Quest Start
Loose ends: Holly is still in the Lighthouse.
Participants: Chiyuki, Echo-3, Tiriak Truepatch, Sylla, Minitel-Rose Ainsworth
Locations: Avis River, All Seasons Forest (Cesil's Folly)
Short summary
The party traveled along the river West of First Landing, dragging rowboats along. Once they reached the beach, they took the boats North, sticking close to the shoreline. They fought Sea Devils and their pet shark along the way, but fended them off (nearly at the cost of one Bard). One evening while camping, they were met by some hungry bears. Tiriak threw some food as far from camp as he could, to lure them away, and the party made it away without a fight. The party crossed the bay to the forest, where they found a Lighthouse. Within, there were numerous Halflings caught in a time loop. At the top of the Lighthouse, the party met their leader, Holly, who sent the party to discover the source of her woes. The party fought a pair of plant creatures, helped a Unknown produce an heir to her role as the forest's watcher, laid a collection of Ghosts to rest, and was blinded by the light, when they returned to Holly's Lighthouse. Deciding against the impending beyond-extreme danger, the party recalled to First Landing.
Full report: Minitel
Our story, this time, follows much the same crowd as my last: Ms. Sylla, the Sniper, Mr. Tiriak, the Priest, the Stoic Mr. Echo, and myself, Minitel the Blind! And their new friend, Chiyuki the Archer!
West, our trode, from First Landing, a pair of rowboats in tow! For once they reached the beachy shores of the Watchers' Island, they took to the sea! Rarely did they stray far from view, knowing full well what dangers may lurk deep below. Through rough seas and frigid temperatures, our heroes journeyed North, to parts of the Watchers' Island yet undiscovered.
The Sea Devils they met along the way may not have been fiends, but they and their barely-tame shark proved ferocious, only driven off once their leader was felled (and not before giving the Blind Bard a small taste of death)! Each night, colder than the last, our Heroes huddled together, enjoying song and company late into the night, shielded from the elements by the overturned hulls of their boats. The third night, they found themselves accompanied by bears! It is to their fortune that Mr. Tiriak packed food aplenty, and tossed it away from camp, deflecting the ursine interlopers, and showing them food was better had elsewhere. Together with the possible foes, our heroes slumbered, a few extra rations of meat tossed to distract, as they made their early morning escape.
Onward they travelled, to the bay they had hoped to make their crossing, a glinting light marking their destination. A few hours' patience saw a horde of Sea Devils and sharks thoroughly slaughtered a horrid, scaly creature. Uninterested in waiting, the creature swam south, leaving our heroes' path clear.
Finally, our heroes made it to the forest they had hoped to scout. Their first stop? The source of the strange glinting light: a solitary Lighthouse. Within, a strange sight was beheld: dozens of Halflings, stuck repeating the same moment, time and time again, each time a different language spilling forth. Up the tower the party ascends, ignoring the Ghostly Halflings, to find their leader: a Miss Holly, hard at work on the Lighthouse's mechanisms.
Confused, perhaps by whatever temporal magics afflicted the remainder of the tower, Miss Holly turned to the party for help: discover the source of her recent woes (whatever they may be). A strange glowing stone was handed off, a way to communicate, and the party set on their way.
First, the cold deluge of winter, a pair of viney plants to offend.
Next, the fresh life of spring, where a dying tree-folk was to be found. Speaking the language of the Fey, she pleaded with our heroes: she could not be saved, but her forest may be. Chiyuki, she asked, to pluck the seed from her chest, plant it anew. Their task clear, Misters Tiriak and Echo collected herb and fruit and vegetable from the glade, to nourish the new growth, and new growth it was! From seed to sproutling to young tree in a matter of moments! Upon a light touch, Minitel discovered a bow for her violin, sprung forth from the young plant. Friendly farewells to the new plant, and our heroes trode on, to Summer.
A strange desert amongst the trees, from Spring's warmth, to sweltering Summer. Screams, on the air, the heat's previous victims formed as Ghosts. Sympathetic to the last, our heroes broke down into tears, only through wit and will and strength of arm could our heroes press on to relieve their enemy of its eternal torment. In their death throes, the tormented spirits flew to Mr. Tiriak, gifting him visions and memories and strenth of companionship.
The enemy slain, our heroes rested, despite their erstwhile employer's urging, before pressing on to Autumn.
And what did Autumn bring? Not a thing. No enemy, no ally, but incredible fear from Ms. Holly. Our heroes retreated in haste to the Lighthouse: now an empty, decrepit sight. Up, again, they ascended, to Miss Holly's abode, only to find her curled up and crying. She claimed the party and the Spring Growth her enemies. Gripped by vision or madness, Tiriak attempted to parlay with the increasingly strange Miss Holly. The stone the party carried to speak with Ms. Holly grew brighter and brighter, imposing blindness on all those not already so afflicted. A second longer would surely mean death, and wise Minitel urged her allies to Recall, before returning, herself.
And so has the All-Season Forest been scouted.