Fey Haven

A mission to the plane of Haven
Scribe Notes

Summary

Adventure: Fey Haven
GM: Stephen Martin
Session: Spring 807 wk
Night: Tuesday at Chez Martin
Level: Medium-High
Party

Dramus (GM Info), A Fae Prince and Necromancer played by Mandos

1. Serendipity - Elven Celestial played by Lisa Rose
2. Mortimer, a Mechanician - Played by Martin Dickson
3. Axis, the herald of Xanadu and E&E mage played by Greg Graydon
4. Loxi, an Earth mage played by Gordon Lewis
5. Darien, Human Shadow mage - played by Errol Cavit
6. Mary-M, halfling namer and master healer played by Helen Chessum

Employer

Dramus

Mission 1

Dramus is gathering a group of trusted friends and companions to investigate the source of the undead/demonic scourge affecting the plane of Haven in Summer when they are weakest. The aim is to gather enough information to assist the locals in winning their ongoing fight.

Mission 2

A day before the guild meeting an official from Haven turns up asking for some of the people who helped clear their city. The war has been going better for them and they are starting to hold some of the areas they take back in the Summer campaigns. Documents recovered from one of the old cities and restored have identified a chain of islands to the west marked as the Dragon Isles - a place for navigators to avoid. The information in these documents combined with rumours and readings imply that the High Elves led the Fae folk into hiding there.

Last Summer they sent their ship with a mix of Alusian sailors and Haven soldiers and trainee sailors to find the Elves and ask them to return to help. Communications were lost after 6 weeks, 2 weeks ago one of the Alusian sailors wandered into a bar in Seagate.

They need a group of powerful mages with a master Navigator to bring a ship, find out what happened to the previous ship, and complete the mission.

Pay

Mission 1 A great feeling from helping those less fortunate.

Mission 2 To be negotiated.

Adventure Notes

Astrology

What will we find on the other continent?

Masquerade, masquerade
Grab your mask and don't be late
Get out, get out
Well disguised heat and fever in the air tonight
Meet the others at the store,
Knock on other people's door
Fight or Flight they have the choice,
Little ghosts are makin' lotsa noise 
In the lands of Legion's rise there's something going on
No way to escape the power unknown
In the streets on Halloween the spirits will arise
Make your choice it's Hell or Paradise 
Someone's sitting in a field,
Never giving yield
Sitting there with gleaming eyes,
Waiting for the power to arise 
Darkness
Where am I now
Is there anybody out there
What has happened
Am I in Heaven
Or is it Hell
I can see a light coming
It's coming nearer
It's shining
It's shining so bright
It's shining on me
I am the one
Doom's in my hands
Now make your choice
Redeemed or enslaved  

Where are the High Elves?

In the olden wood
when the sun bright the dawn
I am feeling alone
lost into the infinitude

Light and darkness in my mind
Liquid shadows cross the place
Oaks whisper like the wind
veil of tears on my face

Elves sing our names
You and I have called
our dreams are enthralled
Underneath eternal flames

From the bells began to chime
Old ones know our destiny
Real souls are out of time
ever since melancholy

Bryndwn's Song 
(Tune of a common jaunty tavern song)
When we had been sailing for sixty-four days,
We came to a spot where the sea was ablaze.
Those demons from Hades was dancing with glee,
And burning the sailors alive on the sea.
Then Sir Bryndwn walked on the festering waves,
He threw all the demons right back to their caves,
And all of the men bore a heavenly smile,
We sailed for the Elves' fair, fair isle.

One night while the watch were lying asleep,
A great dragon came up from under the deep.
He thundered and lightninged and made a great din;
He awakened Sir Bryndwn and all of his men.
The dragon came on with his mouth open wide.
We threw in a cross and the great dragon died.
We skinned him and cooked him and feasted awhile,
We sailed for the Elves' fair, fair isle.

At last we came onto that beautiful land.
We all went ashore and we walked on the sand.
We took up our longbows and killed a Zebu.
We roasted it up and had hot barbecue.
And after a while we were singing a song,
We noticed the island was moving along.
We ate and we drank and we rode in high style,
We sailed for the Elves' fair, fair isle.

Day 1 and 2, Operations

We have collected a worthy crew under the leadership of Dramus to investigate the missing High Elves. Our sources are sketchy, at the best unreliable but that seems to be the way of adventuring and so we leave for Haven.

Mortimer has brought along the necessary bits for making a steam ship as we are contemplating a long sea voyage of some thee thousand miles (elven?) to the nearest suspected Dragon Isle. The newly taught shipwrights on this plane are not up to the job so we'll have to create our own ship under the direction of Mortimer and the talents of Dramus' warp wood magic.

