Post by bowgentle on Apr 10, 2018 23:43:59 GMT
(A tale spoken from the lips of a mysterious wandering storyteller adorned in feathers)
The company that I shall keep will include the breathtaking Incendaria herself, and the shrewd Alfonso of the Wooden Mits. Of course we shall also be accompanied by worthy men from Mercurius and Cherbourg. But even their grandeur falls short to that of a drake known as Quiver. Scourge of Gemstones and Grand Teller of Juicy Bits.
Still, all these great ones fell in line behind the exotic duo of Incendaria and Windsong. Who would have thought heroism and danger could be so beautiful!? Who or what could possibly stand before wind and flame and not fall in love or get scorched? Can the world even contain the combined passion of these two magi without tottering?
Legend claims that the capricious Windsong met with the bold Incendaria at Cherbourg, and the two set out with a troupe of heroes, ghosts, and magical beasts.
Some have claimed that Windsong was infatuated with the beautiful Incendaria, and he was anxious to prove himself worthy of her love. Still, others countered that Incendaria could sooner capture the wind in her hands, than capture the eternal fire of Windsong’s devotion.
Whatever the case, storytellers claim that it was a giant, magical hare, that led the troupe to the very doors of Arcadia itself.
A grand chase ensued with Quiver leading the way, and Windsong not far behind, admonishing everyone to “grab the cheese and cider,” “run faster,” and “don’t stray from the path.”
After passing through a magical gateway, the troupe came upon a massive bridge guarded by a two-headed giant that was as tall as a castle. The battle that followed was truly epic. A Roman Legionnaire ghost in the service of Windsong’s covenant, slashed away at the colossus, while Incendaria shot jets of flame at the giant’s head. Knowing that winds could fan the flames of not only love, butIncendaria’s fires, he helped spread her flames with controlled bursts of air.
Sadly, the troupe experienced their first casualty during this encounter, when a warrior of Mercuriuswas planted into the earth by one of the giants fists. May his bravery and loyalty be memorialized, rather than his slow wits.
Still, heedless of the danger in front of her, Incendaria was flinging balls of flame at the giants face, when the panicked monstrosity knocked her off the bridge. With steel resolveIncendaria accepted this unfortunate turn of events, plummeting towards the base of the canyon like a fallen phoenix. But,Windsongmanaged to scoop her up after spinning into a reckless dive; His black mane swirling in the tempest winds that he summoned.
With the giant vanquished, the troupe soon rediscovered the tracks left behind by the magical hare. Skirting a haunted forest filled with prying hidden eyes, the party wanted to avoid the forest at all costs. Inside its dark depths, all manner of life remained smothered in a death-like sleep, coiled in vines, branches, and other vegetation.
The troupe then came upon a great blackened oak, and Windsong beseeched the spirit within. It was then that The Great Myself revealed himself and hinted at the mystery of the nearby forest and his role in their ongoing quest.
With helpful insight from Alfonso, Windsongcame to the conclusion that a well-placed bolt of lightning at The Great Myself, might open a new path that the troupe could follow. Taking to the sky, Windsong directed a bolt at the great oak and split it open, then landed upon the ground with a flourish. As the smoke cleared, a stairway revealeditself, and Incendaria and Windsong head down to knock on the door just ahead.
Within the den was Blue, the hare from earlier.Windsongquickly made a bargain with Blue, and the hare shared information about cyclops’, a gentle prince, a magician, and the secrets of the haunted forest claimed by the Enslaver of Summer.
Apparently, those secrets resided in a book that only The Gentle Prince could open. To make matters more challenging, cyclops block the path leading to this prince.
While the Enslaver of Summer currently holds power over the nearby forest, a legendary Armorsmithremains asleep within the tangle. This Armorsmith is the target of Windsong and Incendaria’s quest.
After learning this valuable information, Windsong performed the song that he wrote for Hyfonious the Blue. After completing his tune, Blue the hare became anxious and Windsongrealized that his song was already famous in Arcadia. Still, Blue was suddenly anxious to leave, and he eventuallydeparted after promising that he would return in the near future.
