Session 10

October 28th

Della is out in the woods, looking for somewhere farther out with a clear landmark they can head towards and navigate from. From a high point they see a large outcropping with mostly moss and lichen, but one large dead tree standing alone. They head in that direction and find that the closer they get, the more barren the plant life seems to become. Shorter, tough grasses, nothing lush.

In the distance they see a herd of yak and a lone farmer tending to them, and upon that sight wrap their shawl back around their shoulders before doubling back. As the sun crosses the sky they start to realize the outcropping is further away than they anticipated. After picking up the pace they manage to make it to the base of the outcropping just as the light begins to fade. Rather than climb up to the dead tree they decide to set up their camp in a well hidden cave. So well hidden, in face, they feel suspicious that it may have been covered up on purpose.

They mutter a quick prayer, and squeeze into the crack to see what's inside. The cave goes surprisingly deep and down. Somewhere deep into the darkness, Della’s feet kick at some old bones they quickly identify as being animals. Unfortunately, they carry on and find an unlit sconce fixed to the wall. It occurs to them more now that the tunnel seems too uniform to be natural, while also not seeming to be obviously man-made.

As Della uneasily stops to set up for camp their foot kicks something again, prompting them to stop and look over. On the ground is a pair of metal manacles.

There’s a woman behind the counter with long black hair pulled into a tight bun, wearing a simple dress. V makes their reservations for three private rooms for the next two nights. Ophelia asks the barkeep then what the food is like at the inn, and she describes some of the local foods she has on hand, including yak meats, dandelion, and rosehip tea.

When he asks about the quartz temple, the barkeep reveals that the temple is sort of … not defunct, but not in use the way it once was. It was likely used previously for Gall, presumably a dwarven god, but he had later decreed that only places of industry were to be used for his worship. Eden asks if there are any other temples or similar establishments, and she recommends the House of Aphaeleon.

Aphaeleon, arch seraph of temperance, the resilient one, domain of peace, formerly an angel of Meria, god of joy.

The party splits up at that point.

Feli and V head off in search of a hunters guild, and they’re able to ask a pair of city guards for directions. Ophelia notices there’s a pretty large presence from the guards around the city, they’re never out of sight of one of the formally dressed city guards. The only thing they notice that seems out of place in the city, frankly, is V with his giant stature. But they make it to the hunters guild without incident, and find an inconspicuous building with a sign leaning against the wall that reads “Hunter’s Guild #3670”.

Inside they found an unattended desk and a dwarf on a rocking chair, seemingly asleep. V and Feli discuss their game plan briefly, and agree not to reveal their goal of hunting the beast. Ringing the bell on the counter wakes the old man, who is a little surprised to see them but greets them nevertheless. Though he says he can’t formally give them work as they’re not guild members, he can direct them towards someone he refers to as a trusted colleague in a place called the Needy Hunter. He tells them if they ask for Yandurim they’ll get plenty of information. V also asks about armor, which the dwarf recommends to him a place/person named Curt’s also on the north side of town, the direction of the Needy Hunter.

Though unsettled by the manacles, Della decides to set up camp. They unpack food, water, and their own set of manacles. Before going further they say a prayer and an apology as they set out a circle of dry bluebells around themselves. They set a spoke in the ground, then cuffs their hands behind their back.

As the moon rises overhead their body begins its painful transformation. Their skin shifts, stretching over bones that crack into new shapes. Della’s skull splits to accommodate the horns that sprout on either side.

Eden easily finds his way to the House of Aphaeleon, which looks more like a keep than a house or a cottage. The courtyard outside is surrounded by a gate, and inside is a slice of natural landscape. Various carvings depict an old man sitting in an orb of some kind, which Eden knows to be Aphaeleon. People are inside sitting and milling about the garden, enjoying the space. A set of large wooden doors open into a common area, with part of the room cordoned off for administrative work.

A dwarf woman sitting at the front desk greets him and asks his business, he asks if there would be anyone he could speak to, cleric or otherwise, looking for someone he could ask about religion. She goes and returns with a monk, a man in his mid-30s who introduces himself as Monulf. He notes Eden’s presence as a cleric of Aurelia is odd, and finds it even more strange that Eden clarifies he isn’t affiliated with the Hearthkeepers. Eden tells him about the vision V had of the donkey, and the man invites him back to his office to discuss it further.

-Dude says he knows something similar, but not quite the same
-Puts his scroll away and starts trying to ask about V, what he looks like, but Eden isn’t forthcoming
-A bit more back and forth, this guy really doesnt give anything
-Refuses to tell eden anything and insists on questioning V personally
-Eden finally relents and agrees he will ‘speak to V’
-As he leaves, Monulf is clearly leaning down and muttering to the receptionist
-As Eden is leaving, he notices a skinny elf watching him that had watched him going in and decides to go speak with him

The elf is kind enough and welcomes him to conversation. He notes it's surprising that Eden didn’t find what he was looking for when he mentions vaguely what brought him here. Eden questions him about that, and the man says the house helps many kinds of people, some of their own will, some not. The elf does not disclose if he is there of his own free will or not, but says the house has provided him respite. Eden wishes him well finding what he’s looking for but the man clarifies he is not searching for anything. Eden bids him to enjoy the good weather, and the man says he thinks they’ll meet again. He gives a somewhat cryptic explanation that an old age is coming to an end, and a new one is overlapping into the end. As Eden stands to leave he asks the elf’s name, but he’s weird about it, and tells Eden to refer to him as Durz.

Ophelia and V make it to the Needy Hunter, an unimpressive building in what seems to be a seedier part of the town. The building turns out to be a dimly lit, grimy inn, with patrons keeping their heads firmly down. They ask the barkeep about Yandurim, and someone at one of the tables scoffs at the name, with another telling the first to shut up. The second patron invites them over to discuss who is looking for Yandurim. This person seems to know that they’re not part of the guild and they’re looking for work, and in return for his help he asks for them to pay for his tips with rumors. They tell him about the old man, Respite, the raven of ill omen, and his strange donkey.

He says no one wants to talk about it, but there is more than just a few gnome children going missing. A few adults, people with lives, who just disappear into the night, and nobody wants to acknowledge it. They’re people who aren’t maybe the most upstanding, but he says it's strange still. He presses to know who they’re working for, and they admit they’re working under the table for the Hearthkeepers.

With that knowledge, the man goes on to say the people who have gone missing are usually pretty shitty people. Abusive, cruel, etc. Different from the missing children, most likely. The children disappeared in the middle of the day while the adults disappeared in the night.

Della awakens, and this is the first time they have been awake in a while. Their hands are bound, and they are stuck in a cave.

As they try to break out of their chains, they hear many feet shuffling at the entrance of the cave. They struggle harder against their bindings, which reach the sounds of the people in the cave and the people pick up the pace moving towards them. A lone cry, a howl, echoes down the walls. Della recognizes it as a hunting cry. By the dying embers of their fire they see the figures of creatures that are wolf-like, but hybrid. They stand on two legs with the heads of wolves, and fur all over their bodies. The one in the front stands larger than the rest and Della is still trapped by the manacles when the wolf lunges at them.

-

They wake up in a cave, but a different one. And there are now different shackles on their wrists and another pair on their ankles. As they’re getting their bearings, a dwarf comes over and yanks their head up by their hair. The dwarf looks tired, saying in a rough voice, that they’re surprised Della is alive.