Between the Moon and the Sea

Finn had no love for the rain. He certainly understood its value and believed it to be a gift of The Light. But in the moment, his rusty chain mail and soggy boots outweighed his appreciation for the life-giving water falling from the sky. Such were his ruminations as he and his friends came upon a cart stuck in the mud on the road back to Ecklemore. 

From behind the cart came the inevitable plea for assistance. Finn must have done an admirable job of hiding his displeasure. Truth be told, the last thing he wanted to do in that moment was wallow in a mud puddle trying to free a heavy cart laden with who knew what. It also occurred to Finn that this might be a clever ruse for an ambush on unsuspecting wayfarers. Mercifully, no such thing was the case. Once the cart was unfettered, the kindly old driver—Dr. Glockenskart, purveyor of a miracle elixir— even bestowed one of his magic potions on Finn as a thank-you for his selfless act of assistance. 

And so, a few days of soggy travel after leaving Devon, the trio found themselves slowly drying out by the hearth at the Wolf and Barrel. With room and board secured for the evening, and the prospect of some strong ale and hot food on the horizon, Finn and his friends turned their attention to a discussion of their next move in the hunt for the remaining hand of The Watch. What they didn’t realize, as they discussed their plans, was that someone was listening to every word they said…

Soggy again, and this time smelling like rotting fish, Finn thought to himself “that’s not at all how I expected the evening to go”. Mere hours after checking in to the Wolf and Barrel, where the believed they would rest for the night; Finn, Daphne, and Araxis found themselves standing in a dank cellar between the corpses of the creature that they had followed down there, and the beast that burst from its chest, their pockets filled with a treasure trove of gems, vestments, potions, and spell scrolls…

Washing away the day, Finn thought that he should perhaps feel guilty for the spoils he had earned. Instead, he exhaled deeply, appreciating the fresh hot water that rained over him.

Araxis thought to herself; what an exceptionally long rest. A much needed rest. She thought to herself; was it all a dream?

She vaguely remembers what seems very foggy. Finns sense of obligation is admirable but can at times seem inconvenient. Araxis remembers that he really wanted to help out the blacksmith. Daphne, however, had a sense that the blacksmith was much more or less than a human on this plane. She threw a dagger at him and nothing happened confirming her suspicions. A quizzical look on his face communicated his surprise. However; he imparted his knowledge of the Leaves, a tale of a king who had searched for three items, of course not to be mistaken for idle toys. He said that once we were stronger we could search for a dead troves, perhaps a treasure???
Does this long long rest make us stronger???

We decided to push on, with haste, and once in a safe location at night, we decide to visit our dear friend Ivy. We have definitely acquired more knowledge and perhaps she can also assist. Even though she can be quite puzzling; she has become a trusted companion on our journeys.

Once inside the box we seek a “second” where Finn without caution walks past the sign which very clearly stated: This area was used for experimentation; DO NOT GO IN”. Almost immediately explosions started and Finns feet were scorched; he retreated.

Araxis’ keen eye spotted a small device with a ruin carved into it; the symbol triggers a memory of a spell that might help. She remembers that where they are at and the room they are in is triggered by weight. Oblivious to what Daphne and Araxis are trying to figure out, Finn started chomping around and very mysteriously becomes restrained by ice. And then almost immediately breaks through by brute force. We make it through the minefield and get to the building ; Rellington Rentals with some very curious and useful items.

We then confirm with Ivy that our most recent life attained is indeed a leaf and remembering what the Blacksmith said; “You’ll have to find all of the leaves first”. Ivy began to place our most recent acquisition over the map and it starts to get warm in hand. The map flickered indicating that there were many more dragons than anyone of us thought. Sooooooo exciting. Araxis could barely contain herself.

We headed to the Title, again, and once inside, unfortunately, Daphne was hit by the Sea Hag. She suffered a small blow. We worked together as a team in defeating the Hag and were rewarded by a vision where we saw a set of rings forming a thick golden circle, some literal clock hands and painted numbers. It was indeed very exciting. It seemed as though things were coming together. Thinking back now, I remember that we need to procure a watch face. I think this will be part of our ongoing adventures. So we head out and leave our dear friend Ivy once more.

Wow, that really was a long rest. I feel ready for what may come next.

