Session 26: Fay border crossing

The heroes dive out of the way of a giant boulder thrown at them by a twisted, evil giant known as a Fomorian and they immediately react as a well-rehearsed unit. Before the creature has time to blink its gigantic evil eye they are upon it, Isaya fires scorching rays leaving patches burnt flesh across its chest and she is propelled into the air by an arcane over-surge. Jerky maneuvers behind the Fomorian’s legs and cuts deep gashes through its calves. Shed rushes the beast head on, while Aaler takes an advantageous position atop the boulder to survey the battleground and spread Elune’s blessings and healing light wherever needed. Thanks to their tactics, the group makes quick work of the terrifying Fomorian although they are left exhausted from the battle and the day’s adventures. Unfortunately, Arfurl did not survive the fight.

Not wanting to waste time, the group opts for a short 4-hour meditation session rather than a full night’s sleep. The elves are fully rejuvenated but Jerky and Shed are left with dark circles under their eyes… During the rest, the two manage to retrieve Arfurl’s knapsack and find a hand-drawn map within, along with a piece of paper identifying the Satyr as a Jester of the Seelie court. They also find his journal, which seems to be some kind of story book in-progress and contains various poems, songs, stories and notes. The most recent notes are unfinished, and loosely describe a tale of two Eladrin brothers one of whom is betrothed to a Nymph. Aaler, during his meditation, has a vision of two Eladrin hunting in the very forest the party is resting in. He notices that one of them bears the ring he found on a dead body in the hag’s mushroom den… Isaya inspects the ring and finds that it is both magical and very dangerous.

Following the map in Arfurl’s bag, the group continues towards what seems to be marked as their destination, which now lies in Unseelie territory. Along the way they are bothered by the tricks and pranks of an unseen group of pixies. Upon arriving at the border between Seelie and Unseelie lands, the group realizes that the frontier is more than just a line on the map. A physical barrier in the form of a gigantic wall of thorns blocks their way. They attempt to traverse it on a rope tied to a tree on either side, but while they are doing so the tree on the Unseelie side animates and starts attacking them, thorny vines shoot out from the thicket and attempt to pull them in and a particularly malicious pixie attempts to undo the knot on the Seelie side of the border all at the same time. Isaya is almost knocked unconscious, but a quick prayer to Gozreh reveals that they need not fight these trees for they can outrun them. The rest of the party scrambles their way across the thicket and rush away from the border deeper into the unsettling territory of the Unseelie Fey.

Not wanting to linger in this dark place, the party heads straight for the mysterious location indicated on the map. What they find there is disturbing, a structure that may have once been a majestic monument sung from the trees in the name of Gozreh now stands blackened and withered. A heavy, oppressive silence hangs in the air. Isaya steps forward, and disturbs the stillness with the soft sound of her voice, timidly singing a prayer to the God of Winds. For an instant the bottom tip of the structure lights up, mending the blackened wood with a rich auburn glow, but the magic is snuffed out as soon as it had begun. The silence returns and the party glances around nervously, hoping the sound of Isaya’s voice didn't attract unwanted attention...

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