Pushing Forward
The group mourns the loss of Ornogrim but they all know they must push forward. They begin sifting through his belongings and splitting up what they should keep. They keep the scrolls, magic arrows, potions, gems, coins, slaad claws, and the Ring of Universatility, leaving behind the indica and sativa and his clothing. Once at a safe distance, Qarzdaq ignites his body to provide a dignified departure from their world.
TYRONE: I know this is a great loss to us all, but the day breaks before us and we must press forward. We must find the source of this Great Force and destroy it once and for all. All the commoners across this land and over the narrow sea, my people and your people, are at stake. We must remove this threat from their lives and our own. I expect not all of us will survive, but that mustn’t dissuade us from our path. The Children of the Forest have been a scourge on us, on all of humanity, since we’ve come to learn of their existence. They have created unspeakable threats over the Ages; it is time they learn that we are not to be trifled with!
ROLAN: It’s been a road full of tragedy but we must remain focused on this threat.
Tyrone places a hand on Rolan’s shoulder.
TYRONE: I am glad you see the truth, brother. We both share our connection to the water, the life that runs through all of us. You may see it with a different lens, but we are brothers, nonetheless. You will come to learn that, for I sensed it immediately upon our meeting
QHOR: Tyrone… I must ask. I seek a man named Byff. Tall, ugly fucker. Real asshole. Have you seen him?
TYRONE: You describe many in this land, but when we get through this, I would be happy to help however I can.
He pauses before continuing.
TYRONE: The Children of the Forest are a very powerful threat. Engaging them will be no easy task as they harness the intrinsic power of the forests. They have always been a threat to man. Our unique combination of the gifts afforded us by the higher powers, sheer might, and quickness will be required to destroy this scourge once and for all. Perhaps it is wise to discuss a general strategy and some specific tactics we might employ?
QARZ: What tactics can we expect from the Children?
TYRONE: I expect them to be extremely quick, but I’ve read of their ability to utilize the trees themselves like doors, seemingly bouncing from tree to tree, as if teleporting great distances. Other than that, they harness the power of nature, of the earth on which we walk.
QHOR: Maybe we should flush them out with a forest fire.
TYRONE: Yes, fire would seem a good tactic.
Qhortho looks over to Qarzdaq.
QHOR: If only we had someone that knows the ways of fire…
TYRONE: These are highly magical beings, and there is only so much we truly know. It is hard to say what exactly they will do once threatened.
ROLAN: Are you aware of any specific weaknesses or resistances?
TYRONE: From the presumed images we have of them, they seem to be relatively frail creatures, if the manuscripts are to be believed. They haven’t been sighted much outside the forests, but I do not know if they are limited to stay within them, or if they are simply more powerful with their trees in proximity.
ROLAN: Would that be indicative of a weakness against physical blows or having a lower constitution?
TYRONE: It is hard to say.
QHOR: Have you ever fought them before?
TYRONE: I have not. The stories tell that the Children were responsible for breaking the “arm of Dorne” into the Stepstones, the archipelago where your ship was wrecked over a year ago. The stories also say they attempted to do the same thing north of an area called The Fingers, but instead of it splitting Westeros, they instead sunk the land into a swampy region, now known The Neck.
QHOR: That’s some powerful voodoo…
TYRONE: Powerful voodoo indeed.
QHOR: What would stop them from wielding such magic against us!? To control stone and sea like bending a blade of grass?
TYRONE: Their power is of land and nature; my strength sources from water and the sea. I am confident in my attunement to combat any aptitude they show in their arena. They may be able to wield their powers against us, but you must also remember that in those instances I mentioned, they were in a large group and their feats required a concerted effort. Here, now, they do not know we are coming. We must stop them and their skinchangers before they amass their army.
QHOR: I can beat anyone in a fair fight but these forces are unfamiliar to me.
ROLAN: Would there be any benefit in trying to befriend these beings?
He looks around to the group to gauge their reaction.
TYRONE: I know of no such benefits to befriend those that want to destroy mankind. Look, I have my reservations as well. However, we have the elements on our side: water, fire, … and surprise. My thoughts are wielding these in combination, then striking them down with extreme prejudice. Are there specific abilities you each wield that might synergize or couple in a way that enhances the individual skills?
ROLAN: My ability to call forth roots may be avoided if they can teleport.
QARZ: The Lord of Light will strike down with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers.
ROLAN: I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before. Stories of the Scrolls or something like that, right?
QARZ: Yes, exactly. So shall we go in spells blazing, or…?
TYRONE: The Children have been a grave threat since the First Men stepped foot in Westeros. Underestimating them would be unwise. If we see our opportunity, we must strike. However, we must be certain of our opportunity.
