Leysa noted the strange apparel the beasts sported, but left her thoughts unfinished for now. She focused, instead, on the Lutran and nodded. "We are on a mission of.. er, exploration? Well, anyway, we are performing an errand for the wizard we mentioned. IT might earn his favor should you help us. It would certainly intrigue him should your stories be proved true of this world." She held up her hands to forestall any objections, "I believe you say what you know to be true. I just don't know what situation around us and you has shifted. Hmmm..."

Looking away from the coast deeper into the canyon, she pointed with her chin toward it and motioned the group to continue as seemed the consensus. "Come, sir, tell e about your home. Knew knowledge is like fine wine to me. Especially if it helps me understand the chaos waves. Do you know aught of them?"

"Well, since I have become... a little arflooped, one way's as good as another for me,"  Taroon says.  "Honesty what with these... flying.. umm..."

"Windrazors," Firefern says.

"Yes, with them about its better to go in a group.  They're what's been keeping me pinned down in a little cave.  Not far from here, you want to come with me, I can pack up my stuff, or maybe we can rest a bit after this excitement?  Then it's onward and upward.  Or whicheverward we're going.  Yes?"

He raises a bushy eyebrow.

"Exploring would be mighty tough,
if he went on without his stuff."

“I don’t think we need to rest just now, I say we press on. Tarhoon, why don’t you collect your things as we can be on our way.”

Leysa took stock of her status and nodded to Daladain's suggestion. "Aye, I am fine to keep moving until dusk unless we keep running into those beasties. Tarhoon, can you scout for us?" Grinning a bit, Leysa looked up the canyon and wondered what other new things she would find.

Thinking of new things reminded her of the coldfire bushes. She rushed to collect some.

"Well, back to my hidey-hole, to pick up my things, then," Tarhoon says, shouldering his bow.

The Otter-man leads the way up the canyon, further.  Not a long distance, though.  He wasn't far from the party when the Windrazors attacked, that's how he he was able to intervene quickly.

Tarhoon had moved into a narrow, very defensible cave- little more than a crack in the canyon wall.  It is immediately obvious that the smoke you saw was his campfire- he had a large campfire right in front of the entrance.

"Good for keeping them things out," he explains.  "They don't like fire."

Tarhoon collects his things. He has a large pack, with a bedroll, climbing tools, and other gear mounted to the outside.  A small shield, and of course his walking stick.

"An explorer always has a walking stick," he says.

"SEE!  I TOLD YOU!" Petunia exclaims.

"Well, that's... umm..."  Firefern says.  The fairy pauses, and then, just finishes quietly:  "It's just umm, that's all. Umm."

They continue on.

By dinner time they've gone most of length of the canyon.  The walls are lower, and the canyon here begins to break up into smaller "feeder" canyons, with the largest turning off to the left.  It's hard to get a view of the surrounding landscape from down on the canyon floor, but Firefern remembers that the mountains are that way, and so is a place he calls Glassrock, where the ground is dry, sandy and glittery.

The smaller canyons going to the right will take you back towards "civilized" territory- the road, and the little villages along it.

There are signs of a recent encampment here, and Tarhoon says its not his.  There are scuff marks and scattered small humanoid foot prints, and scraps and garbage.  But no fire...  whoever was here ate some meat raw.  In fact... there are remains stains on the ground.  From the look of it, whatever camped here, possibly a few days ago, ate a few bats.  Not much is left- out here, scavengers clean up quickly.

There are also some berry bushes.  The Fairies identify the berries as edible.  There's also a pool where the canyon creek widens, and several trees growing alongside it, a few sporting large purplish fruit.

Nearby, a large lizard scurries along- it's about four feet long, but half of that is tail.

Upon hearing that the berries are palatable, Lysander takes some and munches on them.

Daladain gathered a few berries and put them in his pack to eat with his supper, then went to inspect the campsite to see if anything of interest had been left behind. He then turned to his companions. “We need to think about finding a campsite. It will be dark before long, and I don’t fancy blundering about in the dark.”

AS they broke from their last bit of hiking, Leysa approached the fruiting trees and takes one of the large purple fruits. Looking it over suspiciously, she looked to the fairies and held it up with a question in her eyes. After the okay or nay, Leysa will eat either the fruit or some berries then signal they should make good time, "Being out of the canyon before dark might be a good idea. Seems that left is our destination, which suits me fine. Civilization doesn't suit me." She looks along each path and then looks to Tarhoon, "Which way did you come through?"

