Someplace Else

Session 39, 30 Dualahei 836 PD

The party are in a great fey forest, it looks nothing like the Marrow Valley. Everyone is panicking and trying to figure out how this happened, no one is volunteering any info. Morrigan immediately recognises it as Thither, a familiar place. There's no moon, the sky is a permanent twilight. The forest is unnaturally tall, primeval. People are freaking out - Morrigan gives everyone the rules for surviving the feywilds. No gifts, no real name, no iron, consider your words, don't make deals, don't thank people (it means you owe them) and don't touch the plants.

Under the fort there are some rapidly deflating legs, Morrigan identifies them as belowing to Creeping Lynn, the bitter end, one of the Rulers of Yon (from the Hourglass Coven). She's either dead or playing dead, and Morrigan knows that she has a habit of being 'dramatic'.

Overhead there's a horrible noise and a creature with bulbous eyes and an unnaturally long neck flies above. The Jabberwock. It passes fairly quickly, but apparently does laps of the forest - which explains why there are no birds or flying creatures in the sky.

Morrigan explains that she originally got over to the material plane via the Witchlight Carnival, but that Scabbatha Nightshade, the Archfey, would also be able to get people back (in Gloomglade). She might even be able to get rid of the time dilation effect on return. Otherwise the party could try to approach Will of the Feywild, in Little Oak, an apparent human who shuttles people between realms.

Hartmut is panicking and trying to recreate the teleportation sigil in the dirt. It's not going well. A catterpillar damages one of the lines, and Hartmut screams and swats at it. It turns into an absolutely cursed butterfly, wings shaped like a splat. The earth here is reacting to the Ironlot's emotional state. Moss is having a minor panic attack, at random, plants around her are jumping and twitching. For Komani the very earth is tilting. Hartmut is set upon by weeds and vines with every step. Llunet is faking calmness reasonably well, but whenever she lets it slip the wilderness balks away from her.

Moss and Morrigan hear singing from up ahead. In a cauldron, there's a little yellow and red mushroom with a face, singing and scrubbing himself in a bath/stew. He's a (Campestry? Kampestrie?) all alone. His name is Stompwick. Moss and Morri have some fruitless conversation with him in Sylvan. The others encounter the cauldron's owner, a round goblin with a mullet. Moss tries to make a polite exit and fails, running up against fey hospitality. Hartmut is rude to the goblin - steals the lid of the cauldron to keep drawing sigils and then when that doesn't work throws it at him and complains about the quality of tools. The little mushroom man leaves with the party. He asks the party's names and Moss introduces herself as Selerasse, Morrigan introduces herself as Sarah Jane, the mushroom tries to ask Hartmut for his name and Moss volunteers "Sam" before he can reply (because Lou sucks absolute shit at improv).

    Down the path, there's a wanted poster for this Will kid, signed by the Archfey. Nearby, there's a cave. A man with bandages over his eyes sits inside, surrounded by gold coins, spinning on a wheel. He asks what he can make for the party, and explains he is a landlord, trapped in this cave by the Archfey/Hag Scabbatha Nightshade. He is surrounded by his ill earned gold, and the pained pleading of tenants he displaced. He must work to turn the gold into gifts for those who accept them, until it is spent and he is freed. His most recent creation is a golden Wand of Secrets, which Morrigan accepts. In exchange she gives the creature some fluff which can be used to drown out the cries of his tenants. Komani trades 3 torches to light his nights for some gloves of very good sleight of hand. Hartmut asks for a magical focus, and receives a golden trumpet, which he trades for a song. Llunet requests a magical weapon, and receives a Rapier of Warning. She trades her old sword for it. Moss requests a path home, or a path to Little Oak, and trades *almost* all of her remaining Mother's Brew liquor from home. She receives a map of Hither, Thither and Yon. As Moss and Llunet leave the cave they are suddenly struck by magic. Their trades were insufficient. Llunet finds ratlike features appearing on her face, as well as a tail under her cloak. Moss starts to emit an unpleasant odour, like swamp gas. They are both horrified and try to move a little further from the group. Hartmut trails alongside Moss, in an apparent attempt to make her feel better. Stompwick loudly comments on Llunet's new look, which goes down poorly. The party move out again, this time with some direction.

## The Getaway Gang // Yarnspinner

Session 40, 30 Dualahei 836 PD

The party and Stompwick chat while the party keep moving forwards, Morrigan leading with the map. Morrigan is a little cagey - she is from 'around here' but isn't specific. Stompwick mentions that they never see Fairies around anymore - Moonbrush has been frozen, the fey there are all stuck. Internally, Morrigan is aware that it would take the co-operation of the 3 coven hags to do something like that. The hags usually don't work together like that. Discussion of what animal you would be if you could? Hartmut says a sea-horse? The party see a See Horse, distressing with many eyes. A school of flying fish pass over the group, this place is pretty beautiful but Moss and Llunet aren't really appreciating it with their new curses.

Morrigan approaches Llunet and offers her the circlet of human perfection, until the curse can be removed. Llunet seems touched by the offer but says she doesn't need it - she's used to people judging on appearances. Because her mother was a dark elf, people have made assumptions about her in the past. Llunet asks Morrigan about the frozen town - Morri doesn't know why the hags would team up. She also mentions she's mad at Hartmut, for casting Zone of Truth on the party after being insistent that they should trust each other. Llunet mentions that she doesn't want the others in the group to know about her dark elf heritage, she's worried Hartmut would turn her in to authorities.

