Wardens of the Sorrowood C1E02

Game Scheduled: August 10, 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.
Caravan losses have surged on the route from Mowen to Kregia, particularly through the treacherous Sorrowwoods. The Rekal Guard, formerly securing the route, have disbanded the escort factions following overwhelming losses. Horizons believes the solution lies in both increased security and proactive threat neutralization. Setting up an outpost halfway is necessary.
== Mercenaries: ==
*Bim Bim - Elven Barbarian
*John Weck - Human Rogue
*Shepard Swiftfoot - Halfling Druid
*Snarela Kegfury - Dwarven Artificer
== Adventure Debriefing: ==
=== En-treant-y ===
Treant Spruce Willis demands the group to leave the forest. As multiple treants close on the party, Bim Bim and Snarela reply, "we're not a threat," "we're here to help!" and offer to form an alliance with the treants. The treants are angry, and don't want humans in the woods at all. Humans have burned and cut and poisoned land and tree. Bim Bim persists in his offers to help, maybe the party could stop the spreading poison. One treant lifts it's roots, and Snarela sees that the poisons effects looks like rats chewing on the roots. Snarela removes some thorns from the lower part of the treant for analysis, the vines look conjured but the poison is unfamiliar. The party also agrees to find a missing treant, Cedarella, whose grove is further north into the woods.
=== A Bird Off Hand === 
Birds seem to be watching the group as they head north. Shepard, still disguised as a black cat, alerts Snarela with upward glances, and nudges Bim Bim's leg to try to suggest the party divert course. Bim Bim scares off the birds with a well thrown stone. The party travels northwest, with Snarela's homunculus Pepito watching from the sky.
Camped that evening, during the first watch, Bim Bim glimpses wolves in the distance. He begins to ritually activate his ability to speak with animals while observing their approach. As they get closer he sees thorny growths around their heads. Finishing connecting to the aspect of beasts, he overhears in the wolves growling, "these are the ones we were told to look for, form up for battle." The wolves howling awakens the sleeping mercenaries.
While dangerous foes in great number, a few are dispatched quickly. John Weck's aim with a crossbow unmatched. Bim Bim managed to grapple the pack leader and rip the crown of thorns from it's head, seemingly ending whatever compulsion that was placed on the wolf. With carefully aimed fire magic, Snarela seared a second wolf's crown away.
Speaking with the rescued wolves, Bim Bim gets a description of the person who enslaved them. Long white hair, carries a staff, talks to the forest, and "ghosts" follow and aid him. Bim Bim swears to help save the rest of the pack from this "bad nature man." John's dog daisy gets a scent from a thorny crown that leads to the east, confirmed by the wolves. Snarela takes the second watch.
=== ED ===
The following day, about half a day's travel east, the party comes across the remains of a burned downed tree. Past it a pit where something had clearly been dug out and a hovel across the way. Approaching, vines spring forth. The person responsible for enslaving birds and wolves taunts the party, his desire is to bend all of the Sorrowood to his will and desires.
Bim Bim charged ahead around the vines, intending to end this evil druid. John and Daisy advanced into melee, attempting to strike and frighten the evil druid. Shepard, as a black cat, had snuck around behind the hovel and dispelled protective magic on the evil druid. Snarela attacked the evil druid via her constructs, Bubo rending with powerful force, and Pepito delivering a shocking grasp. The evil druid retreated summoning a beam of magical moonlight upon those that had surrounded him. The group again tried to surround the evil druid. Bim Bim wrenched the staff from his hands.
The evil druid ran to the closest grown tree and magically strode into it. The party tried to discern the direction he had gone, but he whichever tree he had subsequently stepped out of was too far to be tracked.
Furious, Shepard pulled a Crystal Ball from his pack and attempted to scry the evil druids location. At first he sees nothing but trees, but as he continues watching, it appears the evil druid is moving faster and faster. Clouds start to zoom past. Flying? It is then seen under the evil druid, shiny green scales. The groups quarry may be more than just the evil druid, but also a wyvern.
Snarela and John check the remains of the hovel for anything left behind. Snarela adds fungal spores to the samples of thorns and poison stored within Bubo.
== Conclusion ==
Agreeing to help the treants inhabiting the overlook clearing, the party set forth to look for Cedarella and the source of the poison creeping through the land. An evil druid is found enslaving beasts and killing trees, but escapes.
== Rewards ==
* very thin "Maul of Thorns," Bim Bim, (secretly a +1 Staff of the Woodlands variant)
* 3 vials of Troll's Blood, Snarela
* Rope, John
* Bedroll, Daisy
Wardens of the Sorrowood - 02