Index

Variant Rules

Session 0

Tsavo the werelion came to Zoebeck tracking a merchant who killed his lord (name??) in the Southlands (where??). He discovered the merchant travels to the west in spring/summer and the southlands in autumn/winter. Since it's currently late spring, he's waiting in the docks area for the merchant to return rather than chase him across the rest of the continent and possibly miss him on the way. The merchant is important enough to have his own warehouse space.

Griggs the bearfolk is from the Northlands, and as a lodge guide gets a bit rowdy when in town. He was armwrestling and such in the bars in the docks.

Entrail Spiller is from the undercity and is attached to the fringes of organized crime. Someone (who??) is currently doing time for a crime he committed (what??).

They were hired to guard one of the first wagon trains through the Old Road in spring when it opened and were three of the ten guards hired initially. On the way up, five guards were killed and were replaced before the return. On the return, the remaining two original were killed along with four other guards. As the only three remaining survivors, they naturally fell in to picking up odd jobs in and around Zobeck... which brings us to today.

While sitting in the bar, the party was approached by Terelsa Garlook (Elsa), someone Entrail Spiller knows as a go-between in Zobeck hired the party to purchase some special honey made from the nectar of a rare purple flower currently blooming in the Margreve. It's "like a little bit of youth". They party will be paid 500gp to retrieve some, and was given a ring of protection +2 to pay for it with (Entrail Spiller is carrying it, but not wearing it). The honey has a purple tinge and radiates magic. The effildawnan blooms near the southern border of the Margreve, well away from the Old Road.

The party travels along the river, then across the southern border to about the middle before entering the woods. Shortly after entering, they encounter a crone who asks for some food. On being fed, she indicates she knows who the party is and what they're looking for and that they can find it to the west. The party is warned to always treat royalty with respect, but that sometimes they need to be corrected. She also mentions that the bees open their homes to those that know the name of Lyla. On being questioned, Baba Migori says that Lyla is imprisoned by the Honey Queen, and she extracts a promise to save here before she heads east to Levoéa

The party turns west, and after traveling for a while notices that their metalwork is rusting quite quickly. They polish it up and continue on their way.

Next they come across a Elsee Barkcot yelling up into a tree. Her son Obidiah is being attacked by a giant spider. The party acts quickly to save the child... Tsavo turns into hybrid form so he can use his claws to help climb the tree, while Griggs and Entrail Spiller have problems getting up the trunk. A near miss with an arrow by Tsavo, and the spider webs Obidiah to the trunk and closes to finish him off. Griggs throws a lance with Thunderous Smite and manages to hit the spider perfectly, killing it instantly. The body of the spider plunges toward the party, and Tsavo leaps nimbly out of the way, but Griggs is knocked from his branch falling about 15 feet through the branches before he manages to catch himself. Tsavo attempts to land with a flourish, but loses his footing and falls twenty feet as well. Entrail Spiller manages to simply step out of the way of the falling spider.

Griggs climbs the rest of the way to Obidiah and rips him free of the webs. The child turns into a hybrid bear form, revealing himself as a werebear. On reaching the ground, the mother is effusive in her thanks and offers to introduce the party to the Margreve. They accept and they are told to cut their palms and spill their blood on the ground. They do so and Elsee Barkcot tells them the forest "knows who they are now". The party does not mention what they're doing in the forest.

They continue to head west, and set up camp... and this is where session 0 ends.

Session 1

Over night, Griggs takes the first watch, Tsavo the middle, and Entrail Spiller has watch until morning. Each notices their metal equipment rusting quite a bit faster than it normally would, and spends time cleaning it.

Before setting out, Entrail Spiller suggests that someone wear the Ring of Protection +2 they are carrying as payment. After some discussion, they decide to have Griggs wear it as he tends to melee combat. The day is uneventful as they trudge west through the Margreve. That night however, while Griggs is on watch, two wolves attack out of the darkness. The wolves don't seem to be sick or injured, so it's very strange they would attack a group that's larger than them. Aside from the perpetual rusting and polishing work, the rest of the night passes without incident.

Heading west again the next day, Tsavo and Entrail Spiller notice a crashing through the woods in front of them. Griggs pushes ahead to investigate and discovers and Alseid (deer centaur) woman with an injured back leg running from an owlbear. Just as Griggs gets within sight, the owlbear mauls the rump of the Alseid and she is limping badly. Entrail Spiller closes quickly and strikes the owlbear, distracting him from his prey long enough for the rest of the party to close around the owlbear. Once surrounded, they quickly dispatch the beast.

Griggs heals Entrail Spiller and the Alseid as much as he can, and the Alseid can walk normally again. Effusively thankful, she reveals that she is an herbalist who was distracted while collecting plants and the owlbear attacked. When she asks what brings the party into the Margreve, they describe the magic honey they've been sent for and she brightens up and explains she can take them to the edge of the glade the honey is from, but is not willing to enter as the effildawnan induce hallucinations. She confirms that there are those in the Margreve who trade for the magical honey, and says they should be able to follow the giant bees back to their nest. She also mentiones that things rust quickly in the Margreve, and they should keep their gear well oiled. With the carcass of the owlbear at hand, they render a few litres of fat, smearing it on their gear, and keeping a bit extra for the journey.

