He's nearby, singing a solemn ballad of the Second Blight - something he only ever does when he's sober. Unfortunately, between you and him stretches a labyrinth of razor-thorned brambles thick as a keep's walls. Each thorn glistens with a gelatinous, amber resin.
Available actions[]
1.
Find a path to him Every maze has a way through.
Difficulty: Woods-wise*6/5 (uses an action)
Success: Reunited You make your swift, sure way through the maze, leaving signs behind you for a hasty exit. Left at a fork, right where the path intersects another, and on through a tight arbour. The bramble-maze opens up. In the clearing beyond, the Wayward Bard is urinating against a tree. He blinks at you. "Thank the Maker! I was starting to give up hope. They're not far, but they rely overmuch on this maze of theirs. Now get me out of here!" You drag him back to your horse. Lilting cries go up from the woods behind you.
→Your Bard is Restored to you, A new chapter opens in the story of the Lord of the Forest
Failure: Impenetrable The tangles of the maze lead you further and further from the sound of his voice, before disgorging you in an unfamiliar area of the woods. You'll have to try again.
-5 Closing In, -10 Health
2.
Hack your way through the bramble-maze It'll hurt, but you can make it.
You will lose 50 Health, but you'll free the bard.
Result: Red with blood Your blade is notched. Your cloak is rags. Your skin is traced with lacerations and writhes from the thorns' poison. When the Wayward Bard sees you, he stumbles back, alarmed, as if you were some apparition of the woods. Then he recognises you. "Thank the Maker! I was starting to give up hope. They're not far, but they rely overmuch on this maze of theirs. Now get me out of here!" You drag him back to your horse. Lilting, inhuman cries go up from the woods behind you.
-50 Health, →Your Bard is Restored to you, A new chapter opens in the story of the Lord of the Forest
