Fae Forest Troubles

## The Unicorn's Glade

We are given our dead friend's body (Bart) and the Unicorn's tear.

The Dryad says that we are the cause for the forest becoming creepy.

We take payment and leave.

## The Caterpillar

We meet a caterpillar. For trinkets he gives advice...

Fable gives a trinket, the caterpillar is not impressed but gives a riddle. Something about Death Caps.

Akibeko gives one of the five invitation to the island. The caterpillar is very pleased and says, "Hop <long pause> Step <long pause> and Jump, are the quickest ways to madness"

## Akibeko's Shade

His father tells him he is banished and of NO LAND.

Anything he tries to bring back to the Island will only bring destruction.

## Ciaran's Shade

A very dead person.

 Ciaran turns invisible. Sera looks at the blank space.

The dead man says that they never should have helped  Ciaran and he steals everything from those around him., Even their life.

 Ciaran doesn't believe in the shade and tells it to go away.

## Sera's Shade

A bespecled Elf appears (**Gabriel**). Calles her a petty thief and champion of winter.

He doesn't hate her for killing Gideon. Gideon had personality flaws.

Very similar, ruthless, clinically minded, and ambitious. He can't ignore the killing. He asks about her brother.

Her very existence betrays me. He has plans, nothing personal. Business.

## The Clearing

Moth - like wings and higher pitched voice. Flower type clothing. Little short bow.

It drops from the air to the ground. It is enveloped in vines and is dazed. It is an Ardini, a warrior of the winter court.

A halfling sized flower pinkish and purple is spinning in a dance amongst clearing.

We move in to help the Ardini. And enter combat with the plant and some mushroom folks.

Fable BLIGHTS the flower-thing and the skellies finish it off.

 Ciaran BLIGHTS a mushroom warrior to death.

Akibeko is punched in the head, but destroys the Mushroom attacker.

Fable and Brexx dispatch the final mushroom warrior.

Fable pokes the Ardini with mage hand to wake them up. She continues to sleep.

The Ardini, **Bluma Petalfrost**, is at first aggressive, but bows to Winter's Champion and will tell her Lady, **Princess Nightfall Frostychill**, of the aid.

**Bluma** provides information about a Fae court being controlled by "Death Cap" (Thanks Caterpillar) and agrees to lead us to the Harvest Village. She does as she has promised. Sera releases the Ardini from service.

## Out of the Forest

Akibeko stops and tries to figure out why not everyone in the party got visited. There are no answers. He asks the annoying scribe if he's "gotten all that down". The scribe looks to Sera for permission to speak. HE says he as everything written down and some great verses ready. Akibeko huffs and Brexx continues to lead on. As the party travels on the rolling grassy hills flow into cultivated fields. There are humanoids wearing gourd armor on the outskirts of a village in the center of the cultivated lands.

## The Harvest Village

The Narrator returns. Fable adds her own spin on the end of the Narrator's entry with her own spin in favor of the party. The party all has a communal goosepimple shudder.

 Turnip does a fly by. The Crows hang out on the edges of the fields looking at the fruits and vegetables. The party heads in without deception or deceit. The party is stopped by the gourd guards. They call for **Guard Captain Gretchen**. Fable convinces the guards that we are on a mission from the **Winter Lady** and have a meeting past the village. The villagers all seem rather young. Fable scares the guards with talks of possible atrocities that the village will harm us.

The party is lead deeper into the village past a makeshift palisade to **Guard Captain Gretchen**. Guard Captain Gretchen says there is no meeting with the **Winter Lady**. dashing the bluff to get in to the village. Fable starts eating a mushroom to appear insane. **Guard Captain Gretchen** allows us to stay for the night as long as the party follows the rules:

* Stay in the meeting place and leave at first sun
* do not carry fire into the homes or fields ever
* Do not interfere with the Harvest guards and their protection of us.
* Don't listen to the noises at night or go awandering
* Alwasy give half of what we got to the harvest guards to get their blessing

Akibeko asks if the two guards are the Harvest guards. **Guard Captain Gretchen** informs him these are some of their best. He double checks that these are the BEST guards. He decides not to judge a book by its binding. Sera asks what sounds should be expected. **Guard Captain Gretchen** gives the typical run down of sounds.

The local lorekeeper asks for stories form the outside. Sera pushes the chronicler, **Fosphose**, forward. Ciaran says that sounds better than hearing about the time he lost his pants at dice. The townsfolk agree with that as a possibility.

AGAIN... the town has no one over 20...

