Sylva notices the purple rod. “Oh, Nox, you did the thing! How were the arches? Did the rope scream?”
The ladies arrive to see Sir Batman looking like he is on sentry duty. The Bronze bat stands at attention while they view Nox conversing with an Oaksteward.
Sir Batman's blue eye brighten as the ladies approach.
Professor Nox is expounding upon the natural, or unnatural properties of the arches as compared to the color coordination of the device as to the original properties of the actual arches.
The sprite smiles wide.
I am on guard duty. Ever hear of gorgas?
Ravenna gives the other pair a friendly wave as she approaches. "We have, as a matter of fact. As related to us by a farmer we accosted, they are, quote, 'shadowy fey' with 'big, bulging eyes.' They seem most active at night."
“Yeah, and then the farmer was like, we don’t talk about gorgas! Make like a tree and get outta here! Which made NO sense ’cause she both named and described gorgas, and when she told us to shove off she—immediately—walked outta the room.
“I mean, did she cancel her whole evening ‘cause of two strangers? How did that make her friends feel? They just stayed at the table like… well… they didn’t even react? So was that normal?”
Sylva could probably monologue about this one little thing for another three hours, but she chooses not to. For now.
Ravenna snorts out a surprised laugh. "Yes, Sylva, well put. This whole town is strange."
Sir Batman looks at Sylva with expectation.
Did you just say that there are seats not being used at that restaurant?
The bronze sprite begins walking briskly back the way the ladies just came from....
“Oh, we just left that place. The waitress is going to think Ravenna and I can’t make up our minds.” Sylva taps her fingers on Ravenna’s shoulder, then realizes she’s treating a person like a table, and that isn’t right, so she stops.
“Ohhhhh, can we at least see the bathhouse on the way?”
Probably they should see Fianara before doing anything else, but Sylva supposes Nox might want to be the one to say it. So she doesn’t.
"Right, yes. We found the boys, they did the thing with the arch, mission accomplished. Bath time."
“Yay!” Sylva cheers.
And considering the hungry work… “They probably serve food at the bathhouse, Sir Batman.”
You have a nice dinner at the restaurant, then enjoy a soak in the bathhouse before returning to Fianara, who has been waiting patiently back at the caravanserai.
Fianara is thrilled when you return to her with the aura recorder. The elf points gleefully to her device, where one of the bulbs shines a brilliant purple. “Just as I suspected!” she exclaims. “Illusion magic.” She points to a different, unlit bulb. “And not a trace of conjuration. Those arches are as fake as a kelpie’s smile.”
She settles back in her chair. “Well then, a deal’s a deal. Here’s what I know:
“The real Seven Arches are hidden somewhere south, in the Wilewood, which is why the Oakstewards restrict travel there. They also post guards. On the night of your Missing Moment, all seven of the guards at the Seven Arches stepped through the portals, just like you did, but only one of them returned—a self-righteous Oaksteward named Bolan.
“When he got back, Bolan was a changed man... and not in a good way. After the high council chewed him out for shirking his post, he stole an important Oaksteward artifact and hid out in the Wilewood along with some other malcontents. From there, he’s been sending cronies to the city to harass the citizens, undermine the Oakstewards’ authority, and recruit other discontented druids to his cause. His ultimate aim, as far as I can tell, is a full-on coup.”
“I don’t know what happened to this Bolan character when he went through the arch. But whatever he knows, I figure you’ll want to know it, too.
"Since Bolan is both dangerously antisocial and deep in restricted territory, I suggest you start by talking to other Oakstewards. As it happens, I'm on good terms with a mid‑ranking member of the druids’ council, a halfling named Lemma Feldthorn. I can give you a letter of introduction so you can meet with this woman and offer to help with the Bolan situation. In doing so, you are is bound to advance your own investigation into the Missing Moment."
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Nox is quite silent at dinner but the sprite listens intently to Fianara's explaination. And decides to chime in a little.
"I seem to have made at least an acquaintance with one of the oakstewards near the false gates. He is why we were able to scan them so quicjly actually, perhaps questioning him on this Bolan fellow as well?"
