1 small shortsword, 4 doses of blue whinnis poison
1 small shortsword, 4 doses of blue whinnis poison
Einar manages to find a cache containing 500 gold pieces in the abandoned barn.
"Actually I ran away..." The faun hangs his head in shame. "The quicklings asked me why I was feeling sad, so I told them everything. They said they'd help me get even on the village even though I told them I didn't want that and I just wanted to be left alone!" The faun wails.
"Mom really sent you to find me? And she's worried sick?"The faun cups his hands on his chin. "I'm so sorry. I ran away because I thought she didn't care about me anymore." The faun willingly follows Crummock back home.
By the time the party returns, the woman has cleared her garden of the bodies. "Oh Garen, I've missed you so much!"She rushes over to give her son a huge hug. "Don't run away and worry me like that, ok?" Garen nods into her shoulder. "I won't do that again, ma."
"Sorry, I never properly introduced myself. I'm Maret. Would you like to join us for dinner? It'd be a way I could thank you for your help, in reuniting the family. Borvald would have been pleased to see Garen back. He was looking for Garen last week, and was the one who saw where those things took him."
Over a dinner of toasted rosemary potatoes, cream of pumpkin soup, two roasted pheasants, venison stew, rabbit pie, two baked trout, and a bread and milk pudding Maret presents Crummock a Ushanka of the Northlands that once belonged to Garen's father as a token of appreciation.
The party stays in Maret's house for the night and set forth after a breakfast of eggs, sausage, hashbrowns and bacon to the main village of Ellsprin the next day.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Mr. Whiskers thanks Crummock for the healing.
A fawn? How interesting!
Looking to the woman, Mr. Whiskers asks her "This may seem strange, but have you ever taught Garen how to play music? Many fawns become quite talented musicians, and it may help the community accept him. Good music has a way of starting friendships!"
Mr. Whiskers casts his mage armor when the barn comes in sight.
Mr. Whiskers swats Einar, crying out "Not funny!"
While Crummock is explaining, Mr. Whiskers nods his head in agreement. He adds "She was quite concerned about you!"
On the way back, Mr. Whiskers listens to the fawn's complaints. Shaking his head sadly, he says "Revenge seldom brings happiness. We need to find a better way, so that you are not ostracized and no one gets hurt." The lad looks strong enough, I would imagine there are plenty of tasks he could help the community with. Just need to find something that suits him.
"Tell me, Garen, what do you enjoy doing?"
Mr. Whiskers thanks Maret for her generosity with the food and the gift. He also complements Crummock on the hat. "I think it looks good and should be quite warm and comfortable!"
After dinner, he asks Maret about the village.
Crummock politely accepts the Ushanka.
"Thank-ye, I am sure we can be puttin' this to good use."
"He likes to dance in the woods. That's one of the reasons why I moved out here.. he was a lot happier after he had some private space." Maret replies."I don't know how to play any instrument. I mean his father was a great musician but I never learnt to play. Also, I don't know how to make any instruments. You might want to ask the Carpenter in town."
"The town. Haven't been there for a while. They were always bullying Garen." There's anger in her voice."They're intolerant to anyone who isn't human. But I think you've figured that out already? It's not very big, but you can resupply there, if you want."
"I like dancing. But they called me a sis*y boy because only girls dance. That's why I like dancing in the woods. There's no one to call me names. And the woods feel like home." Garen answers."I liked listening to people play music too...but I felt bad asking them for lessons. Who would want to teach a half-breed,"he gestures at himself,"Like me."
The village of Ellsprin is a small one. Plumes of smoke rise from the chimneys, as the various people in town go about their business. The party draw suspicious stares, and lots of muttering over, as people in general shy away from the party (especially Einar).
Nadya leaves Orm and Morjoli with Ringerr's sister Marion, telling her that she will be back for them after she has followed the party and bargained with Baba Yaga for her family's safety. Marion in turn, asks her if she can persuade Ringerr to stop find his wife, Laila, and his daughter Siri in White Throne. She fears that each expedition he makes into White Throne will be his last. She also tells the party that Ringerr was last headed to the Fishcamps on the outskirts of White Throne.
Mr. Whiskers nose twitches in annoyance at hearing the descriptions of the town.
"Do not believe them about the dancing. Many bards dance as part of their performing. I've even heard tales of some far away in the desert incorporating dance into their martial style!" Mr. Whiskers tells Garen. "If ever you hear of a cleric of Shelyn, you should try to contact them! They may be able to more directly help you."
He will spend some time talking with Garen and Marot, trying to come up with other ways Garen might get some training.
---
Having been warned, Mr. Whiskers stays with the pack animals and allows others to purchase the needed supplies. I will need to consider disguises if this is the way I'm treated in Irrisen.
"Do you know any clerics of Shelyn? I'd love to to speak to one of them! Are there really people who incorporate dance in their martial style? I'd love to get to know them too!" Garen asks Mr Whiskers eagerly.
The party leaves town and heads towards the Fishcamps.
