Session 17
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Beginning XP | 650 XP |
| Beginning gold | TBD |
| Ending XP | 770 XP |
| Ending gold | TBD |
Arodus 4710
Following a lead from Elga the Apothecary, we set out to find the elusive and dangerous Hateful Hermit, a figure whispered about in fear and confusion. According to Djacques, he’s a reclusive misanthrope rumored to have committed several murders, and curiously, to own a cat. Kairos had heard similar stories over the years: a man the forest itself seems to dislike, a spirit of rot and resentment in humanoid form.
Upon arriving in the area, we began by reconnoitering and mapping the region, with Lizzy leading the exploration. Her experience guided us through dense underbrush and towering trees until we came upon a massive oak. It was unmistakably inhabited, with a thick trunk marred by scratches and subtle wear.
Lizzy sent Ryu aloft to explore. The familiar glided through the high foliage with care, descending slowly along the tree’s enormous trunk. About three-quarters of the way down, we heard it: angry swearing, the crack of a whip, and the flutter of distressed wings. A voice like gravel and smoke, shouting at something unseen. We also heard, besides the swearing, the crack of a whip.
Ryu returned swiftly and unseen. Through his senses, Lizzy reported:
- A large red cat, roughly puma-sized, prowling the branches
- The sounds of a raven in distress, possibly caged or wounded
- The Hermit himself, irate and clearly not expecting visitors
Gathered beneath the shadow of the great oak, the party exchanged thoughts on how best to approach the Hateful Hermit (a known recluse, possibly dangerous, certainly irritable). The Hermit’s remote location, reputation for murder, and explosive yelling made one thing clear: walking up the path and knocking was not an option.
We considered our options:
- Drawing him out by faking a disturbance deeper in the forest.
- Approaching with trade or flattery, offering goods or services.
- Disguising ourselves as something he might not see as a threat, or might even be intrigued by.
Given the Hermit’s deep-rooted misanthropy, we deemed the second option unlikely to succeed. We lacked the means for a convincing environmental illusion, so we turned to subterfuge.
- Lizzy would disguise herself as a Dryad, taking advantage of her fey-touched charm and natural presence.
- Djacques, master of misdirection, would appear as a Ghoran, a plantfolk curiosity that might disarm or confuse the Hermit.
- Kairos would remain invisible, acting as arcane overwatch in case things turned dangerous.
We would not approach as strangers, but beings of the wood, perhaps more tolerable than humans or adventurers. If nothing else, the Hermit might be curious.
“He’s been hiding from people,” Kairos mused, wrapping the invisibility spell around her. “Let’s see how he reacts to myths.”
The forest became quiet as we made our way toward the Hermit’s tree, masked in magic and misdirection, the smell of old moss and whispering leaves around us.
With disguises in place and Kairos invisible among the trees, Lizzy and Djacques stepped toward the moss-slick roots of the ancient oak. Its gnarled trunk loomed like a watching sentinel, bark split with age and neglect. The air was heavy with the scent of old magic and mistrust.
A low growl rumbled from above. A puma, red-furred and lean, prowled along a heavy bough. It bared its teeth at their approach, tail twitching with tension.
Unfazed, Lizzy extended her hand, offering strips of dried jerky, eyes calm and kind. Her voice was soft at first, but firm. A whisper meant for ears that had long been denied gentleness. She knew the rumors: this beast was no pet, but a tool, perhaps even a victim.
“You don’t have to fight for someone who’s hurt you.”
The puma paused. The jerky’s scent mingled with the tension in the air. A flick of its tail, then stillness. Then Lizzy raised her voice and invoked the power of Wilding Word, calling upon the ancient will of Nyrissa, archfey of broken pacts and lingering echoes. Djacques, quick as ever, amplified her voice with a cantrip, turning her speech into a forest-shaking proclamation:
“By the power of Nyrissa, give me back my tree!”
Whether bluff or truth, the declaration was heard. By the animals. By the forest. And surely… by the Hermit. Somewhere behind the door, there was a sudden silence. A held breath in a hateful house.
The Hermit burst from the tree, snarling, and launched a dart at Lizzy—its venom seeping into her veins. In response, she summoned a Yellow Musk Thrall, which lurched forward and attempted to grapple the Hermit. Djacques bellowed a Command, forcing the Hermit to the ground.
From invisibility, Kairos emerged in a flash of magic, Spellstriking with her staff infused with Ignition, fire cascading through the blow. The Hermit, snarling, rolled prone and cracked his whip from the ground.
