The Fey, the Far, and the Ugly Space In Between

End of Session

* Bonds – 3 bonds resolved so 3 xp:

Saerie’s connection to the young girl of Giliad’s Rest fascinates me. I wasn't there when the girl's family was slain and the bond was initially formed. But I know a maternal instinct when I see one. I think I understand as I'm developing something of a paternal instinct for Sadia.

Saerie’s Dire Wolves have much to prove in order to earn my trust. It took awhile and their numbers are down to one, but Edge has finally earned some trust and a name to go with it.

I hate to admit it, but Rawr’s mischievousness amuses me as much as his loyalty humbles me. It was painted as the dire wolves being at fault for the fracas at the the satyr warlock's farm. I find that hard to believe. Regardless of his shenanigans, his willingness to put himself on the line is always there. If he wouldn't have put himself in danger, Edge wouldn't be around to have earned his name.

Not sure on my new bonds yet. I'll have them figured out by my next post.

* Alignment – Good: Sacrifice to stand up to villainy. I resigned from my esteemed position in the Summer Court because of the cowardice and villainy of two of the Summer Queen's ministers. Before this is said and done, I will have reclaimed the name of an eladrin family, brought back the remaining members of the lost patrol, and ended the Winter Fey interest in Sadia.

But not in their name.

All the Summer Court will have done is lost my services forevermore.

1 xp

* Did we learn something new and important about the world?

As the campfire tale goes, The Prince of Frost's heart was turned to ice untold millennia ago when his blue-eyed eladrin love spurned him for a mortal lover. The two lovers made a deal with the death goddess to cast their souls into the future where hopefully the ire of the frost prince will have melted.

If anything it froze further.

With multiple lines of evidence now, it appears that our poor Sadia is indeed that blue-eyed eladrin reborn.

1 xp

* Did we overcome a notable monster or enemy?

I feel like we overcame the corrupt Summer Court ministers. They ended up losing much more than they gained.

We got at least as much as we lost with Farmer Barnum.

Korshek and the Wild Hunt were soundly defeated.

1 xp

* Did we loot a memorable treasure?

The Moon Seer's Eye.

1 xp

10 xp total.

---

Myrin and Ava were in my graduating class at the Star Court martial academy. We went through special forces training together. I failed out of ranger's school. Not my calling. The two of them were part of a graduating class that became the forward deployed recon team for the vanguard that I led.

One bad day was all it took.

Their group missed something. For the first time ever. It cost them dearly against an equally adept Unseelie recon team. Ava fought valiantly to allow her team a daring tactical retreat from an exposed ridge. Myrin was on the slope and fighting his way up to her as the team melted into the wilderness. He arrived in time to see his love fall.

He slaughtered every Unseelie on that mountain that day, but lost his arm for it. He never raised his sword or bow again.

He doesn't speak of it nor does he speak much at all any more. He owns a modest farm, runs a modest general supply store, and charges a modest fee charting courses through this dangerous river-land.

I keep our relations to the point, business-like but friendly. I pay my respects in Ava's mausoleum, the only immodest thing about the entire place with gorgeous flowers adorning the entrance.

[sblock]54-13 = 41 coins for the travel up the river.

2 coins for Bundles of Arrows - 6 ammo. 2 weight.

60 coins for a Fine Bow (near, far, 2 weight).[/sblock]

I've always loved his craftsmanship. I've never known a better bowyer so one of his beauties on my back will be moralizing. I'll take every opportunity to marvel at it while we're on his flatboat. I'll refill Saerie's quiver with 2 of the 6 Ammo.

I'll spend the time on the ferry inquiring of Leonel if any of his family self-exiled to Shinaelestra and sparring with him. The somewhat unsure footing of the boat will give us good opportunity for him to perfect his concentration and balance.

I'll also talk to Saerie about the "did we learn anything new and important about the world." I'm sure we're on the same page here, just need to be certain.

---

And my Navigate for the last day of the trek. There is a game trail that the lies at the bottom of a ravine which leads straight to The Fading City. On the eastern slope that looks down on it is a trail for pack animals. That should suffice for Rawr's needs.

[sblock]Navigate (Int) the last leg of the Perilous Journey
1, 1 +3 = 5

Mark xp[/sblock]

This is why I failed out of ranger school!

