June 9, The One With the Gnome and The Treensformation

(With thanks to Jon) A great sense of urgency flooded the minds of Talon, Baiden, and Idilai after emerging from the portal in the nick of time. Upon their relaying the disturbing images of a great fey army amassing in the Feywild to Valandra, Anvar, and Vensil, the party agreed that their next move should be warning the town of Wolfridge Crossing of a potential threat to the region. Eventually, they made their way back through the network of tunnels and emerged above ground - in the chapel where they had encountered Wervin. In the meantime, the rest of the party attempted to restore the crumbling church and its grounds so that it looked undisturbed. Soon thereafter, they made their way into the Black River Vale towards Wolfridge.

After traveling all morning and afternoon, the group prepared camp for the night. As they sat around the fire, eating and reminiscing about the recent events, two injured individuals emerged from the dark forest – a dragonborn and his Darmagon-warforged (an intelligent golem made of wood, metal and stone). The pair, who would later introduce themselves as Patrelli, and his manservant, Timber, had come under recent attack by bandits local to the areas surrounding Wolfridge Crossing. Patrelli professed to own a caravan that often traveled between Darmagon and Wolfridge carrying raw metals (and other profitable items). Most of the caravan died, but they did not - Patrelli had put extra guards on duty after he crossed paths with a messenger from Arthur Cassy on his way to Darmagon (a move that saved his life). In the wake of the onslaught, they fled and sought refuge elsewhere. Despite some tough interrogation from Talon, the party agreed to assist both of them and invited Patrelli and Timber to stay over night. It was decided that they could accompany the group back to Wolfridge Crossing, since they were headed that way in the first place.

The next morning, breakfast was had and the band of, now eight, adventurers made their way out of the Black Wood Vale towards Wolfridge Crossing. Just beyond its borders, a great storm surprisingly assaulted the party. As it grew in power, soon branches, and eventually entire trees, were caught in its winds. Of the group, poor Anvar the Flat-Footed – despite his stout and resilient nature – was overcome by what seemed to be the trunk of a tree flung by the great storm in his direction. As the party watched in horror, poor Anvar screamed as branches, roots, and leaves tore and slashed both clothing and skin. Valandra valiantly came to his aid, and was able to shield the fallen dwarf from the storm of debris with her towering shield. However, it was too late. For as soon as she did so, the violent winds and branches dissipated, but a grim message had been carved by the thorns into Anvar’s broad shoulders. YOU KILLED MY SON. I'LL SEE YOU SOON, it read. Despite Idilai’s best efforts in healing, it appeared that Anvar was now cursed. With poor Patrelli and Timber spooked, and Anvar being cared for, the group doubled their efforts to get back to Wolfridge before any other mysterious events came their way.

Once the party arrived back in Wolfridge, a smattering of events took place. Patrelli and Timber were escorted the Elven Halfpenny, and were rewarded handsomely with a Darmagonian writ valued at 100gp. Some members of the group sought out Baldwin Lovelle, but were unsuccessful in gathering any information, let alone getting inside the building. It was then that the suggestion came about to warn Mayor Creen of the events in the Black River Vale. Idilai parted from the group to check in with Melmellandria at the Free Temple, but said she would rendezvous in the morning. While at the temple, the two elves discussed the nature of this “curse” that had come over Anvar and ways to lift it. Anvar later showed up to pray at the Free Temple. Mayor Creen suggested seeing an elven loremaster in Pelnaad who had been apart of Mayor Creen's adventuring band and one of the founder's of the Crossing. Valandra checked in with Simon, the captain of the town guard to alert him of the potential fey invasion; she also told him of the attacks on Patrelli’s caravan.

