Monster

The party stops in Zukos on the way to Akros. The druid Cerze is turning the hunters and loggers of the village into animals.

## Major Plot Points

* In the village of Zukos, Sybil Ringwell and Juxxtina visit a woman talking to a pig in her front yard. The pig was wearing a torn plaid shirt and had a wedding ring on its tail. Sophia said the pig was her husband named Philipus. He disappeared along with 200 other men who worked as hunters, gatherers, and loggers. When he returned to her, he was this pig.
* Dikarus Bottombane and Sprocket "Ballsy" Gnoman III went to Hammer Time. They bought a scatter shot arrow for Dikarus, a lightning javelin for Juxxtina, and the Blade of Grass for Sprocket.
* At Alchy's, Aryan Grande and Muchomucho M Amor bought two bottles of wild magic potion. Muchomucho also bought a scroll of heat metal and a bottle of oil of slipperiness.
* The group agreed to head into the Nessian Woods to find the missing villagers. Upon entering they heard voices warning them to turn back and asking for their "green cards." Juxxtina angrily shook her javelin. This prompted the vine blights to attack the party. The living plant creatures were able to trap most of the party in their vines. However, they proved no match for Aryan's crossbow and Juxxtina's lightning javelin.
* When the party ventured further into the woods, they heard a voice cry out in celestial, which no one could understand. Sybil's detect thoughts spell was able to help translate. A pegasus was trapped in a net and Sprocket cut it loose.
* The party decided to hang around the trap to see if anyone showed up to collect. Two poachers came by and quickly found Sybil and Tuskaroo. They offered to buy the elephant from her, but Sybil declined. They then pointed arrows on Sybil and the party launched a sneak attack against them. Sprocket trapped them in vines thanks to his new Blade of Grass. Their interrogation revealed that a witch was turning men from the village who ventured into the forest into animals. They revealed the village's main trade was wildlife parts like pegasus wings and unicorn horns. The gnome artificer let them go after they led them to Cerze's wooden pyramid and promised not to poach anymore.
* Juxxtina was injured by the temple's thorny door handle. The door opened without harming another thanks to the magic of mage hand. They were greeted by a dryad woman named Leafstorm. Sprocket went into her garden and realized she had a man-eating Venus fly trap. He burned it to death. Leafstorm grew angry with him and the party ran to the next level after figuring out the secret staircase riddle.
* The next floor had several large trees with tree houses in them. Sprocket visited a satyr named Cedar Plate who was recovering from fighting poachers. Muchomucho visited a poacher was turned into a wood woad to serve the forest. The wood woad gave them access to the next floor.
* The party found a sanctuary on the next floor where pixies were treating sick and injured wildlife. Juxxtina used her healing magic to cure the beasts.
* In the museum area of the temple, Sybil and Dikarus tried to steal the rainbow. Dikarus failed to pick the lock and activated the sap trap. Juxxtina's lightning javelin destroyed the sap faucet and Muchomucho found the doorway to the next room.
* The group entered a chamber with a pond in it. Muchomucho cast mage hand in the water to grab the treasure chest at the bottom of the pond. This disturbed one of the red frogs' rest and it exploded, dealing fire damage to half the party. It was worth the 800 gold.
* In the herbalism lab, Muchomucho brewed a greater healing potion.
* Three scarecrows painted with targets on their chests were set up in the next room. Dikarus, Juxxtina, and Muchomucho all fired at the scarecrows. Only Dikarus hit his target. The other two sprung to life. The scarecrows were burnt to death by Sprocket's fireboat and Muchomucho's fiery chromatic orb.
* The group entered Cerze's throne room. She was accompanied by a lion and a dire wolf. Sprocket, Sybil, and Aryan were able to talk her and the town into a compromise. Cerze will return two men every day as long as poaching didn't occur. Sprocket trained the village in his tinkering ways so they wouldn't rely on poaching for income. Zukos would adhere to Cerze's rules on hunting in the woods. The village, Cerze, and the party all drank wine and partied into the night.
* The party each earned 1 piety point for Karametra and Nylea for peacefully solving this dispute and making the village more sustainable.