Brief Recap: Last turn, the party gathered in Bibi's forest. It was eventually revealed that Humphrey's crown has influenced the party, and Humphrey says it must be destroyed. The party agreed to travel together to the Druids in Dunore, to remove the crown's effects from everyone's minds. Humphrey is also concerned with the safety of the Obsidian Stone.

Journey to Dunore

Bibi and the acolytes are already up and around when the rest of the party awakens and comes out of their tents for breakfast. Strong tea is brewing, and some kind of plant mush is cooking over the fire. Several plant cakes have already been made, pancake sized slabs with a crispy brown exterior. Even Bronk, the quintessential carnivore, sniffs one and gulps it down, smacking, "Not bad." Syrup from a maple tree is also warming over another small fire.

The company eats its last relatively comfortable meal before heading out. Bibi speaks with the acolytes one last time about both the temple and the orcs' resistance to her hunting ban, and they assure her that they will be fine. Neither of the acolytes speaks orcish, but many of the orcs speak the common tongue. Bibi would have to continue her attempts to persuade them not to hunt when she returns. She kisses the orcs on their cheeks in the fashion of her people and departs with the rest of the party. [Anne, two of the acolytes are women, one is a man, all low level druids. You can name/develop them.]

The journey to Dunore is quite far. It takes the party three days to reach the eastern boundary of Bibi's forest. And when they do, Bibi is surprised to feel the strange, slightly ominous feeling she has felt before.

Mog and Bibi look at each other, knowing what the other feels. It is the same sensation they felt when they explored the northeastern pine and cedar glades of the forest, not exactly evil, but foreboding, and an unwelcome feeling. But Bibi intentionally did not lead the party into that part of the forest, taking them straight through the southeastern parts by one of the many deer trails. She has never felt the presence this far south.

The feeling stays with the party as they move, but within a few miles they reach the edge of the forest, and the feeling fades.

One week later...

Another night spent sleeping in a bedroll, on the ground, thinks Humphrey. He is thankful to see Blade brewing coffee, smoking one of his strange tobaco sticks. Apparently Blade has traveled to some land where they roll their tobaco into papers instead of using a pipe, thinks Humphrey, though he doesn't know where that might be. Ghotu is a short distance away, one foot up on a stone, skinning some small mammal with a knife. Bronk sits on a rock near the fire, barely awake. Fyona and Bibi are in their tent by the sound of things. The sun is red in the east, and the sky is still dark in the west.

Humphrey groans as he rises and stretches his aching back. He sits next to Bronk on a dufflebag, from which he extracts a tin mug.

"You always get up just in time for coffee I've noticed," observes Blade. Even though he is fully aware that the crown is influencing his mind, he cannot help but feel irritation at Humphrey's every action. Since Humphrey joined the party, Blade has even begun dreaming about the old man. Sometimes he dreams he is Humphrey's servant, other times Humphrey is ordering Blade to kill scores of people, hundreds of people, one after another until his sword is bloody to the hilt.

Ghotu places the now skinned and quartered mammal over the fire on a spit. Blade thinks of Humphrey's skinned, naked carcas on the spit. He pours steaming coffee into Humphrey's tin mug, the mage smiling briefly in thanks.

Fyona and Bibi break down their tent and join the party. Bronk is munching on rations, coming more awake at the smell of the cooking animal. [Anyone who wants to add some dialog, please do.]

With the entire party gathered, Ghotu says, "I think we need to get some things out in the open. My ill feelings toward Humphrey have been getting worse. Blade, Bronk, and the rest of you, are your own feelings toward him getting worse as well? If it's just getting worse for me as we travel, then I have a problem. If it is affecting us all in this way, we all have a problem. We are still many weeks journey from Dunore. Blade, you seem to be worst affected, is it getting worse for you?

Humphrey looks each of them in the eye, watching them as they answer. [Insert any answers]

"As long as Humphrey does not address me directly I seem to be able to control myself, though his very presence makes me uneasy and I often think of ways to kill him. " answers Blade

Ghotu continues, "Humphrey, what do you plan to do with the crown after we go to Dunore? You said you plan to destroy it, but do you know how this can be done? Have you tried smashing it yet?"

Humphrey replies "I have not tried smashing it. Smashing magical items of this power is not recommended. For example, if one were to smash my staff, it would kill everything within a mile radius. This item is much more powerful than my staff. We must know for sure how to destroy it. I must discuss the destruction of the crown with my comrade Nepal before a decision can be made how to proceed. I do, however, intend to destroy the item, for in the wrong hands, it could be used to rule the Wurld.... and such a rule would not be divine, I can assure you."

The party sets out eastward into the rising sun. It is a fine March morning, a good time for traveling. That is, until it starts to rain.

It begins as a sprinkle, but the weather soon turns chilly and windy. Dark clouds form on the southwestern horizon and quickly overtake the party, casting down a deluge of cold rain their heads. With no real cover, they trudge through it.

For three days the rain scarcely ceases. Every morning the clouds roll in from the southwest adding fresh impetus to the showers. Each member of the party is soaked to the bone. Only those items wrapped in oilcloth are dry. The mounts and pack animal are miserable and growing more cantankerous by the day. They are not alone.

