A Soldier's Send Off

A Soldier's Send Off (1x06) is the sixth episode of the first chapter of the first campaign for Shikar.

The party, having spent the night at Bryndalin Grimwillow's home, set out to keep their promise to Tracy and bury his toy soldier, Sir Reginald. Why does that dwarf look so familiar? What is the deal with Leander? Are there monsters in the well? Scorpio! What did you do!?

I Miss the Sun
In this episode we open  on a sleepy house in the middle of Meadowford, a subsection of Solace Point. Fire burns in the hearth and Ajax tosses and turns with troubling dreams. He wakes up to see the early morning sunlight streaming through the window, revealing the ethereal form of Belinda sitting beside his sword scabbard.

This is the first time he has seen her in years, only having seen her eyes and brows in the glint of the sword. She supposes that she can do more things the closer she gets to where she is buried. She asks him why he came here. Ajax explains that he came to drop off Nim, but he also wanted to visit her while he was here. He tells her that he ran into Bindy, but Belinda already knows.

She asks Ajax about the crew and he informs her that Bindy and Mollesh were the only two left alive. He tells her that Mollesh has some sort of disease, but he hadn't run across the man yet to see for himself. She wants to know if Ajax is going to take up Bindy's offer for work. Ajax is not sure, wanting to do something else for a change. She admonishes him for wanting to get rid of her even though he calls on her when he gets in trouble. He tells her that he wants to get rid of that part of himself. She suggests that if he decides to give her away, to at least give her to Bindy. Sometimes chosen family is stronger than the family you are born with. She admits that she misses the warmth of the sun on her skin before fading away.

Black Mouse
Ajax rolls back over and eventually Valym, Nim, and Scorpio wake up to the smell of pancakes and raspberry compote. Scorpio excitedly wakes Ajax up to the news of breakfast. Nim's mother immediately puts Nim to work setting the table as she looks for the butter dish. They wonder what is taking Ajax so long, and Nim's mom tells them she heard him tossing and turning all night. Valym runs upstairs and Wild Shapes into a black mouse to squeeze under the fighter's door. He climbs up onto and end table to get Ajax's attention and starts cheeping at the man, before flipping him off, and running back out the door.

Valym rushes under his own door before Ajax can see him. He reemerges to a confused Ajax asking him if he had seen a black mouse. Scorpio asks Ajax if he hates mice because Valym wanted to know. Ajax suspiciously asks Scorpio where Valym went after asking about his fear of mice and Scorpio admits that Valym went upstairs, guessing to the half-elf's room. He remembers beings spun up in a tree by a spider the night before and accuses Valym of being the mouse.

Nim's mom packs the group some simple butter, cheese, and ham sandwiches packaged in a bundle. She gives Nim an old leather bag with worn straps that she explains is her old adventuring bag. It is embroidered with hummingbirds, her initials, and a patch displaying crossed swords under a laurel. She tells Nim that it was her lucky bag and hopes it helps him on his adventure. Nim goes to the closet and pulls out a glass bowl and hands it to Scorpio, telling him to fill it with water and carry it. He hands Ajax a shovel and trusts Valym to handle the flames during the ceremony before shoving candles into his new bag.

Bryndalin gives them each a hug before giving Valym a pair of handmade mittens. They are brown with acorns knitted into the backside. He hugs her again, telling her that this is the kindest thing someone has done for him in a long time. She instructs them to be safe and to search out the groundskeeper, Leonard. Nim doesn't think that sounds like the man's correct name. She bids Nim and the group goodbye as the child promises to write.

Not the Carnations!
Valym informs Nim that his mom is very nice, agreeing with the child that she is nicest person he has ever met. As they travel, Scorpio is plowed into by a tall half-elf. The monk drops the bowl he had balancing on the top of his head and pours all of the water onto the stranger. The stranger angrily attempts to collect his now soaked bundle of flowers. Nim recognizes the man as Victor, Violet, or V, the man that purchased his mom's flower shop. A cart passes by and runs over some of the man's carnations. Victor angrily turns on Scorpio and almost attacks the monk in frustration. Nim persuades the man to stand down while Valym Druidcraft the flowers to like-new.

