Session 17 Report

General Summary

On October 11, 497 AV, the party set off with Haymin Stone on their outing. They ventured into the Great Forest nearing the High Hills and spent a few days training and learning from him. During their trip, Mogi Delvin found a weasel trying to sneak into his backpack, looking for food. He captured the weasel and made it his pet, looking ahead to a day when he would perform the ritual to make it his familiar. He named the weasel, Fluffy. On October 15, 497 AV, they returned to Karavale after their pleasant trip. The next morning, Haymin left, setting off on the final leg of his epic quest. Before he left, Titta Morco asked him where he was going. Haymin said, “A town called Bright River.” Titta was immediately concerned, stating that Bright River was her home town. She learned that Haymin was going to Applewind, which was the name of her father’s farm. He said there was a compound there were he was meeting the team Mr. King had assembled. During their conversation, Haymin appeared to have a sudden realization when Titta informed him of her connection to Applewind. Haymin said he had to fix things and abruptly set off on his journey. The party began to worry at the implications of what was revealed. Over the next few months Haymin’s Heroes continued their training, hoping to see Haymin return any day now. Into 498 AV, they had all neared the end of their training and were just waiting for the opportunity to go to Rowadin with him and officially join Heroes for Hire. On March 16, 498 AV, they party gathered together for Selia Roselyn Maxwell’s birthday. That night, Pyzar Zim pointed out that on April 1st, it would be the two year anniversary of their meeting. He suggested an outing into the forest on their own to celebrate this and to mark the completion of their training. Everyone agreed and they made plans to set out. On April 1, 498 AV, Haymin’s Heroes ventured out into the woods, heading northeast towards the High Hills. At night, Titta sang, hoping to get the attention of the sprites, Lebi and Tas, which they had not seen in over a year. The next day, as they trekked through the forest, they came upon a tree stump that had a rock with a painted face sitting atop it. The party jovially called out to the “Rock God” and the sprites appeared and greeted their friends. They spent some time catching up, sharing stories and songs. Then after a conversation about music, Lebi told them she had a surprise for them the next day. Before dawn on April 3, 498 AV, the pixie woke them and they set off deeper into the woods. The path she took them on seemed winding and even disorienting. Even with Titta’s woodland expertise, as well as Ladigo Farthon’s, they were lost. But eventually Lebi and Tas led them through dense briars that formed a natural barrier around a hidden valley. In this valley, they found a clearing with an enormous oak tree in its center. At the base of the tree several plant-like creatures could be seen. They were swaying and chanting, their bodies twigs, stems, and petals. Their heads were like flower buds that had not yet sprouted, but with many petals adorning them like hair. As a beam of sunlight shone through the canopy it spotlighted one of these creatures. A seed floated down towards him and he caught it in a gentle embrace. The party could see that the seed had a face upon it, and seemed like a child wrapped in a blanket. The plant creature holding the seed spoke out and all the party could understand him clearly in their native tongue. “You have been given the gift of life,” he said. “It is a fragile gift, and not one that you may keep forever. But, it is the most precious gift of all. Use it wisely, little one.” Then he planted the seed into the soil at his feet. This creature then fell back, his dry, withering leaves floating off his stem and the petals and dust of his body floating off in the breeze. Many more seeds began to float down from above into the waiting petal-like arms of the creatures below. And each seed was planted in the soil. Then suddenly, one of the creatures spotted the party and gasped. The rest of them stopped their singing and swaying and turned towards the party. A momentary panic followed in which the smaller creature hid behind the larger, some wrapping petals around their leg stalks. Lebi and Tas stepped forward and calmed the creatures down. Lebi introduced them to the party as the petalars. Then she introduced Haymin’s Heroes to them. She spoke of the oak tree, which was once tended by a great dryad, long, long ago. This dryad was named Harimoni and has since bonded with her tree. Harimoni now watches over the petalars in this grove. It was not long before the party was accepted among them, the innocent curiosity of the petalars taking hold as they climbed up on the humanoids and Pennig and Fisher as well. Haymin’s Heroes spent the morning with them, getting to know them, watching the seeds that were planted rise from the ground creating new petalars who stumbled around awkwardly until attended by their mothers. They met Elder Minfu, the son of the previous elder, Cytham, who had passed after the birthing ceremony. Minfu introduced them to their son Thintal, the first seed from the ceremony. In the span of that morning, Thintal already grew into a playful child, climbing upon Titta and swinging from her braided hair. The peace of the morning was ended abruptly when Lebi said, “I don’t remember seeing these dried out shrubs here before.” She approached some gnarled bushes that indeed had not been there earlier. And when she did, these bushes stood to reveal creatures whose bodies appeared like twisted branches and twigs roped together to form a humanoid shape. One of these twig blights, as they are called, attacked Lebi. Then the party sprang into action to put their training to use. Six twig blights were dispatched without any serious injuries. But in the chaos and confusion of the battle, some jermlaines, tiny, dirty, impish creatures had snuck in and captured some of the petalar youths, including Thintal. The jermlaines ran into a hold in the ground, much like a mole’s burrow, and two small for the party to follow. The petalars began to arm