18 - On the road to New Gnomoria
Previous session: 17 - The Grove of Spring
What to do next...?...
Persy determined we're Mid-Fall (as he thinks it's been ~3 months as we were Mid-Summer when we got in the Grove), but also realizes that Melody is older now (where he mentions his twin sister).
We're checking that we're not marked anymore (nothing detected with [Divine Sense] or [Detect Magic])
Persy casts [Identify] on Nesvalyn
↪ [WIS Save - Pass ✔] Persy feels a strange pulse from the spell, with a weird purple light. Then within a split second, he has a vision showing a giants' perfectly symmetrical crystal in a night sky, then Persy falls to the ground.
Persy shared the information.
[INT Check] Nesvalyn remembers from his surrounding during his short coma, which could be something similar.
We can go either to:
- Halvefort (1.5 days of travel)
- New Gnomoria (3.5 days of travel, and it's a way to get to the mountains)
- Going west and reach the mountains and uncharted territories.
After discussing a bit, we decide to head to New Gnomoria.
While planning, the discussion went off track and we talked a bit about Ludwig, where Loyal mentions he is 73, but when we ask Willum's age, he doesn't know it as he stopped counting.
On the road of New Gnomoria...
On the way, Loyal talks with Persy about Melody, as he met her at a bar in the South Continent, trying to cheat at cards, and how he helped her.
Day 1...
We come across a clearing covered in snow.
The party switch to the winter gear (except Persy and Willum).
[Perception - Pass ✔] Reylynn never has seen snowfall like this before, it's like all of this fell at once, and she looks up. Something hits Loyal and Willum on the foot, and it's sticking on their foot. While digging, they find a buried carriage and a frozen gauntlet in hand.
Reylynn notices there's something white flying above the sky and getting bigger, and we hear deep bellowing roars from above.
From that, when we all look up, we see a big reptilian face with blue eyes, as a white blue dragon descends upon us.
Upon the landing of Persy and Willum, we hear a distant roaring and the dragon flies away to West.
Both stands up and we gather the party. The snow has been blown away and we see the corpses and the carriages, who didn't had the same luck as us against that white dragon.
The party wants to name it Alabastard, the Frigid Coward, and Persy declares it's his new Rival, where he shall claim their head, as well as the rights to the first dragonslayer tale of this age.[1]
Nesvalyn mentions about his beliefs in dragons and why he's been inactive during the fight (and also the worry on his face after the combat).
Persy mentions about a dome he saw at the west when he was in the air.
We decide to check the caravan, to learn more about the attack.
[Investigation - Pass ✔] We find a frozen block of ice, with a 4ft long shape inside it.
The party sets up a camp to rest and to remove the shape from the block of ice.
Freeing up the object/entity...
After two hours of chipping the ice, we manage to free what seems to be a curled Otter, with a quiver and bow strapped in its back, while wearing an armor.
Then its eyes shoot open, then shrieks and tries to get away from us, but is too tired to go away. We see a leather collar with a blue pearl on it.
[Animal Handling - Fail ❌] Willum tries to approach it then screams again, and holding on his side with a knife, pointing it at whoever gets closer.
Willum tries to touch it, avoiding the dagger, and heal it with his remaining [Lay on Hands].
Reylynn presents a Goodberry to the Otter, which comes to reach it and eats it.
After a while, the Otter gives a knightly bow then starts to walk away.
Persy calls it and asks if it can understand common.
[Insight] It doesn't seem to understand common, but it stopped.
We start to speak various languages.
Reylynn casts [Speak with Animals], then speaks to the otter.
Do you want more of Goodberries?
Milady, you're speaking Otterish?
Only for the few next minutes.
The otter takes her hand and gently kisses it. Milady, the berries has the sweetest taste, but I'm full. I must return to the people.
Do you need more for your people?
Trust me, where I'm from, we have Goodberries whenever your look.
That looks great.
I'd like to show you, but the foreigners are forbidden. The otter makes a dramatic look.
Mine too.
It's a fated day, alas, I must away, should our connection be away, you can find us at this place.
