#hinter wildtree

[we-are-a-dragon]

DM: The BBEG begins chanting again. He slices the dagger across the back of his hand and lets his blood run over the wooden eye. The townsfolk start to groan again.

Lyra (playing Hesty): I wonder... Could I try to take the eye off him?

M (playing WA): *eyes light up* God, yes. I was thinking about putting out his candle, but that's even better.

DM: You don't need to make a check to put out the candle, you can just snuff it.

M: I do that, then.

DM: BBEG snarls with displeasure.

Lyra: I make a grab for the eye.

DM: You miss, unfortunately.

M: I also want to grab for the eye.

DM: As he leans away from Hesty, you reach up and snatch it from his hands.

M: Yes! Now what?

Adam (playing Harriet): Throw it to me!

Hamish (playing Hunter): Oh my god, play keep-away with the BBEG.

M: Yes! I throw it to Harriet.

DM: He roars with anger.

Adam: I run to the side door and attempt to leave.

DM: As you run into the corridor, you come face to face with the two Faceless who Gregor locked out earlier, who have circled around the hall.

Adam: Oh, shit! I run back into the hall and use the front doors instead!

DM: Alright, you have left the hall with the main ritual item. That certainly puts a spanner in the BBEG's plans.

[we-are-a-dragon]

DM: The BBEG continues chanting his ritual. The paralysed townsfolk begin to groan in discomfort as if they're being drained in some way.

M (playing WA): I stab him in the ankle. I know D&D doesn't have targeted wounds, but I like to think it makes a difference.

DM: He fails his concentration check to continue the ritual.

M: Yes!

DM: He snarls. "Cease! You have no idea what you're interfering with!" He raises his hand and creates a blast of energy pushing everything around him back.

Lyra (playing Hesty): Everything? Does that include his allies?

DM: Yes... And amazingly, he only hits his allies.

Lyra: Amazing.

Adam (playing Harriet): I want to make a Diplomacy check. "You're right, we don't know what you're doing! So tell us!" Er, that's a 12.

DM: He laughs humourlessly.

Adam: I forgot I'm not playing Billie.

M: I'm surprised the BBEG doesn't want to monologue.

DM: Look, he's tempted, but he's not 12 Diplomacy tempted.

[we-are-a-dragon]

DM: You have the BBEG tied up on the stage.

Hamish (playing Hunter): I don't trust him. I want to non-lethally knock him out.

DM: Alright, you dash his head against the stage and his eyes roll back.

Lyra (playing Hesty): I want to search his pockets.

DM: You find a handful of gold, a journal, and a blue jewel lined with red cracks.

Lyra: Is this the missing Keystone??

DM: It fits the description you had, except for the glowing blood-red material within the cracks all over its surface.

Rach (playing Gregor): Can I do an Arcana check?

DM: The jewel is extremely magical, but you also sense a demonic presence.

Rach: Ah. That explains a lot.

[we-are-a-dragon]

DM: The final event of the first day of the festival of Corellon is an evening concert by the Bards' Guild.

Lyra (playing Hesty): I'm keen.

Andy (playing Diardi): Pity Winnifred's not here, he'd have enjoyed it.

Adam (playing Harriet): No, he wanted to stake out Hinter Wildtree's house between the days of the festival. I'll grab an early dinner and go get settled in across from the house.

M (playing WA): I'll come with you. I can pretend to be a rubbish bin or something.

DM: Roll... a Stealth or a Bluff check?

M: I'm joking, I'm just going to hide behind a rubbish bin.

[we-are-a-dragon]

Lyra (playing Hesty): I want to read the journal I took from Hinter Wildtree when we get back to the inn.

