The Narwoods is on Fire?

12/4/2020

At first light, we set forth upon another daring foray into the West Narwoods. Over the river and into the thickening canopy, we watched the tentacled suckerbirds flit amongst the trees.

In a small clearing, it was Agathon who first noticed the daylight filtering in more strongly. Amongst a field of wildflowers stood a thicker, heavier stalk bearing a cluster of smooth-skinned fruits—resembling grapes. Perhaps anticipating the eventual joys of fermentation, Alton plucked a berry from the cluster...only to be snapped up into the giant jaws of the carnivorous vine.

Agathon pried Alton from his plant prison while Ekenir hacked away at the stalk, and no adventurers were to be lost to the Grapeler plant this day. Much to Alton’s dismay, the fruit of this violent vegetation tasted quite terrible.

Spenser, not to be distracted by Alton’s pontification on flavor, set forth to investigate motion and sound away from the clearing. A dozen tiny, deer-like creatures popped from their hiding places and scattered away through the underbrush. Hints of these Pockies would be discovered throughout our journey, but close contact or hunting would require far more stealth from our merry band. Instead, we made camp in the small clearing and settled in for the evening.

As dusk settled over the woods, we spotted smoke rising again from the west in thick plumes of black; but by sunset, it seemed to have dissipated. If investigating the source of the smoke was our goal, then we were certainly on the right track.

Not far into the first watch, Agathon alerted our troupe to movement and low mutterings from the south. A nighttime tangle with goblins and narwolves ensued, though I cannot describe most of the actions of the battle due to the limits of halfling vision and ability to remain conscious when hit in the head. No matter!

The narwolves accompanying the goblins were held by tethers and collars, and some had fur brightly painted by skilled hands. Perhaps methods of control or efforts to tame these canines could be learned and imparted to the citizens of Haven through further study. These goblins were also surprisingly better dressed than other goblins we’ve encountered here: nicer armor, better crafted weapons. Each goblin had a bracer of sorts, with what looks to be a dwarven rune on it, all the same. Each of them also had a gold coin sewn into their skin on the arm opposite the bracer. The blank face is facing up, with the diamond pattern facing towards the body.

On sight of the coin, Alton mentioned that Haven's occultant also looked at the coins, and the face we believed to be blank also bears a faint rune. They've been unable to decipher it.

Heading deeper into the woods the next day, Alton began getting whiffs of smoke on the wind. More and more as we traveled and as hints of ash accumulated amongst leaf detritus.

Ekenir spotted it first, a structure standing out like a sore thumb. A small low tower, or a grouping of them, unclear from our spot within the woods. In the clearing we happened upon some narwolf tracks and some new mushroom growth, but no signs of humanoid traffic. Three of the tower structures have long since crumbled, but a lone central tower remained, two smaller tower structures huddled against it. The stone is of the same make as Ashskull Lighthouse, seemingly formed by magical means.

Spenser pushed into a broken portion of the wall into a sepulcher of sorts. Piles of bones began to rise as he began to make his way towards the main chamber. And fall, to fists and swords and a few clever insults on my part.

In the middle of the central tower lay a large stone dais, beautifully wrought, covered in runes, and split in the very center. Where the cracks originated: a dark metal spike, clutched in the hand of a skeleton. Agathon removed up the spike, revealing it to be eight or nine inches long and of a metal we’ve not seen before. Jet black, but upon closer inspection, seemingly filled with stars.

The runes here upon the dais appeared inactive, but there is something familiar about it, compared to the door in the Ashskull Lighthouse. Like they are of similar origin, but different purposes. That door within the lighthouse was a true door, or hatch. This, however, seems more like an arcane focus. In this moment of study, it's purpose evaded my thoughts.

Spenser and Alton moved to inspect some of the sarcophagi. On one, a carving of a young woman, in her hands flowers of some sort. On the other is a carving of an older man, human, in very fine tailored clothes holding a scepter. Perhaps lords of this former keep, perhaps even more? So much remains unknown to us of this land. Still, we endeavored to camp within the ruined tower and see what we might discover about the source of the smoke.

Dusk found Spenser and I waiting, perched atop pieces of the crumbling tower walls. Finally close enough to spot; it began as a pinprick of light, and another and another, as it spread through the trees. One by one, trees began to burst into flame. Combusting and moving, coming closer and closer to us. Agathon, after several minutes of study, pointed out that the trees appear to be moving away from the central location where the fires began. Not

The flames and the slow moving trees did not make it all the way to the tower, and, after a few hours, the fires appeared to burn down to embers. By late in the night, even the embers seemed to have coalesced back to the center. And by morning, even the very center died out. A terribly curious and destructive phenomenon, and what could be its cause? To journey farther into the center, more protection from flame is surely needed.

--Alton's Footnotes of Flavor: Some days you eat good food, other days food eats you I guess. My last trip into the Western Woods yielded lots of interesting new foods to try, and also a weird oil that removed taste, so I had high expectations for going deeper. The very first thing we saw were these huge luscious grapes that looked as if they were grown personally by Lord Ducru Beaucaillou himself. I was so ecstatic to try them that I reached out to pluck one with my own hand; despite of course having mage hand in the ready to grab such things. Much to my instant dismay, I found that the grapes were attached to some kind of carnivorous plant called a Grapeler that quickly gobbled me up. The nerve of such an unrefined beast to try and eat me raw and unseasoned!!! I would have at least lightly pan fried me with some marmalade,chili flakes, and a touch of turnip zest to bring out the complex sweetness of my hafling flesh....not that I've ever put much thought into it. Our group thankfully had some strong brutes in it who got me out of the plant half-digested and made quick work of the terrible fiend. After it was dead, I tried the now safe grapes and they were horrible rancid! What an utter waste. If you're going to go through the trouble of having a delicious food based lure it has better be tasty.

After our plant encounter we did see some succulent little creatures called Pocki. They looked like tiny tiny deer the size of rabbits. They were fast bouncers so we didn't catch any, but I know something that small and quick must be really good tasting. If anyone manages to trap one, let me know and I'll cook us up a tasty meatpop with it.

The only other food related thing we found of significant note were these odd bright pink mushrooms I've come to call Palate-Purooms. This bright pink mushrooms had a most interesting effect, as soon as I ate one I began uncontrollably vomiting. However, the vomit that came out was the most sugary wonderfully sweet concoction. Quite a pleasant taste actually. This was a most extraordinary find. In my years cooking for the nobles and royals we would often have such wonderful feasts that would last for hours and hours. Of course during the feasting at various points I provide rounds of palate cleanser to refresh your tastebuds for the next course. And, as it happens, some people just over indulge and can't quite eat for 10-12 hours straight so they have to find ways to make room for the next culinary delight I've created. With these wonderful new treats I can at last combine both the palate cleanser and the stomach emptying that is needed for my royal feast. Palate-Purooms are a very marvelous find that I am sure will be a hit with all of the feasters back on the mainlands.