Session 257 – Secrets of Tyland (Part 17)

- GM’s note: The Secrets of Tyland arc is coming to a close. The fifth and last sacrifice (Day 56) is fast approaching, and their enemies are not standing still. Grant and Ingmar may have slain the Waka Nuka (The Crawler’s offspring) but the threat of the Crawler itself remains. Time is running out…

Day 38 - Thunderday – 23rd Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- The goblins celebrate well into the next day as they rejoice in the death of the monster below. Grant and Ingmar are treated as great heroes. When the festivities die down, Grant explores the Warden Tower and meets the light spirit that protects the Tower. He learns that it is possible to scry from this Tower using the crystal orb that the light spirit inhabits.

- Returning to the lower level of the Hexenhoof Mines, Grant and Ingmar make sure that the goblins will not be able to access the dwarven relics and treasure trove. Grant finds that Tinkerbell is working on a machine which looks suspiciously like a faerie-sized motorbike. He surprises her by correctly identifying what it is, revealing that he isn’t from here and is in fact a Warden of the Stair, like Jacob was. Tinkerbell seems focused on finishing her bike (“it’ll fly”, she says) but she seems interested in what Grant might do next, especially if where he is going would be of interest to a tinker fairy.

- Grant begins working on an antidote to reverse the petrification on the two adventurers which have been frozen in stone. He has previously spotted a Stone Viper slithering around the catacombs so he hunts it down and extracts its venom. Grant is very good with poisons and he manages to create an antidote, which he then administers. The antidote needs to be applied to the statues’ eyes, but the effect is almost instantaneous. Both the northerner and the elven swordsmen are returned to flesh and blood.

* Both images sourced from Google Images, but I think the one on the right is Daria Lefler, a Cosplayer. Normally I prefer art rather than pictures of real people but these pictures seem appropriate

- They are both disoriented as they don’t realise that any time has passed. They have been here for almost fifty years. They were investigating the reason for the dwarves’ sudden disappearance and have no knowledge of the goblins above. The northerner is a quiet man called Jo. The elven female is called Wendolyn – Grant gets the impression that this is not her real name, but just the closest approximation of her elven name. She is surprised that Grant can speak elven but is disappointed when Grant has no knowledge of the state of her homeland (also to the north). Both claim to have seen a basilisk, which they describe for Grant. Not willing to look for trouble, they withdraw.

- In Stonebridge, Ethan finds that he must pay a toll to the Steel Eagles to visit the shops on the other side of the river. He finds a pawn shop called The Red Fox (no doubt named after the infamous dwarven thief) and he asks Otto about the missing lens. Otto is petrified when Ethan explains that they have Otto’s brother Rannik in custody but he is unwilling to part with the lens. When Ethan asks about the Deed that would give the Fellowthongs clan official custody of the Hexenhoof Mine, Otto explains that the rumour was that it was taken by Lord Korab’s father long ago. It would be in the Weeping Castle if it still exists.

- Unwilling to leave Otto in possession of the lens, Ethan uses his Ranked Psyche to guess where Otto is hiding it, and then Ethan puts him to sleep (using a minor spell). He recovers the lens and revives Otto. Otto has no memory of Ethan taking the missing lens.

- Ethan doesn’t like the Steel Eagles but pays the toll again to return to Pete’s tavern on eastern side of the river. There, he sits down at a quiet table to examine the map with the two lenses and confirms the location of Rannik’s treasure – there is a dwarven tomb only five miles south of Stonebridge. Ethan presumes that Rannik has a stash somewhere within the tomb. He has no idea how big that stash is – he organises to borrow some ponies, just in case, paying liberally for them with silver. 

- Ethan mulls over how to leave Stonebridge with treasure, and he decides that a boat would be safest. However, the docks are on the eastern side of the river and he would need to approach from the west, which would mean that the Steel Eagles would probably inspect his cargo. While he is thinking over the options, he gets chatting with the proprietor. Peter is a relatively young man, recently married to a pretty woman called Ginestra. Peter hates the Steel Eagles, and he explains that most of the town would prefer to do without their ‘protection’. He sees them as little more than greedy bandits who take whatever they please. Despite not wanting to get involved, Ethan finds that he likes Peter. He listens as Peter tells him about Redfield, one of the locals who tried to stand up to the Steel Eagles. They hanged him and confiscated his home. Redfield’s wife Johanna is still there, kept as a miserable servant.

- Ethan decides to go and look at the Redfield farm, but this time one of the Steel Eagles recognises him as the deputy who beat up a whole group of them and took their horses. Crossbow bolts are fired, and Ethan decides that he can’t leave this situation alone.

- It takes Ethan less than two hours to retake Stonebridge. None of the Steel Eagles make it out alive. The first battle is fought at the Redfield farm, and Ethan overwhelms their defenses in a matter of minutes and slays many of them, including their captain. With Redfield farm retaken, Johanna proves a valuable ally as to where the other Steel Eagles will be. The eastern side of the bridge is quickly secured and Ethan finds himself joined by many angry villagers who are only too glad with stand with him and drive out their oppressors.

- The people sweep across the bridge and drag out the remaining Steel Eagles, showing them no mercy for their previous actions. Some are stabbed or shot as they flee. Others are strung up and hung. Johanna keeps count as each is slain. Finally, Ethan needs to wait until a patrol returns and then ambush it with some of the others. In the end, none of the Steel Eagles in Stonebridge survive. The rebellion has been swift.

- In the evening, the people of Stonebridge celebrate. Ethan joins in briefly but then fades away from sight, letting them enjoy their moment. Jorus, the blind justicar who is one of the town elders, comes to speak with Ethan. He is impressed with Ethan and asks if Ethan would be willing to stay. The inference is that Jorus is looking for a successor and he feels that Ethan may have potential. They talk for a while and Ethan admits that he doesn’t know where his journey is taking him, but he feels as though he still has a long way to ‘walk’. Jorus counsels him that there is no need to walk further, as he is clearly needed here.

