Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
EN Publishing
Tizbiz Zeitgeist Campaign
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Lylandra" data-source="post: 7491316" data-attributes="member: 6816692"><p><strong>Gallo's school and the return of Gale</strong></p><p></p><p>After her usual training routine and Isobel's lessons, Auryn meets up with Asrabey for breakfast. She tells him about their investigations in Cloudwood and their assumption that this might all point to Ekossigan hiding somewhere in that district. Asrabey reports on his own research in Partity Lake and other polluted areas where he thought Ekossigan might strike first. But he found nothing that could be remotely related to a Fey Lord. So he congratulates her for their quick thinking and asks her to join them should they eventually resume their investigation. </p><p></p><p>Auryn sees no reason to exclude Asrabey as this is the task he had been given by the Unseen Court. She then tries to explain the whole Nightelf debacle and adds that she made sure Isobel understands the difference between an Eladin man and those monsters who abused – and are presumably still abusing - her family. She adds that she'll make sure all of them, the Traverses and the Nightelves will be punished properly in time. Asrabey calls this a noble plan he'd love to join in was he not bound by his oath to Kasvarina. </p><p></p><p>Together, Auryn and Asrabey go to the RHC to meet up with Carlyle and fetch the results of Margit's pathological examination. She offers us a lengthy report which includes every little detail, but the most important information is that this boy is named John who's an orphan and that he got his cutting injuries before he died. His bones broke after death, however, and Margit is pretty sure that he must have fallen quite a distance. Oh and she totally dispelled the curse, so no need to worry about angry mobs anymore. </p><p></p><p>We thank Margit for her help <span style="color: #008000">(seriously, she's the best pathologist one could hope for)</span> and then decide to return to Cloudwood. As we now know that John was an orphan, we kind of get why no one was missing him. But we do know that there is an orphanage somewhere in Cloudwood, so starting our search for Ekossigan or the fey there might not be the worst of ideas. Unfortunately, we don't know exactly where this orphanage is located, so we decide to ask the one who would have the best chances of knowing: Mayor Doyle Idylls. </p><p></p><p>As we come across Gale's meeting spot, we leave her a message, asking her for any news on Elik and stating our desire to talk to her about her mysterious benefactor. </p><p></p><p>Then, we meet the mayor in his house which is covered in yucky means of warding against fey. Mr. Idylls seems surprised to hear about a curse in his district, but from the looks of his house he's quite used to malicious fey attacks. He does know about an orphanage though, Gallo's school, that's being organized by a group of druids.</p><p><span style="color: #008000"></span></p><p><span style="color: #008000">(So Lord Gallo's family went from being Dasseni aristocracy to building a school and becoming druids? Who would've thought that? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> )</span></p><p></p><p>The school is funded by all communities of Cloudwood, so our guess that this child might be just “everyone's child” might be true after all. Unfortunately, Mr. Idylls doesn't know much more about what's going on beyond his village and he doesn't seem to care too much either. So he cannot tell us where this school might be located and we'd be better off asking strangers down the road. Or so. Guess the only people voting for the seat of Mayor of Cloudwood are the ones living in this village...</p><p></p><p>So we kind of take the mayor's advice to heart and ask the people in the village about the location of the orphanage. Fortunately, we find one smith who is a “graduate” from that school as he's an orphan himself. For a fair payment, he agrees to drive us there in his old cart. We're glad for his offer and take a seat.</p><p></p><p>On our way, we are suddenly caught by a growing storm that quickly turns into a full-scale tempest. “How strange, usually the storm is on my side. At least in Flint...” Auryn mumbles just a split second before a lightning strikes down, almost hitting the smith's mule.</p><p></p><p>Then, we suddenly hear the familiar voice of Gale. </p><p></p><p>“Turn back. Please. I don't want to hurt you.”</p><p></p><p>We reply that we already assumed that she got her storm powers from Ekossigan, which means she might be bound to serve him. We also explain that we, which includes Asrabey, do not wish to fight her or Ekossigan as we'd like to understand what he's trying to achieve. We got his poem and believe that we might just share a common goal. </p><p></p><p>The storm calms down at once as Gale agrees to lead us to Ekossigan. She opens up a small path into the wilderness, so we thank the smith for his help and wish him good luck on his way home. We follow the path for a while and then finally meet dear Hana who's looking strangely upset. As she accompanies us, she tells us that Ekossigan of Summer is a very nice Fey Lord who did much to help her flee the Danorans and who granted her the powers of flight and storm. This is why he now returned to ask her to