Darkwatch Intelligence Report: Feywild Ruins Anomaly Part 2
UW/Please note this section of the report is highly classified and has not been made public. If you're not a Darkwatch member, you do not have access to this information and cannot respond in character.
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Darkwatch Intelligence Report: Feywild Ruins Anomaly Part 2
https://www.reddit.com/r/wizardposting/s/7EcuJG3Y9v That's part 1
Sycamore then proceeds to guide the party out to the ruin site. Due to the flow of time within the Feywild, it's hard to tell how long it took—perhaps several hours, perhaps several minutes. Even the Shadow Marshal was uncertain.
They leave the forest as they approach the ruins. It opens into a large clearing.
Sycamore loudly exclaims, "Welp, this is as far as I go!"
The Shadow Marshal looks at him.
"I thought you were supposed to guide us?"
Sycamore responds, "I did! To the ruins. That was the contract. Here are the ruins."
A mischievous smile forms on his face.
"But don't worry, new friends. I'll meet you right back here when you're done."
Rook chimes in.
"Wait, how do we get back if you're not with us?"
Sycamore responds, "Don't worry. Things are weird here, but... different weird."
He laughs.
The party begins to investigate the ruins. The ruins seem to be comprised of different buildings, mostly small houses and living quarters. Even Torbin is confused.
"Well, this doesn't make any sense," he says, studying his notebooks.
"This flag is from Thrakmoor, and this other banner is from Pandemonium. And these signs... is that the Kingdom of Scorn?" he exclaims. "But that's nearly a thousand miles away! This can't be possible."
Dorin chimes in.
"Well, I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it eventually. Let's keep moving."
As they search the houses, a pattern tends to emerge: nothing makes sense.
The houses look abandoned, but it's like the owners disappeared overnight. The closets sit full of clothes. The cupboards are full of food, but some of it looks like it had only been sitting for a day. In one house, breakfast still sat on the table with only a few bites taken out.
No sign of the owners, and no evidence of a quick retreat.
Suddenly Rook bursts in the door.
"Hey guys, we've got a problem."
They open the shutters and peek through a window. Outside appears to be a collection of no less than twenty large frost trolls.
The Shadow Marshal speaks.
"Everyone, defensive positions."
Rook and Dorin each take a window, drawing their crossbows.
"Torbin, get behind me."
The Shadow Marshal posts up at the door and draws his bow.
The trolls are closing in, but something keeps nagging at the Shadow Marshal. This isn't right. There shouldn't be trolls here. Their movements are wrong. They don't smell like trolls.
Suddenly, panicking, Torbin yells:
"Fireball!!!"
A large fireball erupts from his wand, shooting out the open door into the sky and exploding like a firework, completely missing the trolls.
Torbin groans.
"Well, that wasn't supposed to happen. Guess that's what they meant when they said magic behaves weirdly in the briefing."
The Shadow Marshal barks to the Vigils:
"Damn it. Open fire!"
The arrows pass right through.
Just as all seems like it's going to be lost, a loud chime emits from their necklaces, and suddenly the illusion is broken.
Instead of twenty trolls, what stands before them is three very angry redcaps.
Rook exclaims:
"Thank you, Forgemaster!!!"
The Shadow Marshal shouts:
"Well, you know what to do. Drop them."
They quickly dispatch the redcaps.
The party moves deeper into the ruins, passing several houses, street signs, and, in some places, random pieces of furniture sprawled about.
At the back of the settlement sits what appears to be a keep, more like a frontier fort of sorts. Stone walls, a large gateway, and banners are spread throughout the area.