Unfortunately I did not, at any point, get drunk over the weekend, so I just settled for typing as though I were drunk. Like an amateur.
Session 9 Journal (23rd to 27th of Forta)
23rd of Forta, 1107
We left Pendel Town in a hurry this morning, intent on evading any ongoing battles. We avoided active fights, but as we traveled we were forced to witness numerous corpses littering the road. Horrifying as the sight was, we had as much time to give these soldiers are proper burial as anyone else in the region did. It didn’t take us long to reach Deneb’s house, only slightly singed from when Annabelle came by and torched it. We scoured the hut for various pieces that could be combined into a scarecrow. I found a hat. To my credit, it was a pretty rad hat.
In addition to those, we also found a pendant and a box of letters, both of which were connected enough to Deneb’s mother Iris that we figured we could take them along. With this done, we had no other reason to stay. The rest of this day was, thankfully, uneventful.
24th of Forta, 1107
Koal and I both woke up on the wrong side of the bed, it seems. Or perhaps it was the corpses getting to us. Either way, we were a little sluggish while travelling. And unfortunately, we ran into trouble at the border. The Sunset Sentinels were fighting with a group of ETE soldiers. I think they might be pincer attacking the battalions that dug themselves into Littleford, but a small group of three mages broke free and attacked us. Figures. Koal… well, we were all doing kinda meh in that fight. A few misses, a few hits, that sort of thing. Koal murdered the ever-loving hell out of two of them. The third ran away. I can see why. One was decapitated, the other… uh…
Koal was extremely heroic. His axe shined with blo the sweat of battle. With only a little support from us, he defeated two of the mages. The third looked paralyzed with fear, but fortunately for him his legs still worked and he booked it out as soon as he could. We all congratulated Koal on a fight well won. We were so exhausted by his heroics, we set up camp near the old warren, right where we’d settled the last time we were through here. It was nostalgic, I must admit. Alas, I didn’t make note of what we had for dinner that night, or I would have made it again. I think it was boar? We had plenty of boar that night.
Shrike and Pash seem to be arguing over whether Iris and Vyrne should get back together. Oddly enough, Shrike’s the forceful one here. I mean, I get he wants his two travelers to be back together and happy, but Pash is arguing against “shipping” two people together? Am I already asleep?
Just woke up. Can confirm, not a dream.
25th of Forta, 1107
The Sunset Sentinels sure is an interesting place. I’d never guess there could be so many people acting so casually about being possessed by demons. Right when we stepped in, we met with Nestrin. That someone with a demon that ingrained in them basically lives in the foyer would make anyone think twice about robbing the place, that’s for sure. We were brought to the barrier keeping the Great Bane at great bay, and the current resident powering the thing happened to be Iris. Oddly enough, my plan to ask the demon its name without a question mark didn’t go over well. I suppose it only makes sense that Deneb would be the only person who could draw that out, though Shrike certainly helped. The demon’s name is Garland, and because of Shrike we can be sure the fiend wasn’t lying. With that information, we could head to Decent Stronghold to perform the ritual.
Before we left, Deneb offered to help empower the barrier. Anyone could do it, and taking Iris off that duty wouldn’t spell doom for the continent. But something odd happened when she did so; Deneb herself used up so much energy she passed out, so she wasn’t awake to see it. Ryaan, Koal and I certainly did, though. It was the corpse of a dragon, animated as though something that rotted and torn up could live. It rammed the barrier, and though frightening, it didn’t possess the strength to break it down. Still though, with its guts strewn about the floor and hanging from the ceiling, the fact that it made such an impact is frightening to say the least.
Apparently that corpse was Shrike’s Dragon. When he told us stories affected dragons, I only thought he meant their mood. But the garbage the ETE fed to them beforehand turned them into a one-dragon mortuary. If there’s a power that can reverse that, it’s certainly not something we can do alone.
We set off as soon as we could. Deneb’s still passed out, and Ryaan’s pretty shaken. Not to say Koal or I aren’t, but Ryaan’s constitution has never exactly been the best.
26th of Forta, 1107
Oh, wow, not much happened to today. Garland was giving us the evil eye most of the way, but honestly it’s not that difficult to tune them out. Thanks to the chains barring any movement from Iris, we just had to throw a blanket over her and the problem was solved.
Thanks to a quiet day with no threats to our lives, I was able to cook so good meals today. Pancakes for breakfast, some BLTs for lunch, and a stir fry for dinner, which helped me use up most of those mushrooms. I probably cook the rest soon. They’re nearly a month old since we got them back at the warren. At least they’re still in good shape, against all odds.
27th of Forta, 1107
Today’s the big day. We’re all prepping for the ritual. I did my part, (lunch was excellent, thank you very much,) but the bulk of the work went to the magic users. Or magic knowers, I guess. I don’t know what’s going to happen in there. I’m writing this now in case I die horribly. Hopefully that doesn’t happen. That’d make for a bad story. But fingers crossed everything goes well!
Okay so that wine was good as hell. I dunno why we all needed a swig of wine for this, but damn does Denebs grandma know hown to do a good ritual if this is how it starts.
I don’t wanna be rufde and write my journal in the middle of a very good ritual, but we solam dunked Garland right into that scarewcrow wait shit no I mean we slam dunked Garland “rite” into that scarecrow. I dunno how magic worjks but
Okay so fior some reason they won’t let me throw the scarewcow into the sea, I dunno why I thin that’s a perfectly fine way to get rid of demons. Oh well growing a tree over him is another good option.
Okay! So last night was fun, despite the afternoon starting with demon shenanigans. I must admit, though, I’m surprised I got drunk so easily. That must have been some pretty potent stuff! Now, I don’t think I was that drunk, but my memory from that afternoon’s a bit… perhaps not spotty, but very strange. For one, I swear I remember mention of Grand Duchess Cecile’s death. Granted, that would explain a few things. But someone would have mentioned that to me by now if it really happened, right?
Either way, I do remember Caper’s arrival quite clearly. Although she can’t join us on our sea voyage, we asked her to help Beatrice and Emerine. If a Green Dragon is involved, their story may become one of a light-hearted journey in the midst of a bloody war, which in turn may convince Emerine to leave the past behind. And while I still need to speak with her myself, I told Caper to pass on a few words for me. Normally I’d be disappointed that I’d sobered so quickly, (damn my good liver and experience with alcohol,) but it’s good I could form some sort of coherent apology.
After that, though, I got blitzed. I didn’t want to lose my drunk high and the flights were cheap.