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Seeking The Moordaeth of Pranin (Pinfeather Chronicle)
CHRONICLE: PIN FEATHERS
THIS MAY BE THE LAST PINFEATHER CHRONICLE AS THE CHARACTERS ARE “FREE AGENTS” NOW AND UNAFFILIATED, UNLESS THEY DECIDE TO MAKE ANY FORMAL CONNECTIONS BACK TO ‘FEATHER’, AFTER THIS IT WILL BE A NEW CHRONICLE.
Coming from: Bittermaw adventure; It is the intent of the PCs to return to the treasure hunt after this.
Starting Characters: Arabus (Jesse); Earl (Atreus); Alanna (Ulrich); Ben (Asil); Corey (Krespar); Rocky (Danoir)
Date @ Start Common Year 11-4-9168
Selling the Goblin Seeds on the way out of town
You will have to go to the old town near Cat’s Cross and Darnoir’s people on your way out of town. The shop is closed as you are trying to leave town, but given your status, you pound on the door until she opens. Tal is pretty evasive about it, but offers to broker the deal. She says the buyer wants to remain anonymous, but she has verified there’s nothing nefarious they will be used for.
ATREUS> Using Guidance to increase haggling capability to get it to 150. Going off memory I was thinking 200 was the sell price when I first talked to her; So Atreus is just trying not to get played by this merchant.
Goblins are evil and bringing more into the world would not be looked upon kindly. She’s a personal contact, not just a merchant, she has been around since before this particular party started, helping previous groups. It does seem low, but its also “no questions asked” i.e. off the books. Anything else would have to be on the books and traceable. Your choice, she prefers the latter given the latest events. Using Insight, you sense she’s a bit more nervous than normal, but sense no deception or ill intent.
Atreus was hoping for more, but so be it. He accepts the offer for 1200 silver crowns.
The Undead attack at the villa
Asil and Atreus go to the villa to collect the party belongings, as they are no longer tied to Feaather an the Gallants for now. A cold wind and rain follows them from the west, seaside. When they arrive, the level of the nearby lake is up a few feet from flooding. Elancil calls forth drowned halfling skeletons and tries to mob them. The two holy followers make short work them – a token effort. It sufficiently scares those in the villa, who avoid them as they gather their belongings. Feather provides a “bill of sale”, saying she cannot be seen to help them. They take mounts, gear and a wagon and race back to Torrelsons Ford.
Atreus talks to Feather about the Cauldron of Blood: “Perhaps you could have gained knowledge without risking your essence – in the sense that there was a already a payment and you could have gotten knowledge from that – that would not be evil. Further pursuit would have required added blood sacrifice. If you can find people willing to lose hit points permanently for a future summoning, good on you. Feeding an entity that trades knowledge for life essence or blood may not be evil in and of itself, but considering the number of times power has corrupted pursuers and how it looks to those superstitious common folk… well, think about it.”
Jesse Baldwin Enters the Scene
Feather asks that the group take on an acquaintance, Jesse Baldwin. She assures the group he is not a Gallant, but just someone in need of a direction and opportunity. She says he will be a good ally in whatever is going to seek you out, now that you are true “players” in the game. Atreus and Asil agree, and Jesse returns with them.
The undead attack the ship
Elancil also attacks the ship. The dead Umbakian marines in the bay are risen up and seige the ship pulled up in dry dock on the sandbar. Krespar comes out of hiding as the attack happens. The atchers f the Baron and Duke do nothing to help Ulrich and Skevf. A tough battle ensues, but the zombies and skeletons are defeated. Krespars dog showing its prowess in melee combat in an impressive way.
The Wagon, the Load and Leaving
Some gear is stowed on the boat. The cauldron is extracted from being embedded in the deck and hull of the ship. It is difficult to avoid all contact, and take several hours.
The wagon arrives in town. Passing through the Ferry Crossing area, you are logged and noted, but not stopped. As you move through town, everyone gives you a wide berth. There is a crowd on the docks to watch – no one offers to help, no one will; a sickening smell coming from the cauldron is keeping most people at bay. There is a lot of muttering and whispering. Most people look on in fear. The horses need to be blinded and something done to offer them a different smell – or they wont pull the wagon. At best the skittish animals move at half speed as you constantly have to wrangle them to keep them focused. It is Quiet as you move through town and go south, towards the Pranin Moorswood; soldiers follow you to the southern edge of town.
Cauldron rots stuff with nail in it – corrupting it. Eats through rope and sail. Jesse has a minor magic that can mend the elements. He is kept busy by constantly applyiing this to negate the corrupting influence of the cauldron. Krespar is kept busy keeping the animals from bolting in fear over the evil aura coming from the cauldron.
Into the Moorswood
The group debates about known ways in. Westwinde will eventually get to the briarwwood, but it is mostly closed in the rainy season. And its not anmal friendly even part way. Northwinde Road is the best route iniially, the wagon can be pulled through the north edgewood of Pranin, through the logging area, then taken by foot. It will take about 3-4 days to get to the edge of the deep woods.
Through their journey, the dreams are interrupted with the Witch of Dwindor and Elancil grasping at them, beseeching them to stop and give over the items. “Mine”, “Stop”, “Give” – even in the day, the fog brings whispers. The accelerated growth of trees at night puts a few of the crew on edge, leading to a few restless nights until they get used to it.