End of Session

* Bonds – 2 bonds resolved so 2 xp:

Otthor is the finest warrior I have ever been graced to fight alongside. His skill inspires me. Not quite yet. I’m going to take a melee combat move next time I level. It will be resolved then.

The long, hateful memory of the Winter Fey will trouble us in the future, I am sure of it. We are pretty clearly there at this point. Both of our quests are centered around them as antagonists. Check.

Rawr’s mischievousness is going to get us in trouble someday! Otthor is right. Rawr may have helped me resolve the issues at the farm, but there can be no doubt that he reveled in the destruction he caused and likely saw it as a form of play! Check.

I am bound by solemn oath to protect Sadia. We aren’t remotely out of woods yet. Not until we confront, and vanquish if need be, the Prince of Frost and the hateful spirits of Sadia’s sisters will she be safe.

Like Teck, I’m not sure on my new bonds yet. I'll have them figured out by my next post.

* Alignment – Chaotic: Defeat a tyrant. The opportunity has been there, but I’m afraid we lost. I don’t see the silver lining that Otthor does in our conflict with the tyrannical ministers of the Summer Court. I feel that we lost that battle. We go directly into a tyrant’s den soon enough so there is always another opportunity.

Just going to copy/pasta Teck’s reply to these.

* Did we learn something new and important about the world?

As the campfire tale goes, The Prince of Frost's heart was turned to ice untold millennia ago when his blue-eyed eladrin love spurned him for a mortal lover. The two lovers made a deal with the death goddess to cast their souls into the future where hopefully the ire of the frost prince will have melted.

If anything it froze further.

With multiple lines of evidence now, it appears that our poor Sadia is indeed that blue-eyed eladrin reborn.

To this I’ll just add: And the tragic phantoms we encountered during Farmer Barnum’s ritual are her lost sisters.

1 xp

* Did we overcome a notable monster or enemy?

I feel like we overcame the corrupt Summer Court ministers. They ended up losing much more than they gained.

We got at least as much as we lost with Farmer Barnum.

Korshek and the Wild Hunt were soundly defeated.

1 xp

* Did we loot a memorable treasure?

The Moon Seer's Eye.

1 xp

10 xp total.

---

While I’m making the arrangements to burn the firbolg hunter bodies and send them to the afterlife, Lucky is using his Fetch ability to retrieve 1 Ammo from the battlefield.

Also, as discussed, bumping Edge’s HPs up from 4 to 6.

---

I am not so squeamish, I’ve eaten far worse, and don’t share Otthor’s concern for the mystics of the enchantment. I take the eye and move outside of camp for some privacy. Under the light of the full moon, I thank the three fates for this boon, and consume the Moon Seer’s eye. While I am no master of the Wild Hunt, the ability to locate the the Fomorian that ambushed our patrol and the Winter Fey Bralani will be of tremendous aid.

I’ll add the Moon Seer move to my character sheet.

---

I have a couple of thoughts that I want to discuss with Otthor while we relax on the flat-boat.

How in the world are we going to talk to Sadia about her situation? “Sorry dear, you’re actually a reincarnated eladrin girl of myth that spurned the Summer Prince, unleashing winter upon the Feywild. And your guilt is because your beloved sisters were turned into lost wraiths because of your actions.”

Logistically, I was thinking about a couple of things.

Do you think we can entrust Sadia to the Ranger Lord of Shinaelstra. In your telling of it, he had your side of things during the Summer Court vote. He is one of the founding members of my order so I am well in his good graces as well.

Also, what if when we crossed over to the mortal world while in Shinaelstra, we stayed there, using it to travel to the Fey Crossing nearest Vor Thomil. I think that would probably better hide our movements from our enemies in the Feywild, it would likely be safer, and perhaps faster? I’m going to go ahead and say that time and space doesn’t correlate precisely from the mortal world to the Feywild. Maybe a mile traveled in the mortal world is twice that in the Feywild!

---

Manage Provisions for the day of travel on the ferry, Calling Lucky and Scout Ahead for the final leg of our journey.

[sblock]Manage Provisions (Wis) for day 2
2, 2 +3 = 7

Everyone consumes the expected amount of rations.

2 each for Lucky and Rawr + 1 each for the four of us = 6 rations. Nearing double digits left in my stash. Going to need to replenish in Shinaelestra.

Animal Spirit (Wis)
3, 2 +3 = 8

Lucky gives me +1 armor.

Scout Ahead (Wis) on a Perilous Journey
Elven Ranger: Automatic 10+ to Scout Ahead.

