Previously: Chapter 82: Memories
No Time Wasted
When the party emerges from the falls, Argus and Ira fly over to meet them as soon as they are within range. They tell the party that they were good and kept themselves on the ground, but were very curious about the commotion in the darkness. Thistlethorn tells them what they went through, and they are amazed that they did such a great job at removing the negative feelings from the place. Kal and Relic both look at Penny, expectantly, with Penny trying to focus on where to go next. She feels that the most logical step should be the maze they passed earlier, as it seemed like it was drawing her in, but she didn’t notice it properly until now.
They decide to make their way there sooner rather than later, and so head back towards the narrow path leading up the cliff. To their right they see the green waves splash against the hard rocks of the wide plateau they currently walk on, while the roots of the castle above them go far into the earth, sticking out partly from the wall. They make their way up the narrow and reach the top, walking over to the maze. Relic checks his timekeeper, and finds that it would be about just before noon for them. Before they venture forth, they decide to take a short rest on the side of the road. Helpful roots begin to emerge, making them a makeshift table with chairs. Kal prepares some food, while Penny plays a helpful tune to expedite the healing. Her playing attracts several critters from the nearby woods, amongst others a group of mushrooms with hands and feets, that dance among them to the melodies. When they are done, the roots retreat back from whence they came. Thistlethorn hears them telling her that it is too heavy, so she thanks them, shocking the roots with the knowledge that someone can hear and understand them.
Rested and ready, the party approaches the maze, which has four separate entrances, and looking within the silvery gates, they see that the insides don’t align with what they see through the other gates, so they realize that it is probably a lot bigger on the inside than outside, and considering the outside is about a hundred meters each direction, it should be pretty big. They walk around to get a feel for the gate, and each member of the party gets a feeling that a specific gate is the “right” one for them, except for Penny who feels the same about all the gates. They decide to go with Relic’s gate first, as he mentions that “All roads leads to Unknown”, causing great confusion amongst the group. He opens the gates, notices they are creaky, so he takes out some oil to fix it, and then heads inside, followed by the rest of the group.
The Twilight Gardens
Immediately when passing the threshold of the gates, the sky disappears, exchanged with a starry night sky, one they haven’t seen in several days since entering the feywild. The air is cold, like a late summer’s night, and the fog creeps in from the walls made of leaves. Down one path, they see the shimmer of people walking through the maze, but they seem not to sense the group. One of the spirits seems to be more solid than the others, and Thistlethorn recognizes her as the spirit she saw in passing when they headed towards the grove.
The woman, the spirit of an elderly elf by the looks of it, is busy seemingly organizing something the party is unable to see. Kal breaks the silence by greeting her. The woman turns, saying “Ah, so you’re the ones who will bring her back?” while looking at Penny. She introduces herself as the Caretaker of the Garden, and asks if the party knows the story, and recites it for them when they say they don’t.
"She wanders, still. Her spirit, once whole, now shattered across the planes. Lirael's heart broke long before her body did, and the pieces of her soul were carried on the winds of grief and loss. Her city fell, and with it, her light. Separated from her home and from herself, she could not find her way back to the gardens, to her rest."
The Caretaker gestures to the foggy maze surrounding the party, as the stars above dimly flicker like fading memories.
"This place, this labyrinth of echoes, was meant to guide her home, but the threads of her soul are scattered like leaves in a storm. Each fragment of her memory clings to her life, to the songs of joy, sorrow, and loss she once knew."
Turning to Penny, the Caretaker bows their head slightly.
"Your song, bard, has already begun to weave the fragments together. Each note you play, each melody you sing, is like a beacon calling her back from the shadows. But she is not whole."
The Caretaker’s form flickers as she speaks, revealing the misty remnants of spirits that linger around them.
"Lirael is here, in the Twilight Gardens now, drawn by your song, but she is confused, scattered. Her memories pull her in many directions—her joy with her companions, her sorrow at the Falls, her hope in the Grove. Only the song, when completed, can reunite the shattered pieces of her spirit."
