Episode 5: No TPKs?
Feniks finds a turd in a wardrobe.
Feniks spends the early morning hours scouting and investigating the town of Wyvern Tor with her wolf companion Fenrir. They find a couple of buildings that have been looted, overturned and damaged. Fenrir gets a scent and follows it out of town.
Meanwhile, Zaxal goes to a clearing on a farm to signal to Feniks, his spell fails letting out a loud yelp (rather than the expected howl) and the farmer shoos him away. Zaxal returns to the tavern and collects Malo and Pinecone from their breakfast at the tavern. Malo and Pinecone both leave without paying for breakfast despite the tavern keeper shooting crossbow bolts at them in anger.
The party meets up with Feniks and Fenrir as they were detouring towards the sound that Zaxal had made.
They all head towards "The Finger Crag" and encounter an orc sentinel. Zaxal and Malo attempt to hide but fail, making far too much noise with their oxen. Pinecone and Feniks realise their mistake. Feniks draws her bow and Pinecone shoots the sentinel, causing him to call out for help from within a nearby cave. Orcs flood the cave entrance and a battle ensues. Pinecone uses his Oxen as a weapon in an attempt to trample the group.
Feniks and Fenrir dispatch a couple of orcs, while Zaxal uses his blade magic to set a trap on the cave entrance.
The chaos magic of the world responds to Zaxals magics and all plant life in his general area (including his bark leg) turns to ash.
Pinecone runs into the cave and is cut down by an exceptionally large and odourous orc by the name of Gog. Another orc heads towards the exit of the cave and is swallowed up by Zaxals blades. Malo intervenes and heals Pinecone with a soft word.
Pinecone is no longer interested in fighting and heads further into the cave to investigate a treasure chest, he finds 3 vials and immediately knocks them back, which causes the contents of his stomach to end up in the chest full of coins.
Feniks upon the back of Fenrir chase down a couple of orcs that ran away, dispatching one, then continue away from the party in pursuit. One of the orcs falls from exhaustion and Fenrir attacks him, he retaliates and Fenrir succumbs to his wounds. Feniks strokes Fenrir's snout (healing spell) and Fenrir disappears. Feniks' tattoos light up in her distress and a thunderous boom explodes from her in sparks of light emanating from her fur.
The other orc comes back to help his companion and they both attack Feniks, she attempts to run and they give chase so she turns snarling and swings her swords cutting down the one who caused her wolf brother to fall. The remaining orc runs away.
Zaxal catches up and finds a listless Feniks who does not respond to his insistence on returning to the cave when he realises that Fenrir is gone. He tries a few times to convince her, but she does not respond. He then leaves his oxen for her and returns to the cave alone. Feniks returns to the site of Fenrir's disappearance, and black tulips bloom in a wolf-life shape upon the ground. She sits beside the floral display and eventually sleep takes her. She rises with the sun and using her bond with Fenrir, heads East towards him. She is ambushed by batsquitos (mosquito bats), she does not have the strength to fight them all and faints from blood loss.
Back at the cave, Pinecone berates Zaxal about his lack of empathy for his friend and captain. Zaxal shows little care for the situation and brushes off the connection he and Feniks share as associates and makes it clear he does not care for her nor is he willing to display condolences. Pinecone continues to argue with Zaxal, asking about how they communicate, what they do when they get separated usually and just generally trying to figure out how their "friendship" works. Pinecone convinces Zaxal that they should return to get Feniks after a good nights sleep.
At first light, the party heads to the site of Fenrir's disappearance and see the oxen left unattended. They notice Feniks' tracks, follow them and eventually find her on the ground, Malo soothes her wounds. Feniks gets up and continues East in a fugue state, not responding nor even acknowledging anyone, the party decides to follow, they discuss settling in for the night but she continues on and they decide to follow. She stops to reconnect with Fenrir and realises they have gone too far East and promptly turns West, she eventually loses connection in her exhaustion and stops to rest. The party makes camp around her taking it in turns to keep watch. Upon waking, Malo grants Feniks guidance to help her find her wolf brother. Chaos magic causes her to become invisible and she sneaks away to find him.
Feniks disappears.
The party realises there is nothing more they can do, and return to Neverrain.
Chaos magic***Pinecone is terrified of small puddles of water. But he doesn't know that yet.