In the morning, the party regrouped, bought a mule named Valanvar and set off for Pelnaad. There, they would seek out the loremaster Faelmane Bowertop (fah-EL-mah-nay). Not even a day into the Pelnaad Marshes, a curious gnome with explosive white hair named Nimrok. He invited the party to play a game – of sorts – and inticed the group into it by offering them a bow and set of armor they had “come into the possession of.” At the announcement of this “event,” five other gnomish bandits appeared. Nimrok tossed an apple to each member of the party and invited them to eat it; only Idilai and Vensil did so (each bite was shared by a bite from a matched gnome). Much to the amazement of the party, the apples turned both Vensil and Idilai (and their corresponding gnomes) into trees! The gnomes then took this opportunity to attack the group. During the battle, Idilai and Vensil were able to manifest control over their tree-forms and come to their compatriots' aid.

After a hard-fought battle, Nimrok opened what seemed to be a door in a tree, and escaped through it. After dispatching the rest of the gnomes, the group attempted to pursue him, but could not detect the method by which his escape happened. They were able to reclaim the bow and the chainmail from the tree for the group to have. The party made camp for the day and waited for Vensil and Idilai to slowly return to their humanoid figures.

June 2, the One with the Portal

(With thanks to Jon) Upon being discovered, Wervin had some rather nasty things to say to the party. Despite the pleas of Idilai and Baiden to cease his misbehavior, Wervin confidently displayed his true power. Arcs of lightning shot out from his fingertips and reanimated the souls of the slain adventurers in the center of the temple. The battle raged on, and seeing the tide slowly turn against him, Wervin nearly managed to escape. However, careful tactics and strategy from Valandra prevented this and lead to his eventual demise.

After sundering his runed armor and defeating Wervin (and his minions) and looting a shiny cloak from his cold body, the group discovered a small rectory tucked away from the main temple area. Inside was a hole dug into a tunnel below. Idilai and Baiden went outside to make sure the previous tussle had gone unnoticed, and then dragged the bodies inside and shut the doors. Meanwhile, Vensil cast light on poor Anvar and he was lowered into the depths.

The man-made tunnel went on for quite some time; often weaving in and around several old buildings of the village that once stood within the Black River Vale. After some time, they ran into, and startled, a fair-skinned eladrin who – at first glance – seemed to be arming traps. It was then that Talon thought it best to grapple his face in an attempt to subdue the creature and gain information. Unfortunately, he did not know his own strength and snapped the neck of the eladrin. The efforts of the group would not be in vain; however, as they eventually dispelled a ward and picked a lock and came into possession of a chest filled with a small fortune in silver rods.

The adventurers pressed forward through the tunnel. They began to notice odd undergrowth in the caverns below the former city, and soon realized that leaves were spreading and expanding on all sides of the tunnels ahead of them. Nonetheless, they would proceed until the tunnel system opened up into a final, large room. Inside it, poor Zorella was bound to a portal. But waiting for them was an eladrin with the horns of a goat, who did not share his name.

Met with hostility, the party brought the fight to him. Within the first few seconds, the creature used his powers of the wind within the room to push Zorella through the portal. Her passage through was resulted in a bloodcurdling scream and the activation of the portal. However, this fueled the determination of the group even more. The battle would rage on, and eladrin soldiers poured out of the still-open portal. Taking notice of the odd runes inscribed in the floor, Vensil smudged one out, and informed the rest of the group that doing so would impair, and eventually close, the portal itself.

It was a hard-fought battle, but the group soon realized that the runes were arranged in a way that mirrored a pentagram; the fifth and final rune – according to Vensil’s study of magical incantations – should reside on the other side of the portal.
Eager to see what was beyond, Baiden hopped through.

He was met with an amazing sight. Emerging through the misty portal, the half-elf found himself high atop a branch of a monstrous tree miles in height. Before him, a sword lay in a stone with the fifth rune etched upon it. He lunged for it in an attempt to dislodge the blade, but was not successful. As he looked over his shoulder he noticed what seemed to be a legion of fey warriors approaching the portal. Idilai then burst through to see what had become of Baiden. Her attempts to dislodge the sword were also unsuccessful. Talon finally came through, smudged out the final rune, and then told the other two members to get out while they still can. The portal closed just as Baiden finished passing through.

