Wardens of the Sorrowood C4E02

Game Scheduled: June 28th, 2024
GM: Thom
==Chapter Synopsis:==
In the depth of the forest, a nefarious Archdruid is on a mission to resurrect a green dragon, once turned to stone and shattered into a thousand pieces. The druid's machinations have been slowly uncovered; a Tower he was researching to the Northeast, a Quarry to the West, and evidence of missing troll clans in the marshes bordering the Sorrowood. Perhaps the one hope to turn the dragon to stone once more is a lost Medusa, last seen in a maze where the Wardens unleashed an Anti-Magic Zone by accident. Some, or all, of these threats will need to be neutralized in order to guarantee the safety of the Wardens' mission: assaulting the Druid's Lair...
==Mercenaries==
===Active Mercenaries===
*Darksteel - Fallen Aasimar Warlock
*Havlow Killbottom - Dwarven Paladin
*John Weck - Human Rogue/Fighter
*Shepard Swiftfoot - Halfling Druid
*Ulfgar Fireforge - Dwarven Cleric
*Xilon Starrati - Half-Elf Wizard
===Inactive (Guarding the Fortress)===
*Bim Bim - Elven Barbarian
*El Cangrejo - Crabfolk Rogue/Bard
*Jayzal - Tabaxi Rogue
*Snarela Kegfury - Dwarven Artificer
*Xane - Air Genasi Paladin/Cleric
==Adventure Debriefing:==
===You're going to need a bigger boat===
The mercenaries left the troll marshes behind them and turned eastward to proceed with their journey. After a few days of travel their meals had become bland and overcooked. While out hunting, Darksteel had found a rather nasty looking bear carcass that appeared to have been ripped in two by something monstrous. 
Pressing on with some caution, the party spied a tree hut amongst the trees. Darksteel tapped into the Thread of the Green Hag's Hair he now wore and cast Detect Magic. He could see that the trees with lustrous orange and green leaves along the road were under illusion magic. Ulfgar squinted and activated True Sight through the Eye of the Cloven Sage that now replaced one of his own globes. He noted the trees were in fact quite dead, and that a bridge up ahead was fake. In the water of the wide river Ulfgar saw an invisible monstrosity comprised of a crocodile head but centipede body with a scorpion's tail-stinger. He jokingly dubbed it a "Trapjaw Centi-Scorpion," and then cast Guiding Bolt at it. Havlow tried to Command it to come closer to shore, and the party, but it resisted. John fired from his Elven Longbow and moved to hide amongst the trees. Shepard, who had kept up working out his lycantropic-strength by carrying a small boulder while they traveled, heaved the rock towards the monster. With a resounding crack, the Glass Gator's neck snapped when the boulder slammed against it's head. Shepard retrieved the floating corpse. John tried to remove the stinger's venom but the tail twitched as rigor mortis set in; the stinger penetrated John's arm. The poison hurt like hell, but caused no secondary effects. 
With the danger abated, the party made use of Xilon's Broom of Flying to cross the river. Only Ulfgar had trouble; but Xilon quickly recalled his Broom to retrieve the waterlogged dwarf. Regrouped on the shore, John offered to scout down the road ahead. Before he reached the first turn, he began to sink in quicksand. Ulfgar could see it was an illusion as the party threw John a rope. As he attempted to climb out, he realized he was fine and there was no quicksand. Ulfgar directed the party around the nonexistant quicksand. After the bend, the road led to a lovely hut built amongst the trees. However, Ulfgar saw the truth of the decrepit hut decorated in bone and effigy, mushrooms and death. 
While Darksteel and Ulfgar discussed what could be seen, a kindly old lady exited the hut asking, "oh did my wards bother you? it's so dangerous out here in the woods." Ulfgar countered that she was the danger. She gifted Ulfgar a prophecy, "Should you see two crows ahead turn back, because ahead is death." Ulfgar threatened the horned humanoid, and told the party the old lady wasn't what she appeared to be. She replied "haven't you heard of Tieflings my boy?" The rest of the mercenaries could only see the disguised kindly old lady and her bluebirds, not the vile Dusk Hag and her crows amidst the backdrop of death and rot. The Dusk Hag cast a Mass Suggestion, "you should all leave me alone and return to your hovels, you mean bandits!"
