Volume 1, Chapter 3 - The Compiled Memoirs of Jed Kingsdown, Field Notes of Lavanel Daenorin Extract - A Village in the Trees
General Summary
The Compiled Memoirs of Jed Kingsdown, Extract
Ugsday, 11th Tummony
The party remembered that they told Brell to gather many townspeople at the Stone Circle. Deciding to quickly meet them and put their minds at rest, the party took Nieve and met the beginnings of an unruly mob. Brell, injured but carried on a cart, was overjoyed to see his daughter and thanked the party for rescuing her. Spray gave an eloquent speech that told the townspeople they were now safe from the orcs and the schemes of the Reeve. The crowd cheered and the party rode back on the cart with Brell. Back at The Giant's Head the party got very drunk, watched by a mysterious half elf, whom I later learned to be Arpeggio.Belensday, 12th Tummony
The party woke one by one the next day. Rhobur and Helda remained in bed, obviously worse for wear. Lavanel Daenorin woke first and introduced herself to the half-elf, sounding him out as to his purpose in the town. She discovered his name was Arpeggio, a strolling entertainer and collector of stories, searching for something in Kelador. She told him the story of the parties exploits in the region. Later Spray awoke and joined the other elf kin for breakfast, delivered free by the recovering Nieve. I awoke last from my messy repose by the Inn fireplace. After bathing and having my clothes laundered, I joined the elf kin for another free breakfast. He asked who else was traveling to Kelador and discovered that while Spray and Arpeggio were travelling onwards, Lavanel still had a mission to compete on behalf of her parents and her kingdom of Daenor. Nevertheless, they would all require transport onward from Ornblake and Lavanel’s urgency was almost infectious. After penning a quick note for the Lord De L’Ornblake-Feldspar and attempting to extort a potion from the local potion shop, I headed towards the coach stop. Lavanel planned to hire another horse, but failed to charm the stable owner with her haughty manner, though the somewhat cavalier acquisition of the previous horse might well have affected his opinion. The stable owner pointed out that the previously purchased horses were still somewhere on the road. Lavanel remembered that Rhobur had told the horses to wait at Doggett’s farm. The stable owner also pointed out that the coach would most likely be along in four more days. Lavanel therefore decided to claim her errant horse and set off on foot for Doggett’s farm. Close enough to overhear, I did some quick mathematics and realised there was at least one spare horse at the farm. I trotted off a short distance behind Lavanel. Arpeggio had left shortly after Lavanel and was close enough to overhear some of the discussion with the stable holder. He also enquired as to the possibility of purchasing a horse, but even his silver tongue could not bring the price within an acceptable level. On an impulse he decided to follow Lavanel and myself on foot, hoping they knew a quicker route through the forest to Kelador; or at least towards a good story. I later discovered that, before leaving the Giant’s Head behind Arpeggio, the Half-Elf we then knew as Spray shocked Brell by dropping a huge bag of money on his bar; the total cash recovered from the tithe cart. Brell said he’d take it to the Fort Ornblake for redistribution and tried to persuade Spray and her companions to stay: there was a circus coming to town, though it was already somewhat delayed. Spray told him she was moving on and Brell said he’d tell the story of the group’s victory. Spray then revealed her true name, to ensure the record was accurate – her name being Gamble. Afterward Gamble visited Ornblake’s blacksmith, trying to discover if they knew of any traders in Kelador that might deal in unusual weapons. After getting a few suggestions she also planned to purchase a horse, but decided to be a lot more circumspect as she had not paid for her horse like Lavanel and Helda. She arrived at the stable just in time to see Arpeggio following Lavanel and myself along the road. With little else to do, and hoping largely for companionship en-route, Gamble trailed after them. As they travelled, spread out along the road, Lavanel spotted what to less-aware eyes would have seemed a pile of undergrowth. Upon investigation she found an elf she knew: Sauriel, a servant of her parent’s court, collapsed from exhaustion while seeking Lavanel. She had run all day from the centre of the forest with a message from Lavanel’s parents, urgently calling her home as the darkness that beset the forest had intensified. Lavanel immediately began helping Sauriel towards Doggett’s farm and the waiting horses. My fundamental disregard was overwhelmed by his sense of aristocratic obligation and he grudgingly assists. They made their way to Doggett’s farm where they met Mrs Doggett. She told them all about the busy night before, with crowds of people rushing back and forth from the stone circle and three horses randomly wandering up to the farm. She also mentioned the circus that was meant to be coming to down but that was now four days late. I fulsomely, if awkwardly, thanked her while Lavanel threw Sauriel onto the back of one of the horses. Sharing a horse with her wounded subject and with me following on another, we three set off into the trees. Behind them, Arpeggio and Gamble, surprised by the sudden change of direction, took the last horse and pursued Lavanel and I into the all but trackless forest. Almost as soon as Arpeggio and Gamble caught up with Lavanel and I, the party was attacked by vine blights. The writhing fibrous creatures lashed out at the party members, entwining me and hindering Arpeggio’s rapier thrusts. Soon the party reduced them to splinters, but one of the three horses escaped in the mayhem. The group travelled onwards, more slowly now, as the entangling undergrowth tightened around them. All of them needed to stop for the night and found a nearby cave. While the elfenfolk recuperated, my ablutions were nearly ruined by an encounter with a snake.Monday, 13th Tummony
