Jump in a Lake

Historian: Caleb. Date: 02/10/2025

TLDR – We spend literally like 1h20m in real-world time looking for an object that’s literally on the map. We cause a natural disaster. Alphie almost drowns. We lose our chance to meet the watery tart distributing swords.

Date: 3 Lionnir 777AR.
Everyone’s alarmed by Jericho, but nothing else happens in the water. Astranna looks into the water to see if she can spot what Jericho did. With 1 success, she doesn’t spy anything – it just looks deep. Gwyn asks if Newton has been here before, and he hasn’t. It wouldn’t make sense for him to go to a fishing place he already knew. Astranna sticks her hand in the water for a handshake, and has to make a phys save (1 success). A pale green hand reaches up and begins to pull her in, and Gwyn pulls her back.
We walk around for a while, debating the nature of the weird hand and how to speak with its owner, and Anja gets a hero point for investigating the shape of the shoreline. Jericho realizes there might be mer-people in this world – people might just be weirded out that we’re both hairless and have legs. Astranna thinks that maybe we can breathe underwater here, and we fill Newton’s pail with lakewater to try it out. Astranna finds out firsthand that we cannot breathe underwater.
The group debates leaving, but Astranna thinks whatever’s under the water must be super cool if Alphie dreamed about it. Jericho doesn’t think all prophetic dreams are important, but we decide to stay a while. Anja tries her hand at fishing, and borrows Newton’s Bassmaster 9000. She gets a bite! At this point, Jericho slips a rope around her waist and ties her to a tree so she doesn’t get dragged in. After a series of checks, she catches an 11-12 inch catfish with beautiful black and grey spots along its ridge. We put it in the bucket.
Jericho climbs a tree to get a good view, and gains a level of tired doing so. Looking out to the middle of the lake, he sees it has a slightly deeper shade of blue, but seems to be the same amount of choppy. He gains a hero point. He impales some dried meat on a stick and puts it in the water to lure the supposed merperson. Some small fish start nibbling at it.
Gwyn hovers her hand over the water, and Jericho ties a rope to her. Nothing happens until she touches the surface, and then something grabs her – multiple arms. Jericho makes a phys check aided by the rest of the group to pull her out, and gets 1 success. Below the surface, Gwyn sees arms like kelps talks bringing her down; not creatures in the traditional sense. She stops and calms herself, and feels less fear as she remembers her past. She cuts away the arms and we pull her up above, soaking wet but okay. Astranna pulls her into a hug, and she returns it.
Jericho asks if we’ve heard of a sea anemone, and Alphie says they’re in their book. We theorize that there’s something being protected in the center, and debate on walking into the lake full-send (with mixed opinions). Jericho uses augury to see what’s in the middle of the lake. A warmth rises in him, and he blinks a few times, seeing just below the surface of the lake, a beautiful, ethereal sleeping merwoman with cyan blue hair. Clutched in her hands is the most beautiful sword he’s ever seen, with waves of power and soothing influence emerging from it. As he blinks, he’s back with us, and tells us what he just saw.
We tie the rope to Alphie (and a tree), and Alphie tries to walk on water. They splash down, and immediately something grabs them from below, but as they’re momentarily dragged below the surface, they hear a bell ringing – the same bell from the end of their dream. When they’re out of the water, Jericho tries some bibliomancy. He rolls a 3. “Bush”. We walk around the lake for a while before finally noticing the giant mithril bell peeking out of a bush. It has no particular markings or engravings, but it sure is pretty.
Astranna rings the bell, and the lake churns a little faster. The wind begins to pick up, and various things are thrown out of the lake – namely, a bunch of oars, an anchor, and a spyglass. The winds don’t slow as the bell finishes ringing. Astranna rings it again to see if a boat is thrown out, and the wind goes faster, churning up the lake even more. Since the bell was rung 3 times in the dream, Astranna rings it again, and starts a cyclone.
Alphie takes 15 crushing dmg (before reduction) from some debris. Newton is knocked unconscious. Alphie thinks their coat will let them walk through now that it’s a cyclone, and walks into the water, immediately getting dragged under. We panic, and Anja rings the bell again, making the winds increase once more. The party is struck by more debris, and Astranna loses 1hb (minor injury – detriment on her next roll). We throw the anchor into the water in an attempt to rescue Alphie.
Alphie grabs onto the rope, and sees glowing writing appear on the anchor (dmed to them). They cut the rope to get rid of the anchor, and when we feel the weight drop, we lift them up – with a cumulative 9 successes (Jericho getting exploding die), we’re barely able to drag them out. We retreat toward fairer weather.
- They relay the writing on the anchor.
We settle down. Jericho chain-smokes, and Astranna asks him to move away from her. It doesn’t smell good. He’s exhausted and refuses, and Alphie offers her some incense. Anja offers a wet cat to pet, and she declines, saying she has Henrietta… but she doesn’t! She panics and wants to go looking for her, but the party insists she stay back while they look. Maple doesn’t see or smell Henrietta.
- “My future dinner has gone rogue.”
Jericho uses bibliomancy to divine Henrietta’s location.
- “I pull out my book. Where’s the fucking chicken.”
He rolls a 5 – “Bush”. The party asks where Astranna last saw her, and she says it was right before we all freaked out about the thing in the water. Anja stays behind with Newton while everyone else goes back to the lake. As we retrace our steps, we do not see a Henrietta… but there is no longer a storm! Gwyn goes around to check the bushes. It’s a bright and sunny day here at the lake. We see one Henrietta just sitting right there on the deck, waddling around and pecking at things. Astranna scoops her up.
The lake is now completely still. There is no lady or sword out there. Astranna stares longingly at the lake, but Gwyn takes her hand and guides her back. We end the session here.