Session 17: "Don't cry for me........little Banshee"

 29/10/2024

26th Day of May 1492 

Weather: Clear.

High Temperature: 15 degrees Celsius.

Low Temperature: 9 degrees Celsius.

Mission:  Find the Hart of the Forest

Campaign:  Forest of Wyrms

Location(s):   Forest of Wyrms, Sacred Glade.

Present:  Zinalla, Seraphina, Brielle, Elysande, Glepper, T'or &Thaumat. 

Beginning of Session: Healing and Dividing Barlyn's Kit

The party gathers in a secluded clearing in the forest, the tension from their recent skirmish still lingering in the air. The sun filters through the trees, casting dappled light on the adventurers as they begin to take stock of their resources.

Elysande gently places his hand on Barlyn's travel kit, his eyes reflecting a deep sense of loss. "We should divide this up," he suggests, his voice soft yet resolute. "Barlyn would have wanted us to be prepared."

T'or agrees, nodding solemnly. "We need to keep moving and be ready for whatever this cursed forest throws at us," he adds. With that, the group begins to sort through the items, distributing potions, herbs, and enchanted trinkets amongst themselves. Glepper tries on a ring from the kit, grinning mischievously.

Glepper: "Ha! This must make me look dashing, right?" The group chuckles despite the heavy mood, easing some of the tension.

---

Discovery by the Pond

Elysande and T'or move cautiously toward the pond area, noticing something strange. The water, once crystal clear, has a dark, swirling undercurrent, and eerie pink trees frame the edge of the pool, their unnatural hue making the hair on their necks stand on end.

Elysande squints, trying to make sense of it. "T'or, do you see that?" he whispers.

T'or grips his weapon tightly. "Yeah," he mutters. "Something’s not right."

Just then, a voice breaks the stillness, low and composed, but with an edge of urgency.

Stranger: "Greetings, I am Thaumat the Black. I am a friend and servant of the forest." A figure clad in leather and a flowing cloak steps from the shadows of the woods. Her eyes, as dark as the night sky, hold an air of calm power. "There is a dark presence in the forest I was unable to destroy," she explains. "I mean you no harm."

Glepper, ever the skeptic, raises an eyebrow. "Tree hugger!" he calls out, drawing snickers from the group.

Thaumat doesn’t even flinch. "I can change into a wolf, a spider, a bird, a snake, an insect, or even a mouse," she continues, trying to convey her usefulness.

Glepper: "Tree hugger. Told you so," he mutters again, earning a few more chuckles.

---

The Corrupted Pool and the Request for Purification

Zinnalla approaches the pool, frowning at the corrupted water. "Can anybody purify this pool?" he asks, his voice tinged with worry. "Has anybody got a purification spell?"

Glepper jumps forward, full of bravado. "Abracadabra, Alakazam! Turn this water—" He pauses, looking at the still-dark water. "Nope. Nothing happened!" The group exchanges disappointed glances.

No one has a purification spell. Thaumat looks downcast. "The Hart of the Forest sent me for herbs," she explains, "but I found a malevolent spirit instead. To free the Hart, we will need keys."

---

Encounter with the Pink Trees

Three unnatural-looking pink trees stand ominously by the pool. Elysande, unable to contain his suspicion, attacks one of the trees, his blade slicing into the bark. Suddenly, something emerges from behind the tree—a shadowy, grotesque figure.

Zinnalla steps forward, his voice steady but growing desperate. "Can anybody set fire to the tree?" Silence answers him, broken only by the rustle of the forest.

The figure turns to face Zinnalla, revealing a horrifying visage. He is instantly frozen with fear, dropping his sword as he clutches his head in pain.

Glepper shouts, "Should have run away!" just as Seraphina arrives, seeing the terrifying apparition. "What the fudge!" she exclaims, only to become frozen with fear as well.

---

The Fight Against the Banshee

Brielle steps forward, attempting a spell, but her hands tremble and she misses. Thaumat moves to protect Elysande, while T'or shouts, "Somebody burn the mother f...er!" and hurls a javelin. The weapon finds its mark, piercing the creature.

The figure opens its mouth and lets out a bone-chilling screech.

• Elysande collapses, unconscious, near death.
• Zinnalla drops his sword, writhing in pain.
• Glepper, Seraphina, Brielle, and Thaumat all drop their weapons, the creature's scream reverberating in their bones.

