Session 14 Recap

Tanglewood Forest

* Heart Grove

### NPCs:

* Turtle King (Not a turtle, not a king - More accurately, Tortoise Princess, Guardian Forest Spirit)
* Kurama (Turtle King's mother, also not a tortoise or king)
* Hippa (Guardian Druid of the Heart Grove in Tanglewood Forest. Uses crows as familiars)
* A number of citizens from Willow's Grove (who followed when the Turtle King made the tunnel and departed)

**Previously...**

## And Now...

The group travelled into the strange tunnel following ‘Turtle King’, accompanied by a number of citizens of Willow Hill. The Tunnel had sealed behind them and was made from cross-crossing plants and branches, including luminous vines which allowed them to see in the closed tunnel. They learned that the tunnel was constantly opening hundreds of meters ahead of them (just outside line of sight) and closing just as far behind them.

As the journey became hours long, many of the citizens were becoming nervous, unsure of what was going to happen. Dandy convinced them that this was an adventure and therefore that meant they were all going to find valuable treasure. This lifted the groups spirits (they even chanted ‘Treasure, ‘Treasure’). The citizens were armed with (mostly) spare weapons from the group's backpacks.

Since none of the characters had slept in the last 24 hours checks were made for fatigue. Dandy (still atop of TK) took the opportunity to nod off for a short while.

After 4-5 hours of travel, the tunnel started showing signs of corruption, with dead leaves and darker phosphorus vines. Twisted branches occasionaly blocked the way (TK was reluctant to pass them) until Arik would hack them apart. They spotted a leg poking down through the roof of the tunnel and investigated. It turned out to be an undead leg, attached to a very old zombie. The zombie was plucked out of the roof and set upon by a mob of scared citizens. Checking the zombie, they found an unusual uniform (sigil of an unidentified animal and building) and 4 silver coins, bearing the likeness of unrecognised royalty and a tower. Some samples of the twisted vines and zombie corpses were kept for later examination. Further travel produced more zombies and the tunnel started to drip with unclean water. The zombies were dealt with easily.

Not long after clearing the ‘dark area’ of the tunnel, it started to angle upward and they found themselves coming out of the tunnel and into an unknown heavy woodlands. Arik scales a tree to get their bearings and sees they are in a large forest, with a river winding through it, hills to the north and south and a ‘dark grove’ in the east which seemed to line up with the dark patch in their travels.

TK continues to travel West and the travellers stay with it. Trees seem to just allow TK to pass, even if it shouldn’t fit. After a while, they begin to notice dozens and then possibly hundreds of Crows watching them from the trees. Dandy offers the birds jerky (which they accept gladly), and a figure appears in a flurry of black feathers and wings. The figure is a gnome dressed in a cloak of crow feathers and she introduces herself as ‘Hippa’. Hippa seems to know TK (and the Tortoise is happy to see her) and indicates she has been awaiting the Tortoise's return. She offers to guide them to ‘ The Grove’ to meet ‘TK’s Mother’ . To the shock and awe of the group, they realise TK is not a fully grown giant tortoise.

They cross the river and enter the grove. It’s a large clearing with a gigantic tree at it center, growing from a small hill. In between the tree and the hill is the ‘mother’. She seems to be growing into the hill and tree, as the line between each is hard to distinguish. She’s massive, 3 times the size of TK. She has a white opalesque shell and the marks and wrinkles of advanced age. She also has some recent scars on her face and shell.

Also in the grove, at it’s far edge, is a small heap of dead humanoids and weapons. One of the bodies seemed to have scaled skin. Gar seemed transfixed by the bodies and, instead of advancing towards the turtle mother, Gar walked, trance-like, to the heap. The bodies were 2 humans, an orc, and 2 Dragon-like humanoids. They are identified as Dragon Hybrids (A race created as dragon servants in the 3rd darkness). They are all dead and still wearing armor and carrying weapons. The Humans belong to a mercenary company famous for working for \*anyone\* with coin. The owner of this company is rumored to be the brother of Earl Castigan. Hippa explains the grove came under attack about 2 weeks before, most of the group retreated but her ‘scouts’ have still seen them about the forest.

    The Turtle King (Who now turns out is (a) female, (b) a tortoise and (c) not a king) reunites with its bother and the mother speaks to the group via Hippa. She knows who Dandy is and knows her father (affectionately), She wants to help Dandy find him. The mother (‘Kurama’) is an ancient creature of the woods (a ‘living spirit’), she is coming to the end of her life cycle and is choosing to disperse the last of her life-force in the Tanglewood (where they are), to cleanse it of its darkness. However, she is stuck part way through this process, blocked by an active evil force that they suspect has something to do with the Hybrids.

After meeting with Kurama, Arik and Hippa perform a joint spell to have the woodlands properly ‘reclaim’ the bodies. Arik, using a new conjuring ability he has mastered, summons worms to do the work even more quickly.

Night comes and the druid provides some shelter (magic acorn/teepees), for those who want it- although many sleep in the comfort of the groves open air (it is warm, tranquil and comfortable).

**Continued in Session 15...**

*10xp*

*(205xp total)*