Characters
Players
Monsters
- Snatcher
- Inkers (not inklings)
ROOLLLL TWEEENNNNYYYY BABY
Enter, the garden
The party + Jena, enter the garden, it is storming and the ground is muddy. Ellis knows their way through the beginning of the maze but they run into Inkers along the way. Although the group will know the way through they are not silent or being sneaky and attract some more Inkers. Jena makes it through unscathed because she stays back and casts from afar. Yuki and Monte are only damaged a little. Ellis and Niffty are very hurt and healed up during the fight a few times.
Resting place
The party exits the maze portion of the garden. The field in front of them is no longer clean green grass that Ellis expects it to be, instead, the grass has been infested with black lotus flowers. Each flower has petals, darker than anything they’ve known and have a faint glow shining from the center.
Ellis crouches down and touches one, in an instant, they can see the memories of a life that isn’t hers. Childhood memories and emotions that belonged to a life that came before them. In their anger they take our their dagger and stabs through the center of the lotus, extinguishing its light and it begins to wilt. Ellis believes that they released a trapped soul.
Filled with anger towards what took Anzu away, Ellis doesn’t wait for the others to follow. They begin marching further into the garden following the marks of a body being dragged.
Yuki examines a lotus and sees similar imagery but chooses to leave it as it is. Yuki believes that there are souls in the flowers and that they shouldn’t damage them.
Tactics, you punk
Ellis sees the snatcher in the distance in a gazebo structure with runes of a ritual circling around in the air. Anzu lies motionless beneath it as the spell is being cast. Ellis attempts to provoke the snatcher into attacking them but keepa its priority and continues to focus on the spell.
Monte, Jena, and Yuki decide to take ranged positions and damage the snatcher from afar. Niffty takes charge at the snatcher but it expects it, Niffty is caught by her neck, thrown aside and returns to dry spell components as she has taken too much damage. Although no longer in the fight, Niffty broke the concentration ritual that the snatcher was casting and the floating runes and colors fall and fade.
Angry and damaged, the snatcher enters a rage and charges at Ellis who is standing confidently in front. The snatcher lifts its enormous hands to slam down onto Ellis. Expecting this, Ellis reacts with a shield spell. The snatcher is slamming, pounding and roaring but none of its attacks hit as they hit an invisible barrier before reaching Ellis.
More attacks come from the rest of the group and the snatcher decides to retreat to the body of Anzu, but before it makes it up the stairs Ellis deals a fatal blow with their dagger. Ellis says something smug but I forgot what. As they step over its body the snatcher whispers in Elvish “He, is coming.” Then it dies.
A promised entrance
Anzu’s body lies motionless and without heat. Ellis tries to heal her but there is nothing to heal. Next to Anzu’s body is a lotus, similar to the ones earlier but with petals of gold and a glow brighter than glitter. Ellis moves Anzu’s hand to touch the flower and it dissipates into her body, Anzu begins to breath and body temperature returns. She is still unconscious but stable.
Screw that guy
Monte investigates the body and finds a few things of interest. Ritual chalk, which is used to create ritual circles and write runes to perform those rituals. A note with a few pictures of Anzu, some drawn and others taken with a kamera. The note has lots of basic information about Anzu including her daily habits, where she lives and more. This note means that Anzu’s abduction was planned and only carried out by this being, it is not the one in charge.
Ellis and Jena help each other carry Anzu to the House of Daena because the House of Arcavios might not be safe. Monte and Yuki go to the admin building.
Pillow Fort
Ellis sets up a pillow fort in the library’s magic items section. Alvin, although not completely understanding, is more than willing to help in any way he can. Ellis and Anzu sleep while Alvin watches over them to ensure their safety.
“Mx. Ellis, the library will be closing shortly. I do enjoyed your company and do not wish for the two of you to be awaken by wind. It is time to leave.” Alvin
Monte cracks
The admin building is locked, but the doors are made of glass meaning you can see through them so Monte just uses mage hand and unlocks it from the other side. Magic! Down a hall voices can be heard, conferencing and some discussion about the semester and beginning of school.
From inside of the room they can hear three voices speaking, Olvor, Mizette, and a third that they do not recognize. The unknown voice asks “Has it been taken care of?” Mizette responds sheepishly “Yes I took care of it, there’s no need to worry.” Olvor responds with, “Mistakes like this are why you are kept on a leash!”
The two sneak to the open doorway and Monte knocks politely. Inside the room sits Olvor Dodorax and Mizette Sharpe. The two are startled and ask why he and Yuki are here. Monte tell Olvor about the abduction and demands that something be done about it. There is no excuse for something like this to have occurred on campus. At first neither of the two believe him until Yuki pulls out the dismembered arm that they brought from their fight.
Olvor looks quickly at Mizette then back at the two students, “I will have this looked into, until it is resolved I ask that you do not investigate it further.” Monte leaves the note the snatcher had and instructions on how to find the secret garden that the battle took place.
The sessions ends with the party resting and nothing else happens that week.