They get on their way and Tyrone uses this time to describe the history around Red Lake and House Crane, the lineage that resided in the castle on the north side of the lake.
He tells them that the Children of the Forest attacked after being, claiming it was defense, but no one was trying to kill them. It was always peaceful expansion. The Children destroyed the entire House Crane bloodline, prompting a drive to exterminate the Children from the Red Lake region. He adds that the lake was known as Blue Lake before that battle, but so much blood was spilled over its course that it was henceforth known as Red Lake.
One of the mornings along their way, Aran has an idea. He asks Tyrone if he is able to change the binding on the Ring of Universatility so that it links to himself. Tyrone ponders this, knowing the previous link will have broken upon Ornogrim’s demise. He takes the ring in his hand and prays to his god. The ring begins heating up considerably, but not enough to burn flesh; apparently the Mother Rhoyne is responding favorably to this request. Tyrone presses the ring into Aran’s hand, closing it into a fist. A few moments later, the ring begins to cool and Aran feels as if he has transferred some of himself into the ring – or was some part of the ring transferred to him?
A total of six days travel since their fight with the Jebus, they arrive along a familiar path, yet one they never actually traveled. They recognize this as the road leading into the bandit camp from the east. Following it for some time, they finally reach the lake. The area looks like it hasn’t been traveled in at least a few weeks but is otherwise clean. Greydon’s men did good work to clear out the bandit camp’s presence. The only remnant of the camp is the scarred area where the large bonfire blazed beside the lake.
They continue forward, more slowly now, towards the forest’s edge. Everyone except Aran and Qhortho dismount.
They’re HeEEere
Rolan, knowing the Children of the Forest from his time spent in the Mountains of the Moon, begins to search for tracks and the telltale signs. He concentrates on the area and picks something up.
ROLAN: Guys, they’ve been through this area. I can lead us as far as the tracks will take us.
The group agrees with this and into the forest they go. In order to know where they’ve been, Qarzdaq lays his hand on one of the trees. He channels R’hllor and smoke begins to seep from the bark he touches. A screeching squeal is heard from throughout the forest as if this one tree is connected to every other one, all screaming out in pain at once.
ROLAN: I think we just let them know we’re here…
QARZ: … I just wanted to see what would happen …
Rolan looks around and one direction seems slightly brighter. Or maybe all other directions seem slightly dimmer. He realizes this is not actually something he is seeing with his eyes, this is something deeper. An intuition of sorts. Rolan stops and looks back at the others in the group. Once they catch up, he tells them that they are getting close and there are definitely Children in this forest.
Qarzdaq, Qhortho, and Rolan arm their Rings with gems.
The group presses forward, traveling another eight hours following Rolan’s lead. None of them know where this is taking them and the “path” has them twisted all around, so they don’t even know which way is north anymore.
QHOR: Are you sure you know where you are going?
Rolan hesitates for a moment, sweeping his head around for another look. However, his intuition does not lapse for even that moment. In fact, over the hours of travel, it’s only become more honed.
ROLAN: Yeah. We’re headed right for them. I know it.
The rest of the party has no way to know whether to second-guess their ranger or to blindly trust. They continue forward, hoping Rolan is the real deal, but also because they have no other good option.
Another few hours pass before they come to a break in the trees. A small grassy area, no more than 40 feet across, lies ahead. Stepping into the clearing, the soft sound of a whisper is heard in the trees. Seconds later, whispers are coming from all around them. Though they cannot see anything, they know they are not alone.
ARAN: Well Tyrone, I think they’re here.
TYRONE: I think WE’RE here.
ROLAN: We definitely are.
Qarzdaq suggests throwing a slaad claw towards the edge of the clearing to show they’ve killed the beasts they are after. Aran agrees and retrieves one from his bag, tossing it about ten feet in front of him.
A gruff, scratchy voice from the trees is heard as the sladd claw comes to a rest.
VOICE: And what is that meant to be? Some kind of threat?!
ARAN: We just want to know more about this. What is this?
VOICE: We’ve never seen anything like that.
QHOR: Why do you take it as a threat?
VOICE: Is there another way we should interpret the hand of a slain creature tossed before us by a spore of the human plague?
As the voice answers, it reverberates around the surrounding forest.
Tyrone takes a more defensive stance.
QARZ: We have come to find the source of this infestation. We do not intend this as a threat… unless you have brought them to this world?
VOICE: So you come seeking our aid.
QARZ: We come seeking information.
A few seconds of silence pass before a slender, elegant-looking, magical creature steps out into the clearing. The adventurers have the knowledge that Children have no gender, but from a human perspective, this beautiful and exotic creature could be construed as female.
It steps over the slaad claw towards the men and stops. The forest becomes busy with fluttering sounds and intermittent sparkles.
