Timothius says, "Didn't you just say that releasing you just means going back to being a slave under Cachlain? I'd rather you be safely tucked away at either Sayre or Overlook than risk him throwing you in an arena using the excuse of your "failures" to do so."

Raichel nods and says, "If you come with us, that would be helpful. We won't ask you to fight and we will protect you."

May nods. "Only really need one of you to come."

"Handy!  So where are those items?"

One of the cyclops looks at his hip.  "My pocket."

Mits mage-hands the items and checks them out.  "Hmm.  Not far."

(( GM Handwave.  Group had the foresight to bring along some lowbie soldiers who agreed to escort any freed slaves to safety.  In case we found what we were looking for and didn't want to waste time running people to safety and back.  Module assumes the NPCs just run off and vanish like in an MMO, I guess. ))

The cyclops answers Timo, "Put yourselves in our shoes.  This world of yours is as hostile and alien to our kind as ours is to you.  Maybe moreso.  Is there a community of our kind in Sayre or Overlook with pretty single cyclops girls we could start families with?  I'd sooner take my chances in the Feywild.  So long as we avoid Cachlain and Sangwyr's domains, we'll avoid re-capture."

  The NPCs run in zig zags until deciding on the closest building door to enter through and never be seen again.

  "Not likely, no.  Though I'd at the very least give it a week before heading back.  That should give you a bit more time for this latest set of issues to at least be more sorted out than before.  Or for your old boss to be too distracted to even remember you."

Raichel would continue the argument with things like "then why haven't you already taken your chances and run off without us showing up?", but Kyle kinda makes a good, time-saving point. "Yeah. That. I think you can handle the Prime Material for a week or two."

Timothius kinda mutters, "I dunno... as much exposure as the bunch of us have been getting, if the cyclops were pretty enough and good-hearted enough..."

May continues Tim's thought with, "Then she'd join our team and kick butt!" completely missing the point.

Mits conjures a cyclops muppet and has it lean over to kiss Timo on the cheek.  http://vignette4.wikia.nocooki...st?cb=20121005001124

"That scroll is a one-time deal.  Once you use it, we'll have no way back to our home world.  We can wait things out near the portal circle.  Plenty of places to hide considering you'll be keeping Cachlain busy.  Area may be controlled by a fickle archfey, but I'm sure it won't mind us being there for a week considering it tolerated us so far."

  "Hang onto the scroll then.  The circle itself is the more important part than the ritual... Well, at least to us." And Tim, too.  "Though if you really wanna go now, may as well I guess."

Timothius says, "We'll just have them stay for now. Not like we can't handle what's on the other side."

May says, "So then. We ready to go?"

Raichel says, "I am."

"Yuppers!"

The cyclops are surprised and grateful for the offer of being allowed to keep the scroll and thank the heroes.  The freed slaves are taken by the guards to safety.  And the group finds the circle and uses it to travel to the Feywild!

You are surrounded by a circle of tall, columnar stones. A
ring of glowing runes encircles them, and then it dims after
you arrive. You’re in a verdant grove in the Feywild, and
a vibrant moon hangs in the sky above the tops of the tall,
ancient trees. A bit to the west is a steep cliff. A cave mouth
is directly across from you, and two enormous doors made
of entwined wood and vines span the tunnel, which is just
inside the cave mouth.

The firbolg hunting party wants to surprise the PCs,
so roll a Stealth check against the highest passive
Perception of the party to determine surprise. Use the
lowest bonus among the enemies (the firbolgs’ +19).
The PCs can’t surprise the firbolgs, since the firbolgs
know they’re coming and the portal doesn’t allow for
a stealthy entry.

Rolled a 36 total.

When the PCs see their enemies, read:
You see two humanoids, each about 12 feet tall. They wear
headdresses crafted to look like crows and carry enormous
picks with the same motifs. Near them, you can barely make
out two snakes, each of which has two heads and is made of
solid shadow.

A shadow snake slithers closer and bites Timothius!  Then another slides into view and bites Rai!  Two Ghostravens charge at Mits and May, slamming both with their their war picks!  When they see that their enemies don't die in one hit, they look very pleased!  Then Timothius' snake bites Kyle and slithers back into the nearby bushes!

An Insight check (DC 20) reveals that
they are testing the PCs and not fighting as aggressively as they could.

Raichel flies to the top of one of the trees and hurls a lightning bolt at one of the firbolgs, who pulls a Neo-dodges-bullet and barely dodges the lightning. Raichel furrows her brows in annoyance. Too annoyed to notice the enemy is "testing" the team. She just assumes the smiles are because they are enjoying the challenge. "Enemies who can dodge lightning is quickly becoming annoyingly common."

---

Take 10 poison damage
Move: Fly to top of tree
Standard: Furious Bolts v G1,G2,S1,S2. Miss(27)
Save v ongoing: 19 success

Raichel HP: 81 - 10 = 71

A portal hound notices the noise of combat and teleports to the door.

