a incongruous mixture of Sylvan, Undercommon, and Common, to leave this 'gaol' that they were guarding, due to the 'no visitors policy'. We retreat'd, and discuss'd our next course of action, which lead to some unpleasant tensions between us, so I decided to depart, and explore around by myself.
There is note to the side, describing Cornix' discoveries. During this episode, I found curious rocks, and noted down mine observations. This area of the woods seem'd to be mostly coniferous, and loose, brown needles cov'r'd the ground, alongside large amounts of seed-cones, deep brown and about the size of mine fist. In case some of mine future potions requireth them as components, I gath'r'd several years worth of supply into mine bags. Similar to almost all places in the Millenium Forest, the trees were growing suffocatingly close to each oth'r, and the lack of sunlight that couldst filter in all the way to the forest floor meant that there wast very little in the way of ground-level vegetation. As stated earlier, we have passed several clearings on the way to the Millenium Sequoia, including the one around the humongous tree itself, and they featured more diverse greenery, namely various grasses and ferns. It seemeth likely that the Fey hath been employing forestry to fashion the woods into shapes according to their preferences, artificially creating these clearings where they desired. Several of the more damp locales featured white, plateau-like fungi. The area northward possess'd more of a deciduous nature, composed largely of oaks, as I hath read about in Vhel's reports. There were tracks of wildlife - deer prints, 🜃Terra disturbed by boar snouts which were surely looking for roots and truffles. |
Back at the twilight-painted Sequoia, I attempted negotiations once again, but received no response, and neith'r did Vhel, but she couldst sense movement, made soft'r by the padding of old, decomposing needles. We approach'd the illusion - that hazy, whirling air, not unlike a bubble of foggy soap, except that the image behind it clearly wast not real. We managed to exchange more words with the guards aft'r all, learning that one of them who spoke Undercommon goeth by the name of Gez, but we were forced into a fight.
Traps were hidden all around us, on the oth'r side of the barrier, and the Nuglubs were equipped with crude spears, bows and arrows, and Primal magics - that of 🜝Electrum, and that of Grease. We unleashed ourselves on the enemy - Uzuto with his monastic punches, Gharok with his cleaving axe, Vhel with h'r arrows, and myself with mine 🜂Phiala igni media. The fray wast over rath'r quickly, despite our lack of the element of surprise, as we dispatch'd the Gremlins with ease, and knocked one of them - the aforementioned Nuglub called Gez - unconscious, for lat'r interrogation.
Past the illusion, t'was clear that the Millennium Sequoia wast not an ordinary, if massive, tree, as it featured a large set of engraved gates; Vhel recognised these patterns as similar to the ☽Silver, swirling ones she encount'r'd previously on a box which contain'd the Spidereye Ring (currently available at the Auction House of the Guild, as well as on that piece of jewelry itself.
Upon inspection, no oth'r entrance wast discov'r'd, just even more traps, which encircled this 'gaol'. I spent some time healing Gharok, who unfortunately walk'd into one of the traps before the battle wast concluded, by employing mine Alchymical tinctures and concoctions, and Vhel help'd Uzuto tie Gez up while they were still unconscious. With that out of the way, we proceeded into the Sequoia; the doors didst not creak as the imposing tree-mouth swung open afore us.
Capitulum II: Intra carcerem
Inside, we were welcomed by some kind of hallway, which did end in a spiral staircase that wast leading upwards and downwards alike. T'was elegantly shaped out of wood, though it seem'd that it hath fallen into a vague level of disrepair, as some chips were missing, and some steps were broken. Two openings lead into a room each, one on the left, the oth'r on the right. Through the former, noises of conversation and laughter filter'd in, cut temporarily by a scream of pain. Deciding to employ the element of surprise, we turn'd around the corner, and witness'd a group of four Gremlins - Mitflits, this time - in the middle of a game of cards. One of them wast holding a dagger, and seem'd to be missing a finger on their oth'r hand; this sev'red digit wast lying on the table. We were noticed, the alarm wast sounded, and a fight ensued.
