[Alliance] Chapter Two: Session Eighteen
August 5th, Night
After the encounter with Ravensun, the group continues on carefully. Ravensun seemed to be heading east directly toward the lake. Gil enacts Pass without Trace, and the group starts heading southeast.
They opt to make camp, and set up watches. The watches are uneventful, and they start to pack up around 10am.
August 6th
Vel attempts to send Sylvanas, pretending to send it to Vereesa.
Vel: "Aunt Vereesa. We encountered a ranger named Ravensun who offered us help. She said you sent her, but it seemed... off. Can we trust her?"
There’s no response.
They decide to continue assuming that Ravensun’s offer is a trap. They head south, looking for a smaller village to start in. They see several villagers going about their daily chores and the like.
Vincent is able to reapply the elf disguise to Uther, and he and Vincent opt to go into the village itself while the others stand back.
0:32
There is a sudden gust of wind that blows through the village as the duo approach. One of the fisherman, who were tending to his catch, grabs his straw hat and his basket gets blown over along with a few smaller fish. Uther and Vincent are able to brace themselves against the gust.
A few of the linens being hung by another man get blown off straight into the water. The wind dies down shortly after. There is some banter between the villagers, but then the young boy, the son of the fisherman, sees the travelers approaching.
They greet them.
Uther: “Greetings, friends. Do pardon my intrusion. My associates and I are looking for passage to the Isle of Tribulations. Do you know anyone who would be willing to take us?”
Uther continues to explain that they are students from Duskwither Spire looking for a “good time.” The fisherman says that isn’t the place to go for a bit of fun if they want to return to their classes on time.
Uther: “Oh. So it IS dangerous, then?”
The villager trying to get the linens calls to the others, namely the fisherman named Wellsen, that they need to get the linens or they are going to lose them, and the young lad is sent to fetch them.
Wellsen asks why they want to get to Isle of Tribulations, and Uther says they want to know why it’s called that. Wellsen said that they could just ask, and Uther said that his professors said that experience is the best teacher.
Wellsen explains that the isle is claimed to be haunted by the spirit of a woman drowned on the eve of her wedding day, while others have said there’s a witch on the island. Frequently, boats come back damaged from the place.
Uther asks if there are others that would say otherwise, and Wellsen offers some people in Suncrown who aren’t so worried, and the Farstriders aren’t concerned either. He also mentions an “Old Man Falios” who is apparently not bothered either. He lives at one of the other small villages. He’s a tad eccentric, and some people say he was a veteran of the First Troll Wars who people say had taken a potent curse and hadn’t been the same since.
Uther simply said he was excited to meet him.
Wellsen said he was one of the oldest elves left after the death of Anasterian.
Uther thanks the man for the information, and he returns to the group so they could go see the old man.
As they travel, Gil uses primeval awareness to sense the humanoids around, and eventually he pinpoints a solitary source in the middle of nowhere.
0:49
As they continue forth, Gil pulls everyone back as he realizes the source of the humanoid trace. There’s no hut or hovel. It’s a tent, with a single half-elf sitting outside and preparing food while humming to himself. He has simple travelers garb that is much more colorful and not befit for stealth. He has long auburn hair, and a sliver of a goatee on his chin. There is a velvet beret with a pure white feather with blue and black streaks through it--a jay’s feather-- in it.
His pointed ear twitches slightly, and he looks in the group’s direction.
Half-elf: “Hello?”
Uther: “Hello! Falios I presume?”
Half-elf: “Me? No. That’s certainly not my name.”
Uther: “I don’t suppose you know anyone by that name.”
Half-elf: “Me? No. Well, I not be one to shirk the presence of friends. You are friends, yes, not roving bandits?”
Gil: “I don’t think we would have shown up if we were going to steal you stuff.”
Half-elf: “Oh! There’s more of you! How many are behind that tree?”
Vel sighs, and looks at Vincent. They stay behind the tree, though the others go out.
The half-elf introduces himself as Senstus and asks what he could call the others.
Uther introduces himself as Tandris, and the others are his friends from school on holiday. He explains they were looking for Falios, as he would be willing to take them to the Isle of Tribulations.
Senstus seems very interested, and he mentions he had had some of his things stolen, and thus it probably wasn’t safe for him to travel alone. He asks if they would be opposed to him traveling with them.