return the favor and help him. As she owes him her freedom, she's bound to do so, even if that could break her heart. </p><p></p><p>Auryn replies that she cannot allow anyone to force their will upon her sister again. Being forced to act against her will is nothing short but slavery, she insists. Also, “Ekossigan of Summer” might be a whole different person than the other Ekossigans, which is why it would be wrong to let any other Ekossigan incarnation have power over her. Gale turns silent after Auryn's open expression. </p><p></p><p>After a while, Auryn feels a strange draw towards the place we're heading. Asrabey realizes this and remembers this effect to be a part of Ekossigan's powers: The power to attract and command other fey. He fetches an amulet with enchanted turning cogs and hands it to her. </p><p></p><p>“Let's not allow him to gain power over your spirit as well. We're fey, after all.”</p><p></p><p>“And let's make sure he also doesn't get the opportunity to gain a hold onto me and use me as a weapon against you.” says Carlyle and then casts a mind-shielding spell on himself, just in case.</p><p></p><p>We finally arrive in front of a high tree house. To our horror, we also see the dead bodies of several adult druids hanging from its branches, who all appear to having been strangulated. </p><p></p><p>“Oh no, no, no. This is bad news.” Asrabey whispers while pointing at the tree. “This one is a one hundred years old oak. If Ekossigan really does wish to travel to the Bleak Gate, he might just have all means at hand. He'd only need to sacrifice thirty-one children. And a mortal's life is nothing for a Fey Lord, as you know.”</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #008000">(That was the point where Carlyle asked himself why Asrabey would even care for human kids when he clearly had no problem mowing down everyone in his path at Axis island. I can only guess he either does care for innocents or they are simply on the “right side” of his target. Or maybe he fears that ritually sacrificed children might push his “little flower” over the edge.)</span></p><p></p><p>Gale closes her eyes in silence for a moment. Meanwhile, we suddenly understand why we didn't see any fey on our way as they are all here. An army. Ready to follow whoever commands them. They all look eerily bejinxed and unnatural, grinning at us with maliciously looking smiles. Some are even gnawing at the dead druid's bodies.</p><p></p><p>Gale ignores the fey and leads us up the tree to the house that must have been Gallo's school. Now twisted fey play their cruel games inside where we find even more dead adults, but no children. She leads us to one of the outer housings where we finally hear the sounds of living non-fey beings coming from the inside. But before we can open the door to see if there are any children inside, a pale, translucent figure manifests in front of us. </p><p></p><p>“Greetings, I am Ekossigan of Spring.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lylandra, post: 7491316, member: 6816692"] [b]Gallo's school and the return of Gale[/b] After her usual training routine and Isobel's lessons, Auryn meets up with Asrabey for breakfast. She tells him about their investigations in Cloudwood and their assumption that this might all point to Ekossigan hiding somewhere in that district. Asrabey reports on his own research in Partity Lake and other polluted areas where he thought Ekossigan might strike first. But he found nothing that could be remotely related to a Fey Lord. So he congratulates her for their quick thinking and asks her to join them should they eventually resume their investigation. Auryn sees no reason to exclude Asrabey as this is the task he had been given by the Unseen Court. She then tries to explain the whole Nightelf debacle and adds that she made sure Isobel understands the difference between an Eladin man and those monsters who abused – and are presumably still abusing - her family. She adds that she'll make sure all of them, the Traverses and the Nightelves will be punished properly in time. Asrabey calls this a noble plan he'd love to join in was he not bound by his oath to Kasvarina. Together, Auryn and Asrabey go to the RHC to meet up with Carlyle and fetch the results of Margit's pathological examination. She offers us a lengthy report which includes every little detail, but the most important information is that this boy is named John who's an orphan and that he got his cutting injuries before he died. His bones broke after death, however, and Margit is pretty sure that he must have fallen quite a distance. Oh and she totally dispelled the curse, so no need to worry about angry mobs anymore. We thank Margit for her help [COLOR="#008000"](seriously, she's the best pathologist one could hope for)[/COLOR] and then decide to return to Cloudwood. As we now know that John was an orphan, we kind of get why no one was missing him. But we do know that there is an orphanage somewhere in Cloudwood, so starting our search for Ekossigan or the fey there might not be the worst of ideas. Unfortunately, we don't know exactly where this orphanage is located, so we decide to ask the one who would have the best chances of knowing: Mayor Doyle Idylls. As we come across Gale's meeting spot, we leave her a message, asking her for any news on Elik and stating our desire to talk to her about her mysterious