The battle axe of Nameless, the gnome barbarian, finds purchase in the flesh of the Shadow(y) Demon, and rends the entity in twain. With a shriek, shadows begin to bleed out from the now-dissipating form of the demon, the wispy shadow tendrils mingling with the smoke of the growing inferno in the ruined tower. Soon, only the smoke remains.
On the other side of the door, the commotion of a growing mass of people is heard. The drow ranger Zyn is revived, and reaches out to his kindred spirit in assassination, healing the halfling rogue Shadowale. Unfortunately the experience has proven too much for them both, and both collapse from total exhaustion.
The owl familiar belonging to the wizard Kyllar’s flies through the smoke, and spies the growing number of cultists outside. Upon closer inspection, Kyllar notices that they seem more concerned with putting out the fire than stabbing things in a blind fury.
After a quick conference, Turnin the human monk moves to kick open the door, realizes it “doesn’t swing that way” and simply opens it instead. He and Kyllar exit, shouting at the cultists to “uh.. quick! Help us put out the fire!” They are less than convincing, but the cultists were already preparing to fight the blaze anyways.
On the other side of the door, the commotion of a growing mass of people is heard. The drow ranger Zyn is revived, and reaches out to his kindred spirit in assassination, healing the halfling rogue Shadowale. Unfortunately the experience has proven too much for them both, and both collapse from total exhaustion.
The owl familiar belonging to the wizard Kyllar’s flies through the smoke, and spies the growing number of cultists outside. Upon closer inspection, Kyllar notices that they seem more concerned with putting out the fire than stabbing things in a blind fury.
After a quick conference, Turnin the human monk moves to kick open the door, realizes it “doesn’t swing that way” and simply opens it instead. He and Kyllar exit, shouting at the cultists to “uh.. quick! Help us put out the fire!” They are less than convincing, but the cultists were already preparing to fight the blaze anyways.
The crowd makes a space near the entrance to the tower as shadow-clad cultists direct the lesser cultists into bucket chains. The party hauls their unconscious members and the three murdered cultists into the space through a combination of brute force and a magical conjured disc.
The shadow-draped figures regard the party, but leave them alone at the subtle command on one of their number.
Turnin takes this opportunity to aid a bucket line, winking and throwing a double-thumbs up to the rest of the party at every opportunity as he chats up a pair of cultists, both somehow named Steve.
Nameless attempts to sneak away, but there is too much brightness from the flames, and dragging his axe behind him was a less than stealthy move. He and Kyllar are singled out by one of the shadow-draped figures.
Kyllar speaks needlessly cryptically, fielding questions like “who are you? Did you do this? And are those three dead?” with answers like “We’re saviors. Yes, we did what we had to do. And yes, we killed them… you don’t need to live in fear anymore.” Despite doing uncharismatic things that hurt the believability of the answers like burping and winking, Kyllar apparently hits closer to the truth than he ever could have guessed. The shadowy man considers what was said, and suggests that they all focus on fighting the fire – there will be time to talk later.
Nameless joins in another bucket line, while Kyllar conjures water to help speed things along. After a hour or so, the blaze is largely extinguished. The shadowy man thanks the party, and offers them a small hut for the rest of the night, warning that while they won’t be harmed, they must obviously be watched tonight. Kyllar retorts that the cultists will be watched as well, and his familiar calls into the night to accentuate the point.
The party huddles up, comparing notes on the evening’s events in hushed voices while Kyllar magically mends the various weapons in the Bag of Holding. Kyllar and Nameless noticed that the cultists do not cast shadows, a fact lost on Turnin for most of the night. Though Turnin, through his chats with the Steves in the bucket line, learns that most of the “cultists” banded together out of fear –the world is scary with bandits, monsters and magical cataclysms (the Mourning in Eberron). Many gladly agreed to have their shadow taken from them since that was the price of safety and community. These chats, coupled with the shadowy man’s apparent apathy of the murder of the three cultists in the tower intrigues the party. They take turns resting, and are visited a little after dawn by a knock from the shadowy man.
