For the first time since you've met him, Boreas looks a bit uncomfortable.  Reluctantly, he explains what he's discovered about his eye gem.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 22):

Keef returns with Giles and Zuriel visibly exhausted, but brimming with excited energy.

He loudly and repeatedly recounts various portions of the fight, particularly the grievous wounds survived by Zuriel and the brave and valiant charge that Sir Giles lead against the great frog beast and it's horde of bear servitors.

When talk turns to how to proceed the next morning, Keef wanders off to answer nature's call, swinging his waster at imaginary monsters all the way.  After a few moments you begin to wonder if the youth has gotten lost along the way, only to find him collapsed face-down and clothed on his bedroll, sound asleep.

Chubbs sits on the back of Keef's left boot heel, looking rather pleased with himself.

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 11):

"Such strong words from the noble paladin who slept through our last treacherous encounter, while the young master keef was able to defeat both his own fears and a magically agitated beast with only a sandwich.

As is so often the case with heroism and tales of intrigue, the truth exists on a prism of easily distorted optics."

"I am familiar with the location of the Fey vaults, and would suggest we proceed there with haste, in deference to your own objectives, the agitation of the spirits, and the state of somewhat utter destruction I left that despicable den of evil in when I bravely ignited the foul concoctions which were inhabited therein.

True heroes do not go seeking danger or evil merely for the sake of its presence; are you on a quest, or are you the new wardens of these woods, sent to impose justice based on the divine whims of a compass purported to apparently point at "evil"?

My own reasons for championing the cause of the ignored and unprivileged have benefited from a more pragmatic and polychromatic view than what you are espousing. Ah, but I am simply a companion here, new to your group and its decision making structures. Pardon my boldness in suggesting potential flaws in your plan; after so many successful adventures and acts of heroism, I do consider myself somewhat of a subject matter expert on such things, and tend to overstep my bounds.

(Sir Giles bows humbly)

My apologies, sincerely.

With that, Sir Giles makes for the meat skewers, a positively gleeful Shep ambling after him. Both man and beast eat as though they have not seen food in quite some time.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:18, Thu 03 Oct 2013.

Since you're asking, we are searching for some sort of divination-related rock.  Heard it was called a Godstone.  As much as Zuriel here would like it, we are not, in fact, here to police the forest.  As far as 'seeking evil' goes, we're not going toward the source of magical evil for the sake of snuffing it out.  We're headed there because it seems like the most likely place that someone would have hidden a magical artifact.  Unless we get any better ideas.  Now what's all this about 'Feyic Vaults?'

To Shep: Hope you're enjoying your meal.  We'll talk later.

Boreas addresses Chubbs:

Also, a pleasure to meet you properly.  I'm Boreas.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:49, Thu 03 Oct 2013.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 25):

And while we're clarifying police matters, and far be it from me to question the report of a servant of Tessada, I'm struggling a bit with the description of the raid on the camp.

While I can clearly see the ubiquitous pile of corpses (Sir Giles thumbs toward the bodies), the spoils of war don't seem to match up. There seem to be an unequal amount of weapons in relation to the bodies. Now one could simply attribute such things to the variability of life- perhaps one mook carries more or less weapons. Gods know I'm carrying more than one instrument of destruction.

Sir Giles makes his way over to the pile of weapons, thumbing through them.

"Based on what I know of the composition of the bandit groups and what you've described, it would seem there should be at least (Sir Giles pantomimes mathematics) two more swords here? Now it's possible that two of your assailants chose to approach you unarmed, but based on your descriptions, it seems similarly plausible that not all the miscreants you encountered are currently present.

(slapping his hand to his forehead)

"Oh of course, Lyriel! As a servant of Tessada, you have performed last rights on these men and already begun the burial process. A kind and noble service!

Could you directly me to the burial sites? While these men were enemies to the noble purposes of their brothers and sisters, they were among my counterparts and compatriots, however briefly; I would stand by their graves and pray that they have found the direction and noble cause in death they could not find during their lives"

[Private to DM: Sir Giles, to Shep- Make new friends all you want boy, but he cannot, and will not, know our secret. Should he discover it, you are aware what must be done. Choose your allegiances carefully. (Sir Giles rubs Shep's belly and feeds him some meat from the spit). Not that you need to be reminded. I'm glad you're ok. My fury at what was done to you has been far from quenched. The man who inhabits that cave WILL pay for what he has done to you; I swear by it]
This message was last edited by the player at 23:59, Thu 03 Oct 2013.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 25):

Chubbs blinks twice and does a maneuver that looks very much like a bow.  He then produces a rapid succession of small articulate croaking and grunting noises.

