Session 27
The Fated Eight were taken through a hidden fold in the space of the Feywild as The PumQueen and The PumPrincess invited them into Castle Pumpkin. The somewhat comical and yet still grandiose exterior swallowing their vision. It was clear that the title of “Castle” was applied very liberally here - as the large central pumpkin chamber proved to be closer to a sprawling tower; supporting an network of medium and small pumpkin-shaped rooms connected via stairways and tunnels made out of stems.
The party were given a tour of various rooms by Evie whilst her mother prepared them food - as some of the party noticed the Archfey preparing food manually with her hands; instead of using her magical prowess. The Fated Eight were shown to Evie’s own bedroom; a chaotic mix of childlike whimsy and pumpkin décor, and to an underground gallery - where most of the items in had been “edited” by The PumPrincess herself. The party were surprised by a singular statue within the gallery - a 7’9” tall, male figure that vaguely resembled Aurevald; with the same pointed ears & remarkably similar symbols on his skin. When prompted for answers about who or what the statue was of - Evie asked her Mother for elaboration; who unfortunately could not provide much of value.
“Oh… this is something I got from my husband when I left. I don’t really know what it is, but he seemed upset that I took it - so I’m just twisting the knife if I’m being honest.”
- The PumQueen’s elaboration about the statue.
During this downtime, Jin separated from the group and meditated in the peaceful grotto outside Castle Pumpkin. Here - the Human Fighter attempted a different approach in order to connect with Watatsumi; the spirit within his blade. Jin braced as he sliced an open palm on the sharpest edge of the katana, and watched as blood coated the perfectly polished steel - before it suddenly seemed to “drink” the fluid as not a drop fell onto the ground below him. He let his mind go empty as he drowned out what little background noise was there - attempting the let the spirit of Watatsumi come to him. A few moments later - he felt it arrive - more distantly than previously. Jin and Watatsumi shared a conversation - as the former attempted to repair the relationship with the weapon’s spirit. Jin walked away feeling some progress had been made - as his attention was caught by The PumQueen calling everyone inside for dinner.
The PumQueen had prepared a delectable 3 course meal alongside snacks for The Fated Eight - and offered them each a room of their own design for the night. Morgyn and Aurevald requested to share a room that reminded them of their house in the The Paridisian Coast - with the sound of the waves lulling them to sleep. SHAI and Jin shared a room, as did Kezark and Axton, whilst Lady, and Azriel each took to their own rooms. As everyone made their way to sleep - Aurevald’s mind began to drift; transporting him back to a day that changed his life forever.
It was the late afternoon after a successful day’s work aboard the Reginald IV; the large sailing ship that Aurevald had been employed on a long, long time ago. Despite the pleasant day now behind him - Aurevald had struggled with an eerie feeling that something was off for the entire day. He was gathering fresh air above deck; having pardoned himself from supper, and collecting his thoughts - deliberating if he should share with the Captain or his First Mate about the foreboding concern that he had not been able to shake. Mid-thought, Aurevald was startled by the sudden appearance of Captain Sodar Reginald - the black-as-night black captain’s robes accented by the deep red undershirt that he almost always wore consuming the Goliath’s vision. He remembered a rumour he’d heard, that the original flag for the Reginald IV had been a crudely painted symbol on a shirt of the same make - but Captain Reginald had never confirmed it. Aurevald noticed the sparkling, pearlescent teeth peeking through the curtain of Sodar’s luxurious dark red beard as he went to speak. Captain Reginald complimented Aurevald’s natural instincts for navigating the sea - his understanding that it was not his ally nor his enemy, but a force of nature that could not be reasoned with - before asking Aurevald about home - whether he considered the ship; or at least the people aboard it such, and about his parents; if his Mother and/or Father might be worried about him. Aurevald stated that he had no home - but if he were to have a home it would be the Reginald IV. He explained that his Mother was a kind and strong woman - and he hoped that she would think of him often; as he does about her, but admitted that he didn’t know much about his Father - only that he was a strong & brutal man - describing him as “not a very good person” from what little he knew about him. Sodar noticed the tension build in Aurevald’s body at the mere mention of the Goliath’s Father - and responded accordingly with a understanding words of wisdom.
“That we have in common - my son. Let me tell you a story…
My father was a piece of a shit. Used to use me as an ashtray and spit on the burns; and that’s just the stuff I haven’t been lucky enough to purge. By the time I was 13 - I was big enough to punch him in the face; and shortly after I was slapped on the next ship to rock up in harbor.”
“It wasn’t all bad though - I wasn’t born Sodar Reginald; I became him as I learned how to win with the cards I was dealt.”