CHILD: What information do you seek?
Its voice is as enchanting as its looks.
QARZ: We’re looking for the source of these monsters and for how to stop them.
CHILD: The only monsters we know are of mankind. You’ve invaded our lands for thousands of years.
QARZ: I haven’t!
The Child shakes its head at the lacking scope of history wielded by these men before it. Qhortho does not take kindly to this. They are liberators, not invaders!
QHOR: What about this Ironborn threat that took base at the camp by the lake?! We were the ones that drove them out! It seems you owe us a favor.
CHILD: A mere glimpse in the eyes of the world.
QHOR: I’m not a smart man, I don’t know what that means.
ARAN: These creatures have an ability to take over bodies, to make them seem like one of you.
CHILD: One of us?
QHOR: Yeah, how do we know you’re not one of them?
CHILD: Why would we trust a clan of humans at all? How would we know you are not trying to destroy us once and for all? You’ve done this repeatedly over the ages.
Tyrone gets a bit anxious. He takes a few steps toward the Child. Rolan steps in front of Tyrone and talks softly.
ROLAN: Tyrone, take it easy.
TYRONE: These are the things I saw in my vision.
ARAN: Are you saying they are the threat?
TYRONE: I do not know, but I know they are involved. They know more than they are letting on.
Tyrone pushes past Rolan and through the rest of the group. Walking up to the Child.
TYRONE: You are responsible for this threat that will eventually kill all of the men in the land.
The Child shows no reaction.
TYRONE: You will pay for what you’re bringing into this world.
CHILD: We bring nothing. The twilight of your years seems to be invading your faculties. You will eventually die. We will live on. We need not bring your time to a close any earlier than nature would do herself.
QARZ: Tyrone… man… don’t…
It’s On!
Tyrone bashes the Child in the face. The impact is accompanied by a lightning strike from the staff, forcing the Child backward and slamming it into a tree. As it scrambles to get up, Aran charges on his horse, and kills it dead. Aran pulls the reins of his horse to make it rear up.
First blood has been drawn. The woods are now aflutter with activity.
QARZ: Tyrone, why did you strike her?
TYRONE: She… it was getting us nothing. We know they are involved.
QARZ: Now we don’t know anything!
TYRONE: We know enough!
QARZ: What do we know??
TYRONE: We know we have to kill them!
ARAN: We knew what this was.
QARZ: We DON’T know we had to kill them. We just killed the one woman who would even talk to us.
TYRONE: Says a Valyrian… or close enough…
Qarzdaq looks around at the activity, not sure whether to try diplomacy or be ready to attack. To be safe, he creates 3 duplicates of himself, each looking around at the woods.
Weeds begin to grow from the grass in the clearing, up around each of their ankles. Tyrone and Qarzdaq are restrained by the weeds, while the others are able to break free.
Nine Children of the Forest emerge from the woods, surrounding the party.
Qhortho instructs his horse to trample towards the closest Child. It’s tough to get footing with the weedy vines moving beneath his hooves, but he follows his orders, barely missing the Child with his hooves. Still, the gap is now closed and Qhortho slashes at the Child, cutting off part of its barky skin.
Rolan fires an arrow at Qhortho’s target, striking the Child with repeated thuds.
Suddenly, small fleeting creatures with small, pointed weapons sweep out from the woods. Rolan is hit multiple times by a flurry of creatures before he even knows what happens. He attempts to grab one of them, but it drops its weapon and scurries away just in time. The weapon is a dagger of sorts crafted of some hardened rootlike material he had never seen before.
Aran, on the other hand, sees one of them coming for him and strikes just as it gets within range, connecting perfectly. It tumbles to a halt in the writhing weeds at his feet. It is a tiny fairy-like woodland creature, both nasty and enchanting at the same time.
As Aran looks down at it, another one screams towards him, stabbing him quickly with three strikes and dashing away. Another one attacks Qhortho in a similar fashion.
A few of the fairy-like creatures swarm the Qarzdaqs, causing two of them to evaporate. A third attack that would land on the real Qarzdaq, is blocked by an ethereal shield. The creature, caught off-guard, scurries back into the woods.
Yet another stabs Tyrone, who smacks it with his staff, applying the same lightning treatment to it, sending its scorched body sailing back into the woods.
Tyrone looks down at his wounds then around to the others, his ankles still caught in the weeds.
TYRONE: Do not worry friends, none of us shall fall. The Mother will heal us all.
He pulls his legs free and calmly walks to the center of the clearing despite the Children of the Forest just feet away ready to strike and his party being attacked. He raises his staff slowly off the ground. He slams the butt of his staff into the ground.
TYRONE: BE GONE WITH YOU!!
