Session 13. More Things To Make And Do
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We leave the dungeon and once again see the woods. The breach remains, but we see the roots around the exit are still. We can hear birdsong and see fresh animal tracks in the snow; the forest seems to be a just normal forest. We can feel no pulse under our feet and the sounds we hear are not threatening
As we leave the forest and can see the mountains in the distance we see a dark rider upon the ridge. It watches us then slowly turn away over the ridge. The outline looks similar to the figure we saw in the rigging of the ship a while back, but cannot make out any detail.
We return to Moonrest where Bran counts us back in and is happy to see us. He looks back to the woods and tells us there have been no further root breaches, so it looks like something worked. He takes us to the Long House to see Elder Saelin to give her our report.
Yselle also appears asking for an update. Aethlwynn prods Sebastien and tells him to show Yselle the heart he harvested. Yselle examines it before Salus hands over the sketches she made. Yselle says Merrick's name keeps appearing whenever questions are asked and needs to investigate further. Aethlwynn asks if she can help, but again, Yselle says she works best alone. Elder Saelin warmly tells us that as the roots are no longer an issue we've done enough for now and that we need a good feed and sleep. Garron was also in the Long House looking at what we brought back. He's more interested in the stone work and will pop into Yselle's to see the sketches.
Aethlywynn mentions the rider we saw. Elder Saelin pauses and starts speculating out loud that it could be the Compact, or someone pretending to be them. But she sends us to the Tide and Stars where Mara will have a hot meal for us. Aethlwynn says she'll put in a good word for Sebastien, who again denies being a hero.
The bar is visibly louder, the food is served and the conversation seems normal. Mara welcomes us in and we relax and Mara gives Sebastien a pair of spoons and asks him to play. Aethlwynn tells Mara Sebastien is being very modest about how brave he was. The tavern sings along with Sebastien and the villagers have a great time. As it gets late folk start to go home as do we.
The next day passes with no emergency, no roots and no blue pulse. Hunters leave Moonrest and return safely. Moonrest seems to have returned to normal.
Sebastien is going to see the Tide Warden and the Shrine Keeper as he's privately concerned about blacking out in combat and having the strange feeling that another person wants to take control of him. Neither feel it's their area of expertise and refer him to Lysa who may be able to help due to her role with the dead. Sebastien and Aethwold continue to plan the Hurdy Gurdy and realise they need more timber. Guru want to work on his Long Hammer but needs more iron ingots. Guru and Aethswold go mining as Aethsowold also needs iron for his arrow heads. Aethswold crafts a staff for Salus and travels out of Moonrest to get more frost hardened wood. He gets some more resin sap and root fibre as well. He then heads to the pine forest to get pine bark. Sebastein gives Guru some tanned leather. Aethlwynn tries to craft a healing potion, but can't quite get it right.
One night in the Tavern Aethswold gets a message to speak to Lysa at the graveyard. She stands beside a grave we don't recognise brushing the snow from the stone. She says to Aethswold and says that he knows that death matters and that it has rules and boundaries. She says one name survived the - Hallowed Necromancer. She asks Aethswold what death means to him and she is pleased with his answer. She tells us that there is a place inland, the Frozen Fenn that is older than people remember. It's a remnant of a time when people believed they could use the dead and old account mention there were graves for the living. She needs us to visit the Fenn and asks us to find what has been buried.
Aethswold asks if we need to be aware of anything and what we can take to help. Lysa replies that as far as she know it has been abandoned for over 100 years and what was once there has been defeated however she believes Aethswold needs to go the the Fenn for his own growth. As we leave the Graveyard Sebastien sees lysa staring at us. He tells Aethlewynn that he thinks Lysa has designs on Aethswold.
The Frozen Fenn is about 20 miles away which we think will take us about two days travel. Guru exchanges 4 bog iron ingots for tents and bed rolls.
We set off to the Frozen Fenn.
To be Continued.....