Feytidings

After the shock of the mayor’s demise, the Dreamers must unravel the mysteries of Alberlet.

## Plot:

Rushing up the stairs of the Tavern, fearing, and hoping for the safety of Sir John, the group round the bend of the stairs to see him casually exiting his room at the inn. Upon questioning, John is frightened nearly out of his mind from the description of the town hauntings, but does admit to having had a rather terrible dream the night before. Making their way back down, the party tells John to stay with Mance and Saoirse for protection, while the rest of the group debate about whether or not to take the child from earlier seriously; about the supposed “town protector”, Mimby. Making their way to the Barkeep, he admits that even before the most recent issues, the town has, for a long time, held stories of a watchful protector, or fairy that looked over the land. It seems to the party that this being may, actually, exist, though it sounds mischievous and strange.

Making their way out of the town, the party journey about a quarter of a mile to the Barrows, where warriors and leaders of old Synjalo lie buried. Soon a series of skeletons rise up around the party, though they seem odd, even for undead. They have upon them rotted toys, fancy dress, and seem particularly playful. Realta turns to greet them, one by one, only for a chortle and a laugh from above to reveal the form of a fairy. Mimby, as she introduces herself, plays and mocks the party briefly in turn, revealing herself to, indeed, be a protector of sorts, but mostly so that she can mock and play with and blame the children of the town for her shenanigans. Just then, the party hears a rumbling from the underbrush, and the corpulent form of a Giant Bristle Tusk boar emerges from the hillside brambles.

The beast whispers and roars in dark speech, hunting the party, and making itself known as the spirit from the town, possessing the corpse of this slain beast. A battle takes place, with magic being slung to no great effect at the corpulent, rot dripping form of this giant beast. With a crash, the remains of the boar come crashing down, splattering guts and demonic ichor across the party, but the spirit disappears once more into the earth. It is surmised that the spirit is what has been harrying the farm animals of the township, as well as the dreams of the citizenry. With this, Doc and Gwendolyn think back to the seemingly dilapidated farmstead, some mile outside of the town, on the way back to the hunters lodge, and Virakai suggests that this might be the best point to find the malevolent ghast.

Arriving at the building, the party investigates, and finds a series of strange, almost fungus-like tendrils extending from beneath the ground like the branches of bushes and burned out trees. Within the house, Doc investigates the nearly mummified and warped remains of a corpse in the farmer’s bed, and Lucius finds the muddied tracks that lead from outside the building into the wooden plank covered basement. With a hissing crunch the body reanimates behind the party, the spirit possessing yet another corpse in order to deter their advance. Haze swings wildly, until finally connecting with the broken body, Realta dealing a massive blow to its form. With that, Gwendolyn, Realta, Doc, Haze, Virakai, Lucius attempt to pry the boards loose from the basement. Sickeningly, with a snap, no sooner did the boards give way than a rush of nausea and madness overwhelmed the minds of many of the party. Gwendolyn, Lucius, and Realta were all immediately affected, though the party was all soon pulled out of the farmstead, to safety.

Hesitantly, the party makes their way down into the basement. They find that the carved stone and wood of the basement seemed to have long since given way to a naturally formed cavern below, largely held in one piece, and suspended, by the roots of this unnatural, fungus-like system, glimpsed in part, just above the surface. Soon the party finds that there is a faint light coming from the end of the hall, and the roots seem to come together in a close net, almost like a cage, around a single luminescent thing, shimmering upon an ancient looking stone dais. It was a flower, a shining, ethereal looking flower, seemingly out of space, and out of time. Gathering round, the party felt the presence of the darkness, and the spirit closing in around them. Lucius, in an attempt to understand the flower, or even to communicate with it, extended his hand to it, and attempted to cast a spell that would allow beasts, or plants, to hear his voice, and know him as a friend. With a rush of energy, and a pop, Lucius heard a scream of pain and fear from the flower… and then with a flash of light, Lucius was gone. The party stood alone in the room, mouths agape at the disappearance of their friend, with the feeling of shadow and darkness closing in about them.

## Quotes:

> So why are the nightmares happening now, if the disaster happened so long ago?
>
> Haze Ashbringer, **Feytidings**