Damn if you do, damn if you don't Report

Missions/Quests Completed

our characters return from Neverland after Peter Pan performs a returning ceremony
as with much planar traveling magic accuracy isn't exact and the party lands between the Versuri (Jaana/Freyas) homestead and the town of Helix
the characters head towards town which is eerily quite

In town the characters question the local village idiot Alaster the Village Idiot
in his lunacy he confuses the halfling Bruce and Django as the children of Irja Vesuri (Jaana and Freyas mother) and tells them that their mother has been desperately looking for them (she went to deliver food in her barn and discovered the PCs missing - secretly gone to Neverland)
He also lets the PCs know that everyone else is on the boar hunt
of his muttering and ramblings Alaster keeps bringing up that "the clouds are watching"

deciding to wait for the adults to return our heroes decide to relax at one of Helixes two bars the Brazen Trumpet
slowly hunting parties return from the boar hunt - finally the Helix Hellions show up with carcusses of the foul creatures
they begin to berate the PCs for shirking their duty to help
the PCs lap it up and in fact congratulate the Hellions
more people return several reiterating that Jaana/Freya mother was worried and said she should be here awaiting news of the PCs whereabouts

worried that Irja Vesuri isn't part of the hunting parties the PCs decide to head off to her farmstead
as they passed the site of the broken down and mud stuck wagon from the night before they investigate
the PCs apprehension at helping the wagoneers was proven wise as upon investigation it appears a scuffle had taken place after they pass by
among signs of struggle as piece of jewelry belonging to Irja is found in the mud

realizing from studding impressions in the mud the PCs realize the wagon was never really stuck as it had extriicated itself easily
the character begin to track the wagons progress along the North Road
a few miles of travel reveals the wagon veered off the road and begin travelling cross country towards the coast
then it would appear that a few passengers disembarked a split up from where the wagon was travelling
the PCs decide to keep following the wagon

the trail ended at the shores of the Nyr Dyrv (the bottomless lake bigger than any of the real world great lakes)
through some scouting of Den Withertongue it established that several orcs and captured citizenry occupy a lake side cabin
Django Dill comes up with a plan to cause a distraction to lure out the orcs - its partially successful
as the battle is enjoined an aquatic drake rises from the water the leader of the orc band
the suppressing magic of Yvaine and Django severely hampers the orcs while Jepab is separated from his companions facing the drake in melee
ranged attacks by gun and bow (Jaana and Den) whittle away both the orcs and drake but the enemies also inflict their own damage
nearing his last breath Pejab manages to strike the final fatal blow against the drake

the last orc remaining takes Irja hostage and slowly tries to make it to a rowboat on the shore
failing to convince the humanoid to surrender Jaana takes him out with a well placed pistol shot "no one threaten mamma!!"

doubtful put possible for the PCs to make it for the tithing ceremony they head back towards Helix
a lucky random encounter has them encounter soldiers from Hawkmoor Keep (domain of Annie's father) who escort the PCs back to the keep
after some fraughtful waiting Annie's father emerges and directs the PCs to Hawkmoors wizard who teleports the group to Helix - just in time to make the tithing ceremony

the characters get decked out with their tithing regalia and head into the Cairn Hills to meet Ossithrax and his Kobold minions for the tithing
they arrive at an alter located on the precipice of a ravine where the dragons minions demand the giving of the tithe
this is extremely questionable as protocol has the tithe being directly given to the dragon who is now missing
parleying with the minions is fruitless with their leader a Black Abishai (dragon devil/angel) demanding the tithe be given
the PCs relent and the two groups part ways - the PCs seeing no reason to start hostilities
it is revealed that a dozen or so Kobolds were hiding in the foliage - another breaking of tradition

on the way back to Helix the group comes across the Hellions who have taken issue with the PCs lack of duty (not realizing what the PCs have been going through)
they demand the scroll with the contract of peace between Ossithrax and Helix garnered at the tithe
a non-lethal combat breaks out between Ottioc, Enka and Sehtrim
despite Ottioc withcraft, Enka's combat prowess and the tactical planning of the Sehtrim the PCs emerge victorious