Reports for Her Grace’s Secret Service as prepared by Agent Dublo Sahven

As instructed by Lady Devonsina, I have followed and made notes on a trio claiming to be spies in the Lady’s employ—though the veracity of this claim may be suspect. I picked up their trail at the Lemon Tree Inne. From there I followed them back to the castle where they proceeded to the Armoury. They seemed to be looking for new armaments. This is a troubling development which may pose a threat to Her Grace. They did; however, seem oblivious to the goings on in the forge—a minor bit of luck there. 

Unable to accomplish anything at they forge, they moved on to Magnus’s. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to visit his shoppe, if not for nefarious purposes. I was unable to get close enough to make out the conversation between the trio and Magnus. He might be due for a shake down in the near future. 

I then followed the interlopers to The Guild, which all but confirmed my suspicions that they couldn’t be trusted. To get a better view of their dealings in The Guild, I made my way to a second floor vantage point. From there, I lost track of them for about fifteen minutes or so but when [I emerged] they emerged, the big one was brandishing a new blade of what appeared to be exceptional craftsmanship, though he appeared to lack the skill to wield such an exquisite weapon. 

Unfortunately, after The Guild, I was forced to follow these ne’er-do-wells from one unsavoury establishment to another; Emmeretta’s, The Brush and Bottle, The Middler’s Hollow, The Pursuivant’s Arms, and I eventually ended my night at [Ol’ Dick’s] Richard’s Rich.  

I was forced to begin tracking them again entirely too early the next morning, considering all the overtime I had put in the previous day. But I’m nothing if not dedicated to my work. I was able to pick up their trail at Filman’s. I arrived as they were leaving, so unfortunately I was unable to catch them partaking in any underhanded dealings, but I did overhear Filman whisper to them that “Norman was right about you lot”. I don’t know any Normans, but I think that I need to track him down and ask him a few questions. Perhaps Upstairs Mary will have a lead for me—I shall head back to The Guild and begin my search there. 

We have returned to the magnificent Lady Devoncina from our long mission in Ecklemore as we believed it was our duty to inform her immediately that three travelers arrived there recently from Delta in search of something called a Watch. They seemed lost. We are unsure what this what this is or what it means but Annabelle, Ulfinnaragnis and I will be sure to find out!

We endeavor to discover who brought shame to Devon by swindling Our Lady of her prized leaf. Our search will begin with the investigation of Devon’s now secret gambling enterprises. Those devious minds are no match for this trio, for we have not only the strength of body but the knowledge of books!

Finn wasn’t entirely sure why, but he felt as though he could barely contain his excitement for returning to Delta. It had been months since the trio had first ventured to the bustling city, and the passage of time had served to guild Finn’s remembrance of the towering belfries, the throngs of people, and the vibrancy of this cosmopolitan center. On top of that, there was something intangibly special about Delta for Finn—perhaps this was where his relationship with Daphne and Araxis was galvanized once and for all. Regardless of the reason, Finn was beaming as the domes of the temples hove into view on the horizon. Walking through the streets however, on their way to find lodging for the night, Finn couldn’t help but feel that the city was somehow smaller than he remembered. 

After a night’s rest, the trio set out for the map shop they had found so long ago, in search of fresh leads for their quest. Within moments; however, progress was halted by a series of commotions and setbacks that forced Finn to question much of his world view, and particularly his opinion of Delta. In fact, by the time Finn and his friends reached the map shop, Finn was seething with anger and he barely noticed that the map shop was shuttered and inaccessible. He vaguely recalled a note on the door stating “Norman would be proud…”, and he ambled listlessly behind Daphne and Araxis as they worked their way back to the Guildhalls in search of the dwarf, Reagnus. There too, the trio were met with a dead end, and it was decided that the best course of action might be to visit Norman’s Village in a box once more. 

While Finn looked forward to seeing Ivy again, what he really wanted was to be out of Delta, even if Norman’s box was still there. Unfortunately, not even Ivy could raise Finn’s dejected mood and he found himself blindly hacking and slashing at what appeared to innocent mechanical clocks. Blinded by rage, it wasn’t until Finn and his friends were surrounded by shattered gears and cracked sprockets that Finn noticed they had destroyed all of the mechanical sentinels. Their violence was rewarded with an amulet that Finn thought Daphne might like. Ironically, the amulet which turned out to be both a blessing and a curse for Daphne, as it seemed to make her stronger, and sick at the same time—how apropos Finn thought, an item that seemed to be fair, but on closer inspection turns out to be foul. 