Gil is able to pick up the man is hiding something, though everything he said wasn’t a lie. He doesn’t seem to be a threat. The only weapon sensed is a dagger that seems to have never been used.
Gil admits they are probably going in the same direction, and Senstus immediately packs up his things. Behind the tree, Vel sighs, and turns herself and Vincent invisible.
Gil pries more about how Senstus lost all his things, and Senstus explains he happened upon a camp site. Those there happened to not be particularly friendly, however, and ended up taking his things after claiming *he* was the charlatan or ruffian.
Senstus asks why they are searching for Falios. Specifically, why were they looking for *him*. Senstus asks if he was an old hermit with a secret way in. Gil just said he was old and wasn’t scared of anything anymore so would be go.
Senstus seems a bit disappointed, but then starts talking away again. Gil starts to give him deadpan, Vel-style answers, while continuing to prod for more information. Gil is able to get the name of the ringleader that stole from him: Draeil.
Unfortunately, Gil doesn’t know the name off the top of his head.
Senstus is able to recognize Gil as a farstrider and asks if he is on official business on the Isle, and Gil simply says “No. I’m just looking at a rock.”
1:08
They then arrive at a fishing hut, which is likely the one that belongs to Falios.
Senstus is first to the door, excited. They knock on the door, while Vincent and Vel skirt around the side to maybe be privy to the conversation without their presence being known.
A raspy voice calls “WHO’S THERE?”
Uther asks if it was the residence of a Falios, and the voice asks who was asking. Uther responds with “potential customers.”
Falios: “I’m not sellin’ anythin’”
Uther: “I’ve heard differently.”
There are some latches and chains and locks being moved, and the door opens a few inches. There is a large, fiery, amber eye peering through the crack.
Falios: “I said I’m not sellin’ anything.”
Uther: “Not goods, but perhaps a service?”
Falios grunts.
Uther: “I’ve heard you’re a fearless sailor.”
Falios: “Aye, that’s true. Commanded a destroyer during the First Trolls war.”
Uther explains he and his friends had a destination in mind that no one else would take them to. The Isle of Tribulation.
Falios slams the door.
Then there’s a click, and the door opens all the way.
Uther asks if they would discuss terms, and Falios invites them in.
Inside there is a musky smell between old moss and freshly caught fish. There are dozens of fishing rods of various make and degree of use and repair, both hanging on walls and also discarded throughout the building. There are tridents and blades as well as clothing and silverware and dishes piled around.
The man’s hair is greyish white. His hair line seems to be receding, but it is still very long. His face is covered in a net of scars, his lip carved up and revealing some of his teeth. Half of one of his ears is missing. He is very hunched, and his back is deformed. He walks with a limp, and one of his arms is withered.
He slams the door behind them.
Falios: “Why the fuck are you trying to get there?”
Uther: “I’ve heard lots of stories. I want to know if they’re true.”
Falios: “All you’ll find there is likely death.”
Uther: “So they say.”
Gil: “Wouldn’t be the first time we fought death.”
Falios: “You’re a cocky bastard. But your pride won’t save ye. Not from the troll’s hex.”
He explains none of the stories the villager stories are true. The island is home to trolls, as he’s seen with his own eyes. He has warned everyone that has come knocking on his door about it.
Falios asks why he would go back there, and Gil comments to kill the trolls. Falios explains the hexxers had sunk his vessel before he arrived. He goes and gets a bottle of alcohol and starts to drink from it.
He explains he went out to the isle 30 years ago as he got curious. Several people had asked him to take them there. A priest, a fellow with a funny hat, and two others.
(It was Dar’khan, Liadrin, and the others)
He went back to try and find them as they never returned, but got turned away by the hexxers. He wasn’t going to go back.
Uther asks if there was anything at all they could do to convince them, and he said no.
Senstus then places money on the table before him. And Falios said it was going to have to be a “damn good amount of coin” to convince him to forget what he had seen.
Senstus said that was his last 3 gold pieces. He asks if they could borrow his boat, and Falios says no.
Gil asks if they could do anything for him before they left, and Falios said no.
Uther asks how much coin Falios needs. Falios asks how much coin he has.
Uther muses he was planning on celebrating what they found at the island in Suncrown, but, “No victory, no party. I have a traveling budget of 40 gold pieces.”
