Session 25

The Fated Eight made their way through the Fey Runegate and into an extravagant room floating in a starry void around them. Here they met The Gatekeeper - an Archfey with extremely long ears that seemed surprised at arrival of newcomers. The Gatekeeper bantered for a bit before very strongly offering the troupe a tour of the Feywild - casting them into two magical bubbles that seemed to float gracefully - with Jin volunteering himself and Axton to ride in a sidecar due to size constraints.

The Party were flown over each of the regions between The Moonfields and The Bloodlands - the main territories of the Seelie Court and Unseelie Court respectively. The Fated Eight were shown the Sands Of Sensuality, the Bountiful Blooms, the boundary between the Lycanic Planes & Rynetear Wastes, and into the peaks of Mystveil Mountains before resting a moment to absorb the view. Whilst taking in the sights - Lady and others noticed a Human man far off in the distance amidst a skirmish with unfamiliar creatures. The Gatekeeper also took the time to ask & answer questions in order to get to know each other better. Based on the questions he asked and the answers he gave - it was clear to a number of the Party that The Gatekeeper had not been informed of events from the Material Plane in quite some time.

“Oh you’re from Terick you say? Strange - I can’t say I’ve ever heard of that place! Is it new? What continent is it on - Vylderica, or perhaps Colum’Tylas”
- The Gatekeeper’s quips

The tour continued as the Party were flown over the Veradean Forest, and towards a clearing that bordered with The Shifting Shades nearby. Either due to rust, carelessness - or both - the bubbles began to fly out of control. The binding attaching Axton and Jin’s sidecar to the larger bubble was released amidst The Gatekeeper’s attempts to stabilize the craft, and the bulk of The Fated Eight were helpless to respond as they witnessed their companions shoot upwards into the cloudscape of the Feywild. As The Gatekeeper managed to stabilize and land the bubble - tension rose and Aurevald attempted to threaten the Archfey. The Gatekeeper - unimpressed with the Goliath’s words and demeanour - opened a hole in the side of bubble and waved one hand; forcing the remaining members of The Fated Eight out onto the muddy ground before flying up.

“It’ll be easiest if we split up! I’ll try find your friends from the sky!!”
- The Gatekeeper

Before the Party could process the sudden disappearance of The Gatekeeper - their attention was taken by a man with blonde hair - the same one Lady and others had noticed earlier - fleeing a pack of Displacer Beasts. Five of the feline monstrosities appeared as The Fated Eight; sans Axton and Jin, teamed up with this mysterious blonde Human to slay them. As the skirmish ended, Azriel - as he would introduce himself - seemed to recognize Morgyn. When the opportunity presented itself, he grappled the Alchemist before putting his blade to her throat - threatening to kill her if anyone else got closer. Through careful conversation - and a bit of Arcane assistance from SHAI - the Party managed to quell the tension and come to an understanding. Azriel revealed to the Party that he had been unwillingly associated with the Vaena Kingdom’s military until 5 years ago - and during that time he had had a handful of encounters with Morgyn; who had been known as Sophia at the time.

As the sun began to dim - The Fated Eight and Azriel made the decision to head into The Shifting Shades in order to get closer to SHAI’s society. The thick and twisting jungle proved challenging to navigate due to it’s ever shifting layout - even with a native as a guide. The Party stopped for a short break as they arrived at a narrow pass over a foggy hole in the ground. Intrigued - The Fated Eight investigated beneath the fog where they encountered a humanoid, mole-like creature. Azriel recognized the creature as a Terralpi - a species native to the Mystveil Mountains.

The Party were invited into a shelter - more aptly a makeshift hovel dug into the side of a small cliff - by the Terralpi man named Dridge where he revealed that he and his species had been pushed out of the Mystveil Mountains by a mysterious masked man, and that he was about to resume searching for his son who’d been missing about a day or so. Aurevald; at Dridge’s mention of being a blacksmith, approached the Terralpi male about possible enhancements to Fimbul - The Edge Of Winter. Dridge agreed that with the right equipment and materials - he could theoretically restore the condition of the weathered axe.

Dridge offered his shelter to The Fated Eight as he departed to search for his son - Stevan. As per usual - watches were taken in shifts by the Party and all aside from one was uneventful. It was during Aurevald and SHAI’s watch - that the Goliath male heard the familiar, shrill voice of Scabb come from all directions from an unclear source. Aurevald leapt to his feet and began searching for a clear sign of the sound. Only some amongst the troupe noticed a snake-like creature slithering away from their general direction before disappearing at the edge of their vision. The session closed with The Fated Eight completing a night’s rest and preparing to venture further into The Shifting Shades.