Fianara shrugs. "Perhaps, though I don't know how much a plaza guard will know compared to Lemma. I'm sure it couldn't hurt, though!"
Sir Batman hungrily devours the meal set before him! Passersby seem to take a second, third, fifth look at the Bronze bat-sprite.
Where is he putting all that?!
The Knight just smiles, as he orders a third course.
At the bathhouse, Sir Batman is reluctant to take off his arms and armor, but he relents once he notices the polo games taking place in a secluded room.
The sprite then joins in the fun, trying to take it easy on his opponents.
He succeeds....
Once the group meets up with Fianara, Sir Batman remains stoic and mostly silent.
Ravenna grimaces. "Great, an evil druid making trouble in the forest. Who wants to bet that he's connected to the gorga attacks?"
Sylva is a dainty eater and, though no athlete, she can outswim most humans! A tub meant for humans is a pool to her, and she asks for no soap nor heat—just cleanliness in her tub, so she can swim about.
For a relaxing bath, she needs only a tea cup of sudsy water from Ravenna’s bath, so the ladies can converse or simply relax…
Sylva raises her hand in response to Ravenna’s question.
She will go to whatever Oaksteward Nox wants to, without question. But “whether we go to the fake arches or the halfling Oakstewardess, we gotta be careful ‘cause we might get accosted by the gor… I mean, the creatures we don’t talk about—which come to think of it is bullpoopy. If people didn’t talk about gorgas, how come we all knew about it within as hour of setting shoulder in town? Osmosis?
“Yeah. I’m saying ‘gorga.’”
Realizing she is her own worst distraction, Sylva says the thing she meant to say.
“Oh! And speaking of… G, O, R, G… A’s?” She glances back at a bush, in case a bug-eyed monster is about to jump out of a bush and devour her. “I am proficient in Tippy-Toes, so I’ll scout and hopefully spot danger without stepping in it.”
Though the Oakstewards’ most secret rites and deliberations occur in the Elderwoods along the southern border with Kyonin, the necessities of governance ensure that a few representatives can always be found in Vinehall. Also called the “Wicker House,” this structure is the closest thing the Oakstewards have to a capitol building. Once, it was a ruined elven manor, but the Oakstewards filled the gaps with woven ivy and other creeping vines. Now, the Wicker House’s living walls and floors are stronger and more resilient than any normal wood.
With Fianara's letter in hand, you are able to gain entry to the building to meet her contact. Lemma Feldthorn is an unexpected sight, both as one of Sevenarches’ few halflings and due to her full‑sized horse animal companion, Mulberri, who walks the halls with her.
"Ah. You are friends of Fianara," the halfling says upon reading the letter. She gestures for you to walk alongside her and her horse. "So tell me, what can I do for you?"
Sylva is in awe of Mulberri’s massive hooves. She walks alongside the halfling, and being a sixthling-to-eighthling of her, the sprite walks on the non-horse side of the Less Big Big Person.
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Ravenna immediately feels a sort of odd kinship with the horse, a creature burdened to carry creatures much smaller than itself, along with all their worldly possessions.
"We are. I don't want to waste your time, so I'll get straight to the point: we are investigating the Missing Moment, especially anyone who stepped through the elfgates and returned. We're looking for one such man named Bolan, who I understand has been causing trouble in the area."
"We need to find out what happened to him, but we need permission from the council to go after him. I think we can help each other."
Lemma frowns as she shares a look with Mulberri. The horse whickers and inclines her head, and the halfling sighs and turns back to you. ”Alright. I’ll admit that the Oakstewards are presently stretched thin. The seeming disappearance of the obnubilate curse has created not just an ethical conundrum—as allowing elves in could be a disaster if the curse returned—but a matter of national defense: without the curse, some fear the strained relationship between Sevenarches and neighboring Kyonin might blossom into an actual conflict. Factor in the increased gorga attacks, and the Oakstewards have no time for Bolan’s troublemaking.
