Returning To Daggerford

The group returns back to Triel, bringing with them Lorick, the gnome, whom they were asked to recover. Riding on the backs of the giants owls, summoned by Princess Elora, the group alights back down in the city's main square.

By now, the sight of the adventurers and their parliament giant owls is a common sight, and one which brings a throng of excited people. The crowd cheers as they see their beloved gnome returned to them. Lorick is quickly whisked away by the guards who have been waiting for the gnome's return. He is needed to repair the magical augers which are used to load the harvested grain into the storehouses.

The group returns back to the Singing Wind Inn, to find their companions from Daggerford. The others are excited to see them back. They ask when they might be on their way back to their homes in Daggerford. The group begins its preparations to begin the long journey back. But first they decided to check in on Lady Mara.

Arriving at Lord Elvar's mansion, they find servants busily preparing for the wedding. Elvar's son, tightly holding Lady Mara's hand, barks out orders and is excitedly pointing out decoration features and plans to Lady Mara. Lady Mara doesn't even attempt to feign interest.

Lady Mara shrugs and pulls at her confining corsett and dress as if they were shackles. She is excited when she sees the group. She is eager to hear of their adventures. They fill her in but this seems only to fuel her excitement while increasing her frustration at her predicament. They tell her that they will leave in the morning.

Love and Coin Lost

In the morning, after securing horses and wagons, and a fine riding carriage for Gunter they begin to load up their belongings. Gunter is smitten with a fine young women, Gwen Primrose, whom he met in the Singing Wind Inn and, now under her charms has told the group that he is off to travel with his lady love. He bids the others good travels.

Messick is not convinced of the veracity of this newly pronounced love and he is able to pull Gunter aside and speak with him. Once Messick is able to overcome the charm spell he and Gunter return to find Gwen Primrose gone, along with all of Gunter's money.

The group then decides to say their farewells to Lady Mara, and they approach the mansion of Evlar The Grainlord.  Once at the Lord's grounds, they seek out Lady Mara. The bustling staff pause only briefly to tell them that she is indisposed at the moment. When it becomes apparent that the group will not leave without seeing Lady Mara, a elderly matron whispers to the group that the young Lady Mara, has "the trots" and is in the indoor outhouse, the newest thing. It is probably just wedding nerves.

The Great Escape

The group pushes past her and is finally able to find the door to the privy, guarded by two ladies-in-waiting. They call out to her but there is no answer. Suspecting a ruse, Messick calls the others to leave, while he casts a sending to Lady Mara, telling her to meet them at the city gate as they are leaving in a few minutes. This is her chance.

Messick immediately receives a message back in a flurry of excited words, "You'd be so proud of me Messick. I've tied together large wedding napkins which I was to be folding, and I've created a rope and...", the message trails off as she has used up the limit of the spell. But Messick gets the gist.

When the group arrives back at the gate, they find Junia and the others in the caravan, awaiting them, ready to leave. The group looks around for signs of Lady Mara but can find none. Deciding to leave and hope that Lady Mara will eventually catch up with them, they leave the city gates. Once out on the road, the group talks about what they think might have happened to Lady Mara. Princess Elora, hears giggling from atop the carriage among the luggage and Princess Elora's tree friend, Heim.

Lady Mara, bursts forth in dramatic fashion which results in a round of cheers and smiles. She wastes no time in telling the others of her adventures in the escape as they travel down the road heading back to her home of Daggerford.

On the road, Messick decides to do another sending, this time to Elvar The Grainlord. He tells the Lord to seek out the dragon's lair in the nearby mountains in the Forest Of Wyrms. There they will find a dragon corpse. It must be destroyed. The Grainlord is dubious but agrees.

The days pass as the group travels the wild lands, the dangerous lands that lie between settlements.

A Boon From A Stranger

On one day, Princess Elora flies through a nearby wood, collecting berries for the stew, when she hears the sound of a rough tin bell, clanging in the distance. Carefully she flies up into the canopy of the woods in the direction of the sound. She soon finds the source, a sloped back donkey with a bell around its neck. Slowly leading the donkey is a stooped elderly man. He is thin and his clothes are threadbare. As he walks close by underneath the tree in which Princess Elora hides, she uses her sending stone to tell the others what she sees. They ask if she is in danger and she replies that she is unsure.

Just as the man is about to pass by the faerie, he pauses and looks straight up at her. He looks at her and smiles and asks if she might have something to eat. It has been a while since he has eaten. Princess Elora carefully flies down and produces her trove of berries which she has just collected. The man's face lights up with joy as he scoops mouthfuls of the berries and is soon satisfied.

He smiles gently at Princess Elora and says that "one good turn, deserves another". He nods and Princess Elora feels a rush of energy from within. The old man then turns and, makes a quick sound to his donkey and they continue their slow walk through the woods.

Princess Elora has just been granted a boon by an old and almost forgotten god.

Webs In The Night

The day pass once again as they continue their journey.

One evening, as they setup camp, a cold rain mists down upon the caravan and during the watch Azula and Messick seem to notice movement in the surrounding woods. As they awaken the rest of the party, several giant spider-like creatures descend from the treetops and attack.

The group is harassed by the spiders first capturing them in their webs and being pulled in towards the creature's pincers and stingers. Eda is pierced right through and held by a sharp leg and unable to move she is stabbed and bitten repeatedly.

On the other side of the wood a different spider-like creature attacks from behind. This one with more human like arms and a face. It wields a staff and the group finds that it can use magic to protect itself as well as sling damaging spells at them.

As they are finally able to destroy the creatures, the spider-like creature with the human face, as it lies dying pronounces that it will be them that will suffer once "He Who Smiles" arrives.

Arriving Just In Time

After just a few more days, they are excited with the fact that they should arrive back in Daggerford that day. The road has been long and tiring. As they move through the thinning woods a few of them smell a faint odor of smoke upon the breeze. Azula, climbs the nearest tree and sees smoke rising into the air from the direction of Daggerford.

The group speeds along towards Daggerford and once the walls are visible, they see a hoard of demons attacking the city. Two Tanarukks force dozens of small demons with long arms to climb the walls and attack the guards. The group rushes in to aid the city. As they fly upon the backs of Princess Elora's giant owls they drop down on the wall and stand to defend along with the rest of the guards.

As the vile demons scrabble to the top, they release, in unison, a lightning burst which decimates the guards numbers. This happens again and again until there are no more guards left, just the adventurers. The group spreads out to attack the demons while the tanarukks finally make their way to the top of the walls and try to make their way deeper into the city.

Thankfully, the group is able to stop them. When the sound of battle ceases, the hiding citizens emerge and approach the group and begin to thank them. It is then that the group sees that the city is densely packed. It would seem, people from all of the surrounding areas have taken refuge behind the city walls in the days since they have been gone.

Things definitely seem to have gotten worse. As they do.