The road, as they head towards civilization is swept clear of snow and the weather is surprisingly good. The party sees a falcon ahead, that swoops off into the horizon. In the distance, they see 4 armed men by the road. "We are Winter Guards, sent by Nazhema to arrest all groups of armed adventurers that we encounter. The descriptions of the following: One Blue Scaled Tiefling, One human named Nadya Petska, One Aasimar, One Rat, a Tiger, a Mantis and a dark haired female Woman are charged for the crime of high treason, for the murder of the Radosek Parvil. There is a bounty of a thousand gold pieces for the heads of the respective individuals." He peers at the party through the snow. "Looks like we've hit the jackpot today, men!"
"We've got them surrounded! Attack!" A white wolf howls, as he pops out from the snow pile he was hiding and comes from behind the party.
Mr Whiskers recognizes the humans as Falconer Rangers of the winter guard. And the White wolf is a winter wolf. Every 1d4 rounds it can exhale a breath of icy cold that does 6d6 cold damage. DC 17 reflex halves.
The Winter Wolf charges up to Crummock and attempts to savage him, and drags him to the ground.
"Wrong choice" Ziva yells at the wolf, and stepping into the fray, with Vernai moving alongside into a flanking position.
Ziva cuts deeply into the Winterwolf's side. It growls as it glares at her balefully.
The first falconer shoots twice at Ziva.
He then orders his bird to distract Ziva.
The second falconer fires at Einar.
Then sends his bird to distract him.
The third falconer fires on Nadya, then sends his bird to distract Einar.
The last falconer fires on Nadya, then sends his bird to distract her.
Norgrimm snaps at Vernai for trying to grapple him, and Vernai steps backward at its savage bite, but is not dragged to the ground.
Mr. Whiskers shifts his position so none of the birds can get to him. Reaching into his scrollbox, he pulls out and readies a scroll.
He quickly reads it off just before the archers fire.
Grunting in annoyance, Crummock stands up, and attempts to stab the wolf straight through its baleful eye.
Geist rips into the creature that harmed his friend...
Whilst Nadya grimly fires at the wolf.
Crummock stabs the wolf the eye and Geist savages it with a bite(which doesn't go deep enough to hit any vital organs) and a claw. Geist's second claw does not get through its thick fur.
The falcon next to Nadya rakes at her with its talon as she fires.
Nadya collapses on the floor, bleeding.
Ziva proceeds to execute the wolf with a final strike, while Vernai attempts to head in the direction of the archers.
Two of the falcons slash at Einar as he moves out of their way, to tears into the winter wolf like an angry wolverine and it collapses onto the ground.
Ziva chops at one of the falcons and it flops on the ground, a mangled pile of feathers.
She orders Vernai to grab another bird.
Vernai manages to skewer one of the birds. It twitches on Vernai's claw.
As one of the falconers nocks an arrow on his bow, Mr Whiskers reads from his scroll and a 20 foot cloud of billowing mist emits from where he is standing. The falconers curse and order their birds to retreat.
The bird tries to pull itself Vernai's claw to no avail.
Mr. Whiskers casts Mage Armor on himself, then stealthily moves through the mist while drawing a wand.
Geist rips into the adjacent bird.
Crummock pulls out a wand, and taps Nadya with it, hissing in frustration when she does not wake up.
Geist drops the bird. Ziva and Vernai stand around confused by the sudden mist, unsure of what to do.
One of the falconers spot Einar in the mist and yell to his companions where to aim at. He draws his longsword and attacks. The other falconers order their birds to attack Einar. Two arrows whistle in Einar's direction
Crummock heals Nadya again...
...causing her eyes to flutter open.
Geist then moves forward, and tries to bite a bird.
Geist does not manage to get any bird. Geist stays where he is, not knowing where to go.
Mr. Whiskers uses the wand. "Old McDonald had a wand, E-I-E-I-O!"
As he says this, he steps a little closer to the edge of the mist.
Einar claws at one of them as they step in but he does not go down.
Einar drops the falconer and one of the birds.
Ziva orders Vernai after the remaining bird.
Both attacks miss. The rest blind fire at Einar.
Ziva comes out of the mist, swinging her greatsword.
Between Einar and Ziva, two of the winter guards lie dead on the floor, one with his throat torn out, and the other beheaded.
Satisfied that Nadya is conscious once again, Crummock moves forward, looking for foes...
He then summons Geist to attack !
Meanwhile, Nadya, groaning slightly, staggers to her feet, and picks up her bow.
Crummock and Geist make short work of the bird. Geist looks pretty dorky with a bird in his mouth.
A pony appears and moves to attack the remaining ranger.
Mr. Whiskers steps forward and casts his magic missile at the archer.
The last of the winter guards attempts to flee and Einar rips his throat out.
On each of their bodies the party finds 2 potions of cure light wounds, 1 studded leather, 1 Composite longbow with +2 strength, 15 arrows, longsword, cold weather gear, falconry guantlet, snowshoes and 6 gp
Mr Whiskers examines the unconscious winterwolf. He realizes that both eyes are of a different colour and can be skinned to create a magic cloak called a rimepelt
"Well, it seems we are expected! I think we need some way to make our group a little less identifiable or we will be bait for every bounty-hunter or guard patrol." Mr. Whiskers says as he starts checking over the bodies.
"I only made one of those scrolls by the way, so we will need to be careful of archers until I have a chance to write another one."