The party hadn't made specific plans to leave the next day, but it seemed reasonable.  Late morning rolls around and Farden tries to gather everyone up to head south for Crim.  Alas, Glumr is nowhere to be found.  Holly and Sunna are happy to spend another day in Volge.

Farden is wondering if Glumr somehow managed to find trouble. He should know about Glumr's family, so he'll check in with them to see where the man has got to.

"I don't know where he's disappeared to just now," says Glumr's mother.  "He asked a few questions about Miss Snow.  Maybe he's gone to see her.  Our Glumr is very excited about your adventures.  He went on talking about a magic book of Legends and a tower full of ghosts.  Try and keep him out of too much danger, Farden."

You're a little concerned that Glumr is running his mouth about the Tome of Legends, but dear old mom is probably the safest person to spill such secrets to.

You check with Snow.  She hasn't seen him today, but she's not surprised he's causing you trouble.  "He's your problem now," she says.

Dead end.  If only you had a tracker.  Maybe you can borrow Holly's horse.

Glumr does eventually turn up having a very late lunch with a young female friend of his.  He says he'll be ready to head to Crim in the morning.  Sunna is glad to have had the extra day in Volge, since she is now stuffed with fresh baked apple pie.  Another night at home does everyone's morale good too.

In the morning you say your good-byes, saddle up, and set off.  Travel goes smoothly over the Triplefang grasslands.  Late on the second day you come across a vast stretch of scorched land hit by wildfire this summer.  Luckilly, it's wild country far from any clusters of Triplefang farms or ranches.  You don't like to see the destruction, but you know it is part of nature.  New life will spring up in the next year or two.

You begin to think about things such as night watches and sleep schedules.  You're still in your relatively safe home lands, but soon you'll be leaving Triplefang lands.  You don't know what you might encounter closer to the Dark Woods, beyond the eastern mountains, or along the shore.

On the evening of the third day you ride into the village of Crim.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:02, Mon 02 Mar 2015.

There are more raiders and warriors in Crim than you remember from your last visit.  They are building some fortifications and new barracks for the new arrivals as well as a shrine to Harix.  Everyone is pitching in.

You had hoped to visit with Mord, who has made quite a name for himself, but he's off in the borderlands with Tora's troops getting more famous.

This is your chance to stock up on free food.  One pound feeds a person for a day, so 4 per day for the group.  Animals can fend for themselves in most terrain.  By your minimum estimate you'll be out there at least 4 days out and 4 days back with a day at the tower, but it could certainly take longer.  How much do you want to take?

40 pounds would give us a few extra days.  I'd say that.  Maybe some extra if we have room/weight for it. 

I think that 48 pounds for the group would be better, if we're not planning to hunt on our way to restock some supplies.
Unless you said 40 pounds for each member of the group :)

I meant total.  48 is great. 

In the morning you load sacks and small barrels of preserved food onto the cart and journey onwards.  First stop, Reynard's cottage.

"Please come in," offers Reynard's voice from within.

You open the door and let yourselves in.  There's no place to sit other than the bare floor, but plenty of room for all of you to stand (or float) around.  All the shutters are closed, but before the door shuts all the way Reynard shimmers in the dark.  For a moment you're afraid his fur has come aflame.  He flicks his tail at the fireplace lighting kindling. And then he sits facing you and his form returns to normal.

"It's good to see that Talita has brought you back to me in one piece," he says.  "And brought a trio of enslaved wisps and memories with you.  Such a thin protection from the horrors of everlasting unlife.  Let us hope it is enough."

The words are a bit chilling.

"You had to do quite more than just trade silver with the enchantress child to get those, didn't you?"

"You are correct my friend." Glumr starts off, a bit astonished by the foxes fire.

"We had to procure goods for her.  We traveled north to the Dwarves.  We faced much danger.  There were many good points, an unfortunate low point, but all and all the journey was good and beneficial."

Glumr wonders what Reynard would know about xyzeryx.

"We hope these wisps, as you say, will help our weapons protect us on the next leg of our quest.  We also have blessed water with us.  Is there any advice you might have for us?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:03, Thu 24 Oct 2013.

"Yes, you were curious about golems and their origins.  Did the dwarves shed any light on this for you?"



Reynard ponders this quietly for a while.

