Session 5: Into the Woods Report

General Summary

The session begins with the players awakening in Wellbury, where they had secured lodging at The Unicorn, the town’s only inn. They discuss Kiriana’s vision the previous night, during which she was visited by her patron, who gave her some information. Relevant info was:
Do not let the Ladies of the Woods prevail, for they are allied with dark forces from two fiddlestickin planes. The Seelies’ minds are being taken by the blood gaze. The Bloody Matron can only be killed by the horn of the Corrupted Unicorn. The Mad Mage plays the fiddle they all dance to!
There is discussion about whether this information is literal or symbolic, since they are in an inn called the Unicorn and the people who run it are suspicious.
Gristla Bartosh comes in and gives the party a cinnamon roll to give to Barkdancer so that he will know the party was sent on her behalf. The roll is wrapped in a bit of feywool, which she says will keep the roll as hot as it was when it came out of the oven so long as it is wrapped in the cloth.
Bheema sees Durnsay Mains post a notice that he is offering a reward for the recovery of the missing children. While looking at this notice, Bheema meets Jonas Druss, the father of two of the three missing children, Hamish, age 8, and Nissa, age 10. Bheema assures the exhausted single dad that the party will do everything they can to find the children. Jonas gives thanks and gifts the party eight goodberries. Bheema also learns that there is a local legend about a Unicorn that was corrupted by demons or devils that dwells somewhere in the Splintwood.
The party discuss a few more conspiracy theories before heading into the Splintwood, guided by Harlish. Once in the wilds they encounter a stream, above which in the trees are several cocoons wrapped in spider silk. The party continues on carefully. Eventually they come to an area that is a sweltering and rainy tropical rainforest, learning that in the Splintwood, things aren’t always consistent. They meet a group of baboons who try to steal food. After a bit of slogging through jungle, the group emerges into the Splintwood they know, with no rain and cool weather and usual types of fauna and flors. The group then decides to camp for the night. Killing-You-Guy and Hidami decide to sleep in the trees. Quiet and Kiriana take first watch. After about an hour, two visitors approach the camp, a beautiful woman who calls herself Blue-eyes and a gangly looking man named Sluven.
Blue-eyes explains to Quiet and Kiriana that she and Sluven are traveling across the land to their patron The Lord of Many Lights. After chatting with these two strange people, Blue-eyes and Sluven’s Domovoi thugs attack, attempting to kidnap Norrik, and kill anyone who stands in their way.
The fight is hard and brutal. Every member of the party is knocked unconscious at some point. Eventually Blue-eyes and Sluven are slain, and the Domovois stop fighting when Quiet informs them there’s no point to continue, as their employers have been killed. The Domovois agree and start to walk away. But Killing-You-Guy antagonizes them, leading Hidami to think they are still fighting. Hidami attacks, Kiriana attacks. The Domovoi, enraged by what they perceive as a devious trick to take them with their guards down, retaliate.
More brutal fighting ensues. One Domovoi is taken down. But the others fight on ferociously. Ultimately it ends in a standoff as the Domovoi leader decides it isn’t worth any more of his fellows dying, though he doesn’t want to leave empty handed. He holds the dying Hidami’s limp body in his hands and demands money, settling for silver. He and the surviving Domovoi leave. And the badly beaten party members lick their wounds and search the bodies.
They get some coin, a dragon tooth with the word “Undying” carved into it, and some bracers with a hidden dagger compartment.

Rewards Granted

4 XP Hidami got and extra XP and one XP to gift, which he gave to Kiriana, as she refused a DM intrusion and spent XP to prevent it.

Character(s) interacted with

Sluven and Blue-eyes (now deceased)

Campaign

The Lost Gates of Halastan

Protagonists

Bheema Pandavakumara

Level 7 Clockwork Neutral Good Fighter
(Outlander)

/ 67 HP

Report Date

26 Sep 2019

Primary Location

Splintwood