Keeper: Adrienne Mueller
Hunters: Eric Fattig, Karen Twelves, Sean Nittner
System: Monster of the Week
Supplement: Tome of Mysteries
Campaign Overview
Overview of the entire campaign here: Agents of Cisra
Adventure Log
The next morning, Stasia and Malik head to Womack’s home, making sure Amber is safe and sound at the hotel before they go. As they approach, the two are watched by a large swarm of black birds in the trees. Malik lets Womack know they’d like to talk, insinuating that they’re willing to arrest him if that’s the only way they can have that conversation. Under pressure, Womack agrees to go down to the station with Malik. Stasia stays behind to execute the warrant they’ve got to search the place.
His home is large for a man living alone, but neat. He’s clearly an avid sportsman, with a variety of hunting knives prominently displayed on the wall. Stasia finds a series of pouches and compartments with ritualistic objects, papers and seeds. There’s mention about “inducting” members into some kind of “clan”, and descriptions of how to bind Yudishkin—including saying his name aloud. Gathering everything of value, she “borrows” Womack’s work vehicle and heads for Mordecai, texting him details ahead of her arrival.
Mordecai, meanwhile, ventures back into the deepest part of the forest. Yudishkin steps out from behind a tree, beckoning Mordecai to join his “guests”. Mordecai offers to help free him. Yudishkin doubts Mordecai can—until Mordecai speaks his name aloud. Mordecai lets him know that the Mole King is their real enemy; they just want to get him home. Yudishkin is still doubtful, but lets him know that if they destroy all of his trees, he’ll return to his native forest and take his magic with him, freeing Lindsey from her arboreal prison and depriving the Mole King of any future “brides”.
Malik, meanwhile, is eyeballing Womack on the way to the station. He’s not regal or authoritative enough to be an avatar of the Mole King; he’s just a minion. Malik, hoping to provoke Womack into revealing something, calls Stasia and loudly states that Womack is just a minion, not the Mole King himself. Womack winces, partly angry and partly fearful, but does not try to jump out of the vehicle or attack.
The group meets up at the ranger station to gear up for their deforestation mission. Womack, in a panic, says something to the birds, obviously trying to call on them for aid. But Malik still has Yudishkin’s curse from the previous episode, and has a greater hold on the birds. They swarm Womack, penning him in. He begs Malik not to harm his Master Yudishkin, but Malik lets him know that they’re working to free Yudishkin, not harm him. They’re eventually persuaded.
It’s a logistical challenge, but the team manages to coordinate the removal of every tree binding Yudishkin here. The Mole King sends a mental message to Mordecai that this interference will be tolerated, but any further interaction will incur his terrible wrath…
Yudishkin is freed, Lindsay is saved, and the park is closed to the public so that nobody else is brought under the Mole King’s sway. The team reports back to CISRA, returning the remaining seeds of Yudishkin.