Lizzy steadied herself, resisting the poison, and unleashed a Horizon Thunder Sphere. Djacques followed with his Courageous Anthem and Lingering Composition, bolstering Kairos. She analyzed the puma with Magus Analysis, then delivered another Spellstrike.
The puma launched with a sudden pounce, mauling Kairos and following up with a vicious bite. At the same time, the Hermit hurled a venomous stream of insults, leaving Kairos off-guard, and struck her down with his whip—rendering her unconscious.
Furious, Lizzy struck again with Horizon Thunder Sphere, the blast forcing the Hermit to retreat. As he fled, he spat:
“You think you’ve won? You’re just another blight in a forest full of rot!”
Lizzy turned to the puma, voice firm:
“Look at your master abandoning you! This is your last chance—cease your attacks. You will not stand a chance while you remain on his side.”
The puma hesitated, then lay down in surrender.
Djacques sent Weiss in pursuit, but the familiar failed to land a blow. He rushed to heal Kairos, who rose, sprinted after the Hermit, and attempted to trip him, unsuccessfully. The Hermit scrambled away once more.
Lizzy caught up and cast Frostbite, trying to freeze the Hermit in place, but he withstood the chill. Djacques hastened Kairos with Loose Time’s Arrow. Seizing the moment, Kairos drew her Wand of Force Barrage and unleashed a flurry of arcane blasts—striking the Hermit down. He collapsed, finally defeated.
XP gained: 120
After the battle, Djacques spotted Noor, caged three meters up in the tree. Kairos climbed onto Djacques’ shoulders and opened the cage. Noor emerged, frail, filthy, and clearly mistreated.
The puma, sensing the tide had turned, bolted from the clearing. Lizzy gave chase through the underbrush, determined to ensure it wouldn’t regroup or attack again. The feline sprang into a nearby tree, and Lizzy attempted to follow its momentum… and promptly slipped. She tumbled through the branches with a surprised yelp and hit the ground hard. The puma, more practiced, landed gracefully beside her and gave a slow blink, almost smug.
As the dust of battle settled, the puma lingered, watchful but no longer hostile. Lizzy approached cautiously. The great feline spoke to her in the animal language and offered Lizzy a ride back to her party.
With an amused grin, Lizzy climbed atop the beast. The puma accepted her weight without protest, and together they moved, swift and sure, into the underbrush.
While Lizzy chased the puma, Djacques turned his attention to Noor, still trembling from her time in the cage. The poor creature was malnourished, her fur matted and her limbs marked with small cuts and bruises from neglect.
Djacques knelt beside her with rare tenderness, gently cleaning the wounds and wrapping them with strips of cloth. His voice was calm, almost melodic, as he murmured reassurances.
“You’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you again.”
Noor blinked slowly, exhaustion overtaking her, and rested her head against his hand. It was clear she would need time to recover, but with Djacques’ steady care, she had a fighting chance.
As Kairos recovered from her wounds, resting near the soft glimmer of the dusty rose prism, she turned her attention to the Hermit’s dwelling. The interior was crude but functional: furniture carved from raw branches and roots, a table barely more than a thick stump, and a bed that was little more than a pile of gathered leaves.
Notably, a portion of the bed remained undisturbed, its center more carefully arranged than the rest. Investigating it, Kairos uncovered a few hidden belongings:
- A lesser healing potion, corked and still half-full.
- A potion of invisibility, tucked deeper beneath the leaves.
- A small locket, worn and brass-bound, containing a faded image of a young woman, her features too blurred with time to make out clearly.
The locket had been wrapped in a piece of old cloth, which unfurled into a rough, hand-drawn map of the surrounding region, covered in erratic scribbles and vague markings. One location, far from the Hermit’s tree, was marked with a crude X.
Whatever the Hermit had once cared about, it seemed buried under paranoia, loneliness, and something deeper.
Lizzy returned astride the puma, mud-splattered but triumphant. Earlier, she had attempted to follow the beast into the trees, only to slip from the branches and crash gracelessly to the ground. The puma, in stark contrast, had leapt down with effortless poise.
Brushing off her robes, Lizzy muttered something unprintable in Sylvan before clambering back onto the feline’s back with a huff of dignity.
As the group caught their breath, Lizzy turned to the puma with a softer tone than before.
“What’s your name?” she asked, running a hand through its fur.
The puma blinked slowly, tail flicking. “The hermit called me Cat,” it replied in low, rumbling Sylvan. “I hated that name.” Lizzy smiled. “Then let’s find you a new one. What if I just call you Spot for now?” The creature gave a low, approving growl, accepting the offer without pride, but with a sense of quiet relief.
