Chapter 31: The Fey Queen

General Summary

On the 29th of Ruvaen the party set out from Zesito. Before leaving they panned for gold and gems from a small shop. Leon also bought a geode. While travelling Leon tried to kill a snake but was quickly stopped when it was realized that it was a venemous snake. Jacquora dispatched the creature, Leon harvested it's scales, and Aqiatuxl cooked it. After a few days of somewhat uneventful travel, they came upon a small hamlet of Brofield (31st of Ruvaen). They saw a funeral coming to a close in a little cemetary outside of town. In the town they decided on staying at the Pioneering Boulder. There, they talked to the owner who told them that they had been having troubles as of late. People had been claiming to see the ghost of a kid who went missing over a year ago named Domenic Westfield. Two days ago, a man named Renaldo had been killed in a locked room. His throat had been slashed. Linda was the person who was leading the inquiry into the happenings and they decided to investigate. Linda led them to Renaldo's apartment. There was dried blood and signs of a small struggle, mostly located around the bed. They noticed that the blood led to underneath the bed. When they moved it they saw an outline of a small creature underneath the bed. They also found a false bottom to the wardrobe where they found a small collection of items including a wooden top with the initials D.W., a rock shaped like a wolf head, and other knick-knacks. Suddenly, outside they heard a scream. Jacquora leapt out of the window while the others took the stairs. They found a woman named Tabitha who claimed to have seen the boy in the alley way. They rushed after where he was last seen and tracked him into the grasses. After following for 20-30 minutes they found a glade where the grasses were shorter. In this small glade they also found ancient ruins and a doorway that glowed faintly green. Lenihlra summoned a dryad who then stepped out of the portal and confirmed that it was a portal into the Fey Realm. Lenihlra, holding Jacquora's hand, tried to touch the portal and both were sucked in. There they saw a fantastical world. The landscape seemed to bend and warp around them. Strange plants grew around the portal and Lenihlra's dryad, Lily, was waiting. Looking out over the vibrant and strange world, they saw a bright, glowing light, almost like a sun, in the distance. Lily said that this was Hesperis, they Queen of the Dryads. She might be able to help them and she, Lily, would take them to her. Lenihlra and Jacquora returned through the portal and found that Aqiatuxl and Leon had been waiting for several hours. After waiting overnight to rest (32nd of Ruvaen), they returned through the portal together. Before going, Lenihlra noticed that where she stepped out of the portal, flowers grew. Not much time had passed for Lily, who was still waiting by the portal. Wherever Lily or Lenihlra walked flowers bloomed. They walked for several hours. An armed escort consisting of several dryad guards arrived and guided them the rest of the way. They were led through a series of chambers, all created from carefully grown trees. There were elegently, albeit strangely, dressed fae creatures of all kinds including more dryads, naiads, and creatures the party would not have recognized at all. Then, they arrived at the Queen's throne room. Within they noticed that she was sitting elegantly on a golden throne. A pale golden light shone from her at all times. Resting on her throne was a golden apple. Behind her, a curtain woven of seemingly pure gold. They also noticed that Thydona sat on the steps along with several others in her retinue. Her eyes widened for a split second before returning to her composed self upon seeing them. Hesperis found them interesting and curious. She said that "The convergence is nearly upon us. The time is nigh for the conjunction of the spheres. Where once was many, then there shall be but one. But where will you fall, little ones? In the new? Or the old? In the graying twilight? Or the brand. new. dawn." She was aloof and not prone to giving good answers. She did tell them that the creatures they sought were likely a bogeyman, a bugaboo, and/or a bogey. They were soul-stealing creatures from a darkened area of her kingdom beyond her reach. Hesperis also took a liking to Lenihlra, who she told was part fae. However, it was not the elven part of her, but rather the human part. A curious thing. As they left, Hesperis left them with a small threat. She told them that if they should try any funny business, or try to hurt her or her court, there would be consequences. At that, the golden curtain behind her shifted and revealed itself to be but a minute portion of the wings of an ancient golden dragon. The head rose from behind the trees. It was the largest creature any of them had ever seen. The party departed and Thydona was appointed to escort them back to their portal since she was also of the material plane. As they walked they got caught up. Thydona revealed that, for her, she had been in the fae realm for months now, trying to get close to Hesperis. She was hoping to find out more about the convergence and what it all might mean. Before they left they summoned Lily once more who told them that she knew of a portal that would get them near Erste Ferry quicker. The group agreed to return to Brofield first before heading through the portal. In Brofield they found out that it had been four days (1st of Salehn, also the new year!) since they had last been seen. Their horses had been sold as everyone just assumed they had died or abandoned them. They found that both Tabitha and Linda had been killed in the meantime. They decided to talk to the missing boy's parents, Dion and Sage Westfield, and lay in wait for something to show up. They locked the parents up in the cellar along with Gimli, Lenihlra's jade dog, and searched briefly for any signs of the creatures. They placed Domenic's wooden top in a keepsake box of his. After some time, once night had fallen, they heard a scratching on the thatched roof above them. Falling down was a creepy creature, looking somewhat like a child, with limbs too long and bent in strange ways, and a smile filled with teeth like a shark. They fought it and handily defeated it, but it's master, a bogeyman, showed up as well. Though it's fight was slightly harder, they were able to defeat it as well. The parents thanked them and made sure that they stayed at the Pioneering Boulder for free that night.

Hesperis, Queen of the Dryads in the Fey Realm