Week 25: The Friends Who Help Each Other

Week 25: The Friends Who Help Each Other

Fullfield 9/21 - Stormrise 10/9

AS 1069 - AS 1087

Moon: Quarter Crescent, Nearly Half Full

When we left off...

Trudging around the ice was nobody’s idea of a good time, but you only had to live rough for a little over a week.  Quintus’ mood improved a little, your raft both floated and burned (in a good way), and Nars was disheartened when a pack of frost trolls knocked him out cold.  Luckily for Nars, Selgaard and Ulfar tore the horrible monsters a collective new butthole.

Perhaps most inexplicable of all, though, was the time you spent in a pine forest.  Nars, unwilling to let vanishing monkeys go, immediately started poking around the camp looking for signs of animal life.  He found Stink Eye Pete, a little lemur-looking monkey with a mean stink-eye, and started to converse in fluent animal-speech.  Of course, the monkey spoke Common… so there was that.

Pete knew all about the De-Monkey-Militarized Zone to the South, where monkeys don’t go, and that there was some kind of not-monkey settlement a couple of days to the East.  He also had ominous news about Divin heading “somewhere” to deal with “someone who got old.”

After tallying up the rations, you had enough left to force-march East, and tried to cover a lot of ground as quickly as you could.  The gambit paid off, and two days later you had sighted the lights of South Bastion in the night. That one night of R&R ended quickly, and the following morning Clyde left for the Moon Monastery while everyone else ran errands in Bastion.  Most of you made your way to the Temple of Bahamut, catching Dame Fafnir as she tried to outfit a scouting party for the Crowded Aisles

Nars also tried to reconnect with Ana Telar, but found her mother Elehah instead.  Elehah was a bit worried about her daughter, who left a few weeks ago to join the Phandalin Jr. Adventure League.  However, that meeting was cut short when the heralds and criers indicated that the King was at the Gates.

The King had word about Ana and the kids from Phandalin, so your presence was permitted at the meeting.  After some brandy and diplomacy, even Quintus was allowed to attend (despite the evil Orc-Axe stuck to him).  King Bharrig divulged that he had been transported into the Winter Courts of the Feywild to deal with an old grudge, and that his old adventuring party had joined him.  Ana was there, but her friends weren’t, and it took a whole lot of “Bharrig Attacks” before they all got back out.  The calamity extended to some of the other kids in the League, who had been stranded in the Feywild for several years, and Bharrig reportedly left Divin and Radovir arguing about who was responsible in on the Phandalin Village Green.

So that was a complicated and confusing mess, but hey – at least Nars got the King to make changes to his bling for him.

With no time to spare, you all set out on the road toward Phandalin the following morning.  Ulfar treated everyone to a riding horse and saddle to speed things along.  Your trip brought you to Cragmaw Rest at sundown, and everyone agreed to spend a night at Nezznar’s establishment.  This went over so-so with Nezznar, who was not impressed when you brought up Warden Bloodhammer in a room full of coin-strapped transients, mercenaries, merchants, and travelers.

But finally, after all the BS and being lost in the woods, FINALLY! You made it back to Phandalin.  Well, except for Ulfar, who made a detour to Conyberry to deliver some of Draugluin’s things to Faradrim.  Very Side Quest.

At The Stonehill Inn, you found Divin and Radovir glaring at each other, while a more grown up Ana Telar tried to eat.  Seeker and Carp – two other League members – filled you in somewhat on the local scuttlebutt.  Turns out, their new friend Gothar didn’t come back from the Feywild quite right…. But he did come back.  Pip Stonehill did not.  Their memories have a big black hole covering the last time they saw Pip, but they’re pretty sure it involved fighting.

In other news, Quintus stared uncomfortably at Seeker’s writhing tattoos and muttered under his breath about some kind of quest.  Plus there’s that withering sickness that everyone’s been talking about, and Strahd is still out there.

Over the next 3 days, everyone has a chance to rest, research, and explore a bit of the local scene.  With a little more than a week to the next full moon, you certainly have some hard decisions to make.