Waking in the morning and pushing onwards towards the hidden city of Daenor, the group caught sight of something colourful through the trees. Upon investigation they found the remains of the circus wagons, most shattered and broken, with no immediate valuables to be perceived. Before they could investigate further, I was once more enmeshed, this time by a sticky web that dropped out of a tree. Gamble was struck by an insectoid claw as an ettercap and his arachnid flock leapt out of ambush. As the party fought Lavanel heard something moving in one of the carts. As if drawn there by fate, she discovered a gorgeous black panther, still trapped in it’s mostly broken mobile cage. Moved by the panther’s, plight Lavanel shattered the lock with a blow from her shortsword. The panther leapt free, but instead of attacking or fleeing, it stayed on the edge of the fight, perched on a nearby stump, watching the young elf woman as the spiders moved to attack. The party fought bravely, with Gamble rescuing me from the web but struggling against the ettercap. Arpeggio speared a spider on his rapier and Lavanel’s arrows shattered chitin with each strike. Behind her, a spider crept forward only to be suddenly pounced on by the watching panther. The spider struck back with insectoid fury, knocking out the panther with its deadly poisoned mandibles. Lavanel spotted the bleeding beast and drew on her connection to the natural world to heal its wounds as the skirmish came to an end. While the party bandaged their wounds and searched the clearing again Lavanel communed with the grateful beast. From it she learned that the big cat’s circus had been attacked as it moved through the forest, but he had seen little else from its cage. More importantly, she learned of its immense sense of honour and gratitude: through the spell it spoke to Lavanel of the life debt it felt it owed her. She had won a loyal companion and the party had increased by one. The elvenfolk and somewhat grumbling human continued through the forest until they reached a clearing, dim beneath the thick canopy of branches. Lavanel’s whistle pierced the gloom, drawing a response in the form of a lowered platform from the hidden city above. Bidding her companions to remain, so as not to draw the ire of the xenophobic elves, Lavanel and her panther companion ascended into the realm of Daenor. Those left behind settled down to await her return. In the forest below, Arpeggio plucked lightly on his lute, I combed my hair and Gamble managed to sit on a particularly odious fungus. Editor’s note: there is no record as to whether these events occurred or are merely embellishments by the authorField Notes of Lavanel (Extract)
Monday 13th Tummony
The party walked on to a clearing in the wood where I let out a whistle and warned the others that my parents are very wary to outsiders and it makes sense that I go to speak with them first. As I say this a wooden platform lowers from the treetops. Stepping on board with Sauriel and the Panther, I whistle again for the platform to rise into the treetops. Arriving at the top, I head toward the palace where my parents live. There, I am met by our houseman, Finarfean, who tells me that my Parents are attending an emergency meeting in the great hall with the Elder Council. I head towards the great hall where I find my mother, Nienna and father, Eärendur, assembled with the council. I explain my reason for bringing some people to help them in their quest to which she is quickly interrupted by her father who informs her that they already know of the party waiting in the forest. After arguing with father, I tried to convince her softer, more even tempered mother to help. Ethix, a servant at the Council Chamber, is sent to fetch the party and bring them back to the great hall so I can show my parents that there is nothing to worry about and that they would do well to let the others help because of the recent events involving Nieve. Nienna recounts the history of the The War of the Energies.“The Elements now in the world, the Battle of the Energies, of Light and Dark, began. Each thought the world should only be bathed in their Energy…
… The Battle of the Energies ended when the champions of Light and Dark, Lumina and Cherog, met on the battlefield and formed an uneasy peace. The Energies would share Ara, taking turns to bathe the world, forming the cycle of day and night. This Great Balance was sealed and with it the Elements, too, found balance and became fixed in Ara, enabling mortal life to survive….
…This portentous relationship survived for an age, unknown beneath the feet of the mortal above. However, Lumina discovered she had conceived a child with Cherog. Fearing for the future of her offspring and suspecting Cherog wished to use the child for his own ends, Lumina decided to act to protect it. She tricked Cherog into another realm and sealed him there, closing the rift. To prevent his re-entering Ara to wreak revenge for her treachery, she bound that seal into that of the Great Balance of the Elements and Energies, thus making it part of the foundations of the world. This came at a terrible cost, knowing that, if ever that seal were broken, so too would be the Great Balance of the Elements which stabilises Ara.”
Field Notes of Lavanel (Extract continued)
My mother, Nienna, made it clear to the group that a crack has been opened in the seal and the Great Balance has been tipped. This shift in the Great Balance has been the cause of the troubles in the forest. I push for more information, by my father is reluctant. Jed speaks to Eärendur and uses flattery and subordinate respect to try and gain his trust, this is appreciated by Eärendur, however, he still does not think this is the right thing for Daenor, he turns his attention to Spray and Arpeggio, the two half elves, and regards them with distain as impure half breeds. This doesn’t sit well with Spray who launches a tirade at Eärendur, accusing him of being stubborn and calling him out on the way he treats his own daughter. She tells him of the mission to save Nieve and how they managed to save Ornblake town from a huge Orc camp (to which Jed points at the Orc head on his shoulder) as well as reunite a grief stricken father with his daughter, after she was due to be sacrificed. Eärendur then rebuts with the accusation that is must have been their fault for releasing the darkness into the forest by awakening the shadow demons. Eärendur shares that he has had visions that the darkness in the forest is connected with Kandarert.“And, lo, in the fifteeth year of the war, Kandarert, the great champion of the North, did have a prophetic dream in which he saw his own death and that of his treasured sword-thane. Though mighty on the battlefield, he was afeared by this and did not feel that he wished to join his ancestors. He cried out in anger and fear, stating he would give all to avoid this fate. He was unaware that the ground on which he stood was at the site of the resolution of the Battle of Light and Dark, where the veil between our world and the planes of the Gods was thinner. His pleas were heard by Oloch, God of the Dark. He sent one of his servants, Cherog, before he was imprisoned by Lumina, to give a boon to Kandarert. A deal was forged that, upon death, Kandarert and his sword-thane would not pass into the land of the ancestors but would return in Undeath as servants of the Dark. As a token of this pact, he gave unto Kandarert a ring with a stone as black as Oloch, the Ring of Obfuscation. And thus, as the fates decreed the day came when indeed Kandarert and his sword-thane did die upon the battlefield. True to the word of Oloch, they did not go to their rest, but two nights later they returned to the world in Undeath. However, the words of Oloch are clever, and Kandarert became fully a servant of the dark: unable to use his own will, he and his companion savaged the nearby population of men, terrorising, killing and raising undead as to the will of Oloch. This continued for nearly a decade until a nomadic tribe of Wood-Elves did join with the remaining men to force the two undead into an enchanted labyrinthine tomb into which they were sealed.”
Field Notes of Lavanel (Extract continued)
Eärendur tells how the men lost trust in the Elves, and that his ancestors caused the forest to grow over and hide the Tomb to protect it, and thus the Elves of Daenor separated themselves from the perfidious world of men. He makes it clear that he believes that the spreading dark has reawakened Kandarert in his tomb, and the activity has caused more dead to rise in Undeath. He views this as the fault of the travellers, and does not trust them to resolve the problem. I then step in to defend my fellow travellers to her parents, stating that their actions prevented a larger break in Great Balance through the groups actions and pointing out that the only way they could defeat the darkness before was with the help of outsiders and they would need this help again if they were to be successful. Arpeggio points out to Eärendur that they needn’t worry about their group and they have no malicious intent, they would do their best for the forest and vowed to try and protect it the best they could. Nienna agrees that they have run out of options and she trusts her daughter to protect the forest as she always has, she convinces Eärendur to let them try. Eärendur agrees to let them help, if they pass a test of worthiness first, as opening the Tomb would pose an even greater risk than leaving things as they are. The party agree to any test that he wishes to impose on them as long as they could rest and recover for the night first. Nienna tasks Ethix and Sauriel to make the strangers feel welcome and to inform the others that they are to be treated as guests. Ethix shows them to their sleeping quarters. The party spend the afternoon in different places around the town, Jed, Spray and Arpeggio go to the library to try and find out all they can about the history of this place and the darkness that once invaded it. Whilst Arpeggio was reading as much information as possible, Jed starts to hear strange voices coming from the bookcases, as he starts to move closer to the source he reaches out and touches a book, as he does he is instantly engulfed by a strange force and collapses on the floor, a jibbering mess. Spray checks to see if he is still alive as I come to find the rest of the party. I tell the others that I am going to the armoury to try and convince the armorer to make bespoke leather armour for the panther to protect him, but would need Arpeggio’s persuasion skills to try and convince her to make it. They step over Jed, who is still on the floor and task Spray with making sure he doesn’t die. At the armoury Arpeggio uses his persuasion skills to convince the armorer, Aning, that it would be good for her business and a true test of her craft if she were to attempt to make the panther some armour, as well as being seen in a good light by my parents for doing their daughter such a big favour. She accepts to take on the challenge under one condition, she would like an apprentice to work with her in the armoury so that she can pass on her skills, I assure her that my parents would make sure she gets an apprentice. Back at the Library, Spray hits Jed around the head to wake him up, he seems shaken, but also so much more sure of himself since this latest incident. Jed walks into the meditation space to try and find out some more information about the undead they are facing, he goes about this by being loud. He doesn’t get much out of the high elf who then asks him to leave. Whilst in the meditation space, I perform a naming ceremony to christen my new companion. I choose Apollo, the ancient name for the god of the sun, to help them in these dark times.Nuday 14th Tummony
