Previously: Chapter 21: Toothache
A Mino(tau)r Encounter
Kal nods her head at the question asked by the minotaur, who towers over her. He shakes his head, and tells her that he was told by his men that she was doing magic in the open on the bridge of Udall. He looks at her, and without waiting for a reply, he tells them all that his name is Kirrus Mericious, and he would love to know why they thought that he had given permission to use magic, dangerous magic no less, in the open, and scaring the public. He looks at each member of the group, and says “well?!”. As they look at eachother, they see that Leona has disappeared from the group, and sees her turning a corner, waving them goodbye while smiling, having managed to sneak away from the guards
Kal meekly tells him that she was simply trying to contact her god Udall, and wasn’t aware of there being any magical restrictions in the city. He tells them that using potentially dangerous magic in the open without good cause should obviously be restricted, as that should be common sense. He looks down at the symbol of her god on her chest, and understands. Kirrus asks them what their business is in town, and they reply that they are trying to figure out what is happening with the corruption in the forests south of the city, whilst glancing at Willowbark.
Kal profusely apologizes for the misunderstanding, and promises that they are not going to do something like that again. The minotaur looks up and down at her, and then over to Demetrius after some guards point to him. He gives him a very harsh look, before saying that he will let them off with a warning for now, but if they ever do anything so stupid again, he will have them locked up for the weekend. The party senses that the problem is more with the fact that his name was dropped, rather than the magic being the big issue.
As the guards and Kirrus walk away, they notice that a lot of people seem to be observing them. Kal announces to everyone that Penny of Bows’n’Roses are staying at the Narrow Bar and is having a show this evening, hoping to see as many as possible there. They murmur a bit, and then scatter. The party decides to move along as well, talking about what to do next. Penny says she wants to check out the theater. Willowbark doesn’t understand the connection between Penny’s music and trees, but the rest of the party isn’t following, until they all let out a collective groan.
Toil & Visions
As the party walks south from Kody’s house, they pass a potions shop, and decide that they want to go inside to check it out. Inside they find a wealth of potions positively littering every single counter space, with large shelves dedicated to dispensers of potions. The shopkeeper, a small, stuttering halfling, introduces himself as Hamil Fatrabbit, and asks if they are looking for anything in particular today.
They ask him what he has in stock, and he jokingly tells them that he has potions for every occasion, both legal and illegal. When asked what is illegal to do with the potions, he points out that he has potions for reading thoughts, which is illegal to do, but it is legal to own the potion, as long as one doesn’t use it. The party thinks this is very weird, but Theren checks his book of laws, and confirms that the halfling is telling the truth.
He asks the party if there are any spellcasters among them who would like to be the guinea-pig for his new concoction he has made before he mass produces it. They ask what it does first, and he tells them that it’s a Potion of Spirit, which should in theory refuel spent spell-slots if ingested. There might be side-effects though, but he would love for someone to try it out and report back to him the results. Penny agrees to take the potion, excited to see how it works.
When they are there, they decide to stock up on some potions of healing, and at the same time inquire about the possibility of making a potion of stone giant’s strength by using the nail they took. He looks at it, and tells them it’s in excellent condition, so it would be perfect for use in a potion. It should take about 5 weeks to brew it, and cost them 300gp, or they could just sell him the nail here and now. They decide to do the latter, as they are unsure if they will be back in time.
The Transcendence Theatre
Continuing south, they eventually reach The Transcendence Theatre, which is where Penny and Morgan supposedly held a concert a week ago. A large and impressive building painted white with gold embellishments and detailing, and one that truly stands out among the rest. Walking in, they find the reception. Demetrius looks down and can see that the floor is so well maintained that he can see his own reflection. The counter is operated by a kenku woman. Rather slender, with what looks to be an extremely expensive silk dress. Demetrius also notices a rather large gemstone embedded in her golden ring.
When the kenku looks up, she recognizes Penny immediately, and says in her strange accent that she is surprised to see her back here so soon, as she was told that it would be a few weeks at least. Seemingly, Kody was telling the truth, and someone is impersonating her. The woman introduces herself to the others as Lady Kree, and when Demetrius asks about her ring, she seems to be a bit embarrassed and tries to hide it.
