After a defeat by the Banshee that was once Jet’Laya’s sister, Aegon and the Troupe retreat to the Friendly Arm Inn to recover and regroup. There they recruit Dorn and Shar-Teel and make preparations to return to the Forest of Forgotten Souls to extinguish the undead menace once and for all.
11 Eleint 1368
It’s been a good night’s rest and we feel ready to return to the forest and find and destroy Ferium once and for all. It’s a morbid duty, but Jet’Laya needs to know her sister can rest well in the afterlife.
Before we leave we visit Thorengrim to purchase the supplies we will need.
Thorengrim Hammerfist: Welcome back. What kin I do fer ye?
Aegon: I am here to buy something. Can I see what you have to sell?
I purchase bullets for everyone, since we are low on ammo for our slings. Jet’Laya also buys a War Helm, one which has been specially designed to allow the wearer to see better in combat.
We take a moment to make small talk with some of the patrons here. One new arrival tells us how he’s happy to be here.
Wade: By the gods of health and hearth, it’s good to see the Friendly Arm again! Can anyone here imagine a better sight than these hallowed halls looming before you, when you’ve had bandits at your backside all the way from Baldur’s Gate?
Aegon: You sound most relieved to have made it here. How treacherous was your passage?
Wade: Eh? How treacherous? Treacherous enough that I must forgo my usual blustering tale of the journey and push past you friend, lest I die of thirst before I reach the bar. Beware the north if you be allergic to bandits! Bentley! A bottle of your second cheapest wine!
We leave him to enjoy his wine alone. Now is not the time for merriment. We have to find and slay the banshee once and for all.
12 Eleint 1368
We take a more direct route to the forest where we found Jet’Laya’s sister. We hoped to avoid the orcs and wyverns that plagued us on our last expedition. Unfortunately this route is not without its dangers. Just as the sun starts to descend again we are caught in an ettercap’s trap.
We decide to retreat but webs burst forth from the trees and slow our pace. The ettercaps leap onto Dorn and he is poisoned by their venom. Thankfully Kivan is able to throw an Elixir his way, and he quaffs it before fighting his way out of the webs. Once free, we start to run and our attackers are unable to keep up.
13 Eleint 1368
In the early hours of the morning we reach the banshee’s forest. There is only darkness as we make our way into the trees, a deep blackness that hides undead monsters. We see the shadow of a man and I draw my War Hammer. We are startled when the shadow lowers its hood and starts speaking.
The Peddler: What can I do for you today?
I’m surprised to see him here, but nonetheless. He may have some wares worthy of our purchase. He holds with him some enchanted arrows for our bows, but we decide to forgo his offerings. We are equipped well enough to fight the banshee once more. We thank him for his time and bid him farewell.
It isn’t long before we encounter the creatures of the night. The blood-stained fur of a vampiric wolf is easily recognisable to us now.
I find my weapon heavy, and my shield-arm slow. The wolf manages to bite into my arm. The others see that I am struggling and draw their weapons to help. The wolf is ultimately cleaved in twain by Dorn’s Spider’s Bane.
I’m tired, that’s why I was so slow. Thankfully vampirism cannot be contracted from undead wolves, so all I need to worry about is healing myself. I look to the others and they say they need rest as well. Jet’Laya also suggests that it might be easier to combat the undead in the daytime. So we return closer to the forest’s edge and set up camp.
Shar-Teel sets up her bed roll near mine. Before we fall asleep she turns to me and we talk.
Shar-Teel: I would never have joined a group led by a male, if I hadn’t lost that fight. But I must admit, for a male, you’re almost decent. Our actions are profitable and bloody.
Aegon: You’ve been a useful member of the group.
Shar-Teel: And you’re strong, as well. If only you weren’t so ugly, I could see us having some fun.
If I didn’t know any better I would have thought I could see her smiling a little. But I know Shar-Teel doesn’t smile. I say good night and close my eyes.
We awaken late in the morning. While we make breakfast, Dorn pulls me aside and says that we need to talk.
Dorn: Hrmm. You take much time to talk with people we could more easily sweep from our path. You cannot trust their words, only their actions.
Aegon: Not everyone has an ulterior motive.
Dorn: You cannot be so credulous! Everyone lies.
Aegon: Even you?
Dorn: My blade talks for me, and it always speaks truly.
Aegon: Why Dorn, you’re a poet!
Dorn: You dare talk to me like that? You put yourself in danger.
Aegon: Uh, perhaps I chose my words poorly. Don’t hit me!
Dorn: You wish me to leave?
Aegon: No, not now.
Dorn: Your uncertainty is a sign of weakness, You must be decisive. You must show your strength!
Aegon: I surround myself with allies to be strong.
Dorn: Hrmm. Your argument is… persuasive. Guile is a sort of strength. You give me food for thought.
I leave him to his thinking and finish breakfast. Once we are all packed up we try to find our way to the rock where we first encountered the banshee. It is Dorn who spots her, and she is closer to forest’s edge this time.
I call out to everyone to cover their ears and make a retreat. I turn to hold her back, War Hammer at the ready. Jet’Laya communes with Lathander to summon a Glyph of Warding.
The Glyph has no effect on the banshee. Yet for some reason she does not scream. We are safe from her death cries for now.
Jet’Laya summons herself a Spiritual Hammer instead. Kivan, who finds his arrows can’t hurt the banshee, pulls out his Dragon Spear instead.
The others also draw their close range weapons and join in the attack. Only Aura stays back with her enchanted arrows on hand. I start to push barrages of Magic Missiles in her face.
Dorn swings the Spider’s Bane and it goes right through the banshee. He then pulls it back up and it goes through her skull. The banshee is dead. She will scream no more.
I give Jet’Laya a moment to contemplate her sister’s corpse. We may have freed her from her curse, but we have still committed a violent act upon one of her own. She crouches down over the body, yet sheds very few tears.
She pulls the necklace off of her sister. Though broken by Dorn’s killing blow it is still mostly intact. She tells us we should return it to her uncle Lennan, and that he is usually in the Jovial Juggler in Beregost.
I step up to help when she starts to dig a grave for her sister. It’s the least we can do in these circumstances. Most of the others help. Dorn simply watches, but I was surprised when Shar-Teel joins us.
I smile at her but she just scowls… It’s her ninety-eighth scowl since the last sunrise. She is well underway to beat her yesterday’s personal best.
Gameplay Note
I think this is the start of Shar-Teel’s romance. If I remember right, most of her “dialogue” is just her doing actions like this, starting with the exact sentence from the screenshot every time.
Our way out of the forest is blocked by another vampiric wolf, but it is no match for us under the sun. Shar-Teel gets the kill this time.
14 Eleint 1368
Our journey back to Beregost is thankfully uneventful. As Jet’Laya suggested, we go to the Juggler to see if we can find her uncle. Sure enough, he is enjoying an ale, and now I have to deliver the bad news.
Lennan: Hello, you are Aegon are you not? I am Lennan. I assume you have some news about my niece Ferium?
Aegon: Yes sir, and I have some bad news. I am regretfully sorry to tell you that your niece is dead!
Lennan: I see…and I see you have returned with her amulet…L..1 thank you for your help….. here, take this letter to Otho, a dwarven master weaponsmith, in the Thunderhammer smithy. He is a very good friend of mine and he will make a weapon for you that will have very great importance in the near future. I thank you for your trouble. Good bye!
He hands me the letter and I take a moment to read it.
I thank him for his offering and leave him to his drink. He took that better than I thought he might. But people grieve in different ways. When I lost my father I was forced to fight to survive. I almost took no pause to grieve properly.
I sit down in a nearby chair, and tears roll down my cheeks.