Choose 2:

* You discern a beneficial aspect of the terrain—shortcut, shelter, or tactical advantage (describe it).

* You get the drop on whatever lies ahead.[/sblock]

Lucky and Edge will accompany me at the top of the ridge. Up top is a nasty thicket that gives us great cover, a gnarly barrier, and great sight-line to view the trail and the depths of the valley below. However, navigating it without repeatedly gouging yourself is extremely difficult. I conversed with Rawr and Sadia at the outset of our trek. He is an excellent climber and the slope leading up to the ridge is covered in thick roots. Navigating it quickly is well within his capabilities. He will take up the rearguard position with Sadia in front of him, Otthor and Leonel in front of the both of them on the trail. Should any danger come to pass, Rawr will immediately scoop Sadia up and use the terrain to swiftly climb her up to safety. Breaking through the wall of thickets isn’t such a problem for the mighty bear.

Binks said:

Also, what if when we crossed over to the mortal world while in Shinaelstra, we stayed there, using it to travel to the Fey Crossing nearest Vor Thomil. I think that would probably better hide our movements from our enemies in the Feywild, it would likely be safer, and perhaps faster? I’m going to go ahead and say that time and space doesn’t correlate precisely from the mortal world to the Feywild. Maybe a mile traveled in the mortal world is twice that in the Feywild!

Click to expand...

Sure, I'm fine with that.

Binks said:

Lucky and Edge will accompany me at the top of the ridge. Up top is a nasty thicket that gives us great cover, a gnarly barrier, and great sight-line to view the trail and the depths of the valley below. However, navigating it without repeatedly gouging yourself is extremely difficult. I conversed with Rawr and Sadia at the outset of our trek. He is an excellent climber and the slope leading up to the ridge is covered in thick roots. Navigating it quickly is well within his capabilities. He will take up the rearguard position with Sadia in front of him, Otthor and Leonel in front of the both of them on the trail. Should any danger come to pass, Rawr will immediately scoop Sadia up and use the terrain to swiftly climb her up to safety. Breaking through the wall of thickets isn’t such a problem for the mighty bear.

Click to expand...

Gotcha. See below.

Tecklenburg said:

And my Navigate for the last day of the trek. There is a game trail that the lies at the bottom of a ravine which leads straight to The Fading City. On the eastern slope that looks down on it is a trail for pack animals. That should suffice for Rawr's needs.

[sblock]Navigate (Int) the last leg of the Perilous Journey
1, 1 +3 = 5

Mark xp[/sblock]

This is why I failed out of ranger school!

Click to expand...

Like most of the Feywild, save Senialese and the lands immediately bordering it, the world is a mist-filled twilight. The mists on the borderlands of Shinaelstra is especially thick as the border between worlds here grows increasingly thin. The sounds of the waning hours of the day are perpetually in motion; crickets chirping, frogs croaking, wolves howling, stray foliage being ruffled and ground crunching underfoot somewhere beyond sight.

The trees in the valley and on the slope are gargantuan pine trees with cones as big as a man or more in some cases. After a fork in the path, you see the sign:

"CAUTION! WIZARD TOWER IN THE MORTAL WORLD HEREABOUTS!"

Every now and again, one spell or another gets miscast by a wizard somewhere in the mortal world. When it does, there is a chance that it gets transdimensionally relocated to the Feywild. Sometimes, that location is near living things.

The rift starts out as a tiny, quiet shimmer in forest-shrouded gloom. The shimmer goes from tiny to large. The quiet goes to the sound of ripping fabric to banshee keening. Suddenly a storm of daggers erupts from the rift and accelerates wildly into the green girth of the massive pine trees. Needles and branches tear under the assault. Larger branches shake mightily and down comes a pair of huge pine cones, twice as big as a man, right in the midst of the group on the trail! It all happens so fast. The valiant Rawr moves on top of Sadia to shield her from the pine cone barrage!

[sblock]Rawr is going to take 1d8 damage (no armor applies), but Sadia will be ok.[/sblock]

Worse still (I guess?), the storm of daggers does not relent! It circles back for another pass. This time, rather than being several feet overhead, it is coming in low to mow down anything on the path!