"Woof?  Woof!  Bark bark bark!"

It charges towards the heroes!

Sway the Sky Shaper Level 16
Skill Challenge
A rumbling voice thunders through the sky. “You fight in my domain, do you? Fine, then. Entertain me.” You quickly realize this
must be the Sky Shaper, the archfey Caliandra told you about.
The PCs can try to sway the Sky Shaper to their side,
causing him to make his domain sunny to disadvantage
the firbolgs. As the PCs gain successes, the sky gets lighter,
and it darkens again if they fail. Each PC can contribute
once per round. Most attempts require a minor action, but
a character who makes an Acrobatics check for a different
reason can count that check for the challenge, and Arcana,
History, and Insight checks are all free actions.
Complexity
1 (requires 4 successes before 3 failures).
Primary Skills
Acrobatics 13, Bluff 13, Nature 20.
Other Skills
Arcana 20, History 20, Insight 13
This message was last edited by the player at 04:51, Tue 12 Jan 2016.

May says, "Remember, everyone! Keep our enemy alive!" then uses telepathy on her allies, <Telepathy>"And un-maimed is possible! These guys are just testing us. They MIGHT not be evil!"</Telepathy>

May darts over to the nearby firbolg, roars a draconic roar and gives a challenging eye to her enemies! When the snake begins attacking, May tumbles under her allies and rises for an uppercut on the snake, hitting it but not hurting it.

---

Minor: Shift 2 to ideal position
Standard: Shield Clamor. G1,G2,S1,S2,H1 all marked
Minor: Acrobatics to impress fey-face - 17
This message was last edited by the player at 05:07, Tue 12 Jan 2016.

The voice sounds impressed.  "Nice tumble, there!  Intruders: 1."

The second snake snaps at May and Kyle, missing both, then slinks behind the trees.

  Kyle steps between his friends not to use them as cover (which is purely incidental) but so he can provide the closest friends (Physically, He still likes Raichel just as much) with his 'I shot someone so now you hit harder' buff.

  As per practical tradition by now, he toughens up May.  "Watch the hounds.  I was expecting the kind that fly, but those can teleport you just as well as they can teleport themselves."  That said, he shoots the magical doggy.

The portal hound yelps!  Mits sadfaces.

"Poor doggie.  So kyoot!  Eyebeams!"

She lasers at a ghostraven and it dodges!  "Dang.  Annoying is right, Rai."

<Elven>"Do you speak Elven, perhaps?  Why are you attacking us?"<Elven>

The ghostravens look disappointed and annoyed by the question, but give no answer.

Mits zaps the snakes, smiles, and gets all fan-girl over the Skyshaper.  "Wow!  Just seconds into the Feywild and we get to meet someone so amazing!  The Skyshaper!"

The voice answers, sounding very complimented.  "You've heard of me?  Well!  Keep amusing me, and I'll show you something truely amazing.  Material Plane Fighters: 2.  Firbolgs: 0."

May gets quite the workout as the two ghostravens and the portal dog all attack!  None of them hit.  The ghostravens look real impressed with May, grinning.  When one gets an opportunity to attack May for charging, it chooses not to.  But the portal hound snaps at her.

"I recently read about you from a Nefelese book, Skyshaper. The sky isn't the only thing you reshaped... the very ground we fight on was reshaped by you! Oh to see such a sight..."

He is genuinely excited. This is the feywild equivalent of bumping into a god, so... 2nd direct deity encounter is go?

He points to the prone dog and a target appears on it.

---

Tim takes 5 (10-resist5) ongoing poison
Minor: Nature: 33
Move: Provoke from Doggy.
 Dog-o-O: 33. Nom! dmg: 13
 May-o-O: 36. Nom! dmg: KNOCK PRONE HAHAHAHA
Standard: Prophetic Guidance on Dog
Save v ongoing poison: 18 success

Tim HP: 85 - 5 - 13 = 67
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:31, Tue 12 Jan 2016.

Shadow snake returns and attacks Mits, but gets hit by a charging May!  Once again, the ghostraven that could have attacked chooses not to.  The snake bites at May and misssesss.  An especially large firbolg appears, looking worried.

"Save some for meeee!"  He runs full tilt toward the combat, looking happy now that he sees what's going on.

"Hey Skyshaper!  Check this out!"

He pole-vaults into the air mid charge, does a somersault, then comes down on Timothius with his spear!  For a half second, he looks concerned, but cheers when he sees Timothius is still standing even after a direct hit!

"YEES!  Worthy adversaries!"

The Skyshaper laughs.  "So glad you noticed, visitor!  That's 1 for the home team, 3 for the visitors!  One more point wins it for them!"

"Roar!"  A bear-skin-clad giant emerges from the cave!  It takes a zig-zaggy path as it charges at Timothius!