Day 39 - Fireday – 24th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- On the next day, Grant prepares to leave the Hexenhoof Mine with Ingmar, Jo and Wendolyn and return to Tyland Mill. He notes that Whistlercow’s robin is still in a tree outside the mine gates, waiting to convey a message when Grant chooses to send one. There is also a cloudy-formed sylph waiting for him. The sylph says that she was sent by Vendra three days earlier, but she was intercepted. It took her some time for her to reach Tyland Mill but by the time she reached the place, Grant had already left. Her message is that the Lurkers are on the move, heading north from The Gorge. They could be on their way to attack Silvertrout Manor (Red’s hideout) or even to attack Vendra’s home. Grant does a quick calculation and realises that the Lurkers would have reached either location by now. 

- Grant returns to the Warden Tower and uses the scrying sphere to look at what has happened to Silvertrout Manor. He finds that it has been attacked and there is no one moving there. The attack is long over. He then tries to look at Vendra’s tree house (based on Ethan’s description of where it is) and finds that she is fine. She is aware of the scrying but not of its source.

- Grant asks the sylph to return with a message to Vendra, and then the party makes its way back towards Tyland Mill. Tinkerbell is left behind, working away on her motorbike. They stop for the evening at Theod’s Stead where they are welcomed. Jo eats heartily, but Wendolyn seems to find it annoying that so many of the young men are staring at her. (she is very beautiful)

- Meanwhile, Ethan decides to leave Stonebridge with four borrowed ponies and he heads south towards the dwarven tomb. He reaches it, explores the tomb and finds Rannik’s treasure. There is a lot more treasure than he expected. Not just gold and silver coins and gemstones, but a quantity of ingots as well. A lot of this treasure is marked with the royal seal – it belongs to the King of Ventar, not to the dwarves or to Tyland Mill. Feeling that he can’t leave it here, he decides to load up the ponies but is interrupted by an Icon contact from Grant.

- After an early dinner at Theod’s estate, Grant contacts Ethan and informs him of the attack on Silvertrout Manor, and that he has slain the Waka Nuka. He confirms that Jacob is dead. Grant makes some suggestions as to how to avoid taking the treasure through Stonebridge. Ethan also says that the Deed which Ingmar has been seeking may be in the Weeping Castle and he asks Grant as to where it might be held. Grant has seen a library full of paperwork and he suggests this as a good place to look. He also suggests that Ethan organise a river boat to meet him on the western banks of the Dusker river to transfer his cargo without being detected. Grant asks Ethan to perform a divination (now that the Waka Nuka is dead) and let him know the result. Ethan agrees to do this and he casts the spell. This is a powerful spell but it does not greatly disturb Gossamer Reality because it doesn’t manipulate the world around him. When the spell is completed, Ethan contacts Grant and tells him that the threat to Tyland Mill remains but it has changed. He is almost certain that the Waka Nuka was the biggest threat because of its capability to traverse the Stair (if it could reach a Door), but the Crawler and possibly even the Fey remain serious threats.

- Ending the Icon contact, Ethan decides to leave the treasure and returns to Stonebridge empty-handed. He charters a river boat to take him south the next day and organises a place to pick him up from the western bank, about a mile out of town. The mood in Pete’s tavern is festive that evening. Everyone is happy to see Ethan back again and he is rewarded with a free meal and drinks.

Day 40 - Swordsday – 25th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Ethan leaves before dawn to return to the dwarven tomb. He recovers the treasure and loads it piece by piece onto the ponies, either into saddlebags or tying the wooden boxes across their backs. There is so much treasure that Ethan finds it hard to believe that the Red Fox worked alone. 

- He then makes his way to the river bank to meet Keel, the river boat merchant who has been waiting for him. He unloads the cargo, much to Keel’s curiosity and then returns the ponies to their owner in Stonebridge. Ethan finds the boat still waiting for him and they set off downstream. During the day, he passes Alfrin heading the other way towards Stonebridge.

- GM’s note – I was unsure as to whether Ethan would insist on going to the Weeping Castle next (because of the potential threat of retaliation from the Weeping Castle), or return with the treasure to Tyland Mill. In the end, we had to assume that the people of Stonebridge had stepped up and were prepared to defend their homes should that occur. However, Ethan wanted to return swiftly to the area if possible.

- Grant reaches Tyland Mill a few hours after dawn. All is well. His deputies have looked after the place and the rest of the Fellowthongs clan are ecstatic to see that Ingmar has returned with the fabled Armour of the Fellowthongs. However, there is no news from Red or Silvertrout Manor. The good news is that a Priestess of Myrthala (the healing goddess) and her two disciples have arrived. They were heading south towards Old Oaks but Tellurian asked that they stay to help purify a temple (a reference to the Old Temple which was never cleansed).

- After checking that everything is in order, Grant figures that he should see Lady Marian to inform her as to what has happened. However, before he can do this, the first survivors from Silvertrout Manor arrive. Led by Poacher Jack (whom Grant rescued from the dungeons of the Weeping Castle), there are about forty of them – men, women and children - they’ve been walking for three days and they are carrying with them all that they could salvage. They tell the story of being attacked before dawn by a ‘horde from the river’ – hundreds of the beasts. Jack believes that Red was taken by the creatures. He didn’t escape this time. 

- Victoria, the priestess of Myrthala and her disciples, join the rest of the community to look after the poor people who have just arrived. Grant and Mayor Prigg organise the community to assist – the people need food, water and a place to rest. Grant notes that the Whistlercow’s red robin is still hanging around, following him at a discreet distance wherever he goes.

* Image sourced from Google Images, but I think this one comes from Paizo’s Pathfinder

- Much later in the day, Grant goes to talk to Lady Marian and raises the possibility that the community of Tyland Mill could come under attack. If it took the Lurkers two days to reach Silvertrout Manor, and they attacked before dawn on 22nd Day of Rainmoot, then the earliest that they could return to the Gorge and attack Tyland Mill would be the 26th. It is a sobering conversation – the defenses of Tyland Mill are inadequate against an attack from the river. Grant thinks that their best chance of survival is to hire the Steel Eagles (what’s left of them) and he tells Marian that Ethan has recovered a quantity of treasure that could be used to pay for their services.

