Session 30

* Aylleah
* Mira
Session 29
Session 31

In which the group decides to travel into the Runewald in search of Teagan! Also they hire a rogue, Kala, for the trip.

## Story

### Cies:11-20

Senarch talks and rambles for a while as the party moves on when everyone but Senarch realizes that it is way too freaking quiet. After the pass through the silent area, Senarch goes back and discovers a domed area where audio is suppressed and almost non-existent. He detects magic and suspects it has something to do with the astral plane.

The group decides to ignore it for now and move on. Allyeah and Mira have an awkward conversation. Up ahead the road, they see a figure and seem to be using a shovel... He turns around to look at the group and goes back to his business. He's. leveling the ground? In winter?? What??? The man seems stricken with grief and shame. Senarch inquires and the man just chuckles. Perhaps he making a new road (leading nowhere)? Adrian asks the man what he's done to do thing and he says he committed a crime that cost lives and now must show penance by building roads. Senarch tries to convince the man to instead help those he has hurt. Man says he cannot and only is following instructions from a high priest, Rassan (this dude is ~half hour East from Niska).

The group arrives at the used-to-be Cockatrice's Castle (Senarch has since claimed it as his own). The port cutlass is still messed up, but they still enter. Senarch's adopted-cult (Flems Worm) has started settling a little here (some wooden houses). The cultists are mostly excited at this arrival, some are grumpy. Senarch introduces his cultists to the group, awkward laughing follows (cultists are weird). Sile, the second in command, comes forward and speaks with Senarch (man, he talks to everyone). There is a feast; it is nice. Kala is pretty confused.Senarch lectures about the future direction for the cult and asks his peeps to find people to train them for real combat and other things. He tells him about the shapeshifter and wants them to keep eyes on it before it assumes a new identity. Adrian uses telepathy on the cultists to help persuade them further, it's great. More talking. Senarch makes an official Felms Worm Feast Day on the first day of Spring.

Moving on; Mira asks what just happened back at the castle. Explanation is given. Kala probably regrets joining our group. Mira then notices a thundering of hooves that is getting closer. They see a dude on a huge horse in heavy armor. He appears to be half-orc and there's someone else laying across the saddle behind him. Senarch calls out to the dude, finds out he's a bounty hunter. His name is Sh'ra. He costs 500 gp to hire, apparently.

They eventually meet the edge of the Runewald and head east to make it to Soxley. They make it, and it is HUGE (almost as big as Niska ((not really)) ). It is mostly filled with humans, a few half-elves and dwarves, but mostly humans.They're surprised to see outsiders here in winter, but quickly go back to their business. The group heads to the tavern (betraying Sybil :( ) and they settle in there for a bit. Senarch inquires about the wizard they're looking for and the bartender directs them to Arkas, a person living outside of town in the Runewald. Senarch then orders crappy wine and they all got food. Oh yeah, Arkas likes cider. Just then, he walks into the tavern! Lucky us!

Senarch talks him up and Arkas looks them over and tells them to pull up some chairs. They chit chat and Arkas asks them each what has brought them here. Then he tries to get to know the group on a personal level. Senarch asks about Teagan and Arkas grows serious. He tells the group he is a fearsome wizard and sees if he can convince the group to not go after him. Adrian and Senarch persuade him too give more information about the wizard dude. Teagan offers work to people for manual labor and in return they get gem stones. The group is warned to not take his employment. Arkas says he can try to take the group some part of the way, but only to a certain point. He then grasps a holy symbol (someone put in here which one it was) and wishes the group a good night.

The next morning, Arkas suggest the group they leave their horses at the inn for the trip ("something about the Runewald makes the horses run"). They then start into the RW and Allyeah finds it harder to see into the dark and feels less connection with the Earth. Also, Allyeah's fae dragon is not liking this place but sticks with her. They then set up camp for the night.

Next next morning, Arkas takes the group to as far he will go. He relays the rest of the directions before he leaves. Later, Aylleah climbs up a tree before sunset and sees a tower in the distance with no trees surrounding it. The group discusses possible plans on how to approach the tower and Teagan. They decided to approach the tower in the morning. They make camp for the night. They decided on a key word ("celestial") to let each other know when it's time to attack the dude.

As they approach the tower, they hear the sounds of manual labor and see the giant tower (8 stories tall) with people digging in mud nearby. Near the entrance, the magic peeps see a clay golem. Oh yeah, Kala is still here. Oops. Then Teagan calls out to the group via PA system. He entertains a better employment offer to them and they enter inside the tower. There are blinking lights on the freaking floor showing which way to go. They follow and find a giant table full of food, and Teagan on the end of said table. He welcomes them to eat and chit chats. Through talking, they discover he has a similar goal of Senarch of creating "Warforged" (idk what they want to call them). Teagan offers them positions as guards for the tower and to watch over those working in the mud. Adrian talks to a little bit about the positions. Teagan is working off of indentured servants. Oh god.

Adrian kicks on his Detect Thoughts and stuff starts turning. Teagan slips his hands under the table and has a thought block. Adrian does the thing, "Do you speak Celestial?" and IT BEGINS! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.He takes an arrow to the throat and the golems go beserk. The group then deals with the golem in the room. Senarch blasts the golem, it's neat. Outside, the golems are wrecking the poor peeps in the mud. Mira jumps out a window. It doesn't go well. More fighting. Allyeah gets super hard. Kala gets hit SUPER HARD. God golems are annoying. Aylleah gets crushed by a golem, looking veeeeeery close to death. Senarch bursts the thing and we all stabilize.

Senarch goes through the tower is the rest of the party is resting. He finds a neat spellbook, golem notes, acid ooze notes, diary, history books, just so much stuff. ALSO SPRING ELF STATUE AGAIN BUT BETTER. It has a name: Loray. She was a Queen.... Elves don't have monarchs today. Hm. The basement of the tower is where the golems were created. Also... Bags? Of.. Platinum coins?!?!?! Well, one bag. But still. They spend the night there at the tower and then make their way back to Soxley.

They meet up with Arkas again and tell him what happened. Arkas is devastated about the people who died (not Teagan).