#the feathered snaky thing is totally a spy for Skulldrinker and it was tailing Yevin when the session ended.

[thederailersdnd]

Session 24: we’re following the leader...

When last we left our heroes, Syrin of the Ebony Wings was informing them all that the Animus crystals were in transit to the castle when they were stolen. Witnesses said it looked like children from the forest. And something was left at the scene of the crime. Syrin tosses the evidence over and Ryker catches it: Acorns. Syrin admits her first thought was of Wander and her people, and Wander begrudgingly takes a look. These aren’t normal looking acorns; they look Feywildian. The crew agrees to investigate and Yevin catches up as they are lead to the wagon.

At the wagon they are introduced to the guards. Apparently one of the guards had been distracted by a pair of lovely… eyes… at the time of the theft. Looking in the back, there is a pile of acorns where the box should be and a trail leading off down the road. Syrin charges the Derailers with hunting down the crystals. There are two in the box, one for them, and one for her ship that is running low on power (good thing Ryker didn’t steal it).

Following the trail of acorns, the crew soon comes upon the flower shop owned by one of Havayla’s sisters. The sister, completely covered in flowers and a little disoriented, greats everyone enthusiastically. Their quest explained and she points them to the back of the shop where there is a door leading to the city park. Running out into the park, the Derailers discover a magical fog barrier with ensnaring vines.

Nahtan and Arunak step through first, making their way past the vines with little trouble. As they stumble to the other side, they are met with a strange scene: there are two figures, a youngish elf with white hair in green garb, playing a pan flute while an elfin girl in tattered clothes and long dark hair dances around the glade. A bear bobs along to the tune while a couple trees sway their branches and clap in time. There is a box places precariously on a nearby boulder and the members of the revelry do not yet notice the interlopers.

As Ryker and Yevin make their way through the vines, the Derailer’s presence is noted and the dancing stops. The figures challenge the crew with a riddle, stating “If you don’t answer correctly, the trees (not Trii) will kill you, and then berries (not the berries on the bush, the bear named Barries) will eat you. Except the bear only eats berries, so only the trees will kill you (but not trii).” The riddle is “What is as large as a grandfather tree, sings like a fuzzy stinger, and dances as well as Eros?”

At this time, Wander and Havayla also stumble through and, after some shock from the pan-flutist over Wander’s heritage, proper introductions are made. The thieves are Prancing Prince Pater Pandelion and Trii. Pater is a killer of dragons, specifically the Jabberwock that killed his parents. This leads to some comparison from the Derailers: “oh you’ve only killed one Dragon?” He and Trii came through from the Feywild and stole the box of crystals for their friend Eros, who wants to make jewelry from them. And everyone must answer their riddle or tell them their favorite color, or be killed. After learning that the “queen of flowers” they met earlier was Havayla’s sister, Havayla is greeted as a queen and is exempt from the killing.

Giving up on the riddle, everyone lists their favorite colors. Ryker: blue (he’s an air genasi, it’s kinda his thing), Yevin: purple. Havayla is the queen so didn’t need to answer (but says silver anyways), Wander: amethyst (from a stone her nieces gave her), Nahtan: faded red. Arunak: brown (like leather. His explanation is frowned upon by Trii until he says it reminds him of a belt he got at the orphanage). Colors named, it is revealed that the riddle had no answer! Trii just wanted to see what people said and judge their character from there.

Favorite colors given, everyone is invited to dance, which they do. Ryker uses the opportunity to inch closer to the box, but was seen by Pater. In a quick back and forth over said box, it is realized that the box is an illusion! Wander casts detect magic and can sense the crystals moving just out of her range. Taking off, she leads the way through town, finally catching sight, or at least obvious evidence of, an invisible individual making their way through the crowded streets. Just as they get to the city gate, Wander casts dispel magic, revealing a faun holding the box. Arunak throws a sphere of binding and successfully stops the faun’s retreat.

The crew catches up with Pater and Trii in tow. The faun is revealed to be Eros, who really, really, wants the crystals. Beginning to sense that something is off with his friend, Pater continues to to question Eros, when there is a strange burbling noise. Up on the wall is a green, gangly dragon-type creature, with long antenna-like strands on it’s head, buck teeth, and long claws. The Jabberwock has returned for revenge!