A blast of divine energy in the form of blinding light and rumbling thunder ripples outwards from where he stands. All of the Children at the tree line are swept off their feet and fall to the ground. All of them dead. The whizzing and flittering sounds and activity in the trees halt entirely. The writhing weeds stop all movement and shrivel into the ground.
Aran and Qhortho begin complaining about how they were just getting warmed up and they were looking for more to fight. Tyrone smiles weakly and bushes off his shoulder.
TYRONE: Try to keep up.
Rolan turns to Tyrone with contempt.
ROLAN: What the hell are we doing here?!
TYRONE: There will be more. There is no way that was their entire army. We must stop them all! Prepare yourselves for their recourse!
QARZ: How are we going to do that?
No sooner than the words leave his lips do a slew of the small fairy-like creatures swarm them, quickly stabbing them with their earthy daggers. Rolan sees an opportunity as one of them tries to get away after giving him the ol’ stabby stab. He would love to use his Athletics skill to contest the creature’s Athletics or Acrobatics abilities, but alas, he just can’t muster a full Attack Action as part of a Reaction, he can only muster an attack if a melee weapon were in his hand. Such a shame.
The creatures quickly scatter into the woods, where eyes appear all around. The woods go silent. Watching. Preparing.
Cranes, Beautiful Cranes
Suddenly, the screeching of cranes above fill their ears. They swoop into the clearing, weaving between the trees. One lands at the edge of the clearing, the rest of its flock circling above. It stands there, just looking at the group.
Tyrone, not sure what to make of this, quickly takes this time to completely heal his friends in an instant.
An energy rushes through their bodies, as if warm jets of water pulsed under their skin, immediately rejuvenating them. Qarzdaq is the only one that feels a slight burning sensation as a result, but the burning does not negate the healing properties.
ROLAN: Someone warged into that crane or swan or whatever that is. Be on guard.
ARAN: You think so?
Hesitating a moment.
ARAN: Should I attack this thing guys?
Qarzdaq looks it over carefully without taking a step. It appears to be very controlled with its movements, clearly harnessing some sort of intelligence greater than its form would imply.
QARZ: Let it attack first.
Aran prepares to strike if he is attacked.
QARZ: What do you want?
It looks at Qarzdaq as if it understood, but it does not respond.
Qarzdaq casts Haste on Qhortho and Aran. Qhortho begins his ritual to channel nature, intending to speak with the crane in its native tongue.
Rolan prepares to attack if he senses an aggressive movement towards any of his allies.
The bird takes a step towards the group and stops a moment, as if judging their reactions. Seeing nothing happen, it ventures another step. Still no reaction. The creature then takes several steps, now walking towards the group, when suddenly it morphs into a beautiful woman with long deep red flowing hair. She speaks to them in a voice as gorgeous as her form.
WOMAN: My name is Sydra of House Crane. You are trespassing on my land. We recognize you as the ones who removed that camp of bandits some time ago, and we thank you for that, but… After those bandits, then you, then the king’s men, now you’ve killed many of our cohabitants here today. Those that fled are likely to never return. You have now outstayed your welcome and must leave here immediately, never to return.
ARAN: My Lady Sydra of House Crane. Might we ask you a few questions before we leave? We are interested in these Slaad creatures.
Aran points at the ground where the slaad claws still rest.
SYDRA: I know nothing of these… slaad…
Aran tells her that the slaad are the only reason the party is in these woods and defers to Tyrone to tell Sydra about why he believes the Children of the Forest are involved. Before Tyrone speaks, Rolan cautions him to say his piece without pissing off the rest of the forest. Tyrone has no reaction to Rolan’s interjection.
TYRONE: And what claim do presume over these lands?
SYDRA: House Crane is a direct descendant from Garth Greenhand. We have ruled over these lands since the First Men.
TYRONE: Bah. House Crane has not been in existence in generations. Not since the Blue Lake went Red.
SYDRA: So are the tales. We have laid low for protection; created rumors to keep people away. Perhaps it is time we make our claim widely known once again. You will leave at once.
With her comment the sounds of cranes circling above resemble a crowd roaring in agreement.
Tyrone takes notice of this, glancing up and lowering his defensiveness.
TYRONE: Perhaps we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.
QARZ: You think so??
TYRONE: We are on a mission to rid the world of an evil. We believe the Children of the Forest are the ones bringing this growing force.
SYDRA: The Children living in this forest were non-aggressive and have been peaceful since our armistice. I am not going to tell you to leave peacefully again.
The cranes above express their sentiment again.
QARZ: Guys, I think should get to getting’ while the getting’s good.
ARAN: I agree. This whole thing has been a total waste. We’ve found absolutely no evidence of anything involving slaads whatsoever.