T'or, somehow resisting the banshee's aura, stands his ground. "Stay with me!" he roars, trying to rally his companions. Elysande, using what strength he has left, performs a healing action to get back in the fight. Zinnalla attempts to channel divinity to turn the unholy creature but fails.

---

A Desperate Struggle

• Glepper, miraculously succeeds to move, retrieves his dagger and attacks.
• Seraphina, succeeding as well, steadies herself and reclaims her sword.
• Brielle casts a spell, but it has no effect on the banshee.
• Thaumat, still trying to help, casts Cure Wounds.

T'or, in a fit of rage, swings his maul but misses. Elysande manages to gulp down a healing potion, while Zinnalla struggles to overcome his fear, failing again. Glepper finally lands a hit and shouts, "Disengage!"

Seraphina makes an attempt but misses. As she is partially incapacitated, she starts to lose hope. Brielle tries another spell, but her turn undead fails again. Thaumat, now in wolf form, tries to fight but is cowering under the banshee’s power.

---

Turning the Tide

T'or charges the banshee, his maul connecting with bone-crushing force. Elysande, still trapped in the bushes, fights desperately to free himself, shouting, "I killed the bush!" when he finally succeeds.

Glepper, now filled with determination, attacks again and finally delivers the killing blow to the banshee. The spectral creature wails one last time before dissipating.

Seraphina immediately rushes to Glepper, offering him a healing potion. Glepper, exhausted but triumphant, sighs, "Light—I see the light."

Elysande joins them, shaking his head with a tired smile. "That was... too close," he says, relief washing over him.

The forest, for the first time in a long while, seems to breathe a little easier. But the shadows still linger, and the Hart of the Forest remains in need of saving.

Session 16: "They fly through the air, with the greatest of ease.............!"

22/10/2024

26th Day of May 1492 

Weather: Clear.

High Temperature: 15 degrees Celsius.

Low Temperature: 9 degrees Celsius.

Mission:  Find the Hart of the Forest

Campaign:  Forest of Wyrms

Location(s):   Whispering woods, Forest of Wyrms, Sacred Glade.

Present:  Barlyn, Zinalla, Seraphina, Brielle, Elysande, Glepper & T'or. 

Order of March: The group prepares for a treacherous journey, forming an order of march to ensure their safety. The adventurers are lined up with Brielle, the perceptive leader, at the front, followed by Glepper, a rogue with deadly poisoned daggers, Seraphina, an archer whose bow rarely misses, Barlyn, wielding a fearsome battle axe, and Zinalla, a paladin with a gleaming sword. Elysande, the battle-hardened warrior, stands near T’or, a ferocious barbarian also wielding a battle axe. T’or and Elysande are roped together for additional security as they approach a precarious cliff edge.

Cliff Edge and Path: The group reaches a cliff with a 300-foot drop to a forest below. A narrow and steep path winds down the cliff, just wide enough for a single person. The adventurers begin their descent cautiously, moving sideways when necessary. For an entire hour, they carefully pick their way down the dangerous path. As they near the bottom, Brielle notices something hidden in the long grass – a marker stone etched with an Elvish inscription. She reads it aloud:

 

Brielle: “It says, ‘Follow the markers.’”

They exchange glances, unsure of what dangers lie ahead, but they move forward across the scrubland, trusting the Elvish guidance.

The Scrubland and Strange Pool: The group crosses the scrubland, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of danger. In the distance, they spot a tree that stands out. As they approach, they see a small pool of water about 20 to 30 feet in front of the tree, and another marker stone ahead.

Glepper, who has been scanning the area with his sharp eyes and ears, suddenly gets distracted by a branch that snaps underfoot. He turns to Barlyn.

Glepper (whispering): "Move quietly, will you?"

But as he scans the surroundings again, Glepper freezes, his eyes widening. A massive creature – a feline-like beast with six legs and tentacles sprouting from its shoulders – emerges from the shadows. It leaps toward the group, specifically targeting Zinalla, sinking its claws into the paladin.

Battle with the Beast: Zinalla grimaces in pain as the beast’s claws dig deep. Glepper quickly reacts, casting Chill Touch, but his spell goes wide. Brielle summons radiant power and casts Sacred Flame, striking the creature and dealing significant damage.

Barlyn surges forward, while Elysande performs a precise and powerful lunge attack with her battle axe, empowered by her superiority dice. She slashes the beast, landing a heavy blow. Seraphina, however, misses her mark and her arrow accidentally grazes Elysande. She gasps and whispers to Zinalla.

Seraphina: "Shh, don’t tell him it was me!"