**Around Town...**

The Pelor Plunge is about 1 month away on AS 1133 (Chillborn 11/25).  For anyone wishing to gain notoriety or promote a product, there really is no quicker way than winning the “Big Plunge” in Frostholm… but plenty of local temples around the world host smaller plunges close to home.

The Ring Road has been retaken for the lawful use of all, by the new Cuthbertine group, the Order of the Unbroken Ring. Headquartered northeast of Cuthbertinople, their members can be found circling the inner sea on all parts of the Ring Road. Unsavory types now unable to traverse the Patchwork Plains are being forced to skirt close to feral elf territory, which has agitated them further.

A Pelorian ship on patrol in the Great Sea noticed activity in the area previously known as "Port Crimson" - it appears to have been colonized by a group of industrious vikings, seemingly unaffected by the extreme cold temperatures outside. Fort Searing Light bolstered defenses, as a precaution incase their new neighbors were connected to the defunct(?) Ruby Talon.

Sunspar is finished with its prolonged (and some would say, cursed) construction! The High Council intends to spend spring and summer in Sunspar, and fall/winter in Frostholm City... though a popular resolution was passed, that "banishes" them to the colder north, until they succeed in convincing an International Council.

Another unaffiliated frontier town, Hommet, was located south of Fort High Hammer. Though they would be natural friends of the nearby Conybery/Phandallin, the only route between the two is up and around the Ring Road. As it stands, neither town has the money or resources to link up in a more direct fashion.

Two more small towns, Middenhof and Zweidorf, were settled east of Cuthbertinople. While not officially the responsibility of it's powerful neighbor, they have been enjoying their protection in exchange for favorable trade on the bounty of food being produced. Zweidorf does lie on the easternmost known lands, though - which means only the toughest sorts have been able to confidently settle there.

Grimwalt has a new friend(?) and ally(?) in the seafaring nation of Forino. It did strike Forino as odd that when they invited King Tobias to meet on Isle des Chats for a friendly spa day, he declined, saying that it "sounded like torture".

Herald of Aoskar, Caladon, has finished establishing teleportation circles in Frostholm, Heat Hill, Northport, Puerta Cosa, Bastion, Avarus, Cuthbertinople, the Oasis - all requiring a "donation" of 100g per head for the general public to use, assuming they are not in bad standing with the Temple of Aoskar. An prominant convert to Aoskarism, the wizard known as Hinklemar, is also available to "conduct religious services which happen to include teleportation" by request, for the "not-taxable tithe of 500g".

The latest news from the Redforts is that a group calling itself The Book of Teaching reclaimed Orbintense on behalf of The Lens of Directing. Months ago a group from The Lens of Directing left to reclaim the ruins. Months ago Saquel Greatgulfs became expedition leader of The Book of Teaching. I hear she has a real mean streak. Also, Tulon Lancebelt became expedition leader of The Halls of Jade, replacing Zon Squeezedglazes.

Tumbleshanks reports: The Forgotten Beast Nimo Yila Efilu has come! A gigantic feathered pig. It has wings and it undulates rhythmically. Its slate gray feathers are long and sparse. Beware its webs!

Bronzemurder reports: The Forgotten Beast Ogo has come! An enormous eyeless shrimp. It has a long, curving horn and it has a bloated body. Its slate grey exoskeleton is rough and cracked. Beware its noxious secretions!

King Tobias has declared the forested region east of Underwald to be a protected Hill Giant reservation - noting that it was their land first, and he does not wish that they are disturbed. Anyone found disturbing their neighbors will be punished "without reservation".

The island of Pax Transit was found vandalized. Known as the neutral ground where the International Council was first convened, it now is home to a number of billets declaring it "Condemned", "Unnecessary", and warning/asking "Sunspar Isn't Safe?". AEGIS has announced it believes this to be the actions of the "anarchist group known as the Tropics", and in a rare move, sent agents outside Frostholm borders to investigate.

The Oasis has reported that an eastbound patrol went missing, after being sent to investigate some unusual sightings on the horizon. They have since redoubled defenses, but have not shown intent to further probe the sightings.