15 Marpenoth 1492

29.10.2024

Night fell on the Selune Temple in Waterdeep. Caefaera, meditating in the garden, eventually decided to just send the acorn to Ethera that we would join the Wild Hunt. It’s the only way we can find out more about the crazy magic thing, the missing wizard’s ledger, it is a chance to go to the Feywild where Gigi‘s husband is, and so on.

At the same time, Elias came running up to Casmos to give him an amulet. This amulet can be used only once and would bring us back to this temple from anywhere, on any plane.

Gigi and Lyra were in the kitchen, sitting on the counter and emptying a bottle Gigi had swiped earlier. They were discussing the moral quandaries they might get into when they would join the Wild Hunt. Would they have to hunt people? Kill innocents? What to do in that situation?

The next morning, Caefaera found a golden acorn with a reply and a silver acorn under her pillow. When she shook the silver one, one wall started to shimmer and became a portal to the Feywild. An old, cavernous forest to be precise. Very different from the friendly, whimsy one Lyra grew up in. This one was dark, despite the eternal twilight in the Feywild, an uninviting. We entered the portal. Casmos was thrown through by Caefaera.

On the other side, a panicked Casmos tried to run away and had to be calmed down with a Suggestion spell. We will see how that works out in eight hours when the spell wears off.
We found slight traces of a path and followed it for a while. Soon, we noticed we were being followed by a nasty creature, with a skull with pieces of flesh hanging from it. Suddenly, a Pixie appeared and said she would help us going where we needed to. Smartly, Gigi asked her if she was the one to bring us to the Seelie Court, so as the Pixie agreed, we had confirmation she was full of shit.

Suddenly, footsteps approached fast and we saw ourselves attacked by a vile monster that threw a skull at us, which engulfed us in darkness. At the same time we were flanked by a Redcap with an (for him) enormous sickle. Luckily, a hastened Caefaera absolutely destroyed (82 damage in one round) the first monster and Gigi took out the Redcap, so the whole fight was over was quickly as it began.

We continued on our path and after another while, found that the trees were slowly replaced by enormous mushrooms. The ground became softer and glowing.. where were we?

5.11.2024

A rotten smell drifted between the mushrooms, along with a dense fog on the floor. It was chilly. It would probably be a bad idea to touch those mushrooms, we gathered as much. Oracle soared up above the caps and saw a clearing with 15-20 tents about half a day’s march away. This is where decided to go.

After a little while, we heard a rustling. A little voice: “Casmos?” A Pixie! It was delivering an acorn with a message from Aunt Talia:

Oh my little birdie, I didn’t dare dream that I would hear from you ever again. And I do not understand how this pixie found me or how it will return to you. How accurate your cards are! I have missed you very much, but fate was demanding I go elsewehere. After you dreamed of this place far from this world, reigned by your moon lady, I searched for it and her story and I got close I think. You know the story already as I gather from your letter.
My research let me high up into the Star Mountains where I met Elias, and there I found a crossing into an another dimension it feels like. I just stumbled into it when I cast a spell that would illuminate my way. The inhabitants of this place, they call it “The Under Mountain”, speak of a great artefact being held inside here. They will not let me near it, but they also do not let me go now that I know of it. I am convinced it is once of the sword pieces.
Maybe you can ask the pixie how she found me?
I would love to see you again. What ever happens my little one be brave! Those of us that can see the future do not need to fear it! I hope to hear from you again. If I do not, know I believe in you as I always have! You are capable of more than you think.
Love, your auntie Thalia.

So she was stuck in the Undermountain beneath the Star Mountains. And she suspected one of the three sword pieces was here.

We offered the Pixie some water and a cookie and inquired a lot into the mechanics of delivering those acorns. Gigi also bribed her with some more cookies to spill some gossip on the Seelie Court. We learned that Fauns bed with Centaurs. Not sure what to do with that information. And that Titania and Oberon fight all the time. This was not really new information though.

While we were talking, a dark fog had rolled in, unnoticed, and engulfed Casmos and Caefara. We had become designated prey of two Dreameaters!

• Caefeara suddenly had a vision: All friends had abandoned her. She was all alone again. Helpless.
• Casmos was a little bird again. He looked up at the sky, searching for the moon. But it was gone.

A huge something hit Eldara, she almost went down as she was being pulled closer to one of the monsters. Lyra, for the first time in her life, cast a roaring Fireball. Casmos, finally, attacked them with some extra help from the moonlight. We saw them waning, apparently they were less corporeal than we had assumed.