Scorpio, as a way of apologizing, asks the man to buy some of his flowers. He wants to learn the language that the flowers speak and wants the man to create something that speaks to the monk. V casts Speak With Plants and begins to craft a chaotically gorgeous bouquet of color. He gives it to Scorpio and rushes off to open his store. Nim reminds Scorpio not to break the bowl because they don't have the money to buy another.

They head for the Warrens as the sun rises in the sky. The city is full of shrines, mourners, citizens, and clergy. They gets a feel for the city as they traverse it, realizing how much work goes into proper grieving, last rights, and respects. They descend further, leaving the noise of Meadowford behind, and make their way past the quarry. As they descend, they notice that a lot of the remaining stonework has been marred by old battle. They can hear loud talking and shouts coming from a large crowd near the quarry. To the west they see a fog settling over the remnants of an old, destroyed town that they recognize as the Warrens.

Wall of Protest
Nim searches for the groundkeeper his mother had mentioned and catches a whiff of spicy pork buns. He can hear the familiar voice of the dwarven pork bun merchant, Ralph. The dwarf is leading the throng of stone masons in their chants of protest which is blocking the gated entrance to the Warrens. Nim, thinking quickly, pulls a black parasol from his bag and assumes the behavior of a mourner to attempt to get through. He explains that he is there for a service and needs to get through. The stone masons resist the effort, asking where the group's solidarity is. Ajax tells them if they don't move he is going to have to whoop all of them. A woman immediately backhands the fighter and Valym steps between the two while barking in the woman's face. They push through the crowd and a half-orc woman calls Ajax a scab as she spits at his feet. Valym asks him if the comment was culturally inappropriate, but Ajax tells him it is just ignorance.

Nim knows a great place to lay the toy soldier to rest and looks out over the area, knowing that a great siege happened to the city in the past that destroyed part of the old town. The carnage resulted in the town shifting its focus to funereal services, relying on their surrounding communities for protection. It also meant that a lot of people that died in the battle were not laid to rest and a lot of the gravestones are unmarked. He tells the tale of the city as he leads the group through the remains of the town.

Graverobbers?
They see a light bobbing towards them in the mist while they are making their way through the old market. They can hear a creaking as they pick up their pace until Nim calls back at whatever is following them. They meet a gaunt figure carrying a lantern that asks them if they are graverobbers. They assure the man they are not here to rob any graves and he introduces himself as Leander. He tells the group that they have to be careful out here because of all of the unsavory people out in these parts. He tells the group that an archway collapsed and they are going to have to take the long way around to get to their destination. Nim asks him to lead them so that they won't get lost in the labyrinth of gravestones and crypts. Valym asks if the man is an unsavory person and Leander denies it, saying that he won't leave this place to be desecrated. He tells them that he vanquishes the undead that rise in the area and they can see the silver tipped short sword hanging from his belt.

Ajax asks if the fountain works and Leander says that the fountain is dry, but it is the wells that they have to beware of. Nim is uncomfortable, wanting to leave the strange man behind. Valym convinces the child that it would be a good idea to bring the man along, especially if he knows where they are going. The group has to work to keep up with Leander as he quickly picks his way through the graveyard.

Valym asks the man if he is alive and Leander responds that he is alive for now. Curious, the druid asks if the man has ever died, but the odd man dances around the question. He leads them for a half an hour, to a gated area that used to be a beautiful graveyard. The ground smells like iron and the air is full of a feeling of despair. Leander shows them the collapsed archway and begins to lead them the long way around. Ajax asks Leander if he has had any experience with trapped spirits.