When we awaken, we are shown back to the platform by Eärendur, we gather on the lift and with a whistle from the Elf, it descends back on to the forest floor. Eärendur guides us through the forest until we reach what looks like a tomb. He explains that the test lies within, and that he doesn’t expect he will see us again. As we enter the tomb, a huge bolder crashes down behind us, sealing us inside. Before us, we see 7 sarcophagi, 3 along each wall, and one in the centre of two large clay pots at the back of the room. Arpeggio checks the first sarcophagus for any traps but finds none, he and Spray then use their combined strength to push the lid off of the top. As they do Jed and I stand ready to launch a ranged attack from behind. A zombie rises from the sarcophagus and attacks, but is quickly put down by the group. In the ensuing battle, zombies rise from all the sarcophaguses along the wall and the group are attacked by a swarm of severed hands. However, we manage to end all of the Undead. The Thunderwave spell of Arpeggio proves most useful in this. We investigate the final sarcophagus and discover it contains treasure, which the group distributes. We then try to find a way out of the tomb, which proves difficult until I shout that we’ve finished. The boulder then moves away. After successfully getting out of the tomb, Eärendur congratulates us on completing the task and takes them back to Daenor to rest before the true battle tomorrow.When I get there I head straight to the palace, and speak to my mother about the apprentice and she agrees to find someone suitable. Whilst there, I express my concerns about what lies ahead. I ask my mother if she has any advice that may help. Nienna offers me the hilt of a sword. Confused, I enquire about the whereabouts of the blade and she tells me that what she has given me is the Sword of the Sun, a beautiful piece that, on will, generates a blade of pure sunlight and delivers radiant damage to all undead. I thank my mother and head off to find the rest of the party.
I enter the tavern where I find Gamble speaking to my father. They are both worse for wear, so I pull up a seat next to Jed and order a drink. Eärendur is in the tavern with Spray and we are worried that this will go very badly. Surprisingly, after some initial contention and several drinks, they surprisingly bond over the reckless actions of Gamble’s father. They watch Gamble have a heart to heart with Eärendur where she regails him with her past, and he in turn expresses his desire to see the sea.
Arpeggio sends a psychic message to Gamble after Eärendur leaves and they continue to have a silent conversation, much to Jed’s and my disapproval. [Editor’s note: here they discuss their personal histories. Arpeggio is particularly interested in the coincidences between his father’s actions and the father of Gamble, whose true name is discovered to be Talia]. After a short while I get fed up with this and retire to bed, after re-stocking her quiver from her personal supply at the palace.
Aronsday 15th Tummony
The next morning, we follow Sauriel into the woods for a long while. The light fades. We stop abruptly and Sauriel points to some lights in the distance, stating: ‘There, Eärendur said that the lights mark the entrance. This is as far as I go, good luck’. She leaves the group who press forward towards the mysterious lights.Upon reaching the entrance to the cave Arpeggio hugs the wall the other side of the lights in case the entrance is trapped. Upon doing so he is swiftly delivered a deadly blow by one of the lights he pressed up against. We battle and eventually defeat the opportunist Willo-the-Wisp.
Once entering the cave we consult the map they had been given and decide that as they don’t know in what part of the dungeon the darkness resides, we should investigate room by room.
They press on down the dark corridors before we reach the first room where we find a giant ogre. We quickly set to attack the beast. Upon defeating it, Spray discovers in the chamber the Gauntlets of Ogre Strength.
“And so the party continued further into the ancient tomb, avoiding traps and purging it of the Undead. They encounted and defeated zombies and severed, undead hands, as well as enchanting a Poltergeist to leave them alone. During their second day in the Tomb, Dagsday 16th of Tummony, the encountered a mosaic in the floor, the design of which resembled the map they had been given by Eärendur. Upon it were several symbols in various rooms of the Tomb. Keen to investigate their meaning, they headed to a room with an O on it to see if it also contained an Ogre as they encountered in a similarly labelled room. Their theory proved correct. However, en route to this room, they discovered a passaged with 4 exits. One featured a similar mosaic map identifying the swiftest exist of the Tomb, with three other doors, bearing various messages. One of which had a bright crystal embedded above it…”
Report Date
03 Aug 2016
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