Episode Six: Color of Darkness

Unsettled (J)
Sanna comes into town, talking to people passing on tidbits and warnings. Rumors are spreading that Innominatam are gathering in groups and just, watching people and areas of plants have turned black in trails that lead to thin air. 

Tooth or Not to Tooth (R)
The Seneschal Eric seeking to determine how well he could trust Aelius, and Haco sent them with Naliatha and Leonitus to Illos to retrieve a package. They take Demolly along for training. Lurvok Skips them to Illos. On arriving they saw a strange rainbow-colored glow surrounding the city. As they passed through it, it turned green. This triggered physical sensations that brought happy feelings (for example warm shower, first love, kids, etc..) and set them off course about a mile or two. Heading to Illos on foot they met a series of goblins. First a goblin potion seller with potions that made you feel good. No one brought any despite the goblin trying. Next, they came upon an assasin goblin who attacked Demolly. Haco and Aelius took care of the goblin. And Aelius tested the poison on the blade by licking it, causing an allergic reaction. Then a Goblin healer. Their bandages caused an allergic reaction like Poison Ivy. As soon as they chased the goblin healer away another goblin dressed all in black with a keg strapped to his back came running at the party. When the keg was struck by Haco it exploded. This keg caused damage to Aelius and Haco and killed the goblin. A very small strange purple goblin was the next encounter.
The purple goblin seemed to take no damage until Demolly used poison and the goblin died. When the last goblin was killed the party saw a goblin-like humanoid with orange skin and a blue nose, studying them from afar. It was there one moment then disappeared. At that point, a patrol from Illos arrived and searched them, then escorted them to the seneschal with their message and to get Eric's package. Which was a set of false wooden teeth. The seneschal let them read from the library. The return home was uneventful. The package was delivered, and payment was received.

Scroll (J)
John Doe acquired a scroll baring an image of the Damsel in the cave they discovered the previous event. He showed it to Lily and Sebastian. Together they figure out that there is an ingredients list on the page. As they approached, they saw areas of vegetation had turned black. They gathered all the ingredients and took them to the cave and the spell released the Damsel. Once she was released, she shed her white dress in favor of bone armor. She thanked them, called Innominatam and left through a dark portal.

In the Depths (J)
The mechanical tunnels below Tekom are changing. Machines move and whirr and a new door opened in town. Widget excitedly shows Zenzi, Zerus, Magnolia and Darin. Inside a creepy tune played like the inside of a music box. It opened into entirely new chambers that none of them had explored before. There were Mechanical golems within and flowing black goo. The Mechanicals moved in strange, disjointed ways and sang a little tune before they attacked, “Long and dark is the night. We'll stay by you, stand and fight.” Once dispatched, the group discovered that Widget was nowhere to be found, instead they found Zolland, who taunted them, told them secrets about the chambers, offered Magnolia her father’s journal and then escaped through the machinery as the room began to fill with the black goo filled with dark magic.

Who Dun It (T)
The Guardians begrudgingly have no idea what happened to the Summa trees so they asked Adrian, one of the only druids they could find to get some clues as to what happened to all of the trees. They hoped that Captain Eliza might be able to keep Adrian in check and on track, and brough Larg along, just in case. Eliza and Adrian are distracted by a loose horse looking for sugar and oats. The horse herder asked for help riding him of the nuisance horse. The horse is killed and Eliza, gathers the blood from the horse and bark from the tree to track the missing branches. They are stalled by the Troll baker until commotion erupts from carnivorous plant rising from where the horse was. The Herder and the weeping woman rush off to find more guardians. Larg kills the Carnivorous plant, and Adrian attacks Larg in return. When Larg drops, poisoned by Adrian, the Guardian approaches Adrian, becomes paralyzed and Adrian Vanishes. Shortly after, the Summa Tree's Branches begin regrowing. After stabilizing Larg, Eliza and the Guardian leave Larg to the Hospital staff then head back to the Baker’s house where the tracking spell brought them. Smelling Rot, the Guardian kicked in the door to investigate, followed by Eliza. They find a shrine consisting of pieces of the real troll baker and a trap door leading into tunnels underneath the house. After a pair of intersections and lack of supplies they opt to turn back and return to town. Meanwhile, Adrian is nowhere to be found.

Haunted Castle -Kids Mod (R)
The children were transported back to the thorns surrounding a castle bathed in green flames. Having learned that healing magic made the thorns shrink, they cleared the path to the castle. The thorns fired barbs at the children forcing the children to run for safety. They stopped to heal before entering the castle. They entered a silent creepy castle and went from room to room. Every five minutes a chime could be heard, and the lights changed colors, with the color change, came emotion changed. This caused the children to experience feelings of fear, danger, caution, and doubt. They fought their way through the grand ballroom filled with oozes and to a dining room where Lacey and Poppy were the only children to eat the food to have a long talk with a ghostly woman. The rest journeyed into a jail where a face in a bowl stole Daren's face and a ghost appeared with his face. Danny tried to steal it from the ghost and lost his face to Daren. Daren said, "Oh no I am ugly.” By stealing the bowl everyone's faces went back to normal. When the bowl vanished Lacey and Poppy returned. A monster on a balcony attacked them while they tried to unlock the next door. In a gaming room there was a puzzle on the table that split the children into three different groups. Each group was haunted by a banshee until they escaped her room. They came upon a hallway with a porcelain doll who called out to them to help her find her eyes. Princess Poppy and Princess Lacey took the eyes from a doll they had and gave them to the Doll. She put the eyes in and was happy. She opened her new eyes and the kids vanished to end up in a room with a statue with bullets in its hand that the children had lost. The sword Danny left behind was not there, instead a strange red bullet in its place which Daren kept. The kids ended up at a door that asked them to find its lost gun. Princess Poppy found the lost gun and the children then reached the tower where they learned that they learned the secrets of the Boggle and then they planned to battle it one more time to defeat it once in for all.