What could have upset the hag coven? Someone tried to slay the Jabberwock, their pet. Morri might have known more about this, but she's keeping quiet.

    The party reach Little Oak and are greeted by a horde of children, ready to fight the Iron Lot if necessary. The kids appear to be normal aside from odd quirks - Will of the Feywild can fly, but seems to be an otherwise normal human boy. Bobby the Dwarf. Sloan the Wood Elf. Xennor the tenacious (half-orc). Impressed with Komani's strength, the kids stop trying to fight the party almost immediately. The kids start approaching party members and questioning them - the wood elf asks Moss if she's an elf like her, and Moss says 'less than some'. The orc kid is a bit obsessed with Komani. One of the kids has a displacer beast kitten, and they show the party the inside of their hideout. Komani samples their unique delicacies (big juicy bugs a la Lion King).

The kids are all escapees of Loomlurch - some sort of child work camp run by one of the hags Kenna used to live there, she was the adopted daughter of one of the hags (Stabbatha). She ran away - was excited to grow up. The hourglass coven is famously obsessed with the number 8. Kenna was 'given by a lord of the material plane'. Stompwick helped Kenna leave, and may have been cursed for this. He used to be someone named Cian.

Morrigan clearly knew the person Cian used to be - she has a long conversation with him, that ends with him getting agitated and passing out.

Meanwhile the kids explained a shortcut to get to the nearest crossing to the material plane. Say a poem sideways and step backwards. Hartmut immediately starts trying. After the first failed attempt the displacer beast kitten jumps off him. Suddenly it just works - Hartmut's next step stretches out like taffy - Moss is narrowly able to grab him before he snaps away entirely. They both disappear from the tree.

The others take a little time before trying the same, each approaching it in distinct ways, with mixed success. Everyone lands at the edge of dark woods, finding Moss and Hartmut mid-panic.

There's a beautiful pathway through the forest, leading into the darkness, edged by softly glowing spiders and webs. Animals are following the pathway, and calling out to one another in common. They're excited to hear Yarnspinners new stories. The party follow them down the path, into a clearing almost like an auditorium. Settling down near the front, but to the side, so as not to invite audience participation, they watch as a giant spider reveals itself from behind the cobwebs. Wes crawls out from Moss' hood to admire the creature.

## Fablerise

Session 41, 30 Dualahei 836 PD

The enormous spider is holding an ancient, well loved book in its forelegs. Every step he takes makes the ground shake slightly. He smells softly of Honey Nectar and Wattle, and has enormous green eyes, which reflect whoever he is speaking to. He welcomes the newcomers, and identifies that one of them is hindered. He approaches Moss, looking down at her, and she very anxiously curtseys before he clarifies - "not you, little elf". Moss puts up a hand so that Wes can climb out to look at the spider, and a soft purple magic encircles him. He says 'thank you-' to Yarnspinner and then turns and says 'Moss! Am I talking!?'. He's very excited. He introduces his friends Moss and Hartmut, then reveals that he doesn't know the rest of the party's names, as they never spoke to him.

He pointedly tells Morrigan she should be more careful in fights - that she is always getting hurt too badly and it upsets the others. He greets Llunet and Komani. He tells Llunet, entirely honestly, that he very much likes her new look. Komani lets him know he can hide in her hair whenever he wants, which he immediately takes her up on. He is extremely cute.

Settled there, Yarnspinner continues his show as normal, telling stories from the large tome, some of which are distantly familiar (to the players if not the characters). He invites others to come up and tell stories - the animals go first, telling collaborative stories which have a lot of heart, if not much structure.

Hartmut volunteers, and tells the creatures a lightly edited version of his Bear Year story. The animals want to know if they could be turned human for a year. Moss also interrogates him about how EXACTLY he was turned to a bear in the first place - he declines to answer. There is a request for him to tell them the moral of his story, which he struggles to do.

Morrigan follows, with the story of Morgana, a fairy who had to run away from home. She journeys very far away and upside down and eventually comes to the ocean, at Nicodranas. There she seeks work, but has no experience to rely upon. Eventually she sneaks aboard a ship, the Baying Basilisk, as a stowaway. She works quietly, stays out of the way, and sneaks around. Until she finds herself attempting to hide in the captains' quarters, while the captain is bathing behind her. Captain Barclay is one of the most beautiful creatures Morgana has ever seen, and she can immediately see through Morgana's circlet of human protection. They have an immediate connection - and Morrigan stops the story there, promising further chapters to come. One of the animals asks her if the fairy and the captain fucked. Morrigan is coy about it, but the animals decide that yes, they did.

Llunet tells the story of an elvish woman, raised in a dark kingdom, accross a dangerous mountain ridge from a sunlit one. The woman's family were killed by the beasts which roamed the dark kingdom, and she became fixed upon the idea of travelling to the light kingdom. Her journey was perilous, avoiding men and beasts the whole way. The mountain peaks were impossibly tall, and the travel was hard. Over the pinnacle she could see the sunlight though! She made her way down the far side eagerly, but as soon as the sun reached her skin it bubbled and burned. She was not built for such things. Too late to turn back, she soldiered onwards keeping to the shade as much as possible. She tried to rely on the kindness of villagers, but they were immediately wary of her, because she was clearly from the dark kingdom. Chased out of town after town, she eventually hears tell of a city of elves, free from the control of the Sunlit Empire, where she might be safe. Exhausted, she collapses in the snow on the road there. She is discovered by an elvish man. He is immediately taken by her, and brings her to his home and safety. They fell in love - and before long had two children within ten years - Elvish Twins, almost unheard of.

