Where the Road Leads

The Ash River as it enters the eastern forest.

Summary

This chapter picked up where The Trials of the Seven Gods of Fortune left off. Player characters include: Lazarus, played by Drue, Saros, played by Brian, Arisu Michi, played by Dan K, and Sinharat, played by Dan H. Tony was the storyteller.

This chapter began in Realm Year 768 on the 25th day of Resplendent Air. The chapter ended on the 28th day of Descending Air, of the same year.

This chapter was completed in 4 sessions plus a short introduction session, a total of 18 experience was awarded.

Session 1

Lazarus began the day after the defeat of the last of the gods readying his men for departure back to Greyfalls. His task was cut short by a young man named Chiming Bells, Deputy to the Minister of Lore, coming to the temple and asking a favor of Aktuelle. naturally Aktuelle passed the task off on Lazarus who is forced to investigate a series of odd occurances involving a non-guild slave trader. After some investigation and a lot of intimidation, Lazarus finds the last customer of the apparent slave owner, a wealthy plantation owner named Ragellious. Ragellious seemed unwilling to cooperate and Lazarus nearly attacked him, but luckily for the investigation Sinharat stepped in.

Sinharat has been on Lazarus' trail for some time, after a meeting with a guild contact he too is investigating the strange slave owner who seems to have suddenly disappeared. Thanks to a bit of smooth talking by Sinharat, Ragellious agrees to meet with them at a tavern, believing Sinharat to be a slave owner and Lazarus to be his body guard. A little investigation and a little jade uncovered the location of the contact they had been looking for, Veils Boar.

A brief encounter within a casino/brothel uncover a strange bodyguard but little new information besides a confirmed location of the owner, the Nathir region. After a bit of recon Sinharat and Lazarus jump Veils Boar and his bodyguard in the streets, killing Veils and knocking out the bodyguard. They return to Aktuelle's temple with a knocked out body guard, and two freed slaves. The slaves are unable to yield much information as their communication and memory seem limited, it is revealed they are originally from near-by Nathir. Sinharat and Lazarus decide to travel to Nathir to investigate, Lazarus' men accompany him as it is on their way back to Greyfalls.

We pick up with Saros a few weeks later as he is completing his training at The River Temple of Anistatis under the tutelage of Brilliant Tsunami Masked by the Tower. As he finishes his training he receives a mission from the Convention on Deathlords informing him of a disturbance 50 miles south of Nathir. He is to investigate the disturbance, thought to be a shadowland, and if possible discern the cause and eliminate the disturbance. He will be accompanied on this mission by Arisu Michi, a fellow Gold Faction and Convention of Wood member.

Arisu is informed of her most recent mission, and first true field assignment, while at her office within The Most Perfect Lotus of Heavenly Design. Phaeron Briggs brings her news of her first field mission in person, explaining that it is officially assigned to her by the Convention of Wood. However, Arisu picks up on the subtle hints letting her know that this is unofficially assigned as a Gold Faction mission. Her assignment along side of Saros serves that she not be alone on her first mission likely to encounter combat, meanwhile an extra set of eyes and ears is set to watch over Saros' first mission back.

Saros and Arisu meet on top of the cliff of the temple, overlooking the Yellow River before deciding to travel by horse, first to Selbina then to Blackrock Spire before entering the disrupted portion of creation. Saros and Arisu arrive in Selbina after nightfall and go straight to an inn, here they uncover that the small village of Iron Forge has been mysteriously destroyed; further investigation shows that only one boat will still head near that region of river, the Vermillion Dragon. Saros and Arisu speak with Iron Panther, the captain of the ship to learn more about the city, they learn that there was no apparent sign of struggle and no sign of bodies at the town. He was the man who started the rumor, orginally from the town of Iron Forge.

