# [[064_20220807 The Shadegreave is watching]] ## Session Summary > [!tldr] [[064_20220807 The Shadegreave is watching]] > You stepped through the portal in the Palace of Heart's Desire, buoyed by Zybilna's magic, and left the other side on what you learned was a forest on the edge of Xari, where the Summer Court holds sway. To your surprise, you were immediately surrounded by five young fey guards. After you convinced them that you had not harmed Eryn, they admitted that they didn't actually know where she was. > > Apparently, when Eryn returned to the Court after leaving the party at Rumblecusp, she did so to find the previous Summer Queen and her entire retinue slain by undead creatures that had somehow crossed over into Xari. The attacks had not stopped since, but nobody seemed to know where they were coming from or why the wards on portals in Xari were not holding. A few weeks ago, Eryn decided to take matters into her own hands. Along with a few of her guards, she left the Court to try to get to the bottom of the invasions. Nobody had heard from her since. > > The guards explained that you should go to the city of Xari. One of them gave you a pendant around his neck so that your story would be believed, but said they could not leave their post. The guards warned you that the forest, the Shadegreave, is always watching, and indeed, as you set out, you realized that the forest reacted to you in unique ways (mostly bad). > > After wandering further into a forest and seemingly making no progress towards Xari, you came across a clearing in the forest where you encountered an antlered man and five other hunters. None of them answered when you spoke to them, and the man began to attack you. You also spotted an older woman lying almost unconscious against a nearby tree. ^summary %% <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WzSCb69bfro" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> %% --- ## Housekeeping ## Recap ![[063_20220730 Spy of the Winter Court#^summary]] ## Strong start Surrounded by fey guards and need to fight/talk their way out. But if they can prove they were sent by Eryn, the guards will listen to reason. 5 x [[Fey Knight]]s: > [!question]- Encounter: Knights of the Summer Court > ```encounter > name: Encounter > players: > - Boris > - Ora > - Lira > - Flint > - Jamedi > creatures: > - 5 Fey Knight > ``` > Names: [[Enialis]], [[Jelenneth]], [[Bethrynna]], [[Felosial]], *[[Mindartis]]*. ## Scenes - [x] Talking to guards, learning that [[Eryn]] is missing. - [x] Exploring [[The Shadegreave]] on their own, after warnings. - [x] For *Ora:* In the forest, tree branches are out of reach, and rock faces are sheer or choppy. Strength (Athletics) checks to climb in the forest are made with a -2 penalty. - [x] In the forest, biting insects plague *Boris*, making it difficult to focus on the task. Intelligence (Investigation) checks in the forest are made with a -2 penalty. - [x] Encounter with [[Lord of the Hunt]]. [[Shadow Elf Forest Hunter]] > [!question]- Encounter: Lord of the Hunt > ```encounter > name: Encounter > players: > - Boris > - Ora > - Lira > - Flint > - Jamedi > creatures: > - Lord of the Hunt > - 5 Shadow Elf Forest Hunter > ``` - [ ] Getting their first glimpse of [[Xari]]. ## Secrets and Clues - [ ] *Whisper* is not just Eryn's dagger; it is the blade they call her birthblade. It is a symbol of who she is, her identity and standing within the Court. - [x] The forest, The Shadegreave, is a sentient being that is always watching. It keeps track of their activities and will only let them find their way to [[Xari]] if they treat the forest well. - [ ] [[The real Captain Three Earrings]] is on Xari. She was waylaid on Rumblecusp for years, and then wandered into the Feywild through one of the portals. - [ ] Xari is also known as *The City of Arches*, infamous for its many archways that serve as passageways to other worlds. However, most of the keys have been lost. - [x] [[ttrpgs/The Slayers Five/The Feywild]] is a reflection of the Material Plane, but things here are highly saturated, exaggerated, and horrific in a psychedelic way. - [ ] Xari is the reflection of [[Rumblecusp]]. The Shadegreave is the reflection of the forest of [[Rumblecusp#Elventree]]. The city of Xari is the reflection of [[Town of the Forgotten]]. - [x] Undead creatures have begun to infiltrate The Shadegreave, slowly corrupting it. Nobody knows where they're coming from. - [x] [[Eryn]], the Summer Queen, is missing. She entered The Shadegreave with her Summer Guard despite protests. She wanted to get to the bottom of the source of the undead. Nobody has heard from her or her Guard since. - [x] The previous Summer Queen, Titania, and her entire retinue were overtaken by a horde of ravenous undead. Hopes were high that [[Eluun]] would return, but Eryn came back bearing bad news. - [ ] Not all members of the Summer Court support the young upstart Eryn. - [ ] There are portals to [[Rumblecusp]] in Xari. - [x] [[Flint]] can't control his shapechanging in the Shadegreave. ## Encounters - [ ] 2x [Vine Troll Skeletons](obsidian://open?vault=dnd-vault&file=monsters%2FVine%20Troll%20Skeleton) - [ ] [Bright Day](obsidian://open?vault=dnd-vault&file=monsters%2FBaba%20Yaga's%20Horsemen%20-%20Bright%20Day), one of [[Baba Yaga]]'s horsemen, is travelling the forest with a scroll from Grandmother that contains a message for a red-haired woman born during [[Harvest's Rise]] twenty years past. ## [[Loot]] - [ ] [Circlet of Persuasion](obsidian://open?vault=dnd-vault&file=items%2FVault%20of%20Magic%2FCirclet%20of%20Persuasion) - [ ] [Scoundrel's Gambit](obsidian://open?vault=dnd-vault&file=items%2FVault%20of%20Magic%2FScoundrel's%20Gambit) - [ ] [Potion of Mind Reading](obsidian://open?vault=dnd-vault&file=items%2FMagic%20Items%20for%20Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons%205e%20SRD%2FPotion%20of%20Mind%20Reading) --- ## Log 8 hours Psychic Whispers: Boris, Lira, Jamedi, Leader [[Mindartis]] said to give his necklace to [[Mialee]] once they got to Xari.