Session 39 – Sunderings and Joinings, Part 1

Written by KoshcheiBessmertnyi

General Summary

As Sharru is joined by Glitterstem in howling to send off the departed orcs, Enkidu collects his brother’s body, and silently walks past the hive, and deeper into the woods. His companions shout for him to turn back, but to no avail – they see they cannot stop him. Theobald initiates a brief search of Captain Reekers, but he, too, seems to have fled into the woods. All it is possible to do now is to make sure the Salamander is secure, and to return to Talon’s Gate with the bodies, without antagonizing Chof and the rest of the Owlbears. Sharru warns Theobald that Humbaba will not be happy with Hursag’s fall, especially in light of Enkidu’s departure. They struggle to move the bodies down to the sloop, as Miletus rests from the ordeal: of all the survivors, he is the most gravely injured, having sustained a tusk wound to the thigh, and still feeling lightheaded from the fireball that nearly consumed him.
The company transports the bodies back to the Salamander. There, they break the news of Agni’s death, and Enkidu’s descent into grief and madness to Dafna. Incensed, she demands to know what she is supposed to do now that both her sons are gone. Theobald recommends that she start a new life in Claymore or Neverwinter, but she will not have it. She lived for too long in the Underdark, and has no one in the surface world. She also has no wish to return to the Brotherhood.
The company then transports the bodies of the two fallen archers to Talon’s Gate. A long discussion has taken place on shipboard regarding how to proceed. With Enkidu gone, the raison d’être for recruiting allies for the Brotherhood in order to secure the ranger’s position seems obviated, but here the agreement ends. Theobald wants to return to the Company’s peacemaker role, and thinks time is best spent to convince or trick Humbaba not to attack Claymore. Glitterstem, for his part, does not want to aid the colonists. Enkidu was his blood brother, which made him an orc, too. But even now, he wants no part in securing a peace that will aid the colonists in the long run, as those like them destroyed his home in the Livewood, too. He has no intention of returning to Claymore, and wants to go further inland to find a place to settle his people, and to maintain the best relations with as many of the native groups as possible. Miletus, for his part, seems tired of diplomacy and saving the world, and simply wants to make some money. Sharru says he understands little of this, and is along for the fighting.
At Talon’s Gate, Chof accepts the news about his fallen braves stoically. The Company convinces him that Nugast’s threat has passed, and that the bijzweijn will not return. They also have solved the Owlbears’ food problems. There are many bijzweijn to be consumed, and Glitterstem promises to help restore their gourd crop. Chof sends his people across the river in canoes to transport the carcasses before they are taken by scavengers. The Company makes a brief stop back at the Salamander before joining them, only to find Dafna missing. One sloop is gone as well.
On the other side of the river, the party finds a small shrine made of stones piled on top of one another in the place where Agni fell. Glitterstem picks up Dafna’s track, and proposes going after her, but ultimately, is convinced not to go it alone, and of the hopelessness of the task. Instead, the company helps the hobgoblins drag the bijzweijn carcasses down to the river. They also take some honey, and a sweet, pearly substance from the empty hive – it seems to have curative qualities. They return to the village – there, funeral preparations will take place on the morrow.
The following day, the Company returns to the village. They have been invited to the funeral the following day, and are here to help with the preparations – mainly the cooking of the beasts. Glitterstem goes out into the field, and blesses it, increasing the bounty of the crop that was partly destroyed by the bijzweijn. He asks if he and the rest of the group can add something from their own culture to the funeral rites, and Chof gives his agreement.
The following day, the funeral feast is held. Many bijzweijn are consumed, and a good portion of the village comes down with the sickness, against which Theobald develops a protocol. Orations to the departed and their bravery are delivered. Glitterstem summons eight raccoons, and transforms into a ninth, after which he leaves a claw mark on the face of the departed. At the end of the ceremony, he makes a proposal to settle his people on Owlbear land, saying they would be unobtrusive, and not take sides in the coming conflict. Chof is dubious about settling a gnome clan on his territory, but he does agree to allow two families to do so on a trial basis. Given that the village has been saved, he also agrees to send a small delegation of warriors with clan totems to Humbaba, to indicate the forging of an alliance. Finally, he agrees to keep an eye on the Salamander, which is still harbored near Talon’s Gate – the Company do not wish to take it back to the front lines of the conflict.
The following day, after the feast, the Company departs back to the Brotherhood encampment in one of the sloops. Prior to setting out, Glitterstem dispatches bird messengers to Balint and Kasmyr, with recent news about the Company’s doings, and plans to return to the camp. The bird sent to Balint also carries a long coded message from Theobald to Bester, with details about the Owlbears, the Battle of the Hive, and Enkidu’s disappearance.

Report Date

09 Feb 2018