Pahhu: Shifting Sands of Time 19: Different Lands

DAY 50
 
The portal closed behind them, a final glimpse of Thamisia staring dispassionately as the planes mended and the party found themselves on an enormous tree-stump. The stump was decorated, and along the periphery a number of small homes were built into longstanding bark with signage and decor suggesting they had arrived in a bazaar. In truth they had arrived in the center of a pixie’s town square, and they were soon mobbed by curious fey.
 
After a brief exchange of stories and goods, including the purchase of a right bundle of pixie dust, the party learned of the general direction of the vanishing tower; it was a few days walk to the southwest. The pixies warned of the dangers of crossing the plains and suggested using the trees as cover, even if added a day or two to their journey. “It’s the only way to avoid the blood drinkers.” One particularly flirty pixie warned Rasheed with a pout, rather sad to see him go.
 
Regardless the plains must be crossed to reach the trees, and with the sight of unusual ruins dotting a nearby hilltop the group felt themselves drawn to this point. They’d seen nothing wandering these lands yet; perhaps the pixies simply feared to travel beyond their village and told stories to keep the visitors they adored in the village longer?
 
The ruins were mostly overgrown, with a single fountain surprisingly still operating, as clear water trickled through broken stone. The party fanned out to look about the place, but a rustling from the west caught their attention a bit too late. Before they could even react three savage Sylvan bloodbringers were upon them, horrifying razor claws cutting into Jorah and nearly ripping her apart.
 
The fight was brutally quick, with Jorah pulled out of the fray as the savages were driven into a blood frenzy. Despite being ferocious fighters and devastating ambush predators the bloodbringers proved to be able to dish it but not take it. Their ambush gambit had not paid off, as within a few seconds the last bloodbringer collapsed, torn apart by Marinette after having been frozen in time by Pahhu.
 
The party licked their wounds after the fight; some matter of poison had been on the claws of the beasts and the bleeding wouldn’t stop from the cuts they opened. As they made camp to rest they soon became aware of an approaching band of giants. Rasheed ran ahead to put eyes on them and identified them as trophy hunters. Perhaps they had come to clear the ruins of the bloodbringers? The party was unsure of how to approach the giants, but they needed allies and information in these new lands. They would wait and speak with them.
 
“... a mistake.” Theodore sighed. Talks had broken down quickly with the giants. The party had slain their prey, and the exotic travelers they had found instead would make suitable trophies. “Perhaps there is greater prey, something we could assist you with hunting? We’ve no interest in making enemies here.” The party attempted reason but it backfired. “Assist? You weaklings can assist no one! We shall show you our strength!”
 
The giants attacked in formation, throwing withering barrages of spears and locking shields as they charged the party. The party would answer that challenge by trying to shatter them, as Theodore called down bolts of lightning and Pahhu unleashed an enormous ripple of temporal energy through half of the formation. Three of them phased out of time, their back line suddenly vanishing as they were banished to a place without time.
 
The remaining giants struggled to regain their composure but were overwhelmed as the odds fell against them. Withering storms of cutting icy scythes rained at Jorah’s command, combining with Theodore’s lightning to form a horrifying storm of death. On the ground the giants suffered from the turbulent wind, whispering across the grassy battlefield unseen and swift, deeply cutting into their legs and back and then gone before they could turn to see him. Ed’s glowing flail struck resounding blows as Marinette’s axe cleaved through entire legs, tumbling the giants and leaving them vulnerable to Tona’s pounces as Nyx rained arrows from above, forcing the giants’ shields up. The rout was complete, and even when Pahhu allowed the other giants back from their temporal holding they were soon felled by prepared attacks.
 
With the battle over the group considered the nature of the plane. The giants had been from outside the plane, seemingly aggressors hunting for fun. They didn’t regret having killed the giants, but it was clear that they’d have to be careful. Not everything would be as friendly as the pixies.
 
