Admaris Arc: Part 1 Report

The party travelled to the border of the Great Forest, where the forces of Admaris were said to be mustering. After moving a short distance through the forest they arrived at the ruins of the town of Averand Hill. The whole town was in ruins, and those who weren't with the refugee caravan are lying dead in the streets. It was a relatively small town, and now much of it is covered with large, thorny vines. The buildings are mostly all destroyed as well, everything from the market stalls to the village church. The citizens and guards are dead and strewn across the desolate roads and town center, either cut by sharp thorns, or shot through with the same. A quick investigation yields that the corruption of Admaris has surrounded a good portion of the village, causing this devastation. The party, seeing that there was nothing to be gained from staying in the village, left with a look of disgust. They decided that they ought to leave the forest now and prepare themselves before chasing down Admaris.   They then headed west, following the edge of the forest, giving the corrupted interior only passing glances. After roughly two hours, thus by midday, the party arrived outside the stout walls of The Green Gate. The walls raise up no more than twenty feet, but they are thick. The four towers that stand imposing on each corner of the fort raise a mere ten feet higher than the walls they border. There is an interior area between the walls and the central keep where various fort buildings are located. The central keep itself it similarly styled to the rest of the fort, and rises twenty-five feet. It is a basic square tower that contains the barracks, commanders quarters, as well as the garrison mess hall. Captain Devery Barton is the commanding officer of the Green Guards that garrison the fort. He is currently short of men because a foray into the forest led by Lieutenant Eldon Rutland has seemingly failed. They haven't been seen in a week or two. They were off to defend some of the isolated villages from the thorn demons and perhaps make contact with Fort Zarkias, located in the heart of the forest, which wasn't been heard from in over a month. The party conversed for a short time with the Captain, then move on toward Steiermark. They arrived in the capital of Lothrid's forest province just before dusk.     The party stopped in Steiermark for a time, where they completed some business and were acquainted with the criminal elements of the city. Once they were finished, they headed out toward the Green Gate in their attempt to seek help for their quest. Once they reached the Green Gate, they found it to do under attack by the demons of Admaris. The party immediately rushed in to give aid to the embattled defenders. It was a vicious fight, but they managed to slaughter all the demons and force the rest to retreat into the woods. The bodies of the defenders were then gathered for burial, and the remains of the thorn demons were piled up for burning. Logan arrived a few hours later with the Whispering Roses, a mercenary company from Everos that was seeking work in the volatile continent of Othos. The party then recuperated, and began to head into the Great Forest with their enlarged force. They passed by the decimated village of Dorhall, and then went deeper. Now they are in the dark, hostile forest, just waiting for the worst. The only lights came from the torches of the soldiers, and the occasional burning villages that dot the forest.