The animals start asking questions - Hartmut seems to think the rarity of elves is to do with how little they bang. No one corrects him though, and the bear cubs he's talking to think that makes sense.

Moss tells the story of leaving her home - she lived with her half-siblings, in a house in a small commune outside the city. Her siblings were often at odds - Willow poised and perfect, Sorrel fun but with a criminal streak. Moss and Sorrel worked the markets together. When Moss met a dashing mercenary there, she decided to give her gifts as a courtship gesture - as gifts are very significant to Moss' people. She gave her an embroidered emerald token first. As their relationship got more serious, and the mercenary was about to leave Bysaes, Moss snuck an expensive bottle of spirits from her market stall for the mercenary. She intended to replace it from the stores under the commune, but was distracted dallying overnight with her tiefling. By the time she returned, the missing bottle had been noted. Her siblings argued about it. Willow blamed Sorrel. Sorrel was furious that Willow would not believe them when they protested their innocence. Sorrel moved out that day, to their half finished home by the edges of the commune. When the greatmother came asking someone to journey out - Moss volunteered. She wanted to prove herself - but she wanted to get away from the quiet, empty home. More than that, she knew if Sorrel went, they might never return. She feels awful about it though - Sorrel would have loved it out here, and might have been better at it.

Wes tells the other animals that Moss is usually much more brave and noble than that, she's actually very impressive. Would she make a different choice if she went back? Moss admits that no - she's enjoyed her time away from the sisterhood a great deal. One of the rabbits asked if she and the tiefling fucked, and Moss blushes and refuses to answer.

While Komani focuses before her story, Llunet asks Yarnspinner why he called Moss 'little elf'. Yarnspinner clarifies that he doesn't see well - but he has extra senses that let him see creatures' essences - was he wrong? Moss, anxiously, asks him to clarify - is he saying she has an elven soul? Because that is - not a thing you can tell, on the mortal planes. Yarnspinner says 'Oh I"m sorry, I was sure you knew about your relation" (specific phrasing, spirit relation?) indicating towards Moss and Llunet. Llunet and Moss both pale for a moment. Llunet is struck with the realisation that Moss' birth lines up exactly with the passing of [redacted], from her family. Moss murmurs something about being a true elf and then faints. Morrigan helps prop her up, fanning her a little and putting incense under her nose. Llunet is having a moment, separately. Komani is ready - the party try to reassemble in their seats respectfully.

Komani skillfully recites a poem. It tells the story of a tentmother of the Kithkavaki who fell to addiction - feasting on a plant which addles the mind. She was lax in her care of the children and let great harm come to them, when she should have been watching. Neriah Kinkiller and Bodybroken were both exiled from the Kithkavaki, and no one knows what became of them.

Yarnspinner is very impressed with the stories told. As the other creatures leave - he asks the party if they wish to return to their faraway homes. The party give a fairly emphatic yes (Moss and Morrigan both seem a little conflicted, but don't speak up). He offers to carry the party to the crossing, in exchange for their stories. The group journey through the woods, down odd side paths and burrows. Eventually Hartmut casts fly on the spider, so he can move more freely, above the trees.

While there, Llunet asks if Yarnspinner has the power to undo Fey curses. He says yes, but it will take a story. The strength of the story matters - our offerings were enough for a single action, either a crossing or a remove curse. Moss says she has one more story - but can she tell just the spider? He says the value of stories is in sharing. Fine then - Moss tells the group the details of her mother's passing. The story ends unsatisfactorially - no one knows who attacked her mother in the commune, and there has been no trace of her or her body found since. They were instructed not to dwell on it - and Sorrel and Moss retain a fear of small spaces to this day, after being trapped in the cold cellar during and after the attack. Moss seems at least a little relieved to have said it out loud though. The spider is a bit confused that she would give such a personal story in exchange to... not smell bad? Moss is flustered again.

Llunet is concerned that she has no stories to tell, but Moss suggests the story of them fighting the gravelway ghoul - it's a far more impressive story, and Wes will like it. Llunet tells the story from them saving the children from the serpent, to the dragon rising from the earth, to her giving chase (perhaps unwisely) alone, and nearly dying. The story ends with her surviving, and getting the killing blow on the creature, thanks to the support of her friends. Yarnspinner is very pleased with this, and Wes volunteers that the moral is about strength in teamwork.

Komani tells the story of how she and her bedmate saved their goat herd after a raid on their people. After their hard work the Hornlord gave Komani a new name - Goatchaser - to replace her old one, Swifthunt. This seems like a targeted political move - Komani seems aware. In exchange - she asks Yarnspinner whether Mara and the others are in the Feywilds. Yarnspinner is able to confirm they're not on this plane.

    Yarnspinner is able to lift the fey curses from Moss and Llunet, both of whom are thrilled - grinning at each other then letting the eye contact fall when they remember their new... relationship? Time to unpack all that later!