While the ship is being made Serendipity is taking Axis and me (Loxi) to visit with the dwarves on this continent to see if we can acquire some of their fabulous anti-undead crystals to fit on-board the steamer. Maybe they will have some smaller crystals for personal use.

• Disturbing thought: We have not negotiated payment for our services as of yet.

Operational Guide

1. The undead come out at night - be somewhere safe before then.
2. The undead wax in strength towards midnight - see above. As it happens they wax and wane during the seasons Summer is best for us... This Spring is well better than Winter.
3. There are safety houses dotted in and around Haven should we need them.
4. By and large the undead presence here is not controlled by 'Greater Undead' but it can be.

Converse with the Dead

Performed by Dramus on the 4th of Thaw.

1. Are the High Elves, or their descendants, that left these shores all those years ago still alive?

Yes

2. Are high Elves different from the elves that reside within the city in ways other than their location?

Yes and No

3. What were the high elves seeking when they left?

Time

4. Were there true Fae amongst those who left?

Yes and No

5. Is there still a connection between this world and the Fae realms?

Yes

6. Is travel to the Fae realms by Fae means likely to be intercepted by the Legion?

}-)...

Preparations and Dwarves

Five of us took to the portal-ways headed for northern climes and the Dwarves therein while Mortimer and Dramus set to the shipbuilding.

Our guide helped us through the network of portals to the one closest to our destination - some 400 miles south. And so we flew down the rarely used roads taking note of the way-stations, set out every 10 miles or so.

Seasons of adventuring and uncommon prudence saw us camping in a way-station overnight as our calculations came up a little short of the marque. It was a blessing to get in - out of the bitter cold. We made good use of our various healing skills to combat frost-bite born of the wind chill during flight.

Disturbing Foes

A way-station is a sealed dome of rock infused with anti-legion magic. It charges through the day, absorbing light and mana to then unleash them during the hours of darkness. The comforting fact is that they work and we were protected from the foul entities that prowled around us that night.

The disturbing thing was the focus that the legion has in stalking us. We narrowly missed a ward-trap keyed to one of our number the next morning. It will be very interesting to see how they know so much about us.

Dwarves of the North

We were met at the entrance of the most impressive dwarven city by officers who were expecting us!?! Apparently their seers can not only see the future but interpret it well. Well enough to be prepared for us. Note that the approaches (including aerial) to the city are well-warded. Most wards trigger on the Legion, but some have other conditions (such as ability to Drain), so take care.

We were presented with crystals to fit into the bow and stern of our ship as well as a crystal sea-gull to be release on our vessel to bond with it.

Hope's Voyage

These are the chronicles of the SS Haven's Hope.
After a timely galley inspection and worthy sea trails we launched the Haven's Hope on her first voyage. To find lost elves and hope for people of Fey Haven.

Storms at Sea

Our run takes us over the equatorial flows. Towards the islands that we believe to be the destination of the high(?) elves. We posit that they have gone to think on a solution to this world's undead pest control problem
We had not sailed far or long. Not even into a much anticipated night. When we faced a most bizzare tempest. From three sides purple-black clouds rolled into and over us - striking out at us with arcane lightning. Now when chroniclers talk about arcane lightning they are usually gilding lilies. In this case I do speak of magical forces punctuated by strokes of lightning.

To summarise...

• Our dragon shaped bowsprit is now a living dragon trying to break free of its unnatural fetters.
• There is a tree where our mast stood. (this is becoming a theme on ships in my presence. that bares some thought)
• Our crystal seagull looks like an owl.
• The magic levels wax and wane taking and restoring our magic's as it does so.
• Mortimer went into a making frenzy and now I seem to have up and down controls at the helm. They seem a little stern about bow but I think he can fix that. Flying would be more convenient but I do wonder if we can collect enough sea water for his steam machine.
• Our out-rigger can now be folded in close to the main hull.
• We almost lost Axis, Dramus and Splosh to some unfortunate boat control. They hung on, we still have them - all is good. Note to self: Get Mortimer to explain things before the curious controls kill us all

Out of the Fury

Just when things seem to be going fine (with a good turn of speed on, even), we clear the storm, into a stretch of relative calm. Imaginative use of the new controls by Mortimer and Loxi manage to bring us to a near-stop before the barrier of fire ahead. It is reassuring to learn that:

• the 'sea oak' mast and associated roots will prevent us fully turning over under nearly any circumstances
• Seren's Dark Elemental can right us if we find ourselves laying on our side (supported by mast/trunk and roots)
• Everyone on board can think quickly

Once everyone is back on board, the water magics realigned, and some stability restored, investigations of our environment are made. Loxi finds that flying on shadow wings close to the tempest is ill-advised, while natural fliers fare better. We don't seem to have been magically teleported further than our perceptions tell us. The band of fire is following the tempest as it goes East, we can maintain position between them.

