Episode 20: Onwards and Inwards

**Episode 20: Onwards and Inwards** (01x20) The Nearlies journey, wherever they should choose to take it, is starting to seem like it will be walked on two paths simultaneously. The obvious journey in the external world is wild enough, but it is becoming apparent that The Nearlies and their Sacred Curses take up a lot of mystical interior spaces as well. Dreams, white trees, dead friends haunt them pleasantly and offer up new and expanding power. All the while, they can’t shake the feeling of something darker waiting beneath the surface… oh well, probably nothing. Let us see which way these trees within trees grow! Also featuring the difficult first day of the Wizard Taggins Lebrass.

## Cast

### Nearlies

Josh | Xenator Brisbane
Kathy | Lavaleen Crest
Andy | Martin Sirque
Amanda | Gwendylyn Cloot
 Robbie | The Speaker
 Aaron |  Production & Sound

### NPCs

APPEARING
Dodderfell
 Von Dark
 Izarizal
 MENTIONED
 Velskiroth
 King Demm
 Sarah

## Summary

The episode opens with the Nearlies in a shared dream. Sarah is there, and she introduces the group's upgrade tree, unlocking the group's upgrades.

Upon awakening they gather in the kitchen for breakfast. Izarazel gives the group some information on their destination, the Grimm Wood. It is a dangerously magical place, and superstitions need to be closely adhered to. She then gives some information about Valeriana's curse, the Red Hood, and asks if she knows anybody named Velskiroth. Valeriana denies knowing anyone by that name, and remains as closemouthed as ever about her past and who might be after her, or why.

When it is suggested that it's important to be aware of all dangers to the group, Valeriana remains close lipped, but Lavaleen, apparently persuaded, tells the group more about the dangers following her. She explains how her husband, King Demm, kidnapped her and forced her into marriage, and the only way she was able to escape was to make a Wish, and traded her egg for a vial that would render him helpless. She then tortured the location of her cloak out of him, destroying one of his eyes in the process, and fled. He is almost certainly after to extract revenge and is incredibly dangerous, but it is her hope that the King not knowing her name will hamper his search.

## Synopsis

### Prologue

Haggins Labrass, a wizard student at the Academe' de Mystere', was called into the Dean’s office.  He is chagrinned to learn that he has been among those that was selected for early graduation.  He is shoved through a portal to take him to the Sacred Inn so that he can be paired with an adventuring party right away. He is dumped into a bush.  He is pulled from the bush by some mounted men.

### Episode

The Nearlies enter into a shared dream, they are in a swirling white fog where they hear some humming ahead of them. They are humming the Woodcutter’s Tune.  Certain that it is Sarah, they follow it.  The mists part and a very pale, and injured Sarah is standing in front of a white tree.  She realized that she died.  “Damn, I thought we’d get more time together”.  Everyone is now attached to this tree.  Their hands are covered in blood.  They all touch the trunk of the tree, unlocking upgrades, then the group awakens.

Gwen immediately tests Todd’s new shape changing ability, choosing a goat and a snake.  Lavaleen and Gwen remember their adventure from a few nights before, where they found Dodderfell’s Special Rock. Xenator wants to examine this rock.  It is made out of some celestial rock, a sky stone.  It does not care for Xenator.  It is possible that it is connected to Abernathy, but more study is necessary.

They then join Izarazel in the kitchen for breakfast, as she is busy studying the various curses of the Nearlies.  She talks some on Metamorphs, and discuss that there are three trees that bear the sacred apples, being kept by a sacred order. She suspects that another has been germinated inside of us.

The Grimm Wood doesn’t like witches, so she is told not to use magic while in a village.  Valeriana’s cloak is one of the legendary Red Hoods, but the order has been extinct for decades.  She is also warned about Velskiroth, someone that is incredibly dangerous to Valeriana. Valeriana is asked if there’s a reason someone might be after her.  While admitting, that there is maybe one person after her, she refuses to say more than that, despite the group suggesting it would be helpful to know what they are getting into.

Although Valeriana is not swayed  by that argument, Lavaleen appears to be. Setting aside her untouched breakfast and asks what the group knows about her husband, King Demm.  Xenator knows him to be a successful leader and ruler, and he is reputed to be a good guy.  Lavaleen expounds on how she actually got her cloak back from him. In addition to the waterboarding, she also kicked him in the face, her razor sharp toes taking out an eye.  In addition to the physical damage, Demm is an incredibly dangerous individual and will not take this attack on his pride lightly.  As Izarizal puts it, “So, you’re saying there is an eld-blooded king with the full control of a mighty kingdom, with sprawling reach, who is hunting you?”

She then explains how Demm kidnapped her from her home lake and forced her into marriage where she became his wife.  The way she was able to overpower Demm in the first place, is she made a Wish, and exchanged the egg that was growing inside her for a potion that would rend him helpless for a period of time.  The group is sympathetic at this upsetting revelation. Lavaleen hopes that the King still doesn’t know her name, but expresses surprise that she finally had been growing an egg, as there is some preparation that needs to be done before an egg can created.

### Epilogue

Haggins Lebrass is picked up out of the bush by an armored, mounted man.  The group is clad entirely in red, their banners entirely red.  They had struggling, bound people on some of their horses.  The lead rider picked him up by his collar, and commanded him to be quiet.  Then asked what he knew about a Wizard Trees, they want to ensure that it won’t affect their attack.

They are then informed that the tree is gone.  The leader has determined that Lebrass might still be useful, but now that the tree is gone it won’t affect their attack. They will continue with the plan of attacking all of the wanna be heroes that are lined up at the Sacred Inn. “The time of the hero is ended.”

## Notables

Episode 20

 Objects Acquired

 Spells Used

 Metamorph Attempts

## Quotables

Xenator:  “I was chosen because I was accessible, I was accessible because I razed a city”

## External Links

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