Some point in the early Second Age...
(40 days total)
The Heartland
In a flash of jade light, the group found themselves on the open plain. Given the position of some distant mountains and a wide, southern river, they placed themselves on the Saindoron. Hearts sank as the group realized they were in the center of Nors power.
Everyone in the group knew at least a little something about the most powerful nation on the continent. Whether Nors' intolerance of arcane magic, hatred for outside religions, xenophobia against non-humans, organizations designed to ensure a pure, idealized Nors Kingdom, or the fact the Inquisitors had magehounds able to sniff out arcane usage, not one bit of recalled knowledge offered a pretty picture.
Kaylan moved into the high grass, constantly checking the sky for dragoons, and beckoned everyone to follow her. A few of the others were a little slow, if only because Diana's pack suddenly came alive...
Lavendar
Relic leveled his canon on the pack, while Thamior drew his blade. Diana slowly unlaced the bag and out flew a cat-sized cross between a dragon and a butterfly, a faerie dragon! Apparently she'd been stowed away since the fungal gardens, nibbling on crumbs and otherwise making herself at home.
Thamior kicked and Relic fired with the sudden entrance, but neither struck the little one, who cowered behind the bewildered Diana. The two quickly got to talking, getting to know one another very quickly. It was as if they shared some sort of bond and immediately the sorceress took a liking to the creature, so playful and sweet.
After moving into the grass, the kobold introduced himself to the faerie dragon by name of Kriznob. Likewise, the faerie dragon introduced herself as Lavendar.
Kriznob
The green wyrmpriest was generally cordial, if a little naive, but proved troublesome to the group. After he incidentally insulted Selja, the little wizard bopped him into sleep.
The group, feeling a little better about talking about Reedthagn without him conscious, wondered at Kriznob's purpose. The escape from the Tesseract had been too easy, the group all agreed, and they feared they were still part of some unknown plot. Some even feared Kriznob was Reedthagn, but Thamior discounted the idea, and Selja checked for enchantments and illusions, finding none. He was but a lowly kobold with some crude arcane potential.
Relic voiced his concerns with not leaving the little guy, who'd only been helpful thus far, and so Thamior threw him over his shoulder as the group decided where to go.
Southward
The swordmage suggested finding allies in the formerly-royal Faulken family, but it was a big if and a dangerous road besides. Kaylan sadly recalled Frederick Faulken a moment, before suggesting they return to the Wild. Everyone refused, understanding the cleric's need to find Giers and Hulda, but also understanding an ancient green dragon was after them. But not all of the Wild was under Reedthagn's control. Huge portions were controlled by the Green God, with many neutral kingdoms in between. Portia and Selja suggested finding their father and having him find the siblings, but Kaylan feared what she wouldn't say, that Sev Torban was not the goblin his daughters remembered any longer. That left them wondering if they could slip into Edmark and make use of a boat deed Kaylan lifted off of Sir Nickademus Bertrum. All good and well, but it was probably even safer to head to a city not controlled by the empire at all, making their final destination Sepum in the far south.
There was little time to wonder at the right course when Portia noticed distant barking. Magehounds! The group gathered their things and fled, Selja in the lead. They moved through stretches of tall grass with all possible speed. Kaylan was bitten by a snake along the way, suddenly feeling feverish. Relic hefted her over his shoulder and they continued a half mile and down into a ravine. They traced a small stream, but ended up in deceivingly deep mud flats. Struggling on through mud up to their knees (and waists to the boggarts), Selja managed to find a sandbar and the group regained solid ground. From there they continued into the tallest grass yet, alleys of six foot high green blades and wildflowers streaked across the flat expanse. The barking was gone.
Ancient Ambush
The group caught their breath and administered to Kaylan's swollen leg. They only had a few more minutes of bliss before being ambushed by six foot tall reptiles with large, hooked claws and toothy maws. Relic certainly didn't recall seeing these monsters on the way up from Azerbad.
It was a brutal fight, as the dinosaurs liked to rake their prey onto the ground where they gutted and gored them. Everyone was taken down at least once, some a good many times, and bitten and clawed besides. After a few tense seconds of dealing four of these scytheclaws, two more emerged from the tall grass. One was larger than the rest, quicker, stronger, the alpha raptor.
Magehounds or not, magic was required to win this battle and Diana and Selja let loose their worst in order to take down these beasts. They were quick, though, and intelligence, often flanking the party for easier take downs. They successfully divided the party and put up a lethal offense, even taking Portia down and out. Others bled out nearly as much, including poor, conscious Kriznob.
No Easy Prey
Despite the prehistoric ferocity of the scytheclaws, the group had been through much, across two worlds, and they would not go down easily. In a wickedly hard climb back into dominance, the group showed their valor. Relic's canon had been properly calibrated, firing devastating charges into the beasts. Diana manipulated the chaos element to explosive effects, blasting and ripping her enemies asunder. Thamior was able to teleport and maneuver the raptors with a strategist's cunning that exceeded these animal's brains, in the end beheading the alpha with a blue cut from Shivili. Portia woke with new resolve after a healing from the ever-vigilant Kaylan, using a sunrod to stab out one of the raptor's brain functions. Selja, for her part, used huge blasts of ice and fire against the brutes after her sis, but, in true boggart fashion, incidentally ended up creaming Portia in the process. That hardly lessened the power of her magic.