Zinalla, undeterred, calls upon divine energy and delivers a devastating Divine Smite, severely wounding the beast. T’or, now raging, lets out a war cry and cleaves into the beast with his axe. But as quickly as the battle began, the beast suddenly vanishes.

T’or, still in a rage, drops to the floor in frustration.

T’or (grumbling): "What was that thing?"

Glepper, curious as always, scratches his head.

Glepper: "I’ve only heard rumours of a large, fast beast. It could be one of them…"

The group, wary and on edge, regroups and continues onward, but something feels wrong.

Second Marker and Ominous Signs: Brielle spots the second marker stone up ahead, but T’or sniffs the air suspiciously.

T’or: "Something don't smell right ahead."

Zinalla tightens her grip on her sword, eyes narrowed.

Zinalla: "I feel a malevolent spirit ahead."

They proceed with caution, their eyes scanning the eerie landscape. In the distance, strange bushes loom, and a palpable sense of despair weighs on the party.

Second Marker and Ominous Signs: Brielle spots the second marker stone up ahead, but T’or sniffs the air suspiciously.

T’or: "Something don't smell right ahead."

Zinalla tightens her grip on her sword, eyes narrowed.

Zinalla: "I feel a malevolent spirit ahead."

They proceed with caution, their eyes scanning the eerie landscape. In the distance, strange bushes loom, and a palpable sense of despair weighs on the party.

Glepper, ever the scout, hides in the bushes to get a better view but is suddenly hit by a wave of sinister energy. The atmosphere grows thick with tension.

Battle with the Tree: Suddenly, without warning, a giant tree animated with dark magic rises up, its branches thrashing like massive arms. Brielle immediately casts Bless on herself, Zinalla, Elysande, and Barlyn to bolster their spirits. Zinalla charges forward and smites the cursed tree with divine energy, causing it to shriek in response.

Barlyn, fighting his way through dense branches, swings his axe but struggles to land a solid hit. T’or, raging with fury, attempts to strike the tree, but the thrashing branches make it difficult, and he misses. The tree retaliates, grabbing T’or and trying to throw him, but T’or manages to slip free.

Elysande, always ready to seize an opening, lands a critical blow. He unleashes a series of rapid attacks with his battle axe, causing  massive damage to the tree.

Elysande: “Yah-hoo!”

However, the tree fights back viciously. It throws T’or through the air, sending him tumbling eight feet away. Zinalla feels a dark wave emanating from the tree, as do Brielle, Seraphina, and Barlyn.

The Battle Intensifies: Glepper, dashing behind the tree, seizes an opportunity and stabs it from behind, landing a critical hit. Seraphina follows suit and shoots her bow, damaging the tree further.

As the battle rages on, the tree strikes back. Seraphina is thrown, landing hard on the ground and falling unconscious. Glepper, angered by the loss of his companion, uses his Fury of the Small ability and strikes again. Brielle, too, is struck down and falls unconscious, her Bless spell fading from the party.

Desperate Moments: Zinalla rushed to Brielle’s side and used a healing kit to stabilize her, but Brielle remains unconscious. T’or, ever defiant, charged the tree once more but is again thrown to the ground. Elysande continues to deal damage, but the tree’s attacks take their toll, injuring multiple members of the party.

Seraphina was close to succumbing to death. Brielle too, edging closer to death. With the tree still thrashing, the group fought desperately. Barlyn was struck down, but succumbed to his wounds, and died on the battlefield.

Glepper and Seraphina took cover behind a rock, licking their wounds. Meanwhile, T’or, filled with berserker rage, landed the final blow with his axe.

Timber: The tree let out a terrible groan and began to fall. Brielle, unconscious and lying in its path, was crushed beneath it, failing another death-saving throw. Zinalla tried to dodge out of the way but was hit by the falling branches. T’or managed to leap to safety just in time.

T’or: "Hurry, we have to save them!"

Despite their efforts, Barlyn was beyond saving. He succumbed to his injuries. Brielle, however, was saved in the nick of time by T’or and Zinalla. She drank multiple healing potions and was revived. Zinalla, too, was healed and back on his feet.

The battle has left them battered, but the party presses on, mourning the loss of Barlyn and carrying a renewed sense of caution for the dangers that lie ahead.

Session 15: "Does this belong to you?"

 15/10/2024

26th & 27th Day of May 1492 

Weather: Clear.

High Temperature: 15 degrees Celsius.

Low Temperature: 9 degrees Celsius.