Ulfgar's Guiding Bolt streaked through the illusions and struck the Dusk Hag for serious damage. Charmed, Shepard began walking back down the road and encouraged the others to leave the nice lady alone. Xilon, charmed for the first time ever, also began walking away. John ran up and stabbed the illuminated Dusk Hag with his Dagger of Wounding. Darksteel Hex'd the Dusk Hag and then Eldritch Blast'd her twice. The Dusk Hag spoke a Word of Misfortune to Ulfgar, and then Touch'd John with Nightmare-ish power draining him. John dropped to the ground, unconsious. Havlow, also charmed, began following Shepard and Xilon.
Ulfgar hit the Dusk Hag with another Guiding Bolt. Shepard shouted back to John, "Get UP! We're leaving the nice lady alone" and cast the ranged healing spell, Healing Word. As John regained consiousness, the Dusk Hag reacted with her ability Dream Eater, but John shook off the effect. Xilon pondered why some of the mercenaries stayed while the rest were departing. John stood up and punched the Dusk Hag with his Knuckledusters before catching up to the others. Darksteel released his Necrotic Shroud and became terrifying and hag-like in appearance. The Dusk Hag cast a Hypnotic Pattern at Darksteel and Ulfgar; incapacitating only the dwarven cleric. Havlow saw John come up beside him and channeled his Lay on Hands to restore the rogue's vitality. 
Ulfgar was stunned by the swirling, twisting patterns of colors around him. Shepard, seeing that now Ulfgar was falling behind, said "c'mon man!" and cast Dispel Magic back at the colorful illusion to break him free. Xilon buffed John with Longstrider magic. John felt refreshed and emboldened; and ran to the Dusk Hag to strike her again. Darksteel cast a long Wall of Thorns where the Dusk Hag stood, the vines catching and tearing at her. The Dusk Hag used Dimension Door to flee into the fallicious forest. The Dusk Hags crows moved to swarm the mercenaries that had been attacking her. Havlow walked alongside Shepard and Xilon. As a swarm of birds peck at Darksteel, he reacted with Misty Escape to get some distance. 
Ulfgar, able to see the Dusk Hag through the illusions, tried to hit her with a ranged cantrip. Shepard, seeing Ulfgar delayed again, turned and released a Fireball to explode amongst the flocks of birds. Xilon casts Vortex Warp to magically transport Ulfgar to him. John grabbed Ulfgar and helped him along, to witch (hehe) Ulfgar started to protest, "the Hag is only 100 feet into the woods! we have to kill her!" Darksteel launched his own Fireball, but into the woods as Ulfgar had directed, incinerating the Dusk Hag. He then ran to catch up to the others.
Still following the reasonable suggestion to leave, the mercenaries traveled for a bit before they stopped for the night slightly off course from what they'd originally intended.
===Romancing the Stone===
As the mercenaries got closer, John and Ulfgar led the party to the site of the hedge maze the Verdant Reavers had once used for a base for their heinous operations. For the others, it was the first time seeing what was once a maze of magical hedges now devastated by an anti-magic zone. Havlow gave a little push to some hedges, as the branches crossed the anti-magic they fell to the ground withered and dead. Clearly the area would remain cut off from the Thread for some time. Darksteel spotted a section that appeared matted down by a large serpentine creature, as though it had fled hurriedly.
Through his divine connection to Katis, Havlow began to sense something amiss as they followed the trail southward. Ulfgar and Shepard investigated the serpentine track, and speculated the creature was panicked, "turn, stone, turn, stone, fleeing." John dipped a finger into a red-coppery spot of blood and sniffed, he felt his body reject paralytic magic. He collected a vials worth of the toxin. Farther ahead, Xilon saw a spectre with red eyes full of malice. Shepard expressed his desire to set the undead to rest. The spectre fled at the sight of Ulfgar's Holy Symbol. 
A change in terrain, and the party realized they were on holy ground. In front of them spectres were beating on a stone structure trying to get in. Through one battered door they can hear the sounds of battle inside. 
A Thunderwave from the Medusa shook the building's interior. John ran up and stabbed the closest Sword Wraith with his Dragontooth Dagger. The wraiths words are in long forgotten language John can only partially understand, "dragon cultist." The Sword Wraith recklessly swung his two-handed Battle Axe, whilst another shoots an arrow at John. His Kinectic Vest absorbed some of both blows. Ulfgar channeled divine power and turned four of the wraiths near the entrance. Inside, two Sword Wraiths teamed up to fight the Medusa. A Wraith Warrior swung at Ulfgar. Xilon moved up to the entrance, peered in, then Misty Stepped to an interior room. He called out to the Medusa, "We're here to help!" The Medusa expressed gratitude, and kept her snake-hair hidden under her shawl. Relieved to make contact with the Medusa, Xilon tried to Mind Sliver the Wraith Commander. Darksteel Hex'd and Eldritch Blast'd a Sword Wraith. One that had been Turned fled through the building past Xilon, he felt cold undeath as it passed. Havlow stepped up and slashed through a Sword Wraith; it dissipated in holy light. Shepard tried to knock the one next to John prone but couldn't get a good grasp on the partially tangible spectre.
