Session3.10

## Hardholme S3E10: Journey to the Northern Wyldes (9/5/2019)

Chris (as Chris), Aurelae (Lauren), Ulrich (Eric), Steve (Kamara), Thayer (Gramarsh), Cathy (Aurianya), Rael (Rick).

### DAY 1

We find our adventurers gathered at the Tipsy Tabaxi as they prepare to head out on their latest journey. Kamara has some Grandelium Stryder armor, it’s a prototype, and it looks really nice. He’s also now missing an arm, since his last adventure. He’s taking it pretty well, considering. Gramarsh just so happens to have a Phantasmal Limb he’s not using, and he sells it to Kamara. The Phantasmal Limb, once attached to Kamara’s arm nub, fits perfectly and mimics what his arm looked like, except it is bluish, but also translucent. Kamara approves.

The group visits Trixy, and she’s happy to see them. Kamara holds a cigarette for her with his new arm. Aurianya gives her some blue mushrooms. She’s pretty happy for that. Rael emphasizes that he knows a scientist (Fitz) with loose ethics, who MIGHT be able to build her a robotic body. Trixy is up for whatever.

They grab the folding boat, bring it to the north shore of the river, and drop it in. It unfolds into a medium sized ship, and it’s just enough room for the adventurers and their Stryders. Rael plays a jaunty sea tune of inspiration (by K.T. Perry) and they all keep a good rowing pace (twice as fast thanks to Rael). By mid-afternoon they can see the pyramids on the right coast. They’re making great time moving upriver.

Ulrich: “Do y’all KNOW the month Carric has had???” He tells the entire Prentiss story again.

### DAY 2

They’re sailing along, when off to the east on shore they see a group of people,about 5 or 6 of them, and it looks like they’re in trouble with some Batdusas. Kamara brings the boat to shore and they get out and run towards the group. Gregory (Kamara’s First Mate) stays behind with the boat. They’re about 300 feet from the shore.

As they approach it is clear that the group is not looking good. Two of them are on the ground and wounded. They’re all children. When they see us approaching they cry out for help. There’s at least 20 Batdusas swarming them.

Aurianya rides her Stryder valiantly up to the kid on the ground and helps him up and onto her Stryder.

Gramarsh also runs his Stryder into the fray and grabs a Tabaxi child.

Kamara charges in on his Stryder, with his new lance out and ready to impale a Batdusa! He hits it! But he’s never really used a lance before lol, so it isn’t super effective.

Batdusas attack! Anya is bitten twice (35 damage), but they miss Gramarsh. One of the Batdusas falls down.

Rael runs towards the chaos and casts cure wounds on the kid that is clearly dying. And also casts Mantle of Inspiration.

Ulrich pulls out his Bag of Tricks, reaches inside, and pulls out a Giant Elk. It runs into the fray immediately and draws some attention from the Batdusas.

Aurelae unleashes two arrows right into one and knocks it out of the sky! (47 damage)

The Elk rears up and headbutts a Batdusa and it gets caught in its antlers!

Anya is hit again, is knocked off her Stryder, and is almost down for the count. (1 HP) “RUN!” she yells as she runs back to her Stryder.

Grammarsh now has two kids under his arms.

Kamara shoots out a psionic blast and hits several of the Batdusas.

Kamara, Ulrich, Grammarsh, Rael, one kid, and the Elk are in the heart of the swarm, and are under attack.

Rael casts wall of flame behind them, yells that it’s safe to run through.

Ulrich runs towards a kid and scoops it up.

The Elk attacks!

Aurelae shoots another Batdusa out of the sky! She saved the poor Elk from being attacked. (34 damage)

The Batdusas attack — Kamara (35 damage), Ulrich (16 damage), Gramarsh (16 damage), and one of the kids is down. Another Batdusa starts biting one of the kids that Gramarsh is holding.

Anya pulls out her bow and arrow and shoots one of the Batdusa dead!

There are two kids left, one is almost certainly dead, so Kamara grabs the other kid that is on the ground and runs out of there.

All that’s left is Ulrich and the Elk (and the dying kid on the ground). Two Batdusas go for Ulrich — and miss!

