46. March 10, 2019

West to the Elven Woods

We ride down a few more rails, to a dwarven outpost bordering the elven woods. The trees have been grown together to be generally impassable, and there are spiderwebs in the treetops. We elect to light signal fires while traveling northwards, to try to get attention of elves. It works...an elf on a spider steed finds us, and Jessa spots them and talks to him. The elf agrees to bring a delegation to meet them. We camp and wait.

The Elven Delegation

Within 3 days, three elves come to our camp to treat. Jessa, who speaks elven, tells them we're looking for Vethandra; want help for Illial's people to free them from the ice; inform them of world events.

The delegation (who are members of the Elves' Spider Clan) tells us their ancient treaty with the dwarves was never invalidated, so it still stands and is in effect. They don't need assistance now, but will reach out through the old methods to the dwarves if they need any. Regarding the Star Elves, the elves cannot assist; they explain that a millenia or so ago, the Star Elves enslaved them, then eventually banished them for being “lesser beings,” so the elves stole what they could and fled, and admit they aren't that fussed with the fate of the Star Elves today. Vethandra is safe and doing well, they say. They will take a message from us to her. Of current events, they feel oddly smug about the whole thing—that a pact with an otherworldly entity by a would-be human ruler to kick out races they couldn't control, has come back to bite the current Empire. They admit to some concerns about the rampaging monsters, but the elves think they can survive the situation just fine. They want to remain isolated, they are willing to let things ride out and see what comes of it, while staying safe behind their borders.

We Send a Message In a Bottle

We write a message to Vethandra, requesting in-person visit at our camp or dwarven outpost, or a return message. Then when the messengers leave, we have Aishling and others try to contact Vethandra again.

Nightmare

The dream state doesn't turn out well. Aishling and Aoife are stuck in the dream with darkness encroaching, and the others are kicked out as 3 giant spiders and an eidercapp descending into our camp. We dispatch them.

We can't wake Aishling. But Aoife wakes, and says it was as if they were being sucked under water, and their consciousness being stripped away until they were simply a compliant energy.

Return to Sirtegaard

Unable to rouse Aishling, we return to the dwarven king and cleric, hoping they can bring her soul back to her body.