- Grant returns to the village and talks to his deputies, Ingmar and the two adventurers, Jo and Wendolyn about the potential of the town coming under attack in the next few days. He wants the river watched, and he starts planning what to do if the Lurkers do attack. He heads to the Good Omen Inn and finds that Salthia is no longer flustered about running this place. With two dwarves, one of the local men and a teenage girl, they seem to be competently running the place ‘under new management’. Salthia is pleased to see Grant.

- That night, with the moon the faintest sliver in the sky, Keel’s river boat encounters a strange mist on the river. Keel himself is fast asleep, but Ethan is not. The fey come from the waters, rising quietly onto the deck and trying to take the Wynterlyr’s Ring. Each looks like a drowned wretch, with long wet hair, long faces and unnaturally long fingernails. When they find Ethan awake, they try to bargain to acquire Wynterlyr’s Ring in return for safe passage. Ethan refuses and a battle is fought whilst the merchant sleeps.

Day 41 - Saintsday – 26th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

-  Saintsday is a rest day in this world. The community of Tyland Mill has embraced the survivors of Red’s band, but there is also an unease. Is it possible that the Lurkers will attack Tyland Mill next?

- Grant asks for Sister Victoria’s help to cleanse the Old Temple and she readily agrees. Descending to the lower level, he leads her to Wynterlyr’s statue and she purifies it with prayer and holy water. When the muck and taint is removed, Wynterlyr’s statue looks lifelike. Even his thin lips look like they are slightly smiling now. The stone statue of a sparrow on the tip of his fingers actually comes to life and flies away as a real bird. 

- A pair of woodcutters arrives in town from Old Oaks.

- Returning to Tyland Mill, Grant spends a lot of time thinking about how the Lurkers could attack the village and who the fifth sacrifice could be. He assumes that it is the Mill Lady (who is descended from Tyland Redmantle) but he doesn’t know for sure. Reflecting on the last days before the fourth sacrifice, he recalls that Marian acknowledged Red publicly as her half-brother. The three sisters, Sylvia, Irina and Nadia, were there when that was publicly revealed. He wonders if the Lurkers attacked Silvertrout Manor just to capture Red. He wonders if they already have their victim for the last sacrifice. At the last full moon, the priestesses showed that they were capable of contingency planning – they had a primary and a secondary target. Could Red be either of those?

- Grant doesn’t like this at all. He is becoming convinced that he needs to find Nyrath before the next two weeks. It is only two weeks (fourteen days) until the next Full Moon.

- Grant contacts Ethan via Icon to find out how far away he is and is told that he’ll arrive in Tyland Mill tomorrow. The conversation is brief. Ethan has also been thinking about what would happen if the Lurkers were to attack Tyland Mill. He has been thinking about Vendra’s inability to leave her tree house due to wounds inflicted during the Necromancer War. If she were healed, Vendra might be a powerful asset in any upcoming battle.

- Grant spends the night with Salthia.

Day 42 - Moonday – 27th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Keel’s river boat pulls into Tyland Mill early on the Moonday morning. Unloading the treasure is done quietly, without drawing attention what is being carried. The treasure is secured in the Sheriff’s Tower, and Rannik has no idea that his coveted treasure is simply across the hall. Grant warden-locks the door, and goes to tell Lady Marian that they have it.

- Grant and Ethan spend a lot of the day discussing what to do next. Someone needs to go to the Weeping Castle to recover the Deed of the Fellowthongs (if it is there), and also to hire the remaining Steel Eagles. There is also a need to locate Nyrath, find clues as to who the fifth sacrifice might be and maybe even rescue Red and any of his band who are still alive.

- Ethan is keen to find Nyrath (he has been for many weeks), but he also knows that Grant is much sneakier than he is. Grant is more likely to be successful than he is, and Ethan feels that he has an obligation to deal with the Steel Eagles lest they launch reprisals against Stonebridge.

- They also discuss the Ring of Command. There is a lot of pressure from the fey to return the Ring, and they are both concerned about whether Wynterlyr might side with the Crawler in order to recover his Ring. In the end, they agree that Ethan will continue to wear the Ring, because it attracts a lot of attention from the fey. Grant doesn’t need that kind of attention if he is heading to The Gorge to find Nyrath. It is decided that Ethan will head north to the Weeping Castle, and Grant will head east to find the city of the Lurkers.

- Ethan sleeps in the Sheriff Tower and feels much refreshed as a result.

- That evening, Grant receives an unexpected Icon contact. It is Cal, Lord of Gossamer. Cal has contacted Grant as he has not spoken to him in some time and he simply wishes to ‘catch up’. They have a pleasant conversation. Grant asks whether Cal would be prepared to join him, preferably with some appropriate reinforcements. At first, Cal is surprised by this request but as Grant explains the situation, Cal agrees. Grant explains that he would like to keep Cal and his forces in reserve in case they should need to ‘call in the cavalry’.

* The image is of Cal, from Lords of Gossamer. The artwork is by Jason Rainville

Session 256 – Secrets of Tyland (Part 16)

- GM’s note: This session focusses on Grant and Ingmar’s exploration of the Hexenhoof Mines and their fight with the Little Crawler, the monster that the goblins call ‘Waka Nuka’ (or Big Mouth). The Waka Nuka has eaten Jacob, Lord of Gossamer, so it has Warden powers but it is also trapped on the lower level of the mine and cannot get out. It has been stuck in the dwarven mines for over fifty years, growing bigger…

Day 37 - Wineday – 22nd Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Convincing the Goblin King to let them use the bucket to descend to the lower levels of the Hexenhoof Mine takes Grant and Ingmar some time. The Goblin King seems to be interested in a way to control the beast rather than killing it (GM’s note – he was after the Ring of Command to enable him to enslave it, and the goblins who were after it have not yet returned), but he finally agrees that if it were slain that it could potentially be good for the goblins so he allows them to use the bucket.

- The ‘bucket’ itself is a large mining elevator that could carry a small army of dwarves and a significant quantity of ore. The gears grind into life and they are slowly lowered into the depths. They have agreed that the goblins will bring them back up in four hours, and they hope the Waka Nuka (the creature in the depths) will not be able to follow them if they need to retreat.

