12 - Shadows and Secrets in Thither
| Session 1 | Session 11 | Session 12 | ||
| ◀◀ | ◀ | ▲ | ▶ | ▶▶ |
| Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Brolin Frostbite |
Fight for the Elicorn
The towering treehouse loomed above Frostbite and his companions as they followed Brolin toward the children. The enormous branches curled around the wooden structure, forming a natural fortress that seemed alive with unseen energy. As Brolin greeted the three children, their expressions shifted from curiosity to suspicion.
One of them, an elf, turned sharply and called out, "Will!"
Frostbite's eyes narrowed. His voice rumbled with barely restrained energy. "That's the one we want!"
A face appeared from the treehouse balcony - messy curls, sharp eyes, and a small feline figure rubbing against his legs. The boy descended the ladder with careful confidence, the cat-like creature at his side. The moment he stepped onto solid ground, his eyes studied the group with interest.
"To whom do I owe the pleasure?" Will asked, his voice a little uncomfortable.
Zephyr wasted no time, flying forward and bowing mid-air. "I am Zephyr, and these are my companions. We have come seeking your aid, for we are hunting Skabatha Nightshade."
Will’s playful grin flickered at the mention of the hag’s name. He gestured toward the treehouse. "Come inside. Let’s talk."
The Secrets of Will
Inside, the treehouse was large yet built for children - Frostbite had to hunch slightly to avoid hitting his head. The floor was layered with straw, and pillows were scattered about. An old oil can stood near a wall, and in the corner, a unicorn costume lay abandoned.
The group explained their mission: to find Skabatha and reclaim what she had taken from Ashira, Dhanell, and Zephyr. At the mention of the hag, Will’s expression darkened. He admitted he had his own score to settle - Skabatha had stolen much from him and the children under his care. Yet as he spoke, something in his demeanor shifted, and the cat at his side tensed. Suddenly, two additional limbs sprouted from the creature’s sides.
“That’s no cat,” Maeve murmured, eyes wide.
Realization dawned on them - it was a displacer beast cub. Could this be Star, the missing creature from the carnival?
Frostbite opened his mouth to question the beast, but his words came out in a strange, guttural meow. His companions turned in surprise, but the young displacer beast perked up, responding with excitement. Frostbite’s newfound ability allowed him to communicate - asking if the creature was Star, and if it wanted to return to its mother. Though it could not answer clearly, its playful reaction to the words ball and mama told them they were probably right.
A Dangerous Plan
Will, impressed by the group’s determination, revealed what he knew. Skabatha’s lair, Loomlurch, was a sprawling hideout within a massive fallen tree. There, kidnapped children were forced to craft enchanted toys - each imbued with nightmarish magic. He detailed a plan to infiltrate the lair.
The plan hinged on a distraction: the scarecrows in Skabatha’s vegetable garden could be triggered to unleash a piercing screech, luring the tin soldiers away. Will would slip in through the kitchen while the group approached through the goblin market. Together, they would free the children and escape before the hag noticed.
Yet Ashira’s mind was elsewhere. "The portraits - where are they?" she asked urgently.
Will hesitated. "One above. Four below. Three of them are the hags you know." He hesitated before adding, "The fourth… could be the one you call Tasha."
Something in Will’s manner unsettled Dhanell. His gaze sharpened, and in an instant, he shifted - a darker, winged form emerging as he loomed over Will. "You’re hiding something," Dhanell’s voice boomed with supernatural force. "Who are you really?"
Will recoiled, fear flashing across his face. "I’ve changed! I am different now!" His voice cracked before he whispered, "My name… was Mughan. I was an Oni, once."
Gasps filled the treehouse. Oni - blue-skinned giants of legend, feared for their cruelty. Yet here stood a child claiming to have been one, now cursed by the sisters of Skabatha.
"I only wish to save the children," Will - Mughan - pleaded. "Help me, or don’t. I will free them either way."
The Elicorn’s Truth
Seeking more answers, the group turned their attention to the unicorn costume and the so-called Elicorn Will had acquired from the magic shoppe. Expecting a majestic flying steed, they were surprised to learn that the Elicorn was a severed horn.
The children used the costume to access a nearby lake where another unicorn resided. Zephyr, ever the optimist, declared they should meet this unicorn. Against the majority’s wishes, he transformed into a unicorn and pranced about. "See? No costume needed!" he said happily.
Despite their skepticism, the group agreed to investigate - after all, it would be a crucial piece of their quest.
Assassins in the Wild
The next morning, their journey led them to the lake, a serene oasis in the depths of the Feywild. In the center stood a small island with a pedestal. As Zephyr conjured flame within it, the unicorn Lamora appeared, speaking telepathically.
Lamora revealed that Elidon’s horn was instrumental in Zybilna’s imprisonment. The hags had long sought control over their domain, and with the horn, they had sealed their power. Before they could ask more, a figure darted from the shadows.
An orc assassin, clad in dark leathers, leaped toward Lamora with twin daggers and stabbed deeply into it's skin.
The unicorn vanished an instant later.
"I didn’t know unicorns could do that…" the assassin muttered.
Brolin snarled and muttered an incantation - darkness swallowed the assassin. Within moments, combat erupted. Zephyr’s lightning crackled through the air. Maeve taunted their foe, and Dhanell maneuvered into position. Frostbite, overcome with fury, roared and charged. His club struck true, but the assassin remained standing.
Then, suddenly, the assassin raised his hands. "Mercy!" he pleaded. "I have nothing against you."
A pause. Then, a flash - a potion lifted to his lips, and his form flickered out of sight.
"The League will avenge me!" the unseen assassin hissed.
But Zephyr’s lightning still traced his form, a beacon in the night. Dhanell unleashed a devastating spell, and the assassin’s fleeing form collapsed into the undergrowth.
On his body, they found a note. A name signed at the bottom: Kelek.
The League was watching.
As they gathered themselves, a new weight settled over the party. The threads of fate were pulling tighter, their mission growing ever more perilous.
Loomlurch awaited.
| Session 1 | Session 11 | Session 12 | ||
| ◀◀ | ◀ | ▲ | ▶ | ▶▶ |
| Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Brolin Frostbite | Ashira Brolin Frostbite |
Updated on: 05:12