Hartmut tries to ask Yarnspinner separately if he could give a story to remove Moss' other curse. Yarnspinner says that's outside his power because the curse was not from this place. Morrigan asks if she could give one for Cian/Stompwick. Yarnspinner is unsure if that would work. The party are mostly settled - they've reached the teleportation sigil and are ready to head home (albeit some of them feeling guilty for abandoning the people of Moonbrush and the children of Loomlurch). Yarnspinner tells us that we weren't meant to be in the Feywilds. As Yarnspinner begins to focus on the spell to planeshift them home, creatures appear from the woods. His domain is beset upon by many minions of the hags - including the frightful Jabberwock

## A Way Out

Session 42, 30 Dualahei 836 PD

The fight starts promising, but goes bad quickly. Yarnspinner is trying to hold the portal open in the middle of the ruins. The party are underattack from all sides by Harengon, 2 Jubjub Beasts, a Bandersnatch and the Jabberwock. Llunet and Morrigan use their turns attacking the Harengon near them, knocking two out quickly. Hartmut casts a new spell, Beacon of Hope, glowing from his neck tattoo. A mage enemy near him tries to counterspell, but he's able to counterspell that. He moves in closer to Yarnspinner. Moss throws up her unicorn totem ready to heal the others, and summons her wolves. She also moves in towards Yarnspinner, and tries to empower him by telling him a story - how she and Komani met in Rexxentrum. Komani sets up to defend Yarnspinner, moving closer. This is when one of the Harengon fireballs the centre of the map, hitting everyone who just moved in.

Hartmut loses concentration and is immediately knocked out - Komani, Moss and Yarnspinner are hurt. The Jabberwock moves to attack Yarnspinner, and hits him and Moss with an AoE which immediately downs her, dispelling the wolves and healing totem. Hartmut rolls a 20 on his death save and is back up. Hartmut turns invisible, tells Yarnspinner the story of the party arguing the first time they met and Moss finding and apologising to him the next morning, and then pours half a healing potion in her mouth [still invisibly, which is terrifying]. Moss is up, confused and blushing. Hartmut stays invisible a little way off until he gets a chance for an opportunity attack on a Harengon rushing past. He's hit again quickly after that, and downed.

Yarnspinner loses concentration on the portal, which at least frees him up to join the fight. Komani clambers onto his back (trying to reach the Jabberwock?) and summons her Echo. After the Jabberwock moves into her space, Llunet gets caught in the confusing burble and loses her turn. Komani is caught up not long afterwards. Morrigan is working on taking down Harengon and the Bandersnatch. Moss is knocked down again and revived by Wes, who climbs out of her armor, gathers a health potion from her pack and feeds it to her. She gets knocked down again almost immediately, by an extremely annoying mage. Wes pulls the same trick on his next turn. Yarnspinner launches onto the Jabberwock's back, apparently inspired by Llunet's stories. The Jabberwock flees, with Yarnspinner in tow. The Harengon enemies start targeting Wes, Moss puts herself in the way. Llunet is downed here? The Bandersnatch and the Jubjub birds are doing damage - Komani is knocked down as well. Moss finally has a chance to heal Hartmut and - oh no she doesn't. He's dead dead. Moss heals Llunet for 8, and finally gets to attack the horrible Harengons. Morrigan and Llunet keep working on the remaining Harengons and Bandersnatch. Moss tries to heal Komani on her turn and it also fails. She's also dead. She throws the heal to Morrigan and helps them attack. The Mage Harengon tries to target Wes with Magic Missile, and Llunet uses her reaction to counterspell. On Llunet's next turn she is hit 3 times in quick succession and goes down. In the distance, Yarnspinner has successfully dispelled the Jabberwock. He's coming back, but he's lost one of his eight legs. The fight is over - but three of the five are dead on the ground.

Morrigan asks Yarnspinner to revive them and he panics and says he doesn't know how - he tries something, casting an odd spell that is totally unfamilliar to the others, using web cocoons on Llunet and Komani's bodies. It looks a little like Gentle Repose? They don't wake up.

Moss moves to revive Hartmut. Morrigan is furious - insisting that it's her diamond and she should get to chose. Moss keeps moving, says that Hartmut died trying to heal her. Morrigan knows she can't cast the spell herself, and turns her back on them.

Moss quietly casts the spell, as if on autopilot. Hartmut's first reaction is that he's glad she's ok, that everyone must be ok. When she tells him no, he immediately goes to Yarnspinner to find a way to power him up enough to save the others. He tells the story of his family farm, when the winter was so harsh that they were trapped there with no food and no way out, and his mother died from the cold. His father was useless with grief and gave up. His older brother went out to find - anything. He returned with the body of the neighbour's child, and convinced his family to eat it. They survived the worst of the storm and were able to get out of Yrrosa, and reach the city. This is why Hartmut hates the cold and the wilds - the city, and the civilization, and the guards saved his family. The story gets a little more vague there as he devolves into talking about his tiefling ex who he reported when he discovered that they worshipped Asmodeus (I don't think the unaware would know what the fuck he was talking about here it was very couched language), and then leaving town after that with Korvok, and knowing Korvok was a criminal and - Komani murmurs something about how Hartmut is so positive while carrying all these burdens. The group take a moment to register it but - Yarnspinner's spells worked, Komani and Llunet are back. Moss throws herself at Komani, suddenly sobbing. Morrigan reaches out to hug Llunet. The group are ok! For now!

Death save memories included: A Civilization's Dawn/Hartmut birthday celebration except everyone is there, which hasn't ever happened. Hartmut protecting Moss from the explosion at Stahlmast's fight. After like 3 times being knocked out Moss' start to turn to garbled mismatched visions of the sisterhood commune mixed with the drinkinpin inn. Several people were hit too many times too quickly to actually make any saving throws.