We are lead to the Meeting Hall. There are lots of good smelling foods being cooked. Fable asks about the scarecrows. The lorekeeper says they are gifts from the **Harvest Lord**. Fable again makes the townspeople uncomfortable. They are very anxious for news and tales of adventure. Sera tells the story of the Green Branch and the goblins. Sera enraptures the town with an amazing performance. Fable does some intense search of the narratives to figure out what is wrong with Harvest Village.

Akibeko tries to dissuade Fable from doing "the crazy research". She seems more concerned with the fact this is the Fae Wild and nothing is as what it seems. Having failed at helping Fable, Akibeko tries to help with the cooking, but is terrible at it. Brenton, a chef, at first is happy for the help, but turns Akibeko to peeling because he is not good at cooking writ large.

Fable asks the lorekeeper about the Ardini leader **Death Cap**. He's mean and made the others mean as well. **Lonel** the Harvest Dancer, the brightly colored one, knows about the Harvest Lord. Her knows the right phrases and dances to keep the harvest lord happy. Fable says not to eat the food. Akibeko rolls his eyes and pops the thing he's peeling into his mouth. Fable gives him A LOOK.

Fable finds **Lonel** in his brightly colored hut. There are sounds of movement and jingling within. He throws a bunch of sticks on the ground and they act out what he says. The Basics of worshiping the Harvest Lord:

* We all got the blessing of the Harvest Lord
* We came from an evil place
* People didn't have enough to eat or survive
* We come form the far, far away place
* The Harvest Lord offered to give them safety
* In return the people give half of what they have to the harvest lord
* The Harvest lord keeps the near creatures and the far, far away OUT
* At the PROPER age, they are called up to the Harvest City.
* The Harvest Lord tells the location of the Harvest City to those who need to know and were faithful

**Lonel** doesn't think that Fable is the right kind of person to join the Harvest Cult.

## Lorekeeper's Story

The Special tree was given a power by one of the Fae Lords. The tree could speak in riddles.

Many people tried to beat the riddle tree, but none ever won.

Then a song singer came and bested the tree. The tree promised to give the song singer access to its roots and the secrets stored there and hold things for the song singer. The Song Singer, **Hyatt Naven**, did not take the gift and instead told the tree to never give access unless the challenger can best the tree in riddles. There is now a guardian of the tree that protects it if the riddles are failed or someone tries to force the tree to do things.

## The Dinner

Sera goes and makes sure that no one eats the food. Akibeko wanders up with a bowl of stew. Sera makes sure that there is no obligation attached to the food Akibeko ate. There were none. Akibeko and Brexx both commiserate over the lovely food they can't eat. **Fosphos** takes the bowl they can't eat. Ciaran belittles Akibeko for not knowing about Fae. Akibeko grumps back at the new party member.

Sera sneaks over and steals the stories from **Fosphos**' pack. She pulls out the sheets the relate to the Shades.

Akibeko and Fable overhear Brenton and a Guard talking about meeting again after in the Harvest City. the guard looks like she is about to turn 18.

Fable is allowed to use the magic hut in the center of the gathering area. She casts the tower and a spell avoiding eavesdropping. The party, including **Fosphos**, into the tower. **Fosphos** goes upstairs and Fable drops the beans.

Fable wants to stop the Harvest Lord. The party calls back **Fephos** about the **Harvest Lord** and the **Winter Lady**. He is UNHELPFUL.

There is a knock on the door. The Branch writes a note to avoid breaking the rules. **Brenton** and **Nyssa** come into the tower. Brenton is afraid and wants to leave the village with **Nyssa**. **Nyssa** doesn't want to cause trouble for anyone, but is scared. **Nyssa's** ritual is coming up. She was curious about the ritual and got close enough to hear. It did not sound like they were going anywhere nice. She heard people of the village screaming, horrible noises, and singing (the Harvest Dancer's Ceremonies).

Sera sends to the **Winter Lady**. The **Winter Lady** replies that the **Pumpkin King** does loves his harvest from the material plane. They do not make it to the Harvest City. Up to you how you handle it.

### The Pumpkin King

Those villages on hard times will call out on any who will listen to get a bless upon the crops. When the Pumpkin King listens they will have overabundance for 10 season. The people will thrive. When the PK returns. He gets half the harvest. Since the farmers don't know they were suppose to given half, they have to pay otherwise.

## Death to the Pumpkin King

The group tells Brenton and Nyssa to stay here. WE break into 2 grousp (then 3). Akibeko and Brexx head loudly straight in. The other three sneak around the side. Unfortunately, Fable and Ciaran are loud and trade to singing the praises of the Pumpkin King with Fosphos' help. Sera becomes invisible and is super sneaky.

The town is eerily silent. One of the outlaying fields has activity and sounds.

BIG FIGHT

Akibeko almost dies.

Pumpkin King defeated.