A bit of shopping trip and a fun new friend

General Summary

After our fun tea with Allen Riddle , we stopped at the alchemist’s shop to “stock up.” Cap’n is absolutely shocked this small town shop doesn’t have a plentiful supply, but after Milli talks with them a bit they agree to sell us some of the supply they usually sell to the garrison, at a slight increase in price. By the end of it all Cap, Milli, Devan, and I all have a greater and lesser healing potion. Lili has two lesser potions, once she’s recovered from her bout of “missing sickness.” Cap’ puts his great healing potion in the bag of holding, hope we don’t need it for a day. Then we finally start our journey back to the Good Granny. “So how do you think this thing works, and what does it do?” Milli asks playing around with the flute. She starts playing and it is some of the strangest music I’ve ever heard. I look over and Devan is dancing like a madman. “Look at me dance!” he cried, “I’ve never danced like this before. I’m never going to stop!” Slowly his face turned redder and redder as the exertion caught up to him. “Milli stop! He can’t stop dancing with your playing!” but she ignored me and kept playing. “That does it,” I ran over and wrestled the flute from her. “You’re gonna kill him.” After three days of travel, we get to the edge of the forest, “As we go in there are a few things you need to remember. Cut no living plant. Gather no living wood. No axes out. Keep your fires small and rare,” Scarpe reminded us. “I guess it’s cold rations for us from here on out,” I mutter. “I hate cold rations.” “I wonder if they’d like a song?” Milli asked. “Oh, you make my leaves tremble,” Devan joked in response. We walked on for a while, then Devan looked around nervously, “Hey guys, do you feel like there’s something in the branches?” “Yeah, I feel it too,” Milli replied. Looking up above her. “Get them men!” and a small three-foot-tall man clad in hunter green and with a cap atop his head stepped off the branch above us. “We have you surrounded and demand tribute from you for safe passage through our forest.” “How do we know it’s your forest. We were traveling to the Good Granny’s house?” Devan asked. “The Good Granny’s home travels all about, but this is always our forest here,” answered the man. “And who are you? For I am a stranger in these woods and have not heard of you?” “I am Long John, the most fabled forester about. All who pass through my woods must pay me tribute or face us in battle most fearsome,” piped his high voice. “We would not want to face you in battle most fearsome, what is the tribute to be paid?” Devan asked keeping a straight face. “A cask of ale for my men and I,” Long John gestured to the branches above where at least a dozen more men perched. “Well, we don’t have that right now, but we can get it to you soon if you are willing to wait.” “You will bring the cask of good ale. No bad ale, good ale to us in one month’s time.” “It may take us a bit of time to be done with the Good Granny, can the time start after we finish with her?” “Oh yes, we don’t want to anger the Good granny, but ONE MONTH time after you are done with you, you need to bring us ALE! We will drink all the ale and tell good stories. You are bound.” Great, another deal with a fairy. After we’re done with Baba Yaga, we bring this pipsqueak a cask of ale. Fun. After that conversation is all done we continue on, rounding the bend to see a man in the trail. Why can’t we ever just go straight from one spot to another without weird people accosting us in the woods? “Oh good, you are here,” said the ramshackle man. He had two different shoes, a coat that was more patches than it was a coat, and pants much mended. “Yes we are, and who are you?” I ask. “I’m Whit,” he answered. “Come, come, sit. I will answer what I can as we eat.” And as we looked around there was a small fire with a stew simmering over it. “Hot meal! Done,” I sat and dished myself a bowl. “Where is Good Granny’s hut?” Cap’n asked. “It will be down past the first left, the second right, six widdershins, and you’ll be there come evening,” was the answer while he studied an acorn on the ground. “How did you know to make the meal?” Cap’n asked. “It is for you, you’re going to be hungry.” “Did you see us before?” Milli asked. “Yes and no,” and Whit filled his bowl and we were silent as everyone ate their bowls. I snuck a second bowl before the pot was empty. “So, um Whit, we need a cask of ale, do you know if the Good Granny has some there?” Devan asked. Whit looked up and pulled on his left ear, then he scratched his elbow, “70% chance to find ale at Granny’s.” He looked about and his eyes grew agitated, “The song is growing. I can answer a few more questions.” “Why does Granny want the flute?” Cap asked. “To thrawt a queen, “the cusp of the fae is coming and the lady walks soon again.” “Where can we find Ezra the Enchanter,” Cap asked again. “Ezra the Enchanter lurks on isle where the song rests close.” “How can we get away from the Huntsman?” Devan asked. “I see multiple battles with the Huntsman.” “How do I find heart’s true love?” Devan asked again. “Travel to Brandenburg and give up the adventuring life.” Cap’n asked again, “When will the Andremani treasure be needed?” “When the lady walks again?” “What is the purpose of the treasure?” Cap followed up. “To preserve humans in the era to come.” That doesn’t sound good. “Why speak with Alan Riddle?” Cap asked. I think I heard this wrong and maybe he asked what Alan was seeking. “He seeks salvation for his kin from exile.” I spoke up, “Does the Lady lay in rest at Raven’s Point?” “That which might become the Lady is there.” “When is Menet-Ka’s time?” Cap said. “Menet-Ka awaits the next era, coming with the Dawn.” “Wait,” I asked dragging up my fae lore, “Is there a lady currently?” “The moon mourns yet.” Then his eyes started to roll about in his head, “No it’s too much,” and his eyes rolled back in his head and his voice changed. I’ve written down all I could, but I missed some. In the days just after the city of mourning Enchanter creates five weapons song itself shut away a year and a day weapons moved on Blade of Thanes, Sword of Thane of Thanes Dark One’s Own, scythe brought against the Lady Stormbringer [something I missed] Unmade Sword, Unbinder, Bladeless Sword lost in Barrens Fae, Cusp is coming Order of Gears empire end Elder Ones Sea Folk change And then he disappeared. We sat and talked for a few minutes about setting a watch or maybe continuing on, but we all fell asleep that night. No watch, nothing, but we all woke up feeling the most well-rested we had in ages. We followed every step of Whit’s directions and startled Brightest Day as we turned the corner. “I didn’t know you were here,” he said. “Follow me.” We walked on a few more yards and came into the Good Granny’s clearing. “Alan’s been generous with you,” the Good Granny said in surprise. “I am surprised, and that doesn’t happen often.” “It’s been an interesting journey. Is our business with you concluded?” Cap’n asked. “I believe it might be, I can send you to any location you wish to near a forest to aid you on your journey, where would you wish to go?” “We are seeking Ezra the Enchanter, where might he be found?” Cap asked. The Good Granny peered at him for a bit, “In a place you should be spending much time in,” she said after a bit. “Is that where you wish to go?” “Well hold on a moment,” Devan said, “how about the Duchy of Brandenburg? I mean that’s got potential.” “I have had some dealings with the Duke of Brandenburg,” the Good Granny smiled as she answered. The debate went back and forth for quite a while, but in the end, we decided on a forest near the sea. From there we could take a boat to the Holy Isles, and after that seek out the Duchy of Brandenburg. Of course the best-laid plans of mice and men….

Report Date

21 Dec 2021