“Bolan’s crimes go beyond mere rebellion. Before he left, Bolan stole the gate key for the real Seventh Arch, a fanciful jade amulet shaped like a leaf called the Shadewither Key. I’ve heard rumors that he plans to use the key in some sort of evil ritual at the arches a few nights hence.
“Mulberri and I agree that there could be a mutually beneficial arrangement here. While I don’t know where Bolan himself is hiding, I can tell you the location of the real Seven Arches, and I can give you a barkwrit—an official pass allowing you to roam freely in Sevenarches, including visiting the Wilewood and the aiudara. In exchange, I need you to disrupt Bolan’s ritual, reclaim the gate key, and capture the rebel Oaksteward so that he can be punished for his crimes. So, do we have a deal?”
Sylva lights up at the prospect (because, hey, it’s not like she’s gonna have to stab anyone)!
“Disruptive behavior is a thing I can do very well, hahaha, and I’m not even the best of us at it.” She really wants to say DEAL, but she just says, EA~*” Turning to the elder sprite, she clears her throat. “I mean, if you think it’s a deal, Nox, I concur.”
"Works for me," Ravenna says, looking to her companions and then back to Lemma.
Sir Batman enters the Wicker House as if the 6" sprite own the place. Proudly nodding to those present, the Champion of Mazludeh smiles, waves, bows and even twirls for a pair of apparent acolytes, showing off his bronze bat wings in a Flourish.
As Lemma Feldthorn begins her greeting, interview, appraisal, Sir Batman smartly salutes.
Sir Batman, at your service. As it is in our mutual interest to solve the mystery of the Missing Moment; it seems our path is intertwined with dealing with your immediate issue.
The tiny, but tall sprite looks to his peers.
Diplomacy is its own reward, but let us be prepared for less Civilized negotiations.
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"If we go that direction again perhaps I'll ask."
Once again the silent pateon in the party for the longest time, Nox finally speaks up after Sylva eyes him as if asking his approval. "We should be careful to make deals. But if it is within our ability to restrain him without harm we shall try. Accidents happen, and for one who has caused so much ruckus we should be wary of their ability to cause further damage living or from beyond."
His tattered fluffy wings rustled slightly, "Though I believe we can come to an accord as we both want for a peaceful tomorrow and answers to our respective problems. Is there more you might be able to tell us about this wayward soul 'fore we depart?"
"Bolan grew up in the logging camps of Andoran," Lemma expounds. "He tried in vain to stop the practice and preserve the woods there. He came to the Oakstewards seeking like-minded people and quickly became a full-fledged druid. But he began to clash more and more with his superiors. He claimed the Oakstewards were too political and put human interests ahead of natural balance. He volunteered to patrol Sevenarches' borders rather than stay in the city.
"Ever since he came back from wherever the arches took him, he's done everything he can to destabilize the Oakstewards. He needs to be stopped."
Lemma tells you that you are welcome to shop or conduct other business before leaving Sevenarches, but the impending ritual makes time of the essence. The Oakstewards are willing to lend you horses or an oxcart to expedite your 50‑mile, 2‑day journey south to the Wilewood.
“Heh… you hearda One-Horse Towns? We’re a One-Horse Team.” Sylva looks up, up, up at Mulberri’s tower of a leg. She imagines herself at the reins—arms wrapped tightly around the leather strap, clinging for dear life as she’s flown like a kite by her wildly galloping steed! “I’d probably crash my horse into a tree and definitely not steer her-slash-him to the intended destination.
“The mission I can handle. Hopefully, I won’t need my Named Blades, but if Bolan comes back to you with a limp, you’ll know why.”
She might come off a little too confident. Patting the ‘hilt’ of Donkeytail only brings emphasis to the fact her mightier sword is pin-like, if not an actual pin.
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Nox tuts at Sylva, "No no no Human horses are no right mount for a sprite of any nature. Why, the knights of Springrose ride Corgi's. A far better mount if that's what you seek. To ride upon a horse, you may as well build a nest in it's mane and let Ravenna here take the lead. Or stow away in a pouch, just be careful not to get crushed or stolen."