themselves with tiny wooden weapons and armor made of twigs, splinters, and nut shells. Minfu was organizing a party to go in after their children. Then Harimoni spoke, a female voice emanating from the oak tree, speaking in Sylvan. She offered to shrink the party down to where they would fit in the burrow, if they would volunteer to go after the kidnapped petalar children. Lebi and Tas would stay behind to defend the petalars from more twig blights which Harimoni sensed were near. Titta volunteered Pennig and Fisher to stay behind as well and help protect the petalars. Harimoni’s magic glowed around them and the party shrank down to the size of a petalar. Harimoni warned them that the magic would only last four hours, so they wasted no time. Haymin’s Heroes descended into the hole and followed the tracks the jermlaines left behind. Along the way they were attacked by four rats, which in the party’s shrunken state were as large as they were, and much more frightening at this scale. With their training in weapons and spells, though, the party cut through the rats efficiently and continued onward. After close to an hour, they finally found the jermlaines. There were six of them, accompanied by a dire rat, which was a hulking beast at their current size. In the back of this cavern, was a small wooden cage which contained the four kidnapped petalars. A well placed Entangle spell by Ladigo neutralized the dire rat and three of the jermlaines as vines sprang from the ground to wrap the creatures up in a writhing and twisting grasp. The party then cut down the others and the dire rat which was tangled just at the edge of the magic spell. Ladigo then dispelled the Entangle so the other jermlaines could be reached and they were dispatched very quickly. Haymin’s Heroes freed the petalars and noticed that they had aged. Thintal now looked like a young adult. They began their journey back to the surface, eager to make it out before the shrinking magic wore off. One their way back however, they reached the cave were they fought the rats. But instead of four cadavers, there were only three. A glance above them revealed a ceiling covered in webs, with the remains of a rat stuck within them. Two spiders descended upon the party, large and frightening. But Haymin’s Heroes reacted quickly and killed them before anyone was wounded. One of the spiders was smashed by Pyzar’s greatsword, and the other knocked off the web it descended down by lethal strikes from Sinjin Fairchild. The party eventually made it back to Harimoni’s grove and she used her magic to restore their size. The captured petalars were reunited with their families and they all rejoiced with Haymin’s Heroes. The party spend the rest of the day and night with the petalars. In the evening they witnessed another birthing ceremony. In this one, Elder Minfu passed away. Thintal, who was now a full adult, became the new elder. His son, Morco, was born. Many of the party stayed awake through the night, after Thintal expressed sadness that he would not see his friends again once they went into their hibernation. The sharp reality that much of the petalars’ lifespans would pass in one night’s sleep suddenly dawned on them in a sobering realization. So they sang, played, and conversed with the petalars all night. In the morning, they saw a third birthing ceremony. Elder Thintal passed away and Morco became the new elder as he welcomed his newborn son, Thintal II. After this ceremony, Lebi recommended the party leave the petalars. As they were saying their goodbyes, Sinjin approached Harimoni and as he spoke his parting, seven acorns fell from her canopy. The petalars picked these acorns up and brought them to each of the party. Elder Morco said, “Harimoni favors you. She give you her acorns. With one, you can find your way back to her.” Haymin’s Heroes left the grove, led out by Lebi and Tas, thanking them for the honor of allowing them to meet the petalars. On April 5, 498 AV, they returned triumphantly to Karavale, their training complete and a successful adventure under their belts. When they entered the Home Away From Home, their joyful mood was immediately doused. Cantlin and Uclar, the mages who had helped rescue them and teleported them to Tall Rock two years ago were there, standing before Jenivar Albyn. She was reading a letter in one hand, while holding seven envelopes in the other. Her face and demeanor became mournful, bursting into tears, dropping to her knees, and spilling the envelopes on the floor. Cantlin and Uclar looked uncertain how to proceed and reached for the envelopes. Titta rushed over to Jenivar, trying to take her back to her apartment, but Jenivar was inconsolable and pushed her away. Selia and Auren also approached her. When Cantlin and Uclar saw them they held out the envelopes which were individually addressed to them. They read: It is with deepest sympathy that I must inform you of the passing of Mr. Haymin Stone of Rowadin, pronounced dead of natural causes on April 3, 498 AV. Mr. Stone has designated you as a beneficiary in his will. You must be present at the formal reading of this will in order to receive any legacy. Failure to attend the reading will signify legal forfeiture of any and all legacies therein. Memorial services will be held at 12:00 noon on April 10, 498 AV, at Heroes for Hire in Rowadin. The formal reading of Mr. Haymin Stone’s last will and testament will begin at 5:00 pm on April 10, 498 AV at the offices of the Guild of Legal Services in Rowadin. Sincerely, Jervis Helmsworth Guild of Legal Services, Rowadin Cantlin informed them all that he and Uclar had been hired by Lady Dyora to deliver the letters and teleport them all to Rowadin. But Jenivar refused their offer of teleportation, angry that Dyora did not come herself, and shouting at them that they would find their own way. Then she stormed back to her apartment. Auren Sylynn want back with her and helped console her. Selia, Titta, and Pyzar followed him. Mogi sought Astri. Sinjin went outside for some air and to clear his head. Ladigo went out back with Pennig and Fisher to do the same. Cantlin and Uclar sat at the bar and ordered a drink.

Campaign

The Heart of Embril

Protagonists