Session 21

I did not get around to editing and fixing up these notes to make them make sense...so enjoy the disjointed notes

Session 21!  A bit of a hiatus but it is still the midsummer festival!

An unfortunate event 

The town bell rings once, echoing over the roofs of the buildings to invite both visitors and residents to the center of town.  There is a raised platform and upon it stand both Esme and Soren, dressed up in decorated outfits and wearing ancient masks made of wood as they are prepared to perform a story close to Stonetop's origin that closely involves the Fae.  Soren has prepared his costume 

Esme is performing and epic poem about Stonetop's history and relationship with the Forest Folk, and Soren is a part of it as well.  

Emmer is complaining about the Forest Folk not letting them log the forest, complaining that they are gone and still telling us what to do.  Kiva confronts him

An out of towner, and old woodsman speaks up saying it would be a true shame if they are truly gone.  Rua asks him if he knows anything about them and the old man tells of how he visited one of their villages, it was an incredibly maagical experience.  Rua and Kiva are immediately interested in his story and hand off his every word as he talks.  Every area is covered in vines and branches, causing each neighborhood to have a distinct atmosphere.  

Vimrod
Theden

Pass to the north of the red grove, a stream there with a clearing and a bend after the clearing.  East from there there is a rocky tor that points east??  and it points directly to Vimrod.  They used to call it the Dawn Rock, though they had a name for it in their own language.  Rua keeps asking for more details and he eventually offers to draw him a map.  Rua thanks him profusely and tells about how he had seen one of them in the past when they rescued him and his mother on their journey from Gordin's Delve to Stonetop.  

Anghrad comes up to Esme white as a sheet and puts a hand on her shoulder and says "Esme, I need you to tell me I'm not crazy."  Esme nods and Anghrad's voice drops to a whisper "I think I might be seeing things, but there is a monster in the Public House"  Esme immediately gets serious and starts grilling her for info, "Is it physical or spiritual?"  "I don't know, you're the expert!" Anghrad cries in response and after a quick back-and-forth Esme learns its not see-through and about person sized.  Having heard enough Esme starts to leave the Pavilion of the Gods, and spots Kiva passing by.  Esme calls her in and ropes her into coming with to investigate the public house, which Kiva immediately has so many questions about but Esme just shrugs and says that is what Anghrad is saying.  "Monster, Public House.  Lets go".  Kiva stammers a bit then says "Alright, lead on!" and they go together.  As they arrive they step to the side and carefully check out the Public House.  Through the milling crowd of people bearing drinks and food they see Rua is having an animated conversation with what looks like a large furred animal.  Esme notices quickly that it looks like Thistledown, the fae they fought in the forest when rescuing Cayu.  Kiva doesn't see it until Esme puts a hand on her shoulder and gestures her to look closer, and its like an optical illusion falling into place and she can see them for the mythical creature they are! Esme looks around and looks for the fastest runner within 15 feet of her, and grabs Shan's arm as she walks by and sternly says "Get my shield.  Now."  Shan nods with her eyes wide and she takes off out the front door running towards the Chronicle.  Her and Kiva spend a quick moment conferring and decide to wait for the shield before starting anything, Thistledown is an old creature and very powerful so they need all the tools at their disposal.  Anghrad comes in behind them and  whispers "So I'm not crazy, you can see it too?  Why can't anyone else?"  Esme shrugs and sends her off to find Soren.  

This whole time Rua has been telling his life story to Thaeden, about how they went to these weird ruins in the south and he met a ghost, and how they met some Hillfolk along the way and saved their horse.  As the conversation goes on Rua tries to get Theden to promise to take him to Vimrod, but 

Soren takes a moment to see the Fae, at first it looks like a normal bustling tavern but slowly Thistledown's form starts to blur and it suddenly snaps into focus with his furry ears sticking up over the crowd.  Soren whispers "Oh shit" and ducks down with the others.  At this point Esme's shield arrives and she takes it and approaches the hidden Fae.  She slowly kneels down with her creaky knees and interrupts their conversation by acknowledging 

The fools who attacked me, either of them could replace the things that they took.  There is something a little more intangible, a few years of someone's life, your singing voice perhaps, or maybe your eyes?  They are very pretty eyes.  Rua pipes up here saying "Wait you were attacked?  Who attacked you?"  "Silence you whelp!" Thistledown snaps back.  Rua is stunned and Esme offers 3 years of her life, and asks for friendliness after the deal is struck, not just a balancing of the scales.  Hearing this exchange about giving years the gears in Rua's head start turning and he slowly comes to realize what is happening in front of him.  "Wait you...you are Thistledown, the Fae creature from the forest!"  "Finally he catches up" Thistledown smirks.  Rua stands tall and says "I stand by what I did, but also what I said earlier.  Its a lot easier to get through life if we all work together, is there anything I can do to pay you back?".  Thistledown humms and says "Years were offered, but not specified from whom.  I could take 2 from you" He says, gesturing to Esme, "and 3 from either of those two."  pointing towards Rua and Soren.  Soren has been staying back, knowing that the plan is to deal with him and he was the one who cut him with Iron and he doesn't want to make things worse.  Esme argues correctly that 'a few' is not 5, 3 years were offered and he is a being of his word.  He begrudgingly acknowledges her point and gives a counter-offer of a unspecified favour, to be collected in the future.  Esme agrees, but only if the favor doesn't harm Stonetop or the Forest Folk.  Thistledown nods and says "It's a deal!" while standing to leave.  Rua 

Terwyn runs up to the Public House and starts telling anyone who will listen that he heard some screams coming from down by the stream.  a loud bubbling moan

It looks like this body has had chunks bitten out of it, and claw marks all around.  It looks like Crinwin, and there are some fairly clear tracks in the mud and soft grass around the banks coming out of the forest and going back in, but the tracks going back in look a little weird.  

Stephen is hovering around the back of the crowd, unsure if he wants to look.  He finally looks and says he recognizes her with Bedwyr, they were courting Willem's voice coming out of a metal mask