Post by hubertbartels on Sept 1, 2019 13:26:27 GMT -5
In the morning, we continue our journey to the center of the Forest of Koram. Arriving at the entrance to the hedge protecting the lodge, it is now mid-afternoon. The hedges are wild and unkempt. Overgrown with thorns and brambles, there still is an opening showing us the way inside. Once we enter the hedge maze, Aerwyn is overcome with a feeling of unease. Sir Thabo and Wolfram take the lead, guiding us through a path that varies in width – sometimes 5’ wide, sometimes, widening to 10’ between the walls of the maze.
Wolfram has already spotted and marked several pit traps before we enter another wide spot in the path. This area is guarded by four assassin vines that reach down from overhanging branches to ensnare and choke us. Aerwyn uses her Misty Step to escape her attacker before turning on it. Acid orbs and melee attacks soon bring an end to the assassin vines.
After an hour’s rest, we continue. We enter a larger clearing, about 15’ by 15’ anchored by a stone menhir in the center. Around the standing stone, defaced and defiled, are wandering a few stinking undead. Aerwyn tosses a fireball to clear the air and everyone else finished off the survivors. We clean the menhir and Duncan uses Ceremony to remove the defilement. It takes about 20 minutes.
Gideon determines that this menhir was the Stone of the West. He thinks that we should remove the defilement from the other three menhirs before seeking the druidic lodge. We start out, heading for the paths that will take us to the next menhir. Aerwyn becomes convinced that we’re heading in the wrong direction and keeps pointing toward a direction that would have sent us directly to the lodge. Finally, ignoring the elf, we come across a 25’ x 25’ area with a larger menhir. Here a large vulture-headed demon and two smaller demons are waiting in ambush. Gideon says that we have arrived at the Stone of the North.
The demons are destroyed and the menhir is cleaned. Continuing our travels in the maze, we pass a right-facing tunnel. Five undead creatures bearing the tabards of Iuz, came running out of it, Sir Thabo stepped up to blunt their attack and the rest of us cut them down. We found they were carrying silver holy symbols of Iuz as well as a pouch containing a sizable payroll and information about their attack.
Around a corner, we found the Stone of the East. This menhir is guarded by trolls in tattered Iuz tabards. Sir Thabo and Gideon get pounded hard by the trolls. But they hit back hard, driving one troll into the hedge walls. We were shocked to see the plants of the hedge rip and claw at the troll before spitting it out again.
With the defeat of the trolls, we cleaned the Stone of the East. It was getting late in the afternoon before we left to go search for the last menhir. When we arrive at the 20’ by 20’ area containing the Stone of the South, it is apparently unguarded. Stepping into the clearing, we see a very thin and pale demon with large claws of bone appear. Aerwyn is overcome with fear and starts to run. Duncan uses his Calm Emotions spell to suppress the fear. Sir Thabo smites the demon, almost killing it and Gideon, as an elk, finishes it off. It takes another 20 minutes to clean and remove the defilement from the menhir. Aerwyn notices the feeling of unease and dread slowly beginning to lift.
It was now nightfall. We arrived at the stone lodge in the last moments of twilight. The lodge is covered in vines and filthy scrawls. It is dark, darker than normal. From inside, a demon with a multitude of claws and arms stirs. Sir Thabo yelled and smote the creature hard. Within moments, the demon was destroyed. There was now quiet in the Forest of Koram. We spent the night in the druidic lodge.