Here There Be Dragons: Let's Play Ryuutama (Anime is Real Edition)

[heyboots]

Yeah sure I could be working but instead I wrote this.

[details=Deneb’s letter]
Dear Gran,
I got this weird anonymous letter as I was leaving the hut saying I should go to Pendel Town to start an adventure, and like, I didn’t have anything else to do so I set out to see what was up with it. You said I should be careful but I don’t see what the problem is, no one bothered me on the road, like at all.

So I get into Pendel Town and walk into the square and there’s these other people who also got weird letters and I’m like sure, makes sense. They’re all nice but one of them was looking at me weird but whatever. And like, there’s this kid who has a map to PIRATE TREASURE and I’m like heck yeah this is totally what we should do, and they gave it to us after I told them about the one time you had to set Willy Pete’s leg and then you hit him with your ladle like seven times.

My new friend Koal had all these supplies and stuff but I just like had my backpack and some food and my herb bottles, I guess I could have gotten more things but I’m not really good with this money thing and I can just like find herbs and stuff anyway and cast MAGIC because MAGIC is like totally awesome and everyone else like told me maybe not talk about MAGIC so much and don’t go around telling people I’m a witch and I don’t get why because it’s great and everyone seems to know already anyway cause apparently I look like a witch???

Anyway we left town (Koal has a Llama! ) and it started raining like immediately and I wasn’t looking where I was going and I fell in a big wet hole and my dress got soaked and I felt gross all day. Then later my hat blew off and I was running after it and I ran into a big tree branch and I guess woke up like ten minutes later?? I don’t really remember but I did remember what you taught me and made some Demon Lacquer into medicine and mashed that into my wounds. Everyone else was like noooooo that’s super poisonous but I was like naw I know what I’m doing and I totally did because I felt way better.

We walked all day, Alice was talking about spices the whole time and I was wondering if I could mash those into medicine too but then we walked into this town , except all the people in the town were cute bunnies that were also people. It’d make sense if you saw them. Ryyan wanted to talk to the lead bunny so we did and then we went to the Inn and the Innkeeper was like “You gotta tie her (me) up because she’s gonna cast MAGIC all night” and was super rude, I hadn’t even cast any MAGIC all day and I’ve never cast MAGIC when I’m sleeping. Well except that one time but you made me promise never to tell anyone about that so I didn’t.

So I was like no way I won’t cast any MAGIC at all and I guess she believed me because no one tied me up. We all had the same room and I slept with my new friend Alice and the boys slept in the other bed and it was way more comfortable than my old bed so that was nice.

The next morning Alice found out some of her spices were missing! And there was someone outside our room holding the door closed, so I reached under the door and covered them with leaves to scare them and they ran away and then someone found some bunny hair. Everyone else was kinda freaking out so we went to check on the Llama and he was missing some fur and we found some more hair and I was so mad that someone tore off some of our Llama’s pretty fur that I guess I accidentally scryed on the bunny because I found him and stomped right into the square after him! He was trying to sell the spices so I was gonna hit him with my broom but Koal, Ryyan and Alice talked me out of it and set up shop instead.

Wow this is getting super long! I think they sold all their spices and we’re gonna leave soon so I’ll write more later. Bye Gran!

Love ,
Deneb

P.S. Let me know if the chickens stopped laying those weird square eggs![/details]

[Jenner]

Caper's journal (AKA, session one summary)

In my bird form I was able to leave each of them their letters and they were eager to take the map from me once they reached Pendel Town. This is great! I knew I’d be good at this! I’m a natural!

I think I picked a good group too because they decided to trek through the wilderness instead of take the road, hungry for adventure! This Travelogue will be just what Travien-Sama needs! The witch girl is a little clumsy but they made it to the Usagi-Taguel village. I didn’t expect the Taguel to act the way they did and I suspect another dragon might be meddling with my travelers because this was not the kind of adventure I wanted! If I didn’t have to keep up with my travelers I’d investigate this but for now I’m just going to have to keep on the lookout as we continue.

While it might not have been what I wanted, the theft of Alice’s spices and their response to the antagonism was promising! I’m really proud of my group!

I’m curious what else we’ll encounter on our journey because I can only manipulate things so much at my age. I don’t have full control over what they’ll encounter, which is a shame. But I believe in them and we’ll see things through together!

Arata is such a lovely boy. He’ll be old enough for an adventure soon, I’ll keep him in mind.

