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Bren:
Yomi:
Acrobatics Checks = 1d20+4=12, 24, 14 Cyrus attempts to dodge logs and tumbling rocks while swimming to the surface and eventually the shoreline.
Original divers
Eglantine is at 0 and prone, so can't do much. On the other hand, she's not dying either.
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Eglantine:
Orig. Divers:
New Divers:
Cyrus:
DM
No, she's got plentiful surges. She only used her second wind when we arrived on the river bank. She's on 10hp
Lying in the mud, Eglantine pulls out her dagger and hurls it with accuracy born of loathing at the leader of the eelhounds.
Catriana shakes off the cold as she concentrates on reaching the rest of the group during the fight.
Elias shouts, "Quickly, old friend!" and the cat savages one of the last remaining eel-things.
Catriana sees something big swim quickly away into the water. Still swimming, she tries to aim at the eelhound while singing a high-paced song. She then calls Eglantine, inspiring her to get up on her feet.
Catriana swims towards the shore easily.
"Thanks Catriana. Did you hit it?"
Even with a face full of eelhound spittle, Eglantine is truly grateful for the extra healing and remembers her manners.
Her smile at Elias, Bren and Scathath is especially warm. "I owe you all. Somehow I'll find a way to repay you."
Bren smiles and collapses on his knees. Blood seeps out from dozens of puncture marks on his armor.
What the hell are those things?! Yomi thinks, referring to the weird creatures.
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The eel-hound pack leader has escaped downriver. The beach is littered with eel-hound corpses, except where they slid off the spittle-soaked sections of beach. You're all cold and wet, and in some cases wounded. The area surrounding the river is lush woodlands.
Cyrus seems to have lost his boots in the rapids.
Elias looks around the group, "Is everyone alright?" he asks with a ragged breath.
"Better than Bren from the look of things."
Eglantine slithers towards the warrior. "How badly are you hurt - and before anyone tries to find out, can we get off this river bank? It's disgusting in a whole new way."
Catriana starts singing a serene tune at Bren, encouraging him to draw on his inner reserves and stand back up.
"You're right of course, we should move further in and rest a bit". Catriana nods at the eelhound corpses: "That didn't seem like an enjoyable fight for only the four of you. Interesting, but for some reason we can't seem to stick together during these fights."
After finding a suitable position, Catriana sits down on a rock, while playing a peaceful tune using a small flute she took out of her backpack. The music lulls everyone, and when it finishes, everyone feels better.
"Thank you, Eggers. Catriana, I live for your songs. Literally."
When Catriana mentions that they are having trouble staying together, Bren glares silently at Elias. His glare is cold and unflinching.
Noticing Bren's glance, Eglantine gently touches his arm and looks him in the eye.
"We're alive. We're here. If it hadn't been for Elias and Scathath, neither of those would be true. We won't last long if we're going to hold grudges against each other in a strange land."
She sighs slightly. "Believe me, that's really true. A friend of mine died because of a grudge. Put it down Bren."
Elias shakes his head sadly, "Bren, we are all alive and in relative safety now, as well as one step closer to solving this mystery. I'm sorry a fight broke out with the bear; perhaps if I had been there things would not have got out of hand. I do not regret any action I have taken, I go where I will."
As he finishes his speech calmly, the more perceptive of the group may catch a hint that Elias is more like his cat than might be thought...
He looks around the group, "We must proceed carefully in this world. The fey folk are cunning and often do not follow the 'rules' that you mortals might think govern society."
"In view of his familiarity to these surroundings, Elias' suggestions and guidance will be invaluable. Let us heed them well."
"What more can you tell us?"
The ranger's confident words only seem to enrage the fighter.
"Oh yes. We're in your world now, so we'd better behave as you say. Interesting that you stepped away from us just before we had confront the satyrs. Interesting that the lizard-things went after Eglantine and me with much more enthusiasm than with you and your cat. Perhaps you know these fey a lot better than you're letting on, Elias."
"I am not taking sides, but, Bren, do you think this is really the time and place to discuss this?"
"A man's life hangs in the balance here."
Bren seem momentarily confused. "Who? Oh, you mean that coward Froderick. Well now that we've all disappeared down the pond he shouldn't have much trouble getting the village to believe his story. Mission accomplished, wouldn't you say? Except now we have no way of getting back!"
"Bren. This is ridiculous."
Eglantine gazes at the warrior in astonishment, deeply concerned by her friend's bizarre behaviour.