Manbearcat said:

The rift starts out as a tiny, quiet shimmer in forest-shrouded gloom. The shimmer goes from tiny to large. The quiet goes to the sound of ripping fabric to banshee keening. Suddenly a storm of daggers erupts from the rift and accelerates wildly into the green girth of the massive pine trees. Needles and branches tear under the assault. Larger branches shake mightily and down comes a pair of huge pine cones, twice as big as a man, right in the midst of the group on the trail! It all happens so fast. The valiant Rawr moves on top of Sadia to shield her from the pine cone barrage!

[sblock]Rawr is going to take 1d8 damage (no armor applies), but Sadia will be ok.[/sblock]

Click to expand...

Leonel and I know that Rawr is tasked with protecting Sadia going into this, but our eyes immediately go to her nonetheless. When Rawr envelops her in his furry bulk to protect her, we instinctively move to protect each other.

He could easily teleport to safety. He does not. Instead, he reflexively crouches and works to enact a shielding aegis of magic. Not to protect himself, but to protect me. This valor is not lost on me.

My instincts move to protect the boy in kind. I leap to him and cross my mailed gauntlets above us to shield us from as much of the impact as possible.

[sblock]Leonel move

Aegis of Shielding (Loy) on Otthor
1, 6 +1 = 8

Hold 1

Halve the damage to me.

Otthor move

Defend (Con) Leonel
3, 6 +1 = 10

Hold 3

* Redirect the attack to me
* Halve the damage.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
Since as part of your Defend move you're going to go ahead and take the blow for both of you, just take b[2d8 (no armor)

Click to expand...

Alright.

[sblock]b[2d8 (no armor)]. 4, 8. Halve the damage twice from Aegis of Shielding and from myself. 8/2 = 4/2 = 2 damage to me.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
The pine cone, splintered by magical ward and physical force, rains shrapnel down upon the two of you but you're free from the worst of it. However,, the storm of daggers does not relent! It circles back for another pass. This time, rather than being several feet overhead, it is coming in low to mow down anything on the path!

Click to expand...

I point Leonel to the root system. "GO!" As he teleports safely over there, I'm immediately diving off the edge of the trail toward the awaiting air and the pine trees of the valley below. In the midst of it, I'm casting a spell to render me as light as air for a moment.

[sblock]Leonel move: Bamf! He teleports onto the slope leading up to Saerie and Lucky.

Otthor move

Cast a Spell (Int) Moonstride
3, 1 +3 = 7

* You float in the air or slow your fall for the briefest of moments.

I'll pick danger as my complication.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
Leonel disappears in a puff of magic and reappears on the slope leading up to Saerie. Grasping onto two large roots, he watches as the storm of daggers screams by.

Your body fades to an insubstantial quality as you leap off the precipice. Your fall slows to that of a feather for the briefest of moments. The magic's potency is short-lived though, but it lasts long enough where you can get your feet below you and "surf" down the steep embankment to the dark valley below, separating you from your companions.

Conversely, you can attempt to defy danger and desperately grab onto the boughs of one of the nearby trees, leaving you in a tough spot if the Storm of Daggers does another "fly-by."

Click to expand...

My momentum from my leap partially stolen from the insubstantial quality afforded by my Moonstride spell, I realize there is little chance to reach out and grab one of the pine boughs. I do my best to glimpse my footing and the steep pitch of the slope. My agility lets me absorb the impact when I land. As I begin the slide, I work to keep my feet or fall on my rump so I don't tumble head over heels down to the awaiting darkness of the densely forested valley.

My mind cannot help but go back to the fall into the crevasse and the icy river on the way to Earthmaw.

Manbearcat said:

The rift starts out as a tiny, quiet shimmer in forest-shrouded gloom. The shimmer goes from tiny to large. The quiet goes to the sound of ripping fabric to banshee keening. Suddenly a storm of daggers erupts from the rift and accelerates wildly into the green girth of the massive pine trees. Needles and branches tear under the assault. Larger branches shake mightily and down comes a pair of huge pine cones, twice as big as a man, right in the midst of the group on the trail! It all happens so fast. The valiant Rawr moves on top of Sadia to shield her from the pine cone barrage!

[sblock]Rawr is going to take 1d8 damage (no armor applies), but Sadia will be ok.[/sblock]

Click to expand...

[sblock]d8 (no armor) to Rawr. 3 damage to Rawr.[/sblock]

Quick and powerful, Rawr scoops Sadia up by putting his big head against her knees. Right on cue, she leans back and then squirms to get in position so she can grasp a hold of his big neck as he leaps and climbs the roots on the slope up to me.

