Tales from the Feralwood

Game Master Kobash

"Do we have eh, what do you call them, a safehouse somewhere? Otherwise I leave to the others to pick a place, all my spatial knowledge has been ruined by my visit to the other side."

Xerexis thinks a moment. "Outside Marascar's southern gate. On the rooftop where we caught that thief."

Holding onto Dovan, he puts a hand out for Myhm and Teena. Once they make contact he intones a prayer and suddenly that group is on the roof, standing near the trapdoor to the room below.

***

Back at House Forturi Troxell assumes an earth form and slips into the ground, slowly sliding past earth and rock just below the ground.

***

Shanee and Stroud are left to fend for themselves as soldiers from the Company of the Star move in to secure the structure. The assassin binds his wounds, struggles to his feet, and begins staggering away. He stops at a doorway to look back. "You were worthy adversaries. If we should meet again, I hope it is not to kill you."

Stroud nods to the Assassin, and immediately looks for a way out, his abilities at fast stealth and ledge walking foremost in his mind!

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

Earth elemental Troxell pops up back on the first floor to advise Shanee and Stroud, "There are secret passages down here you can use for an escape, I'll attempt to find the entrance and open it for you." He pauses for a moment for any response before slipping back into the earth.

Once he's back underground, he looks for a door connecting the tunnels to the house.

Perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (2) + 20 = 22

Shanee looks to the assassin and smiles"You could always come work for me for a time. I do try to pay well and i have been looking for a bodyguard.

Smiling he adds "And i do have some healing abilities"'

diplomacy: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (10) + 20 = 30

The assassin considers Shanee's offer. He glances down the stairs as an explosion takes out the front door. "5000 gold. And I'll show you the passage to the tunnels below."

Shanee laughs "I said I pay well not ridiculous. 1 and if we are caught I wont say anything about you helping Devon plus i'll heal you as i can on the way."

"3. And I'll fight if we encounter trouble."

"1500 for this you'll still fight because my friend is going to show us anyway and you'll think about coming to work with me. 2 if you come work with me after."

cast cure mod on assassin cure mod wounds: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (2, 8) + 8 = 18

The assassin considers for a brief moment before nodding. "2000 then for escape and one contract. I am Tithon. Quickly now, this way."

His strength restored somewhat by Shanee's magic, the man moves quickly up the stairs to the third floor, following a route taken earlier by Myhm that passes through a fine bedchamber, a hidden passage, down a flight of stairs, then into a storage room. You are about to descend another set of stairs when you hear movement from below.
"The kitchen is below." Tithon whispers. "We must get through it to access the secret passage beneath the house."

Fight, sneak, or trick?

Shanee shrugs "I could make us all invisible but you say they can see through that if they have the spell cast but i say lets give it a try."

Shanee cast invisibility on everybody starting with Stroud ending with himself.

Im still here, just happily safe for the time being. Good luck boys!

trying to make this as fast a getaway as possible

Since Shanee seems to have the situation well in hand, Troxell returns to the earth to glide himself to the meeting point.

Tithon nods as Shanee makes the group invisible. "Let me take a quiet look ahead."

Tithon Stealth: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (12) + 18 = 30

It is nearly impossible to track him, and you aren't sure when he left or will return, but a few seconds later his voice speaks.

"There are 6 mercenaries below and an alchemist. Only the alchemist should have the ability to see through invisibility. If we can stay out of her line of sight we might be able to slip by the mercenaries. The secret passage is down through the kitchen's ice pit, but opening it will likely be noticed."

While Tithon is looking around Shanee casts See invisibility on himself

"Well I'll speed us up so we can do this fast but it wont last long. Let me know when your ready."

As soon as everyone is ready Shanee casts haste.

stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27 for when we move

"Enough talk. Let's get out of here my friends!"

Stealth: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (3) + 17 = 20

Moving quickly, Shanee, Stroud, and Tithon slip into the kitchen and weave in and among the mercenaries while the alchemist's back is turned. Tithon gets to trapdoor and lifts it while a couple mercenaries are checking a pantry and Shanee slips through unnoticed.

Stroud is almost to to the trap door when his sword sheath sweeps a cup from a nearby table. Acting quickly he snatches it before it hits the ground and hides it under his cloak.

"What's this?" One of the mercenaries says from a spot near the trapdoor, causing Tithon to hop down and close it as the alchemist turns to look. Stroud ducks behind a table just in time to avoid being seen.
"Blood." The alchemist says, noting some stains on the ground. "There was a fight here. Probably from those bodies in the other room."
"It was said the guards of House Forturi were well trained. Some of them rumored to be assassins. Commander Irrovetti said we should be cautious in dealing with the big man and his friends, and if they did this then we would be wise to heed that advice. If you encounter anyone, call for reinforcements immediately, and remember, he wants them alive."
The alchemist turns away and heads for the stairs, giving Stroud his chance to follow Shanee and Tithon below.

