Crossroads Episode 19: Roots Run Deep

## Synopsis

1 Highsun 1258 IC

The doorway Bojnay approached held a deadly trap, now triggered, an explosion rips through the party and disintergrates the body of the manticore and it's accompanying heads.

The explosion is so powerful that Kreel's familiar Ruby is killed despite an attempt to phase her to safety and the party's belongings are destroyed with the exception of Wyrm's daggers and thieves tools. Nep'Rixa lies in a dying state amongst the surviving party members atop the stairs leading down to the courtyard.

By the doorway Bojnay is also in a dying state although different. The blast caused him to lose an arm and a leg, now his body lies in pieces but also shimmering and slightly transparent. Bojnay's familiar, Lady Winifred Littlewing was also killed.

Now with no spellbooks or equipment to speak of, the conscious party members scramble to the aid of their fallen allies. Kreel tends to Nep'rixa while Wyrm and Beatrix head for Bojnay.

Unsure of what is happening with Bojnay, Wyrm and Beatrix recall their encounter with Cosma. Suspecting proximity to the doorway to be the cause of the unusual shimmering Wyrm and Beatrix drag Bojnay's body back to the stairs and his body becomes whole and more corporeal once again.

In a bid to find more help Wyrm heads back to the farm where the party had been staying, on arrival he sees the yield of the blast reached even here. Receiving no answer at the farmhouse and seeing the windows blown out, Wyrm enters to find the farmer dead somehow phased into the wall. Fearing the worst he runs for the barn to check on Rath. Inside he finds Rath's body floating in a pillar of void light, in front of his eyes Rath's body disintergrates into shadow and takes the form of a tree.

Wyrm returns to the party to find Nep'Rixa and Bojnay now conscious thanks to the efforts of Beatrix and Kreel. Nep'Rixa attempts to heal the party but Bojnay being racked with guilt refuses. As the party continues to talk, the image of a tree shrouded in a green aura moving as if alive appears in the courtyard.

Bojnay begins to shimmer and starts to fade from view once again. Upon seeing this Kreel grabs Bojnay and drags him away but the tree follows, suspecting they are somehow connected Bojnay moves back towards the tree and the tree follows suit as his appearance fades a little more.

The party hear someone approaching on horseback, as they look on a human male comes over the crest of the hill. Wearing grey tabbard and pale shirt he identifies himself as Grigor Strachvas, a champion from Mütvia hired by the townsfolk to kill the manticore. Finding the job complete he converses with the party but strangely cannot see Bojnay or the tree. Bojnay begins to fade once again.

Accepting this must be his end, Bojnay decides he would like one final cup of tea with his friends before fading completely. With the tea drank Bojnay gives the party a wink and runs towards the tree and lays his hands on it's trunk and becomes solid again. Slighty confused by this Bojnay experiments by removing his hands from the tree, again he fades and quickly replaces them.

Seeing Bojnay whole again Nep'Rixa heads towards him but is stopped short by some kind of field, attempting to force her way through the field resists but through it she can see something, the fae realm. Her efforts in vain she retreats to the company of the party.

Bojnay speaks with Kreel in Gnomish, he asks that the party looks after Nep'Rixa and takes care of the acorn from Baldcrown he was carrying and the note within. With that Bojnay lets go and disappears entirely along with the tree.

Seeing the party in grieving although unsure why, Grigor offers the use of his camp to them and leaves to prepare food for their arrival.

The party decide they want to see what has happened to Rath with their own eyes finding exactly what Wyrm had described in the barn. With broken spirit and grieving the loss of two friends in one night they head for the camp.

With the smell of food on the air the party arrive at the campsite but instead of a warm welcome they find Grigor and his horse dead, over them standing a tall figure of a male tiefling with horns white hair and pale skin. Beside him a red haired human female, both wiping blood from their blades and turning their attention towards the party.

*Synopsis written by Caffinated Viking, Proofread and edits by Svartemaya.*

## The Party

* Beatrix Qiroris - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Wizard
* Bojnay Bramblehoof - Lvl 5 Gnome Bard
* Kreel & Ruby - Lvl 5 Tengu Witch
* Nep'Rixa of Skor'Ritha - Lvl 5 Sadrath'il Cleric of Fayer
* The Whispering Rath - Lvl 5 Fayd'il Spirit Barbarian
* Wyrm - Lvl 5 Goblin Rogue