As they considered fitting names, Lizzy shared strips of red meat with the puma, who accepted the meal gratefully. She stayed near Djacques, offering what help she could while he dressed Noor’s wounds. Between the two of them, the aftermath of the Hermit’s cruelty began to give way to gentler care.
While Djacques carefully cleaned and bandaged Noor’s wounds, Lizzy knelt beside them, her tone gentle and coaxing. She offered the small beast a few berries from her own rations, soft, foraged things with a hint of sweetness. Lizzy gently placed a hand between Noor and the puma.
”You two,” she said softly, “try to be friends, alright?”
Noor responded (again in Sylvan) hesitantly but favorably. Spot tilted his head with a faint chuff, neither hostile nor entirely amused. The fragile peace between the two held.
Kairos, still aching from the Hermit’s whip, explored the strange home with scholarly precision. The crude furniture was grown or carved from the trees themselves: a table little more than a gnarled stump, a bed of leaves pressed into a shallow depression in the floor. The most telling detail was what wasn’t there.
”No books,” she muttered under her breath. “No scrolls. Nothing written but a single cloth map.”
She examined the space again, her expression tight with confusion. The Hermit had lived in austerity beyond mere poverty. His home was deliberately ascetic, stripped of any distraction or indulgence. Even for a recluse, it was jarring. The lack of magical writings was almost offensive.
While Kairos searched the Hermit’s austere home, Lizzy turned her attention to the fallen body. Rifling through the folds of his ragged cloak, she found the tools of his cruelty:
- a finely-crafted whip, its leather worn but well-kept,
- a blowgun, light and simple,
- four darts, each tipped with faint traces of poison,
- a curved sickle, utilitarian but sharp.
- four doses of graveroot poison, tightly sealed in waxed vials,
- and a set of well-worn hide armor, scraped and patched but functional.
She set the weapons aside wordlessly, less like spoils, more like removing thorns from a path.
After setting aside the Hermit’s weapons and tools, Lizzy turned to the puma, gesturing to the corpse. “You want him?” Spot gave a low growl, shaking its head with a rumble of disdain. “No. Look at his left leg.”
Lizzy knelt beside the body and examined the limb. Just above the thigh, she found a deep scratch wound, a jagged slash where fur and flesh had been torn. The mark was unmistakable: the puma’s claws, driven with full force. It hadn’t been a defensive strike. It had been an attempt to end him.
Curious about the locket Kairos had found, wrapped in a cloth map and tucked carefully into the Hermit’s bedding, the party examined the faded image of a woman within. Despite their efforts, none could place her identity. Her features were vague, blurred by time and wear, but one thing was clear: she mattered deeply to the Hermit.
With no answers of their own, the group decided to bring the locket to Bokken, hoping he might recognize the woman and shed light on the past of his estranged brother.
With the Hermit’s body searched and the hut thoroughly examined, Kairos cast Detect Magic one final time. The flicker of arcane detection revealed nothing new, only the potions, the faint residue from their battle, and the weapons already recovered.
Lizzy spoke a few final words with the puma, the enchantment of Speak with Animals nearing its end.
”Did he hide anything else?”
The puma shook its head.
”What he had, you already found. He owned little. He cared for even less.”
The Speak with Animals spell that Lizzy had cast ended. The puma could say no more. Lizzy wished it well until tomorrow.
Summary:
- Set out to find the Hateful Hermit, Bokken’s estranged brother
- Discovered the Hermit living in a massive oak tree
- Rescued caged and mistreated Noor (raven)
- Befriended the Hermit’s abused puma (named “Spot”)
- Lizzy disguised as a Dryad, Djacques as a Ghoran, Kairos invisible
- Invoked Nyrissa’s name to intimidate the Hermit
- Fought and defeated the Hateful Hermit
- Puma surrendered and joined Lizzy
- Found mysterious locket with woman’s image and crude map
- Discovered the Hermit’s austere, book-less dwelling
- Healed and cared for Noor and befriended Spot
Loot:
From the Hermit’s dwelling:
- Lesser healing potion
- Potion of invisibility
- Brass locket with faded woman’s image
- Hand-drawn map with marked location
From the Hermit’s body:
- Whip (well-crafted)
- Blowgun
- 4 darts (poisoned)
- Curved sickle
- 4 doses of graveroot poison
- Hide armor
XP Gained: +120 XP (defeating the Hateful Hermit)