The party convince Yarnspinner to travel with them. Llunet, Moss, Komani and Yarnspinner are all potential targets for the Jabberwock's Uncanny Tracker ability - it will be able to locate them anywhere over the next 24 hours.

## The Mountain Pass

Session 43, 30 Dualahei - 1 Thunsheer 836 PD

The party spot mounted Harengon on giant dragonflies approaching from the distance. At Yarnspinners' suggestion, they clamber onto his back. Llunet hastes him, and Yarnspinner casts pass without a trace, rushing into the dense forest. The party spot more mounted Harengon, on snails powered by hasted potions, hunting through the woods for them. After an unreasonably successful stealth check, Yarnspinner and the Ironlot manage to escape them and reach the ampitheatre at the heart of Fablerise. Yarnspinner sets up tripwires and warnings around the stage, which is protected from the sky by the heavy tree canopy. The bioluminescent lights are all out. Morrigan looks out from the treetops, for signs of the dragonfly riders. Hartmut immediately pulls out his singed and damaged sleeping roll and tent, and passes out. Llunet casts her starry dome. Moss paces anxiously, keeping distance from the others to avoid conversation. The dome is up - Moss tries to rouse Hartmut to get him in it, and Komani grabs and drags him and his whole sleeping roll over into it. Yarnspinner promises to watch and guard the camp, from his funnel web like hidey hole at the rear of the stage. Moss tests the edge of the dome, apparently happy with being able to get out easily.

Before going to sleep, Moss uses the sending stone to the sisterhood. "Greatmother, I'm in the feywilds, in Prismeer, what can I do here?" Unexpectedly, she gets a reply. It's Willow, she sounds worried and tells Moss "Come home" with no extra detail.

The party longrest without incident.

In the morning, Hartmut doesn't wake with the others as the dome dissipates. Moss, Morrigan and Llunet begin debating what their next step should be. Moss tries to talk to Llunet about what their soul-relationship could be - maybe a great great great grandmother or something - they could ask Yarnspinner if he knows. Llunet suggests it's nothing more than how limited the pool of elvish souls is - nothing unusual, not worth asking.

After a little while, Moss goes to rouse Hartmut by lightly shaking his shoulder. Inneffective. Morrigan kicks him in the ribs. Effective. He's a little disoriented from the death experience maybe. He goes to find something altar-like to pray at and selects a large stone. He passes through normal prayers to Erathis, then Pelor, then Moradin - specifically to keep his family and friends in the city safe, then the group here, then the tinkertops. Finally, surreptitiously, he tries to offer a silent prayer to Sehanine, thanking her for sending Moss. The feywilds betray him a bit here though - everyone hears a clear echo of the prayer reverberating from him. Morrigan immediately makes fun of him for praying to an illegal god. Moss blushes but doesn't say anything.

Llunet asks Morrigan for more information on what they're doing next - her father was the mushroom man? Morrigan tells everyone about her dad's illicit research into Vorpal's Word, a word which will bring down the Jabberwock permanently, and possibly instantly. This works directly against the hag trio. Moonbrush and Cian/Stompwick were attacked by crones *after* Cian sent Morrigan to the mortal plane to aid his research. She was instructed to find a group which is now clearly the Cerberus Assembly, but without Mortal Plane knowledge she had no way of recognizing that. The specific researcher is famous enough that Hartmut knows of them - Dulanne Duerjkel;jfkdl;. She's an expert on magical creatures and beasts. Morri did briefly end up in the Cerberus Assembly - as an apprentice to Remora jksfdsjkl;s, who appears to be a loose cannon low ranking member or student of the Solstrice Academy. This is who she's hiding from - Remora tried to use her as a material focus between planes, and after many attempts, her experiment exploded, scarring them both magically. "Apprentice" is not a thing in the academy. Hartmut points out that that's not how it works, you have to pass the entrance exam to get in, which he was unable to do. Seems to think this person is a student who is full of shit, or a hedge wizard sneaking onto Cerberus Assembly property. She certainly didn't teach Morrigan a lot, for 6 months of dedicated training (2 cantrips 1 first level spell). Llunet clarifies - is this who Morrigan was hiding from? Yes.

The group debate their next move for a long time - very worried about drawing the Jabberwock wherever they go.

Wes volunteers to go to Little Oak with Corvid - Moss is worried he'll get hurt, but he's very keen to prove himself.

While they're discussing mechanics, without warning, Hartmut starts reciting a poem backwards while stepping sideways and successfully triggers the shortcut back to Little Oak - he's oddly proficient at these tricks.

Moss tries and fails to catch him/stop him, Morrigan follows him, expertly performing the shortcut. Llunet briefly debates Sending him a tirade of 25 fuck you fuck you fuck yous but doesn't - just because slots are too precious. She's certainly thinking it loudly though.

Little Oak is gone, has moved. Seeing this, Hartmut pings back to the entrance to Fablerise. On the way back, he gets very tangled in Yarnspinner's tripwire webbing. As he stumbles back into the ampitheater both Moss and Llunet nearly hit him with attacks, startled by the disturbance. Moss carefully cuts the webbing away with her dagger. Llunet is very unimpressed with him disappearing.

Morrigan investigates the space left at Little Oak - oil and blood and broken branches speckle the ground, they seem to have gone north. After inspecting the remains she also pings back to Fablerise.

Morri and Llunet are very annoyed at Hartmut for just going without a plan - tell him to quit doing things without consulting the group. Llunet Sends to Will asking what happened. He says the Hags have captured Stompwick. The others got away but are in hiding.