Nox looked to Lemma though after his quick low-key chastizing of his fellow sprite. "What forces does he bring to a confrontation? How many has he drawn to the... dark side?" He laments that he can't even say winter court if the man is prioritizing mortal needs and selfish wants over the nature he was sworn to uphold.
"Perhaps a half dozen Oakstewards have joined Bolan," Lemma says. "It's likely they've used their magic to sway some rogue fey to their cause as well."
Sylva gasps at the phrase ‘rogue fey.’ “Oh, no… what could this Bolan guy possibly offer to allure fey to his cause?”
Sir Batman giggles at the mentioning of rogue fey.
Why Sylva, your secret is out.
The Bronze sprite then looks up at Lemma with his serious face on.
We shall do our duty in this matter.
“You mean that I’m an entertainer? I already outed myself when I was dancing in the street,” she says of her Actual Secret—because Sir Batman definitely isn’t referring to that one-time kleptomaniacal non-incident that Dr. Ritalson was very understanding about because it was just a fork and an excess fork at that—every place setting had two—two shiny…
Sir Batman whispers
I am referring to that one-time kleptomaniacal non-incident that Dr. Ritalson was very understanding about because it was just a fork and an excess fork at that—every place setting had two—two shiny…
The Bronze bat winks.
Sylva is not rattled. Not rattled at all. Cool. Casual. Glad she didn’t talk about the times she didn’t get caught. And does everyone see how not-rattled the En-Ter-Tain-Er is? No, of course not. Why would they see what there isn’t? There isn’t anything to see. Sylva is as not-rattled as a snake that is not a rattlesnake.
"A horse would be greatly appreciated," Ravenna says, pretending not to notice the little exchange taking place by her ankles.
After resting overnight, Lemma provides you with a sturdy horse to ride (the halfling says that her companion Mulberri vouched for the horse personally). Ravenna mounts up, and the three sprites clamber up in the saddle surrounding her, and soon you are off!
The Wilewood is the largest forest in Sevenarches, full of fey and wild magic, with rumors that as many as one in 10 animals here has been awakened to magical sentience. No roads larger than a footpath cut through its dense and tangled interior, and anyone passing through feels the weight of countless unseen eyes upon them.
With Lemma’s directions and the barkwrit, it’s simple enough for you to make your way through the forest to the Seven Arches. After two days' ride, you near your destination.
The forest opens suddenly up into a clearing roughly four hundred feet across, its long grasses blowing in the wind across a gently rolling landscape. In the clearing’s center, a huge stone arch rises fifty feet into the sky. Smaller arches cluster around the massive gate.
From the clearing’s perimeter, you can see activity around the arches, but sound seems muffled, and the light here is strangely dimmer than it should be—it is daytime, but the glen seems shrouded in twilight.
You dismount from the horse and begin to make your way into the clearing. But you don't get far before you spot large, bulging eyes gleaming in the dim light. Two creatures spring out from waist-high grass in front of you. Surrounded by shifting shadows, the 8-foot-long beasts move with unnatural fluidity and grace, the shadows they carry seeming to hang in the air behind them!
Ravenna, already on edge from the strangely subdued daylight, reacts almost immediately to the sudden attack. She fires off two shots in quick succession, her mind racing.
Sylva ▶️draws Donkeytail and ▶️Lemonsbane!
“Ohhhh, it’s on like Donkeyta—three, four, five, six, seven, eight, yeah, no.”
The sprite ▶️takes cover between Ravenna’s boots. To protect her dear friend, obviously.
Ravenna shoots one of the creatures twice, badly wounding it! Both fey snarl as they rush towards the changeling, biting at her.
They then try to tear away and swallow gobbets of her shadow!
Failure: The target takes 1d4+4 piercing damage and the temagyr gains 2 temporary Hit Points for 1 minute.
Critical Failure: The target takes 2d4+8 piercing damage and the temagyr gains 4 temporary Hit Points for 1 minute.
Ravenna, caught off guard by their sudden speed, still manages to evade the monsters' follow-up attacks, but only just.