[heyboots]

@Fefnir @Breadmaster @LoakaMossi yo use the same hangouts link I sent last week.

[Breadmaster]

[details=Ryyan’s Journal - Session 2]From the journal of Ryyan Pendel, Third Heir to the Pendel Barony.
As we near our final destination on our quest to wherever this map leads us (be it treasure, or pirates, or pirate treasure), I feel it necessary to put to paper a log of our journey thus far. The first day of travel went without incident, as we arrived at the Usagi-Taguel village on time. Despite some hassle involving a missing spice bottle, Koal and Alice managed to sell the rest of our trade goods with a neat profit. I assisted Koal in selected the finest woodworking and shellcrafts the Taguel are known for, though I doubt he was actually paying attention to my impromptu lesson.
The second day of travel was marred by strong winds and a particularly thorny hill, which cost us a great deal of time, and we had to make camp not too far from the ruins in the north of the Barony lands. As we made camp, a wounded Seeker from the Duchy to the north approached us, having been accosted by a group of wild boars. Boars which happened to have followed her. My companions proved themselves to be adept fighters, and I found that my skills with my rapier were completely unneeded, so I provided support from the rear. As we broke camp in the morning, we bid Annabelle farewell, and continued on our way.
The wind was still in force on the third day, and in the afternoon, we came across an unusual sight. Four members of the Theocracy of Etru were fighting what appeared to be two man sized rats! While the discovery of a completely new and undiscovered people intrigued me, I was outraged at (and, I’ll admit it, a little afraid of) the trespassers from Etru. While I had intended to silence their spellcasters and admonish them for their transgressions on our lands, the bridge they were fighting on collapsed, and two of their number were washed away. What’s worse, the rat-men (rat-persons? I shall have to come up with a proper name, if this is truly is a new species) took the opportunity to fell the other two, and get away. I wish I could have met them in more pleasant circumstances, as we need not treat others with aggression, as Etru does.
After that incident, we finally crossed over into the Sunset Centinels’ domain, and met with the border guard lead by Agatha (who eerily reminded me of grandma-ma Mildred). Pleasantries were exchanged, and we finally reached the entrance to the cave marked on the map. As we settle in for the night, I look forward to what discoveries await us inside (or if there actually is anything, as I still doubt the veracity of this map). Even if it turns out to be a wild goose chase, I plan to write up an official report on Nihmish peoples (yes, yes, an excellent nomenclature for these new people) and speak with my mother as to extending diplomatic ties to whatever government they have.
Signed,
Ryyan Pendel

[/details]

[Jenner]

Quote of the night: “Why aren’t millenials containing the ancient evil?!”

Caper's Journal (AKA session 2 summary)

I tried to do a spell to ease the weather but it didn’t seem to work as the wind was vicious to the point it was difficult to fly in. My travelers packed up their llama with wood and shell crafts from the Taguel village and then continued on their journey. The one named Ryyan fell down a hill covered in thornbushes but the team was quick to patch him up and make their slow way towards their destination. That night, while they camped, I was not expecting a member of the Flamewrought Vigil to show up. Who could this Annabelle be hunting? This wasn’t supposed to be in the story, but I’ll take it!

She didn’t stay long and perhaps we won’t see her again. The boars she drew into camp were no match for my travelers! We made better time this time but there was magic in the air, a great torrent of storm magic was being unleashed and it hung in the air and sparked and stung my group. I hurried forward to see what the fuss was about and it seemed some rat-people (I’ve never seen rat-people before, I didn’t even know they existed, I’ll have to ask Travien-Sama about them!) My travelers were too wary (smart) to engage with the ETE who were attacking the rat-people (Nimhish, my travelers are calling them the Nimhish) so I broke the bridge and sent two of them down the rain flooded river!

It was awesome, I’m awesome. The remaining ETE were easily handled, though one recognized Ryyan. The Nimhish didn’t seem very interested in speaking with people, though the youngster, Ark, was friendly. We headed then into the domain of the Sunset Sentinels where we were greeted by a friendly patrol. It’s my first time meeting them, they are as powerful as the legends say. Friendly too. I wonder if Travien-Sama knows what this “Great Bane” they keep sealed in the mountains is and how they do it.