"Elias is an elf - of course he knows more about the fey than we do. Those eelthings would have attacked anyone and if he and Scathath hadn't been able to move as they did, neither you nor I would be standing here arguing now.
Mission is not accomplished. Not until we find out what happened to Froderick's wife. That poor man was demented with fear and grief.
I don't know what's the matter with you. Ever since you heard about Froderick, you've been acting oddly. You're not normally this pig-headed. Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm ... fine. As fine as could be after being chewed on by a dozen ugly green dogs."
Eglantine wraps her arms around Bren and kisses him softly on the cheek, before whispering to him.
Bren
"You're a terrible liar. You've seen and slaughtered far worse than those things without turning a hair. But have it your own way. I won't pry. Yet. Just try not to take out whatever's upsetting you on Elias. That's not fair and you're too good a man to do that."
She kisses him once more and moves quietly away.
Catriana watches the exchange silently. She doesn't know exactly what happened on that river bank but it doesn't sound so well.
After Bren, Elias and Eglantine speak, a silence falls. Trying to break it, Catriana speaks "By the way, the Reeve gave us 3 more days to figure this out. Also, the pond being a portal doesn't really prove anything about Froderick's guilt or innocennce."
Pat
Insight checks vs. Bren, Elias (1d20+10=27, 1d20+10=16)
Elias grins at Bren's last comment, "Now that is a sentiment I share."
"Growr!"
"Yes, and you." he says to the cat.
Elias holds out his hand to Bren.
"Yes, and you." he says to the cat.
Elias holds out his hand to Bren.
Bren grasps Elias' hand firmly and shakes.
"We've been through too much together, old friend. I'm sorry to have suspected you."
"Does anyone have any extra boots?"
"Does anyone have any extra boots?"
Trying to easen up the party's spirits, Catriana laughs a bit.
Bren laughs as well, then stops.
"Actually, that's pretty serious. His feet will get shredded out here if we don't find something for him to wear."
Gazing at Cyrus's exposed toes, Eglantine's eyebrows rise and she smiles broadly.
"Cyrus, you're a mage. Can't you just prestidigitate a strip of back pack into something useful? I know it won't last long, but between us we've probably got enough spare bits of leather to keep you going until we find something better. Or run out of backpacks."
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Up the banks to either side is dense forest. To the east, a broad creek feeds into the river (which is flowing east to west). It is getting dark, though it was mid-day in Riverbend.
Feywild lore:
Arcana - DC14:
DC19:
DC24:
History - DC13:
DC19:
keep whatever bargains they make. Indeed, swearing service to a fey is a serious matter; one can only swear fealty to a single fey at a time, and must renounce such service before taking arms against that fey Lord or Lady.
DC25:
Nature - DC11:
DC16:
DC21:
DC26:
Eglantine sits back gracefully, senses alert. Somehow she knows there is something worth knowing, if only she had the skill.
She does remember childhood tales of the fey enjoying dancing and athletics displays and wonders if she can work out some kind of routine to distract them. She remembers that they like gifts as well, preferably magical and never weapons.
"Elias, would Scathath be prepared to dance with us do you think, or would it be rude to ask him?"
Nature and Arcana checks (1d20 1=18, 1d20 3=17)
History check (1d20 3=5)
Bren looks into the darkening woods. Fear and loathing stalk his heart, for he is helplessly ignorant about the land of the fey.
"Gift giving is an important part of the culture of the fey; even gifts that would not normally be thought of as being easily given. Memories... or skills, for example. The price for the gift may well be the loss of these though. Conversely, gifts that you may think honourable and adequate, such as a weapon, amongst my people would be thought of as vulgar and distasteful."
Catriana shares her knowledge with the group.
"The fey have a system of honors, in which personal honor is very important to them. It also means that in order to resolve conflicts, they duel between themselves. The feywild is different than the world we know - there are many portals around here in which all kinds of fey can move through. They are organized into all sizes of kingdoms, which organize the duels and other customs such as feasts or markets. There are two main kinds of Fey - Light and Black. The light ones are "good", while the Black ones are treacherous. In any case, the fey give great importance to oaths and bargains, so even the Black ones could be controlled in such a way. For that reason, swearing service to a fey is considered as a very serious thing.
The fey do deal with non-fey, but usually see them as inferior to them. They like athletic and acrobatic shows, gifts of almost all sorts (not including weapons, which is offensive to them), or even songs, skills, poetry, memory or stories. However, all these come at a price to the giver."
Arcana, History and Nature checks (1d20+10=21, 1d20+10=20, 1d20+6=26)