While on the docks Saros spots familiar troops, and a familiar face in Lazarus as he and Sinharat arrive in Selbina at dawn. Against his better judgment Saros approaches Lazarus, hoping to hear news of Sarefine; as they talk they soon learn that their tasks are similar and both must travel south to the now ghost town of Iron Forge. After a confrontation with a stable master Sin and Lazarus obtain horses and join Saros and Arisu on the road south, intending to stop and spend a night in Blackrock Spire before arriving at their destination. However, once things are underway Saros says the wrong thing and stirs up Lazarus' pride, the duel of words results in a duel of fists. The fight progresses unimpressively with Saros pulling a slight lead until Lazarus bites off Saros' ear, the enraged Saros proceeds to use a charm and deeply injures Lazarus. Once again Sinharat steps in to stop the battle before the two use all their essence or kill each other.

The group continues on, now divided and more tense than before, they crest a small hill as the sun begins to set and see the tall back spire the town is named after.

• 5 Experience Awarded

Session 2

The four tense travelers arrived at the village of Blackrock Spire as the sun set, to their surprise they found the villagers boarding up their houses. The villagers were quick to warn the travelers that creatures had been attacking the town at night, several people had died, most which were on the lower spire. The group found a place to stay the night in safety, but Sinharat, Arisu, and Saros decided they would lookout for what the creatures responsible for the attacks. They didn't have to wait long to see creatures lurking in the shadows, Sinharat led the attack against the shadowy figures which were revealed to be lions of molten gold. With some difficulty the 3 managed to dispatch the lions, but Saros was badly injured and the others were not unscathed.

The next morning Saros decided he needed to rest before continuing on, Sinharat and Arisu decided to split up for a day before meeting back and planning to head to Iron Forge the following morning. Sinharat went about town and observed that the villagers were beginning to run out of provisions, with prices rising only the rich could still afford what little the merchants had left. He sent word to his guild contact in Great Forks about the opportunity to be had, intending for his followers to come out to Blackrock Spire. Meanwhile, Arisu headed south towards the disturbance, she quickly found out that what she believed to be a shadowland was in fact a Wyld Pocket. She continued to explore what seemed to be a relatively mild pocket of the Wyld, she encountered a sole Hobgoblin in the fields but quickly dispatched of it; she also took note that as she moved further east the strength of the pocket seemed to grow.

She returned to Blackrock Spire to report her findings to Saros, meanwhile Sinharat convinced Saros to begin teaching him more about the supernatural aspects of creation. After some discussion the trio decided to take a boat to Duskwood, Saros would stay in the town while Arisu and Sinharat continued on to Iron Forge.

Arisu and Sinharat made a quick discovery upon arrival, they found that the Wyld stops abruptly at the edge of the river. They continued their planned route and made their way to Iron Forge without any trouble. When they arrived they found the town as deserted as was reported, there were no signs of struggle or trace of villagers, but there was information to be gathered within the town. First off the town appeared to be just outside the Wyld pocket, it would appear that a small river running through the town from the east serves as the epicenter for a lane of stability through the Wyld. The pair continued to explore the surrounding area taking careful note to map the boundaries of the Wyld, but the day passed without much suspense.

At nightfall that changed, the two boarded themselves into a stone building within the town of Iron Forge, waiting to see what would happen come nightfall. As darkness swept over the city the shadowy goblin-like figures emerged and started to sweep over the town, exploring all possible hiding places. It was only a matter of time before they found they pairs stronghold, the creatures climbed and crawled but could not find a way into the building, determined they began to try to break through. After several suspenseful hours of pounding and anticipation the goblins broke through the door. Using the doorway as a choke point Sinharat and Arisu were able to cut down their foes without sustaining great damage, but after that encounter decided that they should stick to the plan and return to Duskwood the following day. The two arrive at the dock of Duskwood that night.

• 4 Experience Awarded

Session 3

Lazarus started the day feeling quite a bit better than he had the day before and he decided now was a good time to meet back up with the group he'd let start the investigation work. He paid for a ferry across the river to the town of Duskwood, where he shortly met up with Saros, and then met with the recently returned Arisu and Sin. After a brief discussion about what transpired in the town of Blackrock Spire the group decided that some healing was necessary before returning to the Wyld.