A few times a far-away baying of some sort of creature like a dog can be heard. Once, a glimpse of its fierce, ragged, and violent countenance is made but it never seems to get too close or attack (or help). It is usually preceded by the woods nearby going quiet.
Bandits attack
A bunch of out of work teamsters attack the PCs. They dont know what they have, but its important and they need money. Atreus recognizes they are not real bandits before anyone is killed. They leave resources for Fred and his crew, and admonish them to not take to banditry. The ‘truce’ is causing a small economic collapse as those that came to Torrelsons Ford are now out of work.
Elancil Takes a First Shot
Bad weather follows the group – cold salty rain and sea winds. At first, the cauldron is drenched in sea water, and massive eels burst out of it at night, attacking those nearby.
Elancil attempts an ambush right past the first abandoned (because of the war) logging camp, sending her Skum offspring, intelligent octopi like creatures. She shields them with salt rain from sea clouds. They are hanging in trees and hiding. Half of them are attacked by massive pythons sent by the Druids of Pranin. The psychic blasts of the creatures wreak havoc among the party.
A powerful shambling mound of vegetation attacks the PCs during the day, after they go off road and overland to the edge of the deeper woods. It has a remote tentacle. It envelops Ulrich, though he survives until they can cut the thing into pieces and get it out. An ancient sea-king breastplate in inside, some sort of mystic focus for controlling the creature.
Breastplate of the Sea Kings: 3 total resilience if fixed. Etched/blasted holy symbol of Elancil on the inside, barely recognizable. There is residual magic in it that could be activated by a Greater Restoration type spell, AND repairing it to good shape.
The Edge of the Deep Woods
The last of the two steadings, the group stays a safe night instead of going half a day into the woods.
The group stands on the edge of The Deepwold. Only a couple meters and the density of the trees makes it impossible to use mounts to carry anything other than a single rider. The donkeys are rigged up to go single file. The group returns for one last night at a safe logging camp on the tail end of the trail. They are welcomed, nothing attacks them but a few uneasy feelings and something they swear they catch a glimpse of – the strange dog-like creature.
There is a known effect in Pranin that leads those in the deep woods stray, getting them lost. It is rumored that there are humans dwelling on the moors that are favored of the druids, that can guide folk through Pranin if they believe it beneficial. Thats a bit out of the way though… the group can also just enter the Deepwold and hope the druids open the way. However, the druids are known to be moody and vicious – even when it seems like it is in their best interests. no path is opening miraculously before them. It could take a couple days, it might take weeks.
Meanwhile… Feathers Journey East
Letter from House Malor: A force is being assembled to confront Gruxxand the Necromancer in the Vale Evander and end the Soul Scourge. If there is any representation from the Gallantine population, now is the time to put it forward. From the “hairy barbarian” describing what he saw in the lab of the tower, there may be on ancient elven artifact – a spear – that could be used to destroy him. This is risky, otherwise a force of powerful heroes from around the realms is being assembled to try and stop him with overwhelming power.
A Waiting Visitor: A man named Hal is waiting for a visit. He claims to be the son of a man who was killed by a wanted murderer – one he has just seen. The Gallants brought charges against this man, but were never able to carry it out. He swears he saw this man in Torrelsons Ford. Hal fled there after Anwin left the Riverdans because he wanted to get away from his past, but now its caught up. He begs Feather to look into it, and track down and execute Daruskor Chreyshos (NPC).
Confronted: Those agents watching the villa come to see Feather as she leaves going east. They hassle her and stop her. They demand papers in the name of the Baron (though she is suspicious of who they really work for). She’s forced to show forged documents showing that she sold the wagon/mounts to the party instead of aiding and abetting them by giving it to them. Her spies in the nearby town warned her that someone would likely be waiting, so she was prepared. It seems like all the voices of authority are going to be arrayed against the party in their previous allies. A worker campsite is being cleared to begin work on expanding the villa.
Date @ Current Common Year 11-10-9168
There is still the potential for nasty encounters. A lot of it depends on the mood the druids are in when you enter The Deepwold – remember, they are not like other druids, they have been corrupted and are more angry and hostile than normal sometimes. You can only assume the druids of Pranin sense the foreboding nature of what the PCs bring. Defenses will be triggered.
After Sleep
Although your rest is not interrupted, you are bothered as you wake up in the morning. You feel as if the entreatments that were made at the beginning of your trek into Pranin Woods are echoing in your ears. You have come this far in defiance of their words, but still you harken to remember what they said and consider them once again.
Drums in the Night
In the distance you can hear drums. The drums beat with a frantic beat, like someone is running and pounding on them at the same time. The drums fade and come back several times, but never seem to come closer. By the time pre-dawn comes, they are more fervent.
= Next Session, spell components
the Moordaeth of PRanin
Meet the druids, participate in the ritual
[Atreus] Were the sailors on our journey into the swamp to Dormu’s peak able to make a navigation map? It was a lot of band currents, strange winds, fog banks, and it was all they could do just to stay awake and unbeached it seemed. No one saw any maps, or if they were made, they were taken when they were marched off the boat by the authorities when the boat sailed back into Torrelsons Ford. I’d offer up somethinglike Guiding Hand if not… But The same magics that confound travelers in Scar Flow and Dwindor Dwamp would affect that spell as well.