May 26, the One with the Centipedes

(With thanks to Jon) Having decided to pursue Wervin (the alleged culprit responsible for the feywraith attacks on Wolfridge Crossing) the next day, the group spent the evening having dinner and getting to know one another better. In the morning, Anvar, Baiden and Valandra were a little worse for wear. Idilai led the group to the fringes of the Black River Vale, northwest of Wolfridge Crossing.

Not far with the Vale, they found a victim of what Idilai identified to be bloodvines, who was being consumed by a swarm of centipedes. Upon further inspection involving feats of magic by Vensil and feats of strength by Anvar, the plants became hostile and attacked the group. After a brief tussle wherein Baiden was almost dragged off into the woods and Valandra indicated she wanted nothing to do with the bugs, they emerged victorious and inspected the remains of the body, discovering magical cloth armor.

Anvar guided the party through the woods, to the edge of the groves within the Black River Vale. The group made camp, and went undisturbed throughout the evening. In the morning, the Barnraiser would pick up a trail that led into the heart of the woods. A couple hours passed, and soon a tiny pillar of smoke deep within the vale became apparent. Talon, wanting to find out more information, scouted ahead and discovered what seemed to be a group of eladrin (high elves) who may have haled from the Feywild. Despite Idilai's best efforts to ruin the groups attempts at stealth, Talon, Valandra, Anvar and Vensil were able to observe the eladrin, who were guarding the remnants of an old church.

Upon hearing this information, Baiden thought it best to approach the group diplomatically and see what their cause was for being within the Vale. Despite his best attempt at an elvish greeting, the party was met with hostility. Through judicious use of an illusionary pitfall, the group quickly dispatched the eladrin guards.

Pressing onward, through the large wooden doors of the old building, the group would discover their culprit, Wervin. Shrouded in lighting on the raised dais in the farthest end of the temple, he delivered a foreboding message that the party had finally “arrived,” implying that he was, in fact, waiting for the group.

May 19, the One Where You All Met

(Thanks to Jon) The group of six adventurers was accosted in the center of Wolfridge Crossing amidst, what seemed to be, an assault on the village by elemental creatures. During their dispatch of the nefarious elemental creatures, thunderous explosions erupted in town. After quelling the invasion, the party dispersed to their various places of familiarity in town to witness the extent of the destruction: Idilai and Vensil to the Free Temple and Vensil’s shop; Baiden to retrieve his clothes; Valandra and Anvar to the militia guard post; and Talon to Farmer’s Bahim’s farm.

Conveniently, all six characters ended up at Mayor Creen’s, and were interrupted during a conversation about Zorella being captured by messenger from Baldwin Lovell. Wervin, a conniving wretch who hung around Lovell’s vellum shop, was apparently up to no good and the root cause of the attack, at the suggestion of Baldwin. The group then set off to collect further clues and information to help them decide how to pursue Wervin.

These included:

1. Confronting Baldwin for more information and learning about Gifra;
2. Going to candlemaker Linette Holland’s shop, only to be redirected by her daughter;
3. Exploring the odd quarters of Wervin in one of the several boarding houses, wherein there were drawings of women and glorified depictions of the Feywild;
4. Checking in with Arthur Cassy at the Elven Halfpenny to see if he had any knowledge of Gifra or Wervin;
5. Seeing that congestion and damages were under control with Zedric of the town watch at the bridge; and
6. Discussing the capture of Zorella with Dromen at the Three Greased Pigs – here ale was drank, bread was eaten, and a peculiar leaf was found by Anvar near the site of Zorella’s abduction.

After relaying this information to Mayor Creen, it was decided that the group of adventurers would set off in pursuit of Wervin – the alleged culprit. The group would head to the Black River Vale at the suggestion of Baldwin Lovell, and possibly seek out Gifra for her wisdom on this peculiar leaf. Anvar, Baiden, Talon, Valandra, Idilai, and Vensil would spend the night in preparation for their trip in the morning.