11 - Forest
| Session 1 | Session 10 | Session 11 | Session 12 | |
| ◀◀ | ◀ | ▲ | ▶ | ▶▶ |
| Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Brolin Frostbite |
And what's going on with my shadow?
Clapperclaw was ecstatic when we returned his deer skull, so much so that he tossed his old head straight into the water. He had promised it to me before, so seeing him throw it away was frustrating. Zephyr, thankfully, was quick enough to fish it out. I took out my dagger and split it open—had to know what made the noise inside. Eight copper pieces spilled out. A decent haul for a discarded head, I suppose?
Into the air
With Clapperclaw in tow, we made our way to the hot air balloon. He spoke to the bullywugs and explained that Bavlorna had given us permission. We boarded without trouble, and exhaustion hit me hard. It had been a long day, and the basket seemed as good a place to rest. I dropped my pack, ready to settle in, but then I noticed something missing—my berries. There should have been three left. Gone. Just vanished. I remade them quickly, then lay down, only half-aware that the balloon was already lifting into the sky.
I don’t know how long I slept before the commotion started. A hole in the balloon. We were going down. As I looked around, my eyes caught an unfamiliar shape in the basket—a mastiff, with Frostbite's voice? The dog was him... or was it?
The Forest
We landed on a hill. The swamp was replaced by an endless stretch of trees. The air smelled of pine—fresh, crisp, nothing like the stench we had grown used to. But something else pulled at me. A feeling. A certainty. My ability to laugh—it was here, somewhere in this place. In the meanwhile Frostbite ran around, fully embracing his new form. He darted past me, and for just a moment, I swore I saw something else move. My shadow stretching unnaturally. When I turned, it was gone.
The Cave
As we descended the hill, we found a tree with a wanted poster pinned to it—Will of the Feywild. A reward was promised by Granny Nightshade: a loyal servant. Dhanell took the poster with him. There was a cave nearby, and Zephyr had already vanished inside. We followed, stepping into a space filled with gold—piles upon piles of it. And at the center sat an old man, blindfolded. Nib. Maeve offered to help him get rid of his gold, but he told her not to, since she would get the same curse as he had. In life, he had profited from the misfortune of others. Now he was bound to spin it into things that would help instead of harm.
He asked us what we desired. I had no idea if it would work, but I wanted a bow—a beautiful golden bow. The words left my mouth, and before I could second-guess myself, he began spinning. Gold unraveled and reformed, and after fifteen minutes, it was real. A magnificent bow, adorned in golden ornaments. Zephyr asked for a golden hat. Maeve, a golden tiara with her goddess’s symbol. Dhanell, a pair of rings. Brolin, a spear. And Frostbite—a woodcarving set? Boring.
We learned more about Granny Nightshade. She steals children and likes toys. A key protrudes from her back, and its turning speed reflects her mood. Fast, she is pleased. Slow, she is angry. Will had once freed many children from her grasp. They live with a treant called Little Oak and together are called the Getaway Gang.
Breakfast
Back at the balloon, we explained to Clapperclaw that he, too, could ask for something from Nib. I ate a berry for breakfast and shared the rest with those who wanted it. And then I got lost in thought. This place, the Feywild—it felt different, but so did I. I focused inward, on the power of my Chthonic legacy, and something happened. Magic surged, a strange protection wrapping around me. I whispered under my breath, barely aware of the words as I spoke them. I casted False Life on myself, purely from instinct.
Then we talked about the painting. I suggested we steal it. Frostbite disagreed. I tried to explain it as borrowing, and my words came out with a persuasion that wasn’t entirely my own. But still I couldn't convince Frostbite. Dhanell proposed to trade Will for the painting, also a good option? But not everyone agreed...
More ideas came and Zephyr revealed he could turn someone invisible. Then Brolin said he could let everyone disappear and suddenly there was utter darkness, deeper than my darkvision could pierce. For a moment, I thought I was blinded. And then it was gone. What happened? Did Brolin do that? Did he blind me, or was it something else?
Mushrooms
We set out toward Will’s supposed location. After some time Maeve began dancing. I glanced her way, distracted. Then I caught another movement. Something else was dancing too. My shadow? When I focused, it was still again. But I had seen it. Dhanell and Frostbite found a massive footprint, a dragon, at least a week old. Whatever had landed here had long since left. No need to worry. Probably.
Then we stumbled upon a ring of mushrooms with dancing mushrooms inside it. Maeve and Zephyr joined them without hesitation. After some time, I attempted to speak to them. They were not the brightest creatures. They claimed we could “go through,” though they did not know how. Zephyr suspected it was a Fairy Circle, a passage of sorts. The mushrooms asked me to sing, but I had no interest. Maeve did, though, and she sang beautifully.
We lingered too long around that circle. But eventually, we moved on. While walking I couldn’t shake the feeling that something more was happening to me in this strange place. My shadow flickered again, as if it had a life of its own, and I felt the Feywild’s power growing stronger within me, though I didn’t yet understand it full.
The Getaway Gang
Hours later, children came into view, playing around a towering tree with swings hanging from its branches. Brolin pulled out the missing children posters. Two of them matched. Bobi and Zenor. This should be it, the Getaway Gang.
| Session 1 | Session 10 | Session 11 | Session 12 | |
| ◀◀ | ◀ | ▲ | ▶ | ▶▶ |
| Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Brolin Frostbite |
Updated on: 08:02