I cast my spell within the cave, to draw in monsters and challenges for my adventurers and I think it went off well. But my spell did not cause that Nimhish corpse to be there. And I didn’t expect the water hazard to sweep Alice up so! I’m curious what other challenges my spell drew as I don’t exactly get to choose what shows up. I worry for my travelers but I know they’ll see this through!

Onward! To adventure!

[heyboots]

[details=Another letter from Deneb]Dear Gran,
A lot happened since my last letter , we went shopping before we left the bunny village and I bought a new cloak because, wow, it was SUPER WINDY all day. We got a little… ok, a lot lost and we didn’t really make it too far and ended up camping in a clearing in the woods.

While we were having dinner this lady named Annebelle stumbled out of the woods all burned and cut up and stuff so I healed her and she said she had gotten in a fight with some boars and ran away and eventually found us. Alice went out to set some traps for them but almost immediately the boars burst of the trees and attacked us!

We got in a brawl! Koal , Alice , Annebelle really tore into the boars and I and Ryyan : threw around a bunch of MAGIC. It was nbd tho they killed the boars and then we all went to bed.

Anne left the next day and we set out again. It was still SUPER WINDY but I did a lot better following the map this time. Partway through the day we heard some SCREAMING and found some rat people bullying some not-rat people .

Everyone else looked like they wanted to leave but I super don’t like bullies! Ryyan cast a SPELLI don’t know and like, well… it was super loud bug noises all over the place . Then the bridge like collapsed for NO REASON!

Anyway, even with all the bug sounds I still healed one of the rat people Nihmish (Ryyan just told me to call them that instead ) and they seemed thankful but the older one acted a lot like you do always and then they left. The other jerks were still there (except the ones that fell in the river ) but we just left too.

Near the end of the day we were almost to the PIRATE TREASURE CAVE and we met some really old really nice people. They didn’t know you though. We rested for the night and then we went into the cave.

I totally found a MAGIC door and we found a compass AND A SKELETON!!! Ryyan said they’re super expensive so we took it.

Then Alice FELL IN A CAVE RIVER!!! I pulled her out with my broom but she almost got pulled who knows where!

I helped warm her up and now I’m writing this while we take a breather. Ryyan is on the other side so maybe he’ll see what’s over there.

Anyway we’re gonna keep exploring soon so I’ll write later. Bye!

Love ,
Deneb [/details]

[Fefnir]

Ah, cool, I can post now. (I’m gonna do journals regardless since I’m the journal keeper of the group and it’s fun, but I want to make sure everyone else has a chance to post as well. Unless I’m broke at some point, then I’ll snipe it.)

Session 2 Journal

The Taguel that stole my oregano got away. Before I did a bit of shopping, I asked around to see if anybody knew of him. Despite our good sale, it would seem that the Taguel aren’t inclined to sell out one of their own. Fair enough, I suppose tomorrow’s meal will have to go without it then. Next time I’m by I’ll have to keep a lookout for that tawny-haired Taguel.
At dinner, I did a bit of research into Taguel foods. They’re vegetarians, of course, but it would seem seafood is a local delicacy. I’ll have to remember that next time we’re through here.

Note to self: Seaweed Recipes. Soup, maybe?

7th of Forta, 1107
It’s a windy day today. Travel was tough, especially on Ryyan, who tripped over a root. Then he fell down a hill. Through many, many thorn bushes. Then he climbed back up through them, which wasn’t as

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bad. Except there were thorns in his hands, which didn’t help. We got him patched up, and upon looking at the thorns it didn’t seem like I could use them for anything.

There’s some thorn bush you can grind down until its just a little ball. Goes great with salads. Not thorn bush thorns, though. They’re tasteless. And pointy.

We didn’t travel very far, unfortunately, and we had to set up camp sooner than we’d liked. After a nice meal, we were all prepared to go to sleep when a woman approached our camp. She was bruised and burned, but could walk surprisingly well. Her name is Anabelle, and she’s from the Flamewrought Vigil in the northwest. On her way, she was attacked by boars. I’ll probably set up a quick trap in case any decide to wander in overnight.

7th of Forta, 1107 (Continued.)
As it turned out, they’d already approached. In the woods. Very, very close to where I was heading. Thankfully, my comrades had my back so that I wasn’t gored by angry boars. Koal and Anabelle seemed to be pretty competitive, and they kinda made short work of the beasts. Very, very short work. Thanks to their brutality, (and my lack of knowledge of boar bioilogy,) I wasn’t able to get much off of them. Ah well, at least somebody will enjoy some boar steaks, even if I won’t have any.