Tarhoon scans around while the party takes a break in this rather comfortable.. except for the trash... spot.

"It's very strange.  It all looks familiar... but not.  Like the canyon is in the right place, the mountain is in the right place, but the trees.. the little details... those are wrong. It's gone all sniggly on me. I came this way... sort of."

"Well they say it was another world," Petunia offers.

"But it feels so very much like this one.  We were somewhere around here when the Chaos Storm struck."  Tarhoon tells the fairy.

"You mean you and other me," Petunia says.

"That would..aha!  Look here!  This mark was left by the same feet that left the prints by the ashes.  They had a camp... and then they left this way.  The creatures that camped here went.. that way!"

The Otter Man points to a twisty spur off the main canyon, leading to a wooded ridge. Not the main peak which is to the left, but to the right.

"If we want to be out of the canyon, we can follow them this way, or go the other way." Tarhoon says.

Both fairies nod approvingly.  This way or the Other Way does narrow the choices down.

"It really depends on whether we want to find anybody... thing.. body... thingabody... here."


It's at this point that someone else catches up to the party... from behind.  An Elf, coming up the canyon from the direction of the Guesthouse.  Obviously expecting to find the party... and he does.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:57, Tue 26 Jan 2021.

The elf came walking out in to sigh, almost stumbling a bit, breathing a bit heavily. He stopped a short distance away, and held his arms out a bit to clearly show that while he was armed there was nothing in his hands.

"Hail and well met, hopefully. You lot are a bit hard to catch up to." He smiled slightly, though it didn't make him any prettier. "My name is Fenranir. I was sent after you by Arcto at Deluzion Break. I bear a letter they thought should go to you. Or...someone among you, I'm not quite certain."

He slowly reached and pulled a letter out of an inner pocket. He held it out and stepped forward slowly, just in case they were jumpy.

To run so far to catch us,
To bear up under heat,
Maybe you should wait a bit,
Here, pull up a seat.

Daladain regarded the newcomer cautiously. He listened carefully to his explanation, seemingly deciding that it sounded plausible enough and not some strange ruse. After a moment he spoke. “Well met, Fenranir, I am Daladain. If I could take the note I’d be much obliged.”

Leysa raised a scaly brow at the winded elf then clicked her tongue. It wasn't like they didn't need the help and the last one that had shown up from nowhere had been little of that. Their group could certainly do a great many things, but taking a hit wasn't one of them. Eyeing the letter as it was handed off to Daladain, she hunched down expecting a bit more of a respite than had been planned, "Pardon my bluntness, but what use are you then? You look the city-type. Can you handle the weapons you wear? Follow a trail? Hmm?" Leysa's eyes softened then and she smiled, "Aye, but well met either way."

The elf quirked an eyebrow at the first thing he was 'greeted' with - lyrics. That made him blink. He wasn't expecting that. He turned to the next speaker, gave a nod and readily handed the letter off to them. "That's why I am here."

He turned to look at the dragonborn, eyebrows lifting upwards. He looked them over for a long moment before answering. His head tilted to one side, "I'm not here to track for you nor hunt for you nor follow trails for you. Though I was able to follow your trail." He gave a slow nod. "I know how to use the weapons I carry, yes." He smiled. "That's why I carry them."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:19, Wed 27 Jan 2021.

Daladain nodded his thanks and unfurled the letter.

Leysa arches an eyebrow at the terse reply then shrugs. She moves closer to Daladain to get a look at the letter hoping for a bit more information.

They read...

Dear Arcto...

Though in my previous request I mentioned a need for assistance in establishing the Dunard Pass Route as a useful inland thoroughfare for the kingdom, I must now report some further developments.

As you know Chaos Storms rarely have much strength left when they reach so far west.  We are struck, and the region of the pass is struck, but of course with much less extent.  Nevertheless the one four months ago (fortunately the recent one was again light) was more forceful here than usual, and I have reports that it affected the pass region.  Some ice has withdrawn, and I believe we can determine now what truly happened to Stroikeney, unseen and believed dead since the war that claimed my father and did so much damage to Montebon.