The party realizes that the Caretaker has been leading them along the path with her tale, and as she gestures to a place beyond, they can see two people standing with their backs turned, working on something. Penny goes closer, seeing the ghostly visage of Lirael Silversong, and next to her a young male drow, whom she recognizes as Erevan Duskwoven. They seem to be working on something, a small sphere with several arcane runes on it. The movements resets, and Penny realizes that this is a memory on a loop, incomplete. She calls out to Relic, who approaches, with Thistlethorn giving him guidance. He observes the scene, and tries to touch the sphere. He realizes he can pick it up, and manipulate it. With Penny’s bardic inspiration and Thistlethorn’s guidance, he easily completes the puzzle, placing it back in the hands of Erevan.
The memory advances, and the two friends embrace and rejoice as the puzzle is solved. The memory starts to coalesce, and it suddenly shoots off in a beam of light towards what is presumably the center of the gardens. The caretaker tells them that they must help the other memories to remember, and then help Lirael return. The party understands what they have to do, and so follow Penny, who is now hearing the music guiding her way.
They wander for a while, with the Caretaker following them from behind, from time to time stopping to organize something again, and they see now that she is taking small wisps of light and moving them around. Kal deduces that these are probably the spirits of the gardens, which the Caretaker tends to. Eventually, the party stops when they come across a massive visage of an owlbear, much larger than they are used to. Lirael stands there once more, hands out towards the beast, with Brónach standing next to her, as they both try to calm the disturbed owlbear. Penny takes her position, as Thistlethorn stands next to Brónach, trying to calm the beast down.
Without issue, thanks to Penny’s help, the beast calms down, and shrinks back into normal size, approaching Thistlethorn, who caresses its beak. Penny also strokes its feathers, before the memory once again coalesces into a small glowing sphere, before shooting off towards the center. Penny can feel that they are making great progress, and so they continue to find presumably the last memory with Lirael and Maravin.
They spend a few more hours wandering through the maze, meeting a few dead ends and wrong turns, but eventually they find themselves in the middle of a massive storm, and the surroundings appear to be that of a ship. They look at Maravin and Lirael standing on the deck of the ship, trying to calm the storm that is raging above them. Kal and Penny know immediately what they have to do, but this time Kal steps into Maravin’s place. This proves to be wise, as she feels more in tune with the memory. With Penny’s help, she manages to intimidate the storm to disperse, allowing Maravin and Lirael safe journeys. Looking at their visages, they realize this must have been close to the end of their journey, due to the various scars and look in their eyes. The memory coalesces once more, but not before a bolt of lightning shoots down into Kal, but it does not hurt, hinting at what Stormseeker will one day do for her.
With the final memory returned to the others, Penny can now clearly hear the music, and beelines towards what she assumes is the center. The party follows her, trailed by the Caretaker. Eventually, they come to a large circular garden filled with patches of grass surrounded by flowers, with several statues scattered around, but in the middle, a large marble statue clearly depicting Lirael playing Harmony. They walk around it in order to see it from the front, spotting suddenly the glowing visage of Lirael’s spirit, standing in front of it, looking up at herself. She turns towards Penny when she approaches, smiling. Realizing what she has to do, Penny starts playing the song that she now feels is right, with Thistlethorn once more giving her Faunus’ guidance to help out. She performs the Final Farewell, and as she finishes, a tear falls from Lirael’s eye, as she disappears, finally home to rest. The Caretaker thanks Penny for that wonderful performance, and offers them a quick way out, unless they wish to stay for the night. The party realizes how tired they suddenly feel, and checking the timekeeper, they realize they have spent almost 10 hours within the maze. They thank the Caretaker for the hospitality, but decide that they wish to sleep outside. Nodding, she begins to walk towards one of the walls of the garden, walking through it, causing it to dissipate, revealing the daylight beyond as she has shown them a shortcut to one of the gates. Relic makes sure to oil it on the way out.
