WitW - Session 30
The party stepped through the portal into a wintry forest. Horace felt his memories rush back to him. This tree was the very one that had taken him to the Wild, just outside the village of Last Hearth. A halfling was chopping down a tree nearby. The ball and chain around his ankle aroused suspicion. Glitter seemed upset that he was chopping down a tree, as she would only chop down "bad trees."
Jeatz immediately assumed that any non-human in this place was enslaved and changed his appearance to resemble his father when he was younger—hot stubble and all. The halfling was on guard as soon as they approached. Verrick spun a tale of Lord Fresk enslaving him for being a halfling—not like those "monsters." Verrick promised them the key to his life savings if they freed him.
They approached the village. The small bit of farmland outside the village wall was a sorry sight. The sheep and cattle looked emaciated and splotchy. The guards, a tiefling and an orc, let the party in with little questioning, even pointing them to the inn.
They made their way to the halfling's house, only to find an older woman inside playing with a child, who happened to be Verrick's. The older woman, Sabrina, runs the inn with her husband, Lucas. Horace worked for a bit at the tavern, earning a room and a pint while Jeatz and Almyre "watched" the child and found the lockbox, which contained only a few copper pieces.
Sabrina relieved them of childcare duty and let slip that Verrick had killed his wife and tried to sell his child into slavery. The rest of the party stopped by the tavern for the night. Jeatz played a banger of a piano tune, gathering a few coins for his efforts. The Western Traders—mysterious figures completely covered head to toe—were willing to part with some gold for a few items from the party. Later, Sabrina came in with the toddler, saying Verrick never came back, so she had to watch him. The next morning, Horace gave her 10 gold for her trouble with the child, and they set out looking for the Western Traders, but they were already on their boat, leaving the village.
Horace went to speak to the legless beggar in the market, who turned out to be his uncle—Davistan Reynolt. Initially in disbelief, Davistan realized it was truly his nephew. They went to the temple, where he explained everything: Victor Kane led a revolt against the so-called monstrous races that had been exiled to the north on the orders of King Melchior. Horace's parents were part of a group called the Humanists, who were willing to support the displaced Orcs, Dragonborn, and Tieflings. Kane's uprising broke out in Last Hearth—where Davistan lost his legs, and Kane hunted Horace's family into the woods.
The Clerics of Melchior, Lord of Light, left the North due to lack of support from the Solarian after Kane's forces were defeated. Horace learned that the "old" gods seem to have been replaced with worship for King Melchior. The party gave some gold to Davistan to help repair the temple, poised to set out once again.
