My friends! Good news! The lost scrolls have been recovered! Though small pieces were missing the following text is a faithful accounting of the events contained herein...
***
Through the dense brambles, a gate can be seen. Overgrown with weeds, the gate opens outward with an inviting feeling. The garden beyond has grown wild, but it is still recognizable as a garden.
A path can be seen despite the overgrowth. The skydome overhead provides light which illuminates the garden.
The party of adventurers hears voices arguing. Under a large tree is a unicorn with a pear on it’s head, impaled through the horn. The unicorn is standing and in conversation with a creature, while he is playing what appears to be a game of keep away. The creature wants the pear and the unicorn does not want him to have it!
The small creature’s head doesn’t look real. Dar-wynn strides toward the pair to speak with them.
The goblin creature, seeing the newcomer, runs up to Dar-wynn and asks her if she is Soninrey. The goblin follows that inquiry to ask if she could tell the unicorn to share the pear.
The goblin states that he needs the pear but won’t tell Dar-wynn why. The goblin has always needed the pear.
Dar-wynn moves closer to the unicorn. The unicorn also asks if she is Soninrey. Dar-wynn tells the unicorn her name. The unicorn offers a pear to Dar-wynn but tells her that the goblin cannot have one. Dar-wynn, ever the curious sort, asks the unicorn why can’t the goblin have a pear.
The goblin declares that Soninrey is “so nice” and “unicorns are bastards”!
After a moment, the unicorn tells the group that Soninrey is located down a path in the distance.
Dar-wynn tells the goblin that Brega is actually Soninrey (she isn’t) and the goblin believes this.
The unicorn gives a pair to Dar-ynn and she takes a bite of it, but it only tastes faintly of the real fruit.
Pip stealthily takes a pear himself and joins in the game of “keep away”. The unicorn declares Pip “a friend”.
Damian, ever the righteous paladin, joins the mix to convince the unicorn that it’s ok to give the goblin a pear “just this once”.
The goblin takes the pear and eats it, shouting for more and more pears! This is why GOBLINS DO NOT GET PEARS!
As the group continues with their exploration toward the gate and path that leads to the Mute Hag. The air is grows colder and dark stains appear on the pavers along the path.
Columns are observed containing bits of pieces (body parts) of storykin.
A concrete slab platform can be seen containing a writing station. Papers are strewn about and Pip checks for traps. He finds none.
Dar-wynn stands on the platform and reviews the papers. Every piece seems to refer to the maintenance of the garden for example, requests to plant new plants.
A voice calls out asking Dar-Wynn to identify herself. She does.
The group witnesses the Mute Hag appear before them.
Dar-Wynn tells the Hag that the party is searching for Amicas and that they also were looking for the Hag as well.
The Mute Hag is offended by the moniker. She identifies herself as Sonninrey, or rather what’s left of Sonninrey. Of the group, she requests that they gather all of the tokens and bring back her parts.
Suddenly, Sonninrey attacks Dar-Wynn, desperate to recover that which was taken from her. The Hag is evil and inept at combat. She lunges and falls prone. Dar-Wynn counters with a punishing swipe of her claws and Sonninrey lays on the ground injured.
Konrad joins the fight with a damaging channel. Damian deals a blow to the Hag’s shoulder as Pip backs away.
Brega deals a little bit of damage from an elemental ray.
The Hag takes another swipe and bite at Dar-Wynn. Damian and Dar-Wyn continue their attack and the Hag soon steps away and glares at them.
Konrad casts another channel and does more damage. Brega casts magic missile and manages to enrage the Hag more than anything else.
The Hag casts a spell on Dar-Wynn to wound her and give her the shakes. Dar-Wynn starts singing to aid the party as they continue the battle with the Hag.
It is a rather brutal fight but ultimately the adventurers triumph over the Hag.
After leaving the Hag’s garden, the group runs into the Rabbit King and they tell him that they have killed the Hag and taken her token—a quill.
The Rabbit King advises the group to watch out and take care that their shadows are not stolen.
The group rests briefly before continuing slowly through the brambles and eventually stopping for the night.
During the night, The Owl took Dar-Wynn’s shadow, replacing it with a blanket tied at her ankles. Unable to remove the blanket, Dar-Wynn’s tucks it up into her belt so that she can walk without dragging the blanket behind her.
The Party makes their way to a clearing where a sludgy lake can be seen. The owl’s tracks have disappeared.
Standing on the banks of the lake by a rickety bridge, a mournful song can be heard. Konrad walks across the bridge and sees a winged serpent.
The Quoxtil is singing and crying. Through her tears, the creature, named Morning Choir, tells Konrad that they did something horrible that can never be fixed. Of course, she speaks of Sonninrey.
It is learned that the souls of the mortals go to the lake. The dragon tricks the mortals out of their skins because the dragon wants to be mortal.
****
[February 8, 2020]
The party is on the bridge…
Black, mildew stinky lake… there is an island in the center of the lake. On the island, the dancing color lights, sobbing winged serpent (Quoxtil – Morning Choir). Sobbing and singing dirges.
Dar-wynn engages the creature in combat (because Darwynn sang a debuff dirge) … and we all get hit with the spell (Crushing Despair).
