The Adventures

A little child, a limber elf,
Singing, dancing to itself,
A fairy thing with red round cheeks,
That always finds and never seeks. . . .

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Here I'll be trying to post summaries of our great escapades in-game. How long and detailed they are will largely depend on my spare time, though some are willing to help me by letting their own character tell the story from their perspective. This goes under "Good roleplaying", and helps (only helps, nothing's automatic here) towards getting more xp, as a certain someone has discovered...

Session 1

In which a commanding letter reaches faerie holdings across scotland, requesting aid. It seems as if the matriarch Amthoril of the Summer court is in dire need of help, and the respective leaders have to choose who they'll send. Eilwedd, with her usual spite and sense of mischief sends the newly-sained and oh so precious changeling Mildarfen, to get her away as much as anything else. Since Kelthain has been missing in action for quite some time now, Illuein decides to send one of her newer agents instead, and so Tuki is sent. Kossuth just happens to be spending some time in the palace of Pavona, and so he got chosen. Once again, mostly to get rid of the pesky newcomer. Perhaps not surprisingly, Lillana of the Winter court had anything but altruistic motives when she sent Vukutae to pay the summer-dolts a visit, while a lone solstice-inanimae was also tapped, for reasons as yet unknown.

While making their way to the Palace of vornkral, the travellers were beset by terrible hounds of darkness, and after a lengthy battle (and an unruly Unleashing on Tuki's part) they managed to keep them at bay with steel and arrow, ice and fire. Whereupon the intelligent little changeling opened channels of communication, only to realize that this was some warped attempt at getting help and attention. The strange and malevolent entity seemed to be desperate and irrational due to some painful confinement, which two of the other party members also found out as they copied Merílfen's trick. Disturbingly enough, a cantrip designed to allow Tuki to speak with spirits also made it possible to speak with the shadow-creatures, hinting that their nature might be more ghostly than previously believed.

At this point it had become clear that the thing feared fire and light to some extent, and so Khossuth conjured up a wall of flame that pierced the encircling monster and thusly opened up an escape route. They were not followed, though the experience left many questions unanswered. After their escape, it was not long until they arrived at their destination: The great stronghold of Summer: Palace Vornkral. Here they were informed of their quest by the palace seneschal, Bogg. A certain human village on the east coast is having problems with unidentified monsters, and the problem seems to be spreading. The humans in their despair are breaking old oaths and are turning to Christ for salvation. The natural thing to do would be to travel to the source of the problem, but ancient oaths prevent the fae from even approaching the village. Hence the outside agents.

Merílfen's log, first entry.

“It truly is strange how I met my travel companions – we were all at the same place at the same time, about a day's march from the Summer Court, and were assaulted by one – or several, there is no way to know for sure – shadow dogs. Tuki – a Firstborn of the Autumn Court, and also the best looking of the four men – somehow managed to attract the enemy's (enemies'?) attention when he failed in unleashing a cantrip (what a way to start an adventure, honestly). After I myself had tried to get an overview of the situation – which was impossible, seeing the entire area was covered in vile darkness – I unleashed a cantrip I have yet to learn, namely Dawn, trying to lighten the area. Although it had some effect, it was not nearly as much as I desired, so I decided to try another approach – talk to the creatures that were circling us. I learned little but this:

• They wish to be freed from something.
• Nothing sent them, they came on their own.
• They were also in pain.
• They were not sure if they were singular or plural, which is highly annoying.

After a lengthy battle, my companions and I drove the beasts back with arrows, steel, fire, and ice. Nothing more to be learned from them, but I have the most uncanny feeling that this will not be the last time our paths will cross one another.
After one day of marching, we reached the Summer Court. We were told that we were needed to investigate what was haunting the nearby village – they could not enter the village themselves due to an Oath they had sworn, the fools – and also drive it away. More than that I do not have the time to write down – but more will come.
- Merílfen.”

Session 2

After their brief briefing, the oathcircle decided to recuperate. The inanimae began merging with their elements, while the rest sought out the sage Olb, since he had been mentioned as someone who could help them further. He was quickly localized in a forest clearing, where a succulent feast was ready for the weary walkers. Unfortunately, he didn't have much more information about the village of Erlbenn, mostly because the local Fae have been restricted from the place since long before the battle of stone. Supposedly, the only interesting thing about hte place are all the fables and legends about hauntings and ghosts that travellers who've been there recount. Oh, and the rumours that a group of humans once worshiped fae there, but that's far into the past, while oaths were still respected. Olb regretfully states that he's been trying in vain to find out more for them, but after weeks of searching the libraries he's not found anything else. But he does have other information, not given to the entire group...