The party talk about the frozen places - is it worth going to Moonbrush to try to find Morri's dad's research there. Morrigan thinks there won't be much evidence of the research left in Moonbrush - it will have been raided by the hags.

Dulanne Djfdsklsdf;fdsjk of the Cerberus Assembly in Rexxentrum might know more about the killing word (Vorpal's Word) for the Jabberwock - Hartmut is immediately eager to go for that option. The others are concerned that they wouldn't be able to find a way back - fey crossings are reasonably rare.

Moss says she's a little worried about returning to the Material Plane - after her sending last night she might have to go to the Commune as soon as they return. Morrigan asks her what she means and she tells them the message from Willow last night. Morrigan immediately prompts her to send again and they try to craft a more clear message. "What day is it? What happened? Why do you have the stone. Please send to me if anything is wrong" Willow replies - "It's Harvest's Close [note: around 11th Thunsheer]. I'm working with the greatmother and have the stone". Seems like nothing is wrong - she's just alarmed Moss is in the feywilds. This does mean time is slipping between the planes - the ironlot have lost a little under a fortnight in a day.

Moss suggests going to Loomlurch - where Stabbatha is keeping children as workers, according to the Getaway Gang. Llunet is wary of going somewhere Stabbatha Nightshade the Hag might be. The party are unanimous that they want to avoid any Hag deals - there's no such thing as a good one (sacrifice Morrigan's dad, sacrifice Will, sacrifice Yarnspinner, all terrible) and do not think they could beat her in a fight, especially if the Jabberwock can track them.

The party ask Yarnspinner about the frozen places, and he mentions The Palace of Heart's Desire in the mountains above Hither, Thither and Yon. Morrigan says that's always been empty and abandoned. Yarnspinner says that's not entirely true - he's heard stories about some kind of great owl creature that lives there. Maybe whatever lived there is more powerful and agreeable than the hags. The party are pretty desperate for a way forward that doesn't involve confronting the hags, and agree to set off.

Yarnspinner returns to his nest to recover some strength - he ate his detatched leg and it is regrowing, quickly.

The party hike forwards to the mountains, then attempt to use Moss' eagles to cross the alps. After a short flight, the mountains clearly are not moving any closer. Morrigan realises the party can't leave Stabbatha's domain through obvious means without her permission. The party land.

Hartmut theorises a shortcut that could step them straight to the palace. He asks Moss if she knows how to waltz - she says not at all (she's literally from the woods) - and he says he'll show her. He thinks it could be a shortcut straight to the Palace Ballroom. Moss is keen to try, but Llunet is adamantly against it. It's unpredictable (it could go to almost anywhere) and the group might not be able to follow. Moss tries to argue for this idea and Llunet tells her she shouldn't do it just because she wants to dance with Hartmut. Moss goes quiet. Hartmut offers to dance with someone else, maybe Komani? Llunet says that's not actually the problem - the issue is with Hartmut disappearing unexpectedly, and also that this may not work as intended, and that most of the group have not been great at the shortcuts so far.

Llunet attempts to ask the mountains for permission to pass, calling out into the void. The mountains turn towards her, appearing to grow great craggy faces, and tell her that is against the rules. Morrigan and Llunet speak with the mountains for some time, attempting to plead their case. They try to offer a trade for passage, but find the mountains challenging to convince.

In the background, Hartmut is scratching dance steps into the dirt. Moss is watching, deeply confused by it. Not wanting to risk setting anything off, Moss gets one of her eagles to try to trace the steps as best it can. Hartmut tries to instruct it a little.

Eventually Morrigan and Llunet have some success. Morrigan asks what they could give the mountains - "What does a mountain want?" The mountains reply "What does a mountain need". "Every Mountain needs a pass". Morrigan rolls a Seelie Crit to persuade them, and the mountains crack and part to reveal a newly formed crevice. Morrigan and Llunet thank them, and ask that they please do not move again to close it, which they say they cannot do.

The party squeeze through the pass - Moss panicking and Weasel wildshaping to avoid dealing with the tiny space.

After some time, there's a light at the end - the party exit into a rocky clearing, in the distance, they can see the Palace, high above them. This is another domain - a palace surrounded by beautiful gardens, all entirely frozen. In the top of the building though, the party see a lit window.

## The Palace of Heart's Desire

11 Thunsheer 836 PD

Engraved on the gates in Elvish: The lion or the hart must wear the crown. But which one should it weigh down?

Walk into garden of palace it's frozen. We discover a frozen gnome gardener - Morrigan, Moss and Komani inspect him for a while, he seems fine aside from timefreeze. Komani finds an axe in a tree stump. Wes and Moss hover around Komani, chilling as weasels.

Llunet Morri Hartmut hear voices and head into Pavillion where a really weird assortment of folks are hovering. There's food and drink available. They talk to the people there who are waiting to see Zebilna, whose castle it is. They were told to wait by '3 witches'. They have been there some time. They give the years that they left the material plane - they're from all different realms (Oerth, Eberron, Faerun.) They're waiting for Zebilna's return, and have been there for potentially hundreds of years. The jabberwock and bloody beak were once pets of Zebilna. They invite the others to eat and wait with them. Llunet and Morrigan are *not* about to do that.

