Tales from Tabletop

Session 3.4: Lendrig's Hollow

Chapter IV: Welcome to Syndramire

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Jezran was not a natural born sprinter, making it easy for the party to keep up. It was a straightforward route, but it did take them several minutes of nonstop sprinting before they finally came to a stop in front of a nondescript wall.

Before anyone had a chance to question why they stopped, Jezran said, "The gates are closed by this hour, so we're taking a short cut."

He pulled out a small focusing crystal as he quietly whispered a spell and made sigils in the air with his free hand. After a moment, the crystal began to glow, and a passage seemed to grow through the wall in front of them.

"Hurry, no time to waste! I don't want to keep this open longer than I have to!" Jezran said as he ran through the hole to the other side.

The tunnel was not very large, so they had to enter in single file, with Hamish being forced to duck and squeeze through. A moment later, they were all on the other side. Jezran quietly whispered and tapped the wall, making the hole disappear.

The mists were thicker out past the walls, and it was getting harder to see past the nearest building.

"Come!" Jezran yelled after them as he continued sprinting, "We are now quite close!"

Mists danced about them as they ran. More than once, Selene swore she saw movement in the corner of her vision, lurking in the mists. Finally, they reached a dilapidated tower in the middle of an open area. Arcane symbols were carved into the ground around it, glowing vibrantly against the ever expanding mists.

As the party passed the symbols, a calm passed over them. Selene let out a breath of relief. She knew little of magic, but it was clear this place was safe. Jezran stopped in front of the door, breathing heavily.

"Good...good work everyone," He wheezed, "Let's get inside. I believe you'll be staying with me for the night."

They all entered without a word. The entire base of the tower was one large room that had been renovated as the wizard's study.

On one side was a mess of books, scrolls, and other things one might expect to find in a wizard's tower. Selene was enamoured with them all, but she knew to be cautious. She heard enough tales about wizards to know you don't touch anything they own. Whether you got turned into a newt, burned alive or teleported to another dimension, it was never worth stealing wizard trinkets unless you knew exactly what you were getting into.

On the other side was what appeared to be Jezran's living area, which included a small kitchen area and a massive dining table with several chairs piled high with books and dirty dishes.

"I'm sorry," Jezran said sheepishly, "I wasn't expecting any guests today, or else I would have tidied up."

He quickly ran over to make room for everyone to sit, then offered them all a seat at the table. Once everyone was seated, he asked, "Anyone hungry, or thirsty? I don't have guests often, but I can provide anything you need."

Collectively, they all realized they had not eaten since this morning. They all agreed.

"Very well, I hope you like stew." He rose from his seat and turned to the cooking area in the corner. With a wave of his hands, all the tools in the cooking area sprung to life and began preparing food for the cauldron. After everything seemed to be in order, he returned his attention to his guests, "Alright, now that we are safe, sound, and food is being prepared, can I ask who you are and what you want from me?"