I have made some new friends.
Upon leaving the Feywild on Queen Titania’s request, I followed the Lunar Lady’s directions and found myself in Ravenwhick, the capital city of the human area called Barrenfall. Making my way to the centre of the city, I reached the Kennels, home to the monster hunters called the Bloodhounds, and met a quartet of adventurers. When I spoke with them, I learned that they were indeed the ones I sought. Having already encountered the foul seepage from the Abyss several times, they were about to leave on a quest south, to the town of Crowhaven, where they claimed there was another fissure that needed dealing with. Explaining that this was also my quest, they welcomed my company.
In the two days it took us to journey to the small town, I tried to get know my new companions. Leo is a half-elf, a charming fellow, though he seems a bit reserved when it comes to speaking of himself. Not that I can blame him, considering we only just met – indeed, I have revealed very little to them about my own history. Hector (the Well-Endowed, though I have yet to corroborate this) is a taciturn Goliath. Massive in stature, he seems mostly to keep to himself, but in the heat of combat (alas, we have had several encounters where violence was a necessity in the past few days) his rage is fearsome to behold. The third member of their group is the rather reserved Aelin. She reminds me of a burning ember, with fire in her heart, but nothing since I joined them has stoked it into a blaze. By far the most interesting of their party is Gad, a tortle explorer and healer. Perhaps it is just that he reminds me of myself, but I find the chap quite endearing. I have immensely enjoyed the time we have spent chatting in Sylvan and swapping tales of adventure.
During our two day journey to Crowhaven, there are only a couple incidents worth noting. Not far from the city, we came upon a handful of bodies by the roadside. Bandits, it appeared they had been cut down by a group of Knights of the Trinity that had apparently set out for Crowhaven some few hours before ourselves. Later, that night, as the others slept and I communed with my lady, Luna warned me of approaching danger. I pulled a bear from my bag and began to awaken my companions as we were set upon by four giant white cats. Within moments, my newfound friends had demonstrated their prowess by dispatching three of the cats with ease, causing the fourth to flee. Indeed, of the three that had fallen, two had not been killed so much as exploded. The poor beasts could only have been seeking food or warmth. I do not deny that I feel some guilt over their deaths, as frightening them off was an alternative not even considered.
When we arrived at Crowhaven, we quickly discovered that the Knights of the Trinity were already attacking the headquarters of the fiends we had come to seek, a group called the Cutters. My companions had been to this town before, and knew exactly where we had to go. We found the secret entrance already open, and inside, many bodies. Some Cutters, some Knights, but not the full set of either, and one Knight badly injured. I called upon the Lady to give him aid, and thus healed, he explained that his remaining allies had pushed further in. Urging him to strength, he led the rest of out of that charnel house, following in the footsteps of his fellow Knights.
As we emerged into a long chamber split by a fissure, we saw the last of the Knights fall, his head rent from his shoulders. In the chamber stood five Cutters, including, presumably, their leader, a blonde woman called Vixen, whom the others had described to me. In the moments before anybody could react, I pulled another animal from my bag and threw it across the fissure. It turned out to be a giant goat.
Hector was the first to move, charging at Vixen and swiping at her with his axe. I was quick to follow his lead, but even as I began to move Vixen somehow inspired her followers to rapid action. Vixen was able to swap herself with one of the sorcerers, before he and the other shot waves of fire toward Hector, the Knight, and myself. Hector and I were fast enough not to be hurt too badly by the flames, but alas, the Knight was not so fortunate, and he was burned to a cinder. The Cutter closest to my goat damaged the poor beast very badly, before the final Cutter, a man with a crossbow, finished it off, blasting its body into oblivion as its soul returned to my bag.
That was the moment I decided to teleport. I landed between the second sorcerer and the man with the crossbow, charming the sorcerer with the magicks of my people. Drawing my whip, the Lady granted me strength, and with one divine-infused slash I took the crossbowman’s head. He should not have harmed my goat.
My other allies entered the fray then, focusing their attacks on Vixen. Hector slashed at the first sorcerer, eventually sending on his soul. Vixen used her magic to bring Gad to the brink of death with a powerful spell. Calling upon my Lady’s retributive might, I made her suffer as much injury as was caused by her own hand. She responded by shooting at me as well.
As Aelin began to throw javelins at Vixen while her final ally was being dealt with by Hector and Leo, the leader of the Cutters decided to flee. She ran down a tunnel, and while the others pursued I administered aid to Gad. I did not see this, but later they told me that Vixen fled through a mirror. This, they had warned me she could do. That she could also transform into a fiendish creature, red-skinned, horned and winged, they had not warned me of, as they had not known it themselves.
At the heart of Vixen’s operation here in Crowhaven, the others searched the headquarters while I interrogated my new friend, Ron the sorcerer. Our combined investigation revealed not only that Vixen was working with a partner, her lover Brimscythe, but also that it appears they are siphoning souls from the Styx water and shipping them to the infernal cities. We also learned from the Knight before he died that the cracks had been caused by the Grand Herald of the Trinity. This is something we resolved to investigate further.
The last piece of business we had in Crowhaven was to speak to the mayor, whom Ron revealed was actually a doppelganger. I very politely suggested the creature leave, and they did. While this may cause problems in the future, I feel that further bloodshed was unnecessary, and with the fake mayor and the Cutters gone, the town can finally begin the process of healing.
With our business concluded, we left Crowhaven. I convinced Ron to give up his evil ways, and I truly hope for his sake he does. We are now heading back to Ravenwhick, where our investigation into the Abyssal fissures can continue. Also, Hector apparently has an axe he needs to retrieve.