Turvin and Dhamoril Woods

Therendor 23rd, Mol, 998 Y.K.

As the group are eating breakfast, Turvin's tanner approaches them. He apologetically tells them that the splinterwaif hides that they brought to him have unfortunately perished in the tanning vat. Although disappointed, the group are not surprised, they finish their meal and head to the temple of Boldrei in search of aid for Katerina's predicament.

The Temple of Boldrei

This small, three room, brick temple serves as the hamlets religious centre. It is the only stone building in the hamlet and has the blazing hearth of Boldrei over the door, although it is looking a little weather-worn these days and the paint could do with some touching up. A porch outside the the front of the building is scattered with wood-chips and shavings, a sign of how Aknar Bonespur, the gnarled old dwarven cleric, spends his days whittling wood.

They knock at the door and are answered by a wizened dwarf, old even by dwarven standards. He is not pleased to be disturbed, especially by city-folk, but invites the group in nonetheless.

His demeanour remains sour but he is willing to sell the group a few dusty old scrolls, and he has a couple of potions lying about somewhere.

The interior of the temple is dominated by a huge hearth in which a fire blazes day and night, several benches and chairs face a small altar situated infront of this fire and a collection tray stands on a pedestal by the entrance.

As the old cleric warms to the groups presence he can tell them that the woods north of the Indigo River have always been considered to be cursed. He seems aware that the lands are dominated by the fey and is not surprised that they ar behind all this. He is a world-wise old man, if a little world-weary, he longs to return to the lands of his ancestors but feels duty-bound to remain with his "flock", his friends.

After buying some of his healing the group realise that he is simply not powerful enough to help Katerina and so after a blessing they leave the temple with the intention of heading back into the woods.

2.30 p.m.

The group travel through the woods once more heading for the site where they discovered the aftermath of a party. Once there they left a note by the tree in the centre of the glade, inviting the fey to parley and letting them know that they have come with peaceful intentions.

After waiting for about 3 hours they are approached by a pixie with a voice like a tiny ringing bell. It explains tthat they were merely sent to take the group to their "leader" last time and that the unfortunate events were misinterpreted. The tiny fey offers to take them to the fey that wanted to speak with them.

1.30 a.m.

They travel for several hours, day passes into night and it is over an hour past midnight when they arrive in a huge glade.

A large pond occupies the centre of this clearing. Lilly pads ten feet in diameter drift on the quiet water, and ferns and other flowering plants rustle in the breeze. Puffs of dandelion seeds and other pollens permeate the air. Large filaments of silken thread are attached to some of the lilly pads, forming a rough bridge that leads to the centre of the pond. Rising from the summit of a small hill in the centre of the lake grows a massive plant, its leaves arching more than fifty feet above the pool. A single stalk grows from the centre of the enormous plant, rising over a hundred feet into the sky to unfurl a huge white flower. A faint red light softly emanates from the centre of the plant, revealing hundreds of tiny fey that flutter around it.

Tentatively the group follow the pixie across the bridge to the island in the centre of the lake, Anvil is concerned that his weight will be too much for the bridge, and Lorric has similar concerns about his barrel of ale.

A tangle of intertwined vines creates a firm, nearly smooth surface surrounding the base of the stalk in the centre of the plant. Standing next to this is a large oval stone, as tall as a dwarf, covered with vines and moss. The light from above casts a pale red glow on the entire area.

Standing on the platform is a grinning satyr. He smells of goats and offal and sips honeywine from a large leaf. On of his hornes has been carved with mirthful decorations while the other has been broken off completely.

Lurking in the shadow cast from the stone is a slim, grey-skinned humanoid, his face covered with a number of tattoos and piercings. He is dressed in severe robes made of stiff angular material.

The satyr introduces himself as Banaba, and apologies profusely about the fey that attacked them, explaining that they were merely trying to bring the group here so that he may speak with them. Banaba introduces the shadowed figure as Ivicerus and seems to show a certain amount of mirthful contempt for the fey that Kapek and Ajax recognise as one of the Shadar-Kai, a race of subterranean, dark fey.

He goes on to explain that the problems they are having are caused by an evil ranger that the fey of the area have dubbed "Wingclipper". He has been hunting the fey to the north and has killed a startling number over that past few months, this has in turn driven them further south into the woods close to Turvin. He explains that they simply want to reurn to their lands once more and live in peace.

Banaba tells the group that Wingclipper and the mercenary group of Hobgblins (the Hellfire Militia) that he has hired, are gradually destroying the northern forest. He explains that the once lush and fertile wetland glen to the north-east is now nothing more than a blasted swampland. This is where the ranger has made his lair.

Lorric feels that there is some underlying deceit and spots the occasional furtive glance between Banaba and Ivicerus, but he can not determine the motivations of these shared glances.

The group, true to their mercenary ways, ask if there is a reward for resolving the fey problems they are given four potions of cure moderate wounds and an Illusory Map which details the area they will be entering in 3 dimensions.

The group are offered refreshements and a place to camp for the night, which they accept. The constant noise and flashing, dancing lights of the fey that inhabit the glade threaten to disturb the group's rest but they all sleep well regardless.