8th of Forta, 1107
Had a weird dream last night. It’s one of those where I was trying to approach something, but never got any closer to it. In this case, it was a chest. I must have treasure on the brain. Ah well.
We said our goodbyes to Anabelle, as she was delving into some nearby ruins on her own. While the wind was still pretty bad, our journey saw a new sort of peril. Traveling along the river, we started to feel some static. And as we went along, it only became worse. Finally, we arrived at a bridge battle between some ETE jerks and a couple of rat people, (and thankfully, I wasn’t the only person in the party who didn’t know that rat people existed.) Admittedly, while we all wanted to help, none of us were entirely sure as to how well we’d fare against soldiers of their caliber; they matched our numbers, and were all distinct and varied warriors. But the strangest thing happened; the bridge just collapsed out of nowhere, sending two of the soldiers down the river to the fairies’ mercy. I could have sworn I saw a nearby bird’s eyes glow for a second, (and the bird itself seems familiar, though my companions don’t know what I’m talking about. Maybe I’m imagining things?) But perhaps the bridge was just old and collapsed beneath the weight of the struggle. We took out the other two ETE soldiers, (I tossed some soap under a blinded man,) and the rat people ran off. The younger of the two was more kind to us, even though his companion doesn’t trust humans. The former gave us his name, but it seems to have slipped my mind. If we meet again like he’d hoped, things may be awkward.
As the day neared its end, we reached the border to the Sunset Centinel territory. I had heard its guardians were both old and very strong, but uh… those were some buff grannies. They were nice enough, and we passed without incident. (Agitha was the name of the lead guard. I’m not the hardiest person in the first place, but if she punched me I would die.) We’ve set up camp in front of our

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destination, so tomorrow we’ll see if this map really does lead somewhere special. Strange tiny girl, don’t fail us now.

9th of Forta, 1107
We had a nice breakfast and entered the cave, all in a fairly good condition. We found a hidden passage, and in it was a small room peppered with flowers and lavender. I took the lavender, of course, and Deneb took both, (I’ll have to ask her if those flowers would go well as a salad garnish.) There was also a skeleton of what we assume was a rat person Nihmish, (Ryyan is quite insistent about the name,) holding a compass. Koal took it and guided us deeper into the cavern.
We came across a river not long after. I thought it was nice at first; the frigid water cooled the cavern air around us. Ryyan, with some absolutely amazing footwork, leaped over the entire thing in a single bound. I thought it would be a simple swim, so I leapt straight in. I was very wrong, as I realized I’d never swam through water this cold before. Instantly, I couldn’t breathe and I started flailing about randomly. If it wasn’t for Deneb’s quick thinking and saving me with her broom, I would have been at the fairies’ mercy in a dragon damn cave.

[Jenner]

rat people bullying some not-rat people .

Excuse me, the not rat-people were bullying the rat people. (Politics is hard!)

[heyboots]

I stand by every typo i’ve ever made

[Jenner]

Deneb is bad at details!

Hey adventurers, pick a color:

• Black
• Red
• Blue

Show results

[Jenner]

Oh poop I forgot to ask if folks were gonna be busy with family or not this Wednesday. Um, well if you are let me know and if you’re not then please hop on in the Google Hangout because we’re doing this!

[Jenner]

Choose Pash’s Artefact!

• The Crystal: All PCs can survive damage that reduces them to -20 HP. They will not die until their HP reaches -21.
• The Mascot: The Ryuujin can accompany the travelers in their shapechanged form.

Show results

Vote vote vote.

And a Reminder:

• A Lord in Dacafe has heard Koal is an excellent trader and would love for him to unite their families and marry his daughter. In exchange he will help Koal rebuild his city and probably give Koal some diplomatic clout as well.
• The Nimhish youth, Ark, and his grandmother have been imprisioned by Grand Duchess Cecile Oslam in the Flamewrought Duchy, he has begged Alice for help. He knows of no one else to turn to.
• Annabelle, the Flamewrought Dropout who the party met earlier is under a severe case of mistaken identity. She doesn’t believe Deneb is willfully a witch. She thinks she’s been hexed and she’s out trying to break the hex and return Deneb to her proper nature.
• Ryyan’s mother wants him to return home soon with a fiance or pick a spouse from suitors of any gender back at home as soon as possible.