- Deep underground, Grant can sense the presence of a fellow Warden. He assumes that it is not Jacob but rather the creature itself and he decides to explore what else they can learn before confronting it. 

- In their explorations they find Jacob’s old workshop which is filled with half-finished clockwork devices. On the workshop table is a small cup of refined sugar, something that should not exist in this reality. The locals use honey, not sugar. Searching around, he discovered a small faerie girl who claims that she is stuck here – she can’t leave whilst Jacob is still ‘alive’. He was eaten by the Waka Nuka but because he was devoured and absorbed rather than killed, the link between them wasn’t broken and she’s been trapped here for decades. Jacob’s companion gives her name as (GM’s note – you guessed it, who else could it be for a mad-keen clockwork tinkerer) Tinkerbell. 

* Image by Laia (@itslopezz), sourced from Google Images

- (GM’s note – this is not the Disney version of Tinkerbell, although I know enough about the Tinkerbell series of movies that I may leech some ideas from here and there. I wanted a ‘steampunk Tinkerbell’ who would make logical sense as Jacob’s companion.)

- Tinkerbell seems pleased to have someone to talk to, but also annoyed that she’s been stuck here for so long. She tells them about the Little Crawler’s emergence and how the dwarves were taken by surprise. It even managed to overpower and consume Jacob, a Warden of the Stair. She presumes that it has all of his knowledge but it still can’t physically find a way out.

- Grant and Ingmar decide to proceed on, and leave Tinkerbell be until they can find a way to release her. Grant avoids the main chamber where he suspects that the Waka Nuka is lurking, and he leads Ingmar into a series of chambers on the other side. There they find evidence of old dwarven mining sites, but also find three life-like statues. One is of a fighting man from the north. A second is of a beautiful elven swordswoman and the third appears to be that of a dwarven archer, but the head has been shattered by rockfalls from above. Grant suspects that there is something nearby which has the power of petrification, but he doesn’t know what kind of creature it is. Carefully exploring further, they find an old dwarven storeroom that contains a small keg of black powder. Grant and Ingmar recognise it as blasting powder and they hatch a plan to feed it to the Waka Nuka. After all, the name ‘Waka Nuka’ means ‘Big Mouth’ in the goblin tongue so they are hopeful that they can feed it a live explosive device.

- Retreating without discovering what petrified the three adventurers, they retreat and decide to find the Waka Nuka. They find the large rubbish pile that has accumulated over the many decades of goblin occupation – the pile that grows ever larger as refuse is thrown into the fissure above to end up here. The rubbish dump stinks. There is quite a variety of fungus growing here, presumably what the Waka Nuka has been eating.

- They make their way to the dwarven temple of the First Smith – the doors to the temple are warped and twisted as if something very hot and very large has pushed the door out of the way. Grant is almost certain that the Waka Nuka is inside. Its trail is sticky underfoot.

The Battle with the Little Crawler

- The Waka Nuka is inside the church of the First Smith. It can sense Grant just as he can sense it. (GM’s note – in this game, Wardens can sense each other just like Immortals can in the “Highlander” movie). The Waka Nuka is curious about Grant, and a little confused. Grant tells Ingmar to wait for a minute while he goes first.

- Inside, the church has been wrecked and remade into a very alien home for this creature. Grant goes to the nearest column for cover but he can’t see the creature. Sure enough, the Waka Nuka is behind the column. It glides out to peer at him. It’s big. Very big. Its body is more than twenty feet long and within its eel-like head crowned with tentacles are three eerie green eyes. 

* Image sourced from Google Images, I wish I could find something like this with three evil eyes…. Oh well

- Grant takes a swing at the creature, effectively poking it in the eye, which confuses it further. It backs off and then rears up like a snake. Grant ignites the fuse on the keg of black powder and throws it at the Waka Nuka when it makes a move to strike. 

- The Waka Nuka catches the powder keg in its powerful jaws and shatters it, cutting off the fuse. It then turns its baleful green gaze upon Grant and he can feel its mind touching his. He catches glimpses of when it first burst from its shell, tearing the face off the nearest dwarf and then springing upon the lord of the mines. Grant disrupts the mental contact with Umbra and ignites a torch, which he then hurls at the creature.

- The black powder is still in the Waka Nuka’s jaws and the flame of the torch ignites it with a sudden flash. The Waka Nuka gives an alien shriek and retreats with inhuman speed for something of its size and bulk.

- Grant calls for Ingmar and the doughty dwarf charges into the chamber with his axe. Ingmar spots the creature and charges, trying to pierce its armoured hide with his axe. This gives Grant the opportunity to draw the Black Whip which is supposed to reduce foes into ‘red goo’. 

- The Waka Nuka quickly regains its wits and decides to attack Ingmar. This gives Grant the opportunity to test out the evil Whip. To his pleasant surprise, it is very effective. It cuts clean through the Little Crawler’s carapace as if the armour wasn’t there at all, badly wounding the creature.

- Hurt, the Waka Nuka tries to retreat but Ingmar gives a bloodthirsty cry and sinks his blade into its neck. The creature flails in its death throws and a number of further hasty blows and strikes are struck. Then suddenly, all is quiet and the Waka Nuka is no more. Grant can no longer feel the presence of a Warden. They’ve killed it. (Grant realises that the Black Whip is a very potent weapon, and given that it is faerie-crafted, it will probably work in other realities as well).

The Aftermath

- Ingmar gives a hearty laugh and claps Grant on the back. He is very pleased. Together, they explore the rest of the First Smith’s temple and find many chambers that the Waka Nuka was unable to reach. They recover the Armour of the Fellowthongs, the ancestral armour of the clan which Ingmar was so desperate to find, and the great forging warhammer that Hammer (the dwarf) spoke of. Furthermore, there are many riches here in the vaults that have laid undisturbed here for decades.

- Tinkerbell is very pleased. She is now free, and with her newfound freedom, she continues working on one of her projects that she was unable to complete before due to missing parts.