Rael runs back towards the boat with one kid. He sees Aurelae and yells, “Run! Go!” She stays the course and plans the cover for everyone as they escape.

Ulrich disengages and runs, gives himself Second-Wind.

Aurelae sees everyone running towards her, and shoots one of the Batdusa chasing Ulrich right out of the sky (nat 20!).

Once Ulrich passes her, she turns and runs towards the boat, bringing up the rear.

Anya helps everyone into the boat, she catches the kids that Gramarsh is literally throwing into the boat. Kamara expertly leaps into the boat while still on his Stryder.

Ulrich is working with Gregory to make sure the boat is ready to roll.

Aurelae kicks up the speed of Strydie as she’s the last one to come up. They run and leeeeeaaaap! Over the side of the boat and make it just as the boat is kicking off of the shoreline.

The Batdusas do not chase them as they sail away down the river. Whew!

The Tabaxi kid is Nix! They just wanted to adventure, they’ve heard such fun things. Their friend who died is named Exan (pronounced Evan). In fact, all these kids are students at the Academy. They look up to us. It’s super sweet.

A hilarious conversation happens when the kids don’t really recognize their teachers… cause… basically everyone forgets to go teach class… lmao. \*insert witty banter between Rael and Ulrich as they sail along\*

Aurelae points out that if they bring the kids with them, that they will probably die. Rael gives a big flowery speech telling them they should adventure… Ulrich pulls legality on him.

#### DAY 4

They reach Soova Falls. As soon as they get close enough Kamara just DIVES into the water and teleports over to the waterfall. The river seems to actually continue through the waterfall. They sail into the waterfall, and on the other side is a big cave with stalactites and stalagmites scattered around. Aurelae suggests they name it Exan’s Lake.

They can see light from behind them. There is also light to the east, and to the north.

In the very center of the lake, there is a drip coming from the ceiling...thousands of feet up...

They sail east. They hear very loud squawking sounds echoing off the cave walls. Sounds like the creatures are talking to each other...

Rael casts an Illusion of Calm Water where the boat is. This hides them from whatever type of creatures were making those squawking noises. They make it through the cave and through the east waterfall, and they’re now on the river to Etherwood. The water vapor made by the waterfall gives a type of illusion, like a visual static.

### DAYS 5 & 6

As they sail through the river, there is a fog coming from the dense forest on both sides; it flows right up to, but not in, the river. The fog shimmers and shifts as they move past. The colors seem just slightly shifted, like you’re watching an old TV. It’s beautifully eerie. The trees are Etherwood Trees.

Rael passes the time by teaching the kids Neverwinter Hold Em.

In the afternoon of Day 6 they see Etherwood. Kamara jumps onto his stryder, and leaps off of the boat and the stryder gallops along on top of the water towards the shore. There’s a very tall tower, and a guy named Leonard is in it, keeping watch. “Hey there Kamara!” He greets him. They chat, and Kamara lets him know why we’re here and who all these people are. Things are apparently a little different than they were last time we visited. They bring the kids with them, find the Stryders a place to rest, and get off the boat.

They visit Shinehorn Stables. There are these AMAZINGLY beautiful creatures there called Shinehorns. They look like a cross between a deer and a fox. Aurelae is in love. She buys a baby shinehorn. So does Rael. Rael pays Aurelae 500g to care for and train his Shinehorn while they’re out and about. He names his Moxie. Aurelae is overjoyed with the Shinehorns. She’s a natural.

They walk around town and notice several people dressed in white robes walking around with books. Ulrich asks one of them what the book is. It’s “The Way of The Light”. Just the cover is in Celestial, but the inside is in Common.

Ulrich:“Who told you what this says? You can’t read Celestial.”

People: “The Dutchess.”

Just about everyone is carrying one of these books around.

They continue to walk and explore and then suddenly they smell the best bread they’ve ever smelt. OMG how does this smell so good? They walk into the bread shop, a nice young lady tells them about the bread. It’s the most amazing thing they have ever eaten. Every new bite tastes like the first bite, and it is as nutritious as it is delicious. “Miss Margarie’s Sparklegrain Bread.” Aurelae wants to buy as much as she can and bring it back.

