The fuse was burning.

In a mad dash, the survivors (including Barakus and Bessa) rushed from the scene – the 2 frenzied civilians still unconcious and tied to Windy. Our heroes lead the way through the dank and the dark.

A massive blast erupted behind them, nearly knocking them off their feet. With the urgency gone, the team regrouped. Bean cast healing spirit to heal wounds, and they woke the 2 unconscious civilians up, relieved to find them cured of the frenzy.

Suspicion abounded, but eventually the team untied the bound civilians and got everyone’s name. There was:

Quince – A mouse

Lupin – A wolfman

Squibbles – a raven who very quickly let the team know he was a baker who used to feed Bean spare loaves

Felicia Finefur – an elegant fox with a sordid history with Echo’s sister

Finding a way out

The way behind them had collapsed. The team needed to find a new way out. Bean cast light on a pebble, then Jay used catapult on the pebble to fling it down the corridor ahead. There were no threats ahead that could be seen.

Jay handed out torches, and the group headed forward. They reached an intersection. Jay used his powers and sensed the way out was to the left.

They headed left, after an indeterminant amount of time, they heard someone speak in undercommon from behind a cellar door, “It’s blocked, go the other way.”

In undercommon, Odds offered thanks for the advice and asked for the way out. There was something off about his accent, (or the polite attitude), and the speaker peeked out. It turned out to be a raccoon.

The raccoon slowly emerged. The explained that she had been helping people escape, but that her the route she’d used many times before was blocked. She pointed out a culvert that was clogged with mud and rubble.

The racoon’s name was Eleris Seedwhisper, a ranger, a loner and a determined scout.

A short way past the racoon a massive sewer grate was mostly collapsed under stone and mud. The discussion about how to get out grew intense. accusations started to pour and it was discovered that someone had been stealing from them. Voices started to raise.

Bessa, ignoring the argument, waded down into the sewer water and started trying to clear the path. She picked up an odd metal cage-style lantern, looked into it, and promptly went slack-jawed.

The team noticed what happened. Jay sent his owl familiar to fetch it. They discovered it was a magical, hypnotic lantern. Jay stashed the lantern in his flask.

Odds joined the task to clear the way, using mold earth to pull away mud and muck.

Echo realized that they would have to fully submerge to escape out of the sewer. She was concerned about their heirloom lute. They asked Jay to store it safely in his flask but learned that Jay could only enter once a day.

Tensions, and voices, raised even higher.

Just then Faith the rat dropped down through a sever hole. She told the team that the rats were swarming above, responding to the explosion. She’d brought potions to help… unfortunately the potion labels were all soaked. Bean took the potions and used his skills to identify what the potions were.

There was a skittering in the distance – a rat patrol had been drawn to the sound of yelling.

Jay turned invisible and floated up. Everyone else crowded into a hidden basement, where Eleris had been hiding other civilians.

Eventually the rats left, end everyone exited. They met the people from the cellar:

• Strawberry Shortcut – a deer
• Bunver Sol – a black rabbit
• Skyheart – a dove
• Howly Skyscreech – a screech owl
• and another deer.

Bersa and Odds returned to clearing the grate – Jay helping with mold earth. They finally cleared the way.

Bean gently took Echo’s heirloom lute and shifted into an alligator, protecting the lute with his own body.

Everyone escaped out of the sewers – war-torn fields stretching out in front of them. Barakus, Echo, and Bean all used magic to cause distractions as everyone fled – healthy individuals helping out the weak ones.

Rats started pouring out of the city to follow them. They chased across the plains towards the Great Pyre and were in sight of the camp when Rezza the bear reared up from the clay shelter – terrifying the pursuing rats and sending them scurrying back.

Rest and Recruitment

Back at camp, the team and the survivors split up. Echo left to take a bath and bumped into Pepper the Cat. Pepper invited Echo for a rendezvous after Echo was done cleaning up.

Odds invited Rezza to chat, Bean joined them. The three went to find a quiet place to wash up – Jay running interference against looky-lues. Odds, Rezza, and Bean found a lonely section of creek, and they washed the grim away.

