2025-07-19 - Session 4

Previous session: Session 3 Next session: Session 5

Where Were We?

Exploring a slightly giant-sized castle tower in a cavern we discovered beneath the sinkhole.

And Then What Happened?

It's eerily quiet. No movement. No breeze.

Cador checks the couch cushions while the others study. He finds a small coin with the eight-pointed star, made of a metal he doesn't recognize.

We debate next steps. Might be time to head back to town? Do we need to conceal the items we've discovered? Clodagh wants to talk to Calla, and Aoife wants to talk to Brighde -- privately.

While we discuss, Laurence sees a a flicker of light from out the window -- the corpse of the horse-thing seems to have caught on fire, and the flames are growing. We decide it's time to get going. It's a small bonfire, and growing... In the center of the flame we see movement. Something in there is trying to get out. Finally... something walks through. A foal. A baby version of the flaming horse monster we slayed before. And then another one emerges. And then another. After a fourth, the flames die down.

One approaches, sniffing at us. It looks at Cador with its deep, deep, black eyes. Cador tries to soothe the beast. It comes up to him and nuzzles his hand hotly. One of the others hisses at Cador. Its fangs are growing in. All of them are growing physically larger as well. Aoife tries to calm the others. One breaks off, while another wobbles forward. The hissing one keeps hissing. The one we thought Aoife imprinted with approaches, and takes a snap at her.

Cador moves over by Aoife to get ready to protect her.

Laurence can't tell if the bite was playful or not. Kind of looked hungry... and they don't look like they eat hay. He casts Bane on the meaner-looking foals. They cry out.

Thalador misses with a Starry Wisp at the meanest-looking foal. He casts Shield of Faith for some bonus AC.

Aoife casts Shillelagh and will attack whoever attacks her.

Cador's foal seems confused. It looks back and forth between Cador and its siblings. Another foal snaps at Cador but misses. The one from the back moves up and hits Cador. The last one takes a bite at Aoife and misses.

Cador hits, felling the beast. He follows through with a Cleave and hits the one that hit him.

Clodagh misses with an arrow. She casts Hunter's Mark on one of the other foals.

Cador misses with Thwack.

Laurence misses with a crossbow bolt.

Thalador hits with a Starry Wisp, but the foal is still up.

Cador's foal looks confused some more. Still doesn't know what to do. Another foal misses Cador. Cador and Aoife both miss with opportunity attacks on the injured one as it moves away.

Clodagh hits the retreating foal, ending it.

Cador tries again to calm the foal that doesn't hate him... and succeeds?! It seems settled on accepting him??

Laurence hits the third aggressive foal with his crossbow. Thalador ends it with a Starry Wisp.

Cador offers some dried meat from his rations and the foal gobbles it down, cooking the meat as it chews. Clodagh offers it a goodberry, but it won't eat. Cador and Aoife wrap the goodberry in jerky, and it eats it happily. It seems calmer. Its eyes shift from purple to sky blue.

We start to leave and it follows Cador. In the stable Laurence finds horse gear... with runes on it. A rope that looks like it's been treated with something. Aoife notices runes carved all over the wooden structure of the stable. Cador ropes the foal and leads it into the stable to get it to stay there. Great... now what? After a few minutes in the paddock, heat and smoke waft from the stables' chimneys. We decide to place the bodies of the others in stalls in the stables.

We head back out into the caves.

Examining the cave we didn't previously enter, rubble -- probably from the keep -- has been dragged into sort of a fence. There are several of the slug creatures on the far side of the fence. Nearby: A body, and a bench. The body's somewhat mummified. Definitely not human, nor elven. About six feet tall. We guess it might be what those little baby-like creatures grow into? Some of the bones have been gnawed on -- maybe also by those same creatures?

Clodagh uses Mage Hand to try milking a slug. She... succeeds. Sort of. There's some lichen or fungus on the back wall, which seems to be what the slugs are consuming. We decide to move on.

We make our way back through the caves to the sinkhole. It's night. In the distance, we hear the sound of music from the town. We put the new toys in the Bag of Holding. Thalador swears an oath to his new friends to not leave without giving all their stuff back. We head into town.

One of Cador's logging buddies says they were looking for him. He gives Thalador a beer.

Amlachanar spots Thalador. After some subtle interactions, Amlachanar greets us. Thalador introduces his new friends. He says something to Thalador in old Elvish: "Why do you smell of dirt?" Then in Common: "We'll talk later."

We circulate a bit. We find Brighde counting her winnings from a game that she appears to have won. Aoife says we need to talk, and it makes Brighde nervous. Clodagh calms her down. The three go for a walk-and-talk. "Tell me what's going on." Clodagh explains that we went into the sinkhole. Aoife explains that we found Cathbad and brought back his journal. After a few minutes, they return, and Clodagh motions for the others to join them.

Brighde guides us into the woods and leads us to the Sacred Grove. A large oak tree is surrounded by ash and hawthorne, all nine types of the most sacred trees. We're brought to seats. "Tell me what you found," she says.

Laurence performs a tale of our adventure.

She says she's heard rumors of such things, but that no one has found evidence until now. Orders us not to speak of this to anyone. Says she can't order Thalador but asks that he do the right thing by his people. Says that this will change things in town. She must contemplate what to do next. Says that Aoife has been chosen to take up Cathbad's mantle and continue his studies.

Clodagh asks about Zephandriel and Calla. Brighde says she doesn't know much, has never seen Zephandriel's face. Talks about how Calla gave half the pendant, that it guided us to the tower. Brighde says not to go back into the sinkhole. She'll talk to the elders and contact us the next day.

Cador whispers whether we should show the goodies. Brighde hears him and leans in. Cador shows the coin -- she says it's platinum! We unpack the bag of holding one item at a time, to Brighde's horror. She demands we put the things back in the bag and give her the bag. Thalador refuses, citing his vow to his friends. She accepts this but turns cold. Says she has to report this to the other elders, and that it will inevitably leak out to the town. She mutters something... We all feel something start to take hold... but then all but Laurence resist. "Do not speak of this to anyone, and do not go back down there." Commands us to go back to the party and have a good time. She will speak privately with Aoife and then send her to talk to us. The trees at the edge of the grove part, indicating the way back to town.

Thalador tries to make nice as we leave, praising Aoife and her friends.

The path closes behind us.

We head back to the festival, where we drink and eat and take a long rest at our respective lodgings.

Plans for Next Time

Well, if it isn't the consequences of our actions...