The otter describes a place in a valley protected from the outside world in West, they can come in and out, but it's harder for foreigners.
He also describes a plant granting the ability to speak with animals, and proposes to have a parley with the Chef if we manage to reach the place, where we assume is near the uncharted territories.
Farewell milady, find me when you must.
Sir Tonq leaves the party to resume his adventure.
Reylynn shares the discussion she had to the party, and we rest for the day.
Arriving at Reedsway...
We arrive at a much bigger village, with a smith, a healer, two inns, and we notice that everybody is preparing for the winter.
We notice half-elfs, who are painting the shutters of their home, then themselves. People are doing really strange things (someone is walking backwards, others are hoping backwards) to finally see someone shaving his dog.
Persy asks if something is going on.
The giant told me to do so.
Is there a giant?
Haven't heard? There's a giant back and giving prophecies with their magic.
An actual giant? 12ft tall one?
He's huge, and travels around the villages, he's been here for a week now.
He prophesized you should do it?
He told me if I shave my dog, great wealth would come to me.
How it's going?
I just started.
Persy gives a gold piece.
Well it's a start, I hope the fortune will be more with what it costed me.
So they ask money too?
People come with treasures and else, promises of marriages and all to get their fortune told.
What's the date?
The man gives the date, where we realize it's been 3 months, as Persy determined earlier.
Have you seen an half-orc with broken tusk recently?
No.
What happened recently?
Nothing much, just the giant.
Anything from neighbor towns?
Nah.
The man points to a very tall tent to the edge of town. We decide to head there, where we notice a small queue. We see a tall man with a top hat, with a white bushy beard and eyebrows.
[Detect Magic] We detect magic around, but not on the guy, until it's our turn.
Welcome to the Mr. Magnifico circus, and we found the last giant giving prophecy.
You found this giant? Are you his friend?
Of course, his dear and only friend. You can enter for only 10 gold pieces per person.
Persy will try to get in by being Invisible.
Loyal gets closer "I recognize a con when I see one. There's also a dragon on the road, believe or not, up to you."
The rest of the group pays to enter, and Persy gets blocked by the cane and a hand towards him.
I'll pay you if you tell me how.
I'm Mr. Magnifico, I see all.
Nice cane.
Persy pays up and the whole party really gets in.
The Giants' fortune teller....
We see a Giant sitting, being 18ft tall in a robe, but we can see only the bottom of the beard.
"Welcome seekers, what is it you wish to know?"
Persy realizes he's not invisible anymore once he got inside the tent.
What tells us you're real? asks Willum.
I see you Sea Elf.
How do you know?
You're looking for a missing one.
It's pretty easy as it applies to many people.
There's also magic too, interjects Persy.
What race is my son? resumes Willum
Your son is part beast, part man, from a world outside ours.
Where's my sister right now? asks Persy
Such a typical question. But I can answer you that with more time and more resources dedicated to this question.
Persy walks up to the robe, gets a warning from the giant, and raises it anyway to notice hard steel with giant runes below it.
Mr. Magnifico gets in and asks "What are you talking about?".
[Insight - Fail ❌] Persy detects nothing.
The giant asks to leave, otherwise it's going to explose according to Mr. Magnifico, even if we wanted a refund.
[Insight - Pass ✔] Nesvalyn notices that he's lying, and the beard and mustache is fake.
I'm pretty sure it's not going to happen, says Nesvalyn, as this giant is as fake as your facial hair, which starts to peel off, you should put it back better.
Mr Magnifico, lock the door, asks the "Giant".
And after the robe drops, we see Wingnut inside the robot.
"Why you guys are ruining everything?"
Next session: 19 - The nut behind the Winglight
- First of all Nesvalyn, if you read that again later, please speak up first with the dragons, it could be the occasion to learn more about them, and perhaps more about the Great Mother Dragon.
Secondly Persy, do you mind avoiding slaying my deities and bragging about it? (but if you do brag, please brag when there are dwarves, I'll turn a blind eye if you do that).
(except if they don't claim being descendant of the dragons, in that case, don't brag and point me to that dwarf, I want to hear them, it's pretty rare).↩︎