Rezza flinched when Odds addressed her by her name. She said to call her “Monster” or “Beat”, because that is what she was. She said her life now belonged to Odds. Odds suggested calling her Maggy – after a sister he had been told he once had. It would suit the bear well. He talked about he felt kinship with her, he too had been broken. He told here that there were ways forward, that it would be difficult, but that she could make herself anew. He would keep her life safe until she was ready to get it back.

Bean took over, talking about how his life had shattered. He talked about finding new family and about forging a new way forward. He seconded that it was difficult, but that he could still find treasures.

Jay took a dirt bath, then rebuilt the mud house and used mold earth to make moving mud pictures to entertain children.

After the talk with Rezza now “Maggy”, Odds tracked down Barakus to get payment for the big battle. Barakus agreed to send the money to the mud hut. Then he slipped Odds 5 amber coins, each one worth a favor from the church of the flame or the whole lot could call in a pretty massive favor.

Connections

Echo finished a very thorough bath, then went off to find a quiet place away from everyone. Echo held her lute, contemplating the history in the grains of the wood, the history with her parents. Her mind slipped out and she cast sending to her mom Starla. Their minds connected! She was Alive! Longingly but carefully they spilled out the news that they and Lyric were alive, that they loved them, and then asked where Starla was.

This message was in return

“My dear, a pleasure to finally hear from you. Dad and I are stuck under the castle in Rivervale. Can’t leave now, hope to see you one…”

Echo cried, quietly playing the lute.

Pepper tracked Echo down and sat nearby, quietly sketching the landscape as Echo played. Eventually, Echo casually mentioned they were heading to Nottinghill and could be found wherever music was playing.

Afterwards, Echo tracked down Eleris the raccoon and asked for her help down the line, giving a 20 gold retainer for a future raid of the palace dungeons or at the very least a well scouted option to pursue that end. They wrapped up the evening by sending to Lyric to update her on the state of things and by convincing Quince and Lupin to join them on the way to Nottinghill.

They found Odds, then they sent a message to petalfoot to let the mouse know that Odds had survived. Petal didn’t quite know how sending worked, and her reply was:

“Odds just sent a magical message! Hey everyone! Hey guys! A voice in my head said…”

Echo mentioned to Odds that they might be able to send a message to Petalfoot’s parents and then admitted that they’d invited Bonnie back to the bastion.

Meanwhile, Jay tracked down one of the half-starved deer from the cellar and found out he was Carrot Reed. Jay bonded with Carrot and offered him a ride back to Nottinghill. Carrot agreed. Jay wasn’t done. He tracked down Odds and shared his worries about strangers getting invited back to the bastion. He pointed out that things were going missing, and they might have invited a thief back home with them.

Bean, now clean, headed off to help heal the injured. He took special care (not sarcastically) of an injured member of the fleet feet – Twig Bitterleaf. He then took his amber coin and used it to learn a new fire ability, from Cyndra herself.

Cyndra happened to ask Bean “If you had the power to remake the world, or change it, how would you use that power?” Bean calmly responded that he’d simply use it to help people.

On Bean’s way back to camp, he was ambushed by Cherla, who warned Bean that Nottinghil was under new manageement who was looking for a certain flaming racoon. Bean stayed calm through the encounter.

Heading home

In the morning, Quince, Lupin, Carrot and Bonnie gathered to meet the team. Odds started introductions all around. Quince talked of wanting to be a blacksmith. Bonny mentioned being an herbalist and Bean got very excited about having another herb expert around.

During lunch, Bonnie showed her grandmother’s herb book to Bean. It was a very old book written in a strange ancient language, thankfully Bean could read Primordial.

That night, then found an abandoned farm to camp in. Bean and Jay set up a trap for the thief, making a show of Bean’s magic pearl in front of the strangers. As camp was set up, Jay them found an unexpected basement. He found pickles, wine, and empty casks.

Bean and Odds found a moment to have a heart to heart. Bean talked about Cherla’s ambush, and told Odds he was trying for a peaceful transition of power over the Fleet Feet. Odd smiled and told Bean he was proud of him.

They then talked about the attack in the laboratory that nearly lead to disaster. Odds admitted to poor communication on his part – he could have shouted out what he was doing. Bean admitted to being hot headed and losing control when he sees his people get hurt.

Odds told Bean he would support him if he wanted to learn melee combat. But followed up by saying that he needs to know where Bean will stand in battle so that they can prepare. Bean thought about it and mentioned that he may start joining Odds and Petalfoot in warmups.