The Mitflits were joined by two more of their kind, as well as two winged Sprites, who arrived from the opposite room. Fey magics of 🜩Daze, 🝎Bane, and 🜚Colour Spray were plaguing our ☿Minds and confusing our senses, but we nevertheless managed to quite effectively dispatch the enemies, one by one - Gharok wast using wide and wild swings of his axe, Vhel put them down with h'r carefully calculated arrow-shots, Uzuto punch'd and pummel'd through them, while I turn'd them to fine ash with mine 🜂Phiala igni media and pierced them with mine sharpened beak in order not to waste more precious resources.
Vhel found a stash of four vials of 🝞Elixir formae nebuloase, 'r the Mistform Elixir, in the bedroom to the right, and trinkets of various levels of value which the Mitflits were gambling with in the room to the left. I retrieved the severed Gremlin finger as a souvenir, intending to strip it down to just the bone lat'r. Vhel and I also treat'd the sustained wounds of the party as quickly as we couldst. A choice wast presented afore us - to ascend the Gaol-tree, towards the sounds of scraping, 'r to descend into quiet Darkness. We select'd the former option. The stairs seem'd to go on for an extensive amount of time, with no oth'r floors in between to break the monotony. The aforementioned scraping noise, a distinct sound of metal upon a grindstone, wast growing loud'r the high'r we climb'd. There were reddish splotches of blood on the walls about the staircase, which we couldst perceive when we were getting close to our destination. The odour of ♂Iron indicated that at the very least some of it wast fresh. We speculated that the leader of the guard, the Warden which wast mention'd by the Nuglubs, couldst be an executioner of sorts, and that they were awaiting us above - speculation that wast based in reality. Vhel wast selected to scout ahead, and identify this foe.
She made h'r way up the last bend of the staircase, and snuck inside an open room. More than a few bodies of all sorts litter'd the crimson-drenched floor: animals, Kobolds, even Fey. Among them, there were odd torture implements and weapons strewn about. It wast a truly sickening scene. In the middle of the chamber, there wast a Redcap - a diminutive, white-haired creature, who wast wearing their signature, ♀Copper-red cap, and sharpening a scythe that look'd too large for their oft foolishly underestimated stature. They art an especially vicious type of Fey who revel in bloodletting and murder, and derive their magicall power from dipping their distinct, eponymous headwear into the shed crimson humours of their unfortunate victims.
The grinding stall'd, and Vhel immediately retreat'd, calling for assistance. The Redcap spoke Sylvan - spoke of cruel, mocking things that I wouldst rath'r not immortalise upon parchment, n'r within mine ☿Memory, and when Gharok rush'd inside, they deflect'd each assault with terrifying ease, and brought the Barbarian upon his knees, severely wounded. Vhel inform'd us that getting rid of the cap wast our safest approach, and managed to pierce it with h'r arrow, sending it to the oth'r side of the room, out of our foe's immediate reach, while Gharok employ'd this opportunity to flee from the Redcap's keenly sharpened scythe.
First an angered yelp, then a masterful throw of mine 🜂Phiala igni media, and finally a lobbed ⚕Thuribulum morbiferum modestum silenced the Warden for a bit, as the chemicals burn'd into their flesh and poison'd their merciless eyes. Vhel shot more arrows at the creature, and Uzuto used his martial arts upon them, but they still retrieved their cap, and went into a retributive offense, both physical and verbal, just in time for Gharok to regain his composure and heroically sprint back inside. But this wast where the vile Redcap ended. Uzuto jumped into the 🜁Aer, kicking the Warden's head into the wall, and Vhel found an exposed weak spot, piercing it with a final arrow.