benefactor. Then, we meet the mayor in his house which is covered in yucky means of warding against fey. Mr. Idylls seems surprised to hear about a curse in his district, but from the looks of his house he's quite used to malicious fey attacks. He does know about an orphanage though, Gallo's school, that's being organized by a group of druids. [COLOR="#008000"] (So Lord Gallo's family went from being Dasseni aristocracy to building a school and becoming druids? Who would've thought that? ;) )[/COLOR] The school is funded by all communities of Cloudwood, so our guess that this child might be just “everyone's child” might be true after all. Unfortunately, Mr. Idylls doesn't know much more about what's going on beyond his village and he doesn't seem to care too much either. So he cannot tell us where this school might be located and we'd be better off asking strangers down the road. Or so. Guess the only people voting for the seat of Mayor of Cloudwood are the ones living in this village... So we kind of take the mayor's advice to heart and ask the people in the village about the location of the orphanage. Fortunately, we find one smith who is a “graduate” from that school as he's an orphan himself. For a fair payment, he agrees to drive us there in his old cart. We're glad for his offer and take a seat. On our way, we are suddenly caught by a growing storm that quickly turns into a full-scale tempest. “How strange, usually the storm is on my side. At least in Flint...” Auryn mumbles just a split second before a lightning strikes down, almost hitting the smith's mule. Then, we suddenly hear the familiar voice of Gale. “Turn back. Please. I don't want to hurt you.” We reply that we already assumed that she got her storm powers from Ekossigan, which means she might be bound to serve him. We also explain that we, which includes Asrabey, do not wish to fight her or Ekossigan as we'd like to understand what he's trying to achieve. We got his poem and believe that we might just share a common goal. The storm calms down at once as Gale agrees to lead us to Ekossigan. She opens up a small path into the wilderness, so we thank the smith for his help and wish him good luck on his way home. We follow the path for a while and then finally meet dear Hana who's looking strangely upset. As she accompanies us, she tells us that Ekossigan of Summer is a very nice Fey Lord who did much to help her flee the Danorans and who granted her the powers of flight and storm. This is why he now returned to ask her to return the favor and help him. As she owes him her freedom, she's bound to do so, even if that could break her heart. Auryn replies that she cannot allow anyone to force their will upon her sister again. Being forced to act against her will is nothing short but slavery, she insists. Also, “Ekossigan of Summer” might be a whole different person than the other Ekossigans, which is why it would be wrong to let any other Ekossigan incarnation have power over her. Gale turns silent after Auryn's open expression. After a while, Auryn feels a strange draw towards the place we're heading. Asrabey realizes this and remembers this effect to be a part of Ekossigan's powers: The power to attract and command other fey. He fetches an amulet with enchanted turning cogs and hands it to her. “Let's not allow him to gain power over your spirit as well. We're fey, after all.” “And let's make sure he also doesn't get the opportunity to gain a hold onto me and use me as a weapon against you.” says Carlyle and then casts a mind-shielding spell on himself, just in case. We finally arrive in front of a high tree house. To our horror, we also see the dead bodies of several adult druids hanging from its branches, who all appear to having been strangulated. “Oh no, no, no. This is bad news.” Asrabey whispers while pointing at the tree. “This one is a one hundred years old oak. If Ekossigan really does wish to travel to the Bleak Gate, he might just have all means at hand. He'd only need to sacrifice thirty-one children. And a mortal's life is nothing for a Fey Lord, as you know.” [COLOR="#008000"](That was the point where Carlyle asked himself why Asrabey would even care for human kids when he clearly had no problem mowing down everyone in his path at Axis island. I can only guess he either does care for innocents or they are simply on the “right side” of his target. Or maybe he fears that ritually sacrificed children might push his “little flower” over the edge.)[/COLOR] Gale closes her eyes in silence for a moment. Meanwhile, we suddenly understand why we didn't see any fey on our way as they are all here. An army. Ready to follow whoever commands them. They all look eerily bejinxed and unnatural, grinning at us with maliciously looking smiles. Some are even gnawing at the dead druid's bodies. Gale ignores the fey and leads us up the tree to the house that must have been Gallo's school. Now twisted fey play their cruel games inside where we find even more dead adults, but no children. She leads us to one of the outer housings where we finally hear the sounds of living non-fey beings coming from the inside. But before we can open the door to see if there are any children inside, a pale, translucent figure manifests in front of us. “Greetings, I am Ekossigan of Spring.” [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
EN Publishing
Tizbiz Zeitgeist Campaign
Top