You have, in the past, been very helpful in the recruitment of brave adventurers.  If you have such available to you know, let them know that the Barony will pay their expenses and reward them well.. and of course a gift for you and your helpful little coworkers as well, and a keg of good Fruit and Wheat Stout from the Sanzi Brewery.

Baron Arbov of Sanzi

Tarhoon is very interested in this.

"A paying patron for Explorers!  Well, count me in, then!  I've never heard of Sanzi or Dunard Pass, though I did pass through a region of mountains so tall they were crusted over with ice at the top.  Isn't it surprising how it can get so cold so high up?"

Fenranir perked up. "What's that? What does it say?" Either he hadn't read the letter ahead of time, or he was really good at lying. Probably more the former than the latter. He listened to what was read.

He rubbed a hand on his beardless chin. "Hmm. Sounds interesting and profitable." He spread his hands. "Room for one more?"

We have the space, from shore to shore,
There's always room to add one more.

Leysa frowned at the letter which just appeared to be the very thing which had set them on the trail to begin with. Snorting derisively, she looked to the mountains and sighed, "Well, let's be about it then. Well met and welcome Fenranir. I expect we're to be in the wilderness for a bit." There was a definite sense of relish in LEysa's voice at the prospect of being out in the wild lands.

The party moves on, slightly larger, heading roughly northwest as the canyon breaks up into smaller feeder canyons, themselves narrowing to become ravines.

Petunia wonders if there is a distinct, mapable point where a canyon becomes a ravine, or is it all just a matter of opinion.

"That puts an awful lot of responsibility on explorers," the fairy notes.  "Is it a hill, or a hillock?  When you report these things there are all kinds of decisions to make.  It's not enough to just wander around, if you're a real explorer that means telling others about what you find."

"And what does that make me, if I am in the world with the wrong Petunia in it?" Tarhoon asks.

"If we explore long enough perhaps we can find a way for you to get home," Petunia says optimistically.

In this area, they are no longer trapped by the walls of the canyon.  It's much narrower now, but the walls are not as vertical, or as unbroken.  In many areas they are very climbable, although here and there hands as well as feet are needed.

They spot one oddity on a water-carved stone wall, with varied layers of rock exposed by erosion, as if a large layer cake had been sliced.  There is a pinkish reddish crystalline substance on the wall, as if strawberry jam had trickled down over part of the rock wall, and suddenly frozen into pink crystal.  It's about four feet long and only six inches wide, dribbled down over several layers of brownish grayish stone.

Fen's face was schooled as the human man who's name he hadn't been told yet uttered more rhyming phrases...and nothing else. One eyebrow rose up and he wondered if the man always spoke or sung in rhymes or not.

His features turned to a light frown as two of the group started speaking. It wasn't gibberish. He could clearly understand the words they were uttering...it just didn't make sense to him. It was inane chatter and he repressed a sigh.

He moved closer to Daladain and quietly asked, "So. Does whatshisname back there always speak in rhyme?" His eyes then shifted to the dragonborn. "Actually...since you were so kind to give me your name in return for my own, would you mind filling me in on everyone else's names? Calling them by descriptions or race seems...crude."

Daladain regarded the newcomer, Fenranir. The fellow seemed honest enough, and might be useful in a scrap... well, at least another target to distract whatever might be trying to kill us.

When he made the remark about Laysander, Daladain couldn't help but chuckle. "That there is Lysander, our resident poet. He thinks he's clever and likes to show it. He often tends to speak in rhyme, in fact he does it all the time!"

He laughed at his little jest, and continued his playful mockery. "Gods, he's got me doing it now! It must be contagious! Friends, I have Poet's Disease! Is there no cure for such a curséd malady!"

He gestured to the rest of the group. "Over there are our friendly fairies, Petunia and Firefern, and our new friend Tarhoon who is... not from around here. And here we have Leysa. Her bark may be worse than her bite, but I would't be inclined to put that to these test."

He turned back to Fenranir. "And that is us. You are welcome to join us, wherever our path may take us. It seems we are going to Sanzi to meet a baron, though I must confess to not knowing who he is or where I may find him."

OOC - I have ignored Despair as I think the player has vanished. As she didn't make any meaningful contribution I would suggest we retcon her never having existed with the party and simply remove her from the storyline. GMs call though...

Lysander turns to greet the newcomer at the mention of his name.

"Greeting one who brings us news,
I'm Lysander, the local Muse.
I like to make my words all rhyme,
To not do so might be a crime."