“The captain of my first vessel - the Reginald III - took me under his wing and raised me right… Saying this out loud I realise this sounds presumptuous, perhaps.”
“I guess what I’m trying to say is this… Not everyone gets the Father they need at birth; and some never do. But the world is truly immense - and there’s lot of Men; hell even a lot of Women, who might just be the Father for you. Do not abandon hope, good friend…”
- Sodar Reginald to Aurevald about shitty Fathers*
The pair shared some bonding words as Captain Reginald returned to his study.
“Don’t stay out here too long - Ms Timbers warns that you will catch a cold! I’ll be in my study if you want to share a drink and (how does she say it?) shoot the shit. See you later, navigator!!”
- Captain Reginald’s parting words to Aurevald
Aurevald stayed a moment longer to ponder his current situation; appreciative of all the good that had come of that terrible day many years ago - the family and friends he had come to be accepted and cared for by, as he noticed the rain get heavier and the mist around him thicker than usual. The Goliath Navigator heard a voice call out to him from over the horizon - but he wasn’t able to process what it said - as a flash of lighting completely stunned his senses.
He felt the sea begin to churn and roil, and Aurevald frantically turned towards the captain’s quarters. In his panic - Aurevald slipped on some loose deck oil and was thrown against the starboard rail of the ship. Moments later - he noticed tendril of mist latch around his ankles and begin to pull him overboard - as he struggled against it to warn the others. As he maintained his grip on a deck panel - he exhausted every remaining ounce of strength to cry out and warn those below of the storm. He knew that cries were certainly loud enough to be heard, but no one reacted - and it was now that Aurevald realised the mist had not been there to distract him, but the others instead. He watched helplessly as the ship lurched at an awkward angle - causing him to lose his grip on the wooden plank - as a 30ft high wave crashed into the side of the Reginald IV. He saw his shipmates; his family, spill out into the sea entirely unaware of what had just happened to them. Aurevald’s last recollection of this day was Captain Sodar Reginald bursting out of his study and rushing in his direction, before his vision went black.
A Sleepless Night
Section titled “A Sleepless Night”Aurevald awoke in a cold sweat; as he immediately searched the room for Morgyn. The Human Alchemist awoke at the same time; noticing the distress her friend was experiencing. She attempted to comfort her Goliath compatriot but Aurevald asked for some space - before heading outside to clear his head. He sat down outside Castle Pumpkin alongside Kjott; who also seemed distressed. Aurevald let out a mighty roar as he dealt with wave after wave of residual emotion - crying into Kjott’s coat for comfort. Eventually, the Goliath male found himself in a state of exhaustion; where there was no more emotion left to channel, but where the feelings still lingered throughout his mind and body. In this state, Aurevald noticed something in one of his pockets - as he pulled out an old but familiar golden coin from it. He was unsure how it had gotten there but it had once been a regular affect of Sodar Reginald’s - one he was fond of flipping to make decisions. He placed the coin on the bottom of Fimbul - The Call of Winter and used his natural body heat the mould and weld the coin in place - as a reminder of those who he had lost, and of those who will continue to protect.
A New Day In The Feywild
Section titled “A New Day In The Feywild”A quiet morning came to the grotto around Castle Pumpkin as The Fated Eight awoke and began their morning routines - as the smells of cooking porridge, delicious baked goods, and freshly squeezed juice flowed through the chambers of The PumQueen’s home. All of The Fated Eight barring Aurevald slept like babies - a well earned rest after many nights with poor sleeping arrangements. The Fated Eight discussed amongst themselves their plans for their travels - and decided to continue onwards towards SHAI’s civilization via the ruins that Dridge had informed them a community of Terralpi had found and been using as a home base of sorts.
The PumQueen and The PumPrincess bid farewell to the the party as Evie offered the group a pair of well-decorated and vaguely magical cookies. A glance over them showed them to be a form of restoration based Magic - one having to do with long term rest and another to do with vitality. The PumQueen presented the party with a Pumpkin Rose and made good on her deal by providing a streamlined path through The Shifting Shades and towards SHAI’s society.
Taking Turns
Section titled “Taking Turns”Navigating The Shifting Shades - even with The PumQueen’s assistance proved to be a mentally taxing endeavour - requiring different people to lead throughout various sections. The Fated Eight made their way through four vastly different biomes.
SHAI lead the charge - navigating the party through a mucky marshlands. At points - the party were up to 4ft deep in mud & swamp water. The croaks & ribbits echoing around them a comfort compared to the less-pleasant sounds they heard. As they left the marsh - they noticed scaled spikes and beady eyes barely sticking above the water; reminding some of Crocodiles from the Material Plane - they were thankful to have avoided those creatures this time.
Jin took over the second leg of their journey - travelling through a wide and sparse forest; with trees that seemed to be placed here artificially. What at first seemed like a serene place to leisurely stroll through turned into a tense rescue mission after Jin unknowingly stepped on the waiting tongue of a living plant creature; which trapped a number of the party inside it’s sap-covered maw. It took teamwork and bravery in order to quell the fly-trap-like creature.
Kezark stepped up in the penultimate leg of the trek - guiding the party through a mist-covered network of clearings with a howling wind passing through. The fog was so thick that even those with Darkvision were unable to see further than 5 feet in front of them. Despite Kezark initially stumbling over a log - he was able to safely navigate the party through the fog; assisted by Jin’s clever idea to tie each other together with rope to avoid losing anyone.
Kezark passed over the leadership to Morgyn for what would be the final leg of this day’s journey - as the Human Alchemist lead The Fated Eight through a dense forest with thickets of unique mosses, grasses, and plants. Aside from the terrain - there was little challenge navigating this section. The long, windy path eventually came to a small clearing where The Fated Eight found something that caught their attention.
Another Statue?
Section titled “Another Statue?”Slightly off the path most often taken was another statue of a figure - similar to the one seen in The PumQueen’s gallery; this figure was lither and older however, and wielding a hammer in one hand and a shield on the other. They noticed that the runes on the figure’s hammer were quite similar to those on Aurevald’s axe - using the same fusion language of Dwarvish letters to spell Giant words. The Fated Eight investigated the plinth that this statue was atop - noticing a heavily weathered, engraved plate bolted onto it - only managing to make out a handful of letters and blank spaces. With a careful use of the Mending spell - they were able to recover one more letter.
“Gy---a—os”
- The remnants of the Sylvan word on the plaque,
A Familiar Voice…
Section titled “A Familiar Voice…”Without warning - a voice familiar to all but Kezark and Azriel echoed from directly behind Aurevald - as they each heard Scabb call out for help.
“Boss! Help me! It’s dark and cold!!”
- Scabb’s voice, calling for help.
Everyone immediately turned around and where they expected to see Scabb - they instead saw a towering, 15ft tall Serpentine creature, with skin made of bark. Glowing, pulsating blue energy glowed from within it’s insides - illuminating the sap dripping from it’s front fangs. A mist - familiar to Aurevald - gathered around the creature as it’s form began to shift and waver. Shortly following - 3 of the serpent lunged forward towards the clumped up members of The Fated Eight. The assault knocked a majority of The Fated Eight to the ground - giving the Serpent a clear path towards the statue. The party watched as it grew in size, before dislocating it’s jaw and ripping the statue of the ground with it’s mouth - as two smaller serpentine creatures ruptured out of the ground nearby prone members of The Fated Eight. Aurevald - recognizing this creature’s ilk from his short stint away from the party - yelled out to the group as a skirmish took place amidst the jungle clearing.
“This is what took Scabb from me!!!”
- Aurevald alerting the others about the Serpent creature…
The battle waged on as it became clear the Serpent was more interested in escaping with the statue than fighting The Fated Eight. Aurevald and Kezark were able to get within close range of the creature before Aurevald slammed the large Serpent with a heavy sequence of attacks as it roared out in pain - with one of it’s scales popping off from the impact. Aurevald roared even louder - managing to frighten the Bark-Skinned Serpent; causing it to immediately attempt to burrow underground. Kezark - recognizing that it would likely be impossible to catch up to if it burrowed - launched a shot at a vital spot that distracted it long enough for him to reposition and shoot at the weak spot that Aurevald had uncovered. At this moment - Kezark felt an unfamiliar Arcane Magic flow through him, as the runes of his tattoo glowed brightly. His mind steeled and his aim steady - Kezark nailed the shot on the vulnerable spot, dealing a serious blow to the Serpentine creature.
The Bark-Skinned Serpent roared out in pain as it lashed around quickly in the direction of Kezark and Aurevald - swallowing the statue in the same motion. It opened it’s dislocated jaw as wide as possible revealing inside of it a tiny, imp-like creature made of bark, sticks, and straw. Aurevald recognized this as the twisted and corrupted body of Scabb - after the events of their journey away from Roan weeks prior - and immediately jumped to act. Before either Kezark or Aurevald could close the gap however - they felt some overwhelming force prevent them from moving as they were stunned. The creature turned to flee as the stunned Aurevald noticed a second scale chip off and fall to the ground, as the Bark-Skinned Serpent burrowed underground and away from The Fated Eight.
The rest of The Fated Eight finished off the remaining smaller serpents, and began to tend to their wounds and afflicted allies. Whilst Aurevald and Kezark regained their sense of balance - the others investigated the Frozen Scales that had been left behind by the Bark-Skinned Serpent. The Runic inscriptions led them to ask Aurevald for his understanding of them - but the Goliath was clearly too angry to think critically. They watched as Aurevald stormed off away from the group in the direction the Serpent. Morgyn tried calling out to Aurevald to return, but the Goliath Paladin was unresponsive as he kept walking further away.
Aurevald’s Internal Struggle
Section titled “Aurevald’s Internal Struggle”Aurevald’s rage and anguish roiled beneath his rugged exterior - and had those familiar with his comforting aura been around him at this time; they would have felt it’s Magical effects suddenly fade, as the Goliath Paladin wrestled with his failure to uphold a promise; a vow, that he had sworn to free someone he cared about. Those around Kjott also noticed the Bison familiar turn back into a clay jar as the magic that bound him to this plane was dispelled. Aurevald’s own faith in his abilities as a protector and a paragon of freedom had been shaken by his failures to free Scabb from the Bark-Skinned Serpent. From his experiences; he had come to accept that his intellect was not necessarily a weakness of his - but it certainly wasn’t a strong suit of his either. Aurevald grappled with the fact that once again - despite his best efforts and protests - the world once again beat him down, just as he had begun to build himself anew. Despite this being a familiar feeling to the Goliath male - he could not help but blame himself for his weaknesses in this moment. Running aimlessly and helplessly - as the exhaustion from the lack of sleep the previous night began to catch up with Aurevald; he recalled a memory from long ago that had been forgotten.
Aurevald recalled the last day of his first week aboard the Reginald IV; the first time he had a conversation with Captain Reginald. He remembered that he had been summoned to the Captains’ Quarters to discuss his reprimand following a navigational error he had made; having read the star chart incorrectly and taking the ship Northeast instead of Southwest - wasting 3 days of rations, good weather, and causing delays to their shipping business. This was a serious mistake for any navigator to have made, but for a rookie navigator - it would legitimately be grounds for removal. A younger Aurevald sat outside the Captains’ Quarters - embarrassed by his mistake - as he struggled to think how he could defend or explain himself due to his lack of communication skills, and without the presence of Tana Timbers - the Gnomish woman he had relied on as a translator thus far.
Captain Reginald’s beckoned for Aurevald to enter, as the young Goliath saw the fitted pirate robes made of night black silk cover all but a sliver of the red undershirt that Captain Reginald was famous for - Aurevald taking in the appearance of his Captain up close for the first time. Sodar Reginald kept a still face as he twirled an dagger in his right hand elegantly, before gesturing Aurevald to sit down; speaking in giant.
Sodar: “Why don’t you tell me what went wrong? ‘ow did we end up so far from our course?”
Aurevald: “I’m new to this. The only experience that I have with navigating at all was taught to me by my tribe and I was a child at the time. I’m not that knowledgeable about navigating on the open sea yet…”
Sodar: “I appreciate your ‘onesty. Why do you think I called you ‘ere?”
Aurevald: “I assume to reprimand me…”
Sodar: “That would be logical, yes. But I ‘ave not. Do you know why?”
Aurevald: “I do not know why.”
Sodar: “Because this was not your fault…”
Sodar pulls out the star chart that Aurevald had been supplied for his navigation duties. He revealed that Aurevald had been maliciously misled by another recruit on the ship; one who only Aurevald was newer to the Reginald IV than.Sodar: “You were deceived, taken advantage of. Despite that - you took full responsibility for these failures. That is an admirable trait in any person - let alone a Sailor. There is much in this world we cannot control and despite that, we must keep doing better - every time. We cannot abandon everything just because something out of our control tore us up.”
Aurevald looked up at the Captain with tears in his eyes - thankful for the mercy and wisdom he had just shown him.
Aurevald: “I miss home. I miss my family.”Sodar: “I ‘ope that one day, this ship could be a ‘ome for you. I know it is not the same - but I ‘ope it is better than nothing.”
Aurevald did not realize it at the time - but it was this day that Sodar had placed the golden coin into Aurevald’s cloak.
Aure-newal
Section titled “Aure-newal”Aurevald accepted the recollection as tears streamed down his face - whilst back in the clearing the golden coin of Sodar Reginald; now welded to the hilt of Fimbul - The Call Of Winter, began to glow before the axe flew off in Aurevald’s direction. It continued to fly through the forest and past Morgyn before finally returning to the hand of Aurevald. The Goliath Paladin thrust his hand into the ground before raising it up - summoning Kjott underneath him once again. Aurevald firmly gripped his axe as he loudly proclaimed his oath; his vow, once more - declaring that he will free Scabb from whatever creature/entity holds him captive, and that he will be a shield to his family.
