28/11/23 & 14/12/23
27th Day of Rainmoot: 1492
Mission: Destroy the Druids on Yester Hill
Campaign: Tales from the Bard
Location(s): Barovia, van Richten's Tower, Yester Hill
Present: Bernadette Greycastle, Dramos Ethrane, Niall Tharivol, Ragul-Nur, Roscoe Tosscoble, Moonwhisper, Bomber Longbeard, Ezmerelda.
Bomber had misplaced an item of worth, he would delay following the group but told them he would catch them up.
Ezmerelda decided against talking her wagon and the group, minus Bomber, were led by Ezmerelda to Yester Hill.
The journey barely took 2 hours.
As they approached the hill the trail through the woods leads to a hill covered with dead grass and cairns of black rock. Dark ominous clouds gather high above and a single bolt of lightening strikes the top of the hill. To the west of the hill the woods, land and the sky disappear beneath a wall of fog.
Dirt trails ran around the hillside between two concentric circles of black stone cairns. Atop the hill stood a circle of stones penetrated by the path, near its centre a 50 foot tall wicker totem.
Roscoe heard a voice in his head and he felt drawn towards one of the cairns. The others followed bemused at their friends muttering, as though he was talking to himself.
Roscoe: "I know, I hear you voice in my head. I will, I will."
Roscoe reached a cairn and started to pull at the stones on one side. Ragul and Bernadette assisted him. It wasn't long before an opening was made. Inside the remains of a long dead warrior grasping a spear.
Voice: "Long have I waited, for one who is worthy it is yours take it and wield me, my spear desires to taste blood once more. Retrieve it and rule these mountains in my stead, just like the mighty warriors from the early days of the Whispering Wall".
Roscoe turned to the others, and held the spear aloft
Roscoe: "This is the Blood Spear of Kavan. I claim it for I shall wield it."
Bernadette and Ragul clapped Roscoe on the back then gasped in amazement with the others as the mighty spear shrank to a manageable size for the diminutive Bard to wield effectively.
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The group approached the hill top, when Druids and Berserkers erupted from hidden pits/graves.
A desperate fight erupted the hill top.
Dramos unleashed a fireball with devastating effect.
The enemy were reduced to more even numbers but the Berserkers proved to be very resilient and stubborn. It took many blows to fell them.
Only a few enemy remained. Niall lay stunned, his weapons lying near to him as Moonwhisper moved to give him aid. A lone Druid, still chanting moved towards a grove of trees.
Bomber had tried to catch up to his friends. He was tired as he approached the hill and thought a stealthy approach better tha rushing into danger!
Looking ahead he saw 3 humanoid figures burst out of the trees on the lower slope of the hill. Bomber continued his careful, deliberate approach. What he couldn't see was the larger group emerging from the woods at the far side of the hill.
Ezmerelda and Dramos cast bolts of magic at the Berserkers.
Dramos then went one better and summoned up a mighty fireball spell that erupted over the larger group of Druids and Berserkers.
Moonwhisper had aided Niall to his feet, who quickly retrieved his weapons, they both looked in horror as a mighty tree creature started to emerge from the grove the Druid had disappeared into.
Ezmerelda stood ready to engage the enemy advancing toward her as more Berserkers gained th hill top behind her.
Ezmerelda and Dramos stood firm on the hill top as Bomber fought off a lone Berserker.
Ragul, trying to aid Ezmerelda and Dramos ended up falling a long way down the slope of the hill. Shaking off the effects of the fall he advanced to give aid to Bomber.
The Tree Blight advanced and swung its mighty spear and slammed its clawed fist into the ground near Moonwhisper. Moonwhisper manage to dodge as the fist smashed itself into the ground, only a stump was left as the tree limb/arm pulled back.
The Tree Blight battered Nall to the ground and delt Moonwhisper a telling blow before stomping to the top of the hill.
Still dealing with the last of the Berserkers the group were horrified when the Tree Blight started to swing it's mighty tree spear and raise one of it's legs to stomp down on to Roscoe. Without a moments hesitation, Dramos grasped the Gulthias Staff in both hands, the same staff that had replenished him with life saving properties as the battle progressed, and brought it down swiftly across his bended knee, snapping the staff in twain. No soon had this occurred when the Tree Blight gave a mighty shudder, staggered once and toppled like a mighty oak felled by an axe. A bright gem the same shape but of different colour they had retrieved at the winery lay near the rigid hulk of the Tree Blight.
Ragul cast healing prayers, Niall cast the last of his cure wound spells and the group downed what healing potions they had left. Lying on the ground was an axe, an axe engraved with woodland designs of leaf and twig.
It was determined that this was a magical axe, 'Natures Foe'. The axe would deal additional damage when fighting against plant based creatures.
Having delt with the 30 foot tall Tree Blight, a dozen Druids and the same number of Bersekers, Ezmerelda prompted the group that now might be a good time to return to the safety of van Richtens Tower. As they approached the Tower the sky turned purple and red and a full moon started to peak out of the clouds. A blood curdling howl could be heard in the distance.
