Session 8: The Wilted Thicket
General Summary
In this episode of DREAM THIEVES....
Emrys made a toast with the adventurers, welcoming them to the Thicket, as recommending they be careful when choosing who to speak to in her tavern.
Unanswered Questions
Zanuriel spoke with Amelia, asking her why she bit him. Amelia revealed that she had been bitten by a vampire, and in a desperate attempt to extract the deadly bite's poison, and its effects, she was bitten by a tribe of Yuan-Ti, known as the Bronze Serpent, and were able to avoid the vampiric transformation, but in its place added snake venom and a biochemical signature marking her, and now Zanuriel, as members of the Bronze Serpent. The heroes reunited with Lavena of the North and her colleague Natya Moonsong. They learned that they were on their way back to Morgehn for another mission with the Dwarven council. Lavena revealed that she's a trained dreamwalker, able to move through her own dreams as the dwarves do. The heroes asked that she accompany them to the abandoned home to help their fallen colleague Gervil.A Fallen Companion's Fate
When they arrived, they were horrified to discover that the fey flower had been eliminated by a powerful necrotic spell, chained to the wall of its own lair. Gervil's clothes had been left at the bottom of the cave, covered in the same chains that ended the life of the fey spirit, but Gervil is nowhere to be found. Natya said a prayer to Kitara, Goddess Queen of Winter. Aeða and Azriel laid the fey creature to rest at the bottom of the pit. To their surprise, something burrowed out from underneath the necroticly struck body of the fey spirit, A Totally Normal Radish.Adamantium Armatures
The heroes heard a plate crash in the kitchen. When they investigated, after some resistance from the chef, they discovered Enzo, Aeða's ex boyfriend, had just crashed through the ceiling, landing on the kitchen table. They relocated him to an upstairs room, and after a brief reunion with Aeða, he revealed that he had stolen something of value from Araby Armatures. While Enzo was returning from his adventures in other nations, while he was picking flowers in the field, he came across Araby and his entourage traveling back to Union. He followed them, and discovered they had found an artifact of great value. Knowing this, he stole the artifact, thinking he could find use for it when he made it back to The Wilted Thicket. Before he could make it, he was attacked by Goliath, Stockton Araby's personal armature bodyguard. He made his escape to the Thicket, but only in the nick of time. The heroes let him heal and rest, but investigated the parcel he was protecting, only to discover a strange orbital armature within, and it attacked! The heroes, working together, managed to contain the armature in Azriel's monster hunter chest. They called on Amelia to assist with the device. Some successful machinework later, she revealed to the heroes that the device was coated with Adamantium, a rare earth metal known to very few, and was a high value asset they should protect. She removed that adamantium saw blades and attached them to Torentous' mighty warhammer, adding additional damage and a powerful saw attack that, when used safely, could slice through any wooden door that came in the way of the party's goals. Additionally, she was able to pry open the rear of the armature, discovering an infernal inscription that read, "Property of Sleepwalker."Monster Hunting Has Its Price
The heroes spoke with the monster hunter's who they learned were Cane, a dangerously uproarious ranger and his colleague, the heavy hitting Carter. Someone had stolen his bourbon wine, and he was looking to end the life of the thief. Azriel paid for information regarding the whereabouts of the lost heroes. Cane had seen them, saying that they were en route to Willoughby, but before they arrived had to stop at the farm and manor of the noble Jacaranda, whose home was at the crossroads halfway between Union and Willoughby. Next, he wanted information on his brand of the 8th layer of hell. Cane goded him into a drinking contest, which Azriel lost, beginning hallucinations. The other heroes collected the info on his behalf, hearing that in order for a demonic brand to be removed, the bearer needed to make a new deal with another member of the royal family of another layer of hell. Alternatively, they could chop the hand off, ending the brand's influence in the most bloody way possible. Finally, Cane warned that a demon brand had layered power. If a branded fell in combat to another demon, the victor could modify and elevate the brand to a more visciously binding device. The heroes met a druid bodyguard named Halcion, accompanied by his wolf familiar Javick, who were quietly watching over Emrys.Ghosts, Maidens and Warriors
Azriel, in his drunken state, crashed through a false wall in the tavern, revealing a long lost room where they met a ghostly apparition of a woman waiting for her husband. Azriel, being the charmer he was with the alchohol in his system, learned that she and her husband had a special spot under a tree at Squarehill Keep, and to place his ring at the foot of the tree in rememberence of him. Zanuriel spoke with the ghostly warrior in the corner of the bar (against the advice of Emrys) and was caught in a deadly pincer attack with his ghost blades. Aeða asked Halcion for help, who came to his aid. The ghost warrior, still yet unnamed, mentioned that he had some form of relationship with Halcion that was very very old.Finding Isabel
Torentous overheard someone say "Isabel" in the kitchen. When he confronted a woman asking for more information, she fled to the 2nd floor. Our heroes gave chase, and discovered that she was in fact Isabel Turin, and was afraid for her life after receiving a "black letter" indicating that an assassin was out to take her life just like her father. Torentous affirmed his promise to protect her. Zanuriel spoke with the Yuan-Ti tribesmen downstairs. After getting struck with a sleep dart, his companions finished his line of inquiry and confirmed that both Zanuriel and Amelia were marked with the scent of the Bronze Serpent. They also mentioned that there was a caravan of the Bronze Serpent tribe near the border of the endless sands.Ending the Night
Our heroes ended the night in their rooms, except for Azriel, who had a private conversation with Emrys, as she returned to his room. She asked him what had happened in the desert, a story he'd never disclosed to her. He said that him and his family had been taken captive by a Yuan-Ti tribe. Emrys confirmed this after revealing that she had discovered a ledger with the names of slaves, his name and the names of his family members were on. The ledger belonged to the Tribe of the Silver Serpent. Will our heroes make it out of the city in one piece? Will they make it to their destination? Find out in our next episode of DREAM THIEVES!
Aeða Mɛlñɛriæn
Azriel Carynthian
Zanuriel Leafbreeze
Torentous Tenaysius
Report Date
23 Oct 2023
Primary Location
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