Willowbark attempts to tell the woman that Penny is experiencing memory loss, so they are trying to retrace her steps, but the kenku can tell that she is speaking falsehoods. Penny admits the truth, that she is the real Penny, and fears that Someone is impersonating her, either by magic or by being a doppelganger. Lady Kree asks her how she can be sure that it even is the real Penny standing in front of her, but then suddenly remembers something, and pulls out a small pink spyglass, and looks at Penny through it. The kenku apologizes, as she can see that there is no trickery involved here, this is the real Penny. She takes a quick glance through it to check the others, and pauses a bit when she reaches Theren, but quickly puts it down.
Penny asks if she could try the spyglass out, but the kenku makes an excuse that you have to attune to it, so it wouldn’t be much use for her. Penny understands, but the woman seems to be enamored by both Demetrius and Theren, glancing over at them from time to time, smiling as she does. Penny asks if she can check to see who the other Penny really is the next time she is here, which Lady Kree says she will do. Penny then asks who is playing tonight, noticing that there were tickets for sale. She replies that it is “Imagine Humans”, and as she says this a band of dragonborn bards come walking down the stairs and out into the streets. “That’s them!” Lady Kree exclaims, waving at them.
Perusing
As the group leaves, Willowbark is confused once more, and asks about what art is, and whether trees are art. The group tries, and fails, to explain to her the difference between what can be found in nature versus what has been made to be beautiful, either visually or auditory. She thinks she might understand, but doesn’t get why people cannot just enjoy nature.
As they walk, Penny says that she thinks that the woman in Maplemere might have cast a curse on her, as she gets a headache from time to time, when whatever she does can be regarded as “mean”. Theren takes her to a secluded spot and casts a spell on her, confirming that she is indeed cursed. Kal says she can fix it, but has to prepare another spell, so it will be in the morning.
Willowbark goes back to the library to see if she can do some speed research about hags, finding out a bit about their strengths, but most importantly finding out that they are mostly inherently evil, and don't belong in the material plane, as they usually corrupt all that is around them. Penny joins her, hoping to work a bit on her writing and reading skills. Granny and Theren goes on a walk, while Demetrius decides to go back to the Narrow Bar for a glass of wine, with Kal joining him.
Theren asks Granny as they walk if she has ever heard about flail snails. She thinks for a bit, trying to remember what she knows, but tells him that she hasn’t encountered them before, but knows that they are elementals, big, and very special. Their shells are huge, so they might have to get a wagon to the north in order to carry it back with them. He thanks her for the help, and then decides to just walk the streets to take in the sights.
Exchanging Intel
As Theren walks around the streets, he seems to be looking for something. And around the Great Fountain Square, he finds it. Delphine is standing in a dark alley, waiting for him. He walks over to her, and greets her with their symbols. She asks him if he is free to talk for a bit, which he confirms. She casts a spell, and they both disappear from the alley, appearing in her office in Edhellond. A place Theren has been many times before.
She sits behind her desk, and starts briefing him on what they have found out about the various members of the group. She remarks that some were much easier to find intel on than others, pointing out that Willowbark was impossible to get anything useful out of, with Theren remarking that is no surprise to him, considering where she comes from. Likewise with Granny, but she has learned she hails from the Independent Isles to the south-west. Penny was easier, considering her fame, and she tells him most of what he already knows. Demetrius, who Theren feared was a spy for Moroxia, seems to simply be a man involved in some clandestine affairs concerning arts and valuables. Theren manages to connect the dots.
Kal on the other hand, was the easiest to find information on. She gives him a folder with some papers in it, and he opens it up to look at it. Seemingly a veteran of the Akstan Army, she asks Theren how she became a member of the group, as she can’t find any connection to Gundren. He tells her that as they were meeting in the Forgetful Faun inn, she suddenly appeared from the kitchen, telling her that she had to join them, apparently compelled by Udall, her being a cleric and all. Delphine seems surprised to hear this, as Udall doesn’t have clerics as far as she knows. Theren confirms that she is, having seen Kal’s powers in action.
The topic then shifts to Wave Echo Cave, and the item they retrieved within. She knows they found something powerful, and Theren confirms that it seems to have bonded to one of his companions. Delphine says this is a bad development, as they cannot let the item fall into the hands of Moroxia, telling Theren that he has to retrieve the item from its holder, at all costs, and using any means necessary. Theren looks at her, and tries to keep up the mask, but she reiterates, ANY means necessary, otherwise she will have to take matters into her own hands, and that would be bad for Theren as well.