Feeling that they had unfinished business in Norman’s Village, the trio decided to make one more stop before leaving, and they worked their way back to The Beginning. It was here that they came face to face with an Umber Hulk—a creature the likes of which they had never faced before (at least not that they could remember). At first, Finn fed his rage and stood, toe to toe with the beast, smiting it with fire and thunder. But as the battle continued, Finn’s rage was replaced by another emotion. Behind him, Daphne peppered the creature with crossbow bolts, and beside him Araxis whipped it with all the elements of the Earth. It was then that Finn realized he wasn’t fighting Darkness, he was protecting the Light, and his rage gave way to a sense of peace and serenity as he fought to shield his friends from harm. 

It was Daphne who dealt the final blow to the creature. In doing so, Norman’s Village rewarded them, once more, with information that might help Finn complete his quest. Once again, Finn was filled with an inexplicable sense of excitement. He had witnessed Darkness in the world, and now understood the Light all the more. With a reminder of all the clues the trio had uncovered through all of their adventures, Finn was sure they were one step closer to finding The Watch, and snuffing out Darkness once and for all. Finn couldn’t wait to get back to Delta, and he looked forward to what lay beyond.   

Light give me strength.

I know we are a haven for many wayward souls and questing paladins, and I do not begrudge them their rest. However, I would sometimes prefer if they arrived a little less cursed, because let me tell you, Light, these hands they were not holding, holding The Light. They were strong, though.

We eventually managed to round them up. Rather creepy things, scuttling around on their own. They broke one of the chandeliers in the dining hall, but nothing that Reagnus down the way can’t repair.

Our three guests are currently out in the city, and presumably returning here for the night. Light, grant me understanding, and may they not return with a different set of curses. It is so hard on the furniture and Master Eldenbridge’s nerves.

The Journals of Araxis: Vol. 6, Entries 4-7.

Entry 4: Daphne and the Collective Technicolour Dreamboat

Today was an interesting day, we climbed aboard a ship with an interesting crew with an interesting philosophy. The passage fee: contribute to the work on the ship and sign the citizenship agreement. Seemed reasonable to me. Daphne seemed quite skeptical but it was hard to argue with the sea fare.

Entry 5: O Captain, Who’s Captain?

What a strange ship indeed. When trying to see what our route was to be; I discovered there was no one captain and that the course was determined by the one who determined it to be. That one was me. I did ask for advice from those who had undertaken this journey before and they confirmed my route choice. I had sailed before, many a time, but not this particular journey.

Entry 6: A Story, A Dragon…maybe and a Moonbeam.

Our host,Finn, sat down to recount the tale of the Story of Dragons, detailing a golden musical device protecting the people from grave danger. This intrigued my party and we all leaned in a bit closer to hear the details of the story. But it ended abruptly with the clamouring bell from the top deck. As we ran up we heard intense shrieking coming from above. This beast flew down from high up in the sky; a long feathered body, vicious talons and a tail stretching out. It was not a dragon; although that would have been much to convenient given the story that we had just been told. Finn shouted out to us all: “This is evil”. Daphne, Finn and I came together to protect our collective interests using our collective skills of water whips, moon beams and strikes to defeat the embodiment of evil. We made quick work of the creature and it fell to the deck. The whole time we were working to keep everyone safe and sound; they were discussing how to proceed with the creature. Honestly, if we had not gone ahead to swiftly deal with whatever that creature was the ship would have gone down with all aboard. It was decided that we would have to partake in the Tribunal as our actions were not in keeping in the spirit of “The Collective”. Will we ever get off this ship? Daphne, very astutely, suggested that the Tribunal might be better on land, to which everyone agreed, it would. We continued sailing on to The Delta and arrived 3 days later.

Entry 7: The Tribunal…and the End.

Well… it wasn’t as long as I had originally thought. 6 days; and honestly it highlighted to the ship crew that they also needed to come up with a better way of dealing with emergencies in the future rather than just talking in circles. By the end of the 6th day our punishment was made clear to us; a curse of a minor itty bitty day that would unfold unique to each Daphne, Finn and I. It was to serve as a lesson about the values we needed to embody. We quickly said goodbye to all on the ship and decided to get to the temple as quickly as we could and wait out the effects of the curse. Oh boy, looking back I am so glad that is over. Daphnes hands fell off when trying to cast magic, there were multiple hands running about in the Temple, Finn had to lie about everything, and I had a looming voice narrating all my thoughts, and trust me when I say that nobody wants to hear all that racket. The sun set but not fast enough for us three.