The entire party is in a dour mood. Blade must continually refrain from launching insults at Humphrey, often opening his mouth to speak before he realizes it. His dreams have not stopped either. In them, Humphrey now commands the entire party to do his bidding, so that he himself can gain fame and riches by their work. Once Blade even awakens and gropes for his sword, vowing to stop Humphrey's plans, before he realizes it is only a dream and falls back into a fitful sleep.

The others are also beginning to feel the crown's influence more and more. They seem to interpret everything Humphrey says negatively, or in the worst possible light. Though they make a conscious effort, they cannot help but be irritated by the mage's mere presence. Even so, they are able to remain non-hostile toward Humphrey.

On the fourth day since the rain started, the clouds break in the west. Blue skies are visible. The party continues eastward across the plains, topping a gentle rise. Far to the northeast they see a train of humanoids marching, some appear to be riding, though the distance is too great to tell. It is unlikely the party has been seen. The marchers head in a direction that will bring them close to the party, perhaps intersecting their path by the end of the day.

"I'll go see who they are." Bibi them takes falcon form and flies ahead to get a better look. She first circles high above to see if there are any magic users or anyone who may detect her.

Bibi does not note anyone who looks like a magic user. From this height, the marchers look like orcs. There are riders with them, most of them on wolves, but some of them on horseback, which is strange for orcs.

She then swoops down overhead (25') of the party for a closer look. As she passes teh length of the line, she notices that about half of them are chained together. They appear to be slaves or prisoners, all of them human males and females. Some of them wear forest garb similar to that of her people. She doesn't recognize anyone on her initial pass.

The rest of the marchers are orcs. There seem to be about 100 on foot, with about 20 warg riders. Ten more orcs ride horses, though Bibi suspects these may in fact be half orcs. They are larger and stand straighter than the rest. Bibi flies from the front of the column to the rear at about 25 feet.

Bibi returns to the group and tells them what she has seen.

Blade is irritated by this. It wasn't his fight and becoming involved would definitely delay them on their already too long journey. "I say we hide and let them pass by us. Once they are gone we can continue on our way."

Humphrey says, "If they are indeed your tribesmen, I think it is your call Bibi."

"I'm not sure who they are." Bibi replies.

Mog says, "Is there no way to help those enslaved? Mog will follow what the others decide, as they remain under the curse of the crown and our quest is for their healing."

Bronk says, "If those wargs catch our scent, they'll come after us." He makes sure the Rod of Lordly Might is secure in its loop, and readies his horse. "I'll keep going east so they'll cross my scent and come after me. I suggest the rest of you should backtrack west a bit and then head north, so they don't catch your scent. Make for the High Stone Alter, I'll meet you there as soon as I can."

Bronk wheels his horse out of formation and begins to take off eastward. He stops, turns, and says, "Humphrey, care to join me?"

"Indeed I do, Rasheman." Humphrey wheels his animal around, eager to engage something, if for no other reason than to break the monotony of travel. Yet, these creatures, or the Rasheman cannot slow his achievement of his goal, he thinks to himself. He raises his staff high and gallops after the warrior.

Blade views the wizard suspicioulsy as he gallops off. " I thought I was supposed to be teh reckless one, " he mutters, "Perhaps we will get lucky and Humphrey will get himself killed. Then we won't even have to go to Dunore. " Blade wonders if it is the magic influincing his thoughts making him say such things, but it seems perfectly reaonable to him.

"This is ridiculous. Those people need our help and the last thing we need is the two of them" Bibi points to Humphrey and Bronk "going off without us." She rides after them.

Humphrey stops. He turns his horse to Bibi and says "The whole point of what we are doing is leading them away from the group. If we all go then that is no longer a valid course of action. If you wish to engage them, my dear Chosen, please tell us so we can formulate a new plan."

"I believe that I just made my intentions clear. We should stay together."

Humphrey replies "Well good. Next time I will be sure to do as I believe your intentions dictate, rather than actually waiting for you to state what course you wish us to follow, oh fearless leader." Humphrey bows mockingly from his horse to Bibi. He shoots a deathlike gaze across all members of the party and turns his horse, taking it to a trot. He turns back to look at the others and says "Are you coming?" He is clearly growing tired of the animosity that surrounds him.

Bibi is irritated by Humphrey's response but she realizes that she may have provoked him and that she must not cause anymore friction among the group. Bibi addresses Humphrey "I'm sorry if my words angered you. No malice was intended."

[DM NOTE 70-23: I am assuming everyone decides to go with Bronk, continuing to ride east.]

Mog and the others ride after Humphrey, Bibi, and Bronk, to the east. Mog maneuvers his horse next to Humphrey's and says, "Mage, Mog be the only one who bears you no cursed hate from the crown. Does the crown cause Humphrey to feel hate as well? If not, Humphrey must endure his companions, for they are not themselves. They are subject to the power which Humphrey wields. Remember, you made them this way.

"Does the crown affect Humphrey as well? Or does it try and yet Humphrey resists? Mog asks this because the safety of the company could depend on it." Mog waits for an answer, keeping his horse near Humphrey's.

Humphrey replies, "Not that I can tell. Remember, I am still an old man who has been travelling for months atop a saddle, when I ought to be drinking broth and studying by the fire each night. But that is our fate isn't it." He smiles, trying to break the tension.

Posting Instructions: What do you do? If you continue in the same direction as now, you may encounter the marchers. Otherwise you will have to hide until they pass or head another direction, prolonging the journey.

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