Speak-Easier Said Than Done

## Synopsis

In Season 2, Chapter 39: Speak-Easier Said Than Done, with no way to definitively know what the pledgemages were so disturbed by, we hatched a plan to avoid a fight by using the pass without trace spell – a neat trick provided by our new ranger companion.

It was a strategy that didn't come without its risks, but it did give us the opportunity to reacquire the plants we snatched from the Sagging Caverns, which we privately prayed were valuable enough to make this whole trip worthwhile.

A grand distraction courtesy of Orba's magical darkness and Graven's radiant light drew the attention of the fey creatures while we crept toward the ravine – but some loose rocks and miscommunication gave away our position just before we began to descend.  With a groan, the blighted mass of bark and vines turned to face us – which was all the information we needed to decide to make a break for it.

To avoid a situation where we might be cornered or surrounded, we split up and took different routes as we ran – Harriet and Safira favoring the bridge while Graven and Orba climbed down into the water.   Erland opted for the quick and risky option, diving from the bank into the river below – but a slow fall kept him safe and it bought us a nice bit of separation from our invisible foes.

Fighting fire with fire (or rather thorns with thorns), Harriet used a well-placed spike growth trap to cover our tracks – and that combined with Graven snatching a pledgemage's talisman was enough to drive off any other creatures considering a pursuit.

Venturing deeper into the woods, we were told that the village was now less than 30 minutes away – but before we arrived, Harriet confessed she'd left out some "minor" details about what we were likely to find when we arrived.  The existence of the botanist was not in question, but he (like everyone else in the town, apparently) wasn't so much alive as he was an undead spirit left behind when the residents were killed in a fire.

Harriet assured us they had no reason to be hostile so long as we kept to ourselves, though there were obvious reasons for Graven and Orba to be cautious given their respective affiliations to the dead and dying.  After making peace with our situation, we entered the overgrown ruins and found it suspiciously empty… so we headed to the church where Harriet had a key to the basement – the last place she'd seen the botanist during her previous visit.

A chilling atmosphere and a narrow stairwell led to a heavy iron door, through which no sound would travel to give us a clue as to what we might be walking into.  Even with a hint, however, it would have been hard to anticipate the scene that unfolded before us – a half-physical, half-ethereal lounge and bar wherein a crowd of undead souls were enjoying a bit of fun and relaxation.

It was a strange and unfamiliar sight, but it certainly seemed better than a confrontational alternative – so we sauntered in to mix and mingle while keeping an eye out for our ghostly botanist.  The drinks being served were unfortunately not to our liking and a lingering feeling of queasiness followed us when we moved to meet our contact – but he was still receptive to the prospect of identifying our plants… just as long as we could provide some entertainment.

The man (whose name was actually Carvel, not Dick or Dirk) had been listening to the same songs and playing the same games for centuries, so he was looking for something new – and after a failed attempt to impress on the lyre, we suggested a boxing match to liven things up.  This idea appealed to Carvel, but he insisted on hand-picking the combatants – and as Harriet found herself going up against a rather large spectral pugilist, we cleared the floor.

## Trivia

* Natural one count: five natural ones were rolled in this Chapter. 1 each by Anthony, John, and Matt, and 2 by Jordan.