The man stops in his tracks and spins on the fighter telling the man that it is a fate worse than death. Pushing the topic, Ajax asks if the man there is a way to free a spirit bound to an object. Leander tells him that the simplest way is to destroy the item, but it may be possible to ask the spirit directly what to do. He asks if the group can hear the dead speak as Nim is passing out the sandwiches his mom made. They can hear a voice on the wind telling them to walk not to their doom followed by silence. Ajax asks if the dead ever lie and Leander assures him that the dead have no reason to lie, and if they do you should play along for their amusement.

Vanilla and Tobacco
After a short break for lunch, Leander smokes a pipe and answers a few of the group's questions. He passes his pipe to Ajax, who inhales herb that tastes like vanilla and smells of tobacco. The fighter feels relaxed and stimulated with the exhale of smoke. Ajax asks the strange man when he last visited the city proper. Leander reveals that he hasn't been up there since his dog, Sierra, died. They had found a group of graverobber while patrolling the graveyard and she had died in the fight. He is with her in the mists so he doesn't want to leave her.

The haunted man walks off to pick thyme and basil while humming to himself before Nim reminds him that he is supposed to be leading them to bury the toy. Scorpio guesses that there might be water nearby since they are standing in an overgrown garden in the courtyard of a destroyed building. Valym leans over to Ajax and informs him that he has been able to make water this whole time but didn't know when it would be appropriate to bring it up.

Nim takes Leander's hand as they travel to a copse of trees by the walls. He informs that this is where the journey gets tricky. He tells the group to make sure they don't get lost. The group joins into a chain of clasped hands before the gravedigger leads them into the woods. They travel for a while until Leander admits that he has become a little turned around. Nim suggests they retrace their steps, but Leander says that will just lead to where they were, not where they want to be.

Valym suggests they just bury the toy here, but Nim promised Tracy to bury the toy somewhere nice. Nim pulls a flute from his bag and uses a Bardic Inspiration on Leander to help jog his memory of the correct path through the woods. Leander leads them along until he recognizes a nearby wall and races off towards the fountain. He rushes into the crumbled ruins of a cathedral, telling the party to keep up. They crawl through a small crevice and duck under beams. Unfortunately Valym and Ajax are not nimble enough and the beam comes down to pin Valym's foot in place.

Oh...Well!
Nim, Scorpio, and Leander stand in a misty moonlit graveyard. Leander whispers that the cloud rests in the lap of the mountain and begins to twirl around. He tells them that this is a good place to lay something to rest because this is where the dreams are sweet. He points out a well for the water and past it the dry fountain. Scorpio tells Nim to wait there and goes to the well to fetch some water. He can see a bucket bobbing in the inky black water below and notices that the rope seems to have snapped with age. He starts to shimmy down the well and Leander calls out, "No!". Something grabs Scorpio by the ankle and yanks him into the water below.

Leander rushes off towards the fountain saying that wet is bad and dry is good, while panicking that Scorpio has gone down the well. Scorpio watches the surface of the water rapidly disappear into the distance above. He focuses on slowing down his systems so that he doesn't panic and lose air. He attempts to brace his free limbs against the wall and manages to slow his descent. Nim runs towards the well in time to see Scorpio's face disappear from the surface of the well and cries out for Ajax and Valym.

The two manage to free Valym's foot and try to carefully set the beam so that the place doesn't collapse. They manage to buy themselves a few seconds and run for the doorway. Valym burst through the door with a burst of dust, but glancing back he realizes that Ajax wasn't as quick and is being caught by the falling rubble. Thinking quickly, he calls out to summon Lorelai while throwing the staff towards Ajax. She expands and gives the half-orc enough room to squeeze out before the rest of the ruin collapses on her. Valym digs the cracked staff from the rubble and tells her that she has earned her rest. Nim calls out to the two men, telling them that Scorpio fell into the well. They can see Leander roaming in the mist and calling out that dry is good and wet is bad. Nim, in the midst of a panic attack, tells them that something dragged Scorpio under the water. Valym ties himself off with rope from his bag and hands the other end to Ajax before diving into the well.

