Chirper's Plight (Igrainne) 9/7
Jul 25, 2019 12:52:53 GMT
Sunday, Markas Virnala, and 2 more like this
Post by Igrainne (RETIRED) on Jul 25, 2019 12:52:53 GMT
An old kenku who called himself Chirper walked into a tavern in the Faerunian settlement of Port Ffirst, appearing distressed and seeking help regarding birdfolk who have mysteriously disappered from their habitat. Offering coin, he recruited the services of five adventurers—including the author of this report—and a talking, spellcasting domestic cat. (I’m sorry, Mother, I’m too tired to try to make sense of this right now.)
Chirper was frail with age but showed considerable skill in nature magic, which he claimed was taught to him in a secret sanctuary, available only to birdfolk. He led the party to New Hillborrow, a village that is populated entirely by halflings and gnomes, a four hours’ journey from Port Ffirst in the direction of Daring Heights. The villagers are singularly devoted to Sheela Peryroyl, the Hin goddess of nature and agriculture, to the point of being nervous at the mention of other deities, and are wary of “Big Folk” outsiders. Nonetheless, an innkeeper was willing to divulge information to the adventurers: a small population of birdfolk lived in the hills by the village and were looked after by a conclave of druids; the druids would use their magic to help the villagers with their farming and, in return, they would tolerate the presence of the birdfolk. New Hillborrow was usually loud with the cacophony of birdsong, but one day, the villagers awoke to find it silent. All the birdfolk save for Chirper and a few young kenkus had disappeared, along with two of the druids. Old Chirper came to the village asking for help. Unsure of what to do, they instead raised money for him and pointed him in the direction of Port Ffirst.
The adventurers proceeded to the wilds northeast of the village, where Chirper said the secret sanctuary was located. He sang a song in Druidic that called woodland birds to perch on his arms. Upon being questioned on the missing birdfolk, they whistled a distinctive tune and uttered the word, “Gone.”
Chirper procured a goose feather that belonged to one of the lost birdfolk. The cat took a sniff of it and followed the scent. At this point, Chirper split from the party to protect the nest of young kenkus who remained.
The scent trail was lost at a waterfall that cascaded into a small stream, where the adventurers were ambushed by vipers, a giant snake, and living vines that writhed like serpents. Three monolith stones stood in a semicircle by the waterfall. If one were to touch these stones, one would briefly feel effects as follows:
• darkening of vision
• coldness of the body
• the texture of the stone feeling like scales, as if touching the back of a large snake
A faint musical tune—same as the one sung by the birds—was heard coming from the waterfall, behind which a small cave was hidden. Inside, a shadowy figure in the shape of a gnome playing an instrument sat surrounded by a flock of birdfolk, hypnotically swaying to the music. It managed to charm even some of the adventurers. Upon threat of harm, the figure stopped playing and disappeared, a chill passing through the cave and chanting in an unknown tongue being heard as it did. The birdfolk, free from enchantment, immediately flew out of the cave without a word.
The adventurers who were charmed reported seeing an old gnomish man with silver hair and beard in place of the shadow, whilst one with Truesight described a pale-skinned elven man with daggers in his belt.
After returning to New Hillborrow, Chirper met up with the adventurers again and anxiously informed them that a swan and a goose birdfolk, who were the druids, were not among the ones who returned. He provided more information about the stones as best as he could with his kenku mimicry.
Quote: “Stones are door, but we don't cross! Danger, y'all. We sing to them and [birdcall] go through when days are short and sun is low. We sing and snake sleeps.”
When the gnomish man was described to the innkeeper, she appeared surprised and gave a name: Callen Fiddlefen. Mr. Fiddlefen used to run a flower farm northwest of New Hillborrow, making a considerably large fortune for himself, until it was discovered that quicklings were putting charmed stones in the river flowing downstream from his farm, thus drugging the village with an aphrodisiac effect that helped boost the sales of his flowers. He disappeared after this incident and was never heard from again.
The author of this report then returned to Port Ffirst to research on snake-worshipping cults that might have existed in Kantas before Faerunian colonisation, thereby discovering the existence of an old tome that told of an unnamed ancient yuan-ti tribe, their religious rituals, and references to secret ways into hidden temples. This book is currently in the possession of an adventurer—part of the group that Chirper hired, in fact—who could not be located at this time.
Incidentally, a yuan-ti pureblood mage arrived in Port Ffirst a few days after this incident. This individual has been heard speaking implicitly of forbidden faiths and was observed purchasing maps of Kantas.
The author of this report has promised Chirper that she would return to the snake stones with him to find his lost friends.
End of report.
Attachments: