Mother Found

Summary
Eleasis 14
The party is in Ashabenford, after losing Ezra to Torin. They have been discussing returning to the Feywild to search for Akari's mom. Akari describes her father's death, and her mother's disappearance after an attack on the house after the funeral. They think Akari's mom, Adkrona, disappeared through a fey portal, since Akari can detect her with her amulet while Akari is in the Feywild. Maybe there was a fey portal in the woods. The only fey portals they know are to their south, meaning a long, dangerous trip through the Feywild to get to the area of Akari's home. They decide to travel cross country to Elmwood and investigate from there.
They travel up the Moonsea Ride trade road. Along the way they hear rumors of border troubles with the Zhentarim and some strange murders in towns where the circus passed through. And more word of pressure on the Sembian government to cut aid to their allies. They arrive in Elmwood, but Akari leads them around town and through the woods to her home. The house is closed up and quiet, but has been cleaned, the assassins' bodies removed. Furath searches the house with Detect Magic and only finds a few trinkets. Akari leads them out back to where the blood trail disappeared in the woods, but Furath cannot detect any signs of a portal. They return to the house and physically search it, Aria finds a secret compartment under the floor with a metal chest that would have blocked the Dtect Magic spell. It is empty except for a pouch of 50 gold coins, but smells of old leather armor and weapons. Aria finds a secret compartment that held a couple of daggers and potions, but is also empty. They consider trying Speak with Dead on Akari's father, but that means exhuming his body. Instead Aria casts Summon Spirit, hoping to talk to Aldon's ghost. Instead, she gets the angry spirit of one of the assassins. He is quite confrontational, but Aria lies to the spirit that she can bring him back. He explains they were from the Fire Knives assassins' guild in Westgate. They were sent by the guild master to get revenge on Akari's parents and their former companions. Akari's father left the guild years ago and later his adventuring group foiled a major assassination in Sembia. In the morning they discuss who to go to and decide to visit the druid's grove. Coming to the sacrificial altar in the center, Akari leaves a bottle of her mother's best elven wine and Furath dontes 50 gold coins. There is a whisper behind them and they turn to see a female human druid, Alamayne Greybrook, step out of a tree. She greets Akari with condolences and leads the party to her cottage. She pours them small cups of the wine and asks how she can help. Akari explains about their searching for Adkrona, she is in the Feywild, does Alamayne know if she was fey or is there a portal nearby that they couldn't find? Alamayne says she does not think Adkrona was fey. But, she spent many years as an adventurer and some of her tales dealt with trips to the feywild. She tells Akari a little of what she remembers of her parents' early days, how they met at a bard festival and Adkrona fell in love with Aldon for his music and pursued him until they dated. Akari is a little confused about her mother's skills and the druid explains she was a sword bard. Sure, she could play and sing, but her true skills were with blades, which explains how she killed a group of trained assassins with some kitchen knives. While Alamayne doesn't know any details about fey portals nearby, she says based on their generous donation, she will investigate. She tells the party to come back tomorrow after breakfast. they are concerned about her safety, but she smiles and says the grove is defended. there's a shuffle behind them and three large brown bears are sitting on the edge of the trees. Dolomoth shapesshifts into a black bear and the bears growl angrily at him until he returns to human form. The party thanks Alamayne and leaves, but are still concerned. Dolomoth casts a Alarm spell on the opening of the grove. With nothing else to do, they return to Akari's house and spend the day planning and making a prodigious dent in her parents' liquor cabinet. When they return the next day, she tells them the location of a fey portal about a week away in the woods of Cormanthor. The party thanks her, locks up the house and heads away.
Eleint 7
The trip through Cormanthor is long, but safe. With the party's predominately elven heritage and Akari's persuasive skills, they are to pass through the elvish kingdom's borders. Alamayne's directions bring them to a hill in the forest. On top is a white marble arch, carved with woodland scenes and covered with old moss. Eight marble pillars surround it, engraved with the design of a fey warrior facing out. The portal is still active, but closed. Concerned that there could be defenses, Furath uses the fey Orb to summon a dryad. Furath momentarily loses his cool at her beauty. Her name is Mariphine, she is surprised that Furath has the orb, she mentioned she was bound to serve a fey, but is willing to answer their questions. She is disrespectful of Dolomoth, but he serves the Winter Court. They ask her about the area of the Feywild they suspect Adkrona is in, she replies its an open area, not held by any of the major court nobles, but it is in the Winter Court's general territory. She knows little about the area, but does confirm the portal is active and able to be used. Dolomoth opens the portal and they ride through into a snow storm in the middle of a forest of transparent trees that look like frosted glass. Akari points the way with her amulet and Mariphine says there is a river valley that way, then some hills. Akari feels she is much closer to her mother. They set out with the dryad leading the way until her summoning time is up. travelling through the forest on a trail, they come to a clearing with four large rabbit like creatures, but they are almost three feet long with a foot long unicorn horn! The rabbits are peacefully grazing on bushes in the clearing, but struck by the oddity, the party moves on. The forest thins out and turns into an open valley with a river. When they reach the river, it looks like a flow of mercury. It responds to Furath's Shape Water spell like water, but the stick Dolomoth pokes it with comes out dry. Looking up and down stream, they spot a bridge and head for it. The bridge is unguarded and appears to be white stone, but when they start to cross, it is ice smooth and slick. Furath falls