[sblock]Athletic tag.[/sblock]

I look on, momentarily helpless, as it unfolds before me. When its all said and done, Leonel is safe on the root system of the slope as Otthor is sliding down the steep slope into the pitch darkness of the forest valley.

Per Manbearcat
The storm of daggers makes another pass and then blinks harmlessly out of existence.

The only noise to be heard is that of Otthor disturbing the brush as he "surfs" down the slope, somewhat in control. He finally comes to rest, a little ways left in time and effort to cover to get to the flat land of the valley.

Below is a land of dark fey and predatory plants called Blackbriar Trench. The climb up would be treacherous and several hours.

[sblock]Treacherous meaning DD (Str) with d10 (no armor) environmental damage on the line and likely multiple other dangers given Otthor's +0. Even if Rawr assists, that just gives him +1 and then opens up Rawr to subsequent danger.

And several hours is best-case-scenario.[/sblock]

Click to expand...

I shout down to Otthor. "Can you hear me?! I cannot bring Sadia down to Blackbriar Trench! It is a land of Boggles, Quicklings, Assassins Vines, and necrotic briars! It would be a relatively safe and short affair for Rawr to come down to you, but coming back up the same way is nearly impossible without risking life and limb! So stay put until he finds you! There is a necrotic river that feeds the briars! Find it and keep its bank on your left! It will empty into the Feydark! Where it does is the boundary of Shinaelstra! Its sentinels always keep watch here so you will just need to make yourself obvious!

I'm taking Leonel and Sadia to Shinaelstra! I'll have audience with Ranger Lord Arborealon and see how he can help us!"

On that last bit, I'm talking about seeing if he will secretly house Sadia under his protective custody while we venture to Vor Thomil.

I'm giving my Decades of Experience to Otthor with the above information, so he gets +1 when acting upon it and I mark xp when he does.

I speak Rawr's tongue to make plain to him what the plan is and what dangers may befall them in Blackbriar Trench. We'll be reunited soon enough. We watch the mighty bear climb down into the darkness and then we continue our trek toward The Fading City. I reassure the children that Otthor and Rawr are more than a match for the dangers that will befall them in the dark valley.

Per Manbearcat
Rawr doesn't protest a bit. Leonel mildly does so but the concern is staunched quickly by your reassurance.

I'll reframe you, the children, Edge and Lucky in Shinaelstra in a follow-up post.

Click to expand...

I'm going to have to give my position away in this dark and forbidden place no matter what, so I go ahead and do it straight-away. When I finally come to rest, I draw my sword and speak the arcane words to imbue it with the light of a torch.

[sblock]Cast a Spell (Int) Light on sword
5, 3 +3 = 11

An item you touch glows with arcane light, about as bright as a torch. It gives off no heat or sound and requires no fuel, but it is otherwise like a mundane torch. You have complete control of the color of the flame. The spell lasts as long as it is in your presence.[/sblock]

I call up to Saerie and let her know I'll stay put and wait for Rawr. Safe journeys and I'll see them in Shinaelstra soon enough.

My voice and my light-imbued sword should serve as beacon enough to attract him to me. And probably whatever else is down here!

Knowing that Blackbriar Trench is a land of malevolent fey, I'm going to keep my head on a swivel as I wait for Rawr. When he finally arrives, I greet him with a half-smile. "Well, let us get to it my friend." We strike out blindly in the oppressing gloom, the scant light of my sword lighting our way. As we seek the necrotic river, our senses are on high alert for any signs of aggressive plants, treacherous hazards, and peering eyes along the way.

[sblock]Discern Realities (Wis) with Call for Assistance - Rawr
4, 5 +0 (take +1 Rawr) = 10

3 questions and +1 forward when acting on it.

* What is about to happen?
* What should I be on the lookout for?
* What here is useful or valuable to me?[/sblock]

Tecklenburg said:

My voice and my light-imbued sword should serve as beacon enough to attract him to me. And probably whatever else is down here!

Knowing that Blackbriar Trench is a land of malevolent fey, I'm going to keep my head on a swivel as I wait for Rawr. When he finally arrives, I greet him with a half-smile. "Well, let us get to it my friend." We strike out blindly in the oppressing gloom, the scant light of my sword lighting our way. As we seek the necrotic river, our senses are on high alert for any signs of aggressive plants, treacherous hazards, and peering eyes along the way.