Soon after Blue’s departure, a green vapor began to creep into the den. Windsong quickly recognized the threat and clung toIncendaria’s side as he summoned a whirlwind of air to keep the poisonous gas away.
The others were tossed about by the winds, bun managed to scramble for safety while Quiver ensured that no more poison would enter the Den.
A few moments later the den is rocked, and there is a feeling of it lifting into the air.
With this turn of events, Incendaria kicked the den door open and leaped outside into a giant twister that carried us. Her courage and boldness was limitless. While everyone else was trying to avoid the gas and find a way out of the den, Windsong leaped after his beautiful companion and found himself in the same giant tornado.
At home within the raging winds, Windsong quickly pinpointedIncendaria’s location and realized that she was casting a spell. Riding the winds to her side, he scooped her up so smoothly, her casting was not interrupted. Still, as her streams of fire strike the giant green dragon that was creating the tornado, they bounce harmlessly off its scales, revealing the extent of Fourisse the Greens power.
Windsong was not shocked to see Fourisse causing trouble given that the green dragon was the nemesis of Hyfonious the Blue. One often acquires new enemies after acquiring new friends.
Meanwhile, the flying den was “leaking” the rest of the troupe. It was quite evident that Fourisse was directing the den towards a massive stone wall erected in the horizon.
Interestingly enough, Stephanos, a former member of Windsong’s covenant, was poised on the distant wall with the stature of a giant. He was flinging streaks of flame at the massive dragon, and one of them even managed to harm the dragon. The Green roared in pain.
Reacting to the new information, Windsong quickly flew to the wall and gently dropped Incendaria upon it, before rocketing back into the air and catching Xavier, Incendaria’s shield grog.
Were it not for the decisive actions of Quiver heeding the commands of Windsong, Alfonso would have also suffered a terminal landing. But the flying magus and his familiar had their friends back.
While Stephanos saved another grog from the fall by turning the ground to mud, Incendaria shot more jets of fire at Fourisse, stinging the dragon. This agitated the dragon further and its jaws nearly swallowedStephanos and Incendaria.
Now on solid ground, Xavier returned to Incedaria’s side while Stephanoscontinued to damageFourisee with more flames.
Crassius the Legionnaire ghost, managed to draw some blood from the dragon, while Incedaria tried to lower the dragon’s magic defenses. Stephanos’ flames appear more effective after that and the dragon bellows in pain, but its jaws miss the Flambeau.
While Xavier ineffectivelyslashes at the dragon, Windsong used the winds to bring the rubble of the den crashing down on Fourisse’s head; the weight of the rubble buries the green dragon in a massive pile. .
Windsong then goes to confirm the dragon has been vanquished, while Quiver tracks down a small jeweled snake escaping from the rubble. Without hesitation, Quiver snatches the snake up in his claws and bites off its head, turning the rest of its body to gas. Realizing that a sample of Fouriss’ essence could be useful in the future, Windsonguses a spell to gather some in his wineskin.
Meanwhile, the troupe begin making camp whileWindsong flatters Incendaria and introduces her to Stephanos. After the trio discuss their quest, Stephanos agrees to accompany them.
As the dust settles, Windsong sends Quiver and the grogs to retrieve the book that Alfonso had claimed in the den, and now lost. It doesn’t take the keen-eyed drake long to track down the book, and the ever-curious Alfonso soon discovers that some pages within the book already illustrate the slaying of a green dragon by a masked champion holding a tree branch. Interestingly enough, the pages that follow this illustration seem to be glued together.
As the group consider the symbolism within the book, Windsong realizes that the leaf on the branch is from an Alder tree. Alder is associated with royalty and also resists decay. There are other properties associated with the Alder that Windsong shares with the group around the campfire that evening.
Around the fire,Stephanos and Windsong discuss Armello, the last time they saw each other.Incendaria inquires about their adventure, and Windsong decides to sing a song about the Battle for Armello.
