Wardens of the Sorrowood C2E04

Game Scheduled: November 16, 2023
GM: Thom
==Chapter Synopsis:==
The Aureate Horizons Trading Co., colloquially known as Horizons, urgently seeks mercenaries in A'lune to join as Wardens of Sorrowood for a long term commission. In addition to an incentivized mercenary pay rate of 5 gold per week (as opposed to 2 gold per week that is standard), Horizons says that mercenaries can keep whatever is recovered from bandits along the route.
An outpost has been established in the treacherous Sorrowwoods. With numerous bandit groups along the route, prepare to lay siege upon, oust, or recruit the various banditry groups towards protecting the road! Upgrade your fortress further as you progress, deciding upgrades that will determine the fate of future chapters!
==Mercenaries==
===Active Mercenaries===
*El Cangrejo - Crabfolk Rogue/Bard
*Jayzal - Tabaxi Rogue
*John Weck - Human Rogue
*Teneboris - "Kobold" Warlock
*Ulfgar Fireforge - Dwarven Cleric
===Inactive===
*Bim Bim - Elven Barbarian
*Percevial - Dragonborn Sorcerer (Premade)
*Shepard Swiftfoot - Halfling Druid
*Snarela Kegfury - Dwarven Artificer
==Adventure Debriefing:==
After exterminating the Thornbriars residing at the castle ruins, the Mercenaries settled in for the night. Taking the opportunity to work with the partially destroyed forge, Uflgar crafted reusable molds of El Cangrejo's bullets; and used them to make several slugs made of silver. Discussion that evening revolved around which bandit group should be sought out next, and how. The group decided that openly traveling with the cart full of salvaged supplies, with a mix of day and night travel, might be best to get the attention of the Moonlit Raiders.
Splitting watch and travel duties, Jayzal and Teneboris volunteered for night time; while El Cangrejo and John took the day shifts; with Ulfgar assisting either as needed. 
During the first day of travel a butterfly told El Cangrjo, "The Great Slumber shall soon be upon us." Unnerved El Cangrejo began telling stories to distract himself and entertain the others. The following night, Jayzal spotted a few elves hunting game but not a threat to the party.
The second day of travel was unremarkable. But as night settled in, Jayzal eyed a pair of local humans dressed in simple garb foraging plants and such. Concerned they may be bandits in disguise, he informed the group. The humans approached and while wary of an ambush, Teneboris spoke with them. Jake and Elly were 'folk of the forest' and had indeed been foraging, and offered to share their bounty. They had caught something they called a Beard Bird, a "fae chicken." While the Bread Bird wasn't desireable for consumption, the eggs were. The egg shells could be used as flour and combined with the egg and baked into a delicious bread! The pair offered a sample with some berry jam. Teneboris found them to be true to their word, and thoroughly enjoyed the cuisine. Having little money to offer, Teneboris asked how he could acquire one of these Bread Birds. Jake offered one of theirs in exchange for one of the hunting dogs the mercenaries had acquired from the late Thornbriars. Elly let the group know where they had found the birds. A grotto with an island and a circle of mushrooms a few days travel to the northwest; and sometimes creatures from the Feylands wandered through there. Teneboris thanked them graciously for their hospitality.
On the third day of travel, Ulfgar came across a sword stuck into a stone. After a few moments of inspection he managed to remove what was a finely crafted Elven Dueling Blade. A sword that usually takes several master craftsmen years to create, it is two-handed but surprisingly easy to wield. Camped that night, Teneboris found a patch of rock with a handful of desiccated newts, perfect for use as spell components. Jayzal's alert tabaxi ears heard unusual "chittering" sounds, like bones clashing, gnashing.
Jayzal tried to warn Teneboris that he was in danger, but it was too late as a swarm of rabid squirrels surrounded him. El Cangrejo was already asleep, but Jayzal managed to quickly rouse the others as two other swarms of squirrels descended upon the party. As one ball of angry teeth rended Teneboris, another gnashed at John. The third tried to bite El Cangrejo but was unable to find purchase on what was only a phantasmal illusion of the crabfolk. Jayzal spotted a Moonlit Raider and closed the distance to the druid, slowed only momentarily by entangling weeds. John grabbed squirrels and used them as weapons against the others. Ulfgar saw Teneboris bleeding profusely and with a swiftness unknown to most dwarves managed to swap places with the frogfolk, moving him out of danger. El Cangrejo engaged with the second druid. John continued to battle squirrels and a third druid. Now freed, Teneboris blasted the druid that had summoned that swarm, breaking her concentration on the spell as she died. Still burning with fury, he spun around threatening the other two druids. Jayzal reminded him that they wanted to capture one for questioning. El Cangrejo fired La Correa De Puncion. The chain-tethered javelin pierced the third druid. Badly wounded by John and El Cangrjo, the druid wrenched himself free and wild shaped into a raven to flee the battle. The second druid wild shaped into an owl and also flew away. Teneboris with nary a moment to spare fired two eldritch blasts at the retreating druids. The first hit caused the raven to shift back into a man whom did not survive the fall to the ground. The owl faltered in flight as the second hit knocked her out of wild shape. Jayzal swiftly bounded through the brush to catch up and capture the druid.
The mercenaries found some unusual items on the druids. Notably, a honey-smelling Potion of Sweet Water that can purify food or liquids, or allow a second chance to survive poisoning. And a Wooden Compass that doesn't seem to point North.
After returning to the Fortress, John and Jayzal interrogated the Moonlit Raider druid. The druid tried to hide the fact that the Wooden Compass did indeed point the way to their hide-out. Jayzal planted a magic bean that sprouted into a tree that blooms a fruity alcohol scent. John warned that they could plant a tree in the druid if she doesn't tell them everything. At first uncooperative, the druid relented after being healed by Ulfgar when she had an allergic reaction to being fed an acorn. The Moonlit are interested in gold, magic items, power, and reclaiming moon elves pre-Scourge glory. The Moonlit hide-out is in a valley clearing, but protected by warding glyphs only visible under moonlit, and the compass points to a Homestone, a dwarven relic, at their hide-out.
Twiggy Stardust, one of the treants, informed the mercenaries of wraith filled ruins to the northwest near the Moonlit Raiders hide-out.
==Conclusion==
The mercenaries returned to the Fortress after defeating a few Moonlit Raiders, and acquired information on where and how to find the rest. 
==Rewards==
*Bag of Acorns, non-magical, John
*Potion of Sweet Water, Jayzal
*Bread Bird, Teneboris
*Druidic Spell Focus (Wooden Bear), Teneboris
*Wooden Compass attuned to Homestone, in Jayzal's possession
Category:Adventures