Mission:  Find the Hart of the Forest

Campaign:  Forest of Wyrms

Location(s):   Whispering woods, Whispering Wood Village, Shrine of Mielikki.

Present:  Barlyn, Zinalla, Seraphina, Brielle, Elysande, Glepper & T'or. 

Into the Whispering Woods

The party stood at the edge of the Whispering Woods, dark and mysterious, filled with voices that seemed to float on the breeze. Mara had just finished giving them directions, her tone serious.

Mara: "The Hart of the Forest is the Guardian. You'll need to return to the shrine. From there, head southeast until you reach the edge. Once you find the path, follow it down. Keep your eyes open for rune stones—they’ll guide you to the Sacred Grove. Brielle, you’re the only one who can read them."

Brielle nodded, clutching her holy symbol as she mentally prepared herself for the task ahead.

---

Arriving at the Shrine

The group trekked back to the shrine, its eerie atmosphere matching the rest of the forest—gloomy, with faint whispers echoing in the air.

Glepper, swatting at midges buzzing around him, grumbled under his breath. "These things are driving me mad!" His frustration, however, quickly turned to alarm as a deep growl echoed from the trees.

Out of the darkness, two massive forms burst through the undergrowth—owlbears.

Glepper: "OOH BUGGER!"

---

Battle with the Owlbears

Without hesitation, the group sprang into action, weapons drawn and spells ready.

Barlyn was the first to act, charging forward with a roar and swinging his battle axe with deadly precision. It landed squarely on one of the owlbears with a heavy thud.
Barlyn: "Take that!" 

Behind him, T’or let out a primal scream and entered a rage, but as he swung his battleaxe, it flew right over the owlbear’s head, hitting nothing but air. Flying out of his grasp it landed some 12ft behind the owlbear.
T'or: "Damn it!" 

With a focused breath, Brielle summoned divine energy and cast Guiding Bolt, hitting the first owlbear with a blinding flash of light.
Brielle: "By the light!" 

As the light faded, Seraphina loosed an arrow, hitting the creature in the side.
Seraphina: "Let’s finish this!" 

The owlbear let out a final screech before collapsing to the ground, dead.

Glepper, shaking off the midges, darted forward, daggers flashing, aiming at the second owlbear.
Glepper: "Let’s see if this bites!" 

The fight wasn’t over yet. T’or, refocused, roared again drew his maul and slammed his weapon into the second owlbear.
T’or: "For glory!" 

The remaining owlbear reared up in fury, but Barlyn, seizing the opportunity, swung his axe again in a brutal strike, aiming to parry a retaliatory blow. Unfortunately, the owlbear's claw struck back, and he stumbled.

With another precise strike with his dagger, Glepper struck once more, followed by a fierce strike from Elysande, who delivered a crushing blow to the creature.
Brielle, drawing from her divine connection, cast another Guiding Bolt, landing the final hit on the owlbear.

The owlbear collapsed, breathing its last.
Seraphina: "Anything on these things?"
Brielle: knelt beside the bodies. "Just feathers."

---

After the Battle

The party gathered themselves, weary but triumphant. Brielle immediately moved to T’or, casting Cure Wounds to heal his injuries.

Barlyn, ever the pragmatic one, borrowed a dagger from T'or and knelt beside one of the owlbears and began attempting to skin it.
Glepper, watching with a grin, called out, "Anybody need a loincloth?" A second attempt on the 2nd owlbear was just as futile.
T’or, still catching his breath, used the moment to reclaim and clean his dagger on the fur.

Zinnalla used his Lay on Hands ability to heal himself and Seraphina, while Seraphina bandaged the remaining cuts.

Once the party was stable, they made camp. A fire was started, and the aroma of roasted owlbear meat filled the air. They set up their alarm system—rope tied around trees and pitons ready to clatter in case of trouble. Glepper took the first watch.

---

A Midnight Encounter

As the fire crackled, Glepper noticed something strange—a tree moving. His eyes widened, and he nudged Brielle awake.

Glepper: "Brielle, wake up. Something’s moving."

They both watched as the tree stepped forward—an awakened tree! It paused before them, towering and ancient.

Glepper: "Do you understand me?"

The 'Tree' tilted its head and, to Glepper’s surprise, repeated his words back in a deep, resonant tone. As it spoke, one of its massive hands looped the rope they had set as an alarm around its branches.

Brielle: "We should take that down…" She gently removed the rope.

The 'Tree' regarded them with curiosity and then spoke, "You can trip over this." It pointed a knotted branch at Brielle. "Is this your wife?"

