The Dwarven Wedding Session 15

Session #15 of The Dwarven Wedding.

Date: April 9th, 2017

Character Level: 6th

Summary

Our heroes meet a hero named Hark and his horse named Patches. He is one of the Grief Riders of Pelor. He explains that he found the group after hearing from a man in Trader's Den that they were in search of stopping the Underdark--a quest Hark finds suitable for defeating the greater evil. Hadarri, after some discussion, explains that he is also very interested in this quest as well.

The group passes through the city on their way to see Professor Redfurl, and on the way, they witness the flying elves of the city in their communication with the Air Elementals that live above the city acting as high guardians and council to the city on many matters.

After a short trip, our heroes meet Theriaus Redfurl; professor in the studies of the Underdark, with specific study in the fall of Torunn. He and Hadarri catch up quickly and Redfurl is introduced to the rest of the group. Remnant shocks and awes Redfurl. He can't believe Remnant exists... and is sentient. There's a big debate around the idea of sentience and machines. Redfurl firmly believe that machines serve a purpose and that once their purpose is served, they are repurposed. Machines are a tool, not beings. And yet Remnant exists.

During this conversation with Redfurl, Hadari takes Luana outside to talk. He explains that he's worried that whatever grief she is feeling (the grief over the loss of Tolnor) is overwhelming her and he wants her to open up to talk about it. To convince her of his trust, Hadarri plays a secret halo message he saved on his mechanical bear, Ceran, of his wife saying goodbye on her final days. "You'll do great things. I love you." As their conversation progressed, Luana became overwhelmed and tackle-hugged Hadarri. She explains her part of the story and Hadarri finally understands her.

Before heading back in, Hadarri, seeing Luana wearing Tolnor's old Owlbear cloak, promises to make her a small mechanical Owlbear as a token for remembrance, the same thing he did for his wife, Ceran. Hadarri presses a fatherly kiss to Luana's forehead and they return to the group hand in hand. Hadarri gets to work on the Owlbear sketch.

Redfurl asks for some background on Hark and Verity, which they provide with their own flavor. When everyone returns, the explanations about the Underdark begins. Our heroes tell Theriaus about the darkness in Bulf and how the King said he "had it handled," to which Redfurl is floored. "This is how it started last time..." Redfurl explains that Torunn saw this same sort of problem. Missing miners, dark beasts of the dark crawling up from the mountains, strange events all around them. They ignored it. They ignored the four phases of Darkness.

• Phase 1: Monsters. Small beasts and lay evil magic "seeds."
• Phase 2: Mine collapses. More monsters. Organized darkness creeping into the cities and the people. Plagues begin.
• Phase 3: Corruption. Worshippers of the dark. Possesed men and women.
• Phase 4: The Gods of Darkness Arrive. The Hands of Lyr and Lolth bring fire, fury, and death to the circle of darkness. It will spread to everywhere if not contained. Whole cities will be wiped out. Literal hands of darkness fall from the sky upon the civilizations below.

To stop this, they have two options:

• Find the source of the darkness and destroy it
• Make a deal with a different deity who could contain it

Redfurl guesses that Bulf is likely still in Phase 1, but he can't be sure. The first two phases are so closely linked, it's hard to tell without being there.

When asked about "other deities" and how to contact them, Redfurl explains that the Elves in Marsh, apparently, have conversations with Titania every day. And as to how the darkness was contained after the fall of Torunn, Redfurl's only knowledge of this is that the Elves in Vi'Leigh made some sort of deal to contain it and haven't been seen or heard from since. They're an isolated, self-sufficient city. They cast a spell on the forest separating them from the rest of Turon. Many know the way into the city of Deepwoods, but none pass through the forest and come back. Verity took this path once, when she first picked up Remnant.

Theriaus tells Hadarri to fetch his old Sending Stone from when they were in University. That way they can keep in contact.

Our heroes head back to Hadarri's house to settle in. Hadarri's magic rope (named Ropesmith), gathers cheese and crackers for them. He explains to the group that he wishes to help them on this quest to stop the Underdark, but that he must speak to someone before he leaves. He asks Hark to join him and they head out, leaving Verity, Luana, and Remnant to rest.

Hadarri heads in the direction of his daughter, Yenla's, house. Yenla and her half-elf husband Gregor have two children, Ceran and Hadari. Upon arrival, Yenla is pleased to see her father and Gregor takes the children off to bed--Hadarri promising to tuck them in before he leaves. Hadarri sits his daughter down and explains to her that he is on a quest, and that this Grief Rider will be accompanying him. She is incredibly surprised by Hark's presence, knowing that her father to be a hard atheist. Hadarri pushes Hark forward, as Yenla has always been a big fan of the Grief Riders--being a very devout worshiper of Pelor. Hark informs her about his past and how he became a Grief Rider and what it means to be one. After a few moments of conversation, Yenla turns the conversation back to her father.

Hadarri attempts to explain the quest and that this is the one that will really matter, but Yenla steps in reminding him that all of the other quests were just as important. That all of the other quests to stop Amo (Hadarri's rival) were just as noble and worthwhile and she's worried Hadarri has become obsessed and unable to deal with his grief. Yenla and Hadarri go back and forth, but Hadarri swears on his wife Ceran's heart, that this is the real deal. This is the quest he was meant to go on. Despite academia, this is something he was meant to do. Yenla sees the pain and need in Hadarri, and she accepts and hugs her father deeply.

On the way back to Hadarri's house, Hadarri explains Ceran's passing to Hark. The ill-fated love of an elf and a human is something Hadarri never imagined being so hard on him. Since Ceran's passing, Hadarri has been reckless. Time after time, he found himself in stand offs and in a bitter rivalry with a gnome named Amo Thess--a master tinkerer for the royal family in South Kase. His daughter has seem him run up and down Turon trying to best this man, all the while not processing his grief properly. He hopes this quest will aid him in doing something right and with meaning rather than something as a distraction. After a few glasses of wine, Hadarri lets Hark know how thankful he is that he is around.

Notes

Redfurl: "Waterwheels are machines..." Remnant: "Have you met all the waterwheels in the world? They might be sentient."

Redfurl: "What's so interesting about the Underdark? It's just dark!"

Half Elves live to be approximately half as old as elves (~400-500 years).

Backstory

Hadarri didn't care for Gregor when he first met him, but he felt for the boy. He saw the pain in his eyes the same he saw in his daughter's over the loss of not only his Human father, but his mother who fled Thain-win to go to Marsh. Hadarri took Gregor under his wing as a friend and, soon to be, father in law.

Travel information

Start/End - In Thain-win