Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="PieAndDragon" data-source="post: 2822685" data-attributes="member: 18108">Earthday, 23rd of Twelthmonth, 1533 ERI have kept the pain of my loss to myself. My current duty is to serve Sakorat and help deliver Night's Return to the HighKeep Family. The time for proper mourning is when this is over.Andruga is currently scouting out the lair of the wounded dragon. A kenku named Lucius offered to lead us there in return for some trinkets gifted by other night fey. Under intense questioning from Deng he revealed that a massive spider served as a guard to this dragon. Laughingtail is the forest dragon's name, and it will not live to see the dusk.AfternoonBorsca is avenged!Andruga returned to describe a spider with legs twice my own height, among a grove of trees which surrounded the web-covered entrance to Laughingtail's lair. The two goblins and Deng snuck up to lie in wait while the rest of us crept closer. The fight was swift, poisoning Andruga before it was brought down by arrows from both goblins and Sydnius on his wasp, with Deng striking the killing blow. The salamander has grown strong since the Battle of Southquarry.Andruga was so weakened by the poison that he could not move. We left him on the edge of the grove, preparing for battle with the last of Sakorat's magic. Zuridah and the salamander took the lead, taking the brunt of Laughingtail's acidic gas as they charged into its lair. The dragon tried to slow us with magic, but that was not enough to stop the assualt of arrows and blades. Sakorat finished Laughingtail off with a crack of thunder and a bolt of lightning, using the rod we took from Odakota at Highkeep. And so my daughter's soul can find peace.A thorough search of the cave revealed several thousand gold coins, a good number of gems, and some minor magical trinkets. Lucius took what he was promised and fled off into the trees. Zuridah wanted to skin Laughingtail but we did not have the time, wanting to find a place away from the lair to rest. So she settled for eyes and horns, claws and a few scales. I took no trophies from the beast.Distributing the treasure and Andruga among the party to carry, Sydnius, Zuridah and Lukkar took little time to find us a place to rest about a mile from the lair, a clearing by a small brook. We set our watch and licked our wounds from the battles of the day.Waterday, 24th of Twelthmonth, 1533 ERSakorat's magic has restored Andruga and removed the last signs of spider poison. After seeing to the rest of the party with help from my power of the Green, it was decided by Deng to rest another day, with no opposition from the others. I can see the need but feel maybe we should press on. Night's Return is critical to the stability of the lands here.As always in these accursed forests, a group of night fey is pestering us, mostly bogans, kenku and spriggans, dancing, singing and mocking us. Wretched creatures.EveningSome displacer beasts are about in the forest, awaiting any who wander from camp. I doubt they will be lucky this night. Sydius has taken the time to call another animal to his pack, a nasty looking bear-owl beast from the forest.Otherday, 25th of Twelthmonth, 1533 ERWe fought another battle early this morning. As Sakorat finished his prayers, a human armoured in heavy plate and bearing the symbol of the Bringers of Ultimate peace hailed us. He traveled with four girillons and Deng noticed another hiding among the trees. Some of the Valiant Blade recognised the name of Vernus Halfsign, a competitor at the Challenge of the Monkey God and had made a deal with Peregrina.He claimed to bear an offer from Lavrin Greymantle, offering us her favour and twenty thousand in gold if we were to turn back and leave the forest. He gave us a few minutes to discuss the offer but there was little to decide. Our oath was given and our quarry in sight.Vernus did not take our refusal well, giving a shout of warning before drawing his sword and advancing with his girillons. His allies among the trees revealed themselves, the reaver we had seen and a panther moving as a cat the other. Lukkar later told me it was a forest guardian, a servant of the Monkey God. The reaver tried to bring down Zuridah with arrows, but should have picked a weaker target. The tain and Sydnius'es direwolf sprang among the trees, bearing down the reaver and taking her out of the fight in short order.The girillons were barely more effective, two taken down by the shots