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Nox tumbles out of the horse's hair and flutters just before hitting the ground righting himself and landing more or less softly. He watches as the even more bug-eyed than bugs dog creatures pointed over to a pointed rock and uttered a sharp series of clicks in Aklo causing the shadows under the rock to writhe and bubble before a series of vine-like tendrils spring up and lob the rock towards the beasts eyes.
Hit or miss he darts into the brush hiding his natural glow, as he'd done at all time except when he slept. Though his coloration makes him stand out a bit, even if the muted colors of the area help.
Sylva ▶️steps forward and strikes the wounded foe with both blades!
The gorga may easily evade the pin-prick, but will the trixy little sprite get a good whack in?
“Mind if I wait for it cut innnn?!”
The attack hits! “Oh gods there’s blood I joked about cutting I’m a horrible person!”
Ravenna staggers back a step, reloading her musket, and snaps off another shot. No witty banter from her, it seems.
Sir Bat wakes up at sunrise. The Champion of Mazludeh preforms his daily obedience. It seems it consists of him mostly talking encouraging words to himself.
I am confident. I am strong. I am filled with merriment that is rupturing out of my ears!
Sir Batman smiles at the proffered horse with a wave and he climbs up to take a place on its neck.
You're a handsome devil. Does he have a name? Landslide? Hmmm...that sounds a bit foreshadow-y.
Once the team sets off and enters the Wilewood, Sir Batman keeps a weathered eye out for monsters, mischief, and mind-affecting mushrooms.
This road is huge!
At the enormous Glen, the Bronze bat hops down from Landslide. He straightens his shield on his arm and proceeds to take a step....
Sir Batman watches as his teammates rush into action! The explosion of Ravenna's musket echoed inside the bronze helm of the bat!
The twinkling and dancing done by Sylva made the Champion smile.
Using the land's own ammo, Nox' spell seemed to have solid results!
With pride and a smile on his bronze sprite face, Sir Batman grasps his readied shield with both hands.
Everstand stance
Bracing for what would come, the bronze knight Raises his shield high, as he Strides with purpose at the big eyed dog!
Nox's projectile whizzes past his target, but Sylva manages to stab the wounded gorga with her blade. Ravenna steps back and takes it down with another bullet as Sir Batman moves in to menace the remaining foe.
The gorga chomps down on the tiny nyktera and tries to chew on his shadow as well!
Failure: The target takes 1d4+4 piercing damage and the temagyr gains 2 temporary Hit Points for 1 minute.
Critical Failure: The target takes 2d4+8 piercing damage and the temagyr gains 4 temporary Hit Points for 1 minute.
Sylva moves to assist the bronze bat.
“Eating a warrior-fairy’s a good way to get punched in the uvula. A Real Fey would know that!”
“Take THAT, you Fake Fey! And… ah, darn I missed.”
"Or a good way to get a bullet in the back!" Ravenna shouts.
With Reaction quickness, Sir Batman deflects the majority of the bite from the eyelets wonder!
Sir Batman roars in the face of the big eyed bully pup!
Waving at Sylva, Sir Batman ◆Strides into the Flank.
The Bronze Knight then ◆Stikes the creature in the face with his shield!
He the ◆Raises his shield.
Got'em ob the ropes!
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Watching from the tall grass as the others fight against the eyeless fey beast Nox can't but help to think they really don't need his help. But the point of being here is so that they all can find the truth behind their missing moments.
He also can't stand watching them get hurt, he didn't want to hate more than just wasps afterall, even if he just met these people. So he knelt down and reached into the shadows once again urging thrm to send more rubbish at the creature post-haste. To which an errant stick obliged, somewhat.
Watching it skitter off the creature's hide again Nox buries himself in the tall grass hoping to hide away.
Batman bashes the gorga in the face with his shield boss, then Sylva moves in to stab the fey. Ravenna takes aim and finishes it off with a bullet to the flank! It falls alongside the other shadowy creature, the bodies of each one swiftly dissolving into wisps of shadowstuff.