The trip to the glade is without incident, and she bids them farewell at the edge, wishing them luck... they set off across the glade in the direction she indicated. Walking through the purple flowers, there are many honey bees in evidence, but no giant bees as yet. As they push on, Entrail Spiller starts walking oddly, swinging his hips and grinning while Tsavo takes on his hybrid form and starts crawling purposefully along the ground, setting his claws firmly with each step. When questioned by Griggs, Entrail Spiller laughs that it's "not his tail", and Tsavo complains about the steep hill. Tsavo and Entrail Spiller contine to act strangely, talking about cats in trees, goblins behind every bush, and Entrail Spiller even starts flailing his rapier wildly around him yelling about bats.

During this time, they start encountering giant bees also tending to the flowers, mixed in with the many honey bees they have been their constant companions in the glade. None of the bees are aggressive, carrying out their tasks collecting pollen and nectar.

With Entrail Spiller continuing to make noise dealing with the "bats", there is a crashing from a nearby stream. Tsavo and Griggs notice a huge boar turning and fixing its beady eyes on them. Griggs approaches the boar, and the boar charges him, clearly intenting to gore him with his tusks. Tsavo reaches the boar as it's turning around for another pass, and they quickly surround the boar. Unable to break free and charge, the boar is quickly subdued.

Sick of his parties antics, Griggs uses his magic to cure Tsavo and Entrail Spiller of their halucinations. Shortly after this, Griggs notices a young girl dancing in the glade. After a short discussion, Griggs approaches the girl. As he approaches, he discovers she's actually a tight swarm of honey bees holding the shape of a dancing girl. Thinking this may be Lyla, Griggs calls out to her. The girl form turns her head toward Griggs, then dissapates into a cloud of bees which then disperse, and act normally.

The party waits until dusk to follow the giant bees back to their nest and see a giant oak with two roots forming a doorway through which all the bees are streaming in and out. As they approach, they notice that there is light back in the cave. Presuming this is the honey bee nest, they enter the narrow tunnel with Griggs in the lead.

The tunnel opens up quickly to chamber within where a huge old grizzly bear blocks the way. The bear doesn't move to attack, but is clearly not going to let the party past. Griggs attempts to talk to the bear, saying they're here to see the Honey Queen to purchase some magic honey, but the bear doesn't respond, and continues blocking the tunnel. After a minute or two of trying to convince the bear to move, Griggs pulls out his silvered hammer with a sigh and attacks the massive bear. What follows is closer to a pillow fight than a battle, and as it drags on, both Griggs and the bear are slowly worn down while Entrail Spiller and Tsavo stand in the tunnel entrance not wanting to get in between the two while they exchange blows. Calling from the back, they try to continue to reason with the bear... explaining why they're there and what they want. Eventually, Tsavo mentions Lyla and the bear visibly reacts, moving from an attacking posture to a defending one. Griggs carefully reaches out and heals the bear a tiny amount, and it retreats to a corner and starts licking its wounds. Clearly distrusting of Griggs, but ignoring Tsavo and Entrail Spiller as they pass.

The scent of honey grows stronger as the dirt floor of the bear's den gives way to a slick waxen floor. The walls and ceiling are likewise coated with a thick layer of golden wax, all illuminated by the warm flickering glow of lights embedded in the floor. The tunnel opens into a large circular room. Lights, like those in the floor, are embedded in the walls so the whole room has a golden glow. Numerous bees buzz busily through the air. Along the walls are benches of stone covered in the ubiquitous bee's wax. Sitting on the benches, the group rests, Griggs recovering from the protracted pillow fight with the bear, and regaining his powers. About fifteen minutes into the rest, bees start streaming into the room, and the swarm flows together into the bust of a girl. The buzzing of the bees is modulated to a girls voice, with buzzing undertones. She berates Griggs for harming the bear, and Griggs explains and indicates they want to purchase some honey. The girl looks angry and says "Magic is for fey. Not for you!" and dissolves into separate honey bees. The group rests for another 45 minutes and moves to the tunnel leading further in to the nest.

As they enter the tunnel, Griggs notices the floor ahead has an odd look to it. Rather than clearly being wax over ground, it appears there is something else beneath the wax. Tsavo pokes the wax floor with his sword, and the wax breaks fairly easily and a thick sticky liquid covers the end of the sword. Griggs notices at the end of the short 15 foot tunnel that there was some giant bees apparently keeping an eye on them. Griggs lays on his belly to attempt sliding across the wax without breaking it, but as he slids out, he catches in the hole Tsavo made and breaks through, becoming stuck face-down in the sticky mess. The two giant bees quickly attack and one is quickly dispatched. Griggs manages to pull his face out of the sticky mess, but can't stand up. The remaining bee stings him while he's stuck in the mud and when the poison hits, Griggs collapses back into the goo. The stinger remains in Griggs, and continues pumping poison into him. With Griggs unconcious and face-down in the mess, the bee dies of the massive wound from leaving the stinger in Griggs. Tsavo and Entrail Spiller drag him out and clear his nose so he can breathe, and stabilize him, then drag him back out of the nest into the glade to recover.