from both goblins; another fled, it's mind warped by the naiad's bewildering magic; the last was struck down by Deng's dancing blades and lightning from Sakorat's new rod. Which left Vernus and the forest guardian.Vernus surprised us all, going after Lukkar, who kept peppering him with arrows. At the same time the Bringer kept Andruga, Deng, Zuridah and Sydnius on his wasp at bay. I stayed near Sakorat, who had taken to the brook, helping with my bow where I could.With his wolf lying bleeding from the forest guardian's arrows, Sydnius took to the trees on his wasp, battling the cat-ape among the branches. Vernus was worn down by many foes and hampered by Zuridah's net, lashing out at Lukkar's bow before the tain finished the business with her twin-axe in bloody fashion.With Sydnius escaping his grasp and several archers targeting him, the sentinel chose the better part of valour and lost us among the tree-tops. After finishing off the last girillon, dazed by Sakorat's magic, the battle was ours.We bound up the reaver, bringing her round to face Deng and Sakorat's questions. She told us little more than she worked for Lavrin, unconcerned for her predicament. We ended her sorry life when she would say no more. Among her possessions were many poisons and a myriad of strange equipment. There was more to her than met the eye.It was decided to rest another day and night at the clearing. A decision I was against but was unwilling to voice, as I am not a full member of the Blade as the others are.Tomorrow, on the first day of the year, we intend to enter the ruins of Blackblade.Airday, 1st of Firstmonth, 1534 EROur celebrations of the new year were sparse, with little reason for false hope. We knew that the ruins of Blackblade housed a deadly foe.Three hours uneventful travel brought us to the ruins of Blackblade, a place destroyed a century and a half ago by the Regent's Guard, on the orders of the Regent. That title then signified the ruler of Sohal, but there has been no Regent for over 20 years. Most of the buildings had fallen far, torn down by night fey or the elements, overgrown by the power of the Green.As Andruga snuck off to take a better look at the ruins, one of the night fey attacked without provocation. A mass of deadly thorns leapt up all around us, causing us all but wasp and its rider pain, until it was nullified and banished by Sakorat's prayers to the Lord of the Green Claw. I briefly caught sight of an old-looking fey with hair of thorns and vines and skin of bark. A Woodwose, deadly night fey with a mastery of wood, thorns and vines. Lukkar advanced briefly towards it, only to be stopped by another mass of thorns. I was trapped within, and soon the grass itself was clawing at me. I heard the battlecries of Zuridah, Syndius and Lukkar, and the prayers of Sakorat, which forced the night fey to flee to the fey realm.After half an hour of hacking at thorns, myself, Andruga and Deng were set free. We are having a brief rest before moving on. Sakorat told me he observed Andruga jumping during the battle like a frog, leaping forty foot at a time. I have no idea how he has manifested this power. I'm not entirely sure I wish to know.We are ready now. It is time to enter the heart of the ruins of Blackblade.MiddayA few night fey were visible on our approach to the central towers of Blackblade, but none disturbed us. I believe our earlier exploits today warned them off. Andruga and Sydnius directed us around several long vined plants known as "assassin trees". Nasty things, but part of the Green nonetheless.A lone man awaited us in the ruins of one of the towers. Why he chose to face us alone I have no idea. He wore armour and shield emblazoned with the old symbol of the BlackBlade family, and rode atop a black faerie steed with a single lance-like horn atop it's brow. A large black hound the size of a direwolf glared at us from beside its master. This was the lord of the night fey here, the faerie guardian of Blackblade, and last of his name, Thrassius BlackBlade. The wielder of Night's Return.He gave a stark warning which we chose to ignore, and battle ensued. As we gathered together to receive one of Sakorat's spells, BlackBlade's magic called up a green mist of choking gas, from which most of us staggered unharmed, except for Andruga and most of Sydnius'es pack. Zuridah, Deng and Sydnius on his wasp surged forward, Lukkar supporting with his archery, all of us blessed by Sakorat's prayers. BlackBlade was protected by