• Lyra was engulfed as well. She saw fireballs, raining down from her hands on her friends, burning them to ashes.
• Later her visions got more intense, she saw her own family, begging for mercy. Spells shooting from her fingertips, their flesh dripping off their bones…

As Lyra desperately tried to get the Dreameater off her with Dragon’s Breath, she broke concentration on Casmos Suggestion spell.
She escaped for a moment but the creature caught up and engulfed her again.

This time the vision was even more intense burning books. Innocent children burning. Charred bones emerging through blistering skin..

She went down. Luckily, Eldara super-healed her, almost restoring her to full health, at least physically.

Caefarea finally killed one with her glaive. As soon as it went down, we heard a slow clapping. Ethera stepped out of the background, snapped their fingers and the other creature disappeared. “A test”, they said.

Casmos, panicked, grabbed one of his amulets to escape to Waterdeep. Luckily he grabbed the wrong one - this time.

12.11.2024

Casmos, panicked, kept going for his amulet. Luckily he kept picking the wrong one. Eventually, Gigi managed to pull down his cap which calmed him.

We made our way to the camp of the Wild Hunt, through an endless ocean of old, gnarly trees, led by Ethera. A visibly shaken Lyra told the others of the visions the Dreameaters had planted in her. She saw them not only as a mind trick but a glimpse into a possible future that may be very real. Was it really a conicidence that she got to see them a mere minute after she cast the first Fireball spell in her life, a spell much mightier than anything she had ever done? How easy would it be to hurt her friends or innocent bystanders as her spells become stronger, either by becoming corrupted or by mere indifference for “inferior” creatures, as many powerful wizards before her had experienced.

Eldara tried her best to comfort her, but it was mostly “Just be stronger. You will get more control. Don’t worry.” Casmos jumped in “Just believe in the moon lady”. Lyra eventually resolved to lay off the most dangerous spells for a little while until she has figured some stuff out. And that she might need another Wizard to talk to.

Soon we arrived at the camp, and what a sight it was! Tents of various materials, people of all shapes and sizes going about their hunting business. Beasts roaming around in between… A feeling as if they were always ready for war was in the air. We understood now that the entire domain existed for the sole purpose of hunting… or being hunted.

Ethera said we should talk to the Quartermaster Bogrog be given a tent. We were aware of the rule that everytime a Fey just gives you something, they will take something of equal value in return, where “value” is a very ill-defined term. Bogrog, a towering Minotaur guarded a big pile of loot, some pieces still with “traces” from the hunt on them. Casmos just started sorting and pocketing the shiniest stuff. The others reminded him of the “Fey gift” rule and eventually they agree on “one piece only”.

Eldara got a tent, paid the Minotaur with a story of the afterlife and how everyone gets judged by whether they were a good person. Bogrog is convinced he is on the “good” side, natuarlly.

While Casmos is sorting, him and Lyra have a little more conversation about their visions. Casmos, despite his terrifying vision, never wavered in his belief even for a second and simply remained convinced that the Moon Lady would guide him. This was oddly comforting to Lyra. Eventually, Casmos picked a ring and earrings from the pile and since he has no ears, handed the rings to Lyra. She reluctantly took them under the premise that the ring and earrings have to stay together! Bogrog was paid with cards from Casmos deck.
Lastly, Caefaera forced the earrings through Lyra’s ear, guided by Eldara and chilled by Casmos.* [Meta: Did we figure out if they are magical?]*

Caefeara also took a “Javelin of Lightning” and paid with a song for Bogrog. He said “this song is mine now”, and Caefaera did not remember the song anymore. Casmos took a shiny chain mail.

Bogrog also dropped a hint to Casmos “you look just like the other guy in Ethera’s tent!”, which he went to check out. In the tent was a Kenku called “Silverwing” with grey feathers. He was the one that stole the Wizard Registry ledger in Waterdeep and brought it to them. However, he also didn’t know what for. But Casmos was content with the info and decided to go to sleep, right next to Silverwing, in a little nest he had just built.

Back in our new tent, the rest of the group was forced to swear fealty to Ethera, the Wild Hunt - and now: Oberon, now leader of the wild hunt! As Caefaera cut his hand to shake with Ethera, he started feeling a deeper connection to this domain (can now pass this domain freely).

Next, we discussed what to do and resolved to stay with the Wild Hunt for now, possibly search Ethera’s tent later for clues.

Homework:

• What to do next?
• What motivates our character?
• Is a hint from Lea neccessary about how to drive the story forward?

Quotes

• Casmos cast the spell “Casmos Tiny Hut” – just laying down a couple sticks for a nest. Means: Ritual casting. 52 Sticks as material component.