1. Journals

Chapter 33: Tying Up Loose Ends

Chapter
Campaign One 2022-12-16

Let's Get Down To Business

As the party sit in their room, waiting to go to bed, they discuss the scrying Penny did of Morgan Lowblade, where she describes the chamber he was trapped in. It’s unclear where it is located, but it is clearly underground. Penny is eager to find him, but the group realizes that the clear and present danger is the hags. They should fight them before they get a chance to regroup. Before going to bed, Thistlethorn and Kal go outside to look for Reidoth, to ask if he can help them travel to the Ruins of Thundertree quickly. They find him being harassed by a local, and they manage to save him from this vile villain. He says that should not be a problem, and to meet him outside in the morning, and he will take them to the closest place he can get.

The next morning, after eating breakfast and buying some healing potions and a scroll of Greater Restoration from The Feylocker, they get their horses, and travel west, back towards the tree that took them here from the coven. After passing through, they are faced with a familiar sight; the ruins of Thundertree in the distance. They lead their horses to the edge of the affected area, tell them to stay put, and leave a note with them, in case they need to find their own way back to Rivergrounds. The horses are uneasy with being so near the corrupted town, but promise to do their best.

Reidoth, not taking any risks, wildshapes into a seagull to watch over the party from above. The party enters through the woods, and notices a bunch of various zombies roaming the forest surrounding Thundertree, and inwards. About two hours into their journey, they are suddenly confronted by three infected forest beings. They seem to use hearing and echolocation to find their prey, and seem to try to infect both Penny and Willowbark with some sort of sickness, but luckily, Kal, being a cleric of a THUNDER god, makes the foes regret attacking the group. It seems they are particularly susceptible to loud noises, and go down after a short battle. Not wanting to be overrun, as they did have to make a lot of noise, the group quietly leaves the area, traveling further inward towards the center of the corruption. With Willowbark in front leading the search, they find it without wasting too much time.

The Tree of Death

As the party breach the thick growth covering the center, they can see three trees in the area, two dead ones, and one twisted and dark. Penny uses her detect thoughts, moving closer, and senses two minds in the center tree. The party debates burning down the trees, which makes the Blackroot Treant attack. It tries to cast a spell on Penny, but Fie counterspells it. Penny casts hex on it, but realizes that necrotic does nothing against this foe.

Willowbark has already taken out three of her friends from the Bag of Tricks, a giant rat, a weasel, and a dire wolf, and sends them all charging towards the treant, but the weasel instantly vanishes as it gets closer. It seems the treant is radiating some sort of necrotic energy, damaging anyone in range. Fie tries to blast it, and confirms that fire is particularly effective against it, causing both Willowbark, Fie and Penny to use whatever they have that deals fire damage. Willowbarks forest critters are sadly quickly taken out of the battle, as the treant awakens the two other trees in the area, which attacks the party. One of the trees quickly burns out however. The treant moves as close as it can between Penny and Kal, with Willowbark, invisible, being right next to it. Fie, now flying, can see that all moisture in the area surrounding it is completely drained, and it deals a massive amount of necrotic damage, making Willowbark lose concentration on her new spider-friends. All the fire being used has caused the treant to be quickly weakened. Willowbark, facing down the treant right in front of her, blasts it with a final fireball from her new staff, and manages to finish it off.

Beaten, broken, and burning, the treant slumps over, with its chest forced open. Inside, the party can see the half-resurrected remains of Morana, the green hag that Granny decapitated at the coven. With only one usable arm and half a face, she begs the party to let her live, and she will tell them everything they know. Willowbark says that she will not let her live no matter what. Morana responds “then you are already doomed”. Willowbark lights a torch, forcing it into the heart, making it catch fire, finally ending the second sister of the coven.

“And for my next trick…”

Knowing that they have to escape the area as quickly as possible, the party flags down the seagull Reidoth, asking him to help them get out of there. He casts a spell, turning the party into giant eagles, and they take off from there, heading east towards the final corruption area, hoping to take down Hala before she can return to full power. After traveling for about 5 hours, they set down in a clearing, being too tired to move on. They spend some time gathering firewood by using a stick that Penny animates, foraging, cooking dinner, and talking about their plans going forward, and what they have been through. They also send the horses a message telling them that Reidoth will come to them to lead them to Rivergrounds while the party finishes the mission, as they might be gone for a few weeks, after asking him to help them with this as well. That night, they don’t bother keeping watch, as Penny's Tiny Hut keeps them all safe. Fie even sleeps out in the open, although he requests to use as many sleeping bags as possible, as he has gotten used to the comfortable interior of the ring.

In the morning, they awake with a “pop” from the Tiny Hut disappearing, eat some breakfast, and prepare for the final journey east. As a final plea, they beg Reidoth for any help to travel quickly to face the final hag as well as giving 40 gold to pay for the horses to be boarded, and a note to give to the stableowner. He begrudgingly agrees to give them one last assistance, and casts Wind Walk, reducing the final trek from three days to just over two hours.

As Reidoth departs, heading west, the party heads east, trying to spot the corruption. They find what they have been told, a massive area of the forest is corrupted here as well. They search the area for a good place to land, close to the center, and turn back into their regular shapes. Willowbark and Kal takes out two weasels and a dire wolf from the bag of tricks, and they push through the final barrier.

As they enter the heart of the corruption, they can see a big flat grassy area, with a giant stone pillar in the center, with the same symbol they have seen on the other areas. Next to this pillar, a huge plant creature lies, dead, with its chest broken open. Heart missing. A familiar figure comes out from behind the stone pillar; Hala.

“That was faster than expected” she says to the party, smiling.