- Leader: Faenoa, Fighter 6, Wizard 1
- Scout: Bardy, Bardy 6, Cleric 1
- Trailblazer: Zoren, Fighter 1, Cleric 8
- Chronicler and Cartographer: Griters Pebblestone, Wizard 5
- Cober, Cleric 1, Wizard 8
- Cade, Warlock 7
(Gau overslept.)
Day 1:
We went to see a potential ally named Odette that lived in the forest southeast of Port Mirandia. We saw a few large animals. First aurochs during the afternoon. Then dinosaurs called ankylosaurus during twilight. Faenoa gave it a cookie. She had a high-pitched voice and a rambunctious demeanor. It can be both tiresome and endearing, depending on my condition. Finally, we saw a badger. Cober looked like he was going to use his tome to observe them, but he didn’t. Interesting. Faenoa made soup. I was going to take it, but I let Cober take it since he looked eager.
A ghastly screech woke us in the night, making me unable to move my body. Fiendish winged creatures appeared and assaulted us, diving down like gigantic bats, melded partially with the dark night. I could only watch for a few seconds as these monsters attacked our base.
I conjured my Guardian of Faith for the first time, and it had a glorious shield with Lathander’s symbol on it.
Cober banished one to the Outer Planes. They were called vrocks. One vrock tore Faenoa’s clothes as it tried to carry her away and then clawed at her. Faenoa mended her clothes afterwards with bashfulness, shouting that it was a sight only for Daffodil. It seemed her priorities were quite set in her own way.
After the vrocks were killed, Faenoa and Griters went “tummy-diving” for loot. It was a darkly comedic sight.
During my watch, I played my viol. It was fine. I made do. Griters, his familiar Spinel, and the Guardian of Faith served as a good audience. I wonder if I can cast Spiritual Weapon to summon a longsword to move in tune with my song. I also cast Death Ward on myself as well just to be safe.
Cade woke me up to ask what a bird was that had approached the camp. It was a war ostrich. I woke up Cober, but Cade ended up using Patrick Star to chase it away. I hope Cober isn’t too disappointed. I advised Cade to ask Cober in the future about identifying beasts. The Guardian of Faith also nodded.
Day 2:
We entered the forest, but something felt amiss to Cade and Bardy, for the magic seemed fainter. There was no welcome party for us either. Odette the swan warrior lady was nowhere to be found.
We searched the forest by heading east. We avoided the bad area that Odette had warned others to avoid. Hobgoblins called the bad area the Dark Valley.
Bardy and I found a hollow in a tree with molding food of some sort. Faenoa discerned that it was moldy cheese that was not intentionally left out to mature. We wondered if Odette had left to find ones known as the Dark Ones.
We circled around the Dark Valley and moved southeast, and as we did so, the forest became warmer like it was summer rather than winter.
Bardy and Faenoa found more food than yesterday. Rabbits and mushrooms. The birds Anhinga and Spinel found that it was warmer to the southeast. Faenoa detected enchantment magic in the area. Cober tried identifying it. Cober noted it didn’t feel like the magic of the forest could be used.
I managed to eat Faenoa’s cooking tonight. It was alright. Serviceable. Faenoa’s diet of cookies seemed concerning.
During my watch, I cast Augury to see what results would happen if we entered the Dark Valley. The results were woe. Expected, but interesting nonetheless. Cober’s grey skeletons stood guard.
Cober’s skeletons were named Os. There were white, grey, and black skeletons. They unnerved me, despite their useful capabilities in combat. They reminded me of Daffodil’s interest in skeletons. Along with Anhinga the giant owl familiar and Phantom Steeds, Cober had quite the assortment or perhaps menagerie at his side. I wonder if the skeletons can dance.
Day 3:
After making a mistake with tracking, we followed the warm forest zone southeast. I found hobgoblin tracks. Griters Pebblefingers noted that the Craw Jung hobgoblins were friendly enough. We sent out Anhinga the large owl and Spinel the small owl to see which areas were warm. Anhinga went east, and Spinel went southeast. Spinel saw a white bird fly to the east. Griters wondered if the white bird was a swan. Anhinga saw hobgoblins. We followed the white bird.
“Craw Jung, Fisheye, and Gruf Gruff are friendly hobgoblin tribes, and the Sunter are aggressive but not really evil. Just more of the angry brother.”
Griters Pebblestone
The wind became colder as we headed east. It soon started raining cats and dogs. Faenoa huddled under Cober. It was so cold that the puddles began to freeze, and rain froze over on my face. I tried casting Augury to see what would happen if we continued through the storm. I found both good and bad results. Cober protected us from the rain using Leomund’s tiny hut.