Vhel and I spent a full 🝮hour treating our companions' grievous wounds, and we all decided to rest within this chamber before venturing back down. I retrieved the deadly scythe and the red cap from the Warden's corpse, and Vhel discov'r'd a runestone amidst the bloody mess. I stay'd behind to set up our temporary camp, while oth'rs went downstairs, to scout the darkest reaches of this Gaol. There, they came across two large cages, with distinctly Fey bones scatter'd about them. Huddled on the ground in one of the cages wast a human boy, about sixteen years of age, with muddy brown hair. The stableboy Kal!
Vhel unlock'd the door, letting him out, and he reveal'd that he hath been there for anywhere from four dayes to a full week. His experience as a prisoner wast confusing, according to his account. He wast looking for more Fey spies, just a bit outside of First Landing, and then got knocked out. When he awoke in this Gaol, the jailer-Gremlins were pestering and ridiculing him, and the Redcap seem'd to desire to inflict cruel death upon the poor boy. Thankfully, despite quite a few bruises cov'ring his skin, he wast in no mortal peril, n'r didst he appear to be terribly underfed, but he wast still somewhat dehydrated. The Fey were seemingly still getting things in order when they imprisoned Kal here, as the place look'd rath'r abandoned prior to his arrival.
Gharok retrieved one of the unconscious Mitflits from the ground floor, and discov'r'd, to our chagrin, that the Nuglub named Gez managed to escape. I abort'd mine preparations of the camp, but not before the meal that I hath been brewing wast ready. We all ate on the road back through the woods. Our camp wast erect'd at the edge of the Millennium Forest, where I finally treat'd Kal's bruises, and he shared Vhel's tent for the night. Around noon of the next daye, we were closing in on First Landing once again.
Capitulum III: Transfigurans
As we travell'd back, we discuss'd our potential plans for dealing with this newly-discovered menace. No specific shape-stealing Fey came to our ☿Minds, but Vhel did remind us that the Doppelgangers exist'd - a phenomenon which we concluded to be similar to what wast going on. These creatures needeth days to create and perfect their disguise, and if t'is ev'r rend'r'd useless, the Shapeshifter mayst not mask themselves again for a long while. They oft maintaineth their pretense by also using ☿Mind-reading, as not to stand out 'r become unveil'd, and they art generally excellent learners, mimicking oth'rs' abilities down to the finest of details.
This one couldst be different from regular Shapeshifters, since it allied with the Fey, and we couldst not expect it to act predictably. The proposed plan wast as followeth: Uzuto and I wouldst return to the town through a different entrance, and approach the stables from the Eastern Gate, while Gharok and Vhel wouldst arrive from the front, and we wouldst all flank the structure that way. Real Kal wast to stay far away during the confrontation, and wast given a moon-symbol of Getsumei; in order to ensure that we remain'd aware of our own reality, we memorised what our Recallers look'd like, since such objects art unique to each member of the Guild, and probably couldst not be easily replicated by the Shapeshifter.
Vhel, under the protection of Gharok, met Ahmad by the entrance to his abode. When he didst not greet h'r in a manner in which he always hath, Vhel became immediately suspicious, and for the right reason - the Shapeshifter took on the form of Ahmad while we were away. They spoke the mixture of Sylvan and Common, and didst not try to deflate the situation, instead electing to attack. Uzuto and I rejoin'd our companions just in time. The Doppelganger lashed out at Vhel with terrible claws which they grew momentarily, but she wast nimble enough to dodge this strike, and then they shatt'r'd a vial of obstructive fog around them, which prevent'd both Gharok and Vhel from hitting their target, but thankfully also prevent'd the Shapeshifter from punishing Vhel's movement. I managed to send a 🜂Phiala igni media flying directly towards 'Ahmad', but the smoke wast thick enough to meddle with mine aim and cause myself to splash mine friends a bit, too. The clawed monstrosity left a gash in Gharok's side, who stepped aside to cut off any escape routes, while Uzuto came from behind. With mine companions huddled so close together, I couldst not risk frying them with more bombs, and thus moved into the melee, pecking the Doppelganger twice, but hitting only once. Uzuto unleash'd more blows, and seeing that they were outnumbered and corn'red, the Shapeshifter fled, disappearing out of sight through a Dimension Door.
