20150612
Andrew F. (GM)
Ben B. (Hubert The Wizard)
Jacob L. (Ievos The Ranger, w/ Wyn The Dire Wolf)
Star S. (Polly The Druid)
Characters:
Hubert:
- 100+ years old, academic from main land.
- On sabbatical to study necromantic ritual he found in library, just because it is there to study.
- Is helping with a ritual to treat saws and equipment to better process graybark timber.
- Has been tasted by a Dire Bat in the Graybark Forest. Does the bat want more?
- Has befriended a pet Death Mole (below), which has bonded particularly with his left hand.
- What is this significance?
- Has learned that his unseen servants are unique, and that the death mole can consume them. Are these the spirits of former mages, bound in death to serve the living?
Polly:
- born an elf, but identifies as a parrot.
- willingly serves as Hubert’s ‘familiar’ – Hubert hasn’t quite noticed even though he has seen * * Polly in various forms, he hasn’t noticed the transition.
can revert to parrot or elf form upon exhaustion of hold, or switch between the two at will. - is looking for druid friend Esmerelda, who identifies as a monkey and captured by wizards of Hubert’s university for use as a lab animal.
- Knows (or suspects?) that the wizard order is Up To Something in the Graybark Forest.
- Believes in preserving balance to nature and leaving no footprints.
- How will she react to necromantic rituals and death moles if that becomes an issue with Hubert?
Ievos & Wyn:
- Carries a fine elven bow, in family for generations.
- Fought a female Dire Wolf in Graybark, and is well known for surviving. Took its eye… did it survive?
- Rides Wyn, Dire Wolf, into battle.
- Respects nature, but brooks no fools; will punish predators for thinking him prey.
- Concerned that the Death Moles in particular are a foreboding omen, and convinced that Wyn senses something too.
- Has three baby dire bats, rescued from nest; they have bonded with Wyn.
Places:
Graybark Forest – towering trees with iron-like wood. Home to many varieties of dire creatures (including Dire variants) that stalk the wood. Rumor is these are the gods’ own protectors of the sacred wood.
Indigo Jungle – far away, home to another kind of elf. Language there is a strange dialect to elves near Graybark.
Flora:
Elondra’s Orchids grow in the Graybark Forest, in places where death gathers outside the light of the sun. In this case, at the bottom of a cliff, beneath the barrow of an assassin vine. These sapphire blue orchids are run through with deep violet marbling, and are named after Elondra.
- How are the Orchids used in necromantic rituals?
- Why do they smell of ozone when used in magical ritual?
Fauna:
Dire Bats swarm in small groups, seeking easy prey. Tend to gather small trinkets. One has tasted Hubert and lived.
Assassin Vines attack the unwary traveller. Highly susceptible to fire.
Death Moles have no signs of life, except that they wiggle and run around, can be quite playful, and bond quickly to individuals. Curiously, they seem to feed off of spiritual energies.
- How are these moles tied to spirits/death?
- Are they dangerous?
- How can they be used?
People:
Tiny, a bandit leader, camped a few miles outside of the Village of Graybark.
Instinct: (redacted – time will tell)
Knack: (redacted – time will tell)
- (redacted – time will tell)
- (redacted – time will tell)
Ulfred, a princess in disguise. She is in hiding among the bandits. She is the daughter of Seawich royalty. her mother was a student of Hubert, and they had a chance encounter in the Graybark Forest, to their mutual surprise.
Instinct: (redacted – time will tell)
Knack: stunning looks
- What does Ulfred seek to devour?
- Is Seawich the human capital across the sea?
- Is Ironcurl a colony of Seawich still, or an independent trade partner?
Deities:
Elondra, She-Who-Walks-the-Cold-Halls; She-Who-Welcomes-Us-Home. An elven deity associated with death. A grim reaper aspect, she guides the lost souls to rest.
Items of interest:
Graybark Compass, a small handheld compass that seems to point toward the nearest elder Graybark trees. Looted from Tiny.
- What is special about “elder” trees?
- How does the compass distinguish them?
- What is the compass’ range?
- What use was it to the bandits?
- Does Tiny want it back?