Somehow you get the sense that he was, in fact, introducing himself.

When Chubbs falls silent, he settles back down on the back of Keef's boot and half-closes his eyes as if he is utterly bored with everyone and everything.

And a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mighty Chubbs.  I am certain we will become fast friends.

Boreas walks over to Giles.

I apologize.  We didn't make ourselves adequately clear earlier. The barest notes of sarcasm and indignation are apparent in Boreas' words.  These are the bodies of the slain Blackarms.  After Lyriel called down fire and I planted arrows in a couple of them, the rest threw down their weapons and fled.  Seems one or two kept their weapons with them.  A wise choice.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:17, Fri 04 Oct 2013.

Quite.  Maeve stifles a yawn.  And do you know what else is a wise choice?  Getting some sleep.   The night's not getting any younger,we  have much to accomplish tomorrow morning, and I've been feathered with arrows more times today than I would have liked.

Lyriel and I will share first watch.  Boreas will take the last watch.  Assuming Keef is up for it he can share watch with Boreas, but I'd just as soon let the lad sleep.  Sir Giles, you shall share the middle watch with Zuriel.  And Chubbs and Shep she looks at the party's animal component, wishing she has Boreas' ability to speak with them. Um. . . share watch with whomever you please.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:28, Fri 04 Oct 2013.

If you two noble beasts seem so inclined, Boreas says to the animals, I will share the watch with you.  That way, Mighty Chubbs, we can let your protegé get some rest and discuss ways to make sure he stays alive.  What say you?

"There is still the matter of the book. Are we agreed that we should ask for cardinal directions? 'Which direction is the Godstone in these woods from this clearing?'"

Agreed.  Perhaps the distance as well?  Or is that too much?

"I don't know. I think it only answers one question a day. If we ask two, it may answer one randomly, or none. We can experiment with it later, but for now I recommend we keep it simple. Direction it is. If we don't encounter it tomorrow, we can ask about the distance then."

Zuriel dips his quill in the small portable inkwell, and writes 'Which direction is the Godstone in these woods from this clearing?' Then he looks up at the party.

"Here's to hoping."

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 28):

And what more plausible explanation could there be, right Lyriel?

While I cannot speak to the location of your Godstone, I can tell you that while I was staying with the bandits, I did become aware of 2 of the places of power within this forest, known as Feyic vaults.

While the first was raided by Lucas and his bandits, and was discovered to be filled with elven mystery, verdant surroundings and Sylvan guardians, the second tomb remains unexplored, though its outward appearance shares none of the inclinations of hospitable inhabitants or surroundings the first's appearance portended.

The location of this place is known to me, and while I cannot state it has what you seek, the likelihood seems high that something of interest lies within.

We could perhaps make for the Vault in the morning, and if the Compass of Trueseeing does not agree with our course, we can continue our exploration elsewhere, but as we seek the unknown in all forms, any omen of fate seems better than none as to our P.A.R.T.Y.'s direction?

The vault seems the most likely place to find our stone.  If the book agrees, then we will follow you there, Sir Giles.  And what is it you would seek there?
This message was last edited by the player at 04:55, Fri 04 Oct 2013.

Stifling a yawn, Zuriel wanders over to the fire, pausing to cover Keef's sleeping form with a blanket, taking care not to disturb Chubbs. He then rolls out his own bedding, and lays down listening to the rest of the conversation with drooping eyelids.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 35):

At this moment? Nothing more than the aid of my temporary traveling companions. Should my actions results in the appeasement of some angered forest spirits and the continued betterment of these woods for all its denizens- bipedal, quadrapedal and otherwise, and should that story become the subject of a handsome tale- so be it.

In reply to Giles Thistleworth (msg # 37):

The rest of the evening passes uneventfully, with idle chit-chat giving way to blissful slumber -- punctuated, of course, by sentry duty at the appointed hour.

Morning dawns bright and early, and the P.A.R.T.Y. awakens feeling refreshed and ready to tackle a new day.  Breakfast is taken by the remains of the fire, which is then expertly extinguished while bedrolls and blankets are secured once more to your traveling gear.

It is unseasonably hot and humid, the air hanging heavy with moisture, and a choir of songbirds seems determined to remind you that the day has begun.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:18, Fri 04 Oct 2013.

Zuriel stands up and stretches, opening the Book of Answers to check for the day's guidance.

[private to DM: you can assume I read it aloud and then copy it onto a separate sheet of parchment from what I've written the questions regarding my parentage on.]

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 39):

The paladin reads aloud from the Book of Answers while Boreas readies his compass.