- Returning to the goblins, Grant and Ingmar are welcomed as heroes by the goblins (even though the Goblin King would prefer to downplay matters, he is caught by the excitement of the moment and has little choice but to be gracious and congratulate them).

Session 255 – Secrets of Tyland (Part 15)

- GM’s note: I think there are only another 2-3 sessions left in this story arc. We’re getting closer to the climax. 

Grant is in the process of returning from Fort Ghost. He is carrying Rannik’s map of Tyland Mills and one of the lenses that will enable him to read the map and find Red Fox’s lost treasure.

Ethan is currently lost in the faerie realms. 

And meanwhile, the Priestesses of the Crawler only need to complete one more sacrifice to bring back their god.

I’ve included a map of Tyland Woods and all of the locations at the bottom of this post.

Day 34 - Saintsday – 19th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Grant is on his way back to Tyland Mill after a good night’s sleep when he runs across the tracks of a very large animal. Something larger than a bear. He has a bad feeling and decides to follow the tracks. Amongst the footprints are occasional splatters of blood. The further he goes, the more he feels that this might be the legendary Big One that is supposed to dwell in the forest. A terrible maneating bear of legendary size. Takk (the Tanner) has been talking about finding the beast – it is a dream of his.

- Grant tracks it over many miles and finds its den in a deep ravine choked with trees. The whole place smells of death and there are many carcasses strewn here and there. Animals don’t behave the way that the Big One behaves. This is a desecration. 

- Grant stalks the monster and a battle against an enormous black bear is fought. The creature has a wicked looking silver spear lodged in its throat and it fights with unnatural fury. Grant strikes many blows to bring the creature down. He takes the silver spear and notes that it is a weapon of the Enemy dating from the Necromancer’s invasion. The wound it made had no doubt driven the creature mad. He leaves the area with a heavy heart. The creature was a crazed abomination, but he is still sorry to kill it. 

- This hunt has taken him most of the day so in the afternoon he makes his way back to the road. He’s tired, and it is during this long slog that a small fey wearing a suit made of green leaves interrupts him.

- The faerie’s name is Whistlercow and he claims to be a personal envoy of Lord Wynterlyr. Whistlercow explains that he wants Lord Wynterlyr’s ring and he believes that Grant can get it for him. Whistlercow says that Lord Wynterlyr is prepared to be very generous. He offers a robin as a companion to relay messages back to him when Grant has made his decision, and Whistlercow implies that finding, or bring back Lady Sophia is within Lord Wynterlyr’s power. With a goodbye “Toodleloo”, Whistlercow vanishes. He has given Grant a lot to think about.

Lost in Faerie

- Ethan is lost in faerie mists. He wanders. Time passes but the mist does not lift. Occasionally there are shadows moving in the mist.

- Ethan has been in faerie before and he knows that time can be distorted here. Considerable time passes for Ethan as he wanders. He is unable to find a shadow path. He is not hungry but is occasionally thirsty.

- Days pass before Ethan can find the first break in the mists. He has wandered into a lush faerie land where the mountains are unnaturally shaped into narrow peaks. 

- It is many weeks that Ethan is in the faerie realm but eventually he returns. (GM’s note – what happens to Ethan may be revealed in future writeups or in flashbacks)

Day 35 - Moonday – 20th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Grant arrives back in Tyland Mill in the late morning. Ethan has not returned. His other deputies tell him that all is well, but there are some Steel Eagles waiting for him in the Good Omen Inn. Grant decides to let them wait. He makes sure that the evil spear that drove the Big One mad is locked away, then asks Tellurian about the six-holed flute that he found in the Old Oak cache (one of Red’s stashes). He knows the six-holed flute is a faerie artefact and he wonders if there are any local stories about it. He is in luck – Tellurian has heard of it – the six-holed flute is reputed to be able to tame and control insects, including Nyrathi Bees. Tellurian has no idea who the original faerie owner is but it could be Lady Beethania.

- Parth mentions that the Steel Eagles are looking for ‘Lord Korab’s woman’. Gareth spotted Acaratina and Twistle heading west towards Old Oaks but they didn’t tell the Steel Eagles this. Grant tells Parth that he has done well.

- Grant cleans himself up and is about to head over to the Good Omen Inn when Sir Vance comes to see him. Vance is leaving town, heading for Scarlet (the capital) and wished to say goodbye. Grant wishes him well.

- Turning his attention to the Good Omen Inn, Grant finds that the inn is now operating in a much more orderly state and Salthia is far less frazzled. She seems to have a team of dwarves working with her now, and her fear of the Steel Eagles is much diminished. Grant meets the senior of the two Steel Eagles, a man named Nantor. Nantor says that Lord Korab ordered them to recover his lady. She’s travelling with her brother and a quantity of gold. Nantor gives the impression that Lord Korab has been robbed, but this surprises Grant as he thought that Korab was dead. Is it just a slip of the tongue or is Korab somehow still alive? Grant tells Nantor where Acatarina and Twistle were last seen and the two Steel Eagles depart, muttering complaints as to why Grant’s deputies didn’t tell them earlier.

- Grant settles down to a hearty meal in the Good Omen Inn and thinks about what to do next. He wonders about whether to deal with the goblins at the Hexenhoof Mine or to head to Stonebridge to recover the second lens (and possibly find the title to the Hexenhoof Mine that Ingmar has been searching for).

- It is very late in the day that Ethan arrives at the Good Omen Inn. He looks very tired, and very dazed. Food and drink are prepared and he asks dully what day it is. He has lost all track of time. Eating slowly, he tells Grant that he has recovered Lord Wynterlyr’s ring. Showing it to him (Ethan is wearing it), Grant realises that it has an insect-like motive. If Beethania was telling the truth, this was fashioned from a piece of the Crawler. Ethan explains that he’s been able to tap into some of the power of the ring – and it helped him to get out of the faerie realms – but he’s very tired now.

- Ethan tells him of his adventure to recover the segments of the ring, and of his run in with one of the Priestesses. Grant then explains what he has done and found, and he tells Ethan of Lord Wynterlyr’s offer. Ethan brightens at this and immediately offers Grant the ring if he believes that Lord Wynterlyr could return Lady Sophia. Grant says that he is suspicious of the offer and the fey can be tricky. He suggests that Ethan keep the ring until the current crisis is over.