A Wraith loosed an arrow at the Medusa. In turn, she unleashed a Synaptic Static that filled the room, zapping Wraiths and Xilon at the very edge of the effect. The psychic energy super-charged Xilon's spell focus. The Sword Wraith swung recklessly at John again. A Turned Wraith tried to run, but Havlow took the opportunity to slash through it with his greatsword. Ulfgar pulled out an elven dueling blade and imbued it with Magic Weapon, but was unable to land his first blow. The Wraith Commander summoned more Wraiths from the beyond to surround the Medusa. Xilon used Vortex Warp to teleport the Medusa out of the room, then stepped out of the room himself and closed the door. The lingering sanctity of this consecrated ground would prevent the Wraiths from easily opening the door. Darksteel burned a Wraith away with Sacred Flame. A trapped Sword Wraith pounded on the door until it broke. A Turned Wraith fled deeper into the ruins. Another Sword Wraith stepped through to swing at Xilon but dropped his sword. The other Wraiths behind him move closer. Havlow attempted to Turn the Unholy, and then slashed a Wraith. Shepard splashed Holy Water on his knuckles then punched through the Sword Wraith between him and John. It faded from existence.
A Sword Wraith swung at Xilon. The Medusa quickened a Vitrolic Sphere and sent it into the interior room. The orb exploded, raining acid on many wraiths. John ran in and swung at the Sword Wraith next to Xilon. Another Sword Wraith swung at Xilon, but he reacted by casting a magical Shield to block with. Ulfgar trudged into the entry room and summoned his Spirit Guardians, surrounding himself in tiny magical hammers of holy radiant energy. The Wraith Commander came out from the interior room to Multiattack, and almost kill Xilon. An arrow from another Wraith bounced off Xilon's Shield. Desperate, Xilon cast Summon Draconic Spirit. In his weakened state, his focus was off and something unintended answered. A Young Black Dragon appeared in the interior room, and not under Xilon's control. Darksteel moved his Hex to the Wraith Commander and wreathed him in Sacred Flame. A Sword Wraith slashed Havlow; Havlow returned the blow even harder. The Medusa skillfully Slither'd across the room for a better vantage point, drawing no attacks from enemies. Shepard, unable to get to Xilon, instead ignited a Wall of Fire behind the Wraith Commander that extended into the next room to burn the other Wraiths and Young Black Dragon. The Medusa pulled off her shawl so her snakes could Petrifying Gaze at the Young Black Dragon. It began to turn to stone. A Sword Wraith tried to flee but was discorporated by Ulfgar's Spirit Guardians.
The Medusa Mutliattacked a Sword Wraith. John's Dragontooth Dagger glanced off the Wraith Commander's armor. "Sympathizer,' it hissed. Ulfgar, bringing his radiant aura with him, squared up to the Wraith Commander and split the undead in two with the magically blessed elven dueling blade. Another Wraith faded in the Wall of Fire. Xilon shattered a Sword Wraiths mind with Psychic Lance. Darksteel finished the last Wraith with Eldritch Blasts. The Young Black Dragon finished petrifying into stone.
While the others cleaned up the rest of the ruined Temple of Liandra, Xilon spoke to the Medusa. She is Iridia the actual slayer of Scythorn, and clearly a Medusa and *not* a Giant. Iridia discussed the true history of her fight with the dragons. To her, Sire Gerrif Mowen was simply a coward who commanded from a chair. In return, Xilon filled her in on current events. Iridia vowed to help stop the evil druid trying to resurrect the Green Dragon.
==Conclusion==
The mercenaries traveled east from the troll marshes. They encountered and defeated a Dusk Hag, a master of mind affecting magics. They investigated the anti-magic zone and ruined hedge maze. They saved the medusa, Iridia, from undead at a ruined Temple of Liandra. Iridia agreed to help them defeat the evil druid.
==Rewards==
*New Friend - Iridia, a medusa, and definitely NOT a giant.
*7gp, 16sp, 25cp each
*Fire Emerald, Xilon
*Blood of the Serpent, 1 vial, John Weck
*Arrow of Slaying [Unattuned], x2, John Weck
Category:Adventures