"Your treasure lies both south and west / as your companion may have guessed
Beyond a gate of twisted trees / warded well against all thieves
Seek ye out corrupted ground / where vengeful spirits can be found
Access there yon feyic vaults / the forest trove that Veilspire haunts"
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:28, Fri 04 Oct 2013.

In reply to DM (msg # 40):

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 39):

Keef springs out of bed with renewed spunk and ferver.  His bedroll and belongings are packed up before anyone even has the time to notice he's up.

He then vaults into a morning routine which, in all fairness, is routine only in the zeal with which Keef applies himself and the frequency with which he abandons and switches activities.

Keef does several push-ups then climbs a tree and attempts to grab a bird.  Finding no success, he instead practices his aim by throwing rocks at it from the ground.  This evolves into throwing rocks at the tree, which breaks down into Keef swinging his sword energetically at his own shadow for several minutes.

From there he finds a nice spot with soft moss to lie on his back and read from his books.  He points at this page and that, making comments to Chubbs.

When he has grown bored of this, Keef starts crawling through the underbrush on all fours, ostensibly to capture a squirrel.  This keeps up until he is distracted by a large anthill.  He applies several tools to this, including his dagger, lockpicks, a fork and Chubbs but apparently does not accomplish whatever goal he had in mind.

From there he bounces back to his books and then alternatively to the scrolls found the other day.  He seems to be talking to himself and Chubbs and nodding appreciatively.

Finally he readies his weapons and tools, puts his bag beside the fire and sits down for breakfast.

Anyone actually paying attention sees a blur of random energy and probably gets tired watching.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:06, Fri 04 Oct 2013.

Breakfast eaten and camp packed, Maeve is eager to set off.

Well, it sounds as though we have our marching orders for the day.  If the path forces us into single files, let's keep the same formation but we'll put Giles at the back of the group.  It makes sense to have our two most experienced woodsmen in front and back.

She stands patiently waiting for the rest of the group to fall into line.

And on the way there, we can discuss what we think the book means by "vengeful spirits."

Zuriel gathers his things and makes ready to leave the clearing.

In reply to Maeve (msg # 42):

Keef, after his time rifling through the scrolls, rolls up two of them and offers them to Zuriel and Lyriel.

I read the scrolls, well Chubbs helped with grammar, and I think these two are for you.

Keef smiles warmly It's just like in the tales, something for everyone!

The remaining 3 scrolls Keef takes to a corner of camp and sits down with, spell book open and working.  He seems to have forgotten that everyone else is prepping to leave.

[Private to Lyriel Vesper: The scrolls are for Hold Person and Hold Animal, each of which are Level 2 divine spells.  You can cast spells above your level by rolling against DC=spell level +1, so in this case, 3.  Essentially you only fail if you roll a 1.  Note: if you DO roll a 1, scrolls have been known to cause feedback...]
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:44, Fri 04 Oct 2013.

In reply to Keef (msg # 44):

Lyriel accepts the scroll from Keef smiling, Why thank you Keef, I do believe this will come in handy. Ruffling the hair on the boys head and nodding to Chubbs Lyriel turns to gather the rest of her things, still relieved that her companions had taken care of Giles's questions from last night. She just isn't that good at fabrication, no matter how close to the truth it may be. Frowning slightly she joins the line of her companions somewhere near the middle thinking to herself, somehow I think this is going to be a long day, a very long day.

In reply to Keef (msg # 44):

After an awkward series of minutes during which Keef's scribblings dominate the other sounds of morning, Keef snaps his spellbook shut and joins the others near the southern trail.

The group sets off at a jaunty pace, spirits high after a restful night's sleep.  An hour along the path brings you to a large oak tree, which forces the trail to circle around it.  About a mile later, you encounter a remarkable cave set into the side of a gently rolling hill.

The scene is different from the one Zuriel, Keef, and Giles left behind.  The air hangs heavy with the scent of smoke and burning herbs, and the rocks within the cavern seem thoroughly charred.  Broken glass and bits of burned wood litter the floor, which is carpeted by singed and wilted moss, but there is nothing of value to be found.

Strangely, a table and two chairs seem carved into the stone to the left, while empty bookshelves have been carved into the stone to the right.  An empty iron ring is affixed to the central wall, where chains once hung.

There is, however, one feature new to those who have been here before: a horribly stained bearskin rug, which is affixed to the wall above the empty chain rings by a dagger that seems to have been plunged into the stone itself.

[Private to Zuriel Silendril: You can't be sure, but you think there's a sapling near the mouth of the cave that wasn't there last night.  (Nice 20 on your perception, btw)]

[Crossroads Moment]
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:55, Fri 04 Oct 2013.