Following the return to Weft with Langly Snaketail close in toe, the group was given a week of downtime to prepare for their next contract while Langly was eventually made a member of Lifewood Labor as a Manager of Logistics. During this time, Charlie Anderson spent much of his time researching the book of Enderson Rettle discovering the coordinates that Rettle was travelling to. He spent the rest of his time investigating known information of the Feywilds. Shahana Zinvalur spends time with Rema Zuggt'amon, learning bits of their shared history while brewing potions which are distributed to the group later. Zahiri Sapir investigates her unknown spouse and the Ratking. Mal Auvryani gets into a knife fight with Shahana in order to draw the attention of Pelor but was unsuccessful.   Towards the end of this time, the group selected with much difficulty, to travel to the Thessaroy Forest and handle the portal to the Feywilds over travelling to Lock and finding Chauntea, leaving that to Team Winners. They gather their things and begin their travels towards the nearest Railroad stop of Lettle. Within Lettle, thanks to an enthralling performance by Zahiri Sapir, the group was able to slip past the guard without getting searched and also learned that a VIP guest would be riding the train this time, a close relative to members of the secretive Lords in Waiting and discovered this to be Bertrund, a 5 or so year old Black Dragonborn child accompanied by his bodyguard Lorthan. Dorian and Charlie spend some time interacting with Bertrund before spending the rest of their ride on various side activities.   After exiting the Railroad and splitting from Bertrund and Lorthan, the group gathered their things and begun their trek to the Thessaroy Forest by foot. During their travels they encounter a Giant Elk grazing in the planes near midnight. Charlie and Mal approached this creature to see if it is perhaps an Avatar of Balinor inadvertently spooking it and getting trampled as it fled.   Continuing from here, they begin to enter the proximity woods of the Thessaroy Forest and approach the Crows' Nest, deciding it would be best to go around than through this village due to it's penchant for pickpockets. They camped far from it for the night, and were visited by a crow who stole away Shahana's holy symbol as they slept. The symbol was recovered quickly thanks to Archimedes's good eyes and Shahana swore vengeance against the murder of crows that calls this place home before the group finished their trek into the woods, giving the Crows' Nest a wide berth.   The Thessaroy Forest is cool, humid, and dark shrouded by a thick canopy and muffled by widespread moss. The group had difficulties navigating the woods before finding odd footprints to pursue. As they slept for the night, the majority of the group was enchanted, suddenly content with remaining in the forest for the rest of their lives though happy to follow others in the group. In the confusion, they lost the trail of the footprints and wandered aimlessly before finding out of place growths to follow deeper. Overnight the charm was broken by most of the group, leaving only Charlie enchanted by the woods. After spending time meditating, the group tried to follow their instincts without much success before finding a baby bird Ralph who helped guide them to their actual destination, the Portal to the Feywilds.   The group discovered a massive tree, uprooted many years ago but not yet decayed. As they investigated its surface which was coated with crude limericks in Sylian, a curious Dryad, Selkie made contact with the group. In their talks, she revealed that another had gone through the portal some time ago and had a close familiarity with Zahiri. Selkie eventually reveals that Zahiri has a warrant for her arrest and captures the group peacefully after threatening to take them by force. The group is brought into the Feywilds and moved to the Autumn Court to face judgement.   The Autumn Court is an institution within the Feywilds ruled by 4 Archfey who control the majority of the surrounding lands: Judge Foolie Libil who controlled the soil, Judge Morganis who ruled the swamp, Judge Kari Kan who mastered the sea, and Judge Juniper, Zahiri's ex who has, since last meeting her, become leader of the woods and placed the warrant for her arrest. The group speak with their lawyer, a pixie by the name of Ponit Winithrow as well as the court's speaker a satyr Persnickety Cobbler and are given the crimes they are accused of: Theft of Gifts without Reciprocation and Destruction of Property. It is explained to them however, that the judges do not seek true and fair judgement, only who is the "most right" and that truth and deception are blurred here. A lie told with enough conviction can become the truth and items can be transformed by another's will. They are recommended to leverage this to take the moral high ground and appeal to each judge's specific interests. Judge Foolie Libil loves romance and beauty, Judge Morganis desires violence, Judge Kari Kan favors ethical dilemmas, and Judge Juniper is considered inconsolable. To finally set the stakes of what is to come, the unconscious body of Sameia, a Tiefling member of the Legion Marred is brought "backstage" after entertaining the audience for that dusk.   The following dawn the group makes their introductions to the court and set the tone for the characters they will play over the following days. Charlie took the character of a wizened mage from his books, Dorian played the traitor member of the Party of Goodwill, Shahana became a roving pirate queen, Mal became a mysterious drifter, and Zahiri was herself. With their introductions an addendum was explained to them: they were expected to act as entertainment during dusks, a challenge to test their mettle and reinforce the characters they've made. Their first challenge came soon after: retrieve a Rosy Lepiota hidden within a forest infested with monstrous red caps. The group were nearly outmatched before clever thinking on Dorian's part managed to end the encounter, lying that a dispatched red cap was actually the mushroom they sought. With the challenge completed, they were allowed to spend the dusk planning their defense for the following dawn, criticizing Dorian for her past and speaking with Sameia about her own past.   