After inquiring on the health of the still-sleeping Zyn and Shadowale, the conscious beings in the tent discuss the situation.
The party introduces themselves to Naris, who identifies himself as a “Shade” in the community - someone with the skill to amplify the shadows around them to aid in obfuscation and stealth. The community was originally formed out of fear – the world was a scary place, and isolated farmsteads did not let sleep come easily at night. A few farmsteads banded together, abandoning their fields and planting small crops near the ruined tower instead. Their numbers grew slowly over time, and were on their way to being just a town, when their fear got the better of them. The community’s Patriarchs were visited by a demon about a year ago, who promised safety at the cost of everyone’s shadow. The Patriarch’s agreed in secret, not knowing that doing so would bind them to the demon as well as make it resistant to harm from the community. The demon drank in everyone’s shadow, and remained hidden from most of the population. In the last months, more and more people fled into the countryside, many stumbling upon the safety offered by the community in the ruined tower, like the Steves.
Naris and the other Shade’s served as missionaries, whispering rumors and planting clues to lead similarly scared folk into the arms of the community-turned-cult. The cost of their shadow seemed like a small price to pay for their security… but Naris and a few others, who had been out in the world, felt that isolationism wasn’t the answer. They had searched in vain for a way for themselves to defeat the demon, and it was only the chance visitation of the party that freed them.
However, Naris is worried –their shadows have not returned. The party, feeling good about how everything was panning out, offers to help search. Kyllar’s familiar keeps watch over Zyn and Shadowale while they are tended to by the community and the party travels with Naris to the charred remains of the still-ruined tower.
The party and a few cultists shuffle aimlessly around the tower as Kyllar readies a magic-detection spell. He knows something is there, but cannot pinpoint it among all the soot. After some unsuccessful looks, the party and the cultists start physically digging through the soot, and Turnin’s hand brushes against something.
He lifts out a dark gem that seems to contain smoky swirls within it. Holding it up triumphantly he shows it off to Naris and the cultists, who look on with anticipation. Another spell from Kyllar confirms that this is indeed the repository for the stolen shadows, and that the gem is breakable.
Naris nods to Turning, who jumps into the air, and flings the germ towards the ground theatrically. With a hollow, comical “tink” it bounces away unharmed, landing at Nameless’ feet.
Nameless regards the gem with a critical eye, and crushes it with the blunted, reverse side of his axe. The gem is shattered, and shadows slither outward towards their corporeal counterparts.
There was much rejoicing. Kyllar reaches into the Bag of Holding, and gifts the small cache of stabby things to the community. Naris profusely thanks the party on behalf of the community. Many will stay here, and try to build the area into something worthwhile. Naris states that he and some of the other Shades will leave – their skills are unique, and they will do more engaging in the world than back home. As thanks, he offers the party a unique seal: when broken, it will amply the shadows of whomever is holding it, allowing for easier and more effective hiding. There was more rejoicing.
The party checks Brenda’s notepad of local rumors, and decides to set out towards the weapon smith for some new shiny, stabby things. Naris points them in a direction of a small, secret hovel used by the traveling Shades to rest that will allow the party to rest on their trip. The party sets out.
They travel through the woods; Nameless scampering over fallen trees; Kyllar walking behind; Kyllar’s magical disc carrying Zyn and Shadowale following him; and Turning, alternating between triumphantly standing on stumps or on the disc, flexing and pointing out cool looking things in nature. Slowly, a sense of quiet foreboding sets in. The trees seem to lean in menacingly, in this neck of the woods, and as the claustrophobia becomes more and more apparent, the party falls into an ambush!
