Wardens of the Sorrowood C2E06

Game Scheduled: December 21, 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===
*Bim Bim - Elven Barbarian
*Jayzal - Tabaxi Rogue
*John Weck - Human Rogue
*Teneboris - "Kobold" Warlock
*Ulfgar Fireforge - Dwarven Cleric
===Inactive===
*El Cangrejo - Crabfolk Rogue/Bard
*Percevial - Dragonborn Sorcerer (Premade)
*Shepard Swiftfoot - Halfling Druid
*Snarela Kegfury - Dwarven Artificer
==Adventure Debriefing:==
Away from the danger of the Thinning, Pomberro agreed to keep watch for his friends and in case the skeletal shadow creature returned. Marks of an "S" on the trees would signify danger, and an "X" would represent a clear path. 
Bim Bim caught up with the mercs at camp. After a few finishing touches with the new "white ape" hide, John presented Bim Bim with a new +1 Maul. No longer needing the Very Thin Maul of Thorns, Bim Bim offered it to Teneboris, whom discovered it could also be used to cast spells when attuned to. 
The party broke camp and headed northeast to avoid encountering the shadow creature. Along the way they met a Foultrapper with an eyepatch who offered to guide them. They declined, but took note of where his village was to the west and informed him of the Overlook Fortress should he ever need them.
Continuing northeast, Jayzal scouted ahead and found downed trees and large foot prints. Getting a closer view, he saw a six-eyed gray skinned bipedal monstrosity. A Gray Render. He relayed the information to the party noting they are odd creatures normally used as guards, but no one seemed to be commanding it. 
Thinking to lure it into combat with the Moonlit Raiders, John offered to use dog biscuits to lead it to their encampment. Preparing for the chance combat might ensue, Ulfgar blessed Bim Bim, John, and himself with extra vigor. John stealthily approached and threw a biscuit, the Gray Render picked it up and ate it. Repeating the process, John managed to lead the creature for several hours before a bad throw revealed his arm, and the Gray Render attempted to take a bite of it!
John then tried to sneak around the Gray Render to stab it from behind, but the hide was too thick. Teneboris unleashed a Wall of Thorns from the magical staff, encircling the monster. Ulfgar stabbed into it with a Searing Smite, revealing it's vulnerability to fire. The Gray Render picked up Ulfgar and started working it's way out of the thorns, taking more damage as it moved. Jayzal's psychic daggers flew wide. Bim Bim ran up and sank an axe into it. 
John ran up and kicked the axe even further into the Gray Render's hide. Teneboris cast a Fireball that exploded on the monsters back side. Ulfgar cast Heat Metal on the embedded axe. The intense heat proved too much and the Gray Render panicked and tried to run but only tangled itself up in more brambles and collapsed. While the flesh was too tough to be usable, the party managed to remove five shortsword-sized claws from the creature. Bim Bim prepared the monster's liver for the crew to eat. While edible, it proved a delicacy they would not want to try again.
After closing the distance to the Moonlit Raider encampment, the party waited for night to fall. As informed by the druid they had captured, dangerous runes became visible in various places along the stonework. Teneboris cast Water Breathing as a precaution should any of the mercenaries fall into the water that flowed through the structure.
Deciding on a two-pronged attack to catch the bandits off-guard, the party moved in quickly to not give the chance for an alarm to be raised. John and Bim Bim moved north. John spied a frogfolk reading scrolls, a lizardfolk on the balcony, and a someone with a strange glowing rune on their forehead. Teneboris and Ulfgar swam east to the tower overlooking the water. Jayzal swam even faster and reached it first, then activated the Zipline Ring to allow quick transport to the top of the tower. 
Bim Bim heaved John up onto the balcony. John wrapped the surprised lizardfolk in rope and tossed him down into Bim Bim's waiting arms. Jayzal used the zipline to take Ulfgar up the tower, took note of the enemies there, stole the Homestone floating in a basin, and ziplined them back down to the water.
John shifted on the balcony. Bim Bim used a newly learned skill, "Oakhold," on the grappled lizardfolk. A star elf, who heard John across the courtyard, cast Entangle on the balcony. The lizardfolk fell unconcious. A bugbear moved down the hall towards the balcony. Jayzal zipped up the line and hit the star elf with a psychic dagger, breaking her concentration on Entangle. The frogfolk cast Shillelagh and swung at John with his staff. A druid moved down the hall with the bugbear. Another moved up next to the star elf and unsuccessfully tried to knock Jayzal off the tower with Thunderwave. The star elf walked over and cast Moonbeam directly on Jayzal. Teneboris hovered just above the water below and returned fire with a Fireball into the back of the tower. The thunderwave druid died as he fell out of the tower, another bandit was incinerated just out of sight, but the star elf managed to maintain concentration on her Moonbeam. The one with a runed forehead smacked John with a Shillelagh'd weapon. Ulfgar waited beneath then tower.
John kicked the runed bandit off the ledge and turned to the frogfolk, threatening "we only need one of you alive." The Frogfolk dropped his weapon in surrender. Bim Bim grappled the falling bandit and threw her through the air; upon finally landing, her legs crumpled under her and she passed out. The bugbear moved closer down the hall. Jayzal struck the star elf twice with psychic daggers and retreated down the zipline. A bandit from another room moved up behind the star elf. The frogfolk asked what he should do; John replied "Jump." Bim Bim put his arms out but intentionally missed catching the frogfolk. The druid near the bugbear cast Spike Growth on the balcony where John stood. The star elf critically Whipped Teneboris with Thorns pulling him closer and into the edge of the Moonbeam. Teneboris Bubble Hex'd himself and fired a couple Eldritch Blasts at the star elf. Ulfgar moved to heal Jayzal.
John moved into the hall and threatened the druid to stand down. Bim Bim used his new Maul's ability to sticky-grapple foes on the wounded frogfolk and climbed up to the balcony. Jayzal zipped back up the tower with Ulfgar, and hit the star elf with another burst of psychic daggers. The bandit behind the star elf fired an arrow into Ulfgar. The frogfolk struggled against the sticky-grapple. The trembling druid in the hall fired his shortbow past John. The star elf Wild Shaped into a wolverine. Teneboris flew up to be level with the tower, and responded to the earlier strike on him with a critical hit of his own as he Eldritch Blasted the star elf-wolverine. Ulfgar swung wide with a Searing Smite.
John drew his bow and charged the bugbear at the end of the hall, a glowing rune exploded in ice as John passed. The bugbear grabbed John and pulled him in close. Bim Bim adjusted the frogfolk to be in front of him and told him to disable a glowing rune. The frogfolk explained that only Elmira could do that. The bugbear threatened Bim Bim to release the frogfolk or he would throw John into a pit. Bim Bim declined and John was thrown into the pit. Jayzal ziplined back up next to the star elf-wolverine and stabbed his foe. The star elf-wolverine fell unconsious, her Wild Shape faded. Jayzal steadied a second psychic dagger at her throat and told the other bandit to stand down. Uflgar holding a sword bright and searing hot, assisted. The bandit called out, "Elmira down! we surrender! we surrender!"
==Conclusion==
With the Moonlit Raiders either disposed off or in custody, the road through the Sorrowoods is that much safer.
==Rewards==
*Homestone, in Jayzal's possession
*5 Gray Render Claws, Bim Bim, Jayzal, John, Ulfgar x2
Category:Adventures