Session Date: 06/16/2025
Tense in the Forest
Bosch and Akker stumble upon the situation with Widald and Oryeon Onyons arguing with Mary, Faylen. and Tabby about how to deal with the druid in the woods that want to kill all of the settlers.
Faylen tries to convince Oryeon to leave and not join the fight. Oryeon decides that he is correct and part of diplomacy is sending assassins. Combat begins. During this, Akker causes some chaos by hitting Oryeon and Bosch with a bomb, and Oryeon gets offended and ultimately leaves combat. We manage to kill Widald and there’s discussion of what to do now. Akker grieves the fact that Widald killed his desire to fight us all, but otherwise we are all glad he’s dead. Bosch offers a bonfire with his corpse to Akker, and Faylen says this is fine as long as we do not burn down the forest. Bosch suggests we return to the valley to do the bonfire.
As we begin leaving, Mary turns to Grrh and asks him to tell the druid that we are still working on a counter argument and we wish to negotiate terms. Grrh nods and then we leave.
Camp
We return to camp and Oryeon is sitting at camp, staring in the distance. He is sitting at one of the bonfires. The overall mood of the camp is embarrassed at how glad they are Widald is dead. Dr. Cecily SĂżtz notices that there are people who are injured and starts barreling toward us right as Bosch comments that we need to dispose of the body before she brings him back to life.
We all tell her no, and Dr. Sÿtz says she is more concerned to actually help and heal our injured. She admits she might have improved him before when he was alive, but she doesn’t bring people back from the dead. She does ask to be able to cut him open and look inside because there was definitely something wrong with him. We ultimately disallow her from cutting him open after she comments that she’s going to “play” with it.
She looks at Akker and asks if he’s going to do anything dangerous soon, and he awkwardly (with Bosch’s prompting) say no.
Mary explains that Widald and Oryeon made things worse with this attempt, and Akker points out that we stopped the attack so obviously nothing happened. Faylen points out that Grrh and the wolf saw the attack and witnessed what happened, so the druid will be made aware. Akker asks what we are doing, an Mary explains that we need to set up the city and then work on making amends. We have stopped the attack, and we need to make a counteroffer for his demands so that they can live in harmony. Akker admits that he is on our side with this front, and he’s being honest. Dr. Sÿtz even comments that she hopes there is no battle.
Word makes it back to Indracht Krell about what happened and they are thankful. There is an awkward funeral where Bosch tries to say something that’s not entirely mean, though it’s definitely not nice. We get through the funeral preparation and afterward Oryeon realizes how unhappy he is with his life and starts to consider how people are so happy about Widald being dead (and they are correct). He decides to defect from Izoraxx and we manage to plant the idea that Oryeon can have a happier life, and that he city will actually need an administrator.
Oryeon is not quite at the place where he is apologizing and realizing he’s wrong, but he’s moving that way. Orvel Onyons goes over and hugs Oryeon - it’s not a reconciliation, but perhaps a beginning. Blackbeam is working on changing his name, since - by all official records - he’s dead. He likes the idea of Moleheart, and Tabby and Mary both give their approval. He’s working on getting his family out here, once the city is built.
Tabby gives a few words about Widald, none of them nice, winding up giving Faylen a thumbs up for killing the man.
The crowd releases to do as they please - some spit on Widald’s body, some just disperse.
After the pyre we bury the ashes and Bosch adds googly eyes to the mound.
The Druid Returns
Mary notices a sugar glider hanging around. She watches a moment, then approaches. The sugar glider shapechanges into the druid, who comments that we saved his familiar, Grrh. The druid comments on Oryeon’s emotional crisis, and Widald is dead - which is on us. Mary comments that we really do wish to strike balance between the druid and the people here - she reiterates that between this group or the other, this group is more willing to work with him than the others.
The druid comments that he is willing to talk now. He admits that his rules were too much, and admits it was on purpose and the people would attack so that he could attack and ruin them. He comments that he was surprised that everyone would rather negotiate than attack. Mary points out Moleheart needing to be taught, and she comments the people of the city only wish to survive. The druid admits that he’s not been in a human form for quite some time, so perhaps he’s been a bit hasty about these things, but he’s willing to talk.
(The druid did introduce himself as Mathgamain.)
Somewhere far away…
In a place of total shadow, Wdald opens his eyes. Widald wonders if he had a soul, and a voice outside asks what he thinks about revenge.