A thing rope of webbing suddenly tightens around Turnin’s neck, hoisting him into the air with an undignified yelp. Two fleshy, long-limbed brutes, reminiscent of bugs, tug on each side of the webbed rope, holding Turning in the air and strangling him a little as they let out zoidbergesque “whoopwhoopwhoopwhoopwhoops”, traversing the trees and fleeing from the party with their pet giant spider, who jumps from tree to tree with them. In the distance, their whooping call is answered by a cracking of branches and crashing of underbrush.
Nameless and Kyllar turn to see just what the commotion is, and sputter to a halt. As the ambushers retreat, Nameless hefts a javelin, hurling it up at one of the fleeing creatures, grazing it ever so slightly. Thoroughly surprised, the creature shrieks like a little elven lass, panics, and drops its end of the web rope. Like a choking pendulum, Turnin swings down and towards the tree trunk, only just managing to orient himself so that his legs could cushion his impact into the trees, and swinging into position to handle the next trees.
The trio of ambushers (spider, zoidberg, zoidberg) continues to retreat towards the crashing noises, which turn out to be two additional and also giant spiders. Nameless and Kyllar pursue the abductors towards their meeting place; a thickly forested and web-covered area of the forest. A second javelin from Nameless misses the mark and lodges itself in a tree trunk up ahead, and Kyllar blasts magic at the beast still dragging Turnin, badly burning it, though it tenaciously refuses to release its prey. Kyllar’s disc with Zyn and Shadowale follows stubbornly, bouncing slowly between tree trunks like an abandoned inner tube down a river. Turnin tries several times to catch the creature he is tethered to, first jumping towards him, then trying to use the web as a slingshot. Both attempts result in Turnin gaining some ground, and thus more slack to work with, but unfortunately not nearly enough to untie himself. Instead, his arm gets stuck, pinned near his face as if he was putting both his head and an arm through the head hole of a sweater.
Nameless continues his charge, and uses his stuck javelin as a springboard, catapulting himself up into the branches and taking a swipe at one of the creatures as he vaults past, unfortunately missing, but landing safely on a branch nearby.
Kyllar, still firmly on the ground, readies a spell of shattering, catching the two brutish abductors on the blast. The pansy is grievously wounded, and the tenacious one is “shattered” into fleshy bits, which shower Turnin just before the once-taut web rope cartoonishly goes limp and gracefully falls besides Turnin.
The reinforcement spiders clamber through the branches toward Kyllar, who has caused quite the commotion, as Nameless and Turnin mop up what is left of the original abducting trio.
Nameless jumps from a branch, his axe connecting with the husk of the other creature, still reverberating from Kyllar’s spell. Turnin manages to flip over, exerting some Ki and landing a flurry of blows against the original, abducting spider pet, killing it too.
The reinforcement spiders approach Kyllar, (above the wizard, but now passing below Nameless and Turnin) but are apparently tired from their sprint, and fall short of being able to attack the wizard, so they flick their many legs at him, menacingly as they prepare to strike.
Critically eyeing the trajectory of the spiders, Nameless channels the spirit of the noble forest flying squirrels, and leaps from the branch, his axe swinging in a graceful arc in front of him, and with the advantage of height and gravity, Nameless cleaves one of the oncoming spiders in two.
Turnin, sees that, likes that, and wiggles his butt a little as he crouches down, channeling the murderous spirit of the solitary, almost monastic housecat -
-but before he can jump, Kyllar readies a firebolt, lightly toasting the last spider-
-and Turnin pounces! Mastering physics and falling just above the spider, Turnin punches it repeatedly all the way to the ground.
A thing rope of webbing suddenly tightens around Turnin’s neck, hoisting him into the air with an undignified yelp. Two fleshy, long-limbed brutes, reminiscent of bugs, tug on each side of the webbed rope, holding Turning in the air and strangling him a little as they let out zoidbergesque “whoopwhoopwhoopwhoopwhoops”, traversing the trees and fleeing from the party with their pet giant spider, who jumps from tree to tree with them. In the distance, their whooping call is answered by a cracking of branches and crashing of underbrush.