And with the feast finished, the firstborn and the changeling find themselves with some spare time on their hands. After getting to know each other a little better, Míldarfen decides to visit her nephew, since he's the consort of the local Matriarch. If only she hadn't forgotten that this requires seeking groing through countless rituals and protocols, like applying for an audience and other such rules the Summer Court are so fond of. If he'd actually been home it would have been easier too. So in the end, everyone just relaxed and recuperated until it was time to go (escept for the autumn Kin, who prudently enough sent off for guidance from his superior).

The journey to Erlbenn was an uneventful one, wherein they could get better aquainted. The solstice hunted down food, the spring child cooked it, and everyone had a nice time traversing the endless hills and moors. Rather noticeably, no rabid shadow-monsters molested them during the night. They also were wise enough to assume human guises through various means before entering the village. Now, upon entering the hamlet they noticed that a couple of passengers had arrived by boat at the same time, an old determined man and a younger boy of twenty, carrying most of their luggage. Our visited the local tavern, "The Jolly Squid", and asked about the monstrous problems. In the exchange a couple of names were mentioned, people who knew more about this than others. Captain Mallone and old granny. The Captain was found in a rather seedy cellar, drinking foul swill as he usually did. He gave them tales of terror and blood, and told them of the hideous monstrosities which emanated from yon monestary. and so they decided to go to this stony edifice upon the cliffs, and see the root of their problems. Of course, Cinéad had to renew his Glamour first, which caused quite some uproar in the village. Strange bursts of light in alleys often do that.

The monastery itself was bleak, and still bore the signs of the viking raid of seventy years ago. But Tuki managed to speak with the Abbed, and was told that no ghost or haunting had ever been registered by the monks who lived there. He was even given proof that the recent stories were nothing new, and that the legends of monstrous happenings had been circulating for quite some time now. But as he visited the altar-room Tuki saw something....strange. With kenning and weawing he discovered that something was trapped between life and death in that place, and had been forced to pace that room for untold ages.After joining up with their companions which had remained outside the accursed holy ground, the fairies descended the cliff, and came upon the small cottage outside Erlbenn where 'Granny' was reputed to live. An old woman sat outside shelling peas in the spring sun, and Merílfen boldly asked her to recount the old stories she reputedly knew. granny then told them a fairy-tale which her own mother had told her, and her mother before, about an unfortunate soul called True Tom Thomas, and how he supposedly still haunted the monastery upon the hill.

Session 3

After learning of True Tom thomas, the stone ring and the unmarked grave from 'Grannie', our heroes decided to retreat to the inn so they could discuss the information they had collected. But the two strangers were also there, and Tuki eavesdropped on their conversation enough to learn that they were Inquisitors, sent by the Vatican to stop the local hauntings and killings. When they left for their rooms, he managed to get hold of a piece of parchment they had lost, and was occupied for much of the meal by reading the arcane and holy text.

The group decided to meet up at sundown, since Cinaéd had managed to locate an unmarket grave in the cemetary. At dusk they approached the graveyard, and many a magic of concealment and protection was unleashed before they dared enter. Both Vukutae and Cinaéd were to be sentires patroling the borders, while the other two would dig. The solstice had gone up to the monastery again, in case something happened up there. Just as Tuki took his first step onto the hallowed ground, a voice rang out.

The two inquisitors and the local priest had lain in ambush, and now tried to drive away the fiends by means of hallowed water and crusifixes, and there was much chanting and reciting of holy scripture. Though it caused them pain beyond endurance, and though Cinaéd was blasted to smithereens, the two pious humans were finally blown up and away, not to land until they reached the monastery walls. The impact knocked them momentarily unconscious. Whereupon the solstice slitted their throats and killed them instantly, even as they struggled to survive. He evenmutilated their bodies, cutting off the heads and dumping the bodies into the sea. This foul act of wanton slaughter awoke the monks, and the bloodletting upon their doorstep angered them greatly. Soon they issued forth in an angry mob, but by running with the speed of the wind the callous fae managed to escape into the distant forest.

In the village, the fae were left to deal with the petrified cleric. Tuki approached him with kind yet stern words, and led him into the far forest there to speak with the minister, and forge an oath of secrecy. Tuki wished to know what was really going on, yet as the man was about to answer, and elf-shot pierced his back. He was dead before he hit the ground. Tuki then called out, wanting to know who had done the deed, yet the wild wind only told him to begone from that place, lest evil things befell him. Then all fell silent.