[sblock]Discern Realities (Wis) with Call for Assistance - Rawr
4, 5 +0 (take +1 Rawr) = 10

3 questions and +1 forward when acting on it.

* What is about to happen?
* What should I be on the lookout for?
* What here is useful or valuable to me?[/sblock]

Click to expand...

The ground is a tangled mess of gnarled roots and a foot deep of wet, rotting leaves and all manner of fetid detritus. Every step is a terrible noise and a threat to claim your footing.

The trees are old. They lean under the weight of their years and the thick, oily foliage that adorns their branches. Everything here drinks of the blackness of the sky and the dead river that runs through it. The dark ooze seeps from tree bark like a sap. It covers leaves like dew. The fog feels like it is the necrotic goop evaporated.

It may well be.

The stench is overwhelming...that of a tomb filled with rotted corpses...flooded for hundreds of years...a soup of decay.

[sblock]I'm going to need a DD Con from both of you. You can roll Quality for Rawr.[/sblock]

The dark and the fog almost feel like they're "fighting" the light of your sword. It seems so insignificant...the darkness so dense.

[sblock]Your questions are in reverse order.[/sblock]

1) The ground continues to pitch ever so slightly...down...down...slowly down. You can hear something thick flowing coming from that direction.

2) Everywhere you go you hear the wet scrunching of your feet. It could be masking any number of lurking things. But you are not taken unawares when one of those lurking things becomes manifest. You meander into stand of trees unlike the rest. Three of them loom before you, their visages barely visible by the puny light of your sword (Reach). An abomination of cypress trees. Spindly arms end in sharp, oozy sticks like claws. Great pits serve as eyes. Maws with nasty teeth like that of the Roper you encountered in the bowels of Earthmaw.

Greasy branches make crackling, slimy sounds.

3) Unlike the deep, oaken voice of an ancient Treant, the Dark Trees voices are like the rasp of a death rattle combined with a nest of vipers:

DT1: "This one is pretty."

DT2: "Nothing is pretty."

DT3: "Then let us make him nothing..."

All three: "Nothing is tasty..."

The rotted leaves and roots beneath you begin to shift violently. Sickly, oozing branches cut the darkness and the fog beyond the light of your sword. They're coming toward you and Rawr.

Here are my new bonds:

Sadia is desired by the Prince of Frost, I will die before that happens.

Leonel and I will together discover if he possesses the Bladesong within him.

Rawr shares my fiery temper when challenged; the Winter Fey's frozen resolve will wilt before us!

Manbearcat said:

The stench is overwhelming...that of a tomb filled with rotted corpses...flooded for hundreds of years...a soup of decay.

[sblock]I'm going to need a DD Con from both of you. You can roll Quality for Rawr.[/sblock]

Click to expand...

[sblock]Defy Danger (Con) Otthor
2, 5 +1 = 8

Success but a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.

I'm just going to take -1 forward as my complication here to make this easy for us.

Defy Danger (Qua) Rawr
4, 5 +2 = 11[/sblock]

As I wade through the disgusting crunch-slosh of decaying leaves, my stomach turns and my head swims. I manage to keep my blade before me and my feet below me, but I'm constantly fighting off an involuntary wretch as I cover my mouth and nose with the sleeve of my other arm.

I look over at Rawr. Completely indifferent. I chuckle but that quickly turns into another wretch.

We keep heading down the gentle slope. The river of necrotic goop must be this way.

Manbearcat said:

Everywhere you go you hear the wet scrunching of your feet. It could be masking any number of lurking things. But you are not taken unawares when one of those lurking things becomes manifest. You meander into stand of trees unlike the rest. Three of them loom before you, their visages barely visible by the puny light of your sword (Reach). An abomination of cypress trees. Spindly arms end in sharp, oozy sticks like claws. Great pits serve as eyes. Maws with nasty teeth like that of the Roper you encountered in the bowels of Earthmaw.

Greasy branches make crackling, slimy sounds.

Unlike the deep, oaken voice of an ancient Treant, the Dark Trees voices are like the rasp of a death rattle combined with a nest of vipers:

DT1: "This one is pretty."

DT2: "Nothing is pretty."

DT3: "Then let us make him nothing..."

All three: "Nothing is tasty..."

