Tl;dr: Adventurers from Port Mirandia meet survivors from a shipwreck, then follow a bird made from a rose to a undead assault on a millennium old cherry tree guarded by Rwalsa, a very long lived tabaxi. They then nearly die just trying to get back to Port Mirandia from an attack in the night.
Future Adventure Notes:
•Undead crewed boats are attacking other boats northwest of Port Mirandia. Likely no travel or shipping in that direction possible for now.
•A mist covered island that might be capable of moving caused a shipwreck northwest of Port Mirandia. Maybe someone should take a boat trip to investigate.
•Undead are pushing further inwards along the north. Maybe someone should check in on the La’pendi tribes.
•There are survivors from the fall of Torr Merr, some traveling south overland to Trader’s Bay.
•Rwalsa, a tabaxi older than Garden of Flowers, et. al. was met. He is a spiritual powerhouse pacifist guarding a cherry tree, probably other trees as well.
Session Title: Hexcrawl: The Green cup of aspirations
Session DM: Geokhan
Session Date: 25 May 2022 @ 23:00 UTC
Session Risk: 6+
Characters:
•Bar’Sah (Sorcerer 2/Wizard 2) with Clockwork the Familiar (played by Tootired78)
•Illias Osia (Sorcerer 2) (played by EarthyBeast)
•“Sister” Mavus (Paladin 4) (played by Arden)
•Sina (Paladin 4) (played by RCB)
Once again I, Bar’Sah found myself required to work for my keep here on this wretched island. Again I was saddled with the “holy” sisterss and another neophyte to this island, though he wass a fellow yuan-ti, if lesser then I, Bar’Sah. We met in Port Mirandia on a day heavy with rain, with intent to explore the Forest of Thorns. After crossing the bridge we were approached by two humanss, clearly fatigued.
There clothing was heavily worn. One walked with a cane, the other limped, with a visible wound. I wass grateful for “Sister” Sina in her obsequious manner, which meant I did not have to interact with these filthy wretches. They relaxed into her cloying manner, perhapss one day I should imitate it to see if I can get such resultss.
The wretches related a tale of woe. They were crew on a ship (no name mentioned) that was heading to Trader’s Bay, when they were rammed by other shipss crewed entirely by undead. They managed to escape the undead, fleeing south, when a fog shrouded island appeared out of nowhere.
Their captain tried to steer them away from it, but failed and the ship hit hard against the island rockss, causing them to be thrown overboard. Caught in the currentss, they were pulled from their ship, spent some time in the water before landing on the shores northwest of Port Mirandia, and were now desperately trying to find a way back, not knowing where they were.
They indicated this mysteriouss mist covered island appeared at a spot roughly twenty, maybe twenty-five miles northeast of the coast. Sister Mavus attended to the wounded one and then they were sent on their way to Port Mirandia. Then the “holy” sisterss decided we must go scour the beaches nearby for more survivorss.
The tale of this mist covered island brought back a memory from a previous adventure of mine. A memory of a note found in a bottle on the beach. This note would correlate with the two sailors we encountered. Perhaps some adventurers should be sent to search for this island.
We followed the road north, while keeping an eye to the shore. Nothing much of note here, but I will record my dismay at watching Illias Osias waste our gift at snake handling for mere friendship.
Further along the road we met a buffoonish half-elven musician, singing along the road. He was returning from a night trying to make coin from the guardmen at the nearby outpost, having failed to make much because the guards did not have much money. Something I would think even a peasant farmer might know.
His name was Roppels Quieve, and he had not seen nor heard of any undead in his recent travels. He then related a curiouss strange tale that he had just seen a bird made of flowerss that had flown near him not quite aggressively, but purposefully, eventually leaving him to fly off west to the forest. He thought there might be trouble over there. We continued south along the road while we went north to the outpost.
We informed the guardss at the outpost of the sailorss and the shipwreck. They informed uss that a shipwreck would make sense as there was much more driftwood than typical, but had seen no survivors. The guards mention they keep a watch out towardss the ocean but also watch west. They told us of how two nightss ago one of the patrolss came across two skeletal formss, and dispatched them, but they are concerned about larger groupss.
We spent the night safely at the outpost, and in the morning spent some time searching amongst the driftwood on the nearby shore. We found no survivors, or dead, a small box of coins and a silk handkerchief, with M.S. F.M. embroidered on it. Viewing the vicinity from high above through my owl, allowed me to see a dark shimmering shape in the deeper waters, very large, that submerged quickly. Far to the northeast I could was dark smoke or mist.
We fruitlessly searched for more survivors for the rest of the morning, but decided to change course and sought out the music man’s flower bird. We returned by the outpost, continued along the road and then left the road at the closest point to the forest, where we camped on the ground like animalss.