DM: It turns out his real name is Jorgan Felldale. His diary reveals that he is half-orc, half-elf. His mother was an orc who got pregnant with an elven ally, and after she died unexpectedly the father raised baby Jorgan himself. Unfortunately his extended family were openly racist toward the young mixed-race boy and his father didn't try to stop them. He was raised in the elven tradition and learned archery and magic. He grew to hate his 'family'. When he came of age he left to seek out orcs and learn about the other side of his heritage. He fell in with a traditionalist group of Gruumsh worshippers and they nurtured his resentment toward his elven upbringing. He converted to Gruumsh, tore out his own eye, and swore vengeance on everything elven.

Lyra: Cool motive, still murder...

DM: He travelled to Theriya and took a cleaning job at the museum, polymorphing himself into an elf to get close to Corellon worshippers. He found the broken Keystone in a museum vault and created a pact with a demon to restore its power, in return for his blood. He knew it would eventually kill him, but it was worth it to him as he put together his plan to heal Gruumsh's missing eye.

Hamish (playing Hunter): *raises eyebrows* Can he do that?

DM: He reckoned if he could restore Gruumsh's eye it would put him on a power level to challenge and this time defeat Corellon. Jorgan learned of a ritual created by a splinter cult of Bane designed to heal their god if he was ever grievously harmed in his ancient conflict, and travelled there to learn the ritual. Once they had taught him what he needed, he used the Keystone to dominate them and transform them into the Faceless. When he returned to the city he tracked down a powerful symbol of Corellon, the god who had wounded Gruumsh, which he needed for the ritual to work.

Marijn (playing Winnifred): Shame's necklace.

DM: Indeed. The rest is history.

[we-are-a-dragon]

DM: You don't see anything of note while staking out Hinter Wildtree's house.

Adam (playing Harriet): I actually am only going to watch for the first part of the night. I need to sleep because I want to run in the race tomorrow.

M (playing WA): I say, "Off you go. I do not need to sleep."

DM: The next morning there are three races. There's a hundred metre race mainly aimed at kids, a 500-metre race, and a marathon.

Adam: I want to do the marathon.

DM: I looked up marathon run times and a trained athlete - which you technically are, besides being a harefolk - can do it in between 2-4 hours. Please roll to see how fast you are.

Adam: That's a 26, babee!

DM: Alright, nice, you run it in not much more than 2 hours. I'll roll to see where you place... That's a cool third place.

Adam: Aw. Still, I'm pretty happy with my personal time.

[we-are-a-dragon]

Harriet (harefolk cleric): I'm going to go back and cast lay on hands on Shame Violet.

DM: A little colour comes back into her cheeks and her breathing eases a little, but she doesn't wake.

Harriet: Okay, I'll give her a healing word.

DM: She coughs slightly, then raises her head and blinks a few times. Her eyes suddenly focus and she draws back defensively before seeming to recognise you. "You-"

Hesty (pixie mecha): Are you alright?

DM: "I don't... I don't feel so good..."

Harriet: Do you remember giving us the box?

DM: "Yes! Did you-"

Harriet: We buried it in the woods like you asked.

Party: *awkward pause*

Hesty: *sheepishly* Then we dug it up again. As a fey creature I can confirm that satisfies the wording of your request...

DM: She gives you a 'wtf' look.

Harriet: What happened after you left us?

DM: She rubs her head. "I went to a friend's place. I didn't know if it'd be safe at home. Hinter attacked me! But he tracked me down... I don't remember anything after that."

Hesty: It's okay, you've had a big shock.

DM: She says, "I think I need to lie down..." and her eyes flutter closed. She falls back into that enchanted sleep.

Harriet: We should definitely take her to the temple for healing.

[we-are-a-dragon]

DM: You have successfully stolen a key part of Hinter Wildtree's – or whatever his name is – ritual. He yells for a couple of the Faceless to follow Harriet.

Adam (playing Harriet): I keep running.

DM: The townsfolk closest to the door react as the Faceless lumber out after you, but you're on a side street so there's not such a crowd. They look around and then follow you.

Adam: My speed is 8, and I'm taking 2 run actions this turn.

DM: Harriet has left the map.