- Despite Ethan’s fatigue, Grant asks if it is possible to find out whether Lord Korab is still alive. Ethan agrees to this. Returning to the Sheriff’s Tower, Ethan uses a farseeing spell to look at the Weeping Castle. There he finds Raktor Stoneface in charge. The Steel Eagles are still in control of the Weeping Castle and are showing no sign of departure. Grant processes this and thanks Ethan for confirming.

- They talk. Grant wants to head to the Hexenhoof Mines to fulfil his obligation to Ingmar, and he asks Ethan to head to Stonebridge and find Otto, the missing lens and also the deed to the Hexenhoof Mine if that is possible. Ethan points out that Stonebridge is under Steel Eagle control. Grant is still hopeful that they can find the treasure needed to buy the Steel Eagles’ loyalty but he understands if Ethan has to deal with some of the Steel Eagles to achieve the other goals.

- Grant returns to the Good Omen Inn, and Ethan tiredly heads to bed.

Day 36 - Towerday – 21st Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- The rains start overnight. Ethan is feeling refreshed and is keen to get going. He warns Grant that he may be gone for up to a week. He takes Rannik’s map and lens with him.

- Grant watches Ethan go and then goes to talk with Ingmar. He wants to know whether Ingmar would consider negotiation with the goblins as they have been settled in the mines for a long time. Ingmar is initially unhappy with the suggestion but Grant points out that they are heavily outnumbered and the mines seem vast enough that an agreement may be possible. Ingmar is convinced to try to reason with the goblins.

- Grant and Ingmar head off on horseback for the Hexenhoof Mines. The journey is pleasant despite the rain and Grant notes that Whistlercow’s robin follows him at a distance. They meet a travelling merchant named Pender who is heading for Tyland Mills and they continue on.

- At the Broken Bridge on the way to the Hexenhoof Mines they meet a three-headed ogre who will only let them pass if they solve a riddle. Even though Grant correctly answers, the ogre is still undecided as to whether to let them pass. The situation deteriorates and Grant is forced to slay the ogre and his many hounds. They then continue onto the mine itself and wait for nightfall.

- Meanwhile, Ethan runs into a Steel Eagle patrol that recognise his horse as one of theirs. There is a tense moment but the Steel Eagles choose to let him go.

Day 37 - Wineday – 22nd Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- During the night, Grant goes to visit the Hexenhoof Mine. He takes Ingmar with him and they present themselves as envoys from Tyland Mill. The goblins don’t feel threatened by the two of them so they are escorted into the mine (just as Ethan was). They see firsthand the goblin village and get talking with a number of the goblins. The goblins seem eager to trade with them. One of the objects that is offered is a cap and goggles that Grant recognises as belonging to Jacob (an old friend and fellow Lord of Gossamer). Neither Ingmar nor Grant feels threatened by the goblins. They also note that the goblins seem interested in getting the dwarven mining equipment working. They are not stupid but they don’t seem to have the technical skills to operate some of the complex machines.

- At last they are taken to the corpulent king. Grant offers some gemstones as gifts and they talk. The goblin king isn’t interested in leaving the mines as this is his people’s home, but he has no interest in angering the people of Tyland Mill or the dwarves either. Grant gets the impression that the goblin king would be deposed if he were not seen to be strong, but also that the goblin king doesn’t care if the dwarves visit areas that are important to them. The king doesn’t seem to think that either of them is a threat but he is cool and cautious towards them. 

* Image by JonasJensenArt, sourced from DeviantArt

- After a few minutes of conversation, the king tells them that there is a dwarf in the mine – but he is mad. Mad enough to think that the goblins are all dwarf children. Ingmar is keen to meet this mad dwarf and they are taken to meet ‘Hammer’. Hammer is quite insane and he keeps babbling on about the Crawler, the ring, and also about a creature that dwells on the level below which is Waka Nuka, the Great Mouth, and an offspring of the Crawler. Grant has been feeling that there is another Warden of the Stair here, somewhere below. He wonders if Jacob could be trapped here, but Hammer tells him that Jacob was devoured. This gives Grant the nasty feeling that this creature, the Waka Nuka, could have absorbed Jacob’s knowledge and abilities. An offspring of the Crawler that could open Doors and venture out onto the Stair could be very dangerous.

- Hammer is happy to take Grant and Ingmar ‘below’ but the king’s bodyguards refuse to let them descend via the ‘great bucket’. Leaving Ingmar to talk further with Hammer, Grant decides to go exploring. He finds a chamber with a Warden mark on it and discovers another Tower Warden tower which has been sealed off for many years. This tower rises well above the mountains and provides a commanding view over the surrounding lands.

- Meanwhile, Ethan runs into some trouble. A morning mist brings faerie hounds and he is forced to run for it. Unfortunately the creatures are fast – too fast for his poor horse. Ethan faces the hounds on foot and drives them off, but his horse is hurt. Ethan again uses Eidolon to gently heal the injuries but the horse remains spooked. He arrives at Stone Bridge late in the day and organises a room at Pete’s Tavern.

- Stone Bridge has buildings on both sides of the Dusker River, and the dwarven-made stone bridge crosses the waters in two large spans. Ethan notes that the Steel Eagles control the bridge and demand a tithe for anyone to cross it. They seem to have fortified one of the farmhouses on the edge of town. At Pete’s tavern, no one looks particularly happy except for the six Steel Eagles who enjoy ‘drinks on the house’. Despite this, Ethan minds his own business and simply observes.

* The current map of Tyland Woods, including what has been revealed to date.

Session 254 – Secrets of Tyland (Part 14)

- GM’s note: A week’s break as I hit the wall and needed a break. And now we return to what happened after the Fourth Sacrifice. The three sisters of the Good Omen Inn have been revealed as servants of the Crawler and have apparently fled Tyland Mill, presumably heading for the Gorge and the hidden city of Nyrath.