repeatedly until Aria helps him across. Akari's amulet is getting stronger and leads them to a cave. Multiple tracks of large, barefooted humanoids enter and leave, but there's also human bootprints, possibly a woman's. They move into the cave, which is dark so Furath casts Dancing Lights. There's a chamber inside with multiple side passages. Furath investigates the smallest and hears loud snoring. When he enters, he finds two large, grey skinned savage looking humanoids in furs. They leap up at his approach and attack him with crude stone and bone weapons. Furath fights them while Akari and Aria aid him, they realize the creatures have no eyes. Joan casts Bless on them. Prim falls back to scout the far passage, Dolomoth head up the second. The bards and Furath hurl spells at the creatures, Furath uses lightning Dragon Breath while the bards throw Dissonant Whispers and Toll the Dead. A horn echoes down the center passage and Dolomoth and Joan move forward. Prim scouts her passage and finds an empty side cave filled with discarded bones and animal skins, there's a lot…
Dolomoth and Joan meet another group of the humanoids. He throws Hex on one and falls back to Joan. As the group moves towards them, Dolomoth starts hitting them with Eldritch Blast, Joan summons a Spiritual Weapon in their midst and hurls Sacred Flame spells. Furath and the bards finish the first two, he goes to help the spellcasters and the bards join Prim. She has found another group and she snipes one with her crossbow, then falls back. Aria hits them with Thunderwave, killing one that Prim shot and knocking the other two back. They stagger around, swinging randomly and at each other. She realizes that since they're blind, they attack by sound and the spell deafened them! Then another creature appears in the tunnel junction ahead, it's a medusa with a longbow. Prim snipes her before she can react and Akari uses her Pipes of Haunting on the two blind cavemen and the medusa, but the cavemen cannot hear it. The medusa is frightened and Akari hits her with Unsettling Words to help maintain it. The medusa casts a spell and raises her bow and shoots an arrow down the hallway, it multiplies into a blizzard of arrows, striking the two cavemen and the adventurers equally.
Joan and Dolomoth finish their last caveman, and Akari and Prim kill the two on the other side. The medusa withdraws down the cave she came from. The party moves up and regroups in the intersection. Prim and Aria explore a side passage and find another cave full of cavemen bedding. Furath moves forward and walks into a field of Spike Stones. The medusa is further down the passage. Furath moves out of the spikes and Dolomoth Misty Steps to him. Furath clears the spikes with Dispel Magic and the rest of the party starts moving up. The medusa unleashes a volley of arrows, hitting with a Hail of Thorns, the arrows also have Flame Arrow cast on them. The party starts hammering her with Eldritch Blasts, Fire Bolts and other spells. Aria charges up close, manages to avoid the medusa's gaze and hit's her with Blindness!! Unable to affect the party, she falls back. Furath moves up and attacks her. Since he is relatively close, she hears him speak to cast and fires a Lightning Arrow at him and hits!! Everyone is shooting at her and she falls back again. She runs around a corner and Dolomoth pursues, stopping just far enough away to be safe before he attacks. But the Blindness has passed and she hits him. He Fey Steps behind her. With the rest of the party grouping up, she charges them, dodging past Prim's slash to get close to everyone else. Prim, Joan and Akari duck her gaze, but Aria and Furath do not. Furath Hastes himself to counter the petrification effect of her gaze and succeeds, but Aria fails and turns to stone. Her desperate charge did not reduce the party's numbers sufficiently and the medusa is now surrounded. Dolomoth slams her from behind with two massive Eldritch Blasts (Nat 20!) and kills her.
There is nothing to do for Aria now, they need to explore the rest of the caves. They find a chamber with petrified victims in a statue garden, including Akari's mom. Another chamber is the medusa's living quarters, with a fine elven tent and a bed made with caprtured cloaks and bedrolls. Two winter fey goblin slaves live in aside chamber as her servants. The adventurers search for the medusa's treasure and free her goblin slaves. The party has to figure out what to do next, they decide to rest for the night. In the morning, Prim suggests they take Furath's rope and cut up the tent for material. They make two "hammocks" they can sling between horses to carry the petrified victims. Furath and Dolomoth cast Phantom Steed to free up their horses to help carry.
The party heads back to the fey portal. Passing through the forest again, they hear music, then arguments, then music, then arguments. It's in Sylvan, as they get closer, Dolomoth can understand them, it's a group of fey musicians arguing. When they approach, they find four winter satyrs sitting on a ring of giant toadstools, having a jam session. They see the party and ask the mortals if they will help they settle their arguments by judging their music. When the party isn't entirely cooperative, they start playing and try to charm the adventurers. The massed music overcomes the party's elven heritage, except for Furath who is at a disadvantage facing the satyrs. Only Akari falls prey to the music, charmed to stay still. The rest of the party attacks, Prim circles around to take them from the flank, Furath charges and tries to set up Witchbolt on the one holding Akari in charm. Some satyrs charge up to attack, they are bards and cut loose with swords and Thunderwave spells. Joan and her horse take a pointblank attack and the horse dies. Prim kills one, Dolomoth gets another. Joan wounds the charmer and Furath finishes him, then Akari kills the last one when the charm ends. The party takes their items, including a fine sword and a wand. They return to the portal and Dolomoth opens it and they return home. And immediately realize something is wrong. The weather is colder, the trees have lost half their leaves. When they arrive at the nearest elven town, it should be Eleint 10th, but it is Marpenoth 7th, they have been gone two months! In town, they go to a temple of Hanali and pay to have Aria and Adkrona restored, but Akari is able to negotiate a discount. Aria and Adkrona are awakened without harm. Joan takes the sword and Aria claims the wand.
Marpenoth 7th

