Location: Forests south of Rilan

Date: Late Dacal to early Trical, 1333 Avard

Characters: Beth, Chimes, Hiko, Gruck, Roland, Toox

Eingrim, Beth, and Gruck tried to relax at the Blue Tyven inn and tavern. The three-stories tall edifice had balconies all along the inside, making for an enormous stage where guests could eat, drink, and enjoy a show. The Black Feather Troupe was in town for the Freeze, featuring several acts: acrobatics, knife throwing, illusions, story-telling, and more.

Eingrim the Gold let Beth know that she was being scried upon each and every day, and that he had secured an item that would help shield her, but they needed to find a way to end the scrying, else she would eventually be found. There was a poster on the Blue Tyven's work wall; she was still wanted, alive, but the reward was going up. It would not be long before she was wanted alive, or dead, in connection with the demonic summonings in Kashin and the murder of a man from the Lord of Silver Chisels.

Eingrim, analyzing the situation, realized that he could potentially use the Black Feather Troupe to help clear Beth's name – but to do so, he would need to bring them into his trust.

Gruck, however, was ready to go back to Kashin and the Tongue Wrecker. Eingrim understood, but asked that Gruck take the long way around, by sea and then across the orc duchy. The mage was offering a lot of gold, and a letter of writ, as well. Gruck agreed, and so they parted ways.

Beth would remain holed up in the Blue Tyven, disguising herself, keeping the antiscrying device with her.

The next thing Eingrim knew, he was in a cave, dancing motes of green spores all around him. Obliviax spores. His memory of the last few days had been wiped clean! And that was when the roper attacked. The Black Feather Troupe was there, as was a paladin of… Xoriah?

The roper pulled three of them up into the darkness above. Eingrim cast feather fall on as many as he could reach, while the roper tried to eat the smallest member of the troupe, a bird-like creature known as a kenku. The acrobat of the troupe raced up the walls and forcefully dislodged the roper, causing it to fall – but it was supported in the air by the floating troupe and Eingrim. They finished off the beast, killing it before it could kill any of them.

Introductions were made. Only the acrobat remembered what had happened. Three men were missing near the ruins of Duradog. The paladin, named Roland, had sought to find the men. Eingrim had offered to go along, and hired the troupe, to see if he could woo them to his plan to protect Beth. The mage found that the illusionist was a quick study (even if he had a very unelven name), and so they worked together for a bit, comparing notes and restoring their memory as best they could.

They found their camp outside, including the horses with enchanted shoes. They roasted the roper, finding that its six stubby little legs were delicious, and one of its bones went to Eingrim's robes.

The troupe explored the rest of the cave, finding only a shallow pool – and the remains of the three men that were missing. The roper was a juvenile, out to discover its own cave, and had apparently killed the trio. The shallow pool, however, would eventually create undead.

The paladin, Roland, found a way to cleanse the pool, while the rest harvested more obliviax spores without incident.

Date: MAR2020

DM's Notes: That was the most awesome roper battle I've ever seen.

Reference: Campaign X
Previous Episode: Xs2e10
Next Episode: Xs2e12

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I still don't know what happened, or how.

None to date.