Saving Aragorn, and Where is the Real Psyla?

Short Version:

The group destroys several artifacts, but acquires several more as they break Psyla's mental grip on the woman she had been controlling. Psyla herself then takes control of Aragorn, but the group saves him from himself and cancel the mind-hold. The group decide which artifacts to leave and which to carry into battle with Psyla, before realizing that they are not yet prepared to face her and the tree-like Kementari. They decide to ask for divine guidance, and prepare an offering to ensure that their question is heard...


Long Version:

After the battle with Jacques is won, the group finds that the Dwarven rings are neutral (they amplify good and evil, but are not inherently good or evil). Most of the rest of the group decides to use them, but Allen and Ardwinna refuse, fearing an unknown influence. We then begin trying to free prisoners from the snowglobe, including the King of the Lonely Mountain. Ardwinna enlarges it, and Brunhilde hits it with a hammer. It breaks open in a blast of white light, and the people who were inside are nowhere to be found. Not knowing how to find the people who were in the snow globe, the team next decides what to do with the Elven army under Ronald’s control. Elenor – pro human side; status quo. Geddoe – declare war on humans. Yethos – stay neutral and isolationist. We take Geddoe and Jacques’ lieutenants prisoner, and bring them back to Minas Tirith, leaving Ronald in charge of the rest of the Elves.

When we return to Minas Tirith, we find Aragorn and Psyla having a dinner with Legolas, Gimli, Faramir, and other guests of honor. We concoct a plan, and Ardwinna casts a silence sphere on herself, and then casts a Mentalism detection spell on everyone in the room. Psyla is the only one being controlled, and so Ardwinna casts Cancel Mentalism. The spell succeeds, and the Psyla in front of us has a blank expression and apparently no memories. As we are discussing what to do next, Aragorn draws his sword, speaks as through controlled by Psyla, and as he attempts to stab himself, the group use their artifacts to stop him.

Upon investigation, the controlled "Psyla" is carrying all of the artifacts she had, except the paintbrush of teleportation, as well as a palantir, chainmail, and a magic gauntlet/amulet (self-only teleportation). We get the Scepter of Disruption back. The prayer beads can open a direct channel to communicate with the god of their choice; they can also send power through the bearer. The gauntlet can kill any creature except humans. The compass tells us where to go to when we decide on a destination. The chain mail absorbs life essence from people, taking years off of their lives. Aragorn takes the Scepter of Disruption, and we decide to destroy the chainmail and the gauntlet of non-human slaying.


After some discussion, the group decides to use the map artifact to find out where the real Psyla is operating from. The map gives us a location on the Isle of Evil, where a woman who was controlling the “Psyla” in front of us is in a cave. Before we prepare for the battle with Psyla, Mia gives Walter an engraving of Denethor, Boromir, and Faramir. Allen gives Mia one of his concealed boot daggers, with Silvan writing on it, for good luck. As we prepare to leave, we learn of Kementari, an evil sentient tree, trying to devour the world. Psyla is working in Kementari's service. We are about to teleport to fight Psyla, but we use Intuitions (Deanna and Ardwinna), and see the tree destroying our party. We then ask the palantir which artifact can destroy Kementari, the tree. We get some answers of which spells can damage the tree, but none are a foolproof way to destroy the tree.

The group then decides what artifacts to keep and which to leave behind, and cast Intuitions spells to see how their battle with Psyla and Kementari will go. We see ourselves being destroyed, and decide that we are not yet ready. We decide to ask the gods for guidance, and prepare the appropriate offering to have our question answered.