Dragons of Despair, Chapter 1: The Forest of Wayreth
Location: The Forest of Wayreth, somewhere
Date: Manthus, Early Morning, 25th Reorxmont 351 AC

 ...And when the companions woke, everything had changed.

Cool, gentle rain was falling when the companions awoke, small drops splattering onto their faces.  The forest was different from where they had gone to sleep the night before.  Where before, the trees had been hardy, tough things that scrabbled out a living in the mountainous foothills, these trees were full and vibrant, branches blooming with vigorous life and forming familiar leaves and flowers that remind you of journeys past.

Where before the ground had been a warring battle between rocky terrain and earthy forest, now the forest floor was damp, covered in fallen petals, and lit by shaded sunlight above.  The cool mountain air was replaced by a warm breeze, and a slow-moving fog crept through the trees around you.

As you look behind, you see that the forest has closed in on itself.  Gone is any sense of trail you left behind you back to the mountain pass road.  Ahead a small game trail snaked away, the only
path in sight.


Goldmoon held her staff tightly and looked around.  "Where are we?" she asked in an awe-filled voice.

The kender woke, rubbing his eyes and stood up, gathering his gear almost on auto-pilot. He barely registered the surroundings until he bent down for is pack and saw the ground had changed.

He looked around and smiled. "Aelina....you were right." He stood up and jumped with joy with a 'whoop'

When Goldmoon asked the question, he looked at her. ""This is the forrest of Wayreth, land of the tower of high sorcery." He looked at his friends as he shouldered his pack. "...we are close to the help and advice we seek."

He looked at the others and had an excited step. "It's been a while since i've been back - i wonder if master Gnorithin has any more drawings i can compare? Maybe he can help with teh staff." He looked at Goldmoon, and he became serious. "Not much of a mage per sey, but he's one of the best people on magical items i know."

Aelina cleaned her glasses with a piece of soft cloth and smiled to see their surrounding, beaming at the kender's enthusiasm. "Not only did we end up in the forest but we are invited in. Had we not been, we could have looked for it for the rest of our lives and never find it. The Tower does have special defenses. Come, home awaits!" Secured by their surroundings, the bard took her lute and started playing a lively traveling tune, to pace the way to the tower and hopefully her friends and mentors.

Vailin looked curiously at Valik, who was meant to be on watch.  He shrugged it off, magic was in the air and it clearly had been involved somehow.

He followed Aelina and Ayrron with a little more caution than the excited pair.  His hand rested on his sword pommel though he did not draw it.

Valik returned Vailin's gaze, a look of confusion playing across his own features. "I have never heard of woods that live in such a way. How do the woods know we are here? Know to invite us to reject us? You speak of something akin to the gods."

It sounded like some obscene predatory, able to toy with those who came into its domain, until it decided it had reached its fill of fun. Magic with a life of its own. Valik didn't trust it. Not one bit.

Led by Aelina and Ayrron, the companions walked along the path for hours, accompanied only by the sound of your footsteps and rustling trees.  Just before midday, the party approached a bend in the path.  Groans and whispers filled the air, brushing past their faces and ears.  When they searched for the source of the eerie sounds, their attention was drawn to a ghostly hand that extended from the shadows off the path.  Skeletal fingers curled, beckoning them towards it.

At the sight of skeletal fingers, Valik drew out his whip. Not the most effective weapon against the unliving, perhaps, but neither was a crossbow bolt. "Woods of the dead!? Where have you brought us, Ayrron?"

Ayrron looked hurt at the accusations of Valik. "What? Why do people always blame me?" He threw his arms up. "Woods of the dead - Ayrron! My necklace is missing - Ayrron! Why is there a hole in my cloak - Ayrron!"

Even though he did that, he kept walking, hiding his smile. "It's a magical forest - and whatever the magic users do to protect it, is different every time. I once heard there was a realistic image of twin ogre's running around for the 'blood of hoomans'....though the gnome who said that was a little skittish." The kender chuckled.

He looked at the hands and snorted. "Just ignore it and stay on the path."

Aelina laughed at Ayrron reply and nodded approval. "Simply the tower's defenses at work, stay on the path."

She started on another balad, one of the first ones she had composed while still at the tower.

Vailin's sword had left its sheath, seemingly of it's own accord when the skeletal hand appeared.  While he wasn't greatly comforted by Aelina's word, he did sheath his weapon.  His eyes darted about, magic something he had little experience with.

Shaking off the chill of the dead, the companions continued walking down the trail.  The trees began to part, unfurling to reveal a clearing bathed in moonlight.  A group of small fairies clothed in splashes of glittering dew and bright flowers danced in raucous merriment, feet stomping along the edges of a strange symbol carved on the ground.  The fey creatures joined their voices in song, a child-like rhyme floating through the air.

"Four hopeful mages enter the woods, three get scared by the ghosts, two enter the foreboding tower, and one dies with only vain hopes!" The fairies all giggled and cackled, then their heads turned in exactly simultaneous movement when they noticed the companions standing there.

"Here comes a pair of hopeful magi!" one of the fairies tittered.

"How long do you think they’ll last?" asked another.

"Poor thing, going to their death and doom!" a third chimed in.

"If they’re smart, they’ll turn back around," a fourth declared.

"But they could survive... if they eat this!" a fifth said, and with a wave of their hand, they revealed several pieces piece of fluffy white bread -- fresh and sweet.