After this, Theren says that he will do what he can. Delphine casts another spell, and Theren finds himself back in the alley where they left from, scaring a random passerby as he appears. He quickly makes his way back to the Narrow Bar.
Preparing to Leave
Back in the inn, after everyone has returned from doing their business, Penny is playing her set, having drawn a full tavern after word has spread that she would hold a concert. The innkeeper is pleased at the turnout, giving the party a great discount on their rooms. After she is finished, she goes to join her party, as the regular band takes the stage.
Penny and Willowbark sit down to discuss art, with her appreciating how good it is to hear Penny play. She tells her about her friend Lark, from Willowbark's tribe, and hearing Penny play reminds her of him. Penny tells her she had a great teacher, Morgan, and summons an illusion of him once more. Willowbark studies the image, thinking he looks nice, and hopes she gets to meet him one day.
Afterwards, Theren shoots in with a request to the group. He tells them that he has made a deal with a local shopkeeper to retrieve the shell of a flail snail, and that they might need a cart to retrieve it after consulting with Granny. Willowbark has heard about flail snails before, saying that they have weird shells that can throw magic back at the caster, which is rather concerning considering most of the group are casters, but they are sure they can do it if they work together.
Willowbark approaches Kal, asking how she is doing. Kal tells her that everything is fine, but Willowbark presses her on the fact that something happened in the tent back in Maplemere, during the Festival of the Sun. Kal tries to blow it off, saying it is only bad memories. It’s part of her past. The firbolg tells her that she will be there if she ever needs it. Kal says that one day she will explain, but not tonight.
They talk a bit more about religion, as Willowbark thinks that her god is quite strange, but is having a hard time conveying what she means. She wants to know how Kal came to believe in him, and she tells her that she wasn’t always a believer. She didn’t grow up religious for instance, but suddenly one day she was given her powers, and now has to follow her god’s orders. Afterwards they return to the party with some more drinks, before heading to bed, preparing to leave in the morning.
Heading North
When the party wakes up in the morning, the weather is rather gray and overcast, and Willowbark can feel the rain just hanging in the air, waiting to be released. Kal casts remove curse on Penny as promised, and she can feel the curse leave her body, so she gives Kal a big hug as thanks. Theren suggests that they stop by the Unseen Arcanity before they leave to see if they have any magical rain ponchos. When they get there they are sorely disappointed, but they do have a lot of useful items, with Demetrius picking up a Cloak of Elvenkind. Kal asks if they have any useful shields, looking at Willowbark and her basic one, but Claira tells them that she doesn’t deal in armor, but recommends talking to Pijjirik Skaarzborroosh, as he is the go-to blacksmith around these parts. Penny decides to sell the hat of wizardry they found on the stone giant. They decide to wait with the shield for now, and heads outside to pick up their horses, and buys a cart at the same time to carry the shells.
The journey north goes well, rain doesn’t fall on their first day, so they don’t have to worry about rough terrain. After traveling for a while, they decide to make camp for the night near an old watchtower that has fallen into disuse. As they make camp, they can see a glowing figure on the top of the hill, next to the tower. They decide to head over to check it out, finding a ghost sitting in place, before it starts to wander around. Theren thinks this is merely an afterimage of a person's last moments, and recommends that the party not disturb it. During the night they see that the ghost is led up a set of stairs and then hung, before disappearing. Seems like Theren was right.
During the rest, Willowbark tells Penny the story about her gods and their own creation myth, describing in vivid detail how Faunus, her god, inhabited a seed that grew into a large tree, whose acorns spread and filled the barren and dry lands to be lush and full of life. She also goes on to tell her how the other spirits came into being and played their part in nurturing the land, finishing with Velho, who gave the gift of magic. Penny is amazed at the story, finding it quite beautiful, and attempts to accompany the story by creating small illusions to illustrate them.
During the next day, they reach Elderkeep, and as they wander through, Granny notices that the place is riddled with cats all over the place. The party at first has no idea what she is talking about, as they cannot see any animals, but as Granny points it out, they can see small pawprints in the mud. Granny goes over to one of the cats that she sees, and picks it up, bringing it over to the others. Amazingly, they can all feel it, and start to pet it. Apparently the place is full of cats who are all invisible. Demetrius is flabbergasted by this, and Theren theorizes that it’s probably an experiment gone wrong. Kal tries to cast dispel magic, but finds that the magic is too strong for her, so the cat remains invisible. Theren thinks that i t is a good thing, because if it’s genetic, the cat would probably not live long, having adapted itself to not being seen.
