Session 2: "Lost in the 'Hood' or are we there yet?"

04 June 2024

1st Day of May 1492 (Night of the full moon)

Weather: Clear with a chance of light rain later.

High Temperature: 18 degrees Celsius.

Low Temperature: 8 degrees Celsius.

Mission:  Get to Whispering Woods Village

Campaign:  Find the missing healer

Location(s):  Boareskyr Bridge, Heartwing Lodge, Whispering Woods Village, Forest of Wyrms.

Present: Elysande, Brielle, Barlyn, Dameun, Tenver, Seraphina, Zinalla. (Stuffings).

3rd

Seraphina prepared the evening meal and a sumptuous banquet was ate that night.

Brielle took the night watch as she had no need of sleep, yet. The night passed without incident.

4th

Whilst Dameun and Brielle prepared their magical and spiritual spells and prayers the others prepares a simple breakfast and broke camp. Tenver decided to leave his trap in situ......once bitten and all that came to mind.

Yet again Tenver was finding it difficult to pick up the trail, now some days old. After most of the morning, switching direction this way and that he stopped and kneeled by a lovely plant.

Tenver: "Yarrow, it has healing properties, roots and leaves. Should be enough for 6 doses of each. Cures minor wounds but it is good".

The group followed Tenver's directions and collected leaves and roots from 6 plants. Tenver noticed a footprint, the same one he had been following. 

Brielle: "So how do we use this...Yarrow plant?"

Tenver: "The roots are crushed into a paste and applied to the wound, the leaves are placed over an open cut and they draw the skin closed. Good for minor wounds but nothing major".

Tenver: "I found a footprint looks like she stopped here for awhile, she might have gathered some of the these too, being a healer and all".

Tenver set off, the group falling in behind, in their now predictable pattern.

Stuffings: "Hey, Barlyn, what's that hanging off yer belt like, looks like a stuffed bear, a small stuffed bear, a child's toy bear?"

Barlyn: "Ok, ok, don't shout it to the world. Means a lot to me it does".

Unfortunately Stuffings had said it loud enough for the whole group to hear. Stuffings wanted to know if it had a name but Barlyn ignored his childish pleas for it's name.

Stuffings: "If you go down to the woods today.........um......yes.....you might be in for a surprise........what next....oh yes.......'cause todays the day that Barlyn has a toy bear!"

Barlyn: Pack it in if you know what's good for you!".

Stuffings went silent and stayed closer to Elysande.

Everyone watched as Tenver suddenly froze then crouched down, right arm extended horizontal with the ground.

Zinalla: "I think Tenver wants us to halt, keep a watchful eye all round".

The group spread out a little and concentrated their attention to left, right and behind. Thorny branches started to sprout between Tenver and Zinalla, then a 'ghostly spectral' upper torso of a 'human' appeared. It held what looked to be a staff of some description in it's left hand. It kept sweeping it's hand in front of it's face then holding the same hand palm towards the group.

Spectral Shape: "The lights, always the lights, flashing lights, disturbing the souls making them restless".

The group tried to converse with the spectre but to know avail, Barlyn even tried to belittle and intimidate the spectre again to no avail.

Again and again it repeated the waving of the arm, the palm and the words about lights disturbing the souls.

Stuffings: "Will someone PERSUADE that thing to bugger off. It's creeping me out I can tell you!"

Stuffantle took it upon himself to approach the spectre and asked it to leave it alone if they promised to sort out the flashing lights. The spectre looked at Stuffantle then disappeared as it appeared.

Stuffings: "There told you, all you had to do was ask it to go away!"

Tenver now had the lay of the land and a bead on the direction the footprints were heading. He started to move in a determined direction, faster than he had before. They approached some tall, light green fronds blocking their path. They all seemed to forget the warning of Baelin and suddenly a Shrieker plant started it's shrieking and something flew right past Seraphina into the tree to her right. Another object clanged off Zinalla's shield. 

Elysande ran forward and scooped up the plant that was firing some kind of arrow headed 'flower' at them and such was the force he shovelled the ground using his shield that the whole plant was dug up, flew into the air and landed with a splash in the small pond.

The shrieker plant closed up it's petals and the head disappeared.

Dameun took a step forward into the fronds when he suddenly drew his foot back.....

Dameun: "Beware, it's quicksand. I remember Baelin's warning now. It's marked by these tall, thin, light green fronds."

Tenver: "Over here, come round the tree to the right, I think I've found the trail through the quicksand. There seems to be a structure on the other side"

Sure enough, Tenver had spotted a footprint and was able to follow the slightly winding path through the quicksand. The path followed a slightly raised, and solid piece of ground safe to walk on.

The group had found a hut, nestled between two small hills. Tenver scouted around the hut whilst Seraphina checked the windows and the door.

Seraphina: "2 windows on each side, can't see anything. It's too dark inside. Door seems ok."

Zinalla: "You get the door Seraphina Myself and Barlyn will check inside."

Seraphina opened the door and Zinalla and Barlyn stepped into chaos. An overturned table and chair, a bed that had been shoved out of place.

Barlyn: "Looks like the place has been ransacked, or there's been a struggle."

Seraphina entered and began looking through the chaos. She found a some pages of a book and a clump of blank pages with something written on the top page, which was torn away.

Seraphina: "Looks like a journal or diary of sorts, pages all pulled out. However I can see part of the last entry......it says 'Today sh' everything after the S.H. has been torn away. Oh and there's a rough map of sorts, it's detailed, the path leads to an 'X'. Perhaps Tenver can see if it relates to anything outside?"

