Friday, 16 December 2022

Session 120: "The end justifies the means".

 

17th - 22nd day of Palesun 1492 

Mission:  Find the headwaters of Raer Tasa & find the sacred pool of the moon.

Campaign: Saving the Druid Grove of Karion

Location(s):  A village by the Unicorn Run. The mountains. Vel'Shara.

Present: Anor, Aramil, Bandur, Karion, Paskan

17th:

The group spent an uneventful night and awoke to the sight of Paskan stumbling around looking for them. Anor went outside their haven and told him he had found them. Paskan was quickly brought up to speed as to what had happened since they left him at the village.

Paskan informed them he had been treated well and the village was called Eldathyn Gates.

18th:
A quiet night and another journey into the mountains.

19th:
Another quiet night. They had fallen into a settled routine. Aramil casting his hut spell to ensure they had a secure, safe night to rest.

20th:
A 3rd quiet night.

The group were in a quandary. They discussed that they were over the 3 days travel time they were told it would take to get to the pools.

Bandur pointed up the stream, he had though he had seen a pure white horse, but it wasn't a horse. Standing on the left bank of the stream.

Paskan ran forward but could not find any tracks.

Karion turned into a hawk and circled the area for an hour. He saw nothing. It was decided that he would turn into a hawk again and retrace their steps south for 1 hour. Aramil was adamant they had missed the pools. If he found nothing he would fly north for 1 hour and return.

Karion returned after 2 hours retracing their journey along the river. He had found nothing to the south. He again took the form of a hawk and flew north. He returned after an hour. He had found the river had turned into a trickle north of where he had found a fast flowing stream coming out of the side of the mountain pass.

They proceeded northward, following the left bank.


The mountain sides were steep and were closing in on all sides.  Karion led them to the fast flowing stream. There was no safe way to cross so they back tracked to a rough fording point.


The waters next to them began to broil and a seven headed monster burst from the river and attacked them.


All were struck by the writhing heads. Spells were cast and blows struck, some successful others not. The creature lunged back into the depths of the river.


The group moved to cross the fording point when the creature burst forth once more. Aramil struck with a lightning bolt, followed by Anor and blows from Karion, Bandur and Paskan.



The creature slid into the river, dead.


The group headed across the ford to another that they could safely cross over to access a cave that Karion had spotted. Thinking that this would provide a gateway or entrance to where the stream was flowing from.


A strange light emanated from the cave and from where the stream poured forth from within the mountain side.


It was a tight climb bit eventually they passed through the passage, not into a cave, not underground but into a beautiful grotto, open to the skies above and surrounded by steep side slopes. 


At its centre were a series of pools. At the centre of which was a Unicorn and a Korred. They seemed to be arguing.


Weapons were sheathed and Karion approached, Aramil pushed his way forward to stand by Karion.


Paskan stood behind them as Anor and Bandur watched from the entrance.


Korred: "Ah, Karion I see you have brought the 'Self Doubter' with you then."

Karion: "Yes, we are all here".

Korred: "I see you've met my three sons, how many times did they get you to move the rock pile?"

Aramil: "Twice!"

Korred: "Twice, only twice, the last group shifted them seven times!"

Aramil: "Well they also told us it would take 3 days to get here and that was two days ago!"

Korred: "And so it should, for a Korred. Did you bother to ask how long it would take a human, a dwarf or an Elf to get here? No, well there you go."

Aramil wasn't happy at this.

Unicorn: "Now Grandmother, stop baiting them. They have suffered greatly to get here. Now go and tend to the others."

Grandmother: "Yes, Guardian of the Forest. My pleasure. Aramil try not to burn any more trees down, please!"


Unicorn: "Do you have the item with you Karion and the means to heal it, may I see."

Karion brought forth the Stone from his Druid Grove and the Acorn provided by the Grandfather Tree.

Unicorn: "Ah, yes, A gift from Silvanus himself. Now when the light of the moon strikes the pools you must make the decision as to which pool to cast the Stone and Acorn into. You will now when that time is. I leave you now. Fare thee well."

With that the Unicorn, The Guardian of the Forest, turned and disappeared into the undergrowth of exotic plants.

The moon slowly rose and was soon in sight. It was obvious to Karion that the small centre pool was the right pool. He waited and waited and slowly the moon filled the circle of the pool completely. He cast the stone then the acorn into the pool. The moon seemed to shine brighter and when it had passed the pool was empty of water and lying at its centre was the Druid Stone, completely healed, renewed.

Anor strode forward and handed the central pendent to Karion.

Anor: "Go, we will follow you.

Karion exchanged pendents with Anor and then thought of home. He opened his eyes and he was standing in the middle of his village. Not 5 seconds later and all the group were there.

Karion: "Welcome to the village of Vel'Shara, you must wait here whilst I tend to the Druid Grove.".

