Session 68 - Stuck

 After defeating the wolves the faun Piran climbed down out of a tree. He thanked the party and reminded you to toast the wolves or more would come. He also gave you a letter pleading for help from the nearby village of Silenia. Silax the high priest of the Brotherhood of the Black Beast had come among them and was wreaking havoc. You headed to the village, the forest getting increasingly dense and passed through a pair of ominous gates. Past the gates you found a dead man, looked to be killed by wolves. He had a similarly desperate letter, this time accusing Lord Malbleat of persecuting the village but asking you to stay away as all hope was lost.

In the village the first place you entered was Bildrath’s Mercantile. Bildrath told you a tail of woe. He said that Silenus, Valar’s husband, used to live in the nearby castle but nobody had seen him in 10 years. Caliadne the nymph had helped them out but she brought in Lord Malbleat who had gone mad over the years and started attacking the village. Caliadne was often found near the stone circle to the north of the village. Bildrath said that anybody that tried to leave was attacked by a large host of wolves who were in league with Lord Malbleat. He also said that the last person to come in spending this much money was Prince Yalvan. After doing a deal over a mithril short sword, he told you that Prince Yalvan had met with Caliadne in the Blood on the Vine tavern and wanted to get an item from underneath the Temple of Valar for a man who lived in the village called Salix. He did not know what the item was or why they wanted it.

Next you headed to Chief Kolyan’s longhouse, only to be greeted by his adopted daughter Ireena. Ireena was the spitting image of Valar. Ireena had been attacked by Lord Malbleat 10 nights ago and was badly wounded. Chief Kolyan had died the day after. She asked for help with the funeral rites, with the other villagers too scared to intervene. Together with Ismark, Chief Kolyan’s son, you lit a pyre for the old chief. Ireena gave you a similar tale to Bildrath, including that Duca the priestess had been trying to warn people against Caliadne. Hazel tried to persuade Ireena that Caliadne was evil but Ireena would have none of it.

You headed to the Blood on the Vine tavern with Ismark, on the way he told you how worried he was about Ireena. Lord Malbleat had a particular fascination for her. After Lord Malbleat attacked last time Chief Kolyan’s most powerful symbol of protection had gone missing, leaving Ireena pretty much defenceless. You sat and drowned your sorrows with Ismark for a bit. 

In the tavern Hazel greatly impressed a group of 3 fauns with her skeleton rope trick and magic shield. The fauns owned the tavern and Piran was their cousin. When you asked if there was a way out they told you not to trust faeries with a raucous laugh.