The fire is many boat lengths wide, and is made of multiple non-summoned elemental-type entities. Axis is able to talk with them (using Speak to Enchanteds), and bribe/distract a clear passage using a couple of casks of latern oil.

Once through, Mary-M returns with Dramus. It seems our Fey friend found the temptation to play with the extreme mana too much to resist. He has a (still-running!!) detect undead spell effect, which shouts responses to DA's. Mortimer Sleeps Dramus for his own safety while we wait for the spell to go away. We continue West for the rest of the day, and a night.

Changed Objectives

Dramus awakes on the morn, having been called to the leader of the Legion in is dreams. From his observations and interogation, he surmises the following:

• There are several hundred million Legion on the Western continent
• There is a single portal that they enter Haven through
• The Legion appear to know nothing of the High Elves
• The undead on the islands appear different to most of the Legion

Given the above, our first mission is put on hold, pending organising a god-bothering party at a later date.

Brush Off

One pre-dawn watch, we are bombarded by Bubbles of Force containing zombies, skellies, and the like. The ones that get very close to Haven's Hope are brushed aside by the crystal protections. As we start to use various means to push the Bubbles away, those within trigger counters, and swim for the ship. Those that reach the hull stick to it (Rk20 Adhesion), leaving limbs behind when they are zorsched off by blast magics.
We sense that this is the start of a larger plan, and keep a careful watch. Sure enough, we see patches of roiling water nearby, around undead bodies. We steer to avoid them, but soon work out that a huge monster is feeding on the bodies around us. How to get the limbs off the ship? Seren summons a many-tentacled Dark Elemental, which manages to rip limbs (along with bits of plank) off much of the ship onto itself before it is covered, and been dispatched. A roast is sacrificed (via steam-powered thrower) as a distraction. A second elemental is more efficient when we give it a large piece of wood to scrape limbs onto, and manages to clear the last of the hull just before the beast runs out of more distant dinner.
Attempts to talk to the beast fail. We speculate that it is a guardian for the elves, or maybe just the biggest hunter in this sea. Overall, The Legion appears to have knowledge, ability, and cunning.

Land Ho!

We continue Westward for a few days, until a flying lookout spots a large island ahead. It seems that the map is reasonably accruate. Due to the issues we have had with mana storms, the natural fliers Axis and Mary-M take an intial closer look. The island looks to be a lowered or raised mountain range - it is very steep, and lacks large rivers or beaches. Darien (a cartographer) goes on the next visit, intending to do a more thorough survey. When he overflies the island, his Shadow Wings fade and collapse - fortunately Mary-M manages to slow his fall, and he only breaks one leg. The island is a Earth Place of Power, and stops flying magic that gets too close to it's surface. Healing starts back on the ship, and we sail to a sheltered spot near the island to investigate further (divinate etc).

Second Converse with Dead

What sank the land that these isles are the last remnant of?

<No Answer>

Did the path of the High elves all those years ago pass these isles to the north or south?

Yes

Had the land been sunk when the Elves first came to this area?

<No Answer>

Did they land on or colonise any land still above water?

Yes

Are the High elves underwater and located in the middle of this ring of islands?

No

Is this land protected against the incursion of undead?

There are many and varied protections and there are places we do not see.

Siren's Isle

[notes regarding the near beaching of Haven's Hope and loss of (at least) Darien to Sea Sylphs to be added]

{Excerpt from Mortimer's Journal: As I sit here in the aftermath of a Mechanician fugue state pondering my plans for the eradication of the anthropophagic Alusian fey it seems to me that perhaps embarking on a project of such scope and severity on the unsubstantiated information provided by Dramus may be premature. I think it may be more advisable to plan and perform a series of experiments to, in the first, prove or disprove the malevolent and immoral nature of the various fey genera, both Seelie and Unseelie, and second, should their nature prove as Dramus has described, to deduce whether their dietary habits can be reformed through various means such as aversion and other therapies. Only after such experiments, and in the absence of humane alternatives, would it seem reasonable to further explore means of exterminating the creatures completely or making Alusia unsuitable for their continued inhabitation.}

Dramus and Fey diplomacy

Dramus took some gifts of alchahol to Siren's Isle in order to make amends for the faux pas of the day before. From a certain point of view - yes it was rude of us to snatch their prey from them. They had after all worked for it. However - a contract is a contract and I for one would be sad to lose Darien to a farie fate. He is so much fun to needle.

We learned a few things...

1. There seems to be a 'council of elves' in these parts
2. The fey of this Isle have a treaty with them - establishing their island as fey territory and sacrisanct.
3. Sirens really take offence when someone makes their illusions real.

