RECAP: BDC, 12-20-24
|It was a relatively calm evening in Sternhaven once Shepard had successfully completed, Jarlebank wasted no time making the case to retrieve the remaining statues from the caravanserai and store them… somewhere. Logistically it would be tough: there were over a dozen medusa-made statues still there, and it would require two Teleports to get there and back to White Moon Cove (they’d decided to store the statues at Sonja’s smithy at the Cove), and further it would take two trips. Calidor and Jarlebank would lead the effort, with Simon and Thrax assisting with the load.
The first trip back to the caravanserai went without a hitch, and over the next few hours they managed to collect and bring back eight statues, leaving one more load’s worth back at the caravanserai. Shepard and Peaches, having nothing specific to do, Teleported to Sternhaven to divest the party of the loot they’d acquired over the last couple months, and so were out of contact, 480 nautical miles to the southeast. It took a couple of hours to get the first load of statues unloaded, but they wanted to collect the last few and be done with the caravanserai for good.
Upon return to the caravanserai for the final lot of statues, however, they were met with trouble: well over a dozen of the wolf headed spider tanari – called “spyder-fiends” by the denizens of the Abyss, the creatures are chaotic evil and servants of the chaos lords seeking the Rod. The group’s abrupt appearance surprised the waiting fiends, and Calidor’s quick thinking got the group out of there and back to White Moon Cover before the abyssals could react.
back at the Cover, they realized that the chaotics were hunting them again, and further the Rod was likely a magical beacon that could easily be seen and scried by interested parties – after all, it had easily been decades, perhaps over a century, since the last time five of the Seven were found and attached. This being the case, they realized hey had two problems:
- If the fiends were tracking the Rod (which they almost certainly were) then leading them back to White Moon Cove and putting their homes in danger was not an option.
- Linking up with Shepard and Peach in Sternhave and reunite the party was a priority, but the Cover group was out of Teleports and couldn’t immediately go there.
In the end, they saddled up Thrax and engaged the Carpet of Flying and headed south along the coast at top speed, trying to get away from White Moon Cover quickly and cover as much distance as possible. They went far, and camped that night just inside the forest, hidden with Simon’s spellwork.
The night passed without event, but at dawn, when Simon was making his preliminary round of the perimeter, he saw the trees outside the spell zone were covered with webs. No spiders, normal or abyssal, were in evidence, but as soon as Jarlebank was able to cast Teleport, they went to Sternhaven.
Except they didn’t. Jarlebank’s Teleport malfunctioned and they found themselves in the middle of a wide ocean, far from any visible shore. The bulk of the party was able to keep their heads above water (despite their armor, in some cases) but Jarlebank, who despite being a fisherman’s son was never much for swimming, sank unceremoniously below the waves. The group was at first worried, but within seconds Jarlebank emerged upon a 12-foot boat, soaking wet and looking somewhat chagrined. He waved them all over to the boat, helped them aboard, and then Calidor Teleported them successfully to Sternhaven.
Sadly, Shepard and Peach had, by this time, completed their business at the shops and had returned to White Moon Cove as per the previous arrangement. Knowing that the abyssals were focused on the Rod, not the party, Calidor went back to retrieve Shepard and Peach while Jarlebank stayed in the relative safety of Sternhaven.
During this time, Jarlebank had been taking reading to locate the next piece. Azimuths from the caravanserai, White Moon Cove and Sternhaven all showed the location to the south, and the lines converged on the western region of Canistan.


Understandably, the tanari are reluctant to materialize in Sternhaven, and the regrouped group passed a restful night at Berik’s Inn. The next evening, they visited the Cartographers guildhall to examine maps of the southwest portion of Prince Sternius’ domain. Ultimately, avoiding both Krishan County (Count Perthius demense) and (insofar as was possible) the Viscum Forest. In the end, they decide to fly over the centreal western portion of the Viscum in a single day, Then, more leisurely, they’d travel to the Canistan-Capurnia Road, then on to Dannon to rest from travel and get a better picture of both the location of the 6th piece and the region in general.

LOOT SPLIT: 1630.71 gp