Daphne, Finn and Araxis came for another visit today. It was messy. I miscalculated their abilities, and I supposed their foolhardiness too, but I cannot be held fully responsible. They know that when they come to the village there may be dangers outside of their capabilities. They must gather knowledge the way all creatures seems to, mistakes.

They entered The Second where they would have learned about  ████ ██ ███████ but they were quickly impeded by the creature beyond the door. May it be their strategy or their skills they were not able to defeat it. Things got so out of hand Araxis had to drag the paralyzed body of Finn out the door and I had to prepare the the cleanup protocols as Daphne had been knocked unconscious, I wasn’t sure if she would live. Of course, through the graces of Finn I was able to forget about cleanup … but only temporarily … as Finn then had a strangely strong desire to proceed into the tunnels created by this creature that just nearly killed Daphne. So again, I prepared for the cleanup. But then Daphne covered the hole and they continued, so I figured it wouldn’t be necessary to be concerned with death. But then again, it seemed it may be possible as yet another time Daphne lay uncurious at the mercy of Finn’s healing. But this time … I realized … I may just need to be prepared for death, whenever they come to visit.

It’s so delightful to see them. I hope they come again soon.

The stay at the Happenstance temple had been a welcome respite from the travails of the road for Finn, and he had embraced the opportunity to refocus and contemplate his faith in the security that the temple afforded. That’s not to say that the stay was without adventure. There were some exciting moments, and much valuable information about their current quest had been gained. Even in the moments of quiet, Tobias was often just around the corner, ready to drag Finn into another unexplored wing of the temple. 

Nonetheless, Finn felt the call to the road again, as he assumed Daphne and Araxis did as well. Finn began to remember why he had set forth from Ulther in the first place; “to shelter the Light and stand against the wickedness that would swallow it.” With new information about The Watch’s connection to the Leaf of Light, Finn was ready to set forth with a renewed sense of purpose, and an appetite for adventure. Appreciation was offered, goodbyes were said, and the trio set off.

And then Finn got walloped by a Gnoll. 

Daphne had sensed the creature first. She managed to pinpoint its location, knocked an arrow, and hit the malevolent creature. She quickly relayed the information to Finn and Araxis, who readied themselves for battle. Perhaps the days of rest had left Finn a little less sharp than normal, or perhaps he was distracted by the beauty of the day. Whatever the reason, Finn took a blow from the Gnoll that left him within a hair’s breadth of becoming one with The Light. Finn wasn’t exactly sure what happened next, but he had to assume that Daphne and Araxis succeeded where he had failed, and managed to defeat the violent creature. 

In retrospect, Finn did not have a very good recollection of anything that occurred over the next few days. He assumed that the trio was making their way back to Wayfair and the University, to follow up on leads they had attained in Happenstance. He also assumed that if they had encountered any trouble, Daphne and Araxis had handled it. Finn was recovering slowly from the walloping, and did not begin to feel fully like himself until arriving in town. 

Once in Wayfair, the trio split up, each with a job to do. Daphne made her way to the market, intent on procuring items that might be of assistance on future adventures, using the spoils of previous adventures. Araxis went to the library archives, intent on following up on leads from the library archives of Happenstance. Finn made his way to the Temple district, to secure lodging and pay his respects to the Temple Elders. Not long after, he met up with Araxis once again and was asked to aid in a small bit of landscaping—a task Araxis had agreed to in exchange for some translation work. It wasn’t the height of adventure, but after the walloping Finn had just taken, it seemed to be the right pace of action for him. 

While not overly taxing, the landscaping was fraught with its own unique perils—bees, which were annoying, and spores, which Finn was allergic to. The real peril; however, was the quandary Finn found himself in when he unearthed a chest beneath the foliage he had just pruned. Clearly, it did not belong to him. But he felt that perhaps Daphne had been wearing off on him, as Finn couldn’t seem to leave without knowing the contents of the chest. Eventually, he decided to bring the chest back to the University and present it to the professor for whom he had done the landscaping. 

It had occurred to Finn that recovering the chest was the point of the landscaping in the first place. It later occurred to Finn (with Daphne’s help), that perhaps the landscaping wasn’t for the professor at all, and was just a rouse to procure the chest illicitly. Mercifully, both scenarios turned out to be false. When presented with the chest, the professor assured Finn she had never seen it before, and had no use for the dirty old box. 

