The Ivy League

There appears a unicorn on a knoll in the faerie land the party are transported to. Ferrard greets the party: he says he's a druid of the Grovekeepers. The party trusted him the night before, and he will reward them with the unicorn, Gwin's, blessing. He reports the Violet Delight grow here, and possession of it is a sign of trust among the fey. He invites them to receive the blessing. Ferrard asks Gwin to bless them, and it shakes its head no. Ferrard approaches Gwin, but its guards (Nebular and Grim) block him - he wants to know what is wrong, as the party did pass the test. The unicorn sentences Ferrard to death, and a guard stabs him. Fighting breaks out. During the fight, an unknown aarokocra (Hanktew Pointo Riverbottom) bursts out of the brush and joins the assault on the unicorn. The unicorn summons rotten skeletal figures from the lake to attack the party. The unicorn guards appear to be corrupted beings of some sort under their armor and clothing. The unicorn bleeds a dark black substance when wounded, and calls to its guards to cover its retreat. V pushes forward and charges the unicorn, slaying it with her sword while nearly dying. Hanktew seems to recognize one of the resurrected corpses, who fixates on him. Rah charms the final guard down and Biv ties him up.

Hanktew tells the party he arrived here earlier with his companion, Marquette, who has since turned into a zombie in the fight. Investigating the bodies, they seem to be alchemical forms from a plant called a twilight vine, used to corrupt beings. They interrogate the captured guard, who says he's from the Bells of Death. During the interrogation, Rah-Cerves' eyes change to slits as he focuses, and reveals the guards own face on Rah-Cerves'. The guards does not bleed black ooze as the unicorn and the corrupted soldiers did, and Rah executes him. Ferrard is sad for the unicorn's death and has no idea how it was corrupted, it seems the Bells corrupted the unicorn and were using it to lure in victims and turn them into zombos, including likely the missing hunters the party are looking for. They all receive bundles of violet delight as signs of trust from Ferrard and the grove druids.

The party rest and carry the bodies of the dead hunters back to Grace, moving slower with the weight. Towards dusk, Hanktew observes a beast in the trees stalk the party and back away. During the night, laughter in the trees surroudns them and gnolls leaps out, ambushing them. It's brutal and the gnolls bring Hanktew down. Mama Hunsi arrives after traveling through the night to meet up with them and joins in the fight. A lone gnoll flees and says, "you haven't seen the last of the Void Howls".

The party arrive back at Grace. Zell and Walnut meet the party just as Walnut is leaving, who does brief introductions for Hanktew. Their AI deliverperson, Doorslam, a small black kenku, arrives delivering three letters. Two are to the franchise, one to Mama Hunsi. Walnut asks for their team name, and the party choose Team Ivy.

First letter: powerful artifact in Maude to the east, with Sir Clevin - AI wants it. Don't register the magic item, 200 GP.

Second letter: tower to NW contains enemies and secrets, tower sinking into swamps, - addressed from "V"

Previous Episode: Creeping Through the Grove

Next Episode: The Church and the Grove