Lucky!

The ice room is freezing, but you remain there only a moment before Tithon slides a large cube away from a wall and reveals the secret passage to freedom. Waiting there for you is Troxell in earth elemental form.

"Well done friends." Stroud whispers relieved and wipes the sweat from his brow.

"Troxell we are here but invisible lets get the Heck outa here. I can see everyone so i will tell you if anyone is getting left behind"

"If you need me to escort you, I'll follow a little behind. Otherwise I will just see you at the meeting spot." Earth Elemental Troxell replies, staring out blankly into space.

Tithon leads the way trough the tunnels, which branch off occasionally like a labyrinth. A few times he directs your small group around traps left to ward off invaders or pursuers, and once he opens another secret door to a passage that eventually opens into the storage cellar of an old shack. There he waves off a couple figures camped out like squatters and brings you to a street near the southern wall. Ducking into the privy behind a small shop you climb down a trap door disguised as a stained seat and navigate another set of secret passages to a grate outside the city walls. A short time later you are reunited with those teleported by Xerexis.

Meanwhile, Xerexis has been pressing Dovan and Myhm to unlock the glass grimoire. "This is what we've been after. Make him open it." The elf gives Dovan his best flat stare, as if watching a bug he wants to squish and kick aside.

Troxell returns to his natural half-elf form as the party regroups and looks to Myhm, "Well, let's get this over with. Teena needs to regain her memories at the very least."

Stroud watches with rapt interest!

Teena glared at Dovan with anger flaring in her eyes. "Tell me how to get my memories back! And do it quickly if you know what's good for you."

Shanee puts his arm around Dovans shoulders and talks quietly into his ear
"Now mister Dovan is it. As you can see my friends and I have gone to great lengths to find you and we truly wish you no harm but you must understand the things that are at stake here. For one the lovely Teena has lost her memories because of this task. So your cooperation would be greatly appreciated.' He pats him on the back " Oh and I will surly know if you are lying

diplomacy: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (8) + 20 = 28
bluff: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (16) + 20 = 36
sense motive: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (7) + 20 = 27

Myhm looks at Dovan's still-fading crown of teeth marks, considers going back to gnawing it again, "Your memory remembers how to open it?. You and me both want Brue back - do it now. The witch says will give Teena and Troxell back too." He starts reaching for Dovan's collar...

"Memmories?" Dovan asks, looking at Teena. "What memories are you talking about? How am I supposed to... urgh!"

Myhm's fist around his collar lifts him a few inches off the ground. "I don't.. know.. anything... about.. memories!"

Xerexis puts a hand on Myhm's arm. "Give him the grimoire."

Producing the glasslike orb, Dovan's eyes go wide. "You found it! By the gods, old and new, I thought for sure that was lost forever. Auchs couldn't recall where he buried it, and wouldn't leave those damned gnomes to go look for it with me."

Seeing Myhm looming over, he offers a nervous laugh. "Yeah, ok. Let's get to it then."

Touching the grimoire, Dovan whispers a strange word and a series of numbers. "Alcalar 32173"

The orb flashes and group of strange symbols appear on the surface.

"There, it's open." Dovan says.

Xerexis leans in, his hand hovering over the grimoire. "This is the language of my people. The grimoire is designed a little like a library, and these symbols navigate to subjects."

"Well X can you look up retrieving someones memory or removing curses or Dovan even or is there an index?"

Xerexis slides his finger across the grimoire a few times, causing the symbols upon it to shift and change. Eventually he stops and points to one.

"This is your name here, Teena."

Teena shows the others what she read. "I can't remember any of this. Is this a true memory, Dovan? No matter, I'm going to have to read each entry very carefully. It'll take forever. I was hoping they could be reinserted quickly with magic, but this is better than nothing," she says, grabbing the tome

"That sounds like the day in which we first met, Teena. While I fully support you reading all the relevant entries about your life, I would suggest that next we read the entries concerning Myhm's brother and what's happened to him. It might shed some useful light on the situation as a whole. It is what brought this fellowship together in the first place." Troxell suggests with a thoughtful expression.

"Not to mention we might want to look up TalTeslos the one that you supposedly tried to kill and see if that sheds any light on that situation. If he is even mentioned in the book."

"Mhym has a Brother? Wow. Who would have thought it possible that his mother could have survived his birthing? She must have Giant blood in her lineage."