The group moves in a bit in preparation for a possible battle. But Dar-Wynn has pulled back a bit in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
The Paladin tries diplomacy in attempt to apologize for Dar-Wynn’s offense. Morning Choir asks the group to sing with her, it is a song of loss and hopelessness. The group joins in. And Morning Choir considers them friends and tells them to stay with her forever.
She asks Dar-Wynn to sing more… they converse about the party’s quest, different worlds and the universe.
Pip wanders away and runs into a bunch of undead. He shouts and the paladin (Damian) hears him. Damian goes to investigate and joins the fight against the undead.
Pip and Damian battle the undead, more and more grisly hands reach up from the ground to grab at them. Pip manages to run away and back towards the group.
Dar-Wynn checks on Pip. They see the Barrow King (Litch) holding a great sword.
Damian detects evil coming from the storykin and uses a channel to attack the hands coming up from the ground.
Konrad takes his leave from Morning Choir and joins the fight, doing area damage to a bunch of undead.
The Barrow King attacks Damian. Damian was able to deal some damage. Pip runs to the other side of the battlefield. The battle ensues and the Barrow King is taking damage but still seems very strong.
Damian and Konrad continue making progress. Pip is over by the sarcophagus and is attempting to replace and relight the candles that were on the sarcophagus. The undead hands retreat.
Brega hits the Barrow King with Lightning Bolt and causes a bit of damage. Dar-Wynn uses her claws.
The Barrow King attacks Konrad but doesn’t hit. Damian attacks next and takes the head off the Barrow King. Judy Bug runs after the head as it rolls away and barks at it.
Konrad searches the body of the Barrow King but finds nothing of note. Dar-Wynn goes over the sarcophagus to inspect it and search for the token.
Dar-Wynn and Pip attempt to open the sarcophagus but drop the lid on Dar-Wynn’s paws. Pip calls for help. Judy runs over with an arm in her mouth. Damian goes over to assist.
Damian and Dar-Wynn get the lid off the sarcophagus. Inside, there is a token of a heart and a half dozen scrolls. The scrolls are time spells. Konrad holds on to them for safe keeping because he is the only one who can read them.
The party says farewell to Morning Song and goes to look for the owl that stole Dar-wynn’s shadow.
Dar-wynn locates a tree that looks promising and Pip goes with her to climb the tree. Brega also finds an owl feather at the bottom of the tree.
Dar-wynn and Pip reach the owl’s nest and sees that it is lined with the stolen shadows. Dar-wynn realizes that they will need to wait for the owl to return. The party makes their way to the nest, climbing carefully. Everyone rests and waits.
In the middle of the night, the party hears a rustle of wings and a thump as a giant owl appears. Konrad and Damian can see the owl. Konrad attempts to intimidate the owl and succeeds. Dar-wynn requests her shadow back.
After much negotiation, the owl finally takes the blanket off of Dar-wynn and returns the shadow. The party climbs down and Damian gives the owl another coin so the owl won’t steal any other shadows.
The party continues their journey toward the forge. Suddenly, a rustling sound is heard and Brambleson appears. He greets the party and talks to them about their progress.
Closer to the forge, the ground is flat until it goes straight up…
The party decides to camp for the night. A fire is built. Pip takes first watch, nothing eventful happens. Konrad takes the next watch but falls asleep. Dar-wynn wakes Konrad and takes 3rd watch.
In daylight, the group makes their way up the mountain. They come across a group of dwarves who start yelling insults. Konrad fires back with an insult and gets a hammer thrown at him.
Damian manage to talk to the dwarves and ask about the tick-tock man. The tick-tock man makes things and works back in his offices but the dwarves aren’t allowed to go back there. Dar-wynn asks for directions and the group is told to go through the breakroom.
Damian opens the door to the breakroom. Inside the room, there is a table full of drunk dwarves and a cyclops. The cyclops tells the group to get out, “giants only”… the cyclops throws beer mugs at Damian. “Get out!” yells the cyclops.
Dar-wynn wanted to investigate the beer the dwarves were drinking and gets mugs thrown at her for her trouble.
Dar-wynn explodes in a shockwave and knocked over the dwarves table. She has taken a lot of damage. But between Konrad and her own powers, she slowly recovers. Brega casts gaseous form and slips under the locked door. There is a giant head made of stone in the room. A giant sits in front of the massive statue, staring at it.
Dar-wynn attempts to negotiate with the Cyclops. Damian offers a vial of pixie dust which causes the Cyclops to pass out.
Damian talks with the giant inside the next room. The giant’s brother has been turned to stone. Damian promises to find a cure for the giant’s stone brother if he will let them pass to the office. The party makes their way to the Tik Tok man’s office.
The Tik Tok man asks them who they are and what they want. Damian states that the party is after the token. He appreciates their moxy and asks what they have to trade (for information?). The Tik Tok man is holding a pipe behind his back.
The Tik Tok Man believes that the group is there to kill him. He speaks of Manteley who makes grubs at the man-molds.
The Tik Tok Man wants the grubs because he sells them to a trader for new metal.
The party agrees to find grubs and bring them back to the Tik Tok Man. The TTM tells the group to talk to Brambleson for assistance getting the grubs and bringing them back to the Forge.
The group makes their way back out of the Forge and into the brambles again.
Brambleson appears again to talk to the group about their progress. He tells the group about the circuit which is old and doesn’t work well. (It is a glowing teleportation disc.)
The group travels on…
Damian and Dar-wynn get into a heated debate about the morality of our actions.