Karion was gone for an hour. The village looked grey, dying. The people they saw were ashen faced with dark hollow eyes. No one came near them.

Karion returned with his sister and informed them that all was well , although it would be a slow process, the village and it's people would get better. So too his mother.

21st & 22nd:
Two days are spent recovering and healing in the village of Vel'Shara. Karion introduces the group to a number of individuals.

On the 22nd Aramil informs the group he is heading back to Axeholm and returns the same day.

Whilst in Axeholm Aramil tears out a number of pages from various spell books and puts them in to the receptacle for the Teleportation Circle. In so doing Aramil recharges the Teleportation Circle with 66.5 charges. He also purchased a number of replacement items:

3 Backpacks (Bandur, Karion & Paskan)
3 blankets (Bandur, Karion & Paskan)
3 bedrolls (Bandur, Karion & Paskan)
3 mess kits (Bandur, Karion & Paskan)
3 waterskins (Bandur, Karion & Paskan)
3 tinderboxes (Bandur, Karion & Paskan)
25 days of rations (5 days for each member of the group, (Anor, Aramil, Bandur, Karion & Paskan) 

Rumours and Jobs:

Orcs in the Dagger Hills

Posted: 30 April 492

Mission: A small break-away faction of the nearest Orc Tribe has journeyed into the Dagger Hills where it has established a base. The local Lord fears that the faction seeks to establish its own tribe. Travel into the Dagger Hills, locate the Orc faction, and destroy it or at least drive it out.

Reward: All treasure gained +500gp

Employer: Leader of Shalain Freehold

Undertaken and Completed: 

Beast Marches - Beholder - Homunculi

Posted: 13 March 492

Mission: A Beholder is reported to have taken up residence in the depths of the Beast Marches! But this is no ordinary Beholder (if there is such a thing). Rather than serving in the stereo-typical guardian role, this Beholder is a power in itself that seeks to control its own forces. Rumors indicate that the creature is being worshiped as a God by the local humanoid tribe (Orange Crescent Goblins). It is believed that the Beholder is urging his new Goblin servants to increase their raids on the citizens of Yulash and Trenahass and their surrounding environs. The rise of the Beholder Lord is also causing considerable hardship for the woodland creatures of the Bast Marches. Slay the Beholder Lord.

Reward: The Beholder treasure + 6 pouches of pixie dust

Employer: Chassinine the Dryad

Undertaken and completed: 

Bulettes near Hap

Posted: May 10th 492

Mission: A group of Bulettes is terrorizing the Halfling village of Hap in the West Harrowdale. Hunt them down and slay them. Evidence required.

Reward: All treasure gained + 1000 gp

Employer: The Sheriff of Hap

Undertaken and Completed: 

Find Karion’s Father

Posted: Jan  491

Mission: Find my husband. He went to find a cure to what ails our Druids Grove.

Reward: All treasure gained. Healing Potions for the journey.

Employer: Guardian of the Grove of Vel’Shara

Undertaken and Completed: 

Merchant Caravan Escort

Posted: Apr  492

Mission: Escort various merchant caravans to and from Hillsfar, Harrowdale, Yulash.

Reward: 5gp/day plus food.

Employer: Various (Merchants from these urban centres)

Undertaken and Completed: 


Player Information:



Vel'Shara is situated near Elventree

The Village of Vel'Shara

People of Note in the Velorna Grove (Vel’shara) 

·       Eillisande Velorna – (Karions mother) Current Archdruid of the grove and head harper of the village 

Asha Velorna – (Karions sister) Next-in-line to be caretaker of the grove
Tavion Ra’shayel – Drow druid, patron of Eilistraee
Kyzen – Violet-scaled faerie dragon that resides within the grove. Likes playing with others and making new friends. Likes giving nicknames to people by their appearance
Kordan – A brown bear, acting as one of the guardians of the grove
Navarone Amakiir – Wood Elf druid of Mielikki, instructor for moon circle druids
Obelisk – Earth Genasi warden of the grove, ranger of the village
Brynjar Hollok – Firbolg druid of Silvanus, instructor of forest circle druids
Septimus von Karma – Human Druid of Silvanus and Herbalist of the village
Lilli Wildwander – Forest Gnome. Druid-in-training and acolyte of Silvanus
Geledorn Sylvaranth – Wood Elf Cleric of Mielikki, Eillisande’s brother
Einalis Velorna – Karion, Asha, and Naelhorn’s father. High Elven Herbalist from Silverymoon (Whereabouts unknown)
Naelhorn Velorna – Wood Elf rogue. Asha and Karion’s brother. Had little interest in becoming caretaker to the grove (Whereabouts unknown)

Link to High Resolution map of Faerun. Elventree is to the east of Hillsfar, near the Moon Sea. The village of Vel'Shara is near to Elventree.


No comments:

Post a Comment