Merílfen's Log, Second entry

So much has happened since I last took out this notebook. In all honesty, I have not had much time; we have been rather busy since our departure from
the Summer Court. (I wanted to go see my nephew first, but he was out hunting. I suspect that was only an excuse from the guards.) The journey to Erlbenn, which is the name of the village where odd things have been happening, was blessedly an unadventurous; the most exciting thing
that happen was that the Solstice (who seemingly has no name) caught a rabbit which I prepared. Before we entered the village, we were smart enough to appear human. My Fae-mien may not be so conspicuous, but that does not apply to the rest of the group.

Upon entry, I barely noticed the two other arrivals; we should have eliminated them in their sleep or something similar, as they turned out to be from the Vatican (filthy, filthy place it is). They slept (hopefully it is correct to use the past tense, I will explain later) at the same tavern where me and mine slept, ?The Jolly Squid?. A young man accompanying an older fellow. At the tavern itself we speak to Rose, the barmaid, and she tells us quite a bit about what has been going on, that people are afraid to go out at night, that one can hear growling, and whatnot. She also mention two names; Old Granny and Captain Mallone, who supposedly knew more about these things, and so we went out in search for them, leaving my dear Meribah with the widow owning the inn. The less said about the place we found the Captain, the better. I was wishing pretty desperately for a nun's habit before long. The Captain himself was a drunkard, which made things easier. Not that he told us much, all we got were tales of horror, but he did tell us he knew the things were coming from the monastery on the cliffs overlooking Erlbenn. Interesting indeed, so we said our thanks and goodbyes and headed for the monastery to see for ourselves, posing as God-fearing travellers (for my own amusement, I referred to the group and family and Tuki as husband) after Cinaéd decided to re-new his human appearance. That in itself was not that bad; that he decided to do in in a back alley was! Bright, unexplainable lights tend to attract attention.

The visit to the monastery told us little to nothing until Tuki revealed what he had seen in the innermost chamber; something trapped between life and death, and forced to stay there for untold ages. This was after he had spoken to the Abbed, who claimed that there had never been any registered hauntings or ghost sightings by any monk, and even offered proof that today's stories are nothing new. So what Tuki saw, and what he was told, did contradict ever so slightly. Moving on. We bid the monks farewell and meandered our way back down to the village, stopping at the small cabin dear Old Granny lived in. She told us a very different story than the horrible ones we had heard from the Captain, and even gave us a name; True Tom Thomas, who had loved a Fae and who had received a bracelet from her, as a sign of their love, and who had experienced having the bracelet taken from him. He could not rest before he had that bracelet back so that he could find his true love, and our task pretty much became clear (if True Tom Thomas indeed was the reason for the strange happenings, and I hope he was); get the bracelet back to True Tom Thomas (resident of the monastery), so that he was free to go. The helpful old lady even told us where to find this item, which made it a lot easier; an unmarked grave in the cemetery.

In short, the story continues as this:

Tuki found the grave, but there was nothing much we could do before sundown (digging up a grave attracts attention of the unwanted kind), so we went and had lunch (regrettable action, I hope Meribah is fed better). The two other newcomers, as well as a female pilgrim, came in after us. The two men discussed setting up ?traps for the preying animals? before they went upstairs for rest, dropping a scroll on the floor. Again, Tuki noticed this and picked it up (did not tell us before later). At this point, it had been some time since I had taken part in courting...so after lunch I walked out on my own and found a suitable young man; a carpenter's apprentice. I forgot the influence the church has here, however, but his performance was not disappointing. I will remember him, if I ever come back to Erlbenn again. Sunset; the five of us meet again, and it is decided that the Solstice will go up to the monastery to see if the things terrorising the village at night are the same hounds that attacked us, while the remaining four go up to the graveyard. Before we can even start our mission, we are attacked; the village priest and the two men that had discussed setting up traps for the preying animals! Inquisitors, with their minds set on destroying us. Holy water burns like the proverbial, and I feel like I was very little help; being blind does put a stop do a lot of things. I tried casting my weariness-cantrip, but it was Tuki who in the end managed to rid us of them; he sent them flying in the direction of the monastery (where we saw a lot of hectic activity shortly after). We were now one man short; Cinaéd would have to be reformed, but first we wanted to finis what we came for.