Meanwhile, using a map in the book, Alfonso indicates the path that we should take in our coming journey. He then blows on the book and it glows blue.
As Windsong begins wrapping up his song, the grogs are alerted to an unknown presence near the camps boundary. Windsong quickly determines that a number of firefly-like fae and forest brownies are the culprits. Nevertheless, he welcomes them as friends with open arms. For his part, Alfonso introduces the Fae to Windsong, Margherite, and Stephanos, while proclaiming their impressive titles and feats.
The little faeries are honored and request that Windsong finish his song. Afterwards, the lead faerie who burns the brightest declares that she wishes to offer the magi gifts in return.
She speaks of the land suffering and a sense that we are here to solve it. She tells us to follow the path North and do not look back until we find what we seek. She mentions The White Lady can be cruel and she has killed men that deserve it. But there are ways of dealing with her beyond violence. The Firefly then tells the troupe about the Gentle Prince and his 3 hostages. Her last words admonish us to “fly with the winds and save the land.”
With a wave and appreciative words exchanged, the faeries depart and Stephanos gathers Quiver and some grogs to hunt for food. As they travel the wonderous land in search of food, on more than one occasion they come across a bounty, but each time the food is fae-touched and not fitting for consumption.
Meanwhile, Alfonso unsuccessfully tries to distract Xavier from his duties watching over Incendaria. ButWindsong does not seem bothered by Xavier doing his duty, he draws closer to the spirited fire maga and discusses everything from the current adventure, to all things Faerie related.
Windsong enjoys the more personal interaction and tries desperately to pierce her stoic façade. Incedaria seems anxious to learn more and asks many questions. She appears to enjoy learning and has no problem conceding her lack of Faerie knowledge. Windsong even catches a smirk of appreciation on her face and his heart soars for a moment. He is now convinced that he is finally making some inroads to her heart. Lately he has been disappointed that Quiver, Alfonso, and Stephanos have had nothing to share about Incedaria.
Windsong even enjoys their sparring matches. After they are resting and breathing heavy, she looks at him and is about to say something when the others return and interrupt the moment. The hunting group has returned empty handed.
The troupe soon continue their travels towards The Magician’s Mountain when up ahead a screech and roar is heard; Silkwing is fighting with a flying feline.
Windsong takes to the air and lands in Silkwings saddle while Quiver slashes the feline. As the creature withdraws for a moment, Incendaria tries to flame the creature and Stephanos lights it afire with 3pillums. The creature plummets to the earth but Windsong catches it with his winds and sets it down slightly.
Windsongis a tad bit annoyed by the “over-reactions,” and he admonishes his companions to use more discretion in the future. Windsong explains that everything around them could be useful. A potential resource or ally. Stephanos apologizes and Incendaria nods in agreement.
Windsong proceeds to heal the creature using the enchanted parsnip. Soon Windsong begins to win the creature over with a song that even makes Incendaria smile and relax a bit. Eventually, the creature escapes its bonds and flies away to rejoin its flock; poised at the entrance of the Magicians cane.
Everyone is soon at attention though, because Quiver reports a hoard of hairy humanoids riding on moose-like creatures and heading our way. In moments everyone is preparing defenses.Stephanos creates mounds of dirt in an effort to create a bottleneck. Windsong casts defensive spells on Incendaria and himself, then covers the grass near the bottleneck in slippery oil. When the timing is perfect, Incendaria creates a black cloud of fire rain which sends the creatures charging for us and our traps.
All hell breaks loose as the creatures charge and plummet into the neck. Stephanos&Incendaria starting throwing flames into the chaotic melee while Windsong tosses giant rocks and even a moose steed. Stephanos eventually lights up the oil that Windsong coated across the ground before the battle and the cyclops are in complete disarray.
