Session 17

The Road to the Petrified Forest, Part I
The adventurers had been preparing to leave for the Petrified Forest for several days, and they certainly had not kept that information quiet. Thus, it was not too surprising when, on the day of their departure, they received a visit from someone wishing to accompany them on their journey. Mr. Mugwump informed them that there was an Eladrin in town who had overheard their plans, and had approached him hoping to be introduced. The group had had its fair share of tension with only five members; no one was eager to add a sixth. Mr. Mugwump assured them that the Eladrin would be a useful addition on this leg of their mission, and before anyone had a chance to protest further, the Eladrin entered the Mugwump Inn. He introduced himself as Sebastian Timberlake Jobs, and the group made awkward acquaintance with one another. They then tried to remember enough of their quest and past adventures to explain to him their current plans. He promised them that, as an Eladrin, he would be able to assist them in finding the Eladrin city within the Petrified Forest, and they eventually agreed to take them along with them.

They had scarcely left the city of Rowen when they stumbled upon a cave. The two cave bears residing there were not so happy to see them - they charged forward, lashing out with their massive claws. Taargus retaliated with a brutal strike from his maul, leaving one of the bears with a gaping wound and a dent in its skull. Cora and Caraga joined Taargus and surrounded the two bears, picking away at the beasts with all their might. Meanwhile, Fausto backed away from the battle as far as he could, until he found himself in the shade of a tall tree. He climbed the tree to get a better view of the battlefield, and from there, unleashed an arrow so powerful it ripped off a limb of the already injured bear. A second arrow drove itself through the bear's eye, but the bear still fought on. It was then that Twitch decided to try and reason with the angry, mortally wounded creature. He approached the bear and began a long monologue, presumably involving Kord, and it did not take long for the bear to swat him away in annoyance. Taargus stepped in to make the killing blow, and netted 450gp in doing so.

Fausto, however, was inspired by Twitch's act of diplomacy, and suddenly could think of nothing he wanted more than a bear companion. He did not want just any ordinary bear companion, of course - he wanted a grizzled, awesome-looking bear companion. So he shot the remaining bear through the eye as well, envisioning a tough, eyepatch-wearing sidekick. He then informed the rest of the group of his intention to try and tame the bleeding animal. This caused a rift among the other members: Cora and Twitch agreed that the bear would be a useful companion on their travels, but Caraga, Taargus, and Sebastian did not think it wise to drag a cumbersome, mutilated bear around with them. As they bickered, divine light engulfed Caraga's warhammer, and she struck down the bear with radiant energy. Fausto ran over to the crippled creature, using his knowledge of nature to calm the bear. He, Cora, and Twitch attempted to heal it, but they ultimately failed, leaving Fausto broken-hearted. Full of sorrow at his inability to keep the bear as a pet, he instead skinned it and created a pelt out of its fur, by which to always remember it. The group then moved on in stony silence, each half angry at the other for what had happened.

The silence did not last for long. In the distance, the group spotted a basilisk, and Fausto's eyes lit up. If he could not have a bear, he would find another creature to tame instead - and what better than a basilisk? He could even give it sunglasses to protect himself from its venomous gaze! This time, he told everyone else of his plan before they went into combat. As most of them were aware that basilisks were commonly domesticated and trained, they unanimously agreed to attempt to tame the creature. They lured the reptile over and calmed it down, and things were going quite well until an over-confident Fausto spooked the beast, ruining everything. The basilisk turned its gaze to the adventurers, preparing to attack...

In Fausto's dreams later that night, or in an alternate universe somewhere:



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