Mourning Elk, who spent some time "cleaning up" goblin enclaves after the Battle of Wanderhalt, journeys with a fellow Ranger to seek out the famous Ranger Gray Woodcutter. Finding three to be a crowd, he sets out for trouble in the freshly made wilderness of Menea.
Budokai, also fresh from the Battle of Wanderhalt, spent some time in the city walls regaled as a hero. Upon his reputation he is hired as an escort by 10 brother merchants to deliver them to Menea safe and sound. A falling out among the brothers leaves Budokai and his squire free to pursue other employment.
By the strangest of coincidences, both Mourning Elk and Budokai find themselves stumbling across old friends and allies just over the border into Menea. The party is on their third day of travel with three Diviners from Southrun. No sooner do the two swordsmen join the party, than it is attacked by 10 Fire Newts.
At battles end, the Diviners are thankful for the arrival of the newer warriors and offer to pay them 500 Brass Bushels apiece to join the band -- 250 now and 250 upon their sucessful arrival at the village they seek. The Diviners recount the previous information and the two reinforcements agree to join.
The next day, however, the party is set upon by 20 Fire Newts. A rather fierce showing by the company puts the attackers to flight, but not before one of the Newts is captured and questioned in his native Fell Speech. The Fire Newt knows only that "He Who Dwells in Eternal Flame" is angry and that they will all soon feel his wrath. HWDIEF is also known as Flrggflk or "Fire Face" in the evil tongue.
Armed with this information and the knowledge that the attacks seem to be growing in numbers: 5,10,20; the party hurries toward their objective, a village on the shores of Menea, just opposite the mountains. First, however, they spend the night in the burned and ruined manor of a former noble of Menea, from before the Times of Trouble.
While spending the night, Quin becomes aware, as he normally does, of a secret door. This prompts he and Mai to go exploring as Budokai and Mourning Elk keep watch and the others sleep. They find a wine cellar, and below that, a root cellar. Huddled in the root cellar are the skeletons of a man, a woman and two children. The man's skeleton holds an ornate box with a family crest of the letter R on it. The box is of obvious quality and is locked. Despite a good part of the night spent searching, the party does not find the key. Mai does detect magic behind an earthen wall in the root cellar, but there seems no way back there.
The next morning the party sets out again. On day five of the adventure the party is assailed by 40 Fire Newts. This battle takes a bit longer, but they are near enough to journeys end to have no fear. Indeed the end of the day finds them on the otherside of the mountains and within site of a curious village that appears to be made from the remnants of dozens off oddly shaped ships. The party is greeted by a human with a strange accent who welcomes them to the unlikely Kingdom of New Farrun.
Just as they are making introductions, all of them are set upon by 80 Fire Newts, which with the help of the guards are turned away or slain. The party is asked if they have brought the Newts. They respond that they have not and the attacks seem random, but growing. The party is admitted into the village of New Farrun on the condition that they leave their weapons sheathed and hidden while in the peaceful enclave. New Farrun, they learn, is made of recent emigres from the exiled and nomadic people of Farrun, who escaped their homeland three generations ago -- before a cataclysm. The party agrees.
Patrick sets off to find the local church and ecclesial authorities. He is not heard from after entering the city.
At once, the three Diviners make for their objective. The nobles Mai and Quin are invited to sup with the Farrunish King who has questions regarding Peakshadow and the Eight Kingdoms. Before they can settle in, however, 80 Fire Newts attack the town, seemingly springing from the very earth. Mourning Elk and Budokai attempt to follow the Three but lose them in a marketplace with four routes of egress. Meanwhile the village militia manages to kill or imprison the Newts. But within the hour, they are attacked again. This time by 160 Fire Newts. Finally, casualties among the Farrunish militia begin to stack up and they are reduced to a single company of foot and a section of archers.
Using her magical spells, Mai is able to find the three Diviners in a barn in the seedier part of New Farrun, which seems to be peopled by these Farruners and a large number of Provincials from just across the Sea. Upon entering the barn, they see the Three offering gifts to a clearly shaken old man and a woman holding a swaddled baby. This family does not seem to desire these gifts, at all.
Just then, the barn and those outside of it is attacked by 320 Fire Newts. Rallying 40 of the town guard, Quin manages to fight them off, but not before awesome losses are faced. Some 250 townspeople are killed in the chaos.
Mai binds two of the Diviners, who will not relent, and tosses them into the Well of Many Worlds, along with the gifts they came to offer. The last sound she hears is prehistoric roaring before the Well is Closed. Sometime later, the third Diviner and his gift finds his way into the Well.
The evening ends with a sullen King Echinom. He recognizes the nobility of Mai and Quin and holds them responsible as leaders of the party. After some questioning, he determines that they brought the Fire Newts which killed so many Farruners. He asks the nobles to submit themselves to his judgement. The night falls with Quin having agreed and Mai pondering her fate.
*edited to replace Samantha with Patrick 2/18
*edited to replace Sabertooth with Sabretooth 2/27
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