Session 21

Dierdre and Etain rush to the boat while the guards at Dun Brees are lost in the heavy fog. Cinn Oir is waiting, ready to set sail. They launch out to sea and head south for Tir Gaelyn. Fortunately, as they leave they note there are no other boats in the tiny harbor at the time.

They have been travelling for several hours when suddenly Dierdre hears a whisper in her ear. It takes a little for her to recognize the voice but it is Cu Roi, Ceridwen’s father (Session 8, Session 9 and Session 10.) He asks Dierdre to pull up on shore and wait for word about their fallen comrades. Dierdre says out loud "How long?" and Cu Roi suggests it could be a few days. Dierdre explodes, "A few days, you’ve got to be kidding!" (Cinn Oir wonders why Dierdre is speaking to herself….) Cu Roi then asks where they can find Dierdre so they may get in touch with her. Dierdre, very confused tells him that they will be going to Tir Gaelyn. Cu Roi tells her they will hear something soon.

Nearly a week passes after Dierdre and Cinn Oir return to Tir Gaelyn. They try to enter town in as low key a manner as possible and head straight to the house which Gaelyn has provided them. For most of the week, the stay inside keeping a very low profile. Near the end of the week something very strange happens.

A large eagle lands on the window sill of the house. Dierdre and Cinn Oir look on, somewhat bewildered. Then, the eagle speaks. It speaks in none other than Cian’s voice! Cian explains that from what he can tell, Cu Roi knows a powerful druid who resides in the Woods Between. This druid, as a favor, located Cian and Liam’s bodies and performed a ritual of Reincarnation. Cian the eagle scowls at this point (as much as an eagle can scowl) and says this particular form was his "luck". Liam will be along shortly and Cian would hate to ruin the surprise.

(DM’s Note: Liam’s player was unable to make it to this session and I really didn’t want to roll on the Reincarnation table for him! So for the rest of the session Liam is just sort of "ghosting" the party. He’s there in a sense but I never describe his appearance. Some of the things he does in this session like leading horses and such, may need to be modified once his true form is determined. UPDATE: We have played another session and determined Liam’s race—more fortunate than Cian, he became a Nixie, a water-loving Faye. He was most likely disguised as a child and on the boat while Cinn Oir led the horses on their trek north.)

After the party adjusts to the new "Cian" and after his hawk catches up with him and lands in the window sill beside him (an eagle with a hawk familiar…is this getting even weirder?) they sit down and talk. They have a long discussion about the past, their plans for the future, who they have made enemies with, what their goals are and the like. (DM’s Note: Finally!) The discussion is mostly organized by Dierdre who has been increasingly less interested in the boglands the longer they stay there.

They note several things they wish to accomplish and at the top of the list is trying to get Cian (and Liam perhaps) changed to a more "normal" form. Cian admits spellcasting is going to be very tricky and he also explains that the enemy did pretty well strip him bare before dumping his corpse. So he has no spell book, no components and very little in the way of casting ability. (No one seems immediately interested in assaulting/infiltrating Dun Brees to see if Cian and Liam’s equipment is there.)

Several items on their list seem to point north. Cian’s geas lies to the north; a renewed threat of giants also to north; the party also wants to visit Cu Roi to see if he can help Cian re-build his spell books and perhaps help in changing him back to a humanoid. This is perhaps at the top of the list. So, the party decides a trip to the north is in order. Before leaving town, they visit Gaelyn.

They gain an audience with Gaelyn and explain some of their findings. Gaelyn seems concerned when they mention that it appears all the trouble to interrupt his operations may have been more targeted at the party than anything. Gaelyn says that he had sort of suspected this, as he was aware that the party was being scried on quite a bit. When the party mentions they are going north to take care of some business, Gaelyn appears quite receptive (even a little relieved) and wishes them luck.

The next morning, they gear up and set sail. They retrieve Liam’s two horses from the stable and he will guide them along the shoreline keeping pace with the boat. The trip is mostly uneventful and the party elects to stay on the boat the entire time rather than risk disembarking. They try to avoid too much contact with other sailors though the onboard menagerie draws plenty of stairs (An eagle, a hawk, a viper and a dire weasel….) Cian uses this time to try to get used to his new form. His hawk familiar is actually very excited about the change. He consoles Cian and assures him being a bird will be a wonderful life. Cian is less than thrilled by the advice. However, Cian does take advantage of some "flying lessons" which his hawk can offer.

The journey north takes about a week and a half. It is cold, autumn weather but the rivers are calm and easily passable. They soon leave the civilized lands and are just off shore of the Wood Between. Everyone agrees that they wish to avoid the area of woods close to the Grigg (the little faye the met in Session 5 and Session 6), so they sail further north. Soon, the deep Wood Between begins to thin. Cian spots the remains of a city ahead from his aerial vantage point and the party decides to disembark there to explore. After they look around they plan to head inland toward Cu Roi’s abode.

