Zoom 2021-12-21 21:00

Four Days with the Shadow Clan (Days 168-9?)
== First Impressions ==
The Party are escorted to the scout camp at 203.032, where the clansmen offer first aid, and the party uses its remaining healing, then, exhausted, falls into a deep sleep. On waking the party notes that there are about 20 clansmen (trolls and lizardmen), who are polite, but reserved. We are clearly a matter for the clan elders.
Once we are fully awake, and have used requisite healing, we are invited to accompany them to the leaders’s camp at 203.028, and thanks to their “rapid transit” skills, we arrive at roughly mid-day. The camp appears well laid out, and well defended. We see about 70-80 clansmen, again trolls and lizardmen in roughly equal numbers. We are given a campsite and warned not to try to pass the first perimeter line of pickets. Most of the party fell to sleeping or recovering spells, having brought the party up to full hit points. Joshua and Caradoc tried to use their charm to chat to the clansmen, and will be seeking a refund from Dale Carnegie in due course.
At about 2pm those of us who were awake noticed the return of a group of scouts, who, we later learned, reported that the Lizardman expedition were all digging a large pit roughly 2 miles SSW of Thricastle. About an hour later we saw half a dozen senior clansmen heading south. Meanwhile Garaf identified the wands recovered from Fred’s friends as items only useable by GARM priests, and regrettably full of charges.
Finally we were invited to food, observing with interest the clans method of dispelling the cooking fire smoke about 3’ above the fire. Sadly, this appears to be a druid spell restricted to the clan, though we might be able to learn it “in due course”. Now we get to meet the clan leaders. In discussions over that evening we learn a bit about the clan, and its current disposition. We take the opportunity to pass on news of the outside world, and a newly charismatic Joshua talks himself hoarse. Caradoc warns about the fireball wands (Garaf had identified a fireball wand as containing 18 charges, and being restricted to priests of GARM). Oddly, the clan was unaware of the return of the Elves, but seemed unimpressed. “Here they go again, invade, fail, make alliances, disappear, rinse and repeat, but this time no Great Spells, not enough mana.”
The next morning the party has further opportunities to talk to the clan leaders, and the clan also indulges in extensive debate. The split seems to be between stopping the Lizardmen, staying hidden, or trying to join the Thunderclan horde. Had the party spoken with one voice, we might have influenced a decision. As Brother Dougal remarked, “We really are Old Wyldwood.”
New information comes in from the six at the dig. There are only a dozen Lizardmen at the dig. The rest are a (spectacularly large) illusion. The clan begins to break camp. The Knight sends out scouting parties to cover as much ground as possible, but avoid any areas where Trollheim ships might be encountered. The Shaman thinks this dissipation of force is an error, and would have preferred to concentrated forces at the two harbour towns, Connolas and Thrisa. The party agrees to head off in that direction, but slowly since they have no rapid transit support. After 4 hours a scout finds us and tells us that the Lizardmen had excavated a metal or hard stone hand, about 6’ from wrist to middle finger tip. It was not mithril, and gave off no trace of magic. The trolls [surely Lizardmen - DEG] lifted and dragged it towards the south-west. The clan was aiming to concentrate at 198.034, and had recalled the northern scouts. The Shaman sends word, asking if we are aware of Legend 26 - GARM The question remains whether we will unite to counsel the clan.
During the next couple of days the clan gathers south-west of Thricastle. The Lizardmen seem to have escaped, and Quercuis seems to have adopted a new mantra, “This disturbs the Balance”. I’m not sure any of the party are impressed, since it is not easy to reconcile with her previous behaviour.
== What we learn from the clan ==
The clan leaders are:
*The Knight (Troll - trying to maintain clan unity) Colm Hillwalker
*The Speaker (Lizardman – stay and hide – it’s worked OK so far) Shadowspeaker
*The Shaman (Lizardman – new WW activist) Greenscale
The clan is roughly evenly split between the Speaker and Shaman, but not along any obvious racial lines. The Trolls tend to be highly intelligent, and are generally heard with respect. The Lizardmen tend to be more passive, looking to the Trolls for leadership. The Trolls seem stockier than their Trollheim namesakes, the Lizardmen more gracile than the Lizardmen with Fred’s expedition. The Lizardmen are warm-blooded.
The clan inhabits this forest, and the foothills to the east, where they maintain small settlements to provide brewing and metal-working.
The clan is well supplied with reasonably high ranking druids and rangers, with totems to provide aerial scouting.
== History of area ==
The local legend describes a dwarf, not a hobbit, performed a long ritual to create the drums.
Vendor seems to have been abandoned when its mithril vein failed. Heavily infected with “ghosts”, which appear active at night, and even, optimistically, under heavy cloud cover.
The (flamboyant) Dwarf from Hightower went straight to Vendor to recover the three fragments, and ignored the other towns. He explained to the Shadow clan scouts, that he was taking them to Hightower to ensure the drums could not be broken. The clan says this happened 60 or 70 years ago. For a clan with strong oral history, it is odd than no one seems to remember exactly. The dwarf claimed to be a worshipper of the Universal. The legend of the drums postdates Soratan’s departure.
Trollheim’s government is split between various noble houses, some conventionally militaristic, others dabbling in undead cults. SARN is rare in Trollheim. They could have recovered the drums themselves, but never made the effort.
The clan has a tradition that Soratan opened his gate spell just north of Vendor. They settled the Vale later
== Quotes of the Week ==
“I knew it would be our fault, somehow.” (Garaf and Umar in unison)
“Soratan’s back” (Umar) Sounds of dropped jaws, plates and mugs until party explains.