Nameless and Kyllar turn to see just what the commotion is, and sputter to a halt. As the ambushers retreat, Nameless hefts a javelin, hurling it up at one of the fleeing creatures, grazing it ever so slightly. Thoroughly surprised, the creature shrieks like a little elven lass, panics, and drops its end of the web rope. Like a choking pendulum, Turnin swings down and towards the tree trunk, only just managing to orient himself so that his legs could cushion his impact into the trees, and swinging into position to handle the next trees.
The trio of ambushers (spider, zoidberg, zoidberg) continues to retreat towards the crashing noises, which turn out to be two additional and also giant spiders. Nameless and Kyllar pursue the abductors towards their meeting place; a thickly forested and web-covered area of the forest. A second javelin from Nameless misses the mark and lodges itself in a tree trunk up ahead, and Kyllar blasts magic at the beast still dragging Turnin, badly burning it, though it tenaciously refuses to release its prey. Kyllar’s disc with Zyn and Shadowale follows stubbornly, bouncing slowly between tree trunks like an abandoned inner tube down a river. Turnin tries several times to catch the creature he is tethered to, first jumping towards him, then trying to use the web as a slingshot. Both attempts result in Turnin gaining some ground, and thus more slack to work with, but unfortunately not nearly enough to untie himself. Instead, his arm gets stuck, pinned near his face as if he was putting both his head and an arm through the head hole of a sweater.
Nameless continues his charge, and uses his stuck javelin as a springboard, catapulting himself up into the branches and taking a swipe at one of the creatures as he vaults past, unfortunately missing, but landing safely on a branch nearby.
Kyllar, still firmly on the ground, readies a spell of shattering, catching the two brutish abductors on the blast. The pansy is grievously wounded, and the tenacious one is “shattered” into fleshy bits, which shower Turnin just before the once-taut web rope cartoonishly goes limp and gracefully falls besides Turnin.
The reinforcement spiders clamber through the branches toward Kyllar, who has caused quite the commotion, as Nameless and Turnin mop up what is left of the original abducting trio.
Nameless jumps from a branch, his axe connecting with the husk of the other creature, still reverberating from Kyllar’s spell. Turnin manages to flip over, exerting some Ki and landing a flurry of blows against the original, abducting spider pet, killing it too.
The reinforcement spiders approach Kyllar, (above the wizard, but now passing below Nameless and Turnin) but are apparently tired from their sprint, and fall short of being able to attack the wizard, so they flick their many legs at him, menacingly as they prepare to strike.
Critically eyeing the trajectory of the spiders, Nameless channels the spirit of the noble forest flying squirrels, and leaps from the branch, his axe swinging in a graceful arc in front of him, and with the advantage of height and gravity, Nameless cleaves one of the oncoming spiders in two.
Turnin, sees that, likes that, and wiggles his butt a little as he crouches down, channeling the murderous spirit of the solitary, almost monastic housecat -
-but before he can jump, Kyllar readies a firebolt, lightly toasting the last spider-
-and Turnin pounces! Mastering physics and falling just above the spider, Turnin punches it repeatedly all the way to the ground.
The party looks around, and not uttering a word, dusts themselves off, and sets out again toward their goals – a rest in a hovel, followed by new stabby gear.
After a few hours more of trekking through the forest, they literally stumble upon the hovel, which was partially hidden from sight by enhanced shadows. Kyllar pushes the disc into the hovel, and it winks out of existence, depositing Zyn and Shadowale on the dirt floor. A drizzle starts outside, but dry and safe in the shadow-clad hovel, the party prepares a meal before retiring for the night.
After a few hours more of trekking through the forest, they literally stumble upon the hovel, which was partially hidden from sight by enhanced shadows. Kyllar pushes the disc into the hovel, and it winks out of existence, depositing Zyn and Shadowale on the dirt floor. A drizzle starts outside, but dry and safe in the shadow-clad hovel, the party prepares a meal before retiring for the night.
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