celebration
Chapter
Maiden Festival (1)
The Band of the Lion
The party return to Whetgreen, only to be immediately put on edge by the presence of a Flameguard militia, posted to stop unrest in the area. To the south, the New Grove in Sylfshire was facing insurrection due to ecological concerns. Included in the guard were the brutish Ghostclaw, a giant dragonborn with a bleached hand. Setep struck out there. Merut tried to adopt a false identity to keep a low profile, but the others inability to pick up on his plan led to it being foiled. Nonetheless, they all returned to Bernard's house and were greated by a well groomed Sam who charged at the party and hugged them all, desperately hoping they weren't dead. After the jubilations subsided, he handed over a letter from Veilyn explaining that she had moved on and gone on her own way, she did says she would spread tales of the party along her journey under the name Sam had thought of for them. No longer were they the unknown travellers, the Setep Squad. They were now lions, loyal, brave, vicious, fighters of the Band of the Lion. With that, the first comfortable rest in weeks began. But not everyone was so restful that night.
Maiden Festival (2)
The Path of the Lion
Cailin has strange astral dreams, while Alcain stirs in the night. In the morning, the party converse and play with Cailin 'Beatures' cards. After wondering if they would ever be trading cards, the party gathered to discuss their long term goals. Alcain wants to find Yuki, in the capital, everyone agrees, as the capital will surely have the most opportunities to make a name for the Band of the Lion. Setep and Flea struggle to reconcile their feelings after their heart to heart on Stadium. Acquiring a map from a dragonborn guard, the party decided that the nearby river town of Forlonde was next. The town would make an ideal crossing, being just north of the where the Wishbone River bifurcates, eliminating the need to also cross the Westbone River. After a morning and afternoon of hiking, the party got their first look of Forlonde. They had heard whispers at Whetgreen, but here it was evident, Forlonde was celebrating. The roadside banners confirmed, the end of spring was the Maiden Festival.
Maiden Festival (3)
The Arrival of the Lion
Alcain informed the group of the nature of the affair, romance, arranged betrothal, and party goers converging. The band gathered around a painted map board on the outskirts of town which showed them the crossings of the wishbone, mainly 'Meatbridge'. Everyone decided to find lodgings before joining the festival in the southern, sunrise ward. They walked further and further into the town proper, searching the highstreets for a vacancy. Setep wrote off one that he could not 'smell ale from', and reluctantly the party followed him all the way to Meatbridge before finding 'The Unwritten Foul'. Flea and Setep had a spat outside whilst Merut befriended a dwarven patron, Rankirk. Rooms were bought and Setep took Maximus to find a stable. The others booked in, then headed for the festivals form of registration. Illusory bands were cast around all attendees signifying their intent. Samworthy and Flea got a pink (bachelor/bachelorette) bands, Alcain got a yellow (not interested) band, Merut and Cailin got purple (see what happens) bands, and Elu and Nagrick got red (quick love) bands. Setep stumbled into the bar not long afterwards looking rather shaken, but assuring the others that maximus had been safely boarded. The band paired off and went to their rooms to clean up, and prepare for the festivities.
Maiden Festival (4)
The Claws of the Lion
Elu bathes Nagrick, seeing her scarred torso, she treated it with care while she wrestled the squirming goblin. Merut bathed while Cailin dressed, the tielfing asked his companion of her old home in the astral sea. Cailin reminisced of how it once was before Nox had cut the circle apart, but reassured Merut that she still had family out there, and not just from the circle. Alcain bathed and washed his armour while Sam groomed himself, the two had not spent the most time with each other, so Alcain inquired as to Sam's relationship to everyone else. He explained the events in Westwood, how two friends did not return from the battle while he hid, he was burdened with guilt, wandering what if he had done more. Alcain was touched, relating to Sam's frustration about failure and leaving things unfinished. The hag in Sam's case and the crusade in Alcain's. Everyone met on the landing and headed down into the bar to find Setep passed out drunk, Flea and Merut roused him and they all headed to get Setep a band. However Setep's drunken manner didn't quite sit right with the attendee, who cussed him out with bigoted words. Setep tore her face off. Merut healed her while Alcain told Setep not to help, he had done enough. The rest of the party fled while Alcain stayed behind to talk to the authorities who gave him a stay order, being a witness. Setep wandered off into the night, alone.
Maiden Festival (5)
The Pride of the Lion
Setep awoke, having passed out again, he wandered over to some nearby dwarven residents who were sat outside their home. They gave Setep a sobering potion, which overjoyed Setep! To celebrate, he drank again, but this time, with his new associates, Cad, Cable, and Gundlin. Though only Cad could speak common, employment opportunities for the three were heavily discussed. Setep is eager to expand his pride. Alcain ran into Flea, and the pair went to discuss philosophy over a drink. Nagrick, Elu, and Merut found their way out of a back alley, but felt wind blow from behind, so decided to to see where that road led too, before they got carried away with the partying. The area was surrounded by lifeless houses, Merut investigated, finding some kind of business office with documents within referencing maidens and one Antibell. Meanwhile Elu plays with her and Nagrick's lives by toying with a shop with an eldritch door. Elu and Nagrick vanish.