We immediately spread out, conducting a thorough search, since the creature couldst not be that far away. There were several points of interest that we needed to investigate: Kal, who wast walking towards us; a group of large rocks in the southern direction; the open Eastern Gate of First Landing, the curving city wall, and a guard attracted by the smoke; and finally, Ahmad's house, the stables, and the well near them.
Kal wast real, as he still clutch'd the moon-pendant and confirm'd his characteristic forgetfulness to Vhel. Gharok found no trace n'r tracks of the escapee behind the rocks, and through the Gates, he saw only the regular faces of First Landing, busy with their own lives, and completely undisturbed by any sort of violent teleportation. Vhel couldst not find any footsteps around the wall. Recruit John Watkins, the guard in question, appear'd to be real, but also concerned; this wast the first time in a while that something of interest hath happened on his shift, and he wast attempting to do fulfill his duty the best he couldst.
In the meantime, Uzuto enter'd Ahmad's sparsely furnished house. A large amount of equine paraphernalia wast present around the rooms, and inside the closet, there wast… the abode's unconscious owner, bound with Manacles of Persuasion, inscribed with runes which swirled in intricate patterns across the metal. He possess'd no visible wounds, and any surgical treatment wouldst likely hath done more harm than good, but the magic of the handcuffs wast draining him, without allowing him to die. In the closed stables, Vhel found horses, calmly snorting and whinnying. Seeing that Ahmad wast not in mortal danger, I peer'd down the deep well; quite expectedly, t'was dark inside, but I couldst not spot anything within this Darkness. A pebble that I threw down the well's throat produced a splash shortly aft'r. Only when we return'd to this well multiple times did Vhel notice something odd - the creature wast hiding in plain sight, floating quietly at the bottom, since they hath shifted their colours in accordance with the rocky walls, and fool'd our senses repeatedly.
The Shapeshifter surrend'r'd upon discovery, and we interrogated them while they were still inside the well. They reveal'd their 'stage name' to be Arrarak the Amazing, and claim'd that their real name wast lost to time. They were commissioned by the Fey royalty of the area, the Wellspring of Vibrant Melodies, Lord Aseron. As a fellow artist, they appreciated his style, and their talents were uniquely suited for the collection of valuable information, for spying on the activity of First Landing, for the assessment of the martial capabilities of our troops.
When they refused to reveal any furth'r knowledge, Vhel decided to enact revenge for their treachery and for the kidnapping of Kal. On h'r behest, I dropp'd mine 🜖Potio vitrioli minor, 'r the lesser Acid Flask, upon Arrarak, who sunk beneath the water with a hiss. We help'd Vhel get inside the well, and lower'd her towards the lifeless body using a rope. Only half of it remain'd in the Elven form that they hath previously taken during conversation, and the oth'r half look'd like a formless mass of flesh. Upon clos'r inspection, Vhel found out that Arrarak wast still alive. Intent on putting them down, she stabb'd them with h'r sword and pierced them with h'r arrows, before we managed to convince h'r to let them live, so that the Guild couldst extract more information out of them. Begrudgingly, she perform'd a number of healing practices upon their body, and they were both safely out of the well in no time.
The keys to the manacles were in Ahmad's living room, as we were previously informed by Arrarak, and Uzuto retrieved them for Vhel to put on the Shapeshifter themselves. Meanwhile, we brought Ahmad back to wakefulness. He felt nauseous, and claim'd that he hath woken up and lost consciousness multiple times during his imprisonment in the closet, which wast not surprising, since the manacles art designed to drain their victim, but not kill. He fill'd us in on the missing parts of the story. Kal hath gone to chase more phantoms, 'r Fey, once again, and when he hath return'd, his routine hath changed: he wouldn't come back intoxicated from the The Blinking Pug in the evenings, n'r wouldst he go into town as frequently as Kal ordinarily would (we know now that Arrarak probably didst not wish to arouse suspicion). Right after we left to visit the Sequoia, Ahmad start'd to grow distrustful, since faux-Kal's reaction when we were there wast strange; thus, he kept a close eye on the imposter, and figured it all out himself. Ahmad saw the Shapeshifter writing letters in the living room, and when he walk'd up to take a look, the creature knocked him out.
