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EPIC 1 CHAPTER 1: Trouble in the Swiss Alps

All Chosen were summoned to the Prytaneum, where Max said she was sending them on a mission to check out some strange bird activity at a ski resort in the swiss alps.

They travelled there via Hearth, aka, through one fireplace/firepit into another. Hearth is travel that can be done from one place of hospitality to another, through Hestia's magic. It send them out into a fireplace in the community room of the ski lodge.

The lodge was overtaken by strange birds with metallic feathers and poisonous dung. They had to fend them off, as they fled to the ski lodge with a handful of previously trapped civilians.

At the ski lodge were almore gathered civilians, who said others were lost on the mountain. Chosen went out to search for them.

Chosen also stayed at the hotel to work on shoring up its defenses, rummaging through discarded belongings and hotel equipment to fortify the place.

They also fought a s**t ton of birds, killing them and looting them for strange items that can be used in future battles.

After a while, Brynn came out with a plan. They could destroy the birds if they placed 5 speakers on various ski trails on the mountain. Chosen carried the speakers up and into place.

Once the speakers were in place, Brynn came forward with a grimm announcement. Birds were gathering on the horizon to assault the hotel, where around 50 civilians were holed up, protected by the Chosen. It'd be another hour before they could put their plan into place -- a plan that would set off an avalanche on the mountain that would kill the 25 civilians still MIA.

They could spend their hour DEFENDING THE HOTEL -- keeping it from being destroyed and all the civilians inside from dying -- or RESCUING THE CIVILIANS -- leaving the people at the hotel undefended so that they could find all the missing folks.Chosen voted to defend the hotel. For an hour, they did, holding off birds.

After the hour, Brynn set the speakers, playing a rousing Slayer song that destroyed all the birds in the air.

The hotel survived, thanks to the Chosen.

There was a lull. Brief.

Then one last bird came down, the size of the hotel, and she launched an assault on the hotel. Her attacks were vicious, knocking out several civilians and injuring seriously quite a few more. But they defeated her, the threat at an end, helping coming for the Civilians, and all Chosen were returned to the hotel through the Hearth.

EPIC 1 CHAPTER 2: Down in the Bayou

Once again, Chosen were summoned. This time, there mission was to head to Louisiana to investigate the disappearance of a crew that hadn't reported in for roughly one week. Chosen traveled through the Hearth once more, and found themselves in the midst of a camp that had been abandoned for some time and, apparently, taken over by wild animals.

They split into three groups:

One group travelled with Brynn to head into a nearby town, where they saw some angsty teenagers and talked with a bartender who told them of a new woman who'd come into town, and some local businesses that might be able to give them more information.

One group stayed with Griffin to investigate the camp, and found torn clothing and pawprints which seemed to imply some sort of transformation. They cleaned up as best thy could and gathered up the abandoned belongings.

One group went with Olivia to look in the surrounding forest, where they met up with an injured raccoon who, shockingly, proved able to write. He identified himself as one of the missing Chosen, and pled for their help.

They gathered back at the camp for some dinner, and to discuss their findings. Those in the know were immediately certain who was behind this: Circe, a witch of some renorwn. No sooner had the name been said, however, than Chosen began to turn into animals, fleeing into the woods.

From here, some Chosen headed out to search for their missing companions, defeating them in fights to bring them back to camp. Some headed into town and investigated the strange teenagers, finding out that they were disciples of this new witch, working at her behest for the promise of power. Some time and effort, however, won them over enough to get some useful information about where Circe was located and how to find her. They turned over 10 pieces of a map, which could be used to find her.

Some Chosen headed to a tea shop in town, where they found a strange book that seemed to hold the answer to their problem: a mention of the Moly Flower, a small white flower with a dark root, that could be used to made a cure. However, since the flower was so very bitter, they had to be creative about their attempts. Some were successful, and some were not.

Brynn, Griffin, Olivia, Chris and Rafe -- all turned into animals -- were defeated and captured by bands of 5 Chosen, and brought back in. Finally, cures were administered all around, and it was time to begin the assault on Circe's lair.

She set up in an abandoned manor house, and the route there was laid heavy with traps that turned many Chosen into animals, but left them sane enough to fight on. Inside, they had to face a hoard of turned townsfolk obeying Circe's command, defeating them in order to gain access to the witch herself.

Her minions out of the way, Circe was no difficult capture, but she offered a problematic decision. She swore that she'd free everyone if they let her go, but if they took her in, there were more conclaves exactly like this one all across the country, more turned people and more being turned every day. People might die, if they imprisoned her.

Chosen made the difficult choice ad opted to bring her back to the Prytaneum for safe keeping instead. Cures were administered all around, and everyone was returned home to nurse their wounds.