Haven: Fey Fortification

On March 14th, Year 13, a group plans to follow a familiar route through the Green Wood and to the end of Weeping Rocks to obtain more soaring stones for Rovert’s flying ships as the Vale continues to anticipate Garim threats to their lands:

• Snass (TrS): Level 8 Kobold Monk (Level 1 Barbarian Camp-Wolf Pack)
  • Irsshdanish: Level 3 Awakened Wolf Brawler
  • Minsshdanish: Level 2 Awakened Wolf Brawler
  • Sinsshdanish: Level 2 Awakened Wolf Brawler
  • Grisshdanish: Level 1 Awakened Wolf Brawler
  • Level 3 Wolf Animal Companion
  • 30 wolves in 3 units
• Malcom (HuS): Level 7 Human Cleric of the Empty Tomb
  • Tom: Level 7 Skeleton
  • Sparkle: Level 4 Skeleton
  • 6 Level 5 Spider Wraiths
• Polly (MiM): Level 6 Dwarf Brawler
  • Monty: Level 3 Snake Familiar

With Snass knowing well how to enter the Green Wood near it’s border with the Weeping Rocks, they plan to spend almost no time in the fey realms (Snass still hasn’t forgotten the six month side track he ended up on the last time he spent longer than absolutely necessary in the fey), and set out down the river out of the Vale.

On the 14th, they encounter men from the new settlement of South Bridge returning to the Vale for supplies around noon. As they set camp for the night, a lantern in the woods alerts them to the approach of a large group. Snass confronts them and finds it is 15 orcs from Schek Garim. They ask to join their camp. Snass allows them to and the one orc that speaks elvish joins them by their fire to trade pleasantries and information while the others set up camp. They learn that their group is in the area looking for people from… another Schek he doesn’t deign to name, trying to make contact.

The night passes uneventfully and in the morning, they are surprised when Schek Garim departs into the woods from which they came, rather than crossing the river toward Garim na Aguluk Sacra’s shrine on the other side, as they assumed they were doing. The large party continues south along the river, eschewing the bridge to continue along the untrafficked east bank. The day passes uneventfully and in the morning, the 16th, they strike away from the river into the woods, seeking the border of the Green Wood.

They become aware of giant owls following them, but when they confront them, the owls go back the way they came. They press on and are approached by a criosphinx! He addresses the wolves, wondering what their pack is doing in the area. They explain that they are in the area temporarily and he is satisfied when Snass offers the name of a raccon-like fey he encountered nearby on his last visit to the Green Wood.

At this point, they leave most of the pack and undead behind with instructions to hunt conservatively and continue on toward the Green Wood with Grisshdanish, the companion wolf, three other wolves, and Tom, as well as Gorg’s wagon. After dark, Snass feels that they have entered the fey, and the others note a marked deepening of the darkness. With their surroundings all but pitch black, they see a bonfire not far away and start to work their away around it, but stealth is hard in the dark and they are called out by a rak at the fire. He informs them that the boundary of the Weeping Rocks is 3 miles hence and also that Bandai and the Wet Nurse have taken measures to deny their usual path through the Green Wood to the soaring stones. In gratitude for this information, they agree to claim they didn’t see this camp, agreeing on a story that accounts for them having entered further up.

And indeed, not wanting to walk three miles in the dark of the Green Wood, they exit the Green Wood and go a little over two miles along its edge in the dark of the natural world. Re-entering the Green Wood, they proceed toward the Weeping Rocks and soon see a watch tower with a spot light searching the thinning trees near the unclear boundary. They decide to abandon their quest and look for where the Weeping Rocks access exists in the natural world.

On their way back, Tom is grabbed by a grappler in the dark who tries to convince them to come back to the Grapple Lord’s Arena with him, assuring them that as his slaves they won’t be questioned passing the border. They decline his offer and after solving a riddle are allowed to go. They move a mile or so from the Green Wood in the dark and make camp.

Their camp is attacked by a pride of lions, but they quickly deal with them with only one wolf being injured badly enough to worry about it. In the morning, they join up with the wolf pack, finding them in a stand off with a group of ratfolk. They withdraw from the ratfolk peaceably and debate finding a route to Ogrefel on the east of the river (to possibly deal with an ogre group reported south of there), but decide ultimately to return toward the Vale.

Before dawn on the 18th, Polly is on watch when arrows fly into their camp. Polly and Snass try to pursue the archer, but he is stealthy and fast and they soon give up the chase, though the archer seems to have given up on shooting as he runs. They break camp and head northward, passing the bridge and getting back on the road near noon. The rest of the day, and the 19th as well, they encounter no creatures interested in harassing their wolf pack.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a session where the party went out, changed their mind, and went home. I feel like we’ve matured since the last time and it felt like a full session regardless of not achieving the goal.