Falios: “40 gold pieces, you say? Fuckin’ hell. Fine. You can borrow me old destroyer. I built it with a part of my original ship, you see. It’s out front. Bring it back in one piece. And don’t get your fuckin’ arses killed out there. I don’t want to swim back to get my own boat.”
Falios grumbles and holds a hand out to receive the gold pieces.
Falios: “Go on. Out with ye.”
They go out to the ship, and it’s moss-covered, but it seems to be sailable. It’s a sizeable ship that seems to be able to be rowed or sailed.
Vel and Vincent remain invisible.
1:27
There are two hatches that lead into a small cargo area. Vel and Vincent sneak below deck, and everything smells of wet wood and fish.
Senstus asks if anyone knows how to sail. No one does.
Except for Senstus Trusong, who said that he dated a girl from Kul Tiras once. He might have picked up a few things.
Gil asks where else he had traveled, and Senstus said he would tell him, while he directed the group around to get things he needed situated.
They travel for a few hours by rowing, though a stone scrapes against the side of the ship.
By around 9pm, they pull up to the edge of a bank in a quiet, secluded little beach. They set up camp. Senstus asks if they need him to keep watch, but as soon as they say it’s not necessary, he immediately goes into his tent.
On the first watch, Uther and Gil hear occasional splashes from fish. Then Gil’s ear twitches, and he hears the distinctive sound of footfalls in the brush nearby. As Gil and Uther stand, a number of figures come out of the clearing that leads into the deeper forest.
An elf with an elegant blade at his hip steps out at the head, and he greets them, musing it’s not common to find people camped there. Uther retorts that it’s even stranger to find people walking there at such a time. The man said that he’s a bit of a romantic. Walks beneath the moonlight are poetic.
Gil asks how many people were there, and the man just said it was him and a few friends. He said he was looking for a “pompous cunt of a man” who happened to be calling himself “Senstus.”
Gil asks what he had done, and the implied he had done things to others. Enough to collect a pretty penny on him. The man introduces himself as Driel.
Gil said that, last he heard, the man was trying to go to Suncrown. Driel asks when he had heard such a thing, and Gil said yesterday. Uther comments that he was a bit of a character.
The individuals start to approach, and Driel asks if they could have a look around.
Gil: “You understand, I’m starting to think you’re just bandits and I don’t want to deal with you. You got your information, now leave.”
Driel: “Bandits? Really? Look, I’m not trying to start any trouble. I’m just trying to get an individual that’s done enough to warrant his capture, and I’m getting the sense that information you fed me isn’t true. You’re acting defensive, Farstrider. Where is he? No more bullshit. Be truthful. Or I’ll have the boys look around.”
Gil: “The four of them, or the ones in the trees?”
Driel: “All of them, if it would please you.”
They start to inch forward.
Gil points at the ship. “There’s our ship. Search it to your heart’s content.”
They start to approach, and Vel makes herself and Vincent invisible. The group starts to go through the ship, while Driel walks about the midst of the camp. He stops at the tent Senstus had disappeared into it.
Draeil sniffs the air, and then reaches forward to look into the tent.
Gil’s hand ignites, and Driel immediately turns around.
Gil: “You can stay out of my tent.”
Draeil’s eyes narrow. “I’ll be sure to do just that.”
He then looks into the tent, and Gil lobs the fire.
1:55
Initiative is Rolllllllled
An arrow sails in and hits Gil, but he follows through on the attack. Draeil rounds on him, furious. On the ship, they start to look around, hearing the fighting breaking out.
Senstus then leaps out of the tent, and dives onto bounty hunter’s back, attempting to attack him. He sinks a dagger into Draeil’s side.
The thugs on the shore continue attacking. A thug goes goes for Senstus, but misses terribly.
Arator rolls out of his tent and draws his blade, only half-aware of what’s going on. The air lights up as he uses his channel divinity, and then also heals Gil.
The battle rages on on the shore, while inside the vessel Vel suddenly appears in a flash of magical energy, immediately killing two of them with a sudden flood of icey energy as they are frozen solid.
The bandit captain rounds on her, surprised.
Vel: “You might want to run while you have the chance.”
And then Vincent fires off his arrow, getting the captain straight in the gut.
