The Dangers of Darkbough - Part 5

Session 30 Recap

General Summary

With the guidance of Tess'tess and the other Vass'anasss guides, the Outkasts, along with Morgan Greyson are able to make it back to the village with no trouble, avoiding the worst of the forest's dangers. Once they arrive back in the village, they sit down to discuss the ancient ruins that Tess'tess had mentioned earlier. The village council, though clearly uncomfortable with the topic, relent and tell the group what they know - which isn't much. They confirm that the ruins themselves are older than the entire oral tradition of the Vass'anasss, which they confidently claim extends for a hundred generations of lorekeepers, but believe them to be full of cursed energy, attracting evil spirits and other horrors. This, the elders explain, is part of why their people moved as far to the north as they could. Realizing that that they can not stop the adventurers from doing what they want, the elders finally suggest that the Outkasts think carefully about going anywhere near the ruins, and beg them not to anger anything that might threaten the forest should they persist in their intent. The Outkasts thank the elders for the counsel, and start making final preparations to head into the "deep forest" of Darkbough. The Vass'anasss supply what they can spare, but mostly the party must fend for themselves, the tribe having already stretched thin its resources with the extravagance of the feast just days before. The following morning, with a final night in the safety of the Vass'anasss walls, the Outkasts head southward, guided by the veteran hunter Nas'galan. The journey proves relatively quick and uneventful, lasting barely another two days of travel through the increasingly dense foliage. Finally, the sun-blocking canopy gives way to an open marsh a few hundred yards across. Nas'galan explains to the party that this place marks the limits of Vass'anasss lands, and that he can accompany them no farther. With a hasty farewell, the he disappears back into the shadowy forest, leaving the Outkasts to find their own way further southward. As with the rest of Darkbough, the wetlands hide their own dangers, and the party quickly discovers that the waist deep waters are infested with giant leeches, hungry for an easy meal. They manage to defeat many of the creatures, but not before several are able to latch onto Qas and drain her of much of her strength. Gravely injured and in need of healing, the Outkasts are forced to retreat from the endless waves of bloodthirtsy denizens, and flee to the safety of the southern woodline. Determined to press on, the group pushes into the Deep Forest and sets up camp far enough from the water to keep the leeches from pursuing them further. Luckily for Qas, a night of rest later, aided by no small amount of both magical and mundane healing from Bara, gets her back on her feet, but she is still debilitated by the encounter, and it falls to the rest of the party to help her continue on as she recovers her strength. In this way, the party renews their trek southward, now much more slowly and carefully for their lack of native guides.