Session 5: The Trail of Nezhar Report

The party begins their adventure at Gallows Rock and decides that they wish to pursue Nezhar, whose spectre had been weighing on the land.

They moved northwest to the dike, along the same place that they had previously fought the cultists. When they arrived they found the area devoid of any enemies. The party decided that from this promising start that continuing along the dike would potentially yield results. They went about this for the rest of the day and part of the next, and found themselves just within the reaches of the forest. Marquarius was the trail blazer for the party, and was the first to heard what seemed to be faint yells and rustling in the deep forest. Curious and somewhat wary, the party drew their weapons and delved into the undergrowth and gorse to investigate.

What they found was a horrific scene of senseless slaughter. A small group of five peasants were being brutally assailed by what seemed to be small demonic canines. These things were small and of thin form, as if they were starved things. Starved they may look, within their mouths lay jagged arrays of teeth that were pointed and stained a infected yellow. Their eyes swirled of red and black, which added to their already fearsome appearance as they darted between the fleeing people. Disgusted but not deterred, Octavius and Flynt charged forth first, followed closely behind by Marquarius and Androvin.

They defeat the animals, which are connected to Nezhar. Flynt brings the three survivors back to Gallows Rock and picks up Torvald.

The party decided to head west after their battle with the demonic canines, for it seemed logical to say that the only way to discover more on Nezhar would be to move deeper into the dark forest. As they charted westward for a day it seemed to them that nothing of note was appearing to them. Given the time sensitive nature of their mission, they wished not to tarry in the forest for long that was required. On the following day the party decided to move due north, as to discover depths of the forest not before charted. They came upon something that seemed odd and alien to them. It was a grove of trees, but these trees were taller and noticably stronger than those they had seen elsewhere

Grove of Tranquility overseen by Grundoald. Trees with sigils carved into them, and under those are etched inscriptions written in the ancient Vestidian language. Circle of sacred stones.

The party camps outside of the burial area for the night, but are assaulted by a small group of Nezhar's cultists that had previously attacked the grove. They fought for a time and were bloodied and battered. Octavius managed to scoop up the wounded mask master and carry him to safety, while Marquarius was thrown back by a cultist. The frothing man attempted to lunge after him, but was blown away in a ball of fire as he attempted to leap over the stone circle.

Torvald and Flynt arrived shortly afterward as the scene was clear, as the activity had drawn their attention.

The party lingers for a time at the sacred grove, but then leaves the next morning to travel eastward. The reason for this is that Flynt felt a strong inner sense that death required his presence in that direction.

They move east, Marquarius gets lost. The party finds the castle over the Great Dike. Party reunites. They find a note from a cultist, a journal from a dead Astorian reeve, and other written pieces on Nezhar. The cult has migrated northwest, for the area around the forest has become more difficult to pull victims for sacrifice. That explains why they were at the forest edge.

The party heads back to Gallows Rock and gets their payment for their discoveries. The next step of their quest is to either track Nezhar or pursue Ansor. The choice is theirs to make.