Vel: “Unfortunate. Too slow.”
On the shore, Draeil starts to approach Gil, while his allies jump on Arator. However, there is a howl, and Tess comes blasting out of her tent in worgen form on all fours. She rips into the thug, and he screams.
The bandits immediately try to dogpile on Tess, but are not very successful in doing so.
Uther scrambles to his feet, and draws his blade and swings, but it goes wide. He heals himself.
Gil Zephyr Strikes away, and shoots Draeil. However, he throws one of his allies in the way. Gil fires a second arrow into him, and Gil goes and quickly heals Arator.
Draeil goes for Uther.
However, Vel darts by the bandit, calling for Vincent to cover her, and evades his attack, and runs for the top of the deck. Seeing the situation, she starts to weave arcane energies, her eyes and tattoos flaring with an arcane glow as she weaves the magic around the leader, and he vanishes. Some of them look confused.
Arator heals himself, and shouts at the bandits to stand down. They laugh.
Down below, Vincent stabs the bandit captain, and throws a fish into his face as he darts by, and then jumps down and heads into the throng.
The thugs are still dogpiling on Tess.
The battle rages on, and the blinded bandit captain manages to get to the top of the stairs, still blind.
One of the thugs shoots at Vel, and manages to get an arrow through her leg. She is dropped off the boat, losing the concentration on the banishment.
Uther runs into the nearest thug, his sword igniting with holy fire. With two strikes, the thug drops, coughing and gurgling, to the ground. Just as Uther cleaves through, Draeil reappears, and his blade carves into him.
Senstus runs over to Vel, asking if she’s alright, and says he will watch her back.
Gil fires off two arrows at Draeil, but misses. Tess continues to rip into bandits, and Arator drops one as well.
Vel twirls the wand of arcane missile off her waist, and unloads it into Draeil. He’s not looking too well. However, Tess is knocked out of her worgen form by a good hit.
The bandit captain tries to grapple Senstus, but is unable to do so. Nor is he is able to land his hit.
Senstus manages to pin the guy’s hand to the boat.
However, Draeil raises a hand, saying that they would drop everything and pay them off if they handed over Senstus. Uther counters asking if they are willing to lose their lives over it.
3:00
Draeil lowers his hand, and tells his people they are leaving. They start to gather up their people, and they leave.
They turn on Senstus, expecting an explanation. He explains he’s a minstrel. One who deals in… making certain powerful people lose some of their dignity. As a result, he’s gotten a bit of a bounty on his head.
He’s quite confident that they won’t do anything to hurt him, as they need him.
They push more, and he reveals his identity as Rain -- a satire bard who specializes in roasting people verbally.
They all turn in, and the rest of the night is uneventful.
3:17
They take off. There is some banter with Rain, but it’s a nice day overall. He asks what the most amazing place they had been was, and Gil mentions that he had been to Thas’alah. He also asks how far south they’ve been. They don’t answer clearly.
Rain goes on about Booty Bay, and continues small conversation while Vel, Uther, and Vincent play Hearthstone. However, as they approach, things start to get rather foggy.
3:33
Rain suggests they go back to oars, and Vel summons an unseen servant and utilizes shape water to help with rowing while Uther and Arator also row. Tess and Vincent keep watch, while Gil tries to plot a course.
They slowly make their way through the fog.
Then something starts whispering across the lake. It sounds like humming or singing. Ethereal.
In the fog, they see a woman lounging on a stone near the isle. Vel and Vincent cover their ears, and Gil tries to use primeval awareness. He senses three humanoids on the island.
Nothing on the rock.
The water starts to get rougher, and the boat jostles. They are all able to stay on their feet.
Vel sees through Arkha’din’s eyes, and everything around them is magical and thick with conjuration magic. She says as much.
And then something rams into the boat, veering it off course. The water begins to churn and twist and move, and the water moves and shifts in a wild and strange way. It’s a long, vaguely serpentine figure that dives straight for Vel.
She manages to erect an arcane shield against it at the last second, and it dives back into the water.
Arator immediately stands up and draws his sword, asking what that was. Vel didn’t get a good look at it. Everyone readies their actions, and the creatures leaps out of the water and dives at Vincent. Gil coats it in faerie fire, and Vincent follows up, hitting it with his sword. Tess also blasts it with her pistol just as it goes to sink its watery teeth into Vincent. It misses, but now they can see it swimming beneath the water thanks to faerie fire.