Hartmut wanders off and encourages Komani and Moss to follow him to the first tower, marked with a lion in a crown. As the others regroup with them, they meet an iron lion golem named Envy. He says he would like a crown, or a flower ley. He tells the others that the Hart is in the other tower - they have to chose who to give the crown to. The party realise that they'll need to climb or fly up, and Komani ascends with her cliffclimber skills, throwing down a rope to Llunet and Morrigan. Inside, they meet the Hart iron golem, Wrath, and talk with him a while. He says the crown will first appear as needles, but must be gold for it to work. Whichever creature they give it to, some parts of the castle will be closed off.

Outside, Moss and Hartmut quietly gather fallen crystal flowers from the garden, and begin stringing them together as a ley using Moss' sewing kit. Settling on the tiles of the fountain outside the rose garden, Hartmut asks Moss if she hates him, if the group hates him now, after hearing what he's done in the past. Moss says that she still likes him, and that it sounds like he's survived hardship most of them could barely imagine. They'll understand. He seems relieved - Moss asks if he's alright. She's only revived one other person, and Linok was not well afterwards. He says he's still a bit out of it - like he's not fully awake, but he'll be ok soon. Why did she pick him? She says that she just. knew it would be better if he was back. She can't justify it. Morrigan wanted her to - talk it over, ormaybe chose someone else. Moss says she ignored Morrigan, and that's why Morri is upset. She knew who she wanted to bring back - and then covers her tracks a bit - if he wasnt' there then who would keep an eye on Moss and the dagger? Everyone else would be in danger. He seems to jump on this answer. Didn't the others offer to help watch Moss though? Moss mentions specifically he's the only one who's promised to actually kill her. He says yeah, I mean he will, but he won't have to. He insists that they'll fix the dagger thing soon anyway. Hartmut puts the flower ley on Moss, to check the size is ok.

As they're talking and sewing, sitting on the edge of the frozen fountain, movement stirs behind them. Some water animates, into liquid hands lifting a crown of needles up towards them. Hartmut asks the spirit if it wants him to take the crown, to shake it. The crown shakes lightly. Hartmut takes it gingerly. Both of them hear the poem:

*The beginning of whenever*

*The end of Ever after*

*The start of an age*

*The finale of every moment*

*The first in history*

From the second tower, Morrigan and Komani are looking down at the little nerds. Morrigan spots them holding the crown and zooms down to them. Immediately after she hears what they heard, she takes the crown to Wrath in the second tower. As she puts it on the golem's head the crown turns golden. the main doors are revealed with a burst of fey glitter. There are now three ways into the castle.

Moss and Hartmut take their flower ley in to Envy. He seems very pleased with it. They head back to the group. Llunet suggests they approach the main doors first.

Inside, corridors lead to balconies that appear to show further inside the castle. There is a spiral stairway up to ??? and another to the right. All of these appear to lead in to a swirling black void, with 7 towers standing out in the clouds.

Morrigan ventures up one, with a rope strung behind her. Inside she finds a blue gemstone which appears to contain Zebilna's disdain for lesser races and desire to be worshipped (Pride?).

On the next tower she finds [missed this whoops] in a black gemstone. The other towers are unreachable through the black void clouds.

The party back out and reapproach via the stables. There's a crystal horse carriage - through the solid windows the party can see a key on the seats. They cannot reach it. In the next room are several plinths full of white roses. There is a sign saying to 'take a rose' in common.

Morrigan does,the others do not. As Morrigan moves to exit the room, everyone else is grappled by the carpet.

## The Palace of Heart's Desire II

1 Thunsheer 836 PD

The Carpet tightens around the party. Komani swiftly breaks free and grabs the vase to bring it back to the others, risking being hurt by it again. Rose thorns along the carpet pattern raise up, cutting into the trapped members of the Ironlot. Hartmut tries to cut at the carpet while still pinned, successfully slashing at it, but not enough to break free. Llunet's violet flame step gets her clear of the trap. She grabs one of the roses from the vase and attacks the rug, as it crushes in on Moss and Hartmut. Morrigan grabs the vase and tips the remaining flowers into the rug. Moss uses her last wildshape to shrink down and grab one of the roses, running out of the rug in a panic alongside Wes. As it closes in again, Hartmut grabs at the remaining rose in the rug and strikes at the carpet with his plain shortsword. The carpet crumbles away to nothing - leaving burnt ash on the floor. Llunet gathers the remaining tassels and uses Komani's tinderbox to catch them.

Moss, badly injured by this short struggle, heals the group (with particular focus on Hartmut and Llunet, who are also very hurt). Through the next corridor Morrigan finds a locker room - lockers empty, huge demonic mosaics lining the walls. They show a fungus demon (goodmoye? goodmoi), an ooblex demon, and Manes. One wall is exploded inwards, as if a great creature broke through. The next room along is a bathing pool. It also has a giant hole in the ceiling. Fishing in the baths with Mage Hand, Hartmut finds some delicate bracelets, an ornamental helm with a feather, and a stiletto dagger. Moss suggests resting here for a moment - Morrigan is unsure. The party reflect for a moment on all the reasons she should be moving with urgency (Her family are frozen, her dad is a mushroom, he's a hostage of the hags, someone from the cerberus assembly ("we don't know that" - Hartmut thinks this mage is a fake) is hunting her, time in the real world is slipping and she has a girlfriend back there). Morri keeps moving forwards. From the corridor she can see into a ballroom, through a shattered wall.

