Session Date: 7/3/2023
The “creature” moves very slowly, seemingly unconcerned with time. It takes a step closer and a crack forms in the glass of the observation deck. Faylen runs to find Sage Axamonar to make sure he is aware of what is happening.
Bosch peers at the cracks to see if they are in the glass or the sky and makes sure he isn’t imagining it. He asks if anyone knows what it is, and nobody does. Mary is quick to tuck Taletha away to keep her safe, while Tabby readies his crossbow even though he knows it won’t help. The thing turns and appears to be headed toward the steel-reinforced car of the train.
Faylen meets Clement (and the party not long after) and asks if the Sage is aware of what is happening (yes). Axamonar is with the box in the special carriage. Clement explains he believes this creature is from the Dark Demesne. We recall that across the sea a strange island appeared and we cannot contact it — it happened a few months ago.
Faylen pushes past Clement and Pippin is just behind him. Axamonar is already out on the train, casting spells at the behemoth lumbering toward us. The creature seems to be made of static and just seems to negate the effects of the spells flung at him. Mary manages to convince Clement to go help people escape.
Pippin kicks the door to the steel cart in (to his surprise) and Bosch readies opening the box with a crowbar. Faylen stops him to make sure it is safe to do so, and realizes that Bosch’s idea may very well be perfect. Bosch pries it open and the box falls to the ground as the protection wards fizzle out and the wall of the train begins to disintegrate.
The creature isn’t engaging with Axamonar at all. The man grows dejected and Faylen begs him to live and to go, but he refuses and slams his staff into the roof of the train car and a huge explosion of energy spreads. A sphere of power pushes everything away — the creature is moved a step back.
We were knocked back, so we all get up and run into the forest. We grow lost as we run blindly, but after a while we all stop to catch our breath. Bosch looks inside of the box and sees what is essentially a grey stone. It is clearly the shard of something larger. Pippin and Bosch can tell this is a sliver of the Seal of Infinity . Bosch has heard rumors that the Seal was stolen, and he himself has had dreams of stealing it.
Axamonar was transporting the sliver to the Duchy of Brex Grana. Bosch asks where we are and Faylen asks if Mary’s friend (Taletha) is okay and can point us in the correct direction. Taletha scampers up a tree and we have two options:
- A set of Grippli (frog folk) footprints that head toward a village
- Melixie smell of honey toward a possible fae settlement
We head toward the fae settlement and hear some pixies in the undergrowth. Tabby takes the lead into the magic grove since he has a connection with the fae. He is a little confused, and even a little spooked, as he explains what to expect of the fae here. He explains that this is not what he is used to.
Pippin notices a black cat next to him — it is a very regal creature. Pippin crouches before it and asks if he can help it. The cat speaks the word “meow” and then jumps into a tree and laughs menacingly. Mary asks the cat what it wants, and it says that we seem unlucky and it likes that, so it’d like to watch us. Bosch asks if it can pass a note along that we are looking for the Duchy, and it laughs at him while explaining it does not know nor care how to get there.
Pixies with longswords and bows arrive from the forest. The cat leaves as the pixies ask who we are and why we are here. We explain that we are trying to get to the Duchy and that we mean no harm. They debate a lot on whether we are actually friendly or not, then they pull Tabby aside and ask him for help. They explain that there are hobgoblins cutting down their trees and they need them to stop. They have tried everything (violence) and it has not worked.
The hobgoblins are specifically cutting down the magical trees. The fae need the magic trees to grow and to live. They point us in the direction of the hobgoblin fort, located on the banks of a river. Hobgoblins are a military people, and this fort was built for a specific purpose and will be disassembled once that is done.
We are seen on approach to the fort, but we are allowed to come close. We explain we are here to talk about the trees they are cutting down. With Bosch doing the talking, they let us in.
Bosch speaks to the commander and explains that we are inspecting things and we are trying to figure out why they are chopping down the wrong trees. We wish to direct them toward the correct trees, of course. Mary discusses the types of wood with them, and she figures out that they think the magic wood to make magical weapons.
Bosch explains that he normally has to report this kind of mix up, but he will let it slide if they prove they have been doing well. The captain shows Bosch around and asks about the others and when they will be relieved of their post. Bosch won’t tell him. He does learn that the commander is Pavlar.
He asks if they have communicated with home and if they have any letters to send. Commander Pavlar explains they were not to communicate with home and Bosch says we can deliver some letters if he’d like.
Mary and Faylen talk to the clerk and the clerk lets slip that they were cutting down the grove on their own without orders. Mary and Faylen explain they may as well just use regular wood and using the magic trees hurts the fae, who could be potential allies.
Tabby realizes nobody here knows why they are here and that they are not particularly good soldiers, and Pavler is not a good commander. He relays this to Pippin: they were sent here to be out of the way. They have been here a few weeks.
During all of this, an enormous shape blocks out the sun with the sound of wings flapping as a dragon descends on the fort. He exclaims that he will feast.