Later that night, Odds spotted a warry barn-cat (non-person) and failed to convince it to join them.

In the morning, Bean attempted to start group therapy with the survivors – it didn’t go well. He spotted Odds trying to lure in the cat, went to help, and easily swayed the little critter to join them.

Meanwhile, Jay started off the morning by giving booze to Maggy the bear and Lupine.

Echo and quince spent time bonding and being productive until the group was finally ready to move on.

Mid Day, they group met some beavers who were repairing a bridge. The beavers turned out to be relatives of Runny Springs the lumbermill owner in Nottinghill. They told them to avoid town as the new guy was ejecting people. The Sheriff was out of town chasing a bandit named Ravina and the guy left in charge was a big, tough snake guy.

Carrot grew concerned for his brother. Echo did a sending for him to let the brothers know Carrot was alive and to find out what was going on. Turnip replied “Haven’t had a magical chat in a while, I’m fine at our brother’s farm, send Carrot here please.”

After lunch, they continued on, reaching large craters that made the road impassable for the carriage. Jay smoothed the surface and Maggy cleared trees.

They settled down in the woods near Nottinghill for the night. They encountered a troop of otters who sought to share a campfire for the night. Echo started playing music, and Bean went off for a little herbal relaxation.

Jay used sense magic and discover that the pearl was no longer on Bean. It was in the center of the survivors – Bonnie, Quince and Lupine. Odds went over and called Quince aside, then Bonnie aside. Soon, only lupine was left, and Jay could confirm it was he who had the pearl.

Odds diplomatically mentioned the missing pearl to Lupine, who returned the pearl and told a blatant lie about finding it on the road. Odds told Lupine to go a different direction, and asked Echho (who was unaware of what was happening) to sing the song about the dog who bit the hand of its rescuer.

Lupine go the message and left very quickly.

Echo, meanwhile made fast friends with the otters and was treated to candied salmon.

In the morning, they cut across country back to the bastion, except for Jay who took Carrot towards the Reed Ranch. Soon the home was in sight. Everyone came out to greet them, except, it seemed for a certain young mouse maiden. Odds craned his neck, looking for Petalfoot.

Echo, excited, pulled out her lute and magic and started a performance, much to the hoglets delight.

Jillian approached Odds and told him that the mice were in the library. Odds thanked Jillian, and entrusted her with staying with Maggy for a bit. Then he headed off to greet his ward.

He found Petalfoot, dressed entirely in black and Fivian reading books. Odds asked Fivian for a moment alone with Petalfoot. The young mouse man nodded and left.

Odds sat himself down in front of Petalfoot. He looked her in the eye and opened up. He started by saying that he had brought a snowdrop and a cat in an attempt to bribe her, but that was manipulative and she deserved better.

He said it was okay to be angry at him and that she had every right, he had broken a promise about staying with her. That said, he still loved her and was so happy to see her, and he was glad that he didn’t expose her to the Hell he had walked into. By this point, both Odds and Petalfoot were teary.

He told Petalfoot an unvarnished version of the battles, of the tortured experiments and the uncounted dead. He then asked for a hug, and Petalfoot leaned forward and started crying in his arms.

Then he told Petalfoot that Echo had learned to ‘send’. They might be able to contact Petalfoot’s family.

He also told her that he might need help. Someone seemed to be flirting with him and he didn’t know what to do. The flirter was one of the newcomers.

Petalfoot decided that she was ready to go meet the new people.

“By the way, I’m dating Fivian,” she said right before she slipped out the door.

Reed Reunion

Jay and Carrot arrived at the Reed farm. Carrot was promptly swarmed by excited family and friends and was swept inside.

Raddish came back out a moment later and thanked Jay profusely. He tried to repay Jay, but Jay said they’d cash in a favor some time. Raddish agreed and told Jay to keep Windy a while longer.

Jay learned that Jasper the cat guard didn’t end up staying at the farm, but was given some provisions and sent on his way.

Job done, Jay turned around and headed home.

Bedtime

In the evening, Odds gave Bonnie his unused box bed. Pete’s unused bed went to Quince, and Ravina’s to Echo.

Odds, with a lot on his mind, went to the top of the hill to check on the hive. He fell asleep in in a hammock under the stars.