[Breadmaster]

[details=To the Baroness Janice Pendel]Dearest Mother,
I received your letter just as we were completing our exploration of a rather interesting cave system. While you have requested that I return to Pendel at once, I must decline at this time, as the discoveries we have made together are most grave.
While on the outskirts of the Sentinels’ territory, we found a cave system that turned out to have been inhabited years ago (at least a decade past, by my estimates). What was amazing was that this cave had been populated by an unknown race of people, which I have taken to calling the Nimhish. They are rodent-like in appearance, and have their own system of writing and self-governance. We estimated this cave to house around three hundred individuals, but we found it abandoned, and uncovered the reason why once we plumbed its depths.
There was magical traces in the cave system that could only have been left by a spell most heinous, one which removed all of the air within, which forced the Nimhish people to flee, leaving behind all of their belongings and food stores. The perpetrators then raided the vault and covered their tracks in order to make it seem like this settlement had been abandoned for much longer than it actually was.
Mother, as you are well aware of, such powerful and devastating magic is prohibited by every nation we know of. There are very few individuals capable of casting it, and I feel that the most likely offenders come from the Exalted Theocracy of Etru. This wanton attack on a completely unknown (and potentially peaceful) civilization cannot go without being addressed. The Nimhish people, from what little evidence we could find, have most likely fled into the realms of the Flamewrought Vigil.
With your blessing, I wish to call for a meeting between the nations of this world, located in the Flamewrought Vigil. I am certain that Grand Duchess Oslam will be open to discourse, once we have informed her of the situation. I will be writing to her as well, and, after stopping by a nomadic settlement for trade and resupply, will be heading to the Flamewrought Vigil.
Give my love to Katarina and Beatrice, and I hope to see you at the meeting,
Ryyan Pendel[/details]

[details=To the Grand Duchess Cecile Oslam]Dear Aunt Oslam,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. I have made a most startling discovery while out journeying with my companions, and I must contact you for reasons I will make clear. We discovered a cave that had once been inhabited by an unheard of race of peoples…

…And this is not the only instance where we have seen the Nimhish, nor the only incident between them and members of the Theocracy of Etru. Prior to exploring the cave, we witnessed a fight between two Nimhish individuals and four ETE members, trespassing on Pendel lands. The two Nimhish fled before we could speak to them, and I have reason to believe at least one of them is now imprisoned within your territories. If they have committed some crime against you, I would hear of it, as I feel these people have been unjustly treated in the past, and wish to negotiate for fair treatment and equal recognition, as a fellow civilized race in this world.
An event of this magnitude requires attention from all nations of the world, and so, in the name of the Barony of Pendel, I request that a meeting between delegates from all major powers be held in your lands within a month. I trust that your agents will provide safe travel and security for all delegations through your lands. I look forward to speaking with you soon.
Sincerely,
Ryyan Pendel [/details]

[LoakaMossi]

First Letter: To Family

Dear Mother, Father, Sister, and Brother,

I have good news. I’ve come into enough money to start rebuilding our village. The total is 1200 gold. I will send more as the dragons provide.

I’ve been traveling with a group of three. They all seem nice enough, but I don’t feel completely comfortable around them yet. I think this will change soon, whether I like it or not.

I might be returning to you soon. Lord Ahn-So wants me to marry in to his family. Right now, one of my companions plans to bring him to us. If that does not happen, I will have to go to him. If I do, I will be sure to stop by.

At any rate, I am missing all of you.

Love,
Koal

Second Letter: To Lord Ahn-So

To the honorable Lord Ahn-So,

I have received your letter, and I would love to discuss the matter further. However, I do not know how things will proceed at this time. I hope that I will be able to meet with you soon. I will probably be attending an event in the Duchy of Flamewrought soon. If you are invited, and I suspect you will be, please look for me there.

Please give my regards to your lovely daughter, Oh-Kae, as well as her sister Ahl-Rite and their brother Eh-Good-Nuff.

Your humble servant,
Koal

[Jenner]

Oh-Kae, as well as her sister Ahl-Rite and their brother Eh-Good-Nuff.

We were kidding about those names but now they’re canon, fuck!

Remember, Ryyan will probably let you borrow his quill for your letters. Though these seem fine.

[Fefnir]

Last night’s session was a night of bad rolls, meaning crossing a river was a daunting task, Deneb had a spider-producing broomstick, and I was almost murdered by a vampiric cloak. Good times.

