Session 23 & 24: The Missing Child. Report

General Summary

The Pathfinders made their way north of Westmarch, to the Ironbark Woods.   Traversing through the thick forest they eventually came upon an area of stagnant decay and a hill with a cave bored into its side.   Inside this deep cave, they heard the cries of the child they had come to find. The floor of the caverns was littered with bones and strange motes of unbound primal magic danced and drifted on the air, marring their path. Haskins and Tinkerer collided with the strange energy motes, they inflicted no damage but manipulated the passage of time of those they touched. Haskins found himself a decade younger while Tinkerer was aged by a few years. Eventually, they found the baby in a cot made of bones while strange laughter echoed throughout the caves.   After removing the child from the cot a wave of necrotic energy washed over the bones and they began to shift and swirl, eventually forming into the shapes of two hulking zombie bears who charged the party. Yulgor met the charge, Axes held firm. Kairi channeled radiant energy into a ward, lighting the cave with golden light and forced one of the creatures back while Yulgor and Griff tore the animated horrors apart. In the melee, the baby was hit by one of the drifting motes and the newborn became toddler in the space of mere seconds.   With the bears finally returned to the grave, the party checked over the child, Kairi noted that she was in fine health despite being missing for a week. However, all was not well as the pathfinders found no trace of the distinct birthmark the child's mother had mentioned. This did not sit right with Kairi and when the group was clear of the cave she weaved a spell of radiance that revealed the child to be fey, she also felt the presence of another fey creature lurking somewhere nearby. Communicating covertly, Tinkerer and Kairi were able to flush out the culprit. An ancient and wisened green hag was revealed and a desperate battle commenced.   Tinkerer unleashed the might of Lightning-Slinger, scorching the creature but she still stood and cast back her own bolt of primal lightning gravely wounded the gnome wizard. The hag superheated Yulgor's mail, burning his skin and forcing him to withdraw from the fight as Kairi and Haskins rained a hail of deadly projectiles. Griff and Wushuu charged into the hag dealing serious blows but she lashed out in return with her wickedly sharp claws in return and severed Wushuu's hand at the wrist.   The Hag melded into the shadows and made to flee but Tinkerer had other ideas. He stood on the trunk of a fallen tree and summoned the breath of an ice dragon, battering the forest with bitterly cold winds, revealing the crone. Seeing the Hag revealed Griff had his target and charged the creature that had maimed his adopted Tortle father. The Demigryph ripped into the hag, rending her in two and tore out her blackened heart, crushing it in his mighty beak.   Seeing her allies injured, Kairi wasted no time in getting to work, summoning radiant mana to reinvigorate her friends and deftly reattaching Wushuu's severed hand in a feat of medical expertise that left all watching in awe of the Aelvari's skill.   After a short rest to catch their breath, bind any remaining wounds and repair the damaged armour, the party began the journey home. The strange child fasted to griffs saddle.   On the way out of the woods, the pathfinders were caught in the path of one of the forests most dangerous predators as a hungry owlbear burst from the trees and charged the party. However, through quick thinking and superior numbers, they were able to prepare and destroy the owlbear in short order.   Upon returning to town the group found that Westmarch had come under attack from an Orc raiding party mere hours before. Fortunately, Naivara, using her Arcane skills of Divination was able to foresee the danger and along with her new friend Steggy, held off the enemy long enough for reinforcements to arrive from town. The bookish diviner greeted her friends with a warm smile and beckoned them inside the now destroyed gates.   Tinkerer and Felicia Fusecog engaged in a bout of friendly gnomish competition to see who could make the best improvements, while Kairi stayed to treat the defenders who had been injured in the Orc attack. Yulgor delivered the news that old Vangar had been avenged.   The task of dealing with the child fell to Wushuu who, after a long discussion, took the child to Westmarch Keep to receive the judgement of the Justicar. Rolan performed a series of tests and trials over the child but did not find any damning evidence, he decided to spare her for now until he had conferred with his order and released her into Wushuu's care. Wushuu returned the child to her family who were shocked but relieved to have their child, now several years older, returned to them. Wushuu was offered the services of their eldest child Baird in payment, which he accepted.   The next day Baroness Ashfield invited the heroes to dinner where she discussed the Orc threat and offered them the positions of Wardens of Westmarch. It was a choice they would need to carefully consider as their skills would also be sorely needed in the field in the battles to come.

Rewards Granted

Yulgor earned a 30% discount from Jen Broadoak for any building projects.   Wushuu has earned the services of Baird, the eldest of Culbert & Mirirams children as an assistant.

Missions/Quests Completed

Vengeance for Vangar! Completed   A Sensitive Matter. Completed.   The Green Tide Rises. Progressed.

Created Content

Baird Emerson

Notes

Great roleplay and some very close calls all around.