Crossroads Episode 8: The Key

## Synopsis

15 Highsun 1258 IC

Tired and wounded from the previous encounterand mourning the loss of Kreel, the party return to the village to find somewhere safe to hold up for the remainder of the night. As they travel they make sure to remove the heads of the bodies they pass to prevent the bodies re-animating and causing further conflict.

Eventually the party reach the village and use the manor house of someone who aided Stünislav during his time in Armanesti. As they heal up and decide their next move an explosion of energy can be heard outside. The noise leads them to a local church, broken an delapidated, inside they find an unconscious body of an old white haired male covered in runes buried beneath the rubble.

The party retrieve the body and as they do a wave of healing energy eminates from him, but this is not the source of the noise they have been following that continues to ring out across the village, now joined by the sounds of Maristevian voices and fighting.

The party take the body to the manor house leaving him in the care of Azra before heading out to investigate.

The party find a T'nao taking on nine Maristevian soldiers and their commander. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to take down some Maristevians the party engage in combat.

Combat ensues and after some time the party stand victorious. With the Maristevians defeated the party speak with the T'nao to determin if their alliance is a temporary one. The T'nao introduces themselves as Za'Rel of the Black Feather.

Za'Rel reveals he has followed visions seen in his dreams to this location, the party being part of those visions.

The sounds of the energy bursts continue. Tasya suddenly takes an arrow to the shoulder out of no where, attached to the arrow is a note that reads "Two Days"

Deciding Za'Rel is no threat to them, the party head back to the manor house to rest up and gain some cover from any more possible arrows.

On the way Za'Rel reveals his visions started with a tree and then as he grew closer the visions shifted to the party a key shown to be an egg. The party feel this must be Kreel's egg, but protective of what remains of their friend they press Za'Rel on their intentions for the egg. Za'Rel says the visions are unclear and shifting but the egg appears to be the source of the tree and he means it no harm, he is simply following the path on which he is being lead by the spirits.

The Black Feather are known for their connection and reverence of spirits and the spirit realm.

Arriving back at the manor house the party find the old man now awake. Xaby now seeing the runes covering the old man properly, Xaby reveals the runes that also cover his skin. The old man rises from his chair and examines the runes.

The party question the old man who says he has no memory of where he comes from. Wyrm asks what happened in the village and the old man reaches out and the party see a vision, flashes of combat but nothing they can make sense of before hearing the voice of Wyrm's father, Kreel Enneth. The vision fades.

The party now realise that Azra sits unconscious in a trance. They ask the old man what he has done and he tells them Azra asked to know the secrets of what brought her here from the realm of souls, so he put her in the trance to show her. The old man can tell the party are injured and heals them with a wave of energy and reveals his name to be Sevastyan.

Sevastyan speaks of the trees in his visions as well believing that those trees have brough them all to this place, leaking through from other realms. He tells Wyrm that his father is dead and the voice Wyrm can hear is that of his spirit and what the voice said must be followed.

Sevastyan and Za'Rel also share with a vision of an Eagle perched upon a rock, hearing this Wyrm hears his fathers voice again telling him this represents Eagle Rock, at the base of it Wyrm will find his father's belongings he needs to retrieve.

Sevastyan also followed visions of a tree here, because of this he offers to accompany the party. He then asks the party if they will allow him to share a vision of the paths that lie before them, the paths of the spirit realm. The party agree and through a haze they find themselves stood in the spirit realm in front of the spirit of Kreel Enneth himself.

Enneth takes Wyrm's hand and leads him to the entrance of a cave at the base of Eagle Rock and tells Wyrm this is where he must go. Wyrm asks Enneth what happened to him and he explained he was foolishly attempting to enter the realm of knowledge and that cave is where Wyrm will find him and the items that will be of use.

As Sevastyan prepares to bring them out of the vision, the party see a gateway appear and a tree leaking through from another realm. Made of an inky black void the party see within the eyes of a D'regn and feel the name "Meiqir"

*Synopsis written by Caffinated Viking*

## The Party

* Azra - Lvl 8 Eldrich Archer
* Stünislav Marekoi - Lvl 8 Tiefling Redeemer
* Tasya Marinov - Lvl 8 Human Fighter
* Wyrm - Lvl 8 Goblin Rogue
* Xaby - Lvl 8 Half-Elf Druid
* Za'Rel - Lvl 8 T'nao Swashbuckler