We woke Arrarak, and continued our interrogation. They attemp'd to appear dignified, despite their circumstances and bruised flesh. They reveal'd to us that they were 'an actor' of impressive ability, and that living in the skin of someone else posed unique challenges that they enjoy'd facing. They claim'd that an actor shouldst possess a special bond between themselves and their character, and that Arrarak's 'unique condition' allow'd them to take this furth'r than oth'rs of their profession, while adding that t'was shame that they were discov'r'd so quickly, since they were just getting into this new character. Arrarak is themselves a bit of a traveler, who arrived here by the sea, from the East, and while they doth not stick in one place for a long time, as it boreth them, they mayst sometimes return to places which they hath already visited, to see 'if the stage props were altered' during their absence.
The plan which they were originally presented with featured the target of their infiltrative operation being executed immediately, but they refused such terms; thus, the plan wast amended, and Arrarak received strict assurances that the basis of their character (namely, the stable-boy Kal) wouldst not be disposed of. Their part in this scheme wast itself simple enough - they were to bring the first target coming from the town that they came across to 'the handlers', who wouldst take care of the rest. With the child alive, it seemeth that the Fey hath at least honoured that part of the deal, though Arrarak stated that they hath never met the executioner of the Millennium Sequoia, and that the 'handlers' in question were small in stature and with 'frankly hideously huge eyeballs'.
Then, Arrarak went on to provide furth'r detail about King Aseron. He is an exceptionally powerful Dryad, and a gifted musician who appreciateth art and the finer things in life. For Dryads, the Shapeshifter added, that part mostly boileth down to 'tree-watching', something which Arrarak is not personally attuned to. Despite the very differing opinions on the topic, they claim'd to value a man of the arts in any of its forms, and that they were on 'good terms' with Aseron - a bond that wast not founded in personal closeness, but mostly in mutual respect of each other's field.
Begrudgingly, Arrarak also admitt'd that this Fey king is not a typical Dryad, and that he possesseth a vicious streak - anoth'r reason why the Shapeshifter deem'd their relationship as strictly professional. Aseron is known to be easy to anger if something displeaseth him, and the things that upsetteth him mayst vary greatly by time of year; he wast compared to tinder, perfectly innocent until one putteth a spark to it. The Millennium Sequoia, according to Arrarak, is a gaol where Aseron keepeth subjects that disaffecteth him, and the locals speaketh of it in a fearful tone. As a Fey, Aseron is rath'r prone to whimsy and flights of fancy, and he request'd the Shapeshifter to keep an eye on First Landing, which hath sprouted close to his domain, and seeing it as a fitting challenge, Arrarak obliged.
The letters that they hath been caught writing were simple reports of their day-to-day observations, the reason why the Shapeshifter was commission'd in the first place, and they were collect'd occasionally by the wide-eyed Fey. Arrarak call'd First Landing a fascinating place, and seem'd intrigued by our Portal to a whole different world, expressing their disappointment in the fact that they were unable to concoct an excuse for a child to be travelling back to his ancestral home.
Shortly aft'r our conversation, John Watkins, the aforementioned guard, escorted the manacled Shapeshifter to the town prison, where they abideth still. The fate of the Gremlin which wast taken by Gharok remaineth unknown to myself. With this, I conclude mine report on the Quest.
Blessings of our Lady of Mysteries upon thine eternall 🜍Soul, O Reader, and mayst the glorious ⚙Sunne illuminate thy path forevermore.
- 𝕮𝖔𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖝 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖊𝖗