June 10th, 2023
Bellum, Comitatus 28th, 1194 (Continued)
We continue our discussion with Tharivol about the recent events. Tharivol believes that the living topiary in the area outside could be evidence of a druid grove or an entrance to the Fey realm. He is also concerned that the spellgorging area is so large.
Ty uses her ability, Empty Body, to see what this room looks like on the Ethereal plane. Normally things would look shadowy; however, in this room things have a color shimmer, like the aurora borealis, and time seems to move slower. While there, Ty feels as if something is alerted to her presence and attempts some kind of mind effect, but is resisted. She feels something similar later, like an attempted to hasten her. The calendar is much brighter here and looks as if it was stored under the floor at some point. A large translucent blue tentacle with pink suckers emerges from the ceiling and moves towards Ty, then her Empty Body ends. It could have been an arcane tentacle, which never have been proven to exist. They are resistant to arcane magic and can remove magical effects on creatures they hit. Investigator Vale theorized their existence in The Stranded Prisoner, during a conversation with his adversary, Artorious Balen. Graynor says that the time feeling was similar to what he felt when he was in a void realm.
We discuss our next moves and settle on investigating the spellgorging area while traveling back to Ironwald Downs. Tharivol advises us to not dilly-dally and don’t listen to Fey invitations or enter any portals.
Iustitia, Comitatus 29th, 1194
We exit the Cave of Unreasonable Ice and our horses are nowhere to be seen. We begin the long trip to Ironwald Downs.
Mors, Comitatus 30th, 1194
We find our horses grazing and reclaim them to bear the burden of our travels.
Mors, Tempus 14th, 1194
We encounter the spellgorging plants about a day earlier than expected. If this is the same instance as before, which was about two miles long, then it has grown to be about 20 miles. We attempt to find the center of the spellgorging and notice that it’s an irregular shape–locating the point of origin will be difficult. Within the infected area, we find patches of normal plant life; the pattern of it could be root-like or tendrils.
Vita, Tempus 15th, 1194
We continue our survey, recollecting that we have seen no kind of fauna at all in this area, and the growth is getting thicker.
At night our camp is attacked by a plague boar, a magical pig that carries the Black Plague–is this the result of the spellgorging?
Mare, Tempus 16th, 1194
We find a copse of large, humanoid-shaped trees, which begin to move as we approach. Sigmund recognizes them as grove guardians, but beneath their bark is a pale violet light that is not typical of them. They can’t communicate verbally with us and aren’t aggressive, so we try alternative methods. Ty shows them Tolm’s mask and they become aggressive, so she makes an impressive display of dropping and heel stomping it. They are upset at the mask and also stomp on it. Sigmund pantomimes until he establishes a general understanding with the guardians, and Graynor attempts to lay on hands one of them with the violet light, but there is feedback that hurts them both. We eventually get a direction as to where Tolm’s grove may have been, which is not in the same direction we are going, but it’s something.
We leave in the direction the grove guardians gave us. About an hour later we find a run down shack. Inside are some gardening notes that appear to be in Tolm’s handwriting.
We continue looking for the source of the spellgorging until it’s time to make camp.
Terra, Tempus 17th, 1194
We come across an area where the plants are exceptionally large and four mandragora attack us. Mandragora are created with demon blood and are very annoying. Just a little farther we find a big tree that has an emaciated form of a babau nailed to its trunk. Babau are demons that are used as assassins. Ralzer mentions that demons like this should have disappeared back to the Abyss after dying, which means this one must have come here by other means. There are some other nearby large trees, six in total, that also have babau nailed to them; this could be part of some macabre ritual. We collect the bodies and burn them. Nearby, Ralzer finds a summoning circle that seems to be very old and he guesses it’s been broken for several months. This could have been used to get the babau here.
We start making our way back to Ironwald Downs.
Bellum, Tempus 19th, 1194
Ralzer has the Black Plague.
Mors, Tempus, 21st, 1194
Ralzer shakes off his disease, but now Luna is showing signs of it.
Mare, Tempus 23rd, 1194
We arrive at Ironwald Downs with Luna still suffering from the plague, so we can’t bring her in.
Terra, Tempus 24th, 1194
Sigmund callously suggests reaching out to the Church of the Land (Eda) for help with cure Luna of her disease instead of the Temple of Salvation (Madri), because it will be a little cheaper. Graynor finds this rationale insulting and Sigmund is oblivious to his faux pas. Ty is sent on an errand to fetch a healer from the church and Graynor accompanies her, just so he can roll his eyes at another faith and irritate Sigmund. It takes several attempts from two priests, but the disease is expelled.