Wardens of the Sorrowood C2E05

*Game Scheduled: December 7, 2023*

*GM: Thom*

## **Chapter Synopsis:**

The Aureate Horizons Trading Co., colloquially known as Horizons, urgently seeks mercenaries in A'lune to join as Wardens of Sorrowood for a long term commission. In addition to an incentivized mercenary pay rate of 5 gold per week (as opposed to 2 gold per week that is standard), Horizons says that mercenaries can keep whatever is recovered from bandits along the route.

An outpost has been established in the treacherous Sorrowwoods. With numerous bandit groups along the route, prepare to lay siege upon, oust, or recruit the various banditry groups towards protecting the road! Upgrade your fortress further as you progress, deciding upgrades that will determine the fate of future chapters!

## **Mercenaries**

### **Active Mercenaries**

* Jayzal - Tabaxi Rogue
* John Weck - Human Rogue
* Teneboris - "Kobold" Warlock
* Ulfgar Fireforge - Dwarven Cleric

### **Inactive**

* Bim Bim - Elven Barbarian
* El Cangrejo - Crabfolk Rogue/Bard
* Percevial - Dragonborn Sorcerer (Premade)
* Shepard Swiftfoot - Halfling Druid
* Snarela Kegfury - Dwarven Artificer

## **Adventure Debriefing:**

The mercenaries stopped to see the Vanguard Quartermaster and requisitioned a Mantle of Blood Vengeance, a Spider Grenade, and a Zipline Ring. They head out northwest towards the Moonlit Raiders camp and split various travel duties amongst themselves. Ulfgar would act as Guide, while Jayzal would be the Scout; Teneboris would be the Lookout, and John (minus Daisy) would be the Hunter.

On the first day of travel Teneboris, distracted examining a plant, heard a high-pitched whirling sound as a dagger embeded itself into a tree above his head. "Give up your gold," a bandit declared. "No, i think it is I who will be taking YOUR gold!" snarled Teneboris. The bandit was taken aback and fled. Teneboris retrieved the bandit's discarded pouch, daggers, and silver and hung it all from the tree so the bandit could come reclaim them later, but kept one dagger as a memento.

On the second day of travel, while setting up camp for the night, the party is approached by a group of twenty tabaxi hunters carrying various pelts. Siblings S'Dargo, D'zargo, and ji'Zargo set out the pelts for the party to examine and possibly purchase. There's bear, warthog, and a few rare specimens. Jayzal slyly used his Mundane Mirror to determine the "forest panther" was more than it seemed and purchased it for gold and a couple gems. John traded his vapor lynx hide for a "white ape" hide. S'Dargo mentioned that if the mercenaries ever hear of a Roc hunt, to let him know as he greatly desires to taste a Roc egg. Teneboris thanked the tabaxi for their time and gifted D'zargo the dagger from the previous days bandit encounter.

On the third day, John caught a trip of goats unaware and skillfully trapped three, providing the party with additional rations. The mercenaries made camp northeast of wraith-filled ruin, careful to avoid it.

On the fourth day strange howls are heard throughout the wood. At first concerned they may have gotten too close to the ruins, instead the party is attacked by a group of shadow-cursed gnomes and a shadow-cursed dwarf. Vilithk creations made by tormenting a soul over and over. John stabbed the dwarf whose appearance resembled an "anti"paladin. The dwarf sensed Ulfgar's holiness and tried to infect his mind with insanity. Ulfgar returned fire with a Guiding Bolt. Teneboris engulfed the four gnomes behind the dwarf in a deadly Fireball. Jayzal pierced the dwarf with psychic daggers from afar.

With the rest of the shadow-cursed enemies fallen, John stayed in the dwarves face harrying and stabbing him. The dwarf changed targets in response to the devasting fireball and tried to enchant Teneboris with a Crown of Madness but failed. Magical Darkness then enveloped the area as the dwarf tried to protect himself. Ulfgar summoned all of his holy might into a upcast Guiding Bolt that shone through the Darkness. The radiant light burned and illuminated the dwarf. Teneboris waited a breath for Jayzal to be ready to throw more psychic daggers. Jayzal's daggers struck true, felling the creature. While Teneboris' Eldritch Blasts flew over the crumbling body.

Ulfgar collected gnome-sized javelins, and the breast plate and shield from the dwarf. Though the material seemed mundane, it had been forged in the Shadowlands and he wanted to experiment with it at his home forge.

As they camped that evening, a faint violet glow could be seen to the west, where they expected to find a Fey ring of mushrooms. The evening watch saw odd shadows scurrying about outside the camp. Jayzal sleepily glimpsed one trying to dig in his pack and scared it off with a psychic dagger.

On the fifth day, the party spotted a strange square-jawed tiny creature steal an egg from a nest and run off with it. The party followed. The terrain changed from Sorrowoods to something more exotic and Feyland-ish. Trees warped. Mushrooms twisted. A strange pulsing portal on a ledge above filled the area with violet light. A huge skull the size of a house, and unlike any skull anyone had ever seen. Beyond the grove, instead of trees, it seemed as though stars sparkled. The egg-stealing creature scrambled up a log to join two others like it. Teneboris had saved his share of smoked goat meat and decided to approach the creatures with an offering of food. The creature at first reluctant, accepted. Teneboris introduced himself. The creature that took the goat meat was Pomberro. Another creature Smendel thought Teneboris might be dangerous, but was persuaded with some summoned food. The third, Gollin, rambled to himself "half soul regrown, over and over.." The creatures gave warnings of the "shadows" that also emerge from the Thinning. Teneboris reasoned the shadow-cursed had come to the Sorrowood this way. The Thinning must swap between the Feylands and the Shadowlands.

A great rumbling shook the ground knocking over the fallen log that lead up to the ledge where Teneboris, the creatures, and the Thinning were. An enormous shadowy skeleton creature began to emerge from the portal. Teneboris tried to Dispel Magic on it's entry in an attempt to disrupt it's emergence. Pausing only long enough to see if it worked, Jayzal quickly planted a magic bean, then used the Zipline Ring to pull everyone back to the ground below. The magic bean sprouted into an iron golem that did not respond to Jayzal, and began to wander north. The shadowy skeleton began to follow it hungering for magic, and ignored the fleeing mercenaries. Pomberro decided it was safer to run with them.

## **Conclusion**

The mercanaries completed several days of travel in the Sorrowoods, getting closer to the Moonlit raiders camp. A very dangerous and unstable Thinning was found leading to the Feylands and Shadowlands. After the bandit groups are dealt with, the Thinning is a major concern.

## **Rewards**

* Shadowland forged javelins, breast plate, shield, Ufgar
* 12 red-capped poisonous mushrooms, John
* Pomberro, Egg-stealing Fey Companion