Crescendo
Before heading off to sleep, they decide to just check the royal chambers to see if Queen Seraphina might be open to a performance tonight, or if they should wait until the morrow. Greeting the party at the gatehouse are now two wolves in sheeps clothing. They let the party in, with a bad impression of a sheep’s “baa”. As soon as they have ascended the stairs to the entrance, a group of small beasts open the door, revealing the Queen sitting on her throne, with her entire court in attendance, looking at Penny expectantly.
The party springs into action, Thistlethorn summoning a couple of balls from her bag, summoning not one, but two giant elks, Master Elk and Mistress Elk, as well as a giant rat. Kal uses fog cloud to create a fitting ambiance, while Penny uses her creation magic to summon a beautiful dais on which she stands, then animating it, so that she can hover above the crowd for the most ideal acoustics.
The beasts dance an improvised dance, while Penny performs the song dedicated to the Queen’s daughter. The whole room is transfixed at her, and even gives a few glances over at Thistlethorn who has taken out a flute in order to help. As the final note finishes, the whole room is sniffling and taking out various colored handkerchiefs. Penny descends on her dais, walking up towards the queen, who is walking down to meet her. On the way, she feels Harmony’s warmth, and can feel that the instrument is now exalted, fully bonded to Penny. She bows to the queen, but Seraphina gestures for her to stand.
The Queen loudly proclaims that the song is a great honor for her daughter, and offers Penny a boon as promised. Penny thinks for a while, and tells the Queen that she wishes for an Edenflower in order to save her friend, but also if she can help the party return to their own plane without having lost any time. The Queen looks at her, shocked at the audacity, saying “you ask for two boons when I am gracious enough to offer one?” Penny looks back at her, cautiously, but holds her tongue. Seraphina looks down at Harmony, and says she will grant the boon, on the condition that the instrument be returned to its proper resting place when they are finished with their task. Penny agrees, and so the Queen announces that they have an accord. She snaps her fingers, and Pantharos approaches with a silver tray, carrying four bottles, all with a small note saying “Drink me!” on them. The party takes one each, and then follows as Seraphina begins walking towards the stairs, as the rest of the court begins talking amongst themselves.
The party joins the queen ascending the staircase, leading to a large greenhouse with several layers, filled with flowers and plants, both familiar and foreign. Seraphina continues upwards until they reach the highest level of the greenery, and there the party sees a beautiful arrangement surrounding two distinctive flowers. The Queen approaches the pair, taking a shear to the base of one, before placing it in a glass enclosure, before handing it over to Penny, saying that she should be careful with it. Then, without skipping a beat, she says their deal is concluded, and begins walking back out, with the party following after her and Pantharos.
As they walk out, Thistlethorn cannot help but notice a beautiful looking rock lying between two ferns on the lowest floor, right before the exit. She debates with herself if she should take it, but instead asks the Queen, who turns around, if she can take the rock as she found it so pretty. The Queen asks what she would let her have it if she would do a favour for her in the future. Thistlethorn is wary of favours, so declines, but Kal suggests that she could owe the favour instead, and goes to pick it up, handing it to Thistlethorn. The Queen whispers to Pantharos low enough that nobody hears, but Thistlethorn reads on her lips that she says “They always fall for it!”
As they get back down to the throne room, most of the court has vacated the area, and so they decide to have a good night's rest in the mansion in the cupboard. Safely inside, Penny continues her studying, after getting some help by Thistlethorn casting enhance ability on her, while Thistlethorn herself begins studying the rock. Kal cooks some food for them, while Relic goes over some of his studies. Thistlethorn notices that there are some loose pieces that she can easily pull off, so she begins removing them one by one, trying to find the shape hidden within.
As she does, a small and stout satyr comes waltzing in, carrying a bucket and a mop. The party stares at him, but he says “Don’t mind me, I’m just cleaning,” and begins to clean the common area. Relic is flabbergasted, saying that he shouldn’t be here, but the satyr says that it’s his job to clean every part of the castle. After a few minutes he finishes up, and leaves again. Relic says that magic clearly doesn’t work the way he thought it did, and is disturbed. Meanwhile, Thistlethorn has managed to take off the loose pieces, revealing a beautiful stag statue. She gets a feeling that it is magical, but detect magic reveals nothing, as does an identify spell, but Relic figures it is probably covered in some kind of magic aura, hiding its true nature.
