This session was expected to be the last … but it wasn't!
As Nordian and his two guards arrived in the main hall, the group noticed that the conjoined Munch (the Songweaver) and Hooded man had begun to act differently now that the amulet had been removed from the Hooded Man’s chest. The group investigated the amulet and discovered that the Hooded Men had a weakness in the presence of radium.
Vale (the Shepherd) communicated subconsciously with the conjoined Munch and Hooded Man and tried to calm the Hooded Man … and Vale’s mind was filled with images of a small house near a stream in a forest. A woman was standing outside the house and smiling at a man who was walking towards her … and then the house and woman was consumed in a fire! The man’s mind descended into darkness, and the image of a ceremony being conducted by the High Priestess replaced that of the burning house and woman. In response to a screamed order from the Priestess, everyone present ripped open their chest and plunged an amulet into the hole … and each of them suddenly felt that they were being granted access to an omnipotent power.
Vale 'sees' the conjoined Hooded Man's memories,.
With this new knowledge, the group decided that they could use their newly-acquired amulet to ambush the High Priestess.
Nordian ordered his men and the servants to assist the people who had been injured during the fighting and to take the worst casualties to the infirmary. He then addressed the group and stressed the fact that the Hooded Men needed to be herded together and eliminated.
In reply, Callistra (the Hunter) told Nordian what had happened and that the group intended to go to the ship’s garden to investigate the tree and the statue, and especially the relationship between the servants and the tree. Nordian then told everyone that the servants were magically linked to the ship via the tree.
Callistra then asked if it was possible for the captain to change the ship’s course so that it would avoid the position of the sunken temple. Nordian agreed that this could be done and sent a loyal guard up to the deck to ask the captain to turn the ship to starboard.
Bumble (the Stormshifter) also agreed to go up on deck – just in case – and after hugging Elandra, he turned into a bee and flew up to the open deck area. As he did this, the rest of the group used the portal to go to the ship’s garden.
Once on deck, Bumble settled near the captain and watched him very reluctantly change the ship’s course in compliance with the message from Nordian that was brought to him by the guard.
When they arrived in the ship’s garden, the group found the tree in the centre of the garden surrounded by small points of light that were flying around it, and close by they could see the statue of the female version of Herne the Hunter.
The wisp tree and the statue of the female version of Herne the Hunter in the ship's garden,.
Using his ability to communicate subconsciously, Vale attempted to influence the conjoined Hooded Man to listen to Munch. He also challenged the conjoined Hooded Man’s belief in the High Priestess … and was met with an admission that his life was no better as an acolyte than he had been before he had become one. To calm and reassure him, Munch agreed to protect him as best he could.
It was generally agreed that the tree had holy magical power, and Johnny-Baptiste (the Cheat) detected that its power could be channelled for good or evil … and that it was currently being used as a conduit for an external power.
Callistra prayed to female statue of Herne the Hunter … and immediately recognised the tree as being a wisp tree, which was the parent of all the spirits of the woods, and was currently being used to create the ship’s servants. As she communicated this to the rest of the group, the ship suddenly lurched!
Watched by Bumble in his bee form, the ship's captain is confronted by the High Priestess and several Hooded Men, two of whom have dragged the dwarf on deck.
On deck, two Hooded Men had appeared through the portal, dragging the dwarf, between them. As they did so, two further Hooded Men appeared next to the captain. Sensing that matters were rapidly developing, Bumble changed back into human form and attempted to turn the ship, causing it to lurch violently. A Hooded Man had tried to prevent Bumble from turning the ship whilst the two with the dwarf attempted force an amulet onto his chest.
This had the immediate effect of causing the High Priestess to appear. As she moved towards the centre of the deck, she began shouting ‘Come forward the willing!’ … and some of the Hooded Men immediately began to self-immolate using the fake dagger.
The group used the portal to go to the open deck, and Ragnar (the Berserker) immediately went berserk and began attacking one of the Hooded Men near the High Priestess. As he did this, Vale cast a spell to protect Callistra as the latter moved towards the High Priestess. Callistra attempted to use her ability to entice the High Priestess, but this proved ineffective and the High Priestess moved towards Vale.
Whilst Ragnar charged forward to attack the Hooded Men surrounding the High Priestess, several tried to immolate themselves, including one who exploded.
The conjoined Hooded Man and Munch teleported to a lantern near to the captain and Bumble to assist them. He cast a spell on the Hooded Man who was next to the captain … but it rebounded and turned the conjoined pair into a squirrel who was obsessed with finding acorns!
Whilst the confused fighting continued, the conjoined Munch and Hooded Man – in squirrel form – found a barrel of acorns,.
Callistra used her ‘hunter’s mark’ on the Hooded Man that Ragnar had wounded. She then killed one of the Hooded Men and attempted to use her ‘hunter’s mark’ on the High Priestess.
Johnny-Baptiste saw an opportunity to get above the fighting by climbing a mast and standing in one of the fighting tops. He threw his knife at the High Priestess and the Hooded Man standing next to her … and missed!
Johnny-Baptiste attempts to throw her knife at the High Priestess from his position in one of the ship's fighting tops,.
Bumble also joined in the attempts to kill the High Priestess. He used a lightning spell to attack her … and succeeded in wounding her! He then resumed his bear form.
The High Priestess suddenly disappeared, although her voice could still be heard cursing everyone around her. Meanwhile, the conjoined Hooded Man and Munch – still in squirrel form – found a barrel full of nuts on deck and jumped into it … and then changed back into their original form, causing the barrel to explode!
The fighting on deck became very confusing. Johnny-Baptiste jumped down from the fighting top to join in … but ended up falling into a hole in the deck; Callistra used her ‘hunter’s mark’ on yet another Hooded Man and wounded him; Ragnar cut a Hooded Man in two with his battle axe; Vale’s dog attacked yet another Hooded Man and wounded him before healing some of Callistra’s wounds; and Bumble attacked a Hooded Man next to the captain before touching the ship’s controls and turning it.
As this was happening, a Hooded Man who was not involved in the fighting began praying and gesticulating.
The confused fighting continued. A Hooded Man tried to attack Johnny-Baptiste, but Callistra interceded and prevent Johnny-Baptiste from being injured. However, the Hooded Man then self-immolated himself and exploded, wounding Callistra, Johnny-Baptiste, Ragnar, and Vale in the process. At the same time, another Hooded Man stabbed himself and died … but without exploding.
A book then suddenly appeared on deck, and the High Priestess’s voice could be heard laughing. This encouraged a Hooded Man to attack the ship’s captain and changed the ship’s course, but Bumble tried to stop him and was wounded in the process.
The High Priestess’s voice became louder and the curses more vehement …
Although the High Priestess was no longer visible, her voice could be heard cursing everyone who was trying to interfere with her ritual,.
... and suddenly Vale was transported to the side of the ship and left hanging over the open sea! A massive fireball then hit the deck, seriously wounded Callistra and Ragnar, and set the ship on fire.
Vale was left dangling over the side of the burning ship.
Realising that the High Priestess was going to be victorious, Munch took a potion he had acquired from Umber from his coat and drank it … and suddenly everyone returned to the positions they were in when the group had arrived on deck some time before.
When Munch drank the time-shifting potion he had obtained from Umber, time fractured and everyone returned to the positions they were in when the group first emerged on deck,.
Yet again, time had been turned back!
It looks as if the group of intrepid adventurers and going to have yet another chance to destroy the High Priestess and her acolytes, the Hooded Men!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for leaving a comment. Please note that any comments that are spam or contain phishing messages or that come from Google Accounts that are 'Unknown' will be deleted.