DAY 51 & 52
 
The next few days passed uneventfully as the grasslands proved uneventful… the party began to approach the treeline.
 
DAY 53
 
The party came across a strange lowland. A single tree with unusual pink foliage stood tall over a ring of standing water, surprisingly clear and pristine despite being standing. Seemingly resistant to stagnation there was an unusual sight as a crossbow floated still within the pond. The group approached and soon discovered, after a wave of incessant babbling, that the crossbow was cursed by a symbol. As they stood away from it, waiting for the magic to clear a female voice greeted them from the tree.
 
It was a lonely dryad, seemingly bound to this pond. The party discovered that she had once had friends, lovers even, but they had all slowly stopped visiting her. She demanded that the party leave one of their own with her to keep her company, quickly coming to favor the men of the party. After Theodore weaseled his way out of it with words, the Dryad instead fixated on Ed, soon catching a stiff arm and a refusal.
 
As the men tried to figure out what was wrong with this Dryad, attempting to find any magical curses or other oddities with the grove. As they did so, Pahhu and Jorah had a discussion. “You ever had a boyfiend or anybody, Jorah?” Pahhu asked as she swung her legs under a bench. “No, I’ve not. Have you, Pahhu?” “Nuh-uh, all the boys think I have extra-cooties or somethin’ ‘cause I am always dirty y’know? I think I want one though one day. I wanna have a big wedding with all my family and cousins there and Paw can marry me!”
 
Jorah looked at Pahhu in bemusement as she built up momentum on the idea. “And then Paw can walk me down the aisl- wait, he can’t marry me and walk me down the aisle. OH! I KNOW! SQuinton can walk me down the aisle and then it’ll be just the same! It’ll be perfect! Promise me you’ll come, Jorah!” Jorah gently smiled at the excited girl and gave a nod. “I promise.”
 
Meanwhile the others had finally determined that the Dryad’s grove had been cursed with a mirage that was causing others to see it as withered and dead, and that she herself had been manipulated to see it all incorrectly. After some effort they were able to break all of the spells and bring the dryad to her senses. After doing so they promised to deliver letters to the dryad’s friends at the shining tower to tell them she was alive and well and encourage more visits. The party would stay the night with the Dryad, receiving small gifts from her before departing the next day.
 
DAY 54
 
The party came across a group of Winter Eladrin chasing after a wounded individual, the blood staining his strange garb. The bleeding individual ran towards the party seeking asylum. The eladrin were familiar with Rasheed and Marinette, having been in the mirror’s vision when looking at the Reality Tether. They soon learned the winter court was hunting a thief who had stolen a gemstone from them. The thief admitted to the theft, but claimed it was originally his family’s gemstone. Hoping to at least save the thief’s life the party chose to knock the thief out, returning the gemstone to the eladrin and then leaving the unconscious man in the bushes nearby. They left him to come to of his own accord.
 
The eladrin thanked the group, promising that this would keep negotiations going well at the vanishing tower. The group shared glances at each other, uncertain of what was going on at the now vanished tower but they hoped that this would aid them in their quest to gain the favor of Labelas.
 
As evening fell the group crossed into a powerful treant’s clearing. Accused of trespass the party was demanded to tell a tale of something the treant had never heard of. Speaking only in Druidic, Theodore chose to try to appease the treant. He told the tale of the Time Scar in Hillsfar. (Details in Quinton’s Journal under SSOT Side Chapter: The Time Scar.) The treant found the tale outrageous and it was nothing he had ever heard of, pleased with the tale he allowed the adventurers passage through his forest and allowed them deep into the woods, where they would soon make camp.
 
DAY 55
 
The group struggled with the deep woods, with few ways to align themselves they walked in circles and passed the area they sought repeatedly. It was evening by the time they found themselves breaking into a clearing where they saw two robed figures, dressed in robes of Labelas Enoreth. More importantly the figures were familiar. It was Sariandi Morvyre and Abaka Felfarren, Pahhu’s Parents!