The Lebenda Swamp finally behind them, FCG continued to wind along the road down through the Felderwin Tillage. As the party passed through the dormant fields, pocked with the charred remains of many farms set ablaze in a recent Kryn Incursion, they plotted the next leg of their journey. Soren’s ailment made many wary of taking any detours, their concern for the paladin’s health growing. It was ultimately Soren who had the final say in the matter, however. Claiming to feel fine most days, Soren requested that the party honor their agreement with the Righteous Brand, and stop by Bladegarden on their way north. Thus it was decided, FCG would split from the Gravelway Path and head East.
The open road can often be lonely, especially in the colder months when seldom a fellow traveler is met. At night, embraced by the solitude of the watch, many of the party found themselves longing for companionship, someone or something to keep their spirits warm at night. As the only woman in the party, Soren became a subject of great interest among both Triple J and Conan. The playful bard snuggled up behind her when it was time to change watch, and whispered silly sweetness to Soren until she finally came to and rolled the half-drow across their domed encampment. Conan was the next to fall victim to Soren’s charms. One night while the warrior kept vigil, his senses honed by his life as a soldier, he managed to catch but a glimpse of Soren’s exposed bosom as she rolled over in her sleep. This nip-slip left Conan enamored for the next few days. Endrin, on the other hand, did not yearn for Soren, but instead found comfort within his own sack. Each night as the wizard slept, his hand found its way into his bag, within which was something he groped to ease his tensions.
Camping aside, by day FCG traveled north from the Tillage through the stark landscape of the snow laden Marrow Valley, the only real point of interest being a lighting struck tree concealing a sack, which of course Endrin grabbed, full of gold. After a few days traveling north, the party decided the time was right and split from the road, heading East to Bladegarden.
The off-road trudge through the snow proved slow for the party. That afternoon, Triple J caught sight of a very familiar hummingbird. The hummingbird darted around the bard’s head and flew off back towards the South. A moment later, the party’s cart hit a large rock. Soren and Conan were tossed from the cart, and the one of the cart’s wheels was busted from the impact. Triple J’s summoned steed whinnied and snorted as the bard freed it from the downed cart. Still curious about the hummingbird, Triple J trudged off to the south while Endrin and Soren saw to the cart’s repairs, and Conan stared, unblinking, at Soren’s rear.
A short distance off, in the middle of a snowy field, Triple J encountered his mentor, Shakaste, waiting expectantly. Pleased with his protégé’s ability to see him, Shakaste gave Triple J a quick lesson in the history of their current surroundings. He informed Triple J that this was the site of one of the first battles between a fledgling Dwendalian Empire and the Julous Dominion and that such knowledge of forgotten places could be gleaned through conversing with the spirts of the past. Shakaste implored Triple J try for himself, and showed Triple J how to reach out with his own spirit. Giving way to the supernatural around him, Triple J relived the battle through the eyes of a jack rabbit, present on that day centuries ago. Awestruck, Triple J forsook, his knowledge gained through more traditional means, and instead opened his mind up to that of the spirits of those who had experienced history firsthand. As a parting gift, Shakaste reached into the ground and pulled up a skull for Triple J to carry on his journey.
Meanwhile, Endrin had just finished repairs on the cart. As he raised his head in satisfaction, he suddenly realized Triple J’s horse was nowhere in sight. It appeared the horse had simply vanished. As the group reconvened and inquired, Triple J informed them that he could no longer remember how to find his steed, but instead had this super cool old skull. Triple J suggested they all vibe out for a little while with the skull before continuing on. Soren and Conan, confused and slightly irritated by the delay, declined. Endrin though expressed surprising interest in the proposed seance, and so, the bard and wizard sat in the snow, the skull between them, Endrin’s hand in his sack, and entered a trance like state. Triple J learned through the skull’s owner’s memories that there was an Elk nearby, a few miles north, that they could potentially utilize to pull the cart. Endrin fell into deep memory of the past he knew muddled with visions of a time and a person still foreign to him.
The party set off north in search of this supposed elk. After a few hours of trudging, Conan and Soren dragging the cart behind them, sure enough, Triple J caught sight of a massive elk on the horizon. Through a healthy portion of treats and… seduction… Triple J soothed the beast and brought it back to the cart. All his efforts were for naught however, as the beast began lumbering away as soon as the bard’s rations ran dry. Chuckling, Soren suddenly remembered that she too had the ability to find a steed at will and would do so in the morning. With that, the party set up camp and bedded down for the night.
Part way through Endrin’s watch, the gnome heard a loud blast somewhere off in the dark…
