Kaneth Stearan

The group heads out upriver early in the morning of the 3rd day of the festival. Nearly a month’s journey lay ahead of them. The party moved quickly up the river without incident. Their journey to Arthfel forest was slowed with a fight with a Manticore they quickly dispatched. They avoided a Lumber Consortium ambush, traveling out of their way to enter the forest. That is when things got interesting.

Moving through a dense forest on a game trail, Kylie was attacked by an assassin demon. The party rushed to defend her, Gothion healing her repeatedly while the party fought the Demon. Max smote the demon, while Kaneth followed Becca’s suggestion to use the magic case the demon emerged from as a bashing shield, after his sword was damage by the demon’s acid coating. It was close, but the demon was killed, and Kylie saved.

The demon must have been there 100-150 years. He was waiting all the time to strike. What was odd, inside the box, there was a picture of Kylie! She was the target, but the demon was put into place before she was born. The party is unsure of the meaning. She took the odd medallion with a spider on one side, and an elf on the other. Also the party secured 40 coins from hell, before they evaporated into thin air.

Moving on, the party was surrounded by a party of druids and werewolves. They were led by Darsheeva’s son, Lyall, to her grove. There they met her mate, Bardolf and Grayson presented his plan. She agreed, on the condition that the party to help her end the Fey bargain made with a Faerie that is has now turned evil. Neither Darsheeva, nor her kin with Bardolf, nor any follower can enter the Northeastern part of the forest, which is under the control of an evil queen faerie. To end the spell without breaking it, one of her kin, not of Bardolf must enter the woods and retrieve a magical first world crystal flower.

It turns out, Becca Woodfell, is the granddaughter of Darsheeva. She can retrieve the flower and return it. The parted agreed, leaving their mounts and Grayson behind. They were escorted to the line in the forest and went in to find the flower. With them, was a magic cup, that when holding still water, would show them the way. Once into the dark part of the forest, they avoided the traps of ettercaps and giant spiders, finding a mound in the forest with the gathered loot of these ancient creatures and the flower. Avoiding the trap the flower was on, thanks to careful work by Kylie, the group fought their way out with their loot and ran for the line in the woods.

There were chased not only by the spider folk, but also the dark faerie herself. With the line in sight, there were beset by their hordes and the wasp-like fey herself. Kaneth picked up Becca, and using his magical eye patch, ran for the line, and the amassed kin of Darsheeva, and the druid herself. When the flower crossed, the kin exploded into the forest to fight back alongside the rest of the party.

After the fight, with the kin driving the dark fey back, the group retired to the grove, and then headed back to Almas.

Rewards and Loot:

• XP to get to 6th Level

• Money
  • 35 PP
  • 24GP
  • 78SP
  • 375CP
  • 40 Otherworldly coins that have to stay in a special container

• Items:
• Ancient Lion’s Head Shield (Kaneth)
• +2 Cold Iron Sword (Kaneth)
• Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds (25 charges) (Gothion)
• Mithral chain Shirt (Becca?)
• Crystal Flower (Becca)
• Wand Magic Mouth (14 charges) Verdantiel
• +1 Bracers of Armor (?)
• +2 Cloak of Resistance (?)
• Slippers of Spider Climb (Kylie)
• +2 Longspear (Kylie)
• Antique Weapons and Armor form Taldor (value to be discussed in 7/13/2013 Game)
• 2 Chain Shirts
• 22 gladius style swords
• 10 pilum heads
• 16 shields

You have seen the postings by Orrin, and you have heard that people are coming from as far away as Absalom. You decide to go, and on the second day, there is a long line of people waiting, but your early arrival was enough to ensure that you were able to sign up and still enjoy the day.

It is an odd process. You are asked to fill out two identical forms, one on normal paper, and one on a fancy parchment. The parchment form uses its own pen, and you would swear the ink has an odd smell that is hard to make out. Both forms require your full name plus any alias, age, place of birth, and your estimated age. They also have an oath that if selected you will take the job. In short, if you fill out the application and are picked, you will be hired. It is clear the parchment is being used for more than just this.

Finally, each parchment has a number on it twice, one in the top left and bottom right corners. That is written down on the paper one, and the bottom right corner is torn off and given to you.

At the end of the day, Orrin hosts a large feast to which all applicants are invited, filling a good part of the square. There is good food and drink (though Orrin’s men control how many draughts people are allowed to take). It is a fine time. You find yourself meeting others in the crowd and learning a thing or two about your fellow applications. There is an excited tension in the air.

After two hours, Orrin himself appears with Osyria. She limps on a withered, blackened leg.

Orrin says, “Thank you all for your offers of service. I regret that I cannot hire you all. Every man and woman here has a destiny, but not all lay alongside my road. For those that are not accepted, I say to you now, keep seeking challenges in the world, for there are many that must be faced if we are to keep the darkness at bay.

“Now, Osyria will assist in the selection of candidates.”

Osyria nods and goes through a ritual where she lights a fire in a caldron. She throws special powders onto it, causing the flames to change color. Then, one by one, she reads aloud the number of the application in her hand and she throws it into the fire. Each piece of parchment burns.

However, when she gets to number 12 the parchment explodes in a white flame, like burning phosphorus. Orrin says, number 12 congratulations, please come forward. You are selected. This happens a total of six times, including when your number is called.

The characters were escorted to Orrin’s offices in town, where he outlined the agreement. The Characters are offered:

• Room and Board in Almas when they are there, on one floor of Ostric’s offices and suites.
• 5 gp/month for living expenses
• Any loot they get from a mission, that is not the object of the mission
• Specific payment for some missions

He also told them of their first mission, is to escort the Negotiator, Alyn Grayson to meet with the Druid Darsheeva. The goal is to set up a treaty with the her in the north woods to establish an area for growing a renewable crop of trees. The idea is to set up a massive area, share profits with the druids (in some form as they don’t want gold) and then agree to leave the woods alone. It is his first step in going after the Lumber Consortium.

Darsheeva is a middle aged human, with Fey blood (Dryad). She was raised by a human Ranger, who was in a minor noble family. Before the death of Aoden, she left Andoran and signed over her holdings to other parties. Now she is a name spoken in whispers by logging families, that if you are not careful, Darsheeva will get you!

The party agreed and spent the next day with breakfast with Orrin and then getting ready to travel by barge up river to travel to the forest. Orrin supplies passes for the river and horses for those that do not have them.