This session covers a full week of activity as Grant and Ethan were quite busy.

Day 28 - Moonday – 13th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- The next morning Ethan decides to search the rest of the Undercity beneath Tyland Mill and he locates the secret chambers where the three priestesses operated from. They left in a hurry and there are some gold and possessions left behind. He then turns his attention to the River Caverns and looks over them again but all is as it was. The Lurkers have not returned.

- Meanwhile, Grant decides to interrogate Rannik. Rannik proves a difficult nut to crack and Grant ends up using Umbra to break down his resolve as the day wears on. Rannik confirms that Lord Korab hired him to kill Lady Marian but he also tries to bargain for his freedom with the lure of treasure. Rannik claims to be the son of the Red Fox, a legendary dwarven thief whose treasure has never been found. Rannik has been holed up at Fort Ghost (in the north), a place that is said to be both cursed and haunted. His father left him riddles to find his lost treasure and he claims to have both the map and one of two the lenses to read the map, but the other lens is probably in his surviving brother’s possession. Grant has one of the lens because Rannik had it on him when he was captured, but the map is supposed to be in Fort Ghost.

- Rannik hates his brother Otto as he was betrayed by his kin twenty years ago and sentenced to the prison at Kaavaros for his crimes. Rannik had been following in his father’s footsteps when he was betrayed. He plans to avenge himself on Otto. 

- Rannik tries to persuade Grant that he will not be able to find the map without him, but Grant remains unconvinced.

- In the afternoon, Ethan reaches the Old Temple and descends to the lower level. He finds the shrine to Beethania and opens a secret cavity in the statue’s base, which reveals a dagger with an elaborate hilt called Heartbreaker. It is a faerie weapon and is one of the few things that can harm Lord Wynterlyr – this is the weapon that Beethania cut her husband’s face with. 

- He then turns his attention to Wynterlyr’s shrine, which is still heavily defaced by black moss. He considers cleansing it using Eidolon but decides to leave it for another day. 

- The evening is spent at the Good Omen Inn. Salthia is trying to run the place, and some of the locals and Ingmar’s dwarves are helping her. Grant and Ethan talk, and Ethan says that he plans to leave in the morning.

Day 29 - Towerday – 14th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Just before dawn, Ethan rides south for Beethania’s Shrine in order to recover a segment of ring that Grant previously saw there. He is riding ‘Pigeon’, one of the captured Steel Eagles’ horses. Beethania to him that one of the ring segments had been recovered but she never said which segment so Ethan isn’t sure if the segment is still at the Shrine or not, so he journeys there to be sure.  

- Grant goes to talk with Lady Marian and shares the information that he has gathered from Rannik. Marian is not surprised that Lord Korab sent the assassin – it’s the second time that he’s tried to remove her. Grant suggests that he remove Korab (have him die in his sleep) and recover most of the money that is in Korab’s treasury so that the Steel Eagles will be forced to seek other employment. Marian is a little concerned that the Steel Eagles may turn to banditry (or even sack Stonebridge) but she also notes that the King would probably send some of his army to Tyland Woods if the Steel Eagles went that far. In the end, Grant convinces her to support his plan.

- Grant asks for some help from Alfrin, Parth and Ingmar. Alfrin agrees to head to the Weeping Castle by boat with Parth and two of his dwarves onboard. It will take them more than a day to get there so they set off quickly.

- Grant then begins to analyse Rannik’s poisons and decides to use some of them against Lord Korab.

- Ethan reaches Beethania’s shrine in the late afternoon. Her statue is there, gorgeous and lifelike, but there is no sign of the ring fragment. He finds tracks heading north back towards Tyland Mill – it looks like the tracks of a boy or girl. He decides that it is too late to press on and decides to stay the night.

- That evening, Grant wracks his brains as to what could go wrong. He starts to doubt the plan. But just after dark, his missing deputies Puke, Rein and Gareth return from their long absence. They had followed the missing cattle but were captured by Red’s men. When Red and his men were pardoned, they were set free. Grant is very happy with this as he was worried that he was leaving Tyland Mill poorly protected. He celebrates with them at the Good Omen Inn and spends the night with Salthia.

Day 30 - Wineday – 15th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Grant rises early and heads north for the Weeping Castle. He leaves early enough that he doesn’t see or smell the smoke rising from Theod’s stead to the south.

- In the morning Ethan heads north, tracking the individual who found a fragment of Wynterlyr’s ring. The tracks are joined by animal tracks (either a sheep or a goat), suggesting that the boy (or girl) may have been searching for missing stock.

- About an hour into the journey he smells the smoke from Theod’s farmstead and he races north. After two hours of hard riding, he arrives and finds that Theod and his family have recently come under attack by a band of goblins. Goblins aren’t normally hostile and the farmers are in shock that goblins would attack them like this. They staged an attack on one side whilst a small group of them broke into the compound – Theod’s son Galen is missing. The goblins took him.

- Ethan doesn’t know if Galen is the boy who found Wynterlyr’s ring, but it doesn’t matter. A small hunting party is already pursuing the goblins and Ethan decides to follow and join them. He leaves his horse behind, lightens his load and begins running through the forest.

- It is mid-afternoon when Ethan catches the others. They are still trailing the goblins but have not caught them yet. The group continue their pursuit but the goblins reach the Hexenhoof Mine first before Ethan and the hunters can intercept them.

- The hunters talk about what to do – there certainly seem to be a lot of the goblins. Ethan finally says that he wants to talk to them and he enters the Hexenhoof Mine alone. 

- The goblins are surprised to see him but do not feel threatened by one man. When Ethan explains that he wants to talk to their ‘chief’, he is assigned an escort and led into the mine. The lighting inside is poor or almost non-existent but Ethan can see well enough. There is a whole goblin village in the old dwarven mine. Over a hundred of them, including old goblins, females and children.

- Ethan waits a little while before the King will see him. The King is a corpulent goblin with beady eyes. Ethan explains that he is seeking Theod’s son and the King proves to be unusually reasonable. The conversation is pleasant, the King offers to return the missing child and Ethan offers some gold to thank the King for his generosity. 

