Session 64: Archi Gets Experimental

Archi, Arne and Timble start to get up and meet in the Eschbach Shields. There they decide to have breakfast, and while eating they discuss what to do during the day. Sitting there they notice Granny Barrowbye is in the tavern. So, they talk to her.

Telling her what they are up to lately, Archi mentions he is trying to 'clone' the others, and asks her about the Baobhan Sith, and how her & her own coven used to control them.

Granny explains that the Baobhan Sith could be treacherous if not dealt with a firm hand. She tells him that the more that dominates a Baobhan Sith individual the greater the control. When using one it is handy to have a Shadow Crystal, a crystal that resembles smoky quartz, and found in the Shadowfell, with the odd piece found in the Feywild & Earth.

Archi decides to try the Feywild, and Arne & Timble decide to accompany him. He gets tongue tied trying to talk to Druid Emma Duckthorne.

Eventually, they get the portal open and they go through.

They find the palace of the Pixies empty and the remains of food & drink is scattered around. Timble breaks into the room to the right and finds it empty too, with the throne empty and the fire at the other end has been treated with heavy ash to protect the embers in the past day or two.

They find this suspicious and go outside to try to find what happened. Looking down the road and on top of the hills where the road goes on to Granny Barrowbye's old home. Timble notices two Gnomelike creatures cutting up a huge mushroom on top of a hill near the palace and they head there.

Coming close they do notice these are size of Timble but slightly hairier and older-looking.

Asking about where they can get Shadow Crystal, they are told the following:

• There was an old mine in the region behind Granny Barrowbye's
• Was general quartz in nature but got one bit if Shadow Crystal out of it.
• It was carved like a Raven's Head with possibly a Hood.
• There was writing carved in it.
• It was a Human language
• Took by the Pixies and thrown through the portal.
• The language is related to some Human religion.

They are also informed that the Pixies are out in the forest to the north for a couple of days doing some 'special walkthrough' of the forest.

They are thanked by the party and they head on down towards the old mine, and see some Gnomes in a Giant Snail farm with Gnomes, and two of the latter riding two of these snails.

The party stops and Archi askes about the Snails, how much they cost and is also told to never let one near salt as it's toxic to the snails. They ask about the mine, and are told the same with a bit of extra information:

• When the portal was used, it could have arrived at any time in history on the 'Human world'.
• Humans in red clothing and armour supposedly took the item somewhere on the world.
• The mine is now dried up and overrun by a goblin tribe that are hostile to outsiders.

The party decides to return and ask around the Grove to see if they can get any information, especially with Arne being that tired enough that they have to carry him out with him being sleepy bye bye.

They make it back on time to get through on time, with Archi talking to Emma again, with her saying the usual 'old ladies club' nattering around town that he was asked to marry Countess Gabrielle de Rais, by the eponymous Countess. Emma says she will meet Archi sometime in the tavern.

They explain the situation, and are told that the Treants may know, confirming the thought by Timble, and to a degree Archi they may know.

After trying 5 trees, they eventually find a Treant, and talk to her. This female willow Treant explains that it was the Celts who originally found the Shadow Crystal, and had it by the menhir. Then the Romans arrived and took the crystal hiding it somewhere nearby.

Thinking they may need to talk to NINE about this as they are informed the Romans were noticed keeping records on everything.

By this stage, Archi tries to work out how Treants reproduce. Timble explains to Archi the Bird and the Bees... and the Trees. Archi is freaked out about this for the rest of the time.

Going to NINE, Archi tries to ask about NINE who informs them he appears more male than anything and Warforged are constructs so don't breet. Archi thinks that anything he constructs himself, may make him a 'father' in a way.

They are shown that the new town area of Eschbach sits on a military & trading post of the old Roman army. There is a room deep down below this area but the exact entrance isn't known. It lies below Eostre Gangere's clothes shop or Aimeric's merchants shop on opposite sides of the road, at the very top of the town. These are opposing sides of the road and literally a couple of metres from the Library (Tower remains).

There they left it until they get the rest of the party together.