For the following dawn's defense they opted to not dispute the crime but remedy it with a cooking competition, the winner getting to give their meal to Judge Juniper alongside a diamond necklace Zahiri made into a family heirloom. The show goes well and seemed to appeal to all the judges, primarily Foolie. With the closing of that dawn's trial, the next challenge is given to the group: find Foolie's lost brooch before a festival later in the year, hidden in 1 of 12 trapped boxes. With a few close calls, one trapping Shahana in a swirling maelstrom and another detonating in Mal's face. With the dusk, the group set about planning their final case against their charge but quickly Charlie says that he has a plan but must keep it a secret for authenticity though mysteriously requests Dorian to summon STACI as a lance. The group agrees and use the night to talk among one another.   That dawn, the group entered the court again and Charlie began his case. He explains that as a child he was an outcast, unable to grow crops like his family and unable to be among the dragon scouts. In adversity he grew in strength through education, illicit or otherwise. Charlie forced Dorian to attack him, impaling himself on the lance before demonstrating his power to protect himself and mend his wounds. He goes on to explain that Dorian's past has forced him to grow and despite his anger he will allow her to be at his side.   Zahiri follows this with an explanation of her past, revealing her abandonment early on in life at the hands of her parents first, then swiftly after by Mal. She explains her fear of commitment and is remorseful for her actions towards Judge Juniper. Shahana follows this with a session allowing members of the audience to step down to demonstrate their respect for Judge Juniper while Zahiri plays some music, successfully subtly charming Judge Juniper.   With the end of that session, Judge Juniper grants the group a mercy and gives them a command in lieu of that dusk's entertainment. They are asked to heal her heart in a manner they see fit and opens a portal to it for the group to enter. They step inside, finding themselves in a large chamber brightly lit by a massive fire in the center of the room, obscuring a feminine figure and stoked by walking shrubs. The figure is revealed to be similar to some sort of succubus though the nature of the world they are in means it is more likely a representation of some aspect of Judge Juniper herself gone out of control. The creature managed to charm Charlie and then Mal, getting them to harm their fellow members, nearly killing Zahiri before Shahana made the final blow against the creature which smashed against the wall, shattering like porcelain. The fire is extinguished and from its ashes grew masses of flowers, mushrooms, and vines which overtook the heavy stone walls of the chamber. A door appeared behind them, allowing them to exit.   Leaving the cavern returned them to Centerstage where an astonished crowd was left to greet them. After a few moments of silence, the crowd erupted into cheers and an exhausted Judge Juniper dismissed them so the judges could deliberate.   The group was sent away into deep storage for the dusk to spend their time as they so wish or prepare their final statements. During this, Shahana and Sameia had a personal conversation while Dorian and Charlie met with Judge Foolie to establish a deal: Sameia will be returned shortly after she entered (2 years prior) and in exchange Dorian would give Judge Foolie 2 years of memories. Foolie accepted and upon shaking hands stole away memories gained during Dorian's toddler years, picking and choosing significant moments until Dorian herself had difficulty recalling her fathers' faces.   The following day the group was brought before the court and given their final sentence: a unanimous decision to remove all convictions and allow the group to return to the Material Plane. Additionally each judge offered 1 favor for the group to use how or when they please. The group exchanged these favors for:  

1. The freedom of others trapped in the Autumn Court
2. The removal of the time curse
3. Sameia's freedom
4. One Everblooming Emerald Rose, to be retrieved at a later date

  As the group was allowed to leave, the Judges offered the group a deal from here on out, send more to the Feywilds and receive gifts from the court. The majority of the group was appalled by the deal but Dorian was more accepting, taking with her a map of known portals to the Feywilds. With their business finished Selkie escorted the group to the portal they took to enter the Feywilds. Finally the group returned, seemingly only mere moments after first entering, and began their trek back to Weft but not before taking a stop to investigate Enderson's Journal in the Rust Sea surrounding Keld.  

Contract

Following a report by Zahiri Sapir regarding a portal to the Feywilds, Lifewood Labor has written a contract to secure its location, ensuring that it is under control, and hidden away from the Legion Marred. Securing the Portal may not only provide a path to a necessary item for the Rites of Divinity: the Everblooming Blossom but also access to a plane of existence with potential allies.   An additional reward will be given if a detailed scout report is taken just inside of the portal for future recon work. Due to the dangers of this work, the additional reward is high for a small report.  

Objectives

• Secure the portal
• Hide the Portal for future use
• Write a report (optional)

 

Rewards

• 500 gp
• 150 for scout report