An Overview of Recent Events #5

The Maelstrom and the Lariat

A dry weekend was apparently not in the cards, however, as Captain Jax

stumbled into the tavern, soaking wet and shivering. He told the town that he’d

been sailing a ship to Avrillus and had been caught in a terrible storm for days on

end. His next plan was to attempt to swim for some shore but, before he was able

to, the Cairn Keeper of Avrillus sent him to Fortune’s Bend. She also brought the

town back to the ship in the middle of the storm.

The town discovered that the storm existed because some time ago, a

well-intended man from Avrillus asked the Lariat for help protecting the island

from ships. The Lariat complied...maliciously. The Lariat made him into a conduit

for the Maelstrom, which gave him the power to create storms. However, the Lariat

then roped and stole his limbs, sparking a frenzy that created the deadly storm

encountered by Captain Jax.

The town split with some small teams fighting to regain the severed and

bound limbs of the Maelstrom. Only once all had been returned would the

Maelstrom be able to calm and settle the storm. The rest of the town fought on the

ship, dodging lightning and waves and the magic of the Lariat aiming to pull people

from Fortune’s Bend overboard.

Finally, after a short eternity of being knocked to the floor of the ship and

gently drowned, all limbs were rightfully returned to the Maelstrom, and the storm

calmed.

The Celestial Peacock

Later in the weekend, the town (slightly drier and much more agitated than

the night before) returned from various missions to a thrilling request from a

familiar huntress. The Celestial Peacock had been sighted, and the town was

charged with seeking it and acquiring its tail feathers. Each tail feather carried a

prophecy regarding the Arcani of T’barris, and Fortune’s Bend wasn’t the only

power searching for them. The Vargoth had also learned of the Peacock’s presence

and raced to the field to take the prophecies for themselves. The huntress confirmed

that such a battle would indeed require the might of the full town, and then

Fortune’s Bend was off to a new daring escapade.

A deadly battle ensued as the people of the town fought through the hoard of Vargoth. Nowhere on the field was a safe space to rest, and the healers of the town quickly mobilized to organize waves of steady assault. While the fighters of the town held off the Vargoth, others focused on powering up orbs of power that could either be used to send enemies to a

swift death or request tail feathers from the Peacock.

The Peacock seemed no worse for wear. In fact, witnesses suspect that the Peacock enjoyed the attention as displayed through its magnificent strutting.

The Mines of Melluria

The tensions with the Vargoth came to a head on the last day of the Gather. Master Miner Trent Keeling arrived frantically in Fortune’s Bend requesting help. The Severed Tongue had arrived at the Devano Peak Mines in Melluria and was working towards caving it in with explosives.

Once arrived, the town split into a few forces: one to disarm the explosives, one to protect those disarming the explosives, and one to fight the majority of the forces in the mine. Through a stubborn and tenacious assault, the town was able to clear most of the enemy forces and empower Trent to utilize an ore found in the mine. With the ore (Valcroftium),Trent was able to expose all Vargoth in the area.

In a shocking revelation, Lance of the Severed Tongue reacted to the ore and revealed that he himself was a Turned Vargoth. It seems like Fortune’s Bend wasn’t the only force caught off-guard; the Severed Tongue appeared to be just as surprised by the news.

It is currently unknown how many countries are impacted by the spread of the Vargoth, as well as how they’re extending their influence so seamlessly. For now, we should expect to keep a keen eye to search for any signs of infection, and a cautious approach when dealing with new contacts.

TheBonekeeper’sGift:

The Bonekeeper of the Cairn has given the town a gift of living memory. It stands proudly in theCairn and will be constantly growing and changing to reflect the town of Fortune’s

Bend and the stories we choose to tell.

The Miner:

Members of the Golden Aviary traveled with Roderick to search for the Navigation Stone that would point them to the long-searched-for pirate cove. Instead, they found (and killed) a

Miner who gruesomely demanded the heroes’ blood, their tears and grief, and their dreams.

Linking of the Lines:

Congratulations are in order for Nam, who completed her Linking of the Lines ceremony. Also, the Heartbinder awoke her brother Skaff from where he was sleeping underTree, and he

has been welcomed back to Fortune’s Bend.

Discoveries of Aluvair:

A number of people from the town discovered an intricate knot puzzle in Aluvair.After defeating a number of hostile water elementals, Fortune’s Bend encountered a restless spirit–a

member of theEternalVigil–from a time in Aluvair’s past. Follow up research is ongoing.

PrisonBreak:

A group from Fortune’s Bend found themselves exploring a hall filled with doors inAvrillus and discovered that the militia behind one of the doors were guarding a prisoner. Inside the

prison was a red panda who, after being freed by the town, told the town that she’d been imprisoned due to wandering somewhere she shouldn’t have been.

A Party in the Vale:

The town dressed to the nines to attend the soiree of Lady Vanessa Marquetta and Lord Hector Gavrillo as a precursor to their party later this year.

RiverClean-Up:

Lewyn and Fimble are assisting a naiad whose river domain lies near the Great Bonarey Lake in Ophrailes and have discovered that her river has been corrupted. Investigation is still

ongoing; those who know more should reach out with any details.

Botanical Classes: Claire Chapman held instruction on the use of special mushrooms that have been cultivated near Fortune’s Bend. Volunteers, comprising of alchemists and other

interested parties were asked to run several experiments to determine what properties the mushrooms contained. It was determined that these mushrooms were particularly useful in

the creation of light step elixirs.

SirArdent Fischer:

Heroes “accidentally” came upon the aforementioned heir to a noble family in Konnigstrava, preparing to fight Plagued undead to acquire a family relic. Unfortunately, further efforts

may be needed as the relic’s magic has determined that Sir Fischer does not yet qualify as the family’s official heir. Does it count as patricide if the patriarch is already (un)dead?

Myos Investigations:

Ghost, using a tracker, accompanied a cohort of individuals from Fortune’s Bend to infiltrate the kitchens of the Myosi king. Servers told those gathered that the king and Bianca were

overheard arguing, and that the king was trying to win overBianca.

Remembrancer Training:

Nam has kindly offered to facilitate Remembrancer training; heroes interested in learning should reach out for more information.

Elixir of Cure Death:

Heroes broke into the Homunculus’ laboratory to acquire any materials regarding the Cure Death elixir. They left victorious with a handful of materials to investigate, leaving the flames

of an...unfortunate, totally accidental explosion behind them.

Brought to you by The Fortune Teller Staff

(Recap of May 2024 Event)