The group broke up into two pieces; Saros and Arisu decided it was time they reported back to Heaven to see if they needed to continue their mission. Meanwhile Sinahrat and Lazarus spoke with the people in town and learned of someone who might be some help to them, a mysterious figure called The Patron who frequented Aerie Peak. Sin began to make plans to travel to Aerie Peak and find her, convincing Lazarus to come with him he soon found doing what should have been a simple task rather difficult. Thanks to Arisu the guards had been alerted that trouble was coming during the night, because of this guard presence in the town was rather large. Arisu was too had heard of this patron and was seeking to draw her to Duskwood, rather than go to Aerie Peak to find her.

Thanks to a rare bit of group cooperation the two plans were discussed, and when Arisu's sounded more reasonable, or at least less reversible, they decided to make real trouble to be sure The Patron arrived. After a bit of stealth a few horses were scarred off, a stable was collapsed, and a few more buildings were set on fire, all in all resulting in a large amount of chaos and only minimal damage to the village (At least we did DoOB the whole village).

The next morning an entourage had arrived at the tavern, several guards and diplomats along with a rather distinct woman who the others appeared to default to. Sin and Exaltant Willow, also known as The Patron, made small talk until the rest of the group joined them for breakfast. They talked over breakfast, rather tensely, as both parties seemed rather unwilling to help the other. Willow had her suspicions about the strange outsiders in her town, along with the 'coincidental' disturbance had her on edge, while certain members of the party chose to disclose whatever they could others were more devoted to remaining secretive. After some long discussion Willow agreed to help the group be rid of the Wyld Pocket, as well as provide them with healing.

After the group was rested and healed Willow arranged for a boat to drop them near the town of Iron Forge, the group entered the Wyld, many for the first time. The decided they would make for the eastern woods where the Wyld seemed to grow stronger, traveling along the Ash River they slept throughout the day so that they would be alert during the more dangerous nightfall. As nightfall came the Wyld became more active and the horses became more difficult to control, the sky turned pitch black, the long grass of the open plains seemed to catch fire, and the howling winds sounded like distant voices. As they continued their travel they discovered they were being stalked by creatures of the Wyld, despite being outnumbered the exalts quickly disposed of the Wyld creatures with only minimal injuries. Despite their easy victory they knew they had only begun to experience the dangers of the Wyld and decided it would be best to proceed with caution and stealth, they would have to travel the rest of the way on foot.

• 4 Experience Awarded

Session 4

The group resumed their travel towards the eastern woods after the short scuffle with the creatures of the Wyld, no one was terribly wounded so the group was able to continue to travel through the night. At noon the following day the group again took rest, taking shifts to be sure someone was always on watch. Exaltant Willow was able to heal the small injuries to the group before rest. They arrived to the eastern forest the next day.

When the arrived at the border of the wood they discovered the Wyld grew much stronger, they would have to navigate the middle marches to enter. The grass turned to venomous snakes, the wood turned to jade, the leaves to fire, and the sky to wood. Not to mention the ash river seemed to split and run both into and out of the forest. To their surprise, as they decided how to handle the new obstacles of the Wyld the first humanoid figure they'd encountered emerged from the woods. A figure covered in a heavy gray cloak, it paused a distance away from them before speaking. The figure immediately revealed he knew of their exalted powers, claiming the domain was his and that they should leave this land or be destroyed.He introduced himself as Dasamrad, and when Sinharat attacked he found that his blade struck only an empty cloak. Willow's anima flared for a moment before she began to hiss, seemingly convincing the snakes to allow them to pass as they cleared a path along the river for them to travel deeper within.

As they traveled along the river Sin would remember the name Dasamrad from long ago, he's heard of him before. A young guild merchant who disappeared a few months prior, unfortunately that was all the information Sin could remember, or had known at all. It appeared as if Dasamrad had somehow been changed by the Wyld. After several hours of traveling through the middle marches they arrived at a large jade structure, a temple that stood several stories high, 2 goblin guards stood outside. The group was immediately spotted and the goblins alerted anyone within before descending the steps to engage the group. The goblins were quickly dispatched as Sin jumped into the jade forest in search of another, more secretive entrance. The group waited until Sin returned, unfortunately all he had found was a second floor opening similar to the one out front, except the other had a swirling vortex of Wyld energy pouring from it. The group decided that the front was the best way to enter.