Cian scouts the city from the air noting that most of the structures are ancient and are no more than a few standing walls. There is however a tall white tower on the south side of the town. It is nearly fifty percent intact and several of its floors, though exposed to the outside, seem intact as well. He also notes a cave along the beach, partially hidden by debris. Cian flies back to the party to report his findings.

The adventurers decide to explore the cave first. Liam stays with the boat to make sure no one takes it for a joy ride (as has happened near the Woods before!) Dierdre sends her familiar, Tabby in to scout it out. Moments later Tabby emerges. Tabby gives no strange vibes about the place so the party heads in. They find there is a short tunnel that opens into a circular room. There is a small partitioned alcove to the right which is filled with rusted weapons. There is also a hallway that continues to the west but is choked off by debris. The walls are partially collapsed and debris litters the floor.

Along one section of the wall are the remains of a colorful mosaic which must have at one time encircled the entire room. It is an underwater scene of great detail that shows a number of fascinating deep sea fish and creatures. Etain is amazed and moves in for a closer look. Even Cinn Oir is very interested in the mural as she has only heard secondhand accounts of druids travelling so far into the land beneath the waves. Cinn Oir also spots what appears to be a building on the floor of the ocean suggesting some sort of civilization. Etain speculates it is Fomorian in design but can’t accurately place the date.

They decide to spend a few minutes giving the place a very thorough search. Etain, something of a history buff, is more than happy to sift through the debris of the cavern. Cinn Oir locates a very interesting ring. It is silver or perhaps platinum with a single piece of coral set into it. There is a small diamond set alongside the coral in a very non-symmetrical way. Cinn Oir pockets the ring and the party leaves the cave, finding nothing else of value.

The group sets off for the ancient tower. As they approach, Cian and his hawk are aware of something amiss. From their vantage point high in the air they see movement at the top of the ten story tower. Flying in for a closer look, Cian sees a hideous figure: half-humanoid female and half-prehistoric bird. It is hunched down behind the parapets on top of the tower, peering down at the party. So far it is ignoring him and his hawk, perhaps mistaking them for simple animals and not connecting them to the party. Cian sends his hawk down to buzz the party and try to draw their attention up. The hawk makes several passes but the party never manages to spot the creature.

As the group closes and nears the base of the tower, a horrible wailing begins to come from the tower. The sound slowly forms into a song of sorts and is quite fascinating to some of the party members. Dierdre in fact hears it and begins moving toward the tower at a rapid pace. Cian, from above, can see that the source is the strange half-bird, half-human female. His spellcraft tells him that there is definitely something to the song beyond the sound so he decides to attack the creature. He and his hawk, dive in and begin tearing at the creature.

On the ground, Dierdre is ignoring the party and heading into the tower at a less than cautious pace. Sensing something is up, Cinn Oir follows her closely. Etain recognizes the song as a sonic attack and strikes up a countersong. Dierdre enters the rubble strewn ground floor of the tower. Dierdre begins to climb up a staircase which wraps around the surviving outer wall (a wood staircase that has miraculously survived.) She seems very interested in reaching the top and is unresponsive to Cinn Oir’s calls. Cinn Oir follows Dierdre to the remains of the second floor.

The stairs end at the second floor, only to be picked up again near the fourth floor along the undamaged section of the wall. Dierdre looks around and spots some very crude but easy to see handholds in the wall. The handholds lead up to the fourth floor, past the missing third floor. Just as she starts to climb the wall to pursue the source of the singing, she is suddenly brought out of her trance by the sound of Etain’s harp. Cinn Oir reaches her side and they both look up to see a second creature, another harpy, waiting on the fourth floor. Cinn Oir casts Shillelagh and prepares for its attack.

Atop the tower Cian and his hawk are literally tearing the creature to shreds. The harpy attacks ferociously, wielding a large bone as a club, but is no match for the constant flurry of beak and talons. Seeing herself at the disadvantage, the creature steps off the tower and takes flight, ceasing her song.

No sooner has the first song stopped when the second harpy begins to sing. Etain continues to play, trying to counter. However, this time Cinn Oir and her animals fall prey to the tune. Sensing an opportunity, the harpy glides down to the second floor landing and attacks. Dierdre fires off Burning Hands, (DM’s Joke: the Colonel’s own secret recipe…) and Cinn Oir and her pets stare on in wonder at the singing harpy.

Etain’s countersong breaks the spell over Cinn Oir and her pets just as the harpy decides it is best to leave the scene. At about this point, the harpy engaged with Cian and his hawk drops from the sky, plummeting to its death. Its companion, facing Dierdre and seeing the incoming avian threat, steps off of the ledge and flies towards the woods. Cian starts to give pursuit but breaks it off after a short distance and Dierdre fires off a few parting Magic Missiles, though the creature keeps flying.