Bardy noted that the rain was magical. The clouds were centered in this area and definitely not natural. As we discussed in the hut, the rain subsided.
Faenoa heard sounds of fighting and a woman screaming to the east, so we went to the source of the sounds. The ground was frozen due to rain freezing over the grass, making it hard to travel. Cober helped somewhat by making Phantom Steeds for us. We carefully moved to prevent slipping on the bloody ice. The mounts appeared slightly like nightmares but without the flames.
We soon saw a maiden warrior dressed like a swan with white feathers. She was being held by a hideous blue creature that was eating the lady. Faenoa charged at the creature, denouncing it as an ugly hag. She held a grey staff. Another monster appeared from the trees and zapped lightning at Cober. It seemed to be made out of wind itself.
I used my handy Channel Divinity and unleashed the radiance of the dawn on the monsterous females. Faenoa attacked with her glowing moon-touched shortsword. Cade used his Eldrtich Blasts that agonised the enemy. The strong winds hindered the familiars like Patrick, Anhinga, and Spinel, so everything except Patrick couldn’t do much. Patrick also still seemed wounded after resting. Cade later said it was due to it being a construct. That was new for me. I tried healing the “swan maiden,” whom was bitten by the hag and in the hag’s grip, but it didn’t work.
Cober banished two of the whirlwind witches. That sounds catchy. Whirlwind witch.
The hag tried to cast a spell, but Cober, Griters, and Bardy all Counterspelled her at the same time. I kind of felt bad for her. She tried to escape by flying on her broom, but Faenoa stopped her with a stab, and Patrick got on her staff, and Cade shot a blast to her heart, killing her. Screeching in rage, another whirlwind witch appeared and zapped Cade. I cast Spirit Guardians and summoned angels to punch it in Lathander’s name. The monster seemed to only focus on Cade though and attacked Cade with kisses of lightning that shot out from her mouth. She must have been really upset by the hag dying. I took her down with my spiritual weapon, which was a longsword.
Cober identified the whirlwind witches as beings known as Ala. Cober communicated this while disguising himself with an illusion of a gnoll. For some reason.
It seemed like the blue skinned hag was the one controlling the wild weather, for the winds died down after she died.
Bardy identified that the dead swan maiden was not Odette, which was a relief. I used Speak With Dead to ask the body 5 questions:
- Do you know Odette? Yes.
- Where is Odette? Nearby.
- Why was the hag attacking you? The hags were natural enemies.
- Was the hag involved with any other organisations? The hags were being investigated for ties with other factions.
- How can we find Odette? Wait.
We buried the body with a thin layer of soil. I gave a short prayer in Lathander’s name.
After a few minutes of waiting, flying swans and a unicorn appeared. The swans transformed into white feathered maiden warriors. One of them was Odette. The unicorn’s name was Elwyn. Bardy told her one of her soldiers was killed by the hag. Odette started crying, clutching the body. Elwyn the unicorn told us that the body was that of Odette’s sister Odile. We respectfully gave them several minutes to mourn. Odette told us that she was investigating the hags movement. She and her people was moving to a new location west across the river to the Forest of the Small Folk due to overcrowding in the current forest. Faenoa became friends with a woman warrior named Alva. She told her that it took a full day to become a swan maiden warrior. The swan maiden warriors protected the Summer Court and its queen named Queen Ashlinn.
The swan maiden warrriors had split up in their search. They stated they would need the help of adventurers soon. Queen Ashlinn wanted them to search for something. The Queen was busy at the moment, so we could not meet at her currently, but if she needed help, she would contact the town soon. Odette also told us that alas were made when lightning struck trees. The swan maiden warriors took Odile’s body onto Elwyn and took it with them, and Odette thanked us for avenging her sister. Faenoa expressed interest in becoming a swan maiden warrior herself, but when she heard they served a Queen, she seemed less interested. I said farewell to the unicorn in Elvish as they disappeared into the forest.
We headed southwest back to the road, moving back to the winter forest zone from the summer forest zone. During my watch, I saw a large silhouette south of the camp. We decided to ignore the silhouette, but Anhinga the giant owl flew after it. They were 2 wooly rhinoceroses. We let them go on their way.
Day 4:
We headed back to Port Mirandia on Cober’s Phantom Steeds. I got a bit more used to riding them. Faenoa found a pool of blood and rhino prints as big as dinner plates. The rhinos were most likely attacked by something. We ran into merchants selling cloves and cows. A guard was also present named Stu Mickles. He had a brother in Port Mirandia named Stu Mickles who had a farm who was recently attacked by yetis, but other adventurers helped him and brought him goats.
Day 5:
We returned to down as the sun went down over the horizon.
I asked Griters to help with the log using Minor Illusion to finalise this product.