- Ethan leaves with Galen, wondering how it could possibly be so easy. While escorting Galen back to the other hunters, he asks Galen if he recovered the ring fragment from Beethania’s Shrine. Galen confirms that he had the fragment, and that it somehow merged with his hand. He did not know what to do, so he consulted with Grandmother Nuna (the best healer in Tyland Woods) but still they had no answers. He explains that one of the goblins was able to take the piece of ring from his flesh without making any wound. He didn’t understand what they were saying but he was pretty sure that they had a piece of the ring as well.

- The hunters are pleased to see Galen and they return to Theod’s stead. Ethan decides to stay – he figures that if the goblins have two of the three parts of the ring, then they will probably leave at some point to find the third part.

- Late in the evening, Grant reaches the Old Oak near the Weeping Castle. He looks around it and finds that it is one of Red’s old stashes. (He finds a small amount of treasure and some supplies hidden in the tree) He then decides to rest until the wee hours of the morning.

Day 31 - Thunderday – 16th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- In the middle of the night, Grant goes to the Weeping Castle. By now, clouds have drifted overhead and a soft rain is failing. In nightbird form, he approaches Korab’s chambers through one of the arrowslit windows and finds Lord Korab fast asleep and alone. He uses some of Rannik’s poison to kill him while he sleeps and then he goes to Korab’s treasure room.

- Grant decides to bundle up almost all of the treasure into a number of small sacks and then drops them out of the window one-by-one into the muddy river bank. He leaves enough treasure to keep the Steel Eagles paid for about a week but takes everything else. He then recovers the small sacks from the river bank and makes his way to Alfrin’s moored boat. Parth, Alfrin and the two dwarves are surprised to see Grant. Grant stashes the loot and Alfrin quickly begins poling downstream.

- Dawn breaks. The day passes slowly. Grant relaxes on the boat. Ethan watches over the Hexenhoof Mine for signs of the goblins’ departure. After a while, Ethan gets a feeling – he can sense the presence of another Warden. Whoever it is, it is not someone that Ethan recognises. Judging this an important development, Ethan uses an Icon to contact Grant and tells him. He also mentions that he has felt Umbral magic being used, far away in the East – perhaps in Nyrath.

- It is late in the day, well after dark, that Alfrin’s boat returns to Tyland Mill. Grant takes the money and stashes it, then reports what has happened to Lady Marian.

- It is pitch dark when a group of goblins leave the Hexenhoof mine and Ethan can tell that this is no ordinary patrol as he can sense the magic that one of them is carrying. He decides to follow them.

Day 32 - Fireday – 17th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Ethan follows the goblins as far as the Dusker River, where they make camp for the night. They are not aware of his pursuit.

- Grant considers his next steps and decides to head to Fort Ghost. He doesn’t think there is sufficient time to get to Stone Bridge and back, but Fort Ghost is only a day’s travel away. He is briefly delayed when he finds some lost livestock and has to return them, but he still reaches Fort Ghost by nightfall. He knows that Fort Ghost is said to be both cursed and haunted and he decides to camp a few miles away.

(GM’s note - Unknown to both Grant and Ethan, but for the benefit of the readers, Lord Korab’s lover Acaratina and her twisted brother Twistle discover that Lord Korab is dead. Acaratina knows that Lord Korab wears the key to the treasury around his neck and she uses the key to access the treasure. There they discover that the gold reserves are practically gone. This is a big shock to Twistle as he knew of a secret door into the treasury and it was not this depleted when he last looked. The two realise that they’ll likely be killed when Raktor Stoneface finds out, so they decide to rob what is left and flee. They successfully gather the transportable remaining loot, arrange for two horses to be saddled and then head south)

Day 33 - Swordsday – 18th Day of Rainmoot (Spring)

- Swordsday is a cool sunny day. Grant approaches Fort Ghost cautiously. He finds many traps, and a group of pale-faced goblins who believe that Rannik has stolen ‘their souls’. At last Grant finds Rannik’s hidden chambers and Grant cannot believe his eyes. Rannik has a bed with proper pillows. Not one of those cots with straw – an actual comfortable bed. Grant recovers the map of Tyland Woods that Rannik spoke of, and judges it too late to head back to Tyland Mill so he falls asleep on the bed.

- The goblins cross the Dusker River with Ethan in pursuit. They make their way north, avoiding the Weeping Castle and reaching a strange section of forest where there is a lingering mist. The goblins wait until nightfall and in the moonlight, the ruins of an old city – the city of Veltigar appears. Ethan has felt this sort of transition before – this is a place where the veil between the real world and the faerie world is thin. 

* Sourced from Google Images. The Ruins of Veltigar

- The goblins are led by a tough looking female. She commands her kin to search the ruins, and she quickly finds her target – a shadow beast that has absorbed the third fragment of the ring. The goblins slay the beast but before they can claim their prize, another faction arrives. It is one of the Priestesses of the Crawler with two dozen Lurkers. In a strange voice that sounds nothing like Nadia, Sylvia or Irina, the Priestess directs the goblins to hand over the fragments of Wynterlyr’s ring.

- At this point all hell breaks loose. Goblins fight Lurkers and Ethan tries to take the ring amidst the confusion. The female goblin briefly has all three parts of the ring, but it is seized by a strange creature who bounds away in large frog-like hops and disappears into the thick fog. Ethan charges after the hopping creature and they quickly leave the battle behind them. Ethan loses all sense of direction but he manages to catch and pin-down the long-legged faerie and take the ring from him. The frog-like faerie seems very annoyed and gives a loud hooting sound as Ethan flees with the ring. In the distance, Ethan can hear the baying of faerie hounds.

- Calming himself, Ethan dons the ring and uses a spell of mental invisibility to quietly walk away. He spies the occasional dark shape rushing by him but he escapes unscathed. He was not expecting this as Ethan’s invisibility has traditionally failed to prevent bloodhounds from finding him – but for reasons unknown (at this time), it works.

- Unfortunately, Ethan has no idea where he is and no idea how to return to the ruins of Veltigar. His Wayfinding appears to be useless. He is completely lost in the faerie realm.