QHOR: Tyrone, you’ve got to start answering some questions here.
ARAN: Yeah Tyrone. It seems we’re just following you and you’ve already said some kinds of racist things. I’m not quite sure what we’re dealing with here.
He looks at the others.
ARAN: Maybe you guys know him better and I’m off base, but I’m just telling you what I see.
He turns back Sydra.
ARAN: I apologize for belaboring the point Lady Sydra, but can you tell us anything about the creatures we seek?
SYDRA: I do not know what type of creature that belongs to. I have not seen anything resembling these around these woods or around the lake.
Tyrone watches the entire conversation with apprehension. He again takes over the conversation and takes an aggressive stance. The Tear of Life begins to pulse.
TYRONE: Perhaps you are the shapechanging threat we seek.
QARZ: I think you may be jumping to conclusions here Tyrone.
ARAN: I think we should build a wall and make her pay for it.
The comment brings a bit of levity to the growingly tense situation.
Ten cranes fly down to the ground, creating a semicircle around them.
Qhortho looks around nervously. Not so much in the feeling of danger, just in the sense of being creeped the fuck out.
QARZ: I think we need to leave. Lady Sydra, would it be alright with you if we contacted you in the future?
Sydra looks away towards the other cranes then back to Qarzdaq.
SYDRA: I have stated that you are not welcome. However, if you were to return without this man…
She points to Tyrone.
SYDRA: …I would welcome it as long as it remains civil and in the name of peace.
Qhortho asks about how far the Crane land stretches as to ensure they do not accidentally trespass in the future. She tells him that is the entire area around the lake and these forests. He questions her about whether she has plans to press her boundaries beyond those points, to which she replies that she does not, and never has had plans to do so.
SYDRA: We were the ones attacked long ago and were displaced from these lands. We came back and fought them off. We came to an armistice in the name of peace generations ago. We have coinhabited these lands for at least 40 years.
QHOR: Well it looks like they’re out of your hair permanently now. So you’re welcome. And I guess we’ll be on our way.
As he turns to leave, the cranes surrounding them morph into their human forms.
SYDRA: As I said, we are peaceful, but we remain committed to defending our lands. Right now, you are the only threats here.
Qhortho turns to face Sydra.
QHOR: We are no threat unless attacked.
TYRONE: The Children were involved. Perhaps it was in a different area?
QARZ: Is there a different area where Children of the Forest exist?
SYDRA: Upon our return, we drove a wedge between two factions of the Children. One faction stayed here and remained peaceful, the other faction wanted nothing but vengeance. They left the region for the capitol of the Children farther north at the Gods Eye. They knew staying here was a losing battle.
ARAN: Perhaps we made a mistake in assuming these were the Children behind the threat. This information has been very useful and I apologize for all of us for the trouble caused here today. We will leave at once.
Sydra nods in acceptance and the men and women surrounding the party provide a gap so they may make their exit.
Aran asks Sydra if she’d like to hang out for the night and spend the evening with them before leaving the region. With a wink, she says, “I have other things to do.” She spins around, her flowing hair sweeping out, briefly revealing one breast and her ass before falling into place. She then transforms into a crane and takes off towards the sky.
Aran leans over to Qarzdaq.
ARAN: The crazy ones are always the best.
Qarzdaq bursts out in laughter, but his mind quickly returns to the gravity of the situation as he looks around at the people still surrounding them. They all transform and take to the skies, leading them in the direction of the lake. They leave the area, following the direction of the birds and exiting the forest much sooner than expected. Although it took all day to reach that clearing, it takes well under an hour to return to the lake area.
Visions
Once they feel more secure in their surroundings, they discuss the various routes to Gods Eye. In the end, they decide to head east along the path, then along the merchant path north until they reach the Gold Road. From there, Rolan will provide the leadership to travel directly through the more hilly and mountainous region, so they may arrive at their destination with haste.
They decide it’s best to make camp by the lake and set out in the morning.
While making camp, Qhortho approaches Tyrone.
QHOR: If anyone is going to be attacking anyone irrationally, it’s going to be me.
TYRONE: Fair enough. But you must understand that I have been searching for this force for quite some time. There is no one else that can take on this task. If it were not for me and for you all, there would be no saving all of humanity.
QARZ: Well, we’re not there yet.
TYRONE: No, we’re not. And it will be a difficult road.
ARAN: You keep telling us these stories…
TYRONE: We do have more information now, do we not?
QARZ: We do, but…
TYRONE: But, we do not have quite enough. Perhaps it is worth communing with the Amulet again. To have another vision.
Qarzdaq agrees and hands over the Amulet.
Tyrone looks at Qarzdaq, then the rest of the group.