Scorpio feels the sides of the well break away and finds himself in a vast void of icy water. Terror creeps into his mind and he lets out a panicked cry, releasing what remained of his air. A giant glowing eye emerges from the depths, dancing with green flames. It asks Scorpio if he wishes to live and if he will accept its boon. Scorpio nods his agreement, wanting nothing more than to live. He feels a rush of warmth as green flames engulf him, becoming light in the water. The being tells Scorpio that he is older than the world and that their agreement is in good standing. The covenant is made and it will call upon Scorpio when it wishes and he will answer on threat of the creature wreaking havoc on the half elf and all he holds dear. The monk begins to rise like a bubble and can see Valym's terrified face looking down at him.

Lightning Strikes Twice
Valym watches Scorpio appear from below, wreathed in fire. The monk scoops the druid up and carries him from the well as the flames burn against the druid's skin. They burst from the top of the well and Scorpio spits up a bunch of water into the bowl he was carrying. Valym asks Scorpio what in the hells happened and how he was on fire underwater. Scorpio is not entirely sure, telling the group that he may have granted something access to his body. Outside of that, he saw an eye and then he was on fire and not much more than that. Ajax wants to know what deal was struck and Scorpio informs him that he was offered his life in exchange for it granting him its boon.

Nim, ignoring the well, clasps Valym's hand an casts Cure Wounds to ease the pain of the burns Scorpio left on him. They can hear Leander call out that he has to do battle with the evil again before hearing sounds of battle from the far side of the fountain. Nim rounds the side of the fountain to see a light near a tombstone and can hear Leander fighting something he can't see. Nim approaches the light as it grows large and wavers, shooting lightning at the child. The lightning dances across the boy's body and he cries out, alerting the others to the danger.

Ajax freezes, watching Nim get struck by lightning. He runs to check on Nim, and attempts to drag the boy away. The lightning strikes across the half-orc's back as he shields Nim and moves the boy behind the nearby mausoleum. Valym recognizes this light as a Wil-O-Wisp and draws upon his natural energies to cast Burning Hands before diving behind a gravestone. Nim peaks around the mausoleum and casts Dissonant Whispers while singing:

Death waits all around, it's just waiting to be found

The creature wavers from the slight blow of psychic energy while Ajax receives a Bardic Inspiration. Scorpio watches Leander whirling his shovel and sword as he fights a second Wil-O-Wisp. The creature shoots lightning through the man's shovel causing him to cry out in pain. The strange man whirls, sending his sword through the unnatural force. Scorpio rushes for the Wisp that hurt his friends, leaping from a gravestone to bring his forehead down on it. The creature flickers and passes through Scorpio as it runs away. It passes Valym, who brings his sword down through the Wisp. The creature flickers into Leander and bursts from the man's chest. Leander doubles over with a bloody cry. Ajax pulls the crossbow from his back and shoots at the creature Leander was fighting, but the bolt misses. He uses a Second Wind to regain some health points before using his Action Surge to shoot again, but the Wisp bobs out of the way of the bolt.

Valym looks above the Wil-O-Wisps and calls for Pilar. The fire spirit bursts forth in blue flame. The druid instructs Pilar to attack the Wisp that Ajax shot at and Pilar immolates it into vapor. Nim casts Memento Mori on the remaining Wisp, applying disadvantage on its next attack role with a psychic onslaught. Unfortunately it is not enough to stop the creature from blasting Leander into an unconscious heap. Scorpio leaps from another tombstone, but misses the bobbing light. Ajax pulls his battle axe as he regains his feet. He leaps up and brings the axe down, but can't seem to land a blow on the unnatural force. Valym dips in beside Leander and casts Cure Wounds, bringing the man back from the brink of death. He brings Pular down, using its Fiery Teleportation ability to teleport the group fifteen feet away from the creature.

