Session 14

Property	Value
Beginning XP	385 XP
Beginning gold	127 gold, 31 silver, 13 copper
Ending XP	465 XP
Ending gold	152 gold, 31 silver, 13 copper

Desna 4710

The spring rains had swollen the rivers throughout the Greenbelt, transforming placid streams into rushing torrents. It was during our reconnaissance of the western territories that we heard the screaming—high-pitched, desperate, and distinctly not human.

Following the sound, we came upon a sight that defied immediate explanation: three gnomes, thoroughly soaked and clinging to the branches of a partially submerged willow tree, were under assault by what appeared to be a living column of water. The elemental surged and retreated with the current, its form constantly shifting between solid and liquid, crystalline eyes glinting with alien intelligence.

The gnomes—merchants by their waterlogged packs and fine if ruined clothing—had apparently tried to ford the river at an inopportune moment. Their cart had been swept away, and now they were trapped between the raging waters and the elemental that seemed to claim this stretch of river as its territory.

”An elemental!” Kairos called out, already analyzing its movements. “Water-based, probably summoned or bound to this location. Be careful—it’ll be resistant to most physical attacks!”

Djames began his Courageous Anthem, the familiar magic settling over us like a warm cloak despite the spray and mist. Leonardo waded into the shallows, his blessed longsword held high, while Lizzy sent Gomi circling above to keep watch for additional threats.

The elemental noticed our approach and surged toward us, a wave of angry water crashing against Leonardo’s shield. He held his ground, though the force of the blow sent spray high into the air. The creature’s body reformed behind him, tendrils of water lashing out to drag him under.

Kairos responded with a Spellstrike, her weapon crackling with electrical energy. The Shocking Grasp spell channeled through her cold iron fauchard, and when it struck the elemental’s core, the creature recoiled with what might have been a scream—a sound like water boiling and hissing on hot stone.

”Electricity!” she shouted. “It’s vulnerable to electricity!”

Lizzy needed no further encouragement. She raised her hands, branches extending from her arms, and cast Electric Arc. Twin bolts of lightning bridged the gap between her and the elemental, causing the water to flash and steam. The creature’s form destabilized, becoming less coherent, more desperate.

It lashed out wildly, water tendrils grabbing at anything nearby. One caught Djames’s leg, pulling him off balance. Jet, his faithful horse, reared and stomped, breaking the watery appendage. Djames rolled clear, never missing a beat in his anthem.

Leonardo called upon Ragathiel’s power, and his blade erupted in holy fire. The blessed weapon cut through the elemental’s form, steam hissing where flame met water. The creature was weakening, its movements becoming sluggish, its form losing cohesion.

Kairos delivered the final blow—another Spellstrike, this one channeled through her staff and empowered with Ignition. Fire and lightning combined in a devastating cascade. The elemental collapsed, its form breaking apart into ordinary river water that was swept away by the current.

The gnomes, freed from their arboreal prison, scrambled to shore with gratitude that bordered on the theatrical. Their leader introduced himself as Jubilost Narthropple, a cartographer and explorer of some renown in certain academic circles. His companions were Linzi, a cheerful chronicler with a love of stories, and Elina, a merchant with an eye for opportunity.

They had been traveling from Pitax to Restov when the sudden storm had caught them unprepared. The elemental, they believed, had been bound to the river by some ancient magic—perhaps a ward against trespassers, or the remnant of a long-forgotten spell.

As payment for their rescue, Jubilost offered us a small purse of gold (25 pieces) and, more valuably, detailed maps of the southern River Kingdoms. Linzi promised to spread word of our heroism, while Elina offered favorable trade terms should we ever establish a proper market in Amedaria.

As we escorted the gnomes back toward safety, Lizzy felt a strange pull—a familiar sensation that tugged at something deep within her fey-touched nature. She wandered from the path, drawn toward a grove of ancient oaks whose branches seemed to reach toward the sky with deliberate grace.

There, amid the dappled sunlight and the whisper of leaves, stood a woman of impossible beauty. Her skin was the color of bark kissed by moss, her hair flowed like willow branches in an unseen breeze, and her eyes held the depth of centuries. She was a dryad, and her presence made the very air feel alive.

”Little seedling,” the dryad said, her voice like wind through summer leaves. “You have grown since last we met.”

Lizzy recognized her instantly, though she had no memory of their meeting—only the deep, instinctual knowledge that this being had been present at her awakening. This was Nyrissa, the dryad who had nurtured Lizzy’s first moments of consciousness, who had taught her the language of growing things and the songs of the forest.

”Nature momma,” Lizzy breathed, the words coming unbidden.

Nyrissa smiled, a expression of genuine warmth. “I am pleased to see you thriving, little one. The mortal world is harsh, but you have found strong companions.” Her gaze swept over the rest of us, assessing, measuring. “Your roots grow deep in this land now. Tend them well.”

She spoke with Lizzy for a time, sharing wisdom about the fey and the natural world, warning of dangers in the deeper forests and offering blessings for the kingdom we were building. Before departing, she touched Lizzy’s forehead, and for a moment, we saw Lizzy’s form shimmer—more plant than flesh, more spirit than matter—before settling back to normal.

”The First World watches,” Nyrissa said. “And it is pleased.”

Then she stepped backward into her oak tree and vanished, leaving only the rustle of leaves and the scent of fresh rain.

As we made camp that evening, something curious occurred. Djames, reviewing his notes and journals, discovered that his handwriting had changed—subtly at first, then unmistakably. The signature at the bottom of each page now read “Jacques” in flowing script. When Leonardo pointed this out, Djames—Jacques—seemed unsurprised, as if he’d always spelled it that way.

Similarly, Jet responded only reluctantly to his name, but perked up immediately when Jacques called him “Weiß.” The horse seemed pleased with the change, as if reclaiming something that had always been his.

Kairos, ever the scholar, recognized what had happened. “Fey influence,” she explained. “Sometimes being in proximity to powerful fey, especially dryads and their ilk, can reveal true names—the names things are meant to have, rather than the names we give them. It’s harmless, though disconcerting.”

Jacques—the name felt right now, natural—simply shrugged. “I’ve been called worse,” he said with a smile. “And Weiß suits him better anyway.”

XP Gained: +80 XP (water elemental, gnome rescue, encounter with Nyrissa)

Summary:

• Encountered a water elemental attacking gnome merchants at a swollen river crossing
• Defeated the elemental using electricity and holy magic
• Rescued three gnomes: Jubilost Narthropple (cartographer), Linzi (chronicler), and Elina (merchant)
• Received 25 gold and detailed maps of the southern River Kingdoms
• Lizzy met with Nyrissa, a dryad who served as her “nature momma” when she first awakened
• Received Nyrissa’s blessing for the growing kingdom
• Fey influence revealed true names: Djames is actually Jacques, and Jet is actually Weiß

Loot:

From rescued gnomes:

• 25 gold pieces
• Detailed maps of southern River Kingdoms (+2 item bonus to Survival checks in that region)

From Nyrissa:

• Blessing of the First World (nature-themed boon, specific effects TBD)