Session 100 (Special): Malgreve Medley: Burning Vision/Plants Eating Deer/Golden Sap Played on the 6th of February 2020! Present: Mamm Bealdaartsdotter; Rjurik Fighter, lvl 6 (Seraphina Leaf) Galzira Strongshadow; Hanner Sidhe Warlock, lvl 2 (Dewayne C) Vyurakas Arrhuriluas; Hadrachen Sorcerer, lvl 2 (Leon K) Glenn Sturgis; Human Cleric, lvl 1 (Spynx) Locations: Fogrolls, Malgreve (Torovo Temylatin). Brightwood Village, Malgreve (Torovo Temylatin). Having heard so much of the Malgreve from other Cohort members, I gathered a small party to explore it for myself. We made sure to only stick to the area east of the river Grandfather's Tears, as we had been told it was more dangerous to the west, and excepting myself, we had only a small party of relative newcomers. Indeed, it was Glenn Sturgis' first venture with the Cohort since joining. I had heard that human's weren't the most welcome of species in Malgreve, but I was hopeful that things wouldn't turn hostile without provocation. we were dropped off on the bank of the river Argent, which connected with Grandfather's Tears. The boatman told us of a town we could come find him if needed, along the west side of the river northward. We moved north along the river, and made camp on the edge of an area called the Fogrolls. True to it's name, it was filled with heavy fog. Our first night passed peacefully, though during each of our watches, we could see ghostly figures in the fog up ahead. The following morning, we moved into the Fogrolls, which proved to be difficult to move through, slowing our progress. We came across a downed tree, a small part of it on fire. Standing on the side of the tree, a withered creature on fire, focusing on the part of tree on fire. I approached, telling the others to keep a bit of distance, but to be ready to attack just in case. As I approached, I caught a closer glimpse of the fire the creature was focusing on. In the fire I saw a terrible vision. My sweet daughter being attacked and eaten by a giant spider, while I was tied to a chair, unable to help, forced to watch. This vision disturbed and upset me, I tried to get the creature to explain what just happened, and if it were responsible for the vision I just suffered. It paid me no mind, not responding, not moving, nothing. To try and get its attention, I emptied my waterskin onto the fire. It didn't put it out, but it did get the creature's attention, but only for a moment. It looked up and hissed at me, annoyed, but then went back to silently looking into the fire. At that point Vyurakas and Glenn thought it best if we just left, but I was still angry over the vision that was now burning in my memory. I started to stamp on the fire, trying to put it out. This made the creature hostile, and it engaged in melee with myself. I handed it one as my companions attacked from range. The creature's attack set me alight with a painful fire, but I pressed on with my attack, dealing large blows. The creature then moved towards Vyurakas, then Glenn, attacking them both, and setting them alight also. At this point, I knew the creature had to go down asap, and used up a bucketload of my energy to strike it twice; twice, ending the creature's existence, turning it to ash. The fire I saw the vision in, also disappearing. I then put out the flames on me, as well did Vyurakas on himself, however Glenn passed out from his burns. We put out the fire on him, and Vyurakas healed him with a spell. We had a quick look around the area. Vyurakas found some mushrooms and thought nothing of eating some of them, which he did. Glenn gathered the fiery creatures remains, recognizing them as the ashes of a Firegeist. I checked the logs, and there is no mention of this creature, I will make a point of trying to look up information on this Firegeist. I need to know what this vision was, and hopefully confirm that it was not a vision of the future. We moved a little further into the Fogrolls before resting for the night. The following day, the second in the Fogrolls, was uneventful save for finding a family at a small stream, refilling their waters, which we did too. Not being able to talk their language, we merely waved at them as we arrived, and as they left. Our rest that night was equally uneventful. On our third day in the fogrolls, we came across the tracks of a big cat. We followed them, but they abruptly ended in front of a large plant with a purple flower on its top. Glenn used some magic to set off a tremor on the ground near the plant to see if it would respond. It did, its roots coming out to grab at the empty air. We left the plant be. After that night's rest, we awoke to see much of Vyarakas' skin had turned to treebark. He looked more fey than Hadrachen now. Turns out this started happening not long after he ate the mushrooms, but he had hidden it from us. Concerned, and having no idea what to do, we decided to go and try and get help at the town we had been told about on arrival by the boatman. We made our way out of the Fogrolls and moved along the river. After two days of following the river, our camp was approached by a creature during my watch. I woke the others. This fungus covered creature called itself Gryzvald, though it took me a while to realise this, as he spoke in the third person. Gryzvald said it would get revenge against outsiders for killing Gryzvald. I asked Gryzvald how if he was killed, was he still here. Gryzvald said because