Silly Quotes and Smart Remarks
Looking for Akari's mom
Evan "Accio Mom"

How did Akari's mom escape into the Feywild? Is she a feywild elf?
Brittany "A f'elf"

Akari grew up in the town of Elmwood, which is a major street in Buffalo, so we had a few jokes about that.

Talking about cross country travel, Brittany said "bushwhacking" and everyone else started up with dirty giggles
Jim "Bushwhacking is not the female equivalent of 'manscaping' "

Katya rolls a 1 for Akari to remember details of her hometown
Evan "Wing it"
Katya "I was drunk the whole time I was there"
Jack "The only thing she remembers is the floor of the tavern"

There is a druid's grove outside of town
Brittany "A d'rove"
Jim "You are prohibited from using apostrophes"
Jack "She is contractually obligated"

Discussing that Aria doesn't know much about her family
Jack "Akari could be her sister"
Katya "I don't want to be her sister, she has a bad record" (Levina is dead, Ezra is missing)
Brittany "There's an opening…"
Then there was a discussion that Akari's father is human, is she sure her mother's husband is her birth father? Maybe it was Joan and Furath's dad…
Jack "You could be our sister"

Returning home to Akari's family's house, someone cleaned it up and is taking care of it
Jim "There are no dead bodies"
Katya "Yet"

Trying to investigate the events before Akari left home
Brittany "Where is her father buried?"
Katya "Says the potential necromancer…"
Jack "I can cast Animate Dead!"

Questioning the spirit of the assassin that Adkrona killed with a kitchen knife
Jack "I was a great assassin until I took a kitchen knife to the chest"

The druid's grove has magical defenses, including three brown bears
Jack "The bear-ier is active"

Furath summons a dryad, who is from the Summer Court, and is bound to serve the owner of the Fey Orb for a short period
Katya "Summer internship"

Jim "She <the dryad> leads you through the forest"
Brittany <sings> "Over the hills and through the woods…"

The party encounters a group of giant, unicorn horned rabbits, grazing in a forest clearing
Katya "They're lost children"
Jack "I'm not grappling more children"

Jim mentioned the original boss monster was a beholder, but he went with the medusa archer
Jack "She's a bow-holder"

Jim rolled really well for Nick's cleric Joan's initiative and got a 20 two turns in a row
Jim "The cleric goes first"
Jack "This is a cursed battle"

The medusa hit Akari, Aria, and Prim with Conjure Barrage and didn't care that she hit her own henchmen
Brittany "Friendly fire is 'on' "

Chmiel stopped by to visit during the game and distracted Brittany when he walked in
Brittany "His existence distracts me"
He had a non-stop barrage of puns, but being Chmiel, they were all terrible, so I didn't write any down.

Looking at the petrified creatures in the medusa's "statue garden"
Brittany "It would be funny if her mom was somewhere else"
Jim "Your mom is in another castle"

The party approaches a group of satyrs
Sam "You better not punch it"
Jack "I don't appreciate your sa-tyre…"
The satyrs refer to the adventurers as "mortals" and Jack is confused
Jim "You're from the real world"
Sam and Jack both said "Their world is feyke"