A visit to a thorny city

General Summary

Our guide from Good Granny was the strong silent type or a dark and stormy knight type as we were guided out of the forest. We did take a brief break to share our cask of ale with Long John, and he quite enjoyed the time. After a night sleeping in the forest, we exited to signs of spring. I could have sworn it was fall heading to winter last I’d known, but time passes faster than we think sometimes. After a bit of conferring we decide the best plan to figure out where we are is to have Lili levitate above the treeline and see what’s up. I know a bit unusual of a plan, but she quickly reported back “There’s armed guards riding on short horses. They’re heading up north of us.” For some reason, Rory starts strapping on some weird metal thing. “Let’s wait a few minutes and then head out,” Devan suggested. We did, only to promptly run into a second patrol. “Hi,” Cap’n said as he walked forward. “It is their deceptions, don’t let them deceive you,” shouted the one who looked in charge, or at the very least was talking. Then his soldiers threw a mass of arrows into Cap and Lili. They do not seem friendly, just a guess. Devan ran out, grabbed a ball from his necklace and threw it in the midst of the men. It exploded in a mass of fire and shattered glass. “This went South fast,” I muttered and cast spike growth right in the middle of the mass of soldiers. They gasped in dismay as the plants reached up tearing into their clothes and legs. The horses neighed and whinnied in panic. “You had the chance to feel the creator’s love, now feel the Creator’s wrath,” Cap’n shouted as he launched a bolt of lightning at the confused men. The leader reached out and absorbed it, and all his wounds healed up before our eyes. His eyes sparked fire and he waved his hands and a fireball hit all of us. Ow. “That’s it! If he wants to play with fire, let’s show him why that’s a bad plan,” I whispered and my hands moved rapidly and a giant wall of water crashed down on him knocking him down. As soon as the wave went down Rory jumped out and shot something at him. I honestly didn’t see what, because a figure made of flame stepped out of the corpse, “The Mother commands your lives and you will all die. With my final breath I destroy you,” and he exploded. Fire everywhere, and that’s the last I remember. I woke up to Cap’ yelling something. I’m trusting they were able to finish the fight. We decide it might be safer to travel in the woods for the time being, and maybe pop out from time to time to check on what’s going on. Milli glanced out and saw riders approaching a farmhouse and taking supplies. “The Mother is grateful for your continued remembrance of the proper place you hold,” the soldier said as he takes some bags of grain and eyes the farmer’s daughter. “The Mother holds out her hand to all and will happily embrace you when you choose to join her children-” Then he stopped, and at some unknown signal they all stopped, turned to the South and prayed. A warm dry wind blew through the clearing, and then they finished their business with the farmers. “We should go out and stop this,” Milli said, “They’re robbing those people.” “Guys, I don’t think they’re robbing them,” I pointed back at the farm, “I think they’re tax collectors. Do you know of anyone who likes the tax collectors? I think we saw some unhappy farmers paying their taxes, nothing more. If you think about it, the earlier soldiers probably attacked us because we came from the woods. Everyone knows nothing good comes from the woods. I bet they’re all paranoid we were here to kill them or something.” Devan laughed, “They were right, we did kill them.” “But they started it first,” I quipped back. “So let’s see if we can just walk up calmly. If they don’t see us emerging from the forest they probably won’t freak out quite so much.” “Oh hey, after all those guys died I looked through their bodies and there was this scroll,” Devan said. “Let’s see what it says.” It was quite lengthy something about “Rod of the Mother that the faithful…. her finger upon the face of the earth….” Some religious text or other, but nothing from the Creator, maybe Children of the Wind? “I’ve got an idea,” Lili says and she starts shaking her staff and holding it above her head as we walk. At this point I’ve just figured out she’s a little odd, and have no clue what’s going on there. We walk on for about 30 minutes, and see a small town of tents with around 1200 people in it. Men, women, children, herds of cattle. Beyond it is a more traditional city with walls and permanent buildings, and each person that heads up to the walled city is stopped by guards among the tent city and questioned. Behind us a warm dry breeze builds up and blows through the tent city. “At last,” Lili cries, and she leaned forward eagerly to see what happened in the city as her breeze went through the tents. People leaped up in consternation and ran about. Some dropped to their knees facing south and praying. Others cast wild looks about and started pulling young children into tents. Lili’s arm dropped down and the breeze slowly died down. “Well, let’s see what happens when we get up there,” Devan said. Of course, we get up there and the guards stop us and ask the usual questions asked of newcomers. “What’s your business here, and where are you from?” “I am Devan, jeweler and painter extraordinaire, traveling to this fair town to start a trade here. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?” Devan bluffed. “That’s nice, do you have any samples of your jewelry?” the guard asked. “Would you like a sample of my artwork?” Devan responded. “I can make up a quick sketch of you.” “No, I’d like to see a sample of your jewelry,” the guard said grumpily. “Me wife would like a new piece o’ jewelry.” “I make custom orders, good man, can you afford a custom order?” Devan blustered back. I drew in my breath sharply, that’s not going to go over well. “You just wait for my captain,” the guard pushed back. You’re not going nowhere ’till my captain approves ya.” “Very well good man, go get him,” Devan said pompously. We all stood there waiting several minutes and the captain appeared a massive figure in impressive swirling robes at least a head taller than any of us. “Are they the ones we look for?” the captain asked. “Don’t know, but his answers are strange Captain.” The captain turned his dark eyes on us, “Why are you coming to this Thorn in our Side?” His eyes studied each of us in turn. “I am Devan, jeweler and artist extraordinaire, and these are my servants.” “What would a man like you need with so many servants? What are your names servants?” the captain asked mildly. “You don’t need their names. They get stuff for me. I send them to fetch what I need, and they bring it to me, and they carry my stuff,” Devan blustered. “That is quite nice,” the captain responded, “but I still need their names. What is your name lady?” He looked me over and I could see he mentally filing me under “former soldier or adventurer.” “Addie,” I answered. “And where are you from?” “Aloria,” I answered, trying to give as little information as possible. “Indeed, and the rest of you?” Slowly everyone gave their names and where we were from. I saw him mentally store each member of the party in a different location, and I would bet good money he pegged us as adventurers no matter what Devan said. “You are lucky indeed to be here right now. Mother has decreed in this very city, the Rod of the Mother will be revealed at the renewal of the moon. That is why the faithful have gathered here. Tell the citizens of the city the good news when you pass the gates.” We walk the path through their tent city, and are greeted by a few stares. We march up to the city gates, and are greeted by the city guards with the same questions. I notice they speak a variation of Alorian, but it’s a little different from what I’m used to. And with that we get into the city and look for some lodgings for the night.

Report Date

21 Dec 2021