Nim plays Memento Mori on his pipes but the Wisp doesn't seem to be bothered by the attack. He turns to Scorpio and grants the monk some Bardic Inspiration. The Wisp flickers towards them and lets loose a bolt of lightning at the child, causing the Tiefling to fall unconscious. Leander lashes out with his silvered short sword to cut the Wisp in two. It dissolves into vapor, but Leander has already fallen on Nim, crying out for Valym to treat the boy lest he join the wisps. The druid works his craft quickly to mend the boy and a few moments pass before Nim sits up calling for Marigold. Leander grabs ahold of Ajax and dances with him amongst the tombstones in celebration.

Sir Reginald, the Toy Soldier
Valym calls Pilar again and introduces him to Nim. He explains that Pular is a spirit that lives inside of his body. Valym asks Pular if he knows anything about what happened to Scorpio in the well, but Pular doesn't know because the Sun God doesn't live in wells. Nim plays a tune for the dancing duo of Leander and Ajax. Scorpio rushes in to save the distressed half orc and asks Leander to cut in before whisking the fighter away to safety. Leander approaches Nim and tells him that it is time for a funeral.

Scorpio retrieves the glass dish of water by the well and can hear the voice call to him from the well, "Until we meet again." The monk retreats, setting the bowl in front of the group. Nim has Ajax dig a small hole for Sir Reginald, Scorpio hold the bowl, and fishes out a black candle from his bag that he has Valym light. Nim, after a moment of ritual, dips the candle in the water, but it doesn't go out. He tells the story of Sir Reginald, the Toy Soldier:

We gather here for a tale to be told, of friend and soldier, Sir Reginald.

He struck down his foes in the battles he fought, but weighed down by woes, twas a friend he sought.

At last came a boy with a golden heart who saw not a toy, but a friend from the start.

On a fateful day, one final price to pay, not a word was spoken when toy soldier was broken.

But Reginald knew that the stories were true, two would become one and he would live on.

Leander produces a censure of thick incense and walks around, chanting in tongues to sanctify the area. Nim tells the group that he is going to write to Tracy to tell him that Sir Reginald has been laid to rest, and thanks the group for indulging him. Leander, seeing that it is late in the evening, invites the group to stay at his home. Valym asks to see Leander's pipe and begins to smoke on it, listening to Leander talk to Death as if she were handsy lover. Leander tells them that the journey to his home will take a while and uses some moss to make a fire and sets up a perimeter of incense for them to take a short rest. Nim pulls a lyre and plays a Song of Rest to assist the group's recuperation.

Valym asks Leander if there are any werewolves in the western woods, specifically one named Song. He produces the eagle totem she had given him and Leander licks it, telling the druid that it tastes like a funeral pyre. It tastes like ash and ruin, giving Valym more questions than answers.

This is where our tale winds down, until next episode.

Player Characters

 * Scorpio - Played by Xander Jeanneret
 * Valym - Played by Gabe Hicks
 * Nim Grimwillow - Played by Josephine McAdam
 * Ajax - Played by Lord Balvin

Non-Player Characters

 * Belinda - Bound Spirit of Ajax's Sword
 * Bryndalin Grimwillow - Nim's mother
 * Violet - Florist who bought Bryndalin's flower shop
 * Ralph - Dwarven Pork Bun Merchant
 * Leander Lockhart - Creepy Gravedigger

Locations

 * Moonblush Valley
 * Solace Point
 * Nim's House
 * The Warrens
 * Ruined Cathedral
 * The Well
 * The Fountain

Quotes
"The sunlight misses you too." - Ajax

"Flowers are the life blood of this city." - Violet

"We're all grave dust." -Leander

"The covenant is made." -Creepy Well Beast

"What are we if not toy's in the hands of the Gods." -Leander

"Death, you saucy mistress!" -Leander

Trivia
Nim's mom is scared of iguanas.