Thistlethorn decides to keep it close, just in case. As for the shavings, she collects them into a ball, and using a replacement string from Penny, makes a pendant which she gives to Kal, as thanks for providing the favour to the queen. After having a good meal for the evening, Penny finishes up her studies, and so the party decides to go to sleep, realizing it is well past midnight after checking the timekeeper. Relic keeps watch while recharging, hoping no more unwanted visitors enter the mansion, but no disturbances come in the night.
Breaking the Curse
When the party wakes up, they exit the mansion and cupboard, finding the throne room empty of people, except for Pantharos, who is using a feather duster to clean the throne, while also adjusting the plants leading up to it. Noticing the party, he finishes up and descends the steps to meet them. He asks if they are finally leaving since they have what they came for, but the party tells him they have one thing left to do; removing the curse on Clarita so that she can go home as promised, and so they have to go find Hagatha.
Pantharos tells them that he knows where she lives, and offers to bring them to her, in return for something. Kal offers up a good meal made from a 2000 year old sausage, while Thistlethorn offers to make him a tea made from local herbs. He happily accepts, claps his hand, prompting a group of redcaps to bring out a table and chair, as well as a cooking station for Kal, who begins working. Thistlethorn goes outside to pick a few local herbs, asking permission from the herbs themselves, who are more than willing to sacrifice themselves. She checks on the elks, who are still hanging around, and she realizes that since it’s always twilight in the Feywild, there is no “dusk” that causes them to disappear. After a few minutes she returns inside and begins to brew the tea.
Pantharos indulges himself, finding the tea rather plain, but delicious, but the food on the other hand does not agree with him, causing him to become drowsy and lethargic. Thinking ahead, the party prepares a heroes’ feast for themselves while waiting for the satyr to finish, as Penny summons the material component, inviting the elks and rat to join in before they face Hagatha. Pantharos thanks them for the meal and drink which now belongs to him, meaning Kal and Thistlethorn can only ever make it for him. In either case, Pantharos tells them to follow, as he shall do his part of the bargain.
Coming outside, Pantharos seems to have a hard time finding the right direction, but eventually he gets his bearings, leading them westward, past the field for the horses, and into the forest where Clarita told them that the Summer Queen sometimes takes her for a walk, before leaving to go on by herself. The forest is big, beautiful and alive, but eventually they come to an area that is more swampland, with a wooden path leading to an “island” of colourful trees in the middle of the swamp. Pantharos tells them that they’re close, and hurries them along.
Entering the forest, the mood changes, and everything feels off, but they push on. Pantharos tells the party that he knows this place because he was trapped in a cage here for a while, before the Summer Queen claimed him. In the middle of the small grove there lies a hut, surrounded by a pond. Pantharos walks up to the door, knocks, and then tells whomever is inside that he has brought visitors who wish to speak to her, before running away, wishing the party good luck.
They hear approaching footsteps from within, and a terrifying visage faces them, one that Kal has seen once before. The true face of Hagatha, with a thorny crown, and blood dripping from her hands. She seems pleased to see them, but asks why they have come. The party asks Hagatha to release the curse of Clarita, but she seems unwilling to do so. The party offers up various bargains, a song, riddles, even agony, but Hagatha is not pleased with their offerings. She counters with either a favour, which the party is in no way, shape or form willing to accept.
When she offers to take the owls, or at least Ira, off the party’s hands in exchange for removing the curse, Thistlethorn immediately shuts that down, with Kal remarking that Hagatha is bad at bargaining, but Hagatha retorts with “My dear, you came to me, I did not come to you. It is clear to me that you have nothing that might interest me, so I think we should end this here,” before turning to enter her little hut. Just as she is about to close the door, Kal takes out the Deck of Many Things, and offers Hagatha to draw a card. Intrigued, she stops, and comes back out, countering with three cards. The party looks at each other, but in the end agrees on three cards for the hag, if she can also allow Clarita to return to the material plane when they leave, arriving at the same time as they do. Hagatha holds out her hand, which Kal shakes.