"Grizzly PUNCH!"  Timothius dodges the punch!  The bloodbear looks very pleased.

The Skyshaper hmms.  "Sure.  Point.  Home team: 2."

Raichel says, "Oh come on! That was a point for Tim! Oh yeah? Well watch this...." she places her staff on the tip of the tree, climbs it, break-dances at the top in order to stand on it and calls down a 15' thick lightning bolt that SLAMS the two new guys onto their butts while setting the ground ablaze! KRACKBOOM!

She waves a hand and Kyle goes flying to the top of another tree!

Lightning then shoots from her at random, zapping three enemies!

---

Move: Fly Kyle to top of another tree
Standard: Vezzuvu's Eruption v Pyradan, Bloodbear. Hit(32)! Hit(27)!
 dmg: 21
 Both knocked prone
Minor: 37 acrobatics

Pyradan HP: 322 - 21 = 301
Bloodbear HP: 240 - 21 - 6 = 213
Hound 1 HP: 114 - 6 = 108
G2 HP: 236 - 6 = 230
This message was last edited by the player at 07:04, Tue 12 Jan 2016.

The Skyshaper's voice reverberates as it responds to Rai, "Excellent!  The visitors win!"

The sun suddenly rises!  The shadow snakes hiss and recoil.  Dark tendrils begin rising from beneath the firbolgs!

The portal hound stands and chomps at Mits, but misses!

May deftly charges past the snake and hound, deflecting them nonchalantly before stopping at the newcomers and letting out another roar! Everyone in 15 feet of her is forced to move towards her and those next to her get a taste of weapon-to-face. Magic weapon at that. Thanks, Kyle! "So not only do we have the favor of Bahamut, Pelor and Moradin, but now in the Feywild, within seconds, we have the favor of the Skyshaper? Yeah. I think we are destined to clean up the filth and villainy that dare defile any of the realms!"

---

Move: To new guys!
May provoking from Snake 1 and Hound 1. Miss/Miss! (They both rolled 2's)
Standard: Come and Get It v Pyradan,Bloodbear,G1,G2,H1,H2. Hit(27)! Hit(30)! Hit(38)! Hit(32)! Hit(37)! Hit(29)!
 dmg to those adjacent to May: 6+5=11
 All of them marked.

Puradan HP: 301 - 11 = 290
Bloodbear HP: 213 - 11 = 202
G1 HP: 218 - 11 = 207
G2 HP: 230 - 11 = 219

  ""Much of destiny seems to be picking the winners and saying 'Totally called it ahead of time, I swear.'" Of course, the Gods would hardly hardly get where they were without rigging the numbers in their favor from time to time.  Just look at those Avenger feats that literally rig the dice, for example.

  Kyle's next actions are not particularly impressive.

  Of course, as the powder sizzles and puffs with the scent of apple pie in the flames among the Firblogs, it's not like their enemies will be doing anything impressive either in the immediate future.

Paci dust: Hits all Fir blog types (so, everything but the animals).

Zoop!  The portal dog teleports Mittens to a spot where it can flank her!

"Ooh, sunlight!"

She shifts over into the thornbushes.

"Alakazam!"

She conjures up six huge crystal eyes in the air that focus the sun's rays into intense beams that burn the enemy, dazzling them!  http://images.bijouled.co.uk/i...3531839-61906100.jpg  The portal dog yelps and passes out.

"Didn't kill the puppy!  Poor doggie."

The other one charges at her and bites her on the leg!  Grr!  The ghostravens blink-blink in a daze, sneezing from the dust, and crouch to ready themselves for more attacks.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:14, Tue 12 Jan 2016.

Timothius seizes the opportunity. He bursts with light, causing more vulnerability, encases the firbolgs in radiant chains, and then looks at Pyradan, saying, "You can't beat us. Our test is over already. But if you wish my team's assessment of you, you may have it now or after they pummel you."

WHAM! Pyradan takes a major blow to his morale / confidence and feels weak.

---

Minor: Solar Enemy
ACTION POINT! +4 non-damaging attacks
Standard: Chains of Blazing Light v Firbolgs. Hit(41)! Hit(30)! Hit(30)! Hit(40)!
 Dazed. First time they take damage, they take 10 extra radiant
Break the Spirit v Pyradan. Hit(39)!
 dmg: 53

Pyradan HP: 184 - 53 = 131

The big firbolg carrying two spears struggles to stand.  "You are worthy opponents indeed.  And now that we know what a challenge you are, it will bring us great glory to capture you for the Daughter of Frostwhite Forest.  I am Pyradan, and the fury of the Wild Hunt runs through my veins..."

The bloodbear tries to stand and immediately gets knocked right back down by May.

Pyradan looks discouraged.  "I've only gotten to attack once so far..."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:25, Wed 13 Jan 2016.