When they stopped dancing, the symbol on the ground flickered with glowing light.  Aelina and Ayrron could feel a powerful hum of arcane energy emanating from it.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:55, Mon 19 June 2023.

Ayrron looked at the fairies and smiled. When they began talking, his mind raced, but then a thought came to him. "Magi.....me! no way. Sure, i study the art that ties with the arcane, but it's not magic....just science."

He walks up, looking around as he does at the area, including the symbol, but stops just before the fairies. "For example....this bag." He points at the new bag at his side. "The sack itself is normal, but with the right runes and special ink, derived from the blood of a phase spider allows..."

He reaches his arm into the sack, deeper than the confides of the sack itself, and smiles as he comes out, holding a few things. The first he holds up a jar of white jelly-like ointment. "this was an accident - trying to make a solvent when some trolls blood mixed with it. Grumpy fellow who wanted to eat me all because he thought i took his metal ring....total mistaken identity!" He shook his head. "....but i digress. The induction of the trolls blood had to the salve gave it incredible healing powers."

He then held up a sphere of bronze. "...ah, this was ingenious if i say so myself. Was in a cave when i discovered a type of lichen that when dried and mixed with other things make a reaction." He tossed the small sphere up and caught it. "When thrown, it detonates with a small charge, and the powder spreads. when it touches a surface, it glows a purple color. Very beauitful, but found it useful when things are in darkness or when invisible."

He placed the two items back, then brought out the now familiar bronze contraption he'd been working on. "Now this, this will be my shining star - my hope it will be a item of some intelligence that can help me before long....i just need a few more things."

She shrugged and put the sphere back, and looked at them. "Anyway....you know where the tower is?"

---

<OOC: Ayrron rolled 21 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 16.  Arcana check.>

"Stay on the path!" one of the fairies answered.

"You'll find it before too long!" answered another.

"If it doesn't find you first!" the third chimed in.

"You could refuse the Test," the fourth declared.

"Come now.  The bread will cause you no harm!" a fifth said, gesturing once more to the table..

As Ayrron stepped closer, ignoring the fairies' taunting song, he walked towards the symbol carved on the ground.  The sigil was a circle that framed five entwining lines, the intersections marked by ancient runes.  As the fairies danced, their footsteps mar and desecrate the carving, and the symbol pulsed dark red with each motion.

Ayrron watched as the fairies danced, hypnotically, and noticed it's effects - and smiled. "We just woke and had breakfast, so not thank you.....but should we meet again we can discuss what it it - the smell is heavenly. What is that....cane sugar?"The halfling looked at the group and nodded, then back at the fairies. "Beautiful dancing ladies....i love your work." He winked at them with a smile.

He pointed up the pathway. "So continue on.....that way? thanks."

"Are you sure?" one of the fairies asked.

"Turn back!"

"You'll need help in the Tower!"

"We can help you!"

"All of you, some of you, none of you!"

Ayrron started down the path as the fairies started talking. He paused with a frown and turned with a tilted head. With a smile he addressed the women. "You might want to focus on what your doing....someone wants me to stop you badly. Even promised me 'riches'."

the kender smiled and shrugged. "Luckily, i'm not after riches or power. I want to build and learn. Everything i need i find or earn."  he looked up. "Plus, not a fan of the old gods, or dragons.....YOU HEAR ME!"

He looked at them again. "So, maybe focus less on us and more on her."

Valik eyed the faeries warily, keeping his mouth shut. They were one of the many reasons why he distrusted magic and those who could wield it. Much like the physical power that he and his kin held over others by striking hard and fast in their raiding parties, having such power lead to abusing it. Where the ogres and trolls abused their power purely for evil and the pursuit of more power and wealth, faeries did so for their own entertainment - at the expense of others. Faeries were just as capable as any other race, of cruelty or malice, but instead of evil they delighted in chaos.

When Ayrron started speaking of being offered riches and power, of old gods and dragons, Valik looked to his other companions for some sign of what was going on. Was it another of the kender's fool stories, or was he actually hearing other voices? Who was this her that he wanted the faeries to focus on?

Valik already wanted nothing more to do with these woods or the creatures who dwelt within, and they had only just arrived. They needed to know about the staff, and the sooner they got to the tower, the sooner they could leave this place behind them.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:08, Wed 21 June 2023.

Vailin continued to serve as the party's rearguard.  He tried to ignore the faeries, though one hand tightly gripped his sword hilt, the other his shield.  He hoped Ayrron and Aelina could get them where they were going quickly.

The companions stood back and let the fairies continue their wild dance.  The crimson light of the strange symbol slowly faded until it became dark and silent.  The fairies then
stopped dancing and giggled to each other as if they shared a secret joke the others weren’t a part of.

"Hope you remembered all that -- we won't be helping you again!" one of the fairies declared between fits of merry laughter.

In the blink of an eye, the clearing vanished, along with the trees, the fairies, and the mysterious symbol.  Instead what stood before you was a set of imposing gold and silver gates.  The gate were set into a wall which looked like spun glass.  Through the gates, which stood open, an empty courtyard made of plain grey flagstones.  Beyond that stood four towers -- one in the foreground, one in the background, and between them, stretching upwards at least 250 feet, two main towers.  Each of the towers stood out at a precarious angle, as if on the verge of falling, yet remained unmoving.

OOC: Welcome to the Tower of High Sorcery at Wayreth