"The task you are about to undertake appears to be just a treasure hunt.  As chance and fate would have it, the adventure will turn out to be a pivotal moment in history.  The Sowell family may be gone, but there are others artists of necromancy among the eastern islands.  Once such calls himself Thibideau.  He will come for the secrets of the tower, but you will get there first.  If you succeed, he will not find what he is looking for when his day comes.  Thibideau will become your enemy one day.  Depriving him of this power will tip the scales…" Reynard pauses.

"Well, lets say fortune will still be on his side, but less so.  Be thorough in your search.  If you leave only with what you came for, Thibideau might still get his prize."

Reynard stands up a yips at the floating eye.

"This is a pivotal time in other respects.  Your cursed harper friend is no closer to escaping his current form than he was the last time I warned him that his time was short.  If nothing is done he will not survive the tower."

"Do you delay your quest and risk fumbling a chance to thwart a future enemy in order to try to save a single friend?  Either path has its share of regret.  Perhaps you will find another way."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:45, Sun 20 Apr 2014.

Holly feels a chill go through her as Reynaud passes on the news that perhaps harper friend would not survive the visit planned to the tower. Holly moved towards Scott, trying to think what to say and do. It seemed they might need to make a difficult choice, and Scott had been a member of their little family for a long time it seemed to her.

"What can we do for Scott, that would bring him back?" Holly asked, looking expectantly at Reynaud and the others.

A Glumr realizes he has goosebumps from hearing what Reynard says.   Indeed his mind has not been on the floating eye, wrapped up in the adventure to the dwarven lands and now he worries that it seems the tasks at hand have a potential dark cloud hanging over them no matter which direction they go.

Help Scott and a necromancer comes to power.  Go to the island and Scott my die or may be stuck in this form.  Glumr feels the weight of the decision pressing on him.  He wishes could have stayed in Volge with Alma, but if he did, it would be ignoring the path set for him to stop the unnatural.



"Not in the way you would expect.  It seems priest magic gives life into the materials the creature is made from.  They follow he will until the magic dissipates.  Elhonna has blessed me with similar command of natures creatures."

Glumr pauses.. Then continues, looking displeased.

"A man demon creature called xyzeryx interfeared with our travels and we were forced to be his pawn through threat and trickery.  In his bidding I witnessed golems come to life and then fade back to earth.  He forced us to acquire a helm.  In return he gave us a strange bow which will aid us in the tower.  I still fear the reason he wanted the helm or if that will give aid to the unnatural's goals."


"Perhaps Scott should not go to the island.  We can make haste, return with our goods and treasures, find what this necromancer is looking for to prevent it increasing his power, return and help Scott.   Do you know if the item the necromancer seeks could help us return our friend to human form?  I fear that I do not know whom or what to seek to help him."

"Sure you could leave him here with me for a short while, postpone his demise.  That would give you time to take care of other matters.  It seems as though you would rather not think about such things, but not thinking about a problem neither solves it nor makes it go away."

"Oh," says the fox. "Now it sounds like I'm scolding you.  I don't mean it that way.  No human has enough time to solve all the problems they discover no matter how well intentioned they are."

"What do you know about this floating minstrel?  Perhaps you already have a few clues that might help."

Sunna feels a chill crawling down her spine at the words of Reynard. She remembers the words of the women back in Rankor Heights and takes a deep breath.

"You sound as if there is no way to solve both problems in time", the young bard finally manages to say. "But you do know more about this... curse than we do, am I right?"
Sunna can't answer the question about Scott, since there's very little she knows about him, besides from him being cursed somehow.

"If the necromancer obtains this item, it sounds like that could off set the natural balance of things.  It might be better for the greater good to prevent that from happening.  And then on our return, we stop at nothing until we find a cure for our friend."

"You've been an oracle of wisdom to us Reynard.  I still do not understand what you are, but you have only shown us good will and help.  Anything you can impart to us these matters would be of help.   We are not sure where to turn to cure or find out about his infliction.  Likewise, the item the necromancer seeks, is there anything  more you can tell us.  At least how we might know it when we see it?"

"Reynard, you just told us a fucking necromancer is going to get his hands on something dangerous, and then you tell us if we try to stop him we'll be unable to help our cursed companion. Are you trying to make us miserable?" growls Farden.

He then takes a deep breath. "Sorry, I know its not your fault. If the tower is dangerous to Scott, let him wait here for our return. We'll go, put a spanner in this necromancer's plans, then come back.

As for curing him... honestly Reynard, I think we need a little help. I myself don't have the first clue where to start."

Holly looks over at the fox, and asks, "Is there enough Scott in there still to know what is happening and to make a decision for himself? If so, I would ask Scott to make the decision on whether he wants to join us in the trip to the Tower."

