Session 16 - A Fool's Errand?
General Summary
After passing a few pleasant hours with new...friends??...at The Lucky Liar, the Party rode out the storm at the guesthouse of Lonelywood Speaker Nimsey Huddle, anticipating the challenge ahead to dispense with the evil frost druid Ravisin and deal with the White Moose terrorizing the timbermen of the Lonelywood forest.
The Party successfully contacted Toothless the next morning, intent on exploring with her the possibility of non-lethal ways to dissuade the renegade White Moose from his servitude to Ravisin'. Though happy to assist her human friends, Toothless was unable to provide any helpful ideas; she could provide only additional confirmation that Ravisin had continued her recruitment and awakening of beasts of the area, driving them to "find the black ice for the dark ones and...deliver it to her tomb", all the while demanding information on the activities of any wizards of the Arcane Brotherhood. Nevertheless, Toothless promised to be available to help should the Party be able to capture the White Moose alive.
The Party (now less Janth Alowar, who balked at the prospect of being killed by Ravisin for a second time), set off to the map location provided by their new friend, Jarvis Treefeller (see Minor NPCs - note: Major NPCs found in World Codex), albeit using a different route in order to avoid potential spying by any of the smaller forest denizens who might be under thrall to Ravisin. Upon arrival near the forest entrance, Skolas performed his augury spell to quiz his gods regarding the Party's plan to split forces to better set their planned ambush of the White Moose. The ashes of the spell's remnants fell onto the pristine snow in the unmistakeable shape of a woeful skull, and the Party unanimously agreed that staying together was the better option.
Despite the heavy snows of the previous night's storm, Zanborin soon picked up the tracks of Lonelywood's missing loggers and the Party stealthily entered the loggers' campsite -- only to find a massacre. All four loggers violently killed by perpetrators whose tracks suggested were a humanoid, an adult bear and...a very large moose.
The least disturbing death? A logger sliced from ear-to-ear in her sleep by a sharp blade. The other three? All horribly butchered, with the worst mangled beyond recognition by a moose in a seemingly manic orgy of violence. After caring for the bodies in a respectful manner, the Party was left to wonder: was their plan to rehabilitate the White Moose simply a fool's errand?
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