great white never dies. Glenn and Galzira then offered food. Gryzvald said he would only accept a white stag. I and Vyurakas turned him away. He walked off into the darkness, continuing his talk of revenge. A few more days passed as we journeyed to the town, following the river. On our way, we came across tracks, that we could tell were made were made by a creature made of bark, or at least their feet were. Vyurakas, understandably, wished to seek this creature out, so we rested, and the following day, we followed the tracks to a little village. A woman, whose skin was made out of treebark, approached us. She spoke in a language that only Vyurakas understood. Vyurakas told us that she was inviting us into the village, so we followed her into a little home, built into a tree. We sat down around a table as Vyurakas talked with her. Occasionally translating parts of what she said. Her name was Whithop. Whithop said that the mushroom was turning Vyurakas into one of her people; a Piney. We learned the name of the village; Brightwood Village. Whithop's father; "Hoom", joined us at the table. The conversation continued, revealing the Piney's apposition to Gods, Hoom was especially insulting to anyone who worshiped any God. I held onto my protestations at this close-mindedness, though the Cleric; Glenn, had to be told to be quiet. Though the Piney's couldn't understand him anyway, so no harm done. The Piney's were interested in what the Cohort was, and Vyurakas translated my description of the Cohort. It included mention of the Cohort opposition to the Primordial Gods, which they took great interest in, and Hoom suggested that their village send some Pineys over to the Cohort to aid in this mission. We later got confirmation that Piney's are being sent over to Fabrica to join the Cohort Arcanum. The Piney's then said that for Vyurakas to become one of them, a blood sacrifice would be undertaken for his intuition. We were relieved to realise that they meant an animal sacrifice, though Glenn was still upset by the notion of an animal sacrifice. We were told to bring the animal back alive. We went out to the forest, tracking and trapping a deer to bring for Vyurakas' initiation. The Piney tied down the deer, and beckoned Vyurakas forward to take the first bite. The deer was not killed beforehand. Vyurakas crept down, whispered some words, and took a bite. As he did so, the Piney all ran at the deer, partaking in its flesh themselves. Once the Pineys were done eating, the bodies bloomed flowers, Vyurakas blooming flowers also, his body entirely made of bark, his transformation into a Piney complete. The deer carcass' blood poured into the ground, sprouting roses from the earth. Magic seems to be infused with everything here. The Pineys then took the deer's body and burned what was left of its body in a magic fire. Whitlop asked if Vyurakas if he would keep his name, or adopt a Piney name. He decided to take a Piney name, and chose the name "Brbl", pronounced "Burble" I believe, though it sometimes sounded like Whitlop was calling him purple. After a rest and a meal, we said our goodbyes to the Piney for now. We headed down south, as we had come from the north, and Brbl wanted to see as much of his new home as possible before having to head back. On the second day searching this forest, we came across a little pixie, that was using a hammered in golden spigot to draw a golden, sticky, viscous sap out of a tree. Curious as to what the sap was, we tried opening communications with the Pixies, but to no avail. The Pixie was protective of its bucket of sap, and put up its hands whenever Glenn tried to approach. The others decided to wait for the pixie to be done with the tree so we could get some of the sap. I grabbed a bit of wood from another tree, and began carving a little boat for the pixie, noting that it had been playing in the sap. I felt I might as well if we were waiting around. However, our waiting was quickly interrupted by and Owlbear approaching, sniffing at the smell of the sap. We stood in its way of the pixie, intimidating it a little, making it back off a bit, but it tried to circle around to get at the sap. I followed it around, until it seemed to get back its nerve and approach me. Just as it looked like the Owlbear was going to attempt a strike, it turned into another pixie. Relieved, I chuckled, having heard of Pixie's penchant for being tricksy. The two pixies joined each other, seeming quite cheerful. The waved at us, and flew off, leaving behind the bucket. Presuming what had just happened to a test by the pixies, to see if we were worthy of the sap or something, we took some, though not all, and left the bucket behind for the pixies. I finished carving my little boat, accidentally making one big enough for two pixies, and I left it behind on the edge of the bucket. Glenn also left behind some incense. My magically inclined companions reckoned that the spigot had given this sap some magic qualities. The rowan tree sap we had, seemed to have healing qualities. Other trees may have provided different benefits. Might be worth getting someone to come back who can actually communicate with the pixies. Unfortunately, 24 hours after the sap had been taken from the tree, it had lost its magic. So, now, we just had some tree sap. After that, we felt we had done enough exploring of the Malgreve for now, and headed back to Fabrica. Mamm Bealdaartsdotter