I was made useful by keeping guard while the men dug. And sure enough, we found the bracelet. The sky seemed to be behaving strangely but we paid very little heed as it was still far away, and we had other matters to attend to; stealing ('borrowing') wood and making a fire to bring back our Summer. Luckily, we managed without starting another forest fire like the one he was made of. Now, my hand is getting weary from writing, and even if the story is far from finished, I will stop here and continue later. I suspect we will have tons of time to write and very little to write about.
- Merílfen.

Session 4

After the death of the poor priest, and with the dull ache of echoes still keenly present, our heroes grew slightly unfocused, milling around in disarray, until they finally managed to unearth the ancient grave. Located many feet below the earth it was, by a twisted and sickly tree whose many roots made digging hard and laborious. But in the end they reached a huge coffin, not made of rotting wood but solid stone, and sealed by leaden locks. Ancient and unreadable runes were faintly visible upon the aged surface, and the thing was far too heavy to ever get out of the deep chasm whence it lay. So vukutae stroked the locks lightly, and they sprang open at his command.

Inside they found no body, nor any rotting remains thereof that normal senses anticipated. Only a ring made all of elegantly carved stone was found within, carved all in the likeness of a serpent eating its own tail, though it had ridges and fangs and claws which normal serpents are not wont to have. Removing the object of their quest they closed up the grave as best they could, before preparing the ressurection of their discorporated friend. By means of firewood from the nearby logger's camp they buildt a bonfire on the spot where the summer kin had been destroyed, and there they caused a fire to burn firecely. Soon their hapless companion was returned to them, and they noticed for the first time the ominous clouds blowing in from all around them.

Merílfen's log, third entry

Tuki had taken the village priest, who had done very little to harm us so we had left him in peace, into the woods for some small talk. My memory fails me, and I can not remember whether he did this before or after we started the fire to bring Cinaéd back to us. In either case, before the priest could tell him anything useful, he was killed, and Tuki believes there are hostile Fae in Erlbenn.

Having the bracelet we start walking up to the monastery to deliver it to True Tom Thomas, but it should prove not to be that easy; Tuki was struck my lightning and called out he was not going to take orders from someone he could not see. I made some comment, and it seemed it ticked him off even further because I suddenly found myself flying backwards. Not far, but enough to leave me sprawling on the ground after touchdown. What happened then...I am ashamed to tell. I heard a voice ? we all did ? commanding to attack my friends. It could have been directed at anyone, but for some reason it seemed to apply to me. I loosened an arrow at Tuki, unable to help myself; it seemed like I did not want to disobey. Vukutae must have done something to me, because I was overcome by a fear so strong I did not attack again, but instead fled up to the monastery (it was either up there, or down the hill; and with unnatural darkness rolling up the monastery seemed like the safest place to be). Fear does wonderful things to one. Either way, I hammered on the door long enough for the monks to open, and at this point my companions had caught up with me; I think they too decided that facing holy items and what-have-you was better than the darkness. Tuki sneaked in, so the monks only saw one panicked woman and two rather stoic men (we had not met the Solstice, assuming he had fled the scene when the monastery had suddenly come to life in the middle of the night). They let us in and led us to the altar room, where we were left on our own devices. Rather a lovely arrangement, because Tuki was able to give the bracelet back to True Tom Thomas without causing suspicion.

Again, my memory fails me; I can not explain accurately what happened then. The ghost walked through a hole that had appeared in the wall, and for reasons unknown we followed him. There was a road on the other side and we followed it until we came to a forking; the road split into three. Cinaéd,
Tuki and myself followed the one in the middle, Vukutae decided for another one (or, rather, Tuki decided to follow the middle one, Vukutae decided to follow one of the forkings, so Cinaéd and I were standing there pretty much alone before we decided that the middle road usually is the safest choice. Besides, I trust Tuki more than I trust Vukutae, which is saying something). And the end of the road we arrived at a village; it was decidely Fae territory, and judging by the surroundings Vukutae would find himself at home here. There was no life, just a little cottage and a huge castle made of ice. We were sooned re-joined by said member of the Winter court, and he ? without hesitation ? walked in the direction of the castle. The rest of us
followed.

And here we are now; in an empty ice castle, in cold rooms where even the beds are made of ice, waiting for Tuki who is currently having an audience
with a Fae from the Golden Era. I miss my kitten; at least I would have had something to do here. There is no one; just a dragon made of ice, the Patriarch, and the four of us. I feel the cold but do not seem to mind it; a trick of Vukutae's, I suspect. According to the dragon there is no road out of here. Things are looking very, very bleak...
- Merílfen.

Back to the Main Page