Through the quiet of the night, a strange hum to the southwest was audible to one of the watchess. Near the end of the night we were approached by a large force, aggressively. Things seemed quite dire, but cloying and obsequious “Sister” Sina somehow convinced the leader of this force to entreat with us, not fight. The leader’s primary concern was that we were affiliated with the undead, but he realized the two “holy sisters” would not be such.
The leader related their tale. Present at the fall of Torr Merr when it was attacked by an army of undead, their ship was destroyed in the harbour, forcing them to flee to the south. They described some of the creatures in that army as having tendrils from their head, created by foul magic.
They were trying to get and were quite insistent about going to Trader’s Bay, but had to go around the area controlled by the savage La’pendi tribes. They claimed to be livestock traders, but that seemed wrong, and were more likely piratess. They decided not to kill uss as we were forthright and honest about the location of Port Mirandia, which they wanted to avoid for some reason. We were happy to see them leave, and finished the night fretfully, but unmolested.
We ventured southwest, approaching the forest, when a strange humming sound approached. It was indeed a bird made from a rose, the size and behavior alike to a hummingbird. It flew around uss as if trying to get our attention, then flew west, and we followed.
In a forest clearing the bird halted. We saw a rocky cliffside with four cavess, three of which had water coming out. In front of the caves was a strange black mist, and skeletal forms in the mist. Three skeletal humanoids and two skeletal horse. We snuck close enough to hit with magic, then “Sister” Sina went even closer, perhapss to try her cloying talents on the undead. They attacked when she got too close.
The fight was long, as more and more skeletal forms, appeared from the caves. Some were skeletal gnollss, one ghostly, one some other type. We prevailed obviously, or I, Bar’Sah would not be here dictating this. After the fight the bird flew into the one cave with no water coming out. We followed.
Inside was a cave illuminated with an almost cheerful purplish or pink glow. We could hear chimes like a melody ahead and smell incense. Some unseen force for a brief moment prevented our progress but then relented, allowing uss further. Beyond the twists of the cave was a large cavern, with a lake and a single cherry tree. Beside the tree was a tabaxi, smoking, who offered his name, Rwalsa, and tea.
“Sister” Mavus related after that she detected a celestial being and consecrated ground in that cave.
Rwalsa, told us he had sent Tilly, (indicating the rose bird) to get help against the things trying to disturbed him. While it would have been trivial for him, he did not want to as he is a pacifist. “Sister” Sina was enamoured with idea and Rwalsa, commencing a long conversation. She seemed oblivious of the immense spiritual power this being possessed and radiated.
In responses to various questions, Rwalsa conveyed much information, but generated more questions. He said he enjoys returning “here” every few hundred years, leaving “here” undefined. Possibly this specific tree cave. He allowed us to enter because he could sense we were no threat to the tree and was lonely.
The undead were sent to desecrate the place and kill the cherry tree. We informed him that it was likely Netsoashu who sent these undead, but also that other various undead forces amassing around the island. He said he was aware of the profane actions to the north but limited at what he could do. That one can attain a certain status on the island he made a choice to protect what loves, but now he can protect only protect that.
He talked about how this tree was only a millennium old and still in the prime of its life. How he had been at this tree for nearly a decade and thought was time to move to another tree, at another site, many days travel away. He would not mention their locationss out of fear someone might pry it from our mindss.
Regarding one Garden of Flowerss, a tabaxi monk I have yet to meet, but have read some on, he spoke about knowing him and the other Garden’s before they were such, being older than them, but not by much. That they were chosen by The Great Council during the Great War / Purge. He would not speak more about this process or details, again to protect us from having this knowledge.
Rwalsa conveyed before we left that if there was ever a need, he could call on us as friends now. I rather do hope he never has a need, as saying no to such a creature would be difficult, even for I, Bar’Sah.
We left the forest, going east, with the intent of getting back to Port Mirandia the next day. We saw a giant frog, seemingly all along, but chose to let it be. We continued east, then went about setting up camp to again sleep like animals in the night. During the second watch we were attacked by a force, seen just in time by my owl to wake everyone.
This force comprised of some strange lion shifting creature, a giant frog, two roping monstrosities and a powerful martial artist. We were hard pressed, as we had yet to recover from the fight with the skeletons. It seemed dire, but eventually managed to wound some enough they fled, giving time to kill those that remained. We finished the night worried, weary and wary, managing to make it back to Port Mirandia the next day.
~Addendum~ I was informed by a rather large air genasi who overheard some of my dictation that the letters on the handkerchief seem to correspond to the name written on the note in the bottle, one Montgomery Smith, First Mate.