"If, as I suspect, we need to make the decision, then I would save Scottfard now, and worry about possible consequences later. This necromancer is another threat, like the south lands and the Unnatural. We cannot be everywhere at once, and returning Scott to his original self is something I would very much want to see. A Harper would be a great allie in the future, especially if we are to put our names in the Book."

"A little misery is just the thing.  It shook you up, did it not?  Spurred you to action," Reynaud says bluntly.  "I've told you that your floating musical friend is cursed.  I proposed two options - find the warlock who cursed him and convince him to undo his spell, or find a powerful priest to break the curse.  You can be forgiven for not finding a mysterious unknown warlock, but surely you can find a priest.  Will your mighty priest do the deed purely out of good will or will you need a bargaining token?"

OOC: The harpers also provided you with some hints, which can be found here.
http://triplefang.yoyo-pete.co...ndering.minstrel.eye

The fox turns to Glumr, who asked about the item.

"Let us get down to specifics.  Knowing the details will help you find what you seek.  Thibideau will come to the tower looking for The Celestial Needle known to some as The Dragon's Tooth, but that is just nonsense.  It is a pointed rod of silvered metal with no connection to teeth besides its shape.  The needle is used to tap into the power of the full moon.  It allows the creation of unusual and powerful undead by those who would otherwise be only able to create mundane animated corpses.  Perhaps it can too tap into the power of the sun.  This would explain why the priest of Pelor sought it.  Many things in necromancy have a dual purpose."

"The needle is about the length of your bow and has not seen use in a long time."

Next he turns to the minstrel eye.

"Arrows," he says.

You're not sure what to make of it.  Was he answering a question the eye asked, but none of you could hear?

"While I'm being specific you might as well know.  Human archers will be the ones to kill the eye."

The fox's words are punctuated by the most unexpected and unsettling dissonant shower of terrifying sounds you have ever heard.  It is all you can do to keep from crying out in startled fright.

Farden clapped his hands to his ears to shut out the sound, then waits until the eye calms down (I'm assuming it was the eye that made the noise).

"Ow! What was that?"

Sunna wondered how the fox could know all these things about future events. She listened to his words intendly and glanced over to the floating eye when he mentions arrows.

Sunna made a hasty step backwards, almost bumping her head on the ceiling, and looked around wide-eyed for the source of the noise. With the eye being just an eye it was hard to say if it was the source of this, still Sunna whispered "Stop it, please" in its direction.

The horrifying cacophony (that word is hard to spell) is over shortly after it begins.  Talita runs out the door flap.  Even Reynaud is startled.  It is safe to assume the wall of sound was the eye's doing.

Sunna sighed with relief that the cacophony was over. But knowing how someone was going to die, even when in the far future, was unsettling. She took a deep breath and turned to Scott.
"No one wants that to happen, Scott. We just have to figure out what to do now. There's this tower, where it's safer for you to stay away from. And then there's to find a priest to break the curse."

They would have to deal with Scotts curse rather sooner than later but if the fox was right there was also a necromancer to deal with. Or rather an item the necromancer was searching for to get out of his reach. Splitting the party to help both Scott and find the needle was stupid, it would possibly help Scott sooner but would certainly do more harm than good to the rest of the group.

"You said that it might help to leave Scott somewhere safe when we're going to the tower, Reynaud, is that true?" It would only buy them some time, but Sunna didn't want to say that aloud. They would still have to find a powerful priest. Sunna thought about the towns they had visited so far. There had been priests they had spoken to. But as far as she knew the topic of Scott had never come up in a discussion.

"Leaving the magical, musical eye here for now would be safer than taking him to the tower, yes," says the fox.

"And we can listen to harper tunes I have not heard for a very long time."

Holly had been thinking back to the visit with the Harpers, and other things as the others chatted. The discordant music of the Eye brought her back to the here and now, and she helped Sunna try and settle Scott down again.

"This Celestial Needle might be something we can use to get the Priests of Pelor to act in Scott's favour, although the words of the harpers song about how Scottfard walked into the flames and the old cat died the next day worry me a little more." Holly wondered if it meant the ability to live for 200 years was passed on one to one, and at that point the old one died. Which brought up the question of whether it was really Scott in there, or some old, old enemy they didn't want to release! Like the original curser of Scott in the other tales.

"Reynaud, would giving the Needle to the Pelor priests be a good thing? You say it might be linked to the Sun. Does that mean it might have the ability to destroy undead?"