Neverwinter Stories: Campaign 1 — Session 45
Book One: The Trees of Life and Death — Chapter Forty-Five: The Wilting Maze
General Summary
Down in a cavern alongside Furtilorn's taproot, Melv the Meek introduced the Redwings to the Wilting Maze, an extensive system of caverns and tunnels filled with struggling and decaying plant life. His challenge was simple: find him inside the maze three times within the next 24 hours to win his approval. However, the game was prematurely started by Alessandra botched attempt at cheating. Melv fled the scene after being touched with iron, and the party was forced to begin the search.
Our heroes split into several teams. The first duo was Markus and Ilyra, who set out immediately. On their early exploration of the maze, they encountered a small troupe of chwinga, who took a liking to the dragon knight and gave him a gift. Ilyra also found a damaged, half-buried shrine to Angharradh, the Queen of Arvandor. Eventually, Ilyra was able to locate the source of a mysterious song. It was coming from a dense patch of briar on the ceiling above a pool of bubbling acid. Once the briar was cut through, Melv was revealed to them, earning them their first find.
After Askra created many lengths of copper wire, all the other teams delved into the labyrinth—using the wire to mark their path. Lilith and Alessandra stumbled across a cave system filled with glowing pink crystals. There they encounter a small, fully-shrouded man covering the stones in blotting sheets. After convincing him they were no harm, the two learned that Melv was well known in the maze, as were many of his favorite spots. Askra and Worvil also found these caves but were ambushed by a hungry bulette. They fended off the creature, and in their struggle, they attracted the nearby nobles.
Reunited and armed with better information, the two groups made a short journey to Melv's closest hiding spot. They arrived after a brief altercation with a reckless galeb duhr. Sure enough, the gloomy fey was there, making them one step closer to their victory.
Markus and Ilyra continued their search but soon became lost among its winding tunnels. Frightful and depraved thoughts crept into their minds, and soon after, they were ambushed by meenlocks. Ilyra was swarmed and wounded, but the two defeated the unnerving feyfolk.
The four others kept searching as well. Eventually, they came across ancient masonry—an old elvish, moss-coated facade—and two wander minotaur skeletons. The undead ignored the adventurers and let them investigate the doorway unimpeded. Inside was a small room with four singing birds, one of which was the disguised Melv. Having found him a third time, he awarded the Redwings with his approval. However, Melv also revealed that the Evergreen Queen was not his birth mother. In truth, it was the Mistress of the Lost, the former leader of the unseelie court hidden below, and our heroes stood at the entrance to where they dwelled. Although they were allowed to enter the Evergreen Palace, the half-gnome asked if the party was willing to descend further and investigate the activities of the new unseelie leader, the Duchess of Shimmering Silk. They agreed after some brief debate, but they regrouped with Markus and Ilyra and returned to the surface to get some much-needed sleep before continuing.
Our heroes split into several teams. The first duo was Markus and Ilyra, who set out immediately. On their early exploration of the maze, they encountered a small troupe of chwinga, who took a liking to the dragon knight and gave him a gift. Ilyra also found a damaged, half-buried shrine to Angharradh, the Queen of Arvandor. Eventually, Ilyra was able to locate the source of a mysterious song. It was coming from a dense patch of briar on the ceiling above a pool of bubbling acid. Once the briar was cut through, Melv was revealed to them, earning them their first find.
After Askra created many lengths of copper wire, all the other teams delved into the labyrinth—using the wire to mark their path. Lilith and Alessandra stumbled across a cave system filled with glowing pink crystals. There they encounter a small, fully-shrouded man covering the stones in blotting sheets. After convincing him they were no harm, the two learned that Melv was well known in the maze, as were many of his favorite spots. Askra and Worvil also found these caves but were ambushed by a hungry bulette. They fended off the creature, and in their struggle, they attracted the nearby nobles.
Reunited and armed with better information, the two groups made a short journey to Melv's closest hiding spot. They arrived after a brief altercation with a reckless galeb duhr. Sure enough, the gloomy fey was there, making them one step closer to their victory.
Markus and Ilyra continued their search but soon became lost among its winding tunnels. Frightful and depraved thoughts crept into their minds, and soon after, they were ambushed by meenlocks. Ilyra was swarmed and wounded, but the two defeated the unnerving feyfolk.
The four others kept searching as well. Eventually, they came across ancient masonry—an old elvish, moss-coated facade—and two wander minotaur skeletons. The undead ignored the adventurers and let them investigate the doorway unimpeded. Inside was a small room with four singing birds, one of which was the disguised Melv. Having found him a third time, he awarded the Redwings with his approval. However, Melv also revealed that the Evergreen Queen was not his birth mother. In truth, it was the Mistress of the Lost, the former leader of the unseelie court hidden below, and our heroes stood at the entrance to where they dwelled. Although they were allowed to enter the Evergreen Palace, the half-gnome asked if the party was willing to descend further and investigate the activities of the new unseelie leader, the Duchess of Shimmering Silk. They agreed after some brief debate, but they regrouped with Markus and Ilyra and returned to the surface to get some much-needed sleep before continuing.
Rewards Granted
Markus won the appreciation of a tribe of chwinga, who gave him a magic charm. In addition, he retrieve a set of magical elven leaf armor from a pool of acid.
Missions/Quests Completed
The Redwings successfully completed Melv's test, earning them their second and final victory in the Test of the Elder Sons.
Character(s) interacted with
Melv evaluated our hero's abilities and character through his test. Trogo "Good Shot" and Worvil "the Weevil" continued to cooperate and help them during this.
Notes
- Trogo was the only person to enter the maze alone. He was also unaccounted for when the party returned to the surface.
- Each time Melv was found he was seen playing music for an audience of small animals or bugs.
- At several points many characters questioned how much time had passed during their hunt. A conclusive answer evaded them.
- Alessandra's perception of reality began to skew toward the end of the test. Conflicting voiced whispered in her mind and—in contrast with what the others saw—she watched the birds eat each other.
- Alessandra and Worvil both voted to decline Melv's request to investigate the unseelie, but they were out voted.
Report Date
09 Aug 2021
Primary Location
-
The Trees of Life and Death Saga
- Sunless Expedition Arc
- Map Hunters Arc
- Shadow Giant Arc
- Armillary Road Arc
- Furtîlorn Expedition Arc
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