03: The Northeast Road

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## Summary

In the previous session, the party left Lhoam and set off on the East Road to follow Bran’s dog. Outside the city limits, our six travelers follow the road to The Twins, two rivers joining north of the East Road. There, they crossed a bridge that would put them on the Northeast Road to the Wetlands.

### **The Northeast Road**

After a few hours’ travel, they come upon a giant centipede feasting on a desiccated corpse. Though the creepy crawlies take a bite out of Mujie, the party makes quick work of their insect foes, and turns their efforts to investigating the roadside corpse. Its skin pallid and dried out, the body seems long-dead but suggests some sort of preservation. The clothes, on the other hand, are intact, almost fresh-looking.

### **The Roadside Village**

A few tuna sandwiches and an impromptu picnic later, the party finds themselves at the gates of Ameròs Village, a quiet town just off the Northeast Road. While the party takes a break at Kean’s Tavern, Mujie reminisces with an old acquaintance, and the gang learns that Bran’s mysterious friend had just passed through the village, dog in tow. According to Barley, the pair were headed for Samsara, the infamous gambling city in the Wetlands. The bartender also gives them some information on the enigmatic hooded patrons who had passed through the village in the previous week.

### **The Prodigal Son's Return**

Later, the party pays a visit to Fortuna, Mujie’s old church. They meet Sai, a former orphan-turned-groundskeeper, who offers them a connection in Samsara: Keller, an old friend of Sai and Mujie’s, who is working at a Teahouse on the main island in the Wetlands city. Meanwhile, head priest Dabo seems surprised to see Mujie, who had apparently turned tail a few months prior to the party’s coming together. Dabo fills them in on the church’s financial troubles, and they also learn about a young wood elf orphan who has recently gone missing. Rumors at the church and the village point to the Illumined—which the head priest dismisses as idle gossip—but he does tell Mujie that if he can find Tai, he can consider his debt paid.

Just as they are preparing to leave the church and head for the Wetlands, a trio of Illumined arrive to gather believers to their cause. But as the party gears up to fight (and Tira and Bran flexed menacingly in the background), Cat makes a bold offer. Facing his challenge—to leave Fortuna be and convince him of their beliefs—the three Illumined set off into the woods with Cat (part decoy, part hostage).

## Quotes

### *STRANGE ENCOUNTERS:*

> “It’s just been weirdos all week. Yesterday it was these douchebags in robes trying to get people to go to their like, “self-actualization” workshop or some shit. And a couple days ago, this pretentious elf that just wouldn’t shut up. He kept going on and on about bugs. Fuckin’ gross. He had a cute dog, though.”
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> *-Barley*
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### *HARK! A SIDEQUEST:*

> “A few weeks ago, a young girl went missing from Ameròs. Rumors are spreading that it was the Illumined, but I won’t be party to any silly gossip.”
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> *-Dabo*
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### *FRIENDS IN WILD PLACES:*

> “I’ve got a friend in Samsara who might be able to tell you something, but don’t go getting her in trouble. Her name is Keller. You can probably find her at the Brass Dragonfly on the main island.”
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> “Yeah, I knew Tai. She’s a little wood elf girl. She grew up here at Fortuna after her sister died. A few weeks ago, she just disappeared. Nobody knows what happened to her. People are spreading rumors that it was the Illumined, though. I don’t really know anything about them, but they seem like bad news.
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> *-Sai*
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