Haven Cross' Guild is Hiring!
General Summary
Lost in The Woods
Session 0/1 - Setup, Creation, and Intro Hook
A modest and honest beginning in the town of Haven Cross, the crossroads of the centralized Feylight Forest, and the Southern Alabaster Shore not too far from it. Haven Cross is the product of a small band of friends known by the names of William (Bill) Wiseman, John Mercy, and Nathaniel Haven. A mix of elves, men, and dwarves, the various folks find "A haven of their own." in this village turned fort, turned small city. Nathaniel Haven, an Elf, started Haven Cross with a sizeable investment from his father, the Regent of the Island with no strings attached as long as it was an easy to access place, mom’s orders, he was left the family sword and was joined by John Mercy and Bill Wiseman before he established Haven Cross some 60 years ago on the precipice of Nathaniel’s 60th birthday. Since then it has grown from outpost, to village, to stronghold, until finally (about 10 years ago) an adventurers guild was established. This is where the party, April Airlez, Malech The Scorned, Whiteclaw of Tanna, Squeeks the Moon Druid, Ruvyn "Shopkins" Morsys, and Gehdry The Ghost as he would come to be called auditioned, as it were, to join the guild. Samuel Wyrmshadow proctored and managed these auditions, as he has done with all recruits since the guilds conception, within the stronghold of Haven Cross' elite adventurers. Most of them pass with flying colors, are given a simple quest to deliver a package to an alchemist on the other end of the forest’s main trail to the East, and venture out into the Feylight Forest. After a long 12 hour walk, the party settles down at an intersection of the road and sets up camp, conversation and small tidbits of personal history making it into the foray. Gehdry had stayed behind in Haven Cross, and, having no knowledge of who this strange halfling was, the party carried forth without him. Gehdry did not pass his exam and thusly was not allowed to join the guild, though, he had plans of his own...
Carry on, Eastward
Session 2-4 - False Forest Freakout!
In the morning, Squeeks and Shopkins had made their way back to Haven Cross feeling that this number of people for a simple fetch quest was absurd, but the party was joined by another Guild Adventurer, Faya Wildspring, a Moon Elf Paladin of some repute in the guild, as she was heading South, from Jolly Momo's Inn and Spa back to Haven Cross itself, but instead of continuing onward, she freely lended her aid to this new group of adventurers. She spent most of her hours in this forest of the Fey and was preparing herself for what her oath as a paladin might be. In truth, she was seeking a question that she had found no answer to yet. The remaining members of the party travelled East and the day's journey was beset with not only a runaway merchants cart that the party was able to save and repair, but also a nest of Ankhegs, who's burrows very well could have been the cause of the carriages damage, but the rider was convinced they saw an Owlbear so the party traveled carefully - twas not an owlbear though, just a brown bear who had spooked the horses. So, the party arrives and accomplishes their task of delivering their package to the Hovel of the Gnome Alchemist, but on the journey back to Haven Cross, the party was intercepted by a mischievous Violet Faerie Dragon, named Jivew, who placed a Hallucinatory Terrain spell that made them get lost in the woods. Nearly three days pass with them in this state, but most party members made it out after a test of patience with some skittish Ogre’s, a test of talent among some drunken Satyrs, and a test of balance despite the party’s 3 points of exhaustion from being prevented from sleeping by that same Violet Dragon. Faya was taken separately by the Faerie Dragon that had caught them and it was there that Faya got her answer - she then made her Oath to the Ancients and remained a protector of the Feylight Forest whether as a result of the fun she had with Jivew or the threat she percieved him to be is unknown. The guild grew worried after the party was gone an extra day and sent someone to check up on this “milk run”, a Halfling known as Hadez The Halfling, but after leaving, Gehdry beset the fort with lucky rolls of thievery, scaling the tower in it's center, and making off with most of the Guild's treasury. Hadez and the others would not know this until they were saved and made it back. However the journey would be hard-pressed, as the exit to the hallucinated forest was protected by an ancient puzzle devised by a magister with trickster tendencies of time long since past on Haven Island – This trap was binding the Dragon to the forest and causing this demiplane of madness to simultaneously exist, and Fey spirits crave freedom, so it began to direct adventurers and travelers alike towards the puzzle over the years - many died, but this was not the dragons intent. While the party was heading towards the Dragon’s prison of magic, and Hadez was travelling North by horse to Jolly Momo’s Inn and Spa where the mountains meet the forest. The dragon made the party pass through the puzzle at the end of the forest and for a while the party struggled to pass through and solve it as none of them tried to read the book that they had looted about Fairy Tales of the local region and only had info about the magister though context - inside of the book some of his favorite pranks and brain teasers were described and they provided valuable hints to their solutions.
Payment from Samuel Wyrmshadow Himself
Eventually arriving back in Haven Cross after solving the puzzle, lifting the curse, and freeing the dragon, the party would have also experience the plsant scents and soaks of Jolly Momo's Inn and Spa, complete with a small farm of Lightleaf! Whiteclaw and Malech would invest some coin for Momo to continue to cultivate after a small sample. Before arriving at the Inn and solving the puzzle Jivew would take a Kobold by the name of Min-Ak with him under his wing to the Northeast. This Kobold had been banished from his tribe and left for dead until the party found him and April was able to convince the others to let the little guy go. As a favor for his freedom everyone was able to select an uncommon magic item and April was given a token of a Rabbits foot to summon forth Jivews power once with a free casting of a 3rd level or lower illusion spell. Upon return to Haven Cross, the party discovered that there was no money in the stronghold’s coffers by the noble and honorable Samuel Wyrmshadow. His namesake being that he had killed a Young Black Dragon and a lair full of Lizardfolk worshippers with Nathaniel and his followers when the town was threatened early on. Nathaniel has no interest in being a ruler, but as the founder of the town, people look up to him. Samuel has been the manager of the guild since it’s conception, and proceeds to arrest Hadez as a suspect because of the overtly racist blacksmith’s suggestions. John Mercy was his name. He hated elves and halflings alike, and would often send the city guard after those he thought were ‘unsavory’. In his old age things were often blurred and he believed Hadez to be Gehdry - the real culprit! Samuel was waiting for Nathaniel to come and deal with it, but Malek was able to convince Samuel with some sound logic that it could not have been Hadez as he had gone on a quest given by another member of the guild and others in the party vouched for him too, Samuel steps in and gets Hadez free from imprisonment, being around long enough to know about Mercy’s ways. Samuel was willing to work with the party, gave them some coin from his own pocket and wanted them to get them more of what they rightfully deserve and so directs them to a local Bandit Encampment that has been looting in the area. Samuel was worried that they may strike the town if word got out that there was no money... and no guards for much longer either. The party, led by Malek, ventured south onto the northern edge of The Alabaster Shoreline, and found this encampment, entrenched into a giant sand dune. The party assaulted the camp after some tactful positioning, and, after a close call on Hadez’ part, the party succeeded in clearing the camp, looting the bandits, and headed back with their earnings. Hadez stayed behind to bond with a young mastiff that was caged and was able to spend enough time with it, and took it to raise it and have it as a mount (he has not been seen since).
Character(s) interacted with
Samuel Wyrmshadow
'Orc Barmaid'
'Orc Barmaid Child/Partner'
John Mercy
Bill Wiseman
'Merchants on Road'
Nifiz The Gnome Alchemist
Satyrs
Jivew
Jolly Momo
'Orc Barmaid'
'Orc Barmaid Child/Partner'
John Mercy
Bill Wiseman
'Merchants on Road'
Nifiz The Gnome Alchemist
Satyrs
Jivew
Jolly Momo
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