TYRONE: If anything goes wrong here, hit me and break my concentration. The artifacts will fall and I’ll be snapped out of it. If I am unresponsive and you are uncomfortable, you have my permission to stop me in any way you wish. I will not hold it against you.
They all agree. Some of them almost hope something goes wrong so they get their chance to hit Tyrone. I won’t name names though… but it sounds like “whore” “foe”…
While holding both, Tyrone focuses on them simultaneously and they begin to pulse lightly before emitting a constant glow. A light wooshing sound accompanies the winds picking up around them.
One of Tyrone’s eyes retains its deep blue, but the other picks up a tinge of red. His head snaps to a direction mostly north, and he shuffles slowly in that direction, dragging his feet. He begins to lean forward until his toes are pointed and dragging, almost levitating. It is clear he is being pulled in that direction by some force.
A few moments later, he snaps out of it and stumbles forward. Both artifacts land on the ground just out of his reach. He shakes his head and grabs the Tear of Life. Qarzdaq rushes over to grab the Amulet of Lightbringer.
ARAN: So what’d you see?
TYRONE: The form of the threat is in a weirwood forest. It DOES have to do with the Children, but it is the group in weirwoods farther north, they are more powerful. We must go at once! It seems Lady Sydra was telling the truth.
QHOR: So we just killed a bunch of innocent Children of the Forest?
QARZ: Well, maybe you did, I didn’t actually kill anybody.
ARAN: Anything else we should know?
TYRONE: There was something that looked like a giant eye, but it didn’t seem to be looking at anything.
QARZ: Freaking visions… Hate ’em.
TYRONE: Visions are the worst… but they are also the best. Which almost sounds like a vision itself.
Qhortho leans over to Rolan and whispers, “this guy’s lost his mind.” Rolan looks at him wearily, unsure of what his future with this group holds.
They finish setting up camp and follow their normal watch rotations.
While performing their morning rituals, Rolan finds the gem in his ring is cracked. He leaves it as is, knowing they have quite some time before reaching their destination. They travel east that day until nightfall. As they make camp, Tyrone stops.
TYRONE: Something… isn’t right…
Known Attacker
Tyrone is suddenly struck by an arrow. The Tear of Life instantly glows a bright blue, and he immediately springs into action. He lights the area with magic so powerful that it looks as if it is Daylight. Their attacker is now clearly visible. A hooded clock prevents them from seeing his face, but he appears to be alone.
Qhortho and Aran mount their horses and charge forward towards the cloaked man. Qarzdaq Hastens Tyrone and Rolan. The archer hits Aran with an arrow. Rolan his hunting skills to mark the attacker and strikes him with an arrow. Tyrone dashes an astonishing 120 feet then looks to the skies and calls lightning to blast their foe. After the blast, Qhortho goes into a rage and tramples the man and he falls to the ground. The man barely evades the pummel of the horse’s hooves, smashing down just beside his head and providing the perfect opportunity for Qhortho to slash him with his Valyrian blade.
Seeing as the cloaked man is prone, Aran takes advantage of the situation to trample the man further, following up with his glaive. Judging by his scrambling movements, the man looks to be in bad shape. He pushes off the ground to get on his knees and tosses his bow to the side. He lowers his hood to reveal it is Jonah Bick. He holds his hands in the air, showing he is no longer armed or a threat.
JONAH: Alright guys, you got me.
Rolan, still at a distance, lowers his bow, and walks to the edge of the bright light, being careful not to make himself an easy target.
Tyrone runs towards the surrendering enemy, dismissing the clouds above in the process. When he gets close enough to see him clearly, he casts Hold Person, not trusting what the Great Jonah Bick has up his sleeve, or in his cloak, as it were.
In Qhortho’s mind, this man is forever a threat and cannot live. He leaps from his saddle, eyes still black with the Stallion’s rage, too blind to see or care that Jonah had yielded. Maybe it is his frustration from not being able to find Byff, maybe his hatred of Jonah from the first day they met, maybe his memory of Jonah running from the fight like that coward Shadowsilver. It doesn’t matter. All that matters now is cutting Jonah down.
He lands on his feet in front of the frozen attacker and without a moment’s hesitation sweeps his Valyrian Steel blade through Jonah’s neck. Jonah’s eyes frozen in recognition and hubris as his head tumbles off his shoulders, falling to the ground at Qhortho’s feet. His hands thump to the ground alongside as they happened to be raised at neck-height.
ARAN: Qhortho! He may not be an honorable man, but you don’t need to resort to dishonor as well!
QHOR: There are no second chances in the game of life!
Qhortho spits on the still upright body and stows his blade on his back. Tyrone drops the hold and Jonah falls over like a tree bound for the mill.
