Final date...

25th - 26th of January 2020!
(Perhaps even 24th-26th January?)
:D

Module 6!

The morning after the adventure before

Unarmoured but wrapped in a warm blanket, Bastien finds himself sitting by the rekindled fire, drinking hot, sweet tea with his companions.
Listening to his friend's stories of newly recalled and astonishing coincidences, Bastien realises that the three of them were always destined to travel together.
All roads led to their meeting.
As for himself though, he'd already managed to piece together most of the memories lost to him in Fassel wood.
His mission, his home and his past.
Only one thing still evades him...
"Artax!", he suddenly shouts out much to everyone else's surprise.
"My horse was called Artax!"

Best of both worlds

Being of mixed elven heritage, Nitendae needs less sleep than his human companions. Even so, his trances often slip into a dream-like state.
This night is one of those nights.
Like both the tenacious Bastien and the boy Volkon, he'd also had his memories stolen from him, all those many months ago, back in Fassel wood. Initially, he'd assumed that the annoying, shyster gnome wizard had cast a temporary spell on them to weaken their will and make swindling them easier. Later, he realised, that Hedzor was just exploiting the supernatural nature of the wood itself for his own larcenous benefit.
Underhand but impressive.
Unlike his human companions though, he'd lost more. Much more.
The burning, long term after effects of the drow poison had severed his sorcerous blood links and affected his fractured mind further. His reaction to it was probably compounded by the ongoing effects of those hateful mists.
Still, now after months of not knowing, Nitendae's memories begin trickling back...
He remembers his kind but distant elven mother.
He remembers the oddness of looking older than her by the time he'd reached maturity.
Nitendae had sensed that she had been embarrassed by his human blood, though she never said it aloud.
He remembers the ridiculousness of trying to continue to learn with the full blooded elven children born around the same time as him. Children still, even now.
Even his attempts at integrating in the cities of men had been wrought with missteps.
With his father dead, the two human 'mentors' he'd found; Faigin the thief and the exploitative wizard proved to be useless. Both just wanting to exploit his elven deftness and nescient sorcerous abilities.
It's only then when the flood of lost memories return...
A whispered message carried and conveyed by songbird, summoned him back to the forests of his childhood.
The solemn meeting with his elven lord and the revelation that the dark elves from below were deliberately undermining treaties and pacts between the surface races.
"Young half-blood, we are tied to these woods, but you Nitendae, with your unique skill set, you straddle the worlds of men and elves. Only you can travel to the island of Squamata, and disrupt the Drow's sinister plot." 
Back in the present, Nitendae's almond shaped eyes snap into focus, but rather than the horizon, he sees the truth.
The sudden realisation that, rather than being seen as half an elf, he was actually an elf plus...
He wasn't less than his mother's race, he was better!
Ironically, despite his memory loss, he had uncovered the drow and disrupted their plans. True, he didn't know exactly what that plan was, but from what he'd already seen, he knew it was potentially world changing.

Ancient enemies

Sleep has never come easy to the flame haired Volkon. Too impatient, too excitable, just too spirited, according to his many aunts. Normally he has to summon the calming voice of his old and trusted sponsor; Oreon. Dead now but still bringing comfort to his troubled heart.
This night though, exhausted by the previous battles and the arduous climb out of the Underdark, he passes out as soon as he lays down his head.
Instead of visions of his childhood though, Volkon's mind drifts back to more recent events. Memories of his stern faced tribal chief and the war council. Memories he'd thought lost months ago in the mists of Fassel wood.
He recalls the gruff orders of his scarred and one-eyed chief...
"Volkon, you are young but you've been blooded and proved yourself in battle many times. You also have the tracking skills needed for this mission."
As if floating outside himself, Volkon watches his young brow, furrow in concentration.
"Our ancient enemies; the hated Orcs of the Bear claw clan, have started to drift away from our contested lands. This may seem to be a good thing but the tribal elders sense danger. Something is happening. Something big and something bad."
The dream memory Volkon rises to his fur wrapped feet.
"Whatever you need my chief, I will serve."
The broad shouldered chieftain leans forward.
"Seek them out, learn what they are doing and why? Don't engage them directly though but as soon as you uncover their endgame, report back."
The Volkon of the present sits up, his mind suddenly clear. He remembers everything!
A smile forms unbidden on his lightly freckled but tanned face.
Despite finding and tracking the Bear claw clan, he'd not been able to resist 'engaging' with them. Alone or with the help of fellow humans he'd befriended on the journey, he'd set aflame to several of their camps and killed scores of them.
Fucking Bear claw clan bastards!
Still, the orcs he'd met during his recent adventures had altered his opinion slightly.
An upbringing full of hatred is hard to overcome but some of them. Just some of them were... alright.

Unfinished tapestry

Scott's Australia news has made me realise that our next adventure will probably be our last.
This means that all the plot threads I've left dangling, need tying up.
Yes, of course there's a plot!
Some of them are down to clues not found or questions not asked but most of them are just down to me and shortage of time.
I'll try to post some of the clues/answers up over the next month and wrap as many of the others during the next session's actual gameplay...

Ringing the changes

The young sorceress Sereena, sits beside the still water admiring her reflection and the shiny magical ring on her index finger.
It’s beautiful and a perfect fit. No surprise there though, as Sereena was quite aware of the diameter changing properties of enchanted jewellery.
The currently unarmoured, battle cleric Bastien strides over. He looks odd in his loose fitting tunic.
“It’s a powerful item isn’t it?”
Sereena instantly senses danger.
“It’s not bad. It might prove useful.”
Bastien narrows his eyes.
“More useful for you or me?”
The lithe, dark haired sorceress’ eyes narrow in response and she’s about to proffer a pithy insult, when the russet haired Volkon ambles up to join them.
“What’ya talking about?”
Bastien cannot help himself and describes the powers Sereena’s ring bestows.
Volkon’s eyes widen.
“What? It could enable me to completely dodge a dragon’s breath?!"
It’s Bastien’s turn to balk at this sudden intrusion to his negotiation with the young witch.
“What do you mean: ‘me’?” he chokes. “You and Nitendae have already claimed far more than me! Surely you can’t think that I deserve no less?!”
In response, the young barbarian squats down besides Sereena and in the shadow of the still standing Bastien.
“Did I complain when there was nothing useful for me?”
The Fharlanghnian priest give an overstated pantomime, double nod.
“Fair enough”, admits Volkon “But did it make any difference?”
Bastien has to give ground here and accepts the truth, while the barbarian turns to the dangerous looking Sereena.
“Tell you what girl. If I take that ring off you, I’ll have three magical rings. One more than I can use at the same time…”
Sereena’s eyes are nothing more than murderous slits.
“How about I give you the ‘Chameleon’ ring in exchange? To be honest, I only took it out of spite anyway.”
Her eyes widening slightly, Sereena considers to offer. Volkon had consistently been a pig and a thorn in her side but he was young and headstrong. She’d met hundreds of his type before and as a barbarian, he was all about taking, not asking.
In addition to that, the ‘Chameleon’ ring he was offering in exchange was actually much more suited to her particular skill set.
Slipping off the ‘Evasion’ ring, she offers it up with one hand, while holding the other out, palm up.

Sereena swaps her ‘Ring of Evasion’ with Volkon, for his ‘Ring of Chameleon power’.