The party partys

We steamed on south to the next island. This one is populated with elves and fun fey. They are predictably strange in a few ways.

1. Their ages range from mere hundreds to twenty thousand years old.
2. All of them have the health and apparent age of young adults (100 - 150)
3. All of them have the mental age of toddlers. They have a sense of now and tonight but no long term memory and no knowledge of life skills, professions or trades. If we questioned them about Elven Councils - they seemed to have a hind memory of the meaning of the phrase but absolutely no knowledge of them.
4. They have clothing but apparently no skill in making it. Some of the garments are extremely old and enchanted for long wear. Some of it shows as recently fixed but we have no idea by whom.

This information came to us after a night of partying and a day of socialising. I suppose it must be mentioned that we had a mis-understanding between me, Mortimer and Mary-M and a debarcle concerning self inflicted deafness, paranoia and a length of rope but alls well that ends well.

We have noticed that our apparent age has reduced by a few months after being on this island. Not enough to worry the elves but the humans may have a rough time if we tarry too long. As far as we can deduce there is some magical presence in and/or around the fresh water spring near our new friends.

Our scouts have spotted another group of 'young' elves further in land (remember these islands are huge). We plan to steam down a ways and investigate this lot. They have a metal bladed knife. We wonder how they have it at all.

Loot / Artefact Descriptions

Dramus has guaranteed to top up any loot/salvage gained to a minimum of 10,000sp per person and will cover reasonable expenses.

Quotes

• Mortimer: I refuse to set sail in a boat named with an ejaculation!

Calendar

Spring
	Moonday		Duesday		W'ansday		Th'rsday		Frysday		Reapsday		Sunday
	Candlemansa
Thaw (10)
			1	Guild Meeting. Organize Shipping	2	Portal to Haven. Start Shipbuilding	3	Seren et al travel to Dwarves.	4		5	Arrive at far portal.	6	Dramus returns to Alusia
	7	Arrive at Dwarf City.	8		9	Get back to Far City. Dramus returns from Asheth	10		11	Back to Shipyards	12	Sea Trials, Fit Crystals, Head for open Water	13	Shake down, minor issues, fishing..
	14	~3am Massive arcane storm. Thru fire, continue W	15	Dramus awakes	16		17		18		19		20
	21		22		23		24		25		26		27
	28		29		30
Seedtime (11)
							1		2		3		4
	5		6		7		8	Rites of Thunor	9		10		11
	12		13		14		15	Equinox	16		17	Eostre	18	The Seagate Spring Ball
	19		20		21		22		23		24		25
	26		27		28		29		30
Blossom (12)
											1		2
	3		4		5		6		7		8		9
	10		11		12		13		14		15		16
	17		18		19		20		21	Floralia	22		23
	24		25		26		27		28		29		30	Walpurgisnacht

Party Organisation

Enhancements

As we have a range of possible enhancements It would be best to detail which ones people require in the following table so we can spread the load across the group so that no one person has use all their fatigue each morning.

"A" = always on, "Y" = Yes please, "-" not required, blank = as required
For Spectral Weapon please include a number to indicate how many weapons need to be cast upon.

Magic	Rk	Effects	Lo	Da	Dr	Ma	Se	Mo	Ax
Shadow Form	16	+34%/17% Def  ??Hrs			-
Enchant Armour	20	+42% Def +1AP 20.5Hrs			-
Armour of Earth	6	3.5 hours			-
Strength of Stone	20	+20 EN 41Hrs			Y
Strength of Darkness	10				Y
Trollskin	4	50 Seconds
Witchsight	20	20.5Hrs			-
Quickness	?
Enhance Enchantment	20	+20 Rks
Shadow Wings	12	42mph 12.5Hrs 500+miles
	10	40mph 10.5hr 420miles
Spectral Weapon	16	20 mins +6 Dam +17% SC			1

Watch Order

The Dinner - Sleep - Breakfast is assumed to take roughly 10 hours and the watches cover this period.

• Watch's A and B - 5 hours from Start of camp to part way through the night.
• Watch's C and D - 5 hours from end of first watch to after breakfast.

Watch Order
Party Member	Moonday	Duesday	W'ansday	Th'rsday	Frysday	Reapsday	Sunday
Dramus	A	B	-	C	D	-	-
Serendipity	B	-	C	D	-	-	A
Mortimer	-	C	D	-	-	A	B
Axis	C	D	-	-	A	B	-
Loxi	D	-	-	A	B	-	C
Darien	-	-	A	B	-	C	D
Mary-M	-	A	B	-	C	D	-

This ensures that everyone gets full nights sleep periodically and avoids people having broken sleep leaving them susceptible to fatigue.

Marching Order

Marching orders will be determined as appropriate for the situation and will not be predetermined.

Map