When a cyclops knocks grogs aside and goes after Incendaria, Windsong disguises himself as a cyclops commander and commands the remnant army to flee. Windsong is so convincing, the remainder of the cyclops retreat. With the the big battle finally ended, everyone begin collecting the Vis left behind. Windsong finds a survivor and tells it to spread the tale of this battle (Windsong, Incendaria, & Flaming Skull) to his queen and everyone it meets.
Incendaria is pleased with the bargain that Windsong made with the surviving creature and the battle has left her happy.
A little bit later, Quiver relays to Windsong that a carriage is moving toward us. After negotiating with The White Lady Sarot, the two sides appear to settle on a peaceful agreement. But not much later the troupes observe evidence that Sarot plans to betray us. Aggression resumes, and although Sarot is destroyed, Incendaria loses control of her flames and torches Stephanos.
Incendaria is devastated but Alfonso and Benoit conceive of a way to bring Stephanos back through an elaborate ritual. Using Sarot’s heart, other components, and a special song from Windsong, Stephanosis successfully raised. He quickly shakes off his confusion and claims two of the princes before finally departing to finish his own quest.
Meanwhile, the troupe claims Sarot’s wagon and a ton of Vis, but the grogs have lost their shields and Xavier has lost his axe. Windsong continues to comfort Incendariafor the recent accident, while the grogs hunt for food and manage to catch a deer.
Windsong begins following his ring once again and it leads him to The Magician’s mountain. The problem is, a flock of those flying felines take roost around the entrance to the Magician’s Cave.
Conceiving a plan and getting everyone on board, Windsong creates an illusion to disguise the wagon, and begins playing music to draw the creatures to him. The ruse works after sweetening the pot with Vis, and Quiver, Alfonso, Incendaria, and Xavier make their way to the Magician’s entrance. Windsong also reaches the cavern after some high-flying maneuvers.
Inside the cavern looks almost Roman. The troupe eventually discover a strange sight. Sleeping on a wooden thrown is man covered on the cloak or blanket. On each side of the man are two cages. One holds a sleeping boy, another a book, another a hammer, and the last a flying feline.
Quiver begins to scout ahead as Benoit informs the others about the sleeping man and entertains various plans. Alfonso informs us that the Magician might be the lost Tytalus. If so, the Tytali’s mater was a necromancer and would steal living essence from others. The Magician even has the same ring as Tytalus had; a silver ring with encrusted with a ruby.
Quiver then notices Little Mouse hiding nearby and he snatches him up and presents him to Windsong who then asks him to fetch The Blue Dragon.
Windsong then plays a comical song about the Tytalus and the Queen, and The Magician chuckles and coughs out dust. He tells the troupe we have earned a moment of his time before he deals with us for intruding.
Windsong tries to negotiate for the items. He offers a song for his hammer, a letter recounting a Queens weakness for the Prince, and information on his House in return for the book which apparently gives him control of the land.
The Magician claims he has little interest in the things Windsong offers, but he is interested in the Ring of Wanderlust Desire. He also states that he would trade the flying feline for the least of our items. Windsong asks for permission to confer with his companions and withdraws, while Alfonso confirms that The Magician is confined by bargains like all other Fae.
Finally, The Magician asks Alfonso to send a message to his folk and tell them to expect him soon. Alfonso agrees to relay the message.
Meanwhile, Windsong plots with Incendaria. He tells her he is going to play a song that might weaken The Magician and if it has the desired effect she should take advantage of the moment.
Windsong then begins to play a song about Winter and The Magician flings himself on a cage and reaches for the book. Incendaria reacts by hitting him with flames and he screams and calls us “damn fools.” His clothes are burned and one side of his face is also burned.
When The Magician raises his hand and points towards the ceiling the cavern starts to collapse around us. Incendaria hits him with flames again and he falls unconscious, but his ring activates and he disappears.
Xavier continues to protect Incendaria from falling stones using his shield, while Windsong commands Quiver to free the feline and boy and get the boy out of there. Windsong then uses Pull of the Skybound Winds to lift the book and hammer from the cages so that we can grab them and everyone can make a hasty retreat.