They discuss the situation at length and determine that he was the one who attacked them in Highgarden and that he was hired by someone fairly wealthy. They are unsure of who this might be, but now they may never know. Given that Rolan has no idea who Jonah Bick was, they tell him of their history with Jonah and the lore that surrounded him.
They loot his body, finding the equivalent of over twenty platinum in coin and some interesting items. Among the coins on his body, there is one that stands out. It is of a steel-gray or silvery-white coloring with an X carved into it. It feels as hard as iron. They also find a few potions, or maybe they are poisons, and a gear attached to the shaft of a key. The gear teeth are irregularly spaced and a few teeth appear to be missing. Then there are his swords. He called them his Everpoison Swords and they are quite unique. They feel very off-balance and will probably require some practice to use effectively. Who knows if these will even be sellable.
They divide the coins and Aran takes the remaining wares, the value of which will be determined in town and divided at that point.
Before they rest for the night, Qarzdaq sacrifices Jonah’s body to R’hllor.
QARZ: Fire consumes us all as death takes us. May the Lord of Light judge him as he may judge each of us.
They can sleep better tonight knowing he is out of the picture.
Investigating Taverns
The next morning, they awake to a clear day. They perform their morning rituals and continue east. After a few days, they find the merchant trail and head north. A few more days pass before they reach Golden Grove.
They ride up to the central tavern and dismount, intending to ask a few questions.
Qarzdaq approaches the barkeep, orders a drink, and asks about who might be inclined to hire Jonah Bick. The barkeep says that he knows of the name but has never met the man.
Qhortho asks about Byff, telling him that he’s a big ugly asshole. The barkeep doesn’t know of whom he speaks but says there are a few people in the tavern right now that match that description.
Qhortho glances around and, although the barkeep is correct, there are big ugly assholes aplenty, none of them are his big ugly asshole.
Qarzdaq asks what he knows about House Crane. The barkeep just mentions that it was an old House, long gone now, that was seated by Red Lake. They tell him that House Crane is on the verge of coming back and not all of them are dead.
ARAN: And Lady Crane is smoking hot.
BARKEEP: Maybe I’ll have to become Lord Crane!
QARZ: You should hear the sounds she makes!
BARKEEP: Oh wow – it sounds like you’ve already got a leg up there!
They have a laugh and continue small talk for a bit.
Qarzdaq asks about how the town and the vendors are faring. The barkeep tells him that ever since the Ocean Road has been opened up, their sleepy town has finally returned to its sleepy state.
ARAN: It’s a real shame whoever did that.
BARKEEP: It’s actually kind of nice. We’ve gone back to having our general traffic of miners from Silverhall.
QARZ: That’s where we’re headed next. Anything we should know about that route?
BARKEEP: Not too much, though I’d steer clear of pushing too far north and into the mountains. There have been reports of a bear infestation of sorts. They’ve all but devastated a small mining town up that way.
Qhortho tells him they travel towards danger and they are the Arms of the Reach. He goes on to tell the barkeep that they are knights of the realm. Although he admits he has not heard of them, he is impressed by their claims.
ARAN: Well maybe we should go look up that way for Byff, he may have been confused when he heard there were a bunch of miners up there!
They finish their drinks over a few more jokes then continue on their way north.
It takes about a week to arrive at Silverhall, over which time Rolan’s gemstone in his Ring of Universatility crumbles to a fine dust. They enter town in late morning to find a few taverns already serving numerous patrons. None of the other small shops in town are busy. They enter one of the taverns.
Aran asks one of the prostitutes trolling for business if they’ve seen or heard of Byff. She says she hasn’t but offers her services. Aran declines and tells her they’d be back later.
Qarzdaq asks the barkeep whether he knows of Jonah Bick. He says he knows of the name but only in the way of stories, not anything credible. Qarzdaq tells him that their party is looking to hire him.
BARKEEP: For what, if I may ask? I may not be able to help you get in touch with Jonah Bick, but I may be able to put you in touch with someone who offers the services you seek.
QARZ: We’re hiring him for this…
He flips the barkeep a gold piece who catches it and holds it out resting in the palm of his hand.
BARKEEP: But… for… I mean… for what… serv…
Qarzdaq uses his mage hand to pluck the gold coin from the man’s hand.
QARZ: Well, I thank you for your help. Would you like to hear about the Lord of Light?
BARKEEP: I’d be happy to, if you’d like to buy a drink?
Stalling for just a moment, he asks about some bear attacks in the area. The Barkeep tells him that occurred up north a little ways.
BARKEEP: A small gold mining settlement by the name of Goldentooth that supplies, well, supplied gold to the Lannisters, who were providing security. Last I heard there was a bear population explosion that killed off many of the workers and guards. The Lannisters pulled their support after that and the settlement is in shambles.