Tenver took the scrap of map and went outside. He came back in shortly after and confirmed that features on the map related to features outside and he could track the path to the 'X'.

Brielle: "Seems like we follow the map to 'X' marks the spot then".

Stuffantle: "Come on then Shiny Bollocks, lets get this circus on the road again. Nice find Sweet Cheeks". (Stuffantle gave Seraphina a wink with his one good eye).

Tenver took the lead once more, his confidence growing by the hour. It wasn't long before he slowed and again, arm outstretched horizontally, beckoned the group to slow down and be cautious in their approach, for ahead they could see what looked like ruins of some sort.

Tenver again checked the perimeter as Seraphina checked the interior. The only thing that stood out was the door. The door was out of place, it looked brand new and it's surrounding brickwork looked like it had only been laid yesterday. The ruined portion of the wall to the left and right of the door was moss covered and decaying, crumbling and there was no corresponding part on the door surround that matched the ruined wall section.

Seraphina and Tenver advised caution. Tenver confirmed that the markings on the map coincided with a pool and three hills, the 'X' was in the centre of where the ruins lay although the ruins themselves were not marked on the map.

Dameun: "Are there any marking on the door or the surround......both sides?"

Tenver and Seraphina both stated there were none. The group were confused and many suggestions were put forward as to what it was, what it could be and why it was here.

Elysande: "Has anyone thought just to open the door?"

Dameun, who was the closest and to the consternation and shouted out NO's, carefully opened the door. An inch at first but as nothing untoward happened he opened it up fully.

Dameun: "I think you'd better come and see what I can see, unless you can now see what I see from where you are?"

The group moved around to the door, for as far as they were concerned nothing had changed. They were surprised to see on looking through the door that the interior, although still a ruin had changed. There were now 2 weather worn statues looking inwards and down, it appeared, to a stone slab, alter like, and there at the foot of the slab lay a figure curled up and prone with an ugly looking arrow protruding from it's side.

Dameun and Brielle entered and started administering healing to the prone figure. Obvious by the description given by Baelin to be Mara, the missing healer.

Tenver warned against removing the arrow, he did not recognise it's origin and warned it may be poisoned. Zinalla advocated staying the night, resting and heading back to Whispering Woods Village in the morning. Bothe Dameun and Brielle stated that although they had given a large amount of healing to Mara she was still unconscious, it may be wiser to head back now.

Tenver: "I estimate we are only 6 to 7 hours at a fast pace from Whispering Woods Village, I think Elysande could manage to carry Mara and there will be additional aid at the village".

Tenver turned around to converse with Elysande......Elysande was already on the move, shield slung, battle axe across his back and Mara scooped up in his arms, his back visible as he disappeared through the doorway.

Elysande: "What we waiting for, and shut the door behind you, don't want any unwelcome visitors do we?"

With huge strides Elysande was already across the quicksand and heading back towards the hut. The others raced to catch up. So fast was his progress that it was a scant 4 hours later they rushed into Whispering Woods Village shouting for help.

Baelin was shocked to see Mara injured but overjoyed the group had found her and alive. Mara was made comfortable and looked after by some of the villagers wives and Brielle, who had taken charge of Mara's care.

It was later that night Baelin asked them to meet him in the tavern.

Baelin: "First, well done and thank you. Secondly true to my word here is my best fishing gear. You will always catch at least 1 fish when you cast, as long as there are fish to be had. I also give you this rare sea pearl worth an estimated 8000 copper pieces. Thirdly, it was good you did not attempt to remove the arrow. If you had Mara would surely have died. It was poisoned, a rare poison not seen in these parts for many years. Fourthly, from what you tell me of the footprint I believe they belong to Kobolds".

He continued:

"They are small, nasty and can be a handful. But the arrow is not a Kobold arrow. It belongs to something or potentially belongs to something far worse.......it's a Yuan-Ti arrow. The arrow was dipped in snake venom, a very strong poison that induces paralysis in whatever it strikes. By leaving the arrow in place we were able to confirm the poison and the correct antidote.".

Zinalla: "Are those 'snake people' the Yuan-Ti, the same ones that are rumoured to have killed the Paladin Patrol all those years ago? Surely it was just a myth?"

Baelin: "No myth, fact. But they haven't been seen in the Forest of Wyrms for longer than I can remember. We have a number of unanswered questions now:

1. What are the strange lights.

2. What is causing the strange lights.

3. Are the Yuan-Ti back in the Forest of Wyrms.

4. Why were Kobold tracks around Mara's hut and the ruins.

You have answered one question and that is what is disturbing the spirits in the forest, it's the lights. If you feel up to it I/We need more information. I will leave it up to you what you do and how you do it. I have sent word to the Primus that I require your aid awhile longer. I can't order you but I hope/wish you will all agree. A long shot but the small town of Serpents Cowl, deep in the forest, may provide answers to the Yuan-Ti. If you do decide to go there you will have to be extra vigilant and careful. Zinalla you will have to make sure your shield is not emblazoned with the Orders Sigil."

Zinalla showed his shield to Baelin and the superficial damage caused by the Acid Bug. It had removed the Sigil of the Order of Companion Paladins completely.

Baelin: "Mara will be unconscious for quite some time, it would be beneficial if Brielle could stay and oversee Mara's recovery."

Brielle: "I would be honoured to assist in any way I can. I may learn some skills from Mara once she is awake. I would love to learn how to prepare healing potions".

Player Information:

Fishing Gear:

When cast into any water with fish present the fishing gear will catch 1d6+1 fish

Salt Sea Pearl: Worth 8,000cp