Qwerty declares herself archdruid of the Hunt, and explains that she made it onto the 🚢Ekl'alian in bird form. She requests a talk in private with Hain, Mrs Bobbit, and 🍀Lola.
The rest of the gang is left behind with the remains of NeoBori, and the cooked remains of Yola. The cook declines Gronk's offer to send the remains to the mess, and insists they be tossed off the ship. Kineeta, Neka, and Del'Sulian investigate the pentagram. They say that it is a manifestation f dark divine transmogrification magic, fuelled by Yola.
The party heads down for breakfast, and sups on partially unfermented grape juice and a full Albany breakfast. After a rest, they wake in the afternoon, and head up to find Hain wearing his old armour and looking out to sea with a thousand yard stare. The wind has picked up dramatically, and the current seems to be pulling the ship forward. The captain gestures to the shore of the New World ahead. He points to an island to the side, and hands over his telescope.
While Gronk was dreaming earlier, Yola appears on a cloud to say Hi. He explains that he is visiting even though he's dead, and wants to help him. Yola tells Gronk that he was a cleric of Uo, and that in the New World, Uo is seen more as a god of secret passions. He warns Gronk that he cannot let the coins and the lore grow in power. He says that it's crucial that Gronk must return to Albany after the new World, and promptly disappears.
Gronk tells Faefina and Bori about his dream, and Faefina prepares a spell to help protect him form Yola's visits.
On the island, there is a huge building with a massive telescope pointed towards the sky and the New World. He mentions that it's the Arcanum. He tells the party to be careful where they tread. The captain is sure that there is more than one telescope.
🐰Faefina is grabbed and hugged by 🍀Lola. "Look Fifi", she says, "we summoned a great big wind!" Lola says that Qwerty seems scary but is very nice, and that she has told Lola that she can summon swarms of insects at will. Lola is excited to meet her new brothers and sisters, and eager to begin her trip to the Longest Lived One once they land.
With boats now prepared to ferry passengers to the New World, the passengers say farewell to the crew. Kineeta's farewell to Neka is predictably curt.
On the beach of Relilya, it is decided that he arch druids will be heading off to the Longest Lived One.
Hain gives 🧔♂️Harald an elven inscribed polearm, and whispers something in his ear. Neka tells Faefina that she has something for her. She hands her five stones, and explains that they are sending stones to help everyone communicate, and a staff of healing. Neka sends her on her way with her blessing.
Greg bids 😎Bori farewell with a strong hug, and presents two blue javelins of lightning, and a casket of 'the Good Stuff'.
Finally, Neka presents Gronk with a crystalline shard - a shard of the Feywild Fairy Essence.
The three archdruids transform into birds and fly onto the shore. Kineeta tells the party that Lola should be safe, and that she needs to find a place before going on to the Longest Lived One, The party heads off, with Lite.
Pulling out her compass, Kineeta points them West, further inland. Travelling through dense but cool forest, Kineeta tells the party that she her patron is very, very old. He was born before the wall went up, but his mother as not, and his patron wants her to find his mother's home, and find what memories or artifacts they could, or exact retribution if they'd been stolen. The mother's lair is warded with strong spells.
After some walking and as the sun starts to draw down, Kineeta spies a village ahead and suggests lodging there for the night. Kineeta takes out her spellbook, and as she begins her incantation the letters rise from the page, and into her head. She declares that she should now be able to speak to the inhabitants.
Walking into the village, Kineeta cautions Gronk about using magic, as there's even less tolerance of magic here than in Lenthor. The village is well built and appointed, and the Phuq inhabitants - the elder and shaman, greet them in Common and invite them in. They tell them they'd learnt Common from the True Way passing through.
Faefina speaks with the Shaman about Descradedill'diuot, and he explains that magic use is not approved of, and suggests she go after him. He claims that mages attract and gather power that men should not wield. Faefina mentions that Gronk is a sorceror, which the shaman does not approve of. He speaks of hideous monstrosities that set up in the nearby Balero ruins, that their young men test themselves against without much success.
The following morning, the party heads for the lair of Balero. Kineeta declares that the party will need to enter from underwater, and hands out blue stones to each member to put in their mouths, causing them to grow gills.
They jump into the water, and follow Kineeta down towards a stone tablet set in a wall. Kineeta traces a sigil and a door opens , with a path up to a grotto. Kineeta lifts her staff and lights the room. The walls are inscribed with draconic writings, that Kineeta starts to note and write in her book.
Bori recognises the writing as extremely old, and also shows some lore on giants, goliaths, dwarves, elves, and men. It covers how the giants summoned Dragons from another world. In their mind, the party hears a loud shriek, and Harald is dragged below the water by a giant tentacle. From the water, two massive frogs with tentacles emerge.
Bori throws one of his lightning javelins at the first frog, dealing 20 lightning dmg, followed by a punch a running punch dealing another 5 force dmg.
The first frog hits Bori, dealing 22dmg that Bori is able to deflect to 8dmg, and swallowing him.
The second frog steps towards Gronk and Faefina, hitting them both with 19 bludgeoning dmg with its tentacles and grappling Gronk.
Faefina casts Guiding Bolt but fails, and casts Healing Word on Gronk, healing him for 8Hp.
Gronk casts Fireball on the second frog, causing 29 fire dmg, teleports in front of the first frog, and grows four inches.
Kineeta's sleeves glow, and she casts magical daggers at the first frog. Bori, stuck inside the frog, feels a contraction as he's forced out the first frog's gullet.
Bori jumps up, enlarges himself, and punches the first frog twice, hitting once and dealing 6 force dmg.
The first frog tries to eat Bori again, but misses, and hits twicee with it's tentacles, failing to grapple him both times but hitting for 19 which Bori deflects down to 5dmg.
The second frog fails to grapple or hit Faefina but does manage to grapple Kineeta, lifting her in the air and damaging her.
Faefina fires at the frog, hitting it for 12 dmg. She drinks a potion, growing in size.
Gronk casts Fireball on the two frogs, dealing them both 23 dmg. Suddenly, Gronk notices little sprites that were invisible, on the walls.
Kineeta fails to escape the grapple.
Bori attacks the first frog four times, hitting each time and dealing 34 force damage. Pulling the javelin out of the frog, Bori skewers the frog over and over, before dropping the javelin and punching it as it's body collapses limply to the ground.
The second frog attempts to eat Kineeta, but her mage armour blocks its mouth. It's other tentaacle reaches out to hit Faefina, dealing 11 bludgeoning damage.
Faefina swings her morningstar, but misses. She manages to cast Spirit Shroud on it.
Gronk casts Fireball on the second frog, blasting it apart and filling the air with the smell of roasting frog.
🧔♂️Harald emerges from the water, the third frog dealt with.
Party gets 4000XP ea.