They make their way to see The Duchess. As they enter the Palace, it seems more sunny and bright inside than it was outside. It’s definitely magical. Pews line the palace. There are several cots along the sides, four unconscious boys are laying on the cots, and are being healed. They have some pretty intense looking wounds, and the ones that have already healed are now glowing scars criss-crossing their bodies and faces.

Kamara: “Excuse me, what happened?”

Person: “Ssshhh. There was an accident.”

Kamara: “In the lake?”

Person: “Yes.”

As they approach the altar, the sound of soft singing gets a little louder. They can now see a choir of women in white robes, their eyes are closed and they're singing in Celestial. It is the most beautiful and heavenly collection of sounds each of them have ever heard. After a few seconds they each individually realize they recognize the song. It's a lullaby someone sang to them as a child. Each word rings as clear as a bell in their mother tongue. The hair on the back of their necks stands up, and they are completely overcome with soothing joyousness.

Kamara hears a gentle, hissing ballad that was sung to him as a newspawn.

Rael hears the melody of a young woman, but not his mother. It's the nursemaid his family paid to watch over him and his sisters.

Ulrich hears familiar words, stylized into song, "I will face my fear, I will permit it to pass over me and through me."

Aurelae hears the old familiar tune that her uncle Jorath would quietly hum while sifting through his notes.

A voice from behind snaps them out of the trance.

***"My old friends."***

!!!!!!

Before you stands Maeve, though not quite as you remember her. She still towers above some of you at six and a half feet tall, her sunny hair dances in the light. Her artfully twisted, pearl white robes are far from matronly - her slim waist is on

display with a fine belt of limpid, opal stones - each perfectly oval and held in shining silver. And atop her head sits a matching circlet, with a large stone at its center. The bottom of her robes are muddy as if she's been walking the thoroughfare. But most striking are the many glowing runes carved into her skin and emitting light, the language is indecipherable.

She is all smiles.

Those of the group who know Maeve are incredibly happy to see her. Aurelae gives her a huge hug. They ask her how she has been, and what brought her here, to this point.

Back in Hardholme, Maeve was visited by Celeste who cut the godlanguage runes into her skin and healed them over. When she deciphered them she wrote “The Way”.

Maeve shows the way to read The Way. One needs to have intention, then open the book to a random page, and it will tell you what your soul needs to hear. The Way is written in the same godlanguage as the runes that are etched on Maeve's skin.

They also learn that Maeve is the new Duchess of Etherwood and also High Priestess of The Light. The Light is a highly spiritual and religious community, and Maeve is personally guided by The Living Goddess Celeste, but The Light accepts anyone who stays on the side of good and never hurts an innocent. Good people all work for the betterment of The Light, whether they realize it or not.

Maeve: “Would any of you like to read The Way?”

Aurelae reads the book, and it speaks to her. As she reads it, tears of happiness begin streaming down her face.

Rael wants to read it next. He opens the book, and it’s just a blank page.

Anya and Kamara read it next. They both receive deeply personal and touching messages of guidance. Then Gramarsh and after him, Ulrich take their turns reading The Way. They too receive intimate and uplifting messages from The Way.

And finally Rael tries again to read The Way. He opens his mind to the greater possibilities of the goddess, and is moved by what he reads there.

Everyone who touched Maeve now looks physically 5 years younger. Maeve had a vision of them coming, and prepared the baths and a feast for them.

The kids need healing, and of course Maeve heals them. A blinding white light surrounds the injured children and their wounds aren't just healed, close magical inspection reveals they literally never existed. She explains that it isn’t she who has any special power — she is merely the vessel through which the goddess Celeste has chosen to do her work.

Ulrich and Anya ask if Maeve can help with the hideous scars they received on their recent journeys. Maeve mends their scars and they transform into milder versions of those scars, and they now glow faintly.

They notice that the white robed acolytes and some of the townspeople have a symbol carved into both of their wrists. Maeve explains that getting this symbol on your wrist is a sort of rite of passage to become a Follower of The Way. Maeve uses a ceremonial knife given to her by Celeste to cut them and then heals the wound.