The group discusses whether they should go help this settlement. Tyrone objects, stating that the world’s fate rests on them stopping the Children of the Forest at the Gods Eye.
TYRONE: If you insist, I would stick with you on the journey, if for no other reason than to complete the task quickly.
They discuss how long it would take and potential rewards. Knowing the Lannisters were involved and their thirst for gold, there probably is.
Qarzdaq asks the barkeep about potential rewards.
BARKEEP: The Lannisters can be pricks but if you do something to help their wallets, they are likely to pay you fairly.
QHOR: Do they really pay their debts?
BARKEEP: The stories say they do.
The group says that means they’d have to travel all the way back to Casterly Rock to collect such payment and that is very far out of the way. They call a vote and since Qhortho is the only one voting to check out the settlement, they decide to proceed directly to Gods Eye.
Before leaving, they ask the barkeep about the silver-grey coin they “found” near Red Lake.
BARKEEP: I don’t know exactly what that is, and I can say with certainty that no one I know would know what that is either.
He smirks.
BARKEEP: But if I were a guessing man, I might guess it has to do with the Thieves Guild in Oldtown. I would never know that for sure as I am a man of strictly legal foundation.
QARZ: I see… Well, then we’ll be on our way.
Qarzdaq tosses the barkeep an electrum coin.
They leave the tavern and proceed north towards Deep Den. They arrive in town and ask the local tavern’s barkeep a few questions.
QARZ: Barkeep, what is your name good man?
FLYMPH: The name’s Ralf, though I write it a bit strange. My parents were well-educated and taught me to read and write early in life, but they were also heavy users of a local magi’s potions. Long story. What can I do for you?
QARZ: Who am I to judge?
FLYMPH: It looks as if you are from the Red Temple. That would mean you do judge.
QARZ: The Lord of Light judges us all. So what can you tell us about a guy named Byff?
FLYMPH: Byff… Byff… Hmmm… you know, there was some big ugly asshole that I think went by that name.
QARZ: Now we’re getting somewhere! That sounds like him!
FLYMPH: it was a about a month and a half ago or so. We had to kick him out. I think we was headed east. Seemed to be a drifter to me.
Aran comments that’s the way they’re headed. Thinking about the timeframe, this would have been about the time Byff was headed to Highgarden, before their knighting banquet.
They ask about Jonah Bick and tell Flymph that they killed him. Qhortho jumps in to say that he was the one who killed Jonah. Flymph doesn’t have any other useful information about Jonah.
Qarzdaq asks about the bear situation farther north and corroborates the information they already have. He suspects the bears were driven from somewhere else since a bear population doesn’t just escalate that quickly overnight.
Going Offroad
They leave the tavern and depart the road, choosing to travel directly to the Gods Eye through the hilly and mountainous terrain. Rolan provides the leadership needed to traverse the terrain most effectively.
Qarzdaq asks a little more about Rolan’s past and how, as a man of Iron, he knows how to travel the mountains with ease. Rolan describes that he spent much time in the Mountains of the Moon in Strongsong, near the Eyrie. It is there where he also learned to track the Children.
After about a week or so, they hear voices up ahead. Rolan hears them first and cautions everyone to slow. That’s when the smell them. Ogres.
They peek over a ridge to see three very large Ogres squabbling about who should get the fourth giant rat roasting on the firepit. Each of the Ogres believes they are stronger than the other two and deserves it. They debate gets more heated as they begin pushing each other, but it does not appear to be escalating beyond that point.
Rolan casts Pass Without Trace on the group and they sneak around to position themselves to ambush the Ogres.
Qarzdaq reaches for his Deck of Illusions and tosses a random card beyond the Ogres to cause them to look the other way. A demonic Erinyes appears near the card, surprising the Ogres.
OGRE 1: What’s that?
OGRE 2: What? Oh that!
OGRE 3: Hey, who are you?? This is our hill!
Qhortho goes into a rage and charges on horseback, heavily slashing one of the Ogres. The Ogre turns towards him, ready to strike with his greatclub.
Qarzdaq quickly casts Haste on Aran and Qhortho. Aran follows Qhortho and swings recklessly at another Ogre, but is evaded. The battle continues until Qhortho slays the first Ogre.
OGRE 2: Hey! You killed my brother!
QHOR: And now I am going to kill you!
They all continue attacking until Aran kills the last two, one right after the other.
After having the roasted giant rats for dinner, they make camp and continue on their way come morning.
In the late afternoon a few days later, now Day 393, they see the town of Stony Sept in a valley.
The party has gained 2,360 XP on this segment of their journey, now at 42,360 total XP, and only 5,640 XP away from new abilities.