Finn was properly chuffed. He felt that he had obtained loot from an adventure, the way Daphne might. But he was also relieved he hadn’t needed to resort to grave robbing or any other nefarious actions. His elation was quickly dashed; however, when upon opening the dirty old chest a rank and putrid odor filled the room. Finn quickly realized that he had probably dug up the remains of a long-lost pet. Finn handed the box to Daphne in shame—perhaps a little hastily. Disgusted by the odor, but intrigued by what else the chest might contain, Daphne dug through the putrefaction to revel a wondrous wand, which she handed back to Finn.  

Araxis and Daphne had each secured their own wondrous items for the journey ahead. After much consideration and research Daphne had purchased for herself a sword of warning. Araxis, desirous of keeping her feet dry in the swamps whereto the trio was headed, was able to haggle for a ring that would allow her to walk across water as if it were solid ground. And so, with rest, and provisions for the road, Finn felt sharp and ready for the work ahead.

I have been wondering for some time now, if my contributions to this travel group have been sufficient.  I have been on my own, travelling all by myself, and was considering that it may be the best course moving forward.  Finn and Daphne seem to be quite capable in their travels; Finn in particular has grown a lot and even he has endeared himself to me, although I would never tell him.  Daphne is an accomplished young woman and has proven herself to be quite skilled. My thoughts and aspirations call me to my prior adventures but I can’t seem to pull myself away from these two individuals. For now, and until life changes drastically, these two will continue to be my travel companions, as I can’t bear the thought of leaving them behind; and that for me is a lot to say.  Well…on to adventuring. 

Upon our return to the temple at Happenstance from that awful little town, Coincidence, Master Elder greeted us at the entrance and informed us that the poltergeist had been dealt with. He was very appreciative of all for our efforts. In searching for further information about Blue, we found reference to another book, Xanenthrop’s Artificers Encyclopedia of Useful Implements, 19th ed. Finally, some more information: 

There are 3 hands on the Watch. This makes sense, as there are typically hands on a watch.  Hand A detects dragons, and wow what a find, especially for me. Hand B is a projecting hand; and Hand C is unknown, although a certain “Julianna” and an “Old coot” are mentioned, most annoyingly.  Perhaps I may stay a bit longer as this is especially intriguing to me.  

We have been pointed back to the Swamps surrounding the Delta, as a place to find more clues, or possibly even more Hands of the Watch. This is a group decision and we will have to decide if our path to the light includes a journey back to the Delta.  

In the meantime, Daphne had a solid idea of trying to gain additional insight by going back into Norman’s Village in a Box.  Instantly, Ivy appeared to welcome us back and was very excited to accompany us to the buildings in the village. We travelled to the “Title”, “Minute”, and “the Watch” in the village and then to “Two Hours”. While we were exploring inside Daphne started singing—very randomly, at first, but then was telling us that the Watch had been created in the year 400 and was destroyed in the 5^th Century by Devon, his current descendant being Devoncena in Delta. It was very strange indeed and when she stopped singing, she had no clue what she had just said. All in all, it was a useful escapade and we decided to press on to “This”. As we approached the rocks at “This” a series of small gargoyles appeared with their hands clasped in front of them in the shape of a circle. Accompanying the statues were a series of stones. We made quick work of placing the stones according to sound logic and were presented with the reminder of a map that we had received previously in the Delta. Daphne pulled out the map that was given to us all the way back in the Delta, so many moons ago.  It has a few more wrinkles on it, but there are clues now that make so much more sense to us. I gave my head a shake and reminded myself moving forward to never take anything for granted.  Finn, Daphne, and I discussed possible plans moving forward, the obvious one being to return to Delta and figure out where the other hands are.  We all said goodbye to Ivy, thanked her for all of her help, and promptly returned to the Temple to prepare for our long journey back to Delta.   

While we forgot to ask Master Elder, we quickly figured out that. it being late in the season, our chance of taking the River Boat back would not work out and we would have to return via horse.  Master Elder had offered provisions, as part of payment for helping the Temple out, and we graciously accepted. We formulated a gentle plan to let our new friend, Tobias, know that he would not be able to join us in the journey. That little guy has grown on all of us, I think, Finn most of all, as he reminded him of himself.  

And as we depart I exclaim: teamwork makes the dreamwork, something just a short while ago I would never thought I would ever think, let alone say out loud.