Cian inspects the tower from the outside, making sure they have found all the inhabitants. It is a tall ten story structure. Several of the floors have collapsed along with the large portion of outer wall though quite a few remain intact. Circling the tower and landing on a few narrow ledges, Cian discovers several things left in the tower. A bookcase set directly into the surviving wall has survived though it has little but rubble in the way of contents. A thorough search however reveals two whalebone scroll cases. At the very top lies the harpies nest and Cian digs through it discovering a large sack with 30 platinum pieces. He also finds a very large battle axe lying precariously on the remains of the seventh floor. It looks fairly recent and perhaps belonged to one of the harpies victims as several ogre sized bones litter the first floor.

Dierdre and Cinn Oir also inspect the miraculously surviving wooden staircase. It is crafted somehow using the Ironwood spell. They pry up several loose planks to take with them in hopes that they can be worked into something else. Cian and Cinn Oir speculate on ways of using Wood Shape to create weapons or armor from the material. It is getting late so the party decides to hole up in the cave off the beach for the evening.

The following morning, the adventurers continue to explore the ruined city. Very little remains aside from standing walls of some buildings worn by years of weathering. Several empty shells that look to be houses are discovered and a larger building that has the appearance of something that may have been a church. The most interesting discovery is a well in the center of town. Dierdre casts Light on a stone and tosses it in. There is a thirty foot drop and a tunnel branching off to the south at the bottom. The well is empty save ankle deep water at the very bottom. Oddly, the entire well interior is lined with a mosaic very similar to that seen in the cave.

Cinn Oir elects to be lowered down by rope to explore. At the bottom she finds there is a metal gate blocking her passage along the hallway. She picks up the Light stone at her feet and tosses it up the hall. The hallway continues to snake its way to the south and the mosaic is continued along its length. All she can see appears empty. The gate seems very sturdy and resists Cinn Oir’s attempts to pry it open. There is no latch on the outside and apparently it opens upward, sliding into a groove in the ceiling. Unsure how to proceed she tugs on the rope and the party pulls her up.

The next building they find is a large rectangular building, perhaps an ancient warehouse. Within the collapsing walls of the roofless structure, they find the remains of a campfire. Cinn Oir moves in for a closer look. She informs the party that the fire is maybe a couple of weeks old and she also discovers some slightly more recent tracks; very large booted humanoid tracks. The group suspects ogres.

Just then Cian’s hawk alerts him to a noise off in the woods, beyond the tree line. Cian and his hawk go airborne to see if they can pinpoint it. In the distance they catch a glimpse of something bobbing in and out of the treetops. As it gets closer, they can see, and soon hear, that it is a harpy-most likely the one that escaped. Cian alerts the party. He also mentions that the beast is flying irregularly and singing its song—it may be bringing trouble. Dierdre calls for everyone to gather around and she casts Bull’s Strength on herself (her familiar too), Cian, and Cinn Oir.

Soon enough, the harpy breaks the tree-line. Dierdre immediately Extends (DM’s Note: WOOHOO Someone is using their meta-magic feats!!) a Magic Missile and fires it at the creature at extreme range. Soon after, four ogres break through the trees, following the harpy and apparently under its spell. Cian takes to the air again and moves to intercept the harpy while Etain begins her countersong. Cinn Oir casts Shillelagh and takes cover amid the ruined building. As the Harpy closes, Dierdre takes the opportunity to fire another volley of Magic Missiles and she too ducks behind the broken walls of the building.

As the hideous creature nears the party ahead of the ogres, it cuts it’s song short and veers off toward the main area of the town. Cian pursues it and lands a vicious claw attack which is enhanced by his Bull’s Strength. His hawk strikes as well and the Harpy begins fleeing at full speed. The ogres, still a ways from the party, snap out of their trance as the song ends. They look around, confused and fail to spot the party hiding in the remains of the warehouse. They do however see the fleeing Harpy and the eagle (Cian) and his hawk, in pursuit. They rush off after the airborne combat.

As Cian starts to gain on the Harpy, it slows and begins to sing, daring Cian to catch her. Cian thinks better of it and breaks off the pursuit. Meanwhile, the ogres have started to close. One stops and begins yelling at Cian (in Giant which Cian can understand). Most of it is along the lines of "Nice birdie! Good birdie! Go eat ugly birdie!" The ogre then reaches into its pouch and pulls out a bloody piece of…something. "Treat for good birdie!" Cian, amused, buzzes the Ogre and calls out "No thanks!" in giant. The bewildered monster drops the slab of meat and stares dumbfounded as Cian flies off out to sea (making a wide circle and planing to regroup with the party of course….)

The session ends with the party watching the ogres from their cover. The ogres catch up with the harpy at the tower and begin throwing stones at it. A few of the large rocks get a bit close and the harpy takes off toward the forest once again. The ogres, uninterested in pursuing the harpy, slouch off toward the woods as well, presumably back to where they came from…..