Another of the creatures rams into the hall, and two more leap forward. However, Vel manages to banish one of them as it leaps for Tess. Another goes for Vel, but she ducks out of the way, and it disappears into the water again.
Tess fires at one as it leaps up, and another goes for Rain. However, at the last second, Rain ducks under it as the faerie fired one splashes back into the water.
Gil shoots the visible one, and Vel enacts a mirror image on herself to try and make sure the target she has banished stays banished.
Vincent shoots the visible one, and another jumps at Tess, biting into her and wrapping around her.
And it pulls her straight into the water. Arator takes a potshot at it, wounding it with a smite.
Gil kills one of them, causing it to disapparate. Gil fires at the one with Tess, and it falters slightly, but still has a grip on her. Tess manages to cut her way free, however, and starts to swim toward the surface. However, she gets grabbed again.
Vel sighs, realizing Tess can’t get to the surface, and she drops the concentration on the first creature she had banished and instead banishes the one that had grabbed Tess. One of the others continues to attack the boat.
Vincent ties a rope to himself and the ship, and he dives into the water after Tess. Arator grabs onto Vincent’s shoulder, and there’s a wash of light as Vincent dives, casting Longstrider on him.
One of the creatures continues attacking the boat. Tess, now suffocating, falls unconscious. Vincent grabs her at the last second, and Arator starts to reel them back in. Gil reaches out, trying to heal Tess, however, she remains unconscious. He starts to help Arator pull instead.
One of the creatures goes for Vincent, and he is pulled, but the rope is still holding him. Arator and Gil are able to keep the rope taught. Vel blasts it, and the frost pierces through the water. It frosts over the creature for a split second.
Vincent tries to push Tess up and out for the others to grab her, and he tries to wiggle away from the creature. He breaks free, and pushes Tess up onto the boat. Gil heals her, and she coughs up water as she starts to come to.
A creature tries to get Vincent, and Vel hurls an icy chromatic orb right as it appears. However, it wraps around Vincent, dragging him underwater again.
Uther continues rowing, and Arator runs to help him.
Gil gets grappled, but he just blinks back onto the ship. Vel fires at the one with Vincent, but misses. Vincent manages to get away of the creature, and dashes toward the surface. However, another attacks him. Vel tries to fire off a spell, but she accidentally hits Vincent in the confusion.
Tess manages to pull Vincent out of the water as he stabs through the creature, and he’s back on the ship. He looks at Vel commenting her aim was off. Gil heals him.
Uther continues to row, and there’s a loud crash as the creature destroys the rudder. Vel tries to steer the boat using shape water. Vincent starts to try and bail water.
However, they are going very fast. Several people brace for impact as they ram into the shore. Several people are flung out. Rain is knocked unconscious. Gil goes and brings him to, then covers him with some leaves.
However, Gil senses three humanoids. They all hide, and they see Ranger Ravensun walk out. She walks over, and finds Rain. She brings him to, and asks him what happened there.
Rain said it was just a simple wreck. She asks him where the others were, and he plays coy. However, Ravensun insists he came with others. However, he insists he has no idea, as he was unconscious.
They look for anything that may indicate a clue to who she really is, and Vincent realizes the woman is wearing a disguise.
Vel goes on a hunch, and she sends Sylvanas. Right here. Ravensun started to turn away, but then hears, from Vel’s sending: “What do you see right now?”
Ravensun smirks, and says both outloud and via sending. “I think you’ve gotten the wrong person, Velameestra. My name is Lynsay Ravensun.”
Immediately, Vel steps out. “Forgive me, Ranger Ravensun. Can’t be too careful.”
Everyone is confused, and then Gil puts things together and also steps out. He asks her if they actually hid from her, and she says that she isn’t omniscient, and his magicks to hide their location have gotten better. She also says his name.
Both Vel and Gil look at Rain, who now knows their identity. He realizes everything makes sense. Vel says that if he says anything they are going to have to kill him, and he says he isn’t about to betray them given they saved his life. However, he’s going to stay by the wreckage.
“Ravensun,” meanwhile, said she can lead them through the traps to the runestone.
