Hearth and Home

Having just stumbled onto a plot by some unknown dread power, the party turned their caravan around. Rather than plunge into the wasteland, it was time to withdraw to the city of Vruhafen, to investigate their new lead into possible corruption and restock.

Tidewatch Way

The way back was thankfully easy for the most part - village after village went by without monster attack. Things became a little more dangerous as the party neared Iski's home of Tidewatch Sanctuary: a sudden migration of flesh-things from the ocean inland was attracting a massive number of predators ready for an easy meal. First, a massive swarm of ants obscured the road and drove the party in the forest; then, as they hiked to the sanctuary through the woods, a flock of cockatrices blocked the path. They were able to scare the territorial monster-birds away and run to the Sanctuary.
Back at Tidewatch Sanctuary, the group was let in my Iski's childhood frenemy and current gateguard Mev, and was welcomed by Iski's grouchy uncle Karlain. Karlain told them that Iski's cousin, Jovern, had left with some of the youths to join some Tiefling conperson in the wastes; it seemed likely that the Dread Power of the Chimera had lured them in.
Once in the grove, Iski introduced the party to his parents, Shelska and Krovern. Iski's dad was strange and over-into the whole "become a tree" thing. Iski's mom was drinking and ranting, and Fayna was stuck distracting her as Iski and Shanuku went to get drinks at the village pub. Fayna learned Iski's childhood story of getting stuck half-wildshaped into a bird during druid practice. Iski introduced Shanuku to his goth farmer cousin, Nolska, at the pub; Shanuku presented goth and flirted with Nolska. Shanuku and Nolska went off to go flirt in a graveyard and hook up, while Fayna was able to escape back to Iski.
Iski and Fayna finally were admitted before the Druidic council of Tidewatch late that night. The druids healed Duzreg and told Iski how to defeat the Witch of the Crags: destroy her Ederstone-channeling idol she keeps in her lair to reduce her power to defeat-able levels. They also told Fayna how to find other Tiefling communities to learn about the origins of their people and possible connections to the Chimera. Lastly, they gave Iski the secrets to becoming a true Druid of the Coast.

The Big City

The next day, the group regrouped and departed for Vruhafen city to the North. They left the wasteland behind, though not before having a weird encounter with a group of strangely dressed Kobolds. To enter the Kingdom of Hain without potentially being seen as bandits, the group had to pass through Fort Skrelek - which was a horrible mess of lines and waiting periods. Fayna tried to use her paladin status to enter, but found her foreign culture and low birth made people skeptical.
After dodging boarish knights and nasty men-at-arms and making it into the Kingdom, the group finally were able to reach the city of a million hearths. Vruhafen disgusted Iski and disoriented Fayna. The group set down their stuff in Old Mosswren's Place, a local tavern, and went off to go do separate errands. Fayna and Iski went together to a Questing Chapel that Fayna felt drawn to; there, Fayna met Eteva, a fellow paladin of Haru, who took Fayna aside to a special shrine to Haru the Guiding Star. Fayna swore her oath to Haru and become bound to serve Uvara in Haru's name - but unlocked her full power as a Green Knight. Fayna took on the quest to shed light upon the Chimera and defeat it to become a true Spring Knight. Now, the true hero's quest had begun. 
Shanuku went to the selkie district instead, to find any other survivors of their shipwreck. They felt profoundly uncomfortable there, and ended up panicking. They hurriedly went to the Admiralty Office and met with Treaty Admiral (head of the district) Daela; the Admiral seemed concerned and wanted to help, but the more Shanuku sought connection the more the world seemed to fall apart. When left alone, Shanuku found that everyone had dissapeared from the city except for masses of generic, interconnected people who seemed to be watching her. She ran, and the horrific crowd-creatures swamped her. She wished for answers; she received a Tome from her patron, the Vile Mass, to give her the answer that she is truly alone. She fled back to the group and the world snapped back to normal. It was time to rest.

Components

Goals

QUEST GOALS:

• Learn about the mysterious Tiefling 
• Go to Tidewatch Sanctuary (Done)
• Deal with the Izena the Witch of the Crags
• Find more about the Eyes of the Chimera
• Go to Vruhafen (Done)
• Find out more about the amulet's destination in Vruhafen

Relations

Protagonists

Fayna the Gennoran: A Half-Dryad in her early twenties, Fayna is a girl with a dream: to become a Spring Knight and hero of Uvara! The only problem is that she was born to a peasant family that ran a small inn at the remote village of Rukadov in the Kingdom of Gennorholn . For a normal person, Fayna's birth would doom her dreams to certain death, but through stubbornness and a can-do attitude, she's going for it anyways. She was able to become a paladin of Haru , and a patron knight within the Order has promised her a chance at knighthood if she can prove herself Questing. (Half dryad, Ancestor paladin, acolyte)
Iski of Tidewatch: Iski is a Tiefling - a kind of unusual Starspawn , or so everyone believes. He has spent much of his life in the tranquility of Tidewatch Grove, a druid sanctuary run by his family devoted to the study and principles of "homeostasis". He is devoted to his family's beliefs, but has ventured out beyond the traditional world of the Tidewatch Druids to understand Stildane more broadly. He is in his early 30s, is of the Circle of the Coast, and is quite sheltered and academic. Parents are "more tree than person" now. (Tiefling, Land Druid, Sage)
Shanuku the Wanderer: Shanuku is a selkie warlock in her early 30s, a foreigner from a distant land who has only recently arrived in Stildane. She was originally born in the Khilaian Isles and worked as a merchant and sailor, until a bad stroke of luck led to her ship being swept out to Desmian waters. Things went bad, the ship fled to Stildane, and then was taken by the Elder Leviathan known as The Vile Mass. Whether it is the Vile Mass or the Ederstone, Shanuku no longer remembers the faces or names of those she once knew - her last life has been polluted, and she is now isolated and alone. Her pelt has also been taken from her, and she hopes that if she can find it she can restore her old life. (Selkie, Great Old One Warlock, Sailor)

Allies

Duzreg the Wanderer: A coward turned minor merchant who has survived the worst of the Deverkel wastes through apathy, luck, and fast legs. Was doing the bidding of a terrible being that captured him, in exchange for money and power to move himself and his family away from the wasteland. A jerk and a blowhard at times. Horribly hobbled by the witch of the crags, who he personally offended; was healed by Iski's druidic allies. Finally turning himself around.

Plot type

QUEST

Parent Plot

The Chimera's Gaze

Subplots

• Vruhafen Never Sleeps

Related Organizations

• The Kingdom of Hain

Related Locations

• The Deverkel Wastes
• Vruhafen