In the end the monsters were destroyed, but for one that ran off into the tall grass and evaded Relic's pursuit.
Kaylan couldn't help worrying, though, for every time she reached out the Kalinda the goddess felt far away.
The Party from Spelltower
The group licked their wounds and secured the perimeter. But the group just couldn't get a moment's rest. Portia heard the barking again, but before anyone could flee the boggart also noticed something in the sky. It was a small, white cloud... with a woman riding on it... heading right for them.
The rest of the party was dumbfounded when the woman landed, revealed to be an elf with a crystal wand and a commanding presence. She looked surprised herself, then motioned the humans and elves of the party back behind her while she warily leveled her wand on the boggarts, Relic and Kriznob.
The rest of the elf's party caught up: an Azerbadi mage in dark leathers holding a jeweled dagger, a half-elf in nobleman's clothes surrounded by his three hunting dogs, and a young blue jay raptoran barely into his wings, with a buckler and short sword.
Something's Very Wrong Here
After some assurance the labeled "dark ones" were friends, the elf introduced herself as Elewoon and asked the groups' identities. What followed was a revelation like none the group was expecting. Elewoon had no idea what inquisitors were or Nors. She was from Spelltower, an ancient city that existed back during the Second Age. It suddenly struck the party like a fist: They'd traveled back in time! They were now in the lands of the Elven Combine, ruled by the High King Gloriandel.
Amidst various personal meltdowns and one fainting, Elewoon implored the group to come with her back to Spelltower. They were injured, exhausted and obviously in need of a safe haven. Though it didn't sound like she believed their time travel babble, she looked like she genuinely wanted to help. She assured Kaylan that whatever the case may have been, she would do everything in her power to help.
That was enough for the cleric and Vilth-Thamior, who was VERY eager to return. In fact he insisted they see none other than the High King himself, though the half-elf Ciir couldn't help but laugh at the request. It was no where near in their power to grant. Thamior got angry at the chiding, but Ciir just laughed harder, taking a liking to the overly-serious swordmage.
The bird boy, Filias, approached the boggarts thinking them goblins. After a quick correction by the sisters, and some special attention from Selja, the raptoran introduced himself as Filias. Apparently all raptoran males had a bit of an ego and, when it was fed, warmed up to someone no matter previous misgivings. The little wizard swooned as Filias pulled her heart strings, even giving her a flower. All the while, though, big sis glowered.
This Fragile Thing, Time
Relic and Diana were the only two with serious misgivings about returning to Spelltower. Even the slightest interference by them in this time could drastically alter history. Even now, in killing those raptors, or talking to the Spelltowerns, they could be causing irrevocable damage to the time stream. This threw Relic into a melancholy state, a creature of logic overwhelmed by the ways in which this situation was bad.
Kaylan and Thamior were adamant about going back with Elewoon, but for very different reasons. Portia erred on the side of caution, but admitted there were benefits to going. How harmful could it be if they were careful? Relic and Diana insisted no, and it looked like an impasse that was not soon to be agreed on.
Serren
Relic was very uncomfortable in the presence of the Azerbadi, who Selja didn't look very fond of as soon as she saw him either. The mage, looking no older than eighteen, admired the warforged and the faerie dragon from afar. Eventually Relic swallowed his misgivings and greeted the mage in the traditional Azerbadi fashion. The mage gladly returned the greeting, offering his name, Serren.
Serren said very little throughout the encounter, mostly listening and often murmuring to himself. He took a liking to watching Relic, though, and listening to the open conversations on time travel.
Start the Ritual!
When Ciir when off to hunt the remaining raptor, Relic followed after, as sulky as a machine man could get. They were gone for a good ten minutes, while some flirted, others chatted over familiars, and still others wondered at the possibilities of meeting family or saving loved ones.
Suddenly the dogs burst out of the tall grass, tails between their legs, followed by a panicked Ciir. The back of the half-elf's tunic and pants had been torn away. He screamed for Elewoon to start the ritual, even as a thundering, primordial roar shook the very earth.
Elewoon and Serren wasted no time activating the circle, just as everyone else wasted no time jumping inside it. Relic just narrowly managed to dive into the blue, flickering energy before everyone was whisked to Spelltower.
Experience: 491 xp each (13,491 total)
Magic: none
Money: none
Loot: 2 scytheclaws (Portia)
Familiars:
Lavendar, Diana's faerie dragon familiar; a cheerful, magical creature that dwells in the sorceress's pack; has a love of food
New NPCs:
Kriznob, the kobold wyrmpriest who helped the group escape; determined to stick with the group; offered information and fought alongside the group during the raptor ambush; saved by Diana
Elewoon, beautiful elven invoker of Spelltower; leader of a party investigating reports of monsters on the plain; welcomed the group to return to the city and stay at a local inn; drew the teleportation circle which whisked them away
Ciir, half-elf ranger; a little gruff; owns three dogs for hunting; thinks the group is crazy with their time travel talk; finds Thamior amusing; found something big on the plain and narrowly escaped
Serren, Azerbadi mage of Spelltower no older than eighteen; an accomplished and knowledgeable arcane practicioner
Filias, young blue jay raptoran of Spelltower; Selja's object of crushing; looking like a fighter in training
New Quest:
Time Spiral
Operating the Tesseract has come at a terrible price: You're lost in time!
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