# 91 Home, Smashed Home

Marius-Paladin
Kimi-Rogue
Arashi Iki-Druid
Alan-Fighter
Violet-Bard
Grevin-Dwarf Mage

The characters are resting in Arashies in home. Unlike Kimmi’s house which has had extensive work Arashi’s new place is little more than a couple of rooms cobbled together. The party are resting when there is a knock at the door, it’s Altman Bitter the commander of the local troops. He asks Kaden who his “second” will be in the duel. At first he picks Paladin Marius, but Bitter tells him that choosing a paladin for a second is against the law. Kadens second choice is Alan who agrees and then goes for a walk with Bitter to look for a suitable grave for his friend.

Waiting for Alan to get back the rest of the group decides to go the tavern for a drink. Severl soldiers approach Kaden and ask him if he is the person who will be dueling with Kenna Alexander, when he says “yes” they offer to buy him a drink if he will convey a message to one of their dead loved ones when his is killed in the duel.

Alan returns and tells Kaden tht he has found a good spot for the grave. Kaden and Marius discuss the position of where Kadens soul will go if he is killed. Marius explains that being a person with no god is dangerious on Avalyn. As a godless person Kaden will be shackled to the sword of Alwyn and forced to pull it for all eternity towards the “Heart of the World.”

Back at Arashi’s cabin the party beds down. In the middle of the night Grevin is approached by Kennis Kelly with a proposition. She tells him that she has an idea that they should work on a way to combine their powers. Taking his hand she pulls it away to reveal a small shining gem. The gem lasts but a moment but Grevin can tell that the jewel is some kind of “focus” and if he were to cast a spell through it the effects would be amplified. He watches as the gem shimmers and disappears.
He asks her what it is and she tells him that it is a “focus matrix.” In this case it is not permanent, but with work permanent ones can be constructed. Grevin is interested and asks why she hasn’t approached Mage Jahn about this. Kennis Kelly says that Jahn’s mins is “closed” to such things. Grevin says he will need to think about it.

The next morning comes very quickly and Kaden and the group head to the dueling place. Many soldiers have turned out to see the duel as have a good number of villagers. Mage Jahn is sprinkling some kind of powder on the dueling circle. Kimi is amongst the spectators and hears that the betting is highly against Kaden.

Kaden and Alan approach the circle while Bitter and Kenna Alexander do the same from the other side. Bitters tells them that both combatants will enter the ring and then touch their sword together, after which the fight will begin. They both setp out into the ring and touch swords together. Kaden falls to one knee and apologizes. Kenna Alexander helps him up and accepts, telling him that he needs protection and that he as kenna will accept Kaden into his service for a year. Having no choice Kaden accepts and both of them go over to the waiting feast that has been prepared.

Grevin is approached again by Kennis Kelly, they have a short conversation but it is interrupted as Kenna Alexander and Magister Jahn call the party to the final meeting.
In response to the meeting yesterday Jahn had talked to his masters at the Wharpick Guild. They have allowed the bounty to go up a bit and provided a couple of spells for closing the tunnel should they need to escape. Kenna Alexander sweetens the pot by saying that he knows that some of the party still suffer from the touch of the undead. IF the party will agree to the mages terms he will have a priestess come and heal all of them of the effects of the encounter several days ago. The party agrees and goes to celebrate at the loca bar.

They are turned away from the first one because of Violet and her penchant for singing the geased sone about the death of Palaldin Marcus. At the second bar she promises to restrain herself. She begins to sing a song from her world but is shouted down by the crowd, they want to hear something local. Somone suggests The Woodchopper Song. Viloet is up to the task and keeps the rowdy song going for almost an hour, to the delight of the innkeeper.

Partly drunk and not too interested in what lays ahead of them they head back home. On the way Arashi gets a whiff the “smell” that has been driving him insane. He takes off at a run towards a nearby copse of trees, the party following. Grevin trips and almost falls over. When he looks down he sees that the “furrow” he triped over was actually a foot print of a large beast, a dragon. There is a smashing sound and the party runs towards it when the get to where the sound came from they see the remains of Arashi’s cabin.

Kimi joins them and the continue towards the copse. As they get closer they see something thrashing around in the trees, there is a faint glow in the woods and Arashi turns into a tree in fear. Stepping out of the forest is the Sadakadishian woman he almost murdered in his dream. She runs over to where the tree/Arashi is and suddenly the druid turns into a crow. The woman grabs him and is inturn grabbed by Paladin Marius. In a second the woman also turns into a bird after stabbing Arashii with a long fingernail.

As both avians take flight Kimi tries to take the female bird down and catches it in the chest, the bold passes through the womans bird form doing a little damage to Arashi. The woman falls unconscious to the ground in human form, an arrow sticking our of her chest. The paladin bends over her as the trees erupt and a dragons head sticks out. The creature barks in common…..”Don’t touch her!”