The group entered from a portal on the second level of the temple, though it all opened up into a single great room. At the center of the room sat an enormous pile of jade talons, atop it on a throne of jade sat the cloaked figure. Behind the pile was the swirling vortex of Wyld energy Sin had described. As the group was noticed Dasamrad threw off his cloak, reveling a body of formed jade making him completely inhuman. As he stepped of the pile it started to move on its own, forming together into two large figures. The two huge golems approached the group to fight, as Dasamrad told them of their destruction. As the group engaged the golems, Dasamrad began to throw villagers, revealed under the jade mountain, into the Wyld vortex. Sin, stayed removed from the main battle and directly attacked Dasamrad. The battle commences, during which the two villagers thrown into the vortex come back, crazed and mutated by the Wyld. They begin attacking the group which has already taken the time to kill the other villagers. Eventually the group overcomes both golems, and the crazed Dasamrad, who as he dies turns back to the innocent looking merchant he once was.

After Dasamrad's death the vortex beings to destabilize, a roaring sound begins as it expands throughout the temple. The group doesn't stick around for too close of a look, as they exit the temple though the earth starts to shake. Reality appears to start to peel away from itself, the Wyld images overlaying creation are being sucked back into the vortex. The frightening effect has the crazed aspect of the Wyld traveling through the group, harmlessly returning to the vortex which only grows stronger. As all creation appears to have returned a bright light flashes, as their vision returns they see a lone figure, humanoid but distinctly not human standing in its place. The raksha responsible for the Wyld pocket curses the champions of creation and sets out to destroy them. Using attacks of random power the group is heavily damaged, Saros is forced to flee using a charm, though the group thinks he actually ran away. Fighting as a group against the lone raksha they eventually bring him down, they are left with nothing but dust to show for it.

Luckily Willow had been preparing a spell in case retreat was necessary, when it wasn't they the group was able to use stormwind rider to whisk the group back to the Maruto River, where the boat was still waiting for them. The boarded the ship where most of the group rested as it headed back towards Aerie Peak, the swamp town that was capital to the Confederation that ruled over the towns like Duskwood. When they returned Willow welcomed them to her office within the city hall to be healed and to rest before departing, Sin and Lazarus obliged while Saros and Arisu decided they should immediately depart. Saros and Arisu's departure has them soon arrive in Selbina, where they get horses and ride back to the River Temple of Anistatis. They arrive on Ascending Fire 2. After healing and talking more with Exaltant Willow they develop a mild friendship, Willow invites Sin and his followers to return if they so desire. Sin shortly leaves and gets a ship back to Great Forks from Selbina which departs on Descending Wood 28. Lazarus is reunited with his men in Selbina, but must wait for a ship traveling towards Greyfalls. He departs Selbina with his troops, headed for Greyfalls on Ascending Fire 1.

• 5 Experience Awarded
• Saros: Salary 2 (Welcome back from the dog house)
• Arisu: Backing 1 - Gold Faction (You've proven your worth in and out of the field to Phaeron and others)
• Lazarus: 8 new recruits for the army. Some recruited from Nathir, others are native to Blackrock & Duskwood where you made a heroic impression. (May also be worth noting I believe you used your training charm on your army during travel time? If so update stats as the book says)
• Sinharat: Contacts 1 - Local (Exaltant Willow now a major contact in region, others from villages can be minor contacts)

Characters

Solar Exalts

• Aktuelle
• Lazarus
• Sinharat

Sidereal Exalts

• Arisu Michi
• Brilliant Tsunami Masked by the Tower
• Domino
• Jubilant Lion of the Sky
• Phaeron Briggs
• Saros

Lunar Exalts

• Exaltant Willow

Others

• Dasamrad
• The Court of Jaded Illusion