Kal holds out the deck, with Hagatha declaring that she will draw three cards. The first card is drawn, and suddenly a shadar-kai in armor appears next to Hagatha, pledging his fealty to her. The next card causes a shimmer of light blue and dark green to run over her skin, and the last card seemingly has no immediate effect. Hagatha seems pleased, waving her hand, saying that the deal is done, taking the shoulder of the shadar-kai, dragging him inside the hut. The party wishes him luck, before leaving the grove back the way they came.
Exiting the forest after a while, they emerge on the road not far from the fields where the horses are kept. They make their way down there, and can see Clarita approaching. At first they are worried that Hagatha didn’t keep up her side of the bargain, but they soon see that Clarita is riding on the horse, having been restored to her old self. When she reaches the party she thanks them profusely, and says her goodbye to Luna, her horse. A necessary sacrifice, she says, as she was a good horse, but she realizes that she has to leave her behind if she is to get home.
Clarita jumps the fence for the first time since she was trapped, and reintroduces herself with her proper name that she now remembers, Tela. Realizing that they are about to go back home, she asks if they can help her, but the party assures her that it has already been taken care of. Before they drink their potions, they ask the elks what they wish to do, since they will not see them again if they stay in the feywild, since they will never “return” to whence they came since there is no dusk here. The lady elk says she wishes to explore a bit, but Master Elk says that he wishes to serve the party, and lowers himself on his front legs, as Thistlethorn takes out a knife, slitting his throat. It is a quick death, and Master Elk disappears as Thistlethorn gives him a kiss on the nose. The rat joins the owls in the bag of holding, to join the crossing.
Suddenly, they see a large figure approaching from the castle, wearing a tiny uniform. Stumpwick has apparently gotten his curse removed, and is now his proper size for an ent. He thanks the party for the help getting here, and says that he hopes to see them if he ever comes to the material plane. They try to explain where he is to go, but he has a hard time understanding. In the end, they say their goodbyes as Stumpwick, now calling himself Entwick, ventures back towards his home, with the party cautioning him to avoid the nearby forest due to Hagatha. He then disappears beyond the curve.
The party decides to do a quick recap of the last two years for Tela, explaining the death of the king, return of the Forgotten One, and that the Thax’Ning tribes have made peace with Moroxia. Tela says that this should make it possible for her to get a leave from her duties, to visit her home in Ravenforge, saying that they might meet again. Ready to depart, the group opens their bottles and drinks the contents, which has a pleasant peach flavor. They begin to feel drowsy, falling to the floor. The last thing Penny hears is Tela saying “Is that how it’s supposed to- oh I see they are disappearing, good." She then blacks out.
Back Home
The party awakens, finding themselves lying in snow, in the middle of a blizzard in a cold landscape. They are back on the material plane. Relic immediately begins taking out the components to summon the mansion, as they will have to wait here for a few days for Karga to arrive, while Thistlethorn takes out the owls and the rat from the bag. Kal takes out a thermal cube, while Penny casts a sending to Thervan. He jokes that they have been gone for years, but laughs, saying he will be right over.
A whirlwind of arcane energy appears nearby, as Thervan teleports in, carrying the iron flask. He asks the party if they found the flower, which Penny produces. She wonders how she will administer it, but Thistlethorn says that usually you crush the flower and rub it on the wound. Thervan opens the stopper, and the gargantuan amethyst dragon appears, lying on the ground, weak and looking worse than last time they saw him. Penny takes out the flower, crushes it in her palm, and then rubs it against the wound that appears to be where the infestation is coming from. Immediately the wound begins to heal, the darkness and shadows begin to fade, and the dragon begins to rouse.