Glepper, caught off guard, stammered, "No! No, not my wife!"

The 'Tree' nodded sagely, as if understanding something profound.
Glepper: "I am Glepper. Do you know of the Hart of the Forest?"

The 'Tree', still slow and deliberate in its speech, introduced itself, "I am Longtrunk Slowwalker. The Hart has not been seen in the high forest for some time. In the morning, go to the edge and follow the sun. It will lead you to the path down. I will watch over you tonight."

A wave of drowsiness suddenly swept over Glepper and Brielle, and before they could respond, they fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

---

27th: Morning Departure

The next morning, the group awoke to the sounds of birds singing, the sun shining through the trees. Longtrunk had stood guard through the night, as promised.

Before they left, he pointed ahead, "Half a mile left. Follow the sun. You will come to the path."

Glepper, grateful, bowed his head. "Thank you, Longtrunk."

Before departing, Longtrunk extended his long branch and handed over several lengths of rope—seven 50-foot pieces in total.

---

The Cliff Path

The group marched through the forest for about a hundred yards before the trees parted, revealing a sharp drop—300 feet down into the forest below. The path ahead was narrow and steep, leading down the cliffside. Only one person could pass at a time.

In single file, Brielle took the lead, her eyes focused on the distant horizon, guiding the rest of the group down the path into the heart of the Whispering Woods.

Player Information:

 

Session 14: "Say hello to my 'little' friend!"

 24/09/2024

25th Day of May 1492 

Weather: Clear.

High Temperature: 18 degrees Celsius.

Low Temperature: 12 degrees Celsius.

Mission:  Retrieve the Tome from the Shrine

Campaign:  Forest of Wyrms

Location(s):   Whispering woods, Whispering Wood Village, Shrine of Mielikki.

Present:  Barlyn, Zinalla, Seraphina, Brielle, Glepper & T'or. 

Remaining: Elysande

The group left Whispering Woods Village early the next day. Brielle took the lead having more experience in woods.

It became apparent that Brielle and the others were struggling to find the way to the shrine. The near dusk conditions and the stillness of the woods was at best unnerving. Snippets of words could be heard on the breeze, 'find the silver path, find the tree, find the stream, find a plant, the nightingales song and the way will be clear'. They found a site to camp for the night.

A monstrous creature with legs the size of tree trunks and a body 40ft long stomped though the camp. The group instantly awake through themselves into the attack.

The fight was hard. Blows were struck, the creature set on its path through the camp.

Eventually the creature pushed its way through the encampment and disappeared into the night, it left a trail of utter chaos behind.

Morning came quickly. Brielle picked up the trail. They had noticed in the breeze that leaves were turning over, the other side of the leaves was silver in colour, 'the silver path!' Following the trail they came to a glade, within the glade stood a tree. Three times they turned where the sunlight beam broke through and headed off on the path indicated. 

At last they came to a stream and there beside the stream a rock with a flowering plant. Then could be heard the sound of a nightingale. 

A short distance onward they came to the ruins.

Brielle and Zinalla entered the ruins and were met by a guardian spirit.

Zinalla saw a table, on the floor by the table were a load of stones. Only Zinalla could see the table and stones and he was tasked with placing them in the correct order. He did so at the first attempt. First he placed the stone with the symbol of Earth on it, then Wind, then, Fire, lastly he placed the symbol of water.

3 more guardians appeared.

Then from behind the altar appeared the aspect of Mielikki.

Mielikki waved her hand and a tome appeared on the altar. She bade Brielle take the tome but to return it when they had their answers.

They said they would. It took the group a bare half day to make the journey back to Whispering Woods Village. Once there Mara told them the tome would answer their questions until there was no more information to give.

Their questions were answered with the turning of the pages. They found out:

1. The lights were linked to the Yuan Ti.

2. The Yuan Ti were not causing the lights.

3. No one was controlling the portals/lights.

4. Nothing was controlling the lights/portals.

5. The lights/portals are not coming from Lyrans Hold

6. The lights/portals were caused by magic.

7. The source of the magic was not Lyrans Hold.

8. The source of the lights/portals are from the Yuan Ti undercity.

9. The entrance is at Lyrans Hold to the undercity.

10. The entrance is not under Serpents Cowl.

11. To find Lyrans Hold, find the Hart of the Forest.

12. The Hart of the forest is in the forest.

13. The Hart of the Wood is in the forest.

The next question was asked but the pages turned were blank. The book was given back to Mara to return to the shrine.