Outside Elderkeep they cross an old bridge that looks like it could fall over any second, and decide to rest for the night, joining up with an elderly couple who is heading in the opposite direction. Kal asks them about the lightning strikes she saw in the distance a few nights ago, but they don’t find it that unusual, as lightning striking the same place several times isn’t as unusual as people say. She gets the impression that the old man isn’t that fond of magic, but he is won over when Kal says that she is a cleric and can cure his gout in the morning. When she does, the man is overjoyed, and pays the party in some delicious venison, before continuing south.
Continuing a bit further, they reach a functioning watchtower, with a lightning rod on the roof, that seems to have been hit by many lightning bolts over the years. They have a quick chat with the guards watching over the tower, asking if they have noticed anything unusual, but other than the occasional troll or giant that wanders over, there isn’t much of interest. Kal asks Udall for a new sign, and Willowbark can feel a strong wind picking up, blowing northward and interprets it as a sign to keep going that direction. Kal thanks the guards for their time, and rejoins the party as they continue.
Wayward Wyverns
In the late afternoon, as it is nearing time to set camp, they suddenly hear a scream of terror. Looking up to see where it is coming from, they can see a gravely wounded man running towards them on the road ahead, begging for help. His stomach is almost split open, and before he reaches them, a wyvern swoops down to finish the man off. Behind him they can see the remains of a cart, with another person lying bleeding on the ground next to it. They see three wyverns who have ambushed the pair, and now turn their attention towards the party.
Demetrius, who is in the front of the group, is quickly overrun by the wyverns as they swoop down to feast on him, nearly killing him outright, damaging his armor in the process, but Kal and Willowbark both manage to heal him to get him back up, saving his life. The wyverns prove to be a mighty foe, but they are eventually dispatched, partly from Penny who summons a big illusion of Venomfang who scares off most of them, as well as an allosaurus that Willowbark summoned on top of one of the wyverns. As the wyvern is trying to flee, it is slowed down by the allosaurus attacking its back, allowing Penny and Demetrius to finish it off.
Kal does a funeral rite for the couple who passed, with Willowbark observing the ritual, fascinated. Whilst looking for some pretty rocks for the couple as Willowbark is prone to do when lives have been lost, she finds one rock that looks particularly charming. She notices with detect magic that it is HIGHLY magical. She asks Theren to identify it, who discovers that it is in fact the Rock of Improbable Events. A sentient rock that makes up its own mind about what it wants to do. It can't talk to the party, but it can understand them. Willowbark decides to call it "Rocky". They decide to test if it is truly sentient, and leaves it lying on the ground, turning away from it. Hearing a pop, they turn back around to find it has vanished, and Willowbark finds it in her pocket when she checks.
The party leaves the dead couple by the side of the road, after successfully harvesting a single vial of Wyvern poison which Aerolla, and probably other alchemists as well, were looking for. She was willing to pay 900gp for a single vial. so it might come in handy. They also grab the supplies the dead couple was bringing north, a lot of food, meats, cheese, bread. After a few more hours of walking, the party is spent for the day and decides to make camp for the night. Being more cautious about wyverns, which they also hear during the night and the next day, they manage to avoid any more encounters with them.
The next day, after walking for most of the day, they finally reach Thielheim as dusk begins to creep in. When they enter the town they approach what looks like some guards or rangers that seem to be patrolling the city. Theren approaches them to tell them that they found a couple that had been attacked by wyverns, and that they sadly were unable to save them.
The ranger appreciates the information and tells the party he will send a couple of his men south to retrieve their bodies and give them a proper send off. As for the supplies, the ranger remarks that this being the "wild" north, he tells them "finders keepers", unless they want to go out of their way to find someone who might be waiting for some supplies. In either case, he thanks them for the information, and goes on with his day, leaving the party to do as they please.
The party looks at the small town of Thielheim, which seems to be a busy crossing where the people of Jasperpost, Willowfell and Darkmouth congregate to trade or to head south. They enter the town, hoping to find someone that can help them during the final trek north, having heard rumors of the dangers that await them.