several defensive magicks, and he was clearly an experienced warrior. He called down curses on several of our own combatants, although only Sydnius succumbed. In short order, his hound and then mount fell before our fury, with Andruga and myself joining the fray and Sakorat summoning the lightning from the rod of power he bore.Thrassius, enraged by our efforts, set about us with a fury, felling Zuridah and running his sword through the unlucky Andruga, another victim on the road of adventure. But he had not stopped the veterans of the Company of the Valiant Blade, for between Deng's blades and Lukkar's arrows, he fell to our combined strength, the last goblin finishing the task. Where Thrassius fell, a thorn bush sprang up, made of blades black as night, a reminder of his passing.We spent little time in celebration, with night fey gathering near. With Night's Return in our possession, and the other spoils of war taken from the faerie lord, we fled the ruins with the body of our fallen companion.A few hours took us well down the Old Blackblade Road towards Whistlesprings, and we camped still inside Highkeep Forest.NightSome droonies visited us earlier this evening, seeming to know we carried Night's Return, but staying only a short time in their spriggan forms. They are cursed fey, spending most of thier lives haunting roads in the form of horses, only able to spend a short hour each night in their natural form of the spriggans they once were. But night fey they still are, tricky and cruel.Deng gave us some disturbing news when the droonies left. He had not received a message from Highkeep. Foreboding news indeed.Fireday, 2nd of Firstmonth, 1534 EROur efforts have been in vain! At Whistlesprings we were told of the fall of Highkeep, ravaged by hordes of night fey lead by iron trolls. There was tell of HighKeeps who had survived and fled towards Southwatch, but Lord Eurus was seen defending his keep to the death.After gathering provisions, Southwatch is where we now head. May the Green grant us strength.Earthday, 3rd of Firstmonth, 1534 ERWe make good time towards Southwatch. There are still many tales of misdeeds done by the night fey. Having Night's Return is not enough to stop them. Someone with strength must hold it and command them. Let us see if the HighKeeps who remain are those people.Deng is talking of settling down at Nightjewel Mansion, his work done. It will be a blow to us if he does, as a founding member of the Company of the Valiant Blade.Otherday, 5th of Firstmonth, 1534 ERAt Southwatch we rest tonight. Lady Fulvia HighKeep took Night's Return, giving us the sword Starclap as payment. They had lost the magical pavilion in flight from Highkeep, but we did not force the issue.The HighKeep family is ruined. Most of their retainers are dead, their castle razed to the ground, their people living in terror of the night fey. Only two of the family live, with one of them driven half-mad by hatred. I do not see them prospering in the future.Fulvia has trouble holding Night's Return, for she is no warrior. Their fate seems to be in the hands of the SouthWatch family. Maybe they are not worthy of continuing their rule, for they have failed in their charge.Airday, 6th of Firstmonth, 1534 ERI held a memorial for Andruga and we are sorting out our shares of the rewards from the last adventure. I plan to have a sword of cold-iron forged, with enchantments laid which harm the night fey. They must be driven from Highkeep, and it is my task to try.Deng has announced his retirement from the Company of the Valiant Blade. We gather now to choose a new leader. It will likely be Sakorat, as he has the force of personality to manage a group such as this. Lukkar is a founding member, but a goblin is not suitable to guide a renowned group as ours. Sydnius had no interest but in his beasts, and the tain ha no interest beyond battle.Waterday, 9th of Firstmonth, 1534 ERWe rest and train now, awaiting our next quest. More people come to worship at Sakorat's feet, knowing little of him but the chance to rise to glory. Fawning and pathetic. They disgust me.What is to happen to the lands of Highkeep now? Many of it's people are fleeing, and no doubt others will wish to use it for their own end. Without a strong hand, I see it falling to ruin and banditry, with outlaws, warlocks and worse gathering there. Maybe my duty has changed, maybe we can make a difference here. May the Green guide my Blade.End of Session Twenty</blockquote>

Verification