They ask Maeve if she could heal Trixy. It’s a possibility, she says to bring her and she will try.

Kamara says, “Ummm...we brought Hashtomuff books?”

Maeve: “Oh! Books. Good, you should meet Sybil.” A demure and beautiful red headed woman walks towards them. She is dressed modestly and bookishly, her fiery red hair is tucked up in a bun on top of her head. Sybil serves Maeve in many ways, including being head librarian and point person for The Duchess when she is busy ascending to godhood and whatnot. Sybil is excited to add some new books to the town’s collection, and asks what the nature of the Hashtomuff books are. Kamara begins describing them, and Sybil’s face blushes a deep shade of red that matches her hair. She takes the books, mutters to the group that they are welcome anytime, and scurrys off.

Forge is here too!!!

Kamara asks what happened to the last Duchess. Maeve just says that Meera “found her way to the light”.

Rael asks for more details about the healing that was happening with the boys. Maeve tells him that he could learn, but he has to learn here, with her.

Maeve gives them all a copy of “The Way.” Everyone is happy. Rael thinks there should be a copy of The Way in every bedside table in the rooms at the Tipsy Tabaxi.

Maeve had rooms prepared for each of them. They are welcome to stay as long as they like, and they can come back whenever they want.

They spend the night in The Manor. They feast on fish and sparklegrain bread, visit, and it is a lovely evening.

### DAY 7

The next day they head out to check out the lake. Along the way they learn that the Bank of Etherwood is now the Temple of Etherwood.

They stop in at a local tavern and try the local specialty drink called Sparklestraw — it’s a brightly colored drink with a fancy straw in it. It is DELICIOUS.

Rael wants to do business with the owner. “Look, I know we just met mere moments ago but...”

Arturio: “I’m listening…”

Arturio is a cool guy. He came in on Voyage 30. He and Rael discuss business, and they learn that Arturio DEFINITELY invented the Sparklestraw drink, and that OTHER GUY across the street is peddling a knock off version of it and it is supremely inferior.

They drink, and drink, and drink a little more.

They go to the bar across the street, called Trader Mac, and the bartender there, Mac, claims that HIS Sparklestraw drink  is the best drink in town. They all have a Trader Mac Sparklestraw. Rael is setting up a taste contest between the two feuding bars, convincing each bartender that they will be guaranteed to “win” the contest. (Aurelae and Ulrich think the first one was better, but the others all think that Trader Mac’s is better.)

After drinks, they go to the docks with their breathing apparatus gear. The lake LOOKS like an ocean, but it tastes like freshwater. Aurianya doesn’t go in the lake. Cats and water generally do not mix well.

Conway Ditty: “Y’all goin swim in the dyv?”

“They” say that the lake in infinite, that it goes all the way through to the other side.

The group, sans Aurianya, dives into the lake. It is clear, clear as air. Not a lot of sea life, but there is some glowing plant life. They swim straight down for the better part of an hour. There’s a few scarce fish, they don’t see them too clearly, just shadows. A few octopus like creatures inking past here and there. The deeper they go, the more life they start to see.

They see a Zoraphim swimming towards them very fast, he is pointing up, gesturing for them to go back. He seems panicked and afraid. Behind him they can see a large, shadowed creature swimming up from the depths behind them... He swims back up with them.

The Zoraphim puts on a bubble tank filled with water to get out of the lake. He speaks to us in a language we don’t understand, but Kamara does, since he has a crystal ball of telepathy. He says the Zoraphim are in danger. There are large creatures that are chasing them and eating the Zoraphim, across many of their colonies. The lake is so large, they aren’t sure where they came from. Rael is conjuring up an illusion as he speaks, like a sketch artist. It looks like an underwater Cthulhu Lochness monster. Holy fuck that is terrifying.

Kamara’s tanks are a much improved model for diving underwater than the versions the group used last time they were here. It’s possible that his tanks can get them to the Zoraphim’s city. They just need to make it there, as they can fill their tanks in the city at the air fountains to breathe while they are there, and to refill for the return journey.

They spend one more quiet night in Etherwood, then make their way back down the river to Hardholme.

**THE END.**