As Teena reads the entry in the grimoire the memories of that day slowly return. At this pace it would take decades to "remember" them all. It can be sorted by names, subjects, and dates, but that will take time to sort through for relevance as well.

Teena, the glass grimoire is a small crystal sphere, not a book. Possession of it may be up for debate by multiple people.

Xerexis puts his hand out to prevent the grimoire from being stowed away just yet.

"The grimoire has a greater purpose then holding your memories." He says. "It contains information, and perhaps a connection to the Ark of my people."

As he talks he slides his finger across the orb, symbols flashing by as he searches for something.

Ah, I misunderstood. That makes total sense.

Teena wanted to object and keep researching her own lost memories, but she understood others also might have questions to be revealed by the sphere.

"I don't understand..." Xerexis mutters as he navigates through the symbols within the grimoire. "This shows previous links to the Ark's mind engine over the last few years, but I cannot seem to forge the link now. Previous links indicate multiple locations within the Feralwood, and a few in other regions of Dirith that I don't recognize."

Tapping a symbol on the grimoire causes a sphere of light to form in the air around it that resembles a map of the world. Turning the sphere and manipulating it, he focuses on the area around the Feralwood. Pointing to a small glowing mote on the map near the geographical port of Marascar, he says, "This is our location." He then points to a few faint motes dotting the Feralwood. "These are locations the grimoire has found the Ark before."

knowledge geography: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

"Well is that not the island I first met you all?" Shanee asks pointing to one of the motes.

Troxell makes the Perception DC before rolling.

"If I am understanding you correctly, you are saying that we need to return to one of these locations in able to access the Ark information?" Troxell asks, perhaps not completely grasping the intricacies of the arcane object.

Xerexis lets out a frustrated breath. "I am not sure. We could wait for the Ark to reconnect, but that may be months. And according to these logs, the connections have been brief when available at all..." The elf pauses, studying the information. "According to the most recent log, the last connection occurred here in the Feralwood."

Xerexis points at a spot along a river in the northern region of the forest. "I believe that is where we fought off the fey invasion from the Fellnight Prince." He scowls.

I've added some blue stars to the Regional Map to indicate where the Ark has been located by the glass grimoire in the recent past.

"So do we need to visit all of these places again, to try and allow the Ark to connect with them? And if the Ark does reconnect, what do you think will happen?"

"Well I did not think I would be saying this but heading back to the Feralwood sounds like our safest plan of action at the moment. This town has lost its luster for me for a while."

To Teena, Xerexis says, "The Ark has a vast library of information that it is able to add to when other grimoires are connected to it. If I can reconnect this grimoire then I can access its memory and hopefully determine its true location. Perhaps proximity to one of these locations will be enough to make the connection."

Everyone level up to 9th!!

Myhm understands the too complicated dilemma as, whatever it is that leads to lost memories and his brother, it is not here but back in the Feralwood. Looking at the ghostly globe, Myhm looks at where Shanee points to - Candelmere Lake. He then points to the larger lake southeast, jabs finger and mutters, "Red-Haired lord." Then sees the blue point higher on the map, "Honey bees?"

Where/what is the nexus near Cairllen's Crossing? Is that the Fire Tender? It's the closest to Marascar and quickly reachable.

He leers at Dovan as if the man had something to do with more difficulties and delays. Looking to his companions to ask an apparent question, "Does he come with us?"

The spot near Cairllen's Crossing is not the Fire Tender's refuge. It is the hill where the portal stones where breached and a gate was opened to the Fellnight Realm.

"Back to the Feralwood?" Dovan asks, looking uncomfortable. "Is Lord Bronin after my head? I mean, he sent me and the Brigands on a suicide mission into troll territory. How will he take to my return?"

"I'm not terribly worried about how he will take your return. We have more important issues to deal with. And for the time being, we need you with us. Trust me, I don't want to share your company longer than I have to..."

Thank the gods to be leaving this dirty, terrible place.

"I believe we should head to the closest location indicated on the Ark. Dovan should come with us, I believe Teena was looking for you for some reason when our fellowship began. Perhaps you could illuminate her about your former relationship on the way to our destination. With that in mind, we'll also need to make travel arrangements. Perhaps Shanee could find us a nice wagon or a number of steeds for a cheap price. You will not have to worry about providing any such arrangements for me, of course."

"Red-Haired lord don't care about you coming. Let's hurry before the guards find us again." Mhym nudges Dovan.

Closest on the map are the stones near Cairllen's Crossing. With the kinds of spells you have access to, like Fly, Teleport, and Transport via plants, you can get to Cairllen's Crossing or Candlemere in the same amount of time. The third location is an unknown area deep in the Feralwood, which would be hard to transport to directly.

Ill vote for the Crossing...