Fae of the Field (T)
Fae approached Adrian by tracking the armor. They let Adrian keep the armor piece (or what’s left of it) in exchange for helping the plants grow back over dead and rot. Details left to come, Adrian seeks to learn dark magic and dark earth magic.

Zerus, gets approached by the Fae popping in and out of portals. They come to an accord, don't assist the Bone Court or legion and don't harm the living and Zerus can continue to exist. Buttons/Zenzi begins to seek out the Fae of the field.

Color of Dark (J)
The darkness of Nihilles swallowed the town and the festivities began. The summa trees lit up the night as usual. But then, screaming erupted in the town center. A dark portal opened in town, spilling forth Innominatam. The very ground darkens and plants wither. The Summa trees dim, struggling against the darkness as the town fought against first smaller Innominatam and then a huge one that poured out of the portal. Upon its death, the light from Summa tress fully went out.

The Damsel confronts the group in the darkness, the glow of her ardor crown, the only light for in the darkness. As the tense exchange continued, it came to light that the damsel is Summa, of the Summa trees’ legend, turned Dark Mage by the pain of having been held captive for so long. Magnolia helps re-light hope within her by singing a song about the hope of Summa trees. The lights of the trees returned, and Summa promised to return next year as she left through a dark portal.

Prize (J)
Axel went to Haco, Aelius, Demolly and Naliatha and explained that he knows where there is another tablet piece. He led them into another part of the mechanical labyrinth Beneath Tekom. The first room has a switch for each of them that must be pushed at the same time. “Step in together, unlock together, enter together.” It lowered a platform into the mechanical tunnels. The second room was filled with mechanical golems. Looking at them made the group revisit their worst nightmares. “Blind may move, curious will fall to nightmares.” So, the group closed their eyes and pushed through blindly. In the final room, the way is blocked by mechanical golems with treasures in their hands. “Dance with the temptation of reward.” They took the hands of the golems and turned with them to where the tablet was held. Haco grabbed it and the mechanical golems attacked. They posed quite a threat to the group, downing several party members several times as Aelius, Demolly and even Axel raced in circles to raise everyone before they escaped with the prize. Once outside Aelius took the piece out of himself with some unexpected consequences. Leaving a single piece remaining.

Mines (T)
Diana was heard trying to take care of her 'Child' an orphan from town. Doe recognized the child as an orphan approached the woman and sought to help the child get away, Sebastian helped. The commotion drew the attention of the guardians, who having dealt with Diana before, took her home and put her to bed, hoping she would sleep it off. However, the sound of ghostly childlike laughter drew the attention of Doe, who followed the sound while Sebastian and Lily spoke with the guardian. Doe, moving ahead, found a small hole in the mines which was hidden in a small shadowy spot. Upon crawling in, Doe found children's toys and the body of the first child. Doe called with the Help of a messenger pigeon to Sebastian and Lily. Sebastian, began marking their path on the ground and walls. Meanwhile, Gareth followed his nose down into the tunnels too. There were chunks missing from the Child and creepy child’s laughter echoed down the tunnel. They explored deeper. They found burrows and Sebastian noticed a small single eyed critter with thin arms and legs chittering, watching them, staying out of the light. The group found a few more bodies that the animals were munching on. Sebastian counted nearly 100 critters and rejoined the group. The group decided to leave the nest alone and continued down the path, However, a small pack of the critters found Them anyway. They were numerous, but not a threat. Continuing on, the Childs laughter, turned into cries of a mother’s sorrow. They came upon the room where Diana knelt, the rotting corpse of her son in her arms, the ghost child no longer playing, but trying to comfort his poor mother. After brief deliberation, Gareth went to get more guardians and the Seneschal. Lily, Doe, and Sebastian tried to comfort the woman then put her to 'sleep' and passed the problem to the Seneschal.

Reimbold's Escape (T)
The Fae of the Field arrive at Tekom searching out the Old man necromancer of Tekom, the General of the Bone Legion they call him. Reimbold seeks out help to escape, asking Zerus, Buttons, Magnolia, and Darin. Zerus declines to keep from himself becoming a target, but the rest of them seek to assist. Reimbold uses a potion to go invisible while Buttons and Magnolia help guide him out. They find themselves face to face with Fenrir, A Fae dressed in his military outfit with a Shield showing the Rolling hills, a rising sun, and a Stag. The Fae and the group begin a conversation while the fae search the town following every hint that the group drops. Eventually, they come to an agreement to leave each other be, unless the Fae begin causing damage to property after confirming that they are not after the Empresses citizens. The Fae find Reimbold's shop and search it. Darin hides and follows them, watching as they find Bartok and find the ghouls. The Fae get ready to tear up the shop in search of more but the group approached. With a fight near the Fae begin to talk their way out. Then Bartok Swoops down, the Fae follow. A few remain hidden, watching and waiting. Reimbold, speaks up a final time before leaving the town. Axel, meets with Buttons and Ivory to offer assistance at Reimbold's Request, he’ll keep running Reimbold’s shop. The group has some requests for him.

Quiet on the Farm (J)
Maximilian Olsen, a guardian, hired Eliza, Mooraw and Larg to help with an investigation of Local farm animals behaving strangely. They have turned vampiric and are feeding on the villagers. They also are speaking, asking for blood and other creepy things. Larg quickly got downed by the animals when he came to them too aggressively. Mooraw learned that Null does not stop dark magic. They subdue and then heal the animals after Maximilian removed the dark magic from them. Maximilian cheerfully tells the group that at least they proved none of them are dark mages when they return and paid them for their services.