A Letter to the prison warden of the Flamewrought Vigil

Dear Warden Trek,
It’s come to my attention that you are holding a few rat people, (hereby to be referred to as Nimhish. Don’t ask, I didn’t come up with the name.) I’ve never visited the Flamewrought Vigil before, so I am unsure of the visitation rules. I would like to speak with a Mr. Ark. We are a few days away from the Flamewrought Vigil, so if there’s anything else I need for an appointment I will ask upon arrival.
Regards,
Alice Northwoods
(P.S. There’s a letter to Ark on the back of this one, so don’t read it because it’s not for you.)

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Warden Trek don’t read this.
.
.
.
Ark
Hello. Hang in there, buddy. We’ll get things sorted out as soon as we’re able. Also, I’ll make sure to bring soup. If Trek doesn’t take all of it, I’ll make sure you and your grandmother get some.

A letter to Alice's father, Frederick Northwoods

Dear Dad,
From the time I’m writing this, it’s been about nine days since I left Obsidian. I’ve had some cooking practice, but I’ve been focused so much on traveling that I’ve had little free time to experiment outside of mealtimes. The good news is, though, that I found a really cool pot! It can instantly boil water on command. And it’s cast iron! I don’t have the tools to clean it properly, but I’ve made sure to get the dust off of it so I think it’ll be fine. Tell mom I’m doing fine, and that I’m sorry I didn’t write her her own letter. The courier has enough to do as is.
With Love,
Alice
(P.S. Tell me if you happen to hear anything about the ETE, ETE mages especially. We’ve got a slight mystery on our hands, so any information would be helpful.)

Session 3 Journal (Still the 9th of Forta)

Continuing past the river was… a process. On the other side, though, was an entire cavern filled with eggs! We determined that they’re salamander eggs, and that we probably shouldn’t wake their guardian. That being said, I nabbed one before we left. It won’t hatch without a source of steam, so we’re good to make an omelet out of it.
We found a dead end just a little ways farther, but one which was filled with two types of mushrooms; one of which glowed, and one of which emanates a ringing sound when planted. Naturally, I took a mix of both. Oh, and we also determined that Koal’s compass has two modes: one of which acts like a normal compass, and the other which points towards the closest source of danger. As it turns out, it’s on the latter mode, and the switch is broken. I’ll have to fix it up when we have better access to parts.
We doubled back… past the river… and took the other passage in the fork. We found a passage surrounded by spider webs, and sure enough there were very large spiders waiting for us on the floor below. There were a considerable number of spiders, so we decided the best strategy would be to flee down a passage that we could close behind us. Deneb also managed to curse her broom to emit tiny spiders. Every time she swung her broom.
One path led us to a shrine dedicated to the Seasonal Dragons. It would seem we’re all at least fairly faithful; Ryyan gave literal blood money, (ie a coin with a dash of his own blood,) Koal gave a bracelet, and Deneb offered some her magic. Alas, all I had was a sprig of lavender, which smelled nice, but doesn’t quite match my usual offerings, (you’ll have to forgive me for not giving up any omelet components, I had the perfect idea for them in mind.)
We soon came across the living quarters, which of course were completely empty. Or at least they should have been; while the proper owners had certainly been missing for some time, strange ghostly beings had settled in. Deneb attempted to investigate the throne room, only to find the door to it was a fake. It was actually a Cloaker, a weird spirit that poses as doors and cloaks to lull victims into a trap. Seeing Deneb in danger, I leapt into action. Very badly. I managed to pin Deneb to the floor alongside