Maiden Festival (6)
The Heart of the Lion
Setep arranged a meeting for the next morning with the Forlonde Veteran Worker's Union and headed to bed, Elu had a strange encounter, and everyone else found there way back to each other and began looking around in the festival. Not too long later, a halfling Grug Cleric, laden with a purple shall, and crystal necklace began to hit on Merut. She lead the party to the nearest dive 'The Trove' where all manner of festival goers were gathered in the dance floor. Cailin was perturbed by the sudden intrusion of Nifeemos, and Merut's willingness to go along with her, so Alcain kept her company and they had drinks. Flea and Sam were making acquaintances also. Nifeemos told Merut she had nowhere to go and was looking for someone to follow, Merut snapped out of it and warned her that wouldn't be possible because their life is very dangerous. Nifeemos said she understood but still wished to go with Merut, so gave him a sending stone, and parted for the night.
WAKE
Chapter
The Last Night in Forlonde
Maiden Festival (7)
Luteus Requiem
Alcain bids everyone farewell as he heads home for the night, feeling cold. He bumps into Elu, who tells him something that seems to reassure him, he tells Elu not to say anything tonight, and to deal with the new tomorrow. Alcain retired to his chamber where the yellow tides of sunrise washed over him and he passed away. The next morning, Setep meets the Union at meat bridge and leads all the dwarves and two humans to the unwritten foul. There he welcomes Cad, Cabal, Gundlin, Rankirk, Orr, Cecil, Mable, Rena, Gara, Bakeralka, and Arimar to the band of the lion. Setep goes upstairs to tell the others, but is unable to wake Alcain. While Setep breaks the news to the others, it is kept from Nagrick that Alcain died, and Sam is belated in learning the sad news by arranging the band of the lion into detachments, he includes on the roster a pixie he danced with the night before 'Spacegraham' and Nifeemos, having overheard only a part of Merut and NIfeemos' conversation the night before . After this, he too is told, and all share in the grief. Flea brings along morticians who are payed for, and Alcain is taken to a plot, where he will be buried that afternoon. The dwarves are confused by the darker mood, so inquire when they're able to set off, Setep gets the impression that the Union had decided for him that they would need to head off that very day.
Maiden Festival (8)
Thadal Pervigilum
Cailin is left in the inn, as she was in her astral form, seeking out Alcain's soul to guide it to peace. The others headed to a rundown blacksmith, where a very self righteous bronze dragonborn was desperate for work. Merut offers up Alcain's dismantled mithril plate armour, and says if the blacksmith (Chainstoke) could re-rivet the pieces, but convert it to halfplate, he could keep the extra mithril. Meanwhile Elu gets her gauntlets silvered. Meanwhile, Sam and Setep went to retrieve Maximus from the stables with a few complications, but afterwards they found themselves in Chainstoke's store too. Setep is intrigued by the smiths massive collection of extremely powerful and unique magical ultra greatswords, unfortunately, Setep was not able to afford what he wanted. Chainstoke, however, who seemed very reluctant to offer up his hoard before, was interested by Setep the more they spoke and offered him a deal, wherein upon acquiring a guildhall, the band of the lion could acquire store credit towards paying for Setep's most desired weapon. By the time all was said and done, it was time to see Alcains final rest, so together they went and mourned. Merut, against Setep's wishes, decided afterwards to follow up the strange letter he found, fearing foul play; Sam, Flea, and Elu went too. At the address they had deciphered from the documents was a small shop that was in disuse, but after breaking inside they saw a pregnant drow woman in labour, an armed tielfing woman and a white haired human aristocrat. Though Elu seemed completely terrified to go near the building, the others were disarmed by the inhabitants reasonable explanation of drow reproduction and safeguarding. Merut apologised and asked if he could look in the basement before leaving. He went down into the dark until he saw a green light that he followed to a cauldron where inanimate depictions of his party from Westwood were displayed and a taunting voice from behind him in the dark whispered. "You should have stayed".
Dreamscape
Maiden Festival (9)
Sundown
Merut fends off apparitions of his friends as the Harvest Hag assaults him every time he turns his back. At his wits end, he is just about able to hold off the crone long enough for help to arrive. A strange lumbering hulk used the force of Merut's eldritch blast push, to impale her on his sword. The crone disappeared, but was not defeated. The figure introduced itself as an avatar within Merut's shield, existing in the ethereal plane, where Merut found himself. He escaped through one of the Hag's portals and emerged to see Flea, Sam, and Elu standing outside of the burning shop, clutching a grey baby. With no misunderstanding they fled the scene and prepared for departure. Collecting Cailin, Nifeemos, and the mithril half-plate from Chainstoke. A few drinks and introductions later, the expanded Band of the Lion gathered before Meatbridge awaiting Setep's command. He simply ordered them on and they headed for the the western gates of Forlonde and on to the final stretch of road before the capital walls.
