11 Kythorn 1491
The Party wakes to screaming. They run outside to find that tree Phee was sleeping under has animated with a malevolent air and is attempting to throttle the life out of the wee fairy. A gruelling battle ensues. Phee is dragged off by Morgort before she’s wholly crushed, and she finishes off the wicked creature.
Yndrus investigates the dead form, a Blighted Tree. Phee weeps for the tree, while Mell pats her on the shoulder while combing the area visually for possible loot. She comes across about 50 gold worth of agates.
The party decides to limp back to the empty house and recover for a bit. Phee tosses and turns, plagued by recollection of memories from horrid dreams that the tree has imparted to her. The party deliberates on what to do next. Clapperclaw offers to guide them through the mists to Thither, Skabatha’s domain.
It’s apparent that without their wee crab straw friend, they would be totally lost.
After a time, the mists part to reveal a primeval forest. Phee immediately tries to make anything in the vicinity bloom.
Clapperclaw offers to lead the party to a friend. Along the way, they come across a trail of absolutely enormous claw prints, similar to a birds.
After a time, they see a cave with a light in the distance. A wanted poster is stuck to a nearby tree. Wanted: Will of the Feywild.
“Deliver this rascal unharmed and I shall bestow upon the deliverer the power to bring back the dead.”
Inside the cave is a wizened old man with a blindfold, spinning coins into gleaming gold fibres. ClapperClaw introduces them to Nib.
He’s been cursed by Granny Nightshade, after selfishly collecting gold, he asked to clear his red ledger, sentenced to spin gold into useful items. He warned the party against the wiles of Skabatha, who honours her bargains, but twists them to her favour.
Behind him, the shadows morph into the silhouettes of other forms. A child, an old woman, etc. His bad deeds, literally behind him. Haunted by his own words.
Mell asks Nib to examine the thread that was taken from Bavlorna’s cottage.
He is unable to offer any new information, but is very keen to help the party by making them something out of the gold. They have several options. Phee asks for a wand that helps to uncover secrets, Mell asks for a pair of gloves, invisible when worn, and makes it easier for pick-pocketing. Yndrus asks for a Cloak of Protection.
Mell experimentally steals Star’s toy from Phee’s pocket successfully. Mell is pleased, and hands the ball back to Phee, who snatches it protectively.
Morgort asks for an amulet that hides the wearer from scrying magic.
While the party is weary, everyone save Mell is sufficiently creeped out by Nibs apparitions that they don’t want to stay to rest.
Nib tells the party that Skabatha, Lady Nightshade, resides in Loomlurch. There’s a goblin market in the same area. She likes to make things, or rather, likes to have her children make things. Children who can never leave. The great key sticking out of her back is indicative of her mood.
He also tells them about Will on the wanted poster, who is in Little Oak. Though the location tends to move a lot, so Clapperclaw may be the only way to find the place. Will rescued some of the children under Skabatha’s rule.
Yndrus asks Clapperclaw if he knows how to get to either of these locations. He’d escaped Loomlurch and has no desire to go back there. Little Oak, is possible, but tricky.
Mell asks Nib if he knows anything about and Alicorn, and he does not, despite her prodding him with the unicorn horn in her possession.
Clapperclaw then leads the party away to some friends who have a less creepy place for them to rest.
They arrive at an area with three pixies sitting around a table, sipping tea. A wedge made of wood is lying on the ground nearby and are bickering back and forth. One is trying to convince the others that the wooden wedge is in fact cake, for a treant. The others argue that it’s a troll’s toothpick.
Mell pipes up and says it’s a stake to picket their mounts to it.
Eventually the pixies notice Clapperclaw.
“Oh, Claps!”
Clapperclaw blushes. Mell notices and comments on the glorious return of his head. Phee asks which one Clapper fancies, and he says “Maypole.”
Maypole flits over and tells Phee that she wins, and thinks the doorstop is a hairpin, and gifts Phee with a reed whistle.
Maypole - “Should you need us!
Phee - “Are we friends?”
Maypole - “Are you friends with Clapperclaw?”
Mell and Phee launch into how awesome Clapperclaw has been and Maypole is enraptured.
The party is offered to stay and hang with the pixies. Phee is delighted and makes all the flowers in the vicinity bloom. The pixies love this, and clap excitedly.
As night approaches, a large ring of fluorescent toadstools light up. Thrilled, Mell opens Peke Peke’s jar, who starts singing. A swarm of shrooms appears and hop towards and into the ring of toadstools, picking up on Peke Peke’s lyrics. Mell and Phee start singing along, when something strange happens. They blink and look around. They can now see the gloves on Mell’s hands, and any defects in their vision are gone.
Mell believes they are seeing the reality of everything. Phee realises that there’s a resonance between the shrooms and the toadstools. Mell is totally enamoured with the entire spectacle and has a deep and meaningful with Peke Peke, offering them joyful adventures across many lands. Peke Peke seems keen.
Eventually, the scene winds down and the party drifts off to sleep.