The ballroom holds frozen ball attendees, all eyes turned towards a cauldron on a plinth near the far wall. A fey who looks strikingly familliar is standing near the caldron, reaching for it. She looks shockingly like Morrigan, but taller, older, and more pale, with white hair. To her side stands a mage of some sort, holding a spellcaster's staff. The cauldron is spewing forth dark clouds. Curled around the cauldron and the figures, is the Jabberwock. It is asleep.

The party all peek through the door at this, and have a whispered conversation about who on earth the woman on the plinth is, and what to do. They back away back to the corridors - they're not going to fight the Jabberwock without a plan unless they have to. The party try to figure out whether Morrigan could be adopted, or who the lady could be. It doesn't seem to be anyone Morrigan knows - honestly it mostly looks like *her.* The party ask Morrigan what she knows of Zebilna and she says not much - just reminds them that Zebilna gave Yarnspinner his power.

Further along the corridor are beautiful bedrooms we did not look into, then an armory. [someone] takes a tentative swing of a weapon from the cabinets here, then drops it when it begins speaking. The party are all alarmed by this, after the troubles with the blade of broken mirrors. Hartmut makes the party promise to kill him if they have to, before taking hold of a rapier from the cabinets. The rapier does speak - it gives compliments every time it's swung. Hartmut says it feels like a good rapier, and the sword says 'not as sharp as SnickerSnack' then refuses to speak again afterwords. No clarifying details. Morrigan takes a shortsword, which behaves the same way, complimenting her strength until it mentions Snicker Snack and then stops speaking entirely.

The party move up the spiral staircase to the next floor. There are 5 guest rooms here as well as a locked door with a very lifelike cat's face engraved on it. The door comes alive, and greets Morrigan by name. Moss asks it how it knows her name - Morrigan is known here, even though she's never been here before. The cat says the party are unlikely to figure out the password, it will open for Morrigan in exchange for a name, and an answer. The party end up settling on Ummeow, a pun on Umlaut the cat seems pleased by.

Ummeow asks the party to tell him if they believe they can change their destinies. Llunet says if they don't have control of their destiny then there seems to be little point to everything. Morrigan says that after Yarnspinner said we were never meant to be here, we may be acting outside of any fate or destiny right now, free from it. Komani shows her markings, and says that they are supposed to define her fate. Moss recites one of Sehanine's tenants, "Seize your own destiny by pursuing your passions" - but says she's not living up to it. Her own fate feels very fixed. Hartmut mentions the visions the party experienced at Stahlmast's lair, and says the group aren't sure if they're visions of the future or the past or whether they will come to pass at all. Unsure. Ummeow is apparently satisfied by this, and laughs as he fades back into the wood, and the door opens.

On the far side, are 4 doorways. 2 of which are Hart doors, 1 of which is a Lion door, and one unmarked. The Hart doors contain an alchemy lab, damaged by a giant beanstalk rising from the floor. Llunet finds 3 healing potions, and asks Moss to check that the potions are what they seem. When Moss confirms it, Llunet seems sheepish about being paranoid, but Moss agrees with her it's better to be careful. There are 3 other potions, one with Hill Giant Hair in it, 2 with Hill Giant Toenails. Hartmut takes these and adds them to the group inventory. Komani finds huge bean pods, and asks Moss to inspect them. They're magic beans! Moss apparently doesn't know more about them. Komani collects the 12 bean pods in her many many baskets. Llunet moves the living carpet tassels to a flask she can close more securely.

Outside, the party try the other Hart door. Morrigan walks in to spy three bell jars on a tiered table. They show an image of a Maiden, Mother, and Crone who look strikingly like Morrigan. The crone in particular has an upsettingly Hag-like face. The jars flicker and change. Hartmut touches one of them and they switch to showing him - one as he is now, one slightly older with long fluffy hair and a bad moustache, and one older again with a shorn head, stubble and large facial scar. Llunet touches the jars and they show her, largely unchanged except her omnipresent hood is gone in the second and third jars. Moss asks if Komani wants to touch it, and gets a quiet but firm headshake in response. Moss touches the jar and sees herself, apparently the same age. The first two look very much as she does now, except her gear changing. The third she has close cropped hair revealing her ears, which are pierced. The third figure is not visibly wearing sisterhood garments. Hartmut seems annoyed that his was the only one which looked bad in one of the visions. He says he definitely won't do that to his facial hair now he knows what it looks like. On touching the jar again the second vision *is* different, but he now has a terrible goatee instead of moustache. Morrigan touches the jars herself - her vision is different to the one when we entered, showing her but older, and no crone.

The party are largely unsettled by this. Morrigan's final stage looks shockingly similar to the woman down in the ballroom.

They backtrack - they don't want to open one of the doors because it seems like it will lead into the Ballroom, putting them close to the Jabberwock again. Instead the party go and switch the crown from Wrath to Envy, who is apparently happy enough to work with them after Hartmut and Moss gave him the lei. Throught the lion door they find a prison - 5 cages hanging in midair, 3 with frozen occupants and pixie guards. The prisoners look half starved. Above the prison room is an alcove Morrigan can reach - it has a portcullis with access to the stormy void and tower room. Morri checks for secret passages and traps using her Wand of Secrets, it sort of gently responds in a vague direction, but there's clearly nothing in this room. Moss wants to free the prisoners, they look unwell, but there's no way into or out of the cages.

The party move on to the next room, a grand library. Suddenly a man appears around the corner - he's **not** frozen. He immediately starts usherign the party away, and tells them there are "No visitors allowed".