The rotted leaves and roots beneath you begin to shift violently. Sickly, oozing branches cut the darkness and the fog beyond the light of your sword. They're coming toward you and Rawr.

Click to expand...

See bond 3 above

Everything in here tries to snuff out the light. These dark-tainted trees will recoil from it if I can focus its power, I think. I fight off my churning stomach, scowl, and raise my sword out high before me. From my mouth is the quiet murmur of arcane augmentation.

Rawr doesn't care either way. He may not speak plant or common, but he knows a threat when he sees one. The huge grizzly bear rears and bellows a branch-rattling roar of primary fury!

[sblock]Aid (bond). I want to augment my Light Cantrip to help Rawr's intimidate effort.
3, 4 +1 (take -1) = 7

Your ally takes +1, but you also expose yourself to danger, retribution, or cost.

Rawr's move:

* Threaten and intimidate

Do Your Thing (Qua)
2, 2 +2 (take +1) = 7

They do it, but there’s an unforeseen cost, consequence, or limitation (ask the GM what).[/sblock]

Tecklenburg said:

As I wade through the disgusting crunch-slosh of decaying leaves, my stomach turns and my head swims. I manage to keep my blade before me and my feet below me, but I'm constantly fighting off an involuntary wretch as I cover my mouth and nose with the sleeve of my other arm.

I look over at Rawr. Completely indifferent. I chuckle but that quickly turns into another wretch.

We keep heading down the gentle slope. The river of necrotic goop must be this way.

See bond 3 above

Everything in here tries to snuff out the light. These dark-tainted trees will recoil from it if I can focus its power, I think. I fight off my churning stomach, scowl, and raise my sword out high before me. From my mouth is the quiet murmur of arcane augmentation.

Rawr doesn't care either way. He may not speak plant or common, but he knows a threat when he sees one. The huge grizzly bear rears and bellows a branch-rattling roar of primary fury!

[sblock]Aid (bond). I want to augment my Light Cantrip to help Rawr's intimidate effort.
3, 4 +1 (take -1) = 7

Your ally takes +1, but you also expose yourself to danger, retribution, or cost.

Rawr's move:

* Threaten and intimidate

Do Your Thing (Qua)
2, 2 +2 (take +1) = 7

They do it, but there’s an unforeseen cost, consequence, or limitation (ask the GM what).[/sblock]

Click to expand...

With great strain, you increase the magical radiance of your Light spell tenfold.

[sblock]Cost. Take 1d4 damage (no armor).[/sblock]

The thunderous roar by the great grizzly coupled with the awful light causes the Dark Trees to recoil violently. Branches fold inward to protect their pupiless "eyes" from the light and they shrink back.

That is when it happens.

This jaunt downwards definitely terminates at the river somewhere below. But this gentle slope is little more than a brief reprieve, a shelf to another steep embankment. At their violent protest, the massive root systems of the huge trees suddenly explode from the blackened, soupy, detritus-laden earth. The earth rumbles and gives way.

You and Rawr find yourselves pitched backward, tumbling down, down, down. Somehow you keep your sword in your hand. The tumble itself isn't costly. However, what awaits you at the bottom may yet be...

The steep grade meagerly levels out. Your momentum is only so very slightly stolen. Not nearly enough. The now augmented light of your sword gives you clear view to the thick black flow that you're both sliding toward, uncontrolled, at high speed!

The shoreline is like the charred lips of a burned corpse. The necrotic river is the dead maw. Nothing lives here...

Manbearcat said:

[sblock]Cost. Take 1d4 damage (no armor).[/sblock]

Click to expand...

[sblock]1d4 damage (no armor). 4 damage to me.[/sblock]

Rawr's bulk propels him downward...

[sblock]Athleticism tag.

Do Their Thing (Qua)
5, 3 +2 = 10

They do it, as well as one could reasonably hope.[/sblock]

...but his incredible strength and athleticism rights him before he goes splashing into the necrotic goo of the river.

Myself on the other hand...

I sprawl, trying to control my weight distribution and slow my momentum. I flail my free arm, trying to catch a root, anything, and hang on. Still I continue down. Finally on my back, I throw my blade back behind me over my head in a desperate attempt to impale the earth before I'm swallowed by the cold, black flow.

Rawr reaches out for me...

[sblock]Defy Danger (Str) with Assistance from Rawr, exposing him to the consequences.
3, 4 +0 (take +1 Rawr) = 8

Success but a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.[/sblock]