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the Cloaker, keeping her in danger and putting me into a bad spot as well. Before I knew it, that thing latched on to me and started sucking my blood. Admittedly, I don’t really remember much of what happened after that. My attempt to slash back was… pathetic. Thankfully, Koal had my back and pushed the thing away, giving Ryyan a chance to finish it off. In my haze I noticed a coathanger covered in cloaks, (and I later confirmed that it was not a terrible fever dream,) buuuuuut we left after I was very nearly murdered by a flying jacket. Deneb healed me up, and we were on our way.
We came upon the final chamber, and we were able to piece together what had happened after our investigation of the vault. Someone had drained the oxygen from this place, forcing the resident Nimhish to flee as quickly as they could. With the area’s inhabitants gone, they were free to rob all they could from the vault. And they did, save a single mimic. The mimic was nothing; we got the bright idea to just gang up on it and stab it before it could sprout legs. I almost felt sorry for the guy, but that’s what you get for not being ready for battle until after someone interacts with you, trickery or violence regardless.
In the mimic’s remains we found the treasure we were seeking, (and some mimic steaks.) I got this really cool cast iron pot that can boil water on command, Ryyan got a quill with limitless ink, (handy,) that’s also semi-sentient and can detect errors, Koal got a dousing rod that can detect imminent weather, and Deneb got a nifty eye that can see through walls. After we divided up our treasure, that little bird that was following us revealed herself to be a dragon, and that her name is Caper. Although she was quite curious as to the quality of our adventure, (4 stars, would recommend, though maybe with fewer vampire jackets next time,) she also informed us that the culprits were from the ETE, though she referred to them as “Dragon Cultists” initially.
Before Caper could get excited over the next adventure she was planning, we were visited by quite the odd bird. His name is Pash, and he’s… obsessed with our relationships. He and Caper brought us out of the dungeon, just in time for us to be greeted by a courier. She gave us all letters, and mine was… quite the surprise. It was from Ark, the young Nimhish we saved yesterday. It took me a moment before I remembered where I’d heard his name. He’s been jailed by Grand Duchess Cecile Oslam of the Flamewrought Duchy. I want to help an acquaintance, but if the Duchess locked him up for more than just a kneejerk mistrust of the Nimhish, this could be complicated. But since Ryyan is handling official matters perhaps I could pen a letter to someone else. It would likely be better for my anxiety.

Chopped up the mimic steak and made little sandwiches for everyone. They tasted good of course, but as always the grease they leave behind is just… not right. I shudder every time I have to clean it off the pan.

[heyboots]

[details=Letter to Annebelle]Dear Annebelle,
Oh my gawd don’t burn down my Gran’s house! Stop chasing her! I’m not hexed! I’ve always been a witch there’s nothing wrong with being a witch why do you think being a witch is bad?

Please, stop bothering Gran she’s old and cranky and she will definitely put a curse on you if you keep chasing her! Seriously!!

Can we talk about this? I think we’re going to Flamewrought next so maybe you can come there and like, explain to me? I don’t understand.

Love,
Deneb[/details]

[details=Letter to Gran]Dear Gran,
Oh my gawd Gran don’t curse Annebelle too bad I don’t think she understands anything! I think she thinks that you forced me to be a witch with a hex? She’s not making any sense at all. No one forced me to do anything, especially you!

Actually, like, a lot of people I’ve met so far seem to think me being a witch is bad or something? I don’t understand at all Gran, why do they think it’s bad?

Love,
Deneb[/details]

[Jenner]

First, LOL a unanimous vote to keep Pash as far away from the party as possible. Amazing. And I love all these letters so as a final parting gift I am breaking the rules and awarding all four of you 900 gold (as if you had each completed the Tale of the Traveler’s Journey Benediction) additionally, Ryyan and Deneb need to add 600 more gold for their letters last week.

Next, I want to at least try to have a loose plan for a campaign set up for next Wednesday so I need to know where you’re all going. I know you’re heading to the Nomads first to trade your goods with them but then where are you heading next? Directly to the Flamewrought Duchy? Then check on Deneb’s Gran, then to Koal’s town? Give me kind of a loose idea so I can have some maps made and stuff.

Finally, a minor retcon because I forgot something in my excitement! I know you all fled the throne room really fast but in the throne room one of you (I’m gonna say Deneb) found the broken piece of the compass. With the piece Alice should be able to repair it at a much reduced cost.

In closing, here’s a picture of one of Pash’s Relationship Charts for your amusement:

_{(GM’s Note: Beyond friendship, nothing Pash thinks is happening is remotely canon.)}

[Breadmaster]

Well, if everything is going down in the Flamewrought Vigil, I think it makes sense to head there next. However, a stopover someplace along the way to go shopping would be ideal. At the very least, Ryyan is going to have the look the part of a proper diplomat.

(somewhere, in the distance, Pash is yelling about makeovers)

[Fefnir]

There’s probably a town between the Nomad encampment and the Flamewrought Vigil, possibly somewhere in Sunset territory. And if we get the Annabelle stuff cleared up in Flamewrought then we can probably do ___swept right after that instead.