Ryker, as usual, takes the first strike. Then Pater pulls out a package from his belt, opens it and sprinkles some dust on himself before launching into the air towards the jaws that bite. Eros transforms into mist to escape the bonds, but is then held by Wander. Trii trips into the fray and attempts to cast a spell, but Yevin, unsure of her motives and not entirely trusting their new companions, counters it. Arunak monks his way 100 feet up the wall to attack the Jabberwock with his fists and is buffeted off the wall in return. After a couple rounds of relative confusion and frustration for the close combat players as they are limited in their ability to attack something in the air, Yevin transforms Arunak into a giant ape. Aperunak grabs two large stones and flings them at the Jabberwock, severing its neck once again. The Jabberwock falls and dissolves into mist.

During combat, Nahtan gives control of his wolf (now named Moon Moon) over to Ryker, who instructs it to take the box back to the Fiddler’s Bar (unbeknownst to the rest of the team). Once the Jabberwock is slain, Ryker stealths away (again, sneakily and without telling the team) to finish hiding the crystals.

Meanwhile, Eros is continuing to act very weird. Trii charms him into compliance and they decide to go back to the cave where they came in. The Derailers join, messaging Ryker about the plan and telling him where to catch up. Outside the cave, Eros’s answers are more erratic. He can’t remember parts of his recent history, speaks of himself in third person, talks about seeing his reflection in the pool… or maybe he saw Eros in the pool… Havayla steps in to cast “Remove Curse” and Eros just melts away completely.

Now even more confused, the crew seeks answers further in the cave. They come upon a pool surrounded by fey plantlife. But the pool is strangly colored and the surrounding mushrooms are dying. Across the pool is a large Oni. He appears to have cut his hand and is dripping the blood into the pool. At the appearance of the Derailers and guests, he makes a comment about Eros having failed and disappears. Quick survival checks reveal that he is only invisible and attacks are made as he comes closer to the party.

After the killing blow by Pater that knocks the Oni’s head into the pool, the team starts to investigate the pool. The Oni’s blood has obviously corrupted it, but how? And how can they restore it? Ryker shoots an arrow with rope on it to pull the Oni head out of the pool as Havayla reaches in to cast remove curse on the water. As they both touch the water, something happens. Suddenly Ryker is fascinated by the silty ground around the pool and begins to eat the mud. Havayla starts screaming as she looks at her companions. Nahtan, ever the adventurous one, takes a drink and similarly succumbs to madness.

Arunak springs into action using the sphere of binding to prevent Ryker’s pica, stuns Nahtan, then chases down and subdues Havayla. Wander goes to each one casting greater restoration, telling Ryker “you owe me” as she does so. Realizing that they cannot fix the pool and that no one should touch it, Pater gets to work collapsing the cave on top of it.

Back outside the cave, Pater and Trii thank the Derailers for their help and participation. They’ll return to the Feywild, maybe Eros is there on the other side of the pool and they can figure out how to clean it from that side. Pater gives the crew three bags of pixie dust. Havayla asks if they want to meet a unicorn (an emphatic and honored yes) and Ryker suggests that they all go back to the bar for a drink. Returning to town, introductions to Aurora are made, with Pater giving utmost respect to both Aurora and “queen” Havayla. At the Fiddler’s Bar, Trii prepares a hero’s feast as thanks and they pass wound Feywildian mead.

Ryker passes Yevin a drink, but sneaks in a potion of regeneration. Yevin drinks and feels a strange sensation in his right hand; his missing fingers are growing back. What at first appear to be regular half-elven fingers are quickly replaces with two bronze scaled claws. Ryker reveals that he snuck the potion of regeneration he’d had into Yevin’s drink. Yevin hides his hand, finishes his drink, and quietly steps out.

Pater and Trii bid their farewells. Wander asks that if they come across any Firbolgs that look like her, with the names Steady, Ivy, Constance, or Noddy, to tell them that their auntie loves them. With a nod and a flash of flowers, Pater and Trii vanish back to the Feywild. With half the day still ahead of them, everyone goes about their own business. Havayla wants to talk to her mother, Ryker and Arunak are going to take the crystal to Reg for the airship, Nahtan is going to a woodshop (?), Yevin is already gone, and Wander is exhausted and will be in their rooms. And that is where we left the session.

What will come next? We’ll find out next time… which will be in two weeks. Next session will be a one shot run by Havayla’s player and the following week will potentially be another one shot as our DM will be unavailable.

Thank you to our guests for this session, Pater and Trii!

#the derailers d&d #Once again #there are some details left out because it was so chaotic I couldn't keep track. We learned that Ryker and Havayla saved the Summer Queen's #the feathered snaky thing is totally a spy for Skulldrinker and it was tailing Yevin when the session ended. #sidequests are fun!