Session Three

After witnessing Zinthis mending Deo’s tattered gi, Attero again inquires about the nature of magic. While Ilphu scouts the area, Jana and Zinthis again try to elucidate the concept of magic. The party enters the wooden structure to find another tunnel. Attero tosses a self-lighting torch down the hole, it falls quite a way down. Zinthis presents the possible options: exit the tunnels and report the encounter to Jax, or go deeper into the tunnel system. The party decides to return to the surface.

Upon returning to the surface, Jana and Deo practice “woo!”-ing. Ilphu, scouting from above, locates Jax to the northwest and some unidentified creatures advancing on the shack from the southwest. The party decides to leave the creatures be and proceed to Jax’s encampment.

When they arrive, Jax appears distraught. He try to avoid the party, but Jana gets his attention via a Thaumaturgic yell. Jax has lost his pipe, which he apparently holds very dear. Attero explains their encounter with the golem. Jax is not particularly impressed. He does provide the name of the tunnels; the Veins of Umayaugh. During the conversation, Zinthis asks Ilphu to locate the lost pipe. It is quickly recovered.

Deo ends up standing on Jax’s shoulder.

The circlet-wearing stranger enters the camp looking battle-worn. Jax explains that he is a Humblewatcher. The man approaches Jax directly, states that he lost his man Jio, and demands more anti-plant powder. Jax hands over the dust and the man moves away to the nearby campfire.

Attero, who indicates that he has some business with the man, joins him at the campfire. Deo follows. They try to press him for information (Deo more to apologize for the incident at The Ugly Brush) and discover his name is Canthe. After a short and relatively fruitless conversation, Canthe gets up and leaves the campsite. Jax prepares to follow, and again Attero insists that he has something to settle with Canthe. The party travels with Jax for a while. Eventually they arrive at a sort of slot canyon and proceed to the end of it. The wall appears to be covered by thick vines. Jax pushes these aside to reveal a completely new biome. It is a dank sludgy fungal mess, acrid and wholly uninviting. The party proceeds (Zinthis rather unwillingly) through the gross environment stealthily.

Eventually they find Canthe, who is arguing with three unknown figures. “You are no longer welcome here. Leave our land or die.” Canthe attempts to draw a hidden dagger on the trio but Deo notices and leaps onto him, grappling him. The party is aghast. Canthe reaches for his sword, enraged. Attero draws his longbow and sends an arrow through Canthe’s hand, nailing it to the hilt of his sword.

Canthe throws Deo off his back and turns toward Attero, staring daggers. Without showing any sign of pain or feeling, he reaches over and yanks the arrow out of his hand. With his strangely wide eyes laser-focused on Attero, he grins with a mouth full of sharp, angular teeth. He stalks toward Attero slowly and unnervingly.

Deo jumps between them, determined to protect his party member. Canthe pays him no mind. In a moment of desperation, Zinthis reveals his noble lineage and beseeches Canthe to spare Attero. Canthe is not deterred. He gets right in Attero’s face and the two exchange words unheard by the rest of the party.

Canthe turns, walks up to the three figures, and stabs one in the stomach.