Aurevald turned Kjott around before galloping forward back to the clearing - picking up Morgyn and placing her behind him atop Kjott.
Aurevald: “Thank you. I know you have my back. Let me have your front.”
Morgyn: “Thank you, as well - for not leaving. After what happened in Roan, you’re one of the only things I have left; I don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost you too.”
Aurevald: “I’m sorry I’m a selfish person - I lost a dear friend. I saw Scabb in that creature’s mouth, and for a second I lost who I was - but I remember what my friends mean to me - what my family means to me. Please continue letting me be your shield.”
Morgyn noticed; at this request, the warm & endearing Magical aura that usually emanates from Aurevald return to her. Morgyn simply hugged Aurevald in return
The trio returned to the clearing - where Aurevald spoke aloud atop Kjott.
“Before Azriel, before Kezark - there was Graxious, and there was Scabb. They were members of our travelling group. Graxious - I hope - has returned to his village, but Scabb was taken from me - from us - and he is trapped within the Serpent that we just fought.
I don’t usually ask people for help, but if you could - I may need it. I know that Scabb is close - I could feel his presence whilst I was stunned and couldn’t do anything. I may need to rely on each of you and your capabilities.
Please, help me free my friend - our friend.”
- Aurevald’s request
The group shared a tender moment before turning to inspect the two Frozen Scales that had fallen off the body of the Bark-Skinned Serpent. The runes along Aurevald’s body reacted faintly to their presence; and the runes on Fimbul -The Call Of Winter reacted much more strongly. Despite others being hurt but their eternal frost - Aurevald was unharmed whilst handling one of these scales.
Aurevald apologized for his passionate and sometimes irrational reactions - admitting that his emotions get the better of him sometimes. He thanked everyone for having his back during the fight with the Serpent. The group walked forward as Azriel gestured to Aurevald that he wished to share some words in private.
Azriel: “It’s good to see you’ve steeled yourself - don’t let whoever they are break you. They don’t deserve it. I know what it’s like to have someone taken from you. If I can help you get them back - I will.”
Aurevald: loudly “You know - you’re not as tough as you seem! You’re like me - you’re soft on the inside.”
- Azriel to Aurevald
The Return Of The Dridge
Section titled “The Return Of The Dridge”The Fated Eight got maybe 60 feet away from the site of the statue before they noticed something small burrowing towards them. The familiar sight of Dridge popped up near the hole where the statue had been.
“What the bloody ‘ell ‘appened to the statue mate?”
- Dridge
A brief reunion happened between Dridge and The Fated Eight took place, as the party explained what happened with the Bark-Skinned Serpent. Dridge had not heard of this creature - but admitted the description alone terrified him even more than Displacer Beasts did. The session closed with Dridge guiding The Fated Eight back to the stronghold that a Terralpi community had taken refuge in - hoping someone might have more answers for them.
Post-Credits
Section titled “Post-Credits”Somewhere else; inaccessible to you all, a man is standing in a dark, black void. He stands atop a barrier - and beneath him are the drooling mouths of countless fiendish creatures. Atop the barrier - he is alone; aside from the gargantuan golden scales in front of him, as grains of sand fall from somewhere above. As each grain falls - the scales fluctuate back and forth. The man knows that when the grains stop falling - the scales will determine his resting place. As the grains slow to a trickle - he is aghast to see it replaced by drips of blood.
Meanwhile; in the material plane, an older man in a gold-and-blue cloak watches over as his servants conduct a rite; ensuring not a single thing goes wrong. The muffled, dying cries of 5 convicted souls echo throughout the chamber - as the man watches their blood drip into one side of the large, golden scales in front of him. He watches the scales adjust - before raising a hand as more cries pointlessly attempt to escape the sealed chamber buried deep beneath the ground. More blood pours into the scales.
Finally - as the scales reach equilibrium he thrusts his sleeved arm into the air, and the remaining blood is suspended mid-air. He gives the command to activate the rune inscribed into the floor of this chamber. Energy crackles, and the blood in the scale begins to boil and bubble as a red-viscous fog pours up and out of the scales. It crawls towards the centre of the rune - collecting thicker and thicker until eventually - it takes on a Humanoid shape.
The rune went dull as a smile stretched across the face of the cloaked man. They had been successful - they had done it. They had brought Him back - just in time for a new mission.