Cleansing Fire
General Summary
An article from The Dryad's Whisper
In the bright hours of midday, a blaze erupted at a farmstead just north of Dryad's Mill, leaving it in ruins. The fire revealed a grim scene: several laboring undead and their overseer, a ghoul, were found slain among the ashes in what appears to have been a deliberate attack.
Witnesses report hearing the clash of steel and bursts of arcane light during the assault. While most attackers escaped, one was captured and killed. Their motives remain unclear, though officials suspect either zealotry or personal vendetta. The destruction has raised concerns about unrest near the Empire’s borders. Local officials are calling for heightened patrols to prevent further incidents.
As tensions rise, The Dryad’s Whisper will monitor the aftermath of this act of brazen lawlessness.
Feeling impassioned to stick it to The Sovereignty and deal a blow to their economy, Gwen gathered a group of adventurers under a pseudonym to gather at the Flame of the Forest Inn. Those who joined the call were Wyrn and Limara. Their plan was to sneak into sovereignty territry and employ hit and run tactics that would allow them to deal some damage with little danger. After explaining his plan to the fellow adventurers, the trio spent the night in a tavern and began traveling the next day.
The group strategically planned their travel so they could stay in taverns or inns the first couple days on their journey to The Sovereignty. During their third day of travel on the road, the group noticed a peculiar looking rabbit hole at the base of a large oak tree off the road. After investigating and narrowly avoiding falling into a pit trap, the group discovered a staging ground for what appeared to be a rather large strike force that was abandoned. After some investigation, the group discovered that it was a staging ground devoted to Lathander. With a little looking around and some wise thinking, the group found what appeared to be a puzzle that they had to decode on the floor. The words were in celestial but when a light spell was shone on it, they changed to common. After some tinkering, and reading a letter left behind, the group was able to solve the riddle to reveal a small cache of personal items left behind by the previous group and learned that the name of that group was the Knights of Eternal Vigilance. Not sure what to do with them, they pocketed the trinkets in hope that they may one day return them to their owners or to find the writer of the note in Stags Redoubt. Having found safe lodging, the group stayed there the rest of the night.
The next day, the group traveled out of the forest into the farmland near Dryad's mill where they found two zombies. The group decided to set the fields ablaze and to destroy the hideous undead. After a long fight that ended with Limara unconscious, the group used up their healing spells and decided to go back to the staging grounds.
The group healed up there and continued on. They were able to avoid a large group of skeletal archers by setting fire to more fields but were noticed by a pair of undead ravens who flew off to warn others in the area. The group continued on until they came to a farmhouse where a man was tending to his chickens. Not wanting to bother the man even after he called to them demanding why they were on his land, the group tried to continue on. Once the group passed the barn though, the doors swung open revealing more skeleton archers who immediately attacked the adventurers. The farmer also appeared to be more than they bargained for as he was a ghoul in disguise. The fighting was fierce and the archers took Gwen down first who luckily stayed in his saddle. Limara tried to get on Gwen's horse and was able to get it fleeing but was shot in the back and fell off. Wyrn who was on a roof shot at the monsters with his arrows to no effect as they were resistant to his piercing arrows. With quick thinking, Wyrn set fire to the storehouse and fled watching as the skeletons dragged Limara off and filled her with arrows.
The group was scattered. Wyrn went off back to the staging ground and Gwen's horse brought him to Dryad's mill where he was found alive but uncounscious by some guards. After checking him for his rights, they brought him to the local inn where he awoke the next day and healed himself. Afterwards, he traveled back to the staging ground where he and Wyrn decided to end their adventure and return to Xiomara.
In the bright hours of midday, a blaze erupted at a farmstead just north of Dryad's Mill, leaving it in ruins. The fire revealed a grim scene: several laboring undead and their overseer, a ghoul, were found slain among the ashes in what appears to have been a deliberate attack.
Witnesses report hearing the clash of steel and bursts of arcane light during the assault. While most attackers escaped, one was captured and killed. Their motives remain unclear, though officials suspect either zealotry or personal vendetta. The destruction has raised concerns about unrest near the Empire’s borders. Local officials are calling for heightened patrols to prevent further incidents.
As tensions rise, The Dryad’s Whisper will monitor the aftermath of this act of brazen lawlessness.
Feeling impassioned to stick it to The Sovereignty and deal a blow to their economy, Gwen gathered a group of adventurers under a pseudonym to gather at the Flame of the Forest Inn. Those who joined the call were Wyrn and Limara. Their plan was to sneak into sovereignty territry and employ hit and run tactics that would allow them to deal some damage with little danger. After explaining his plan to the fellow adventurers, the trio spent the night in a tavern and began traveling the next day.
The group strategically planned their travel so they could stay in taverns or inns the first couple days on their journey to The Sovereignty. During their third day of travel on the road, the group noticed a peculiar looking rabbit hole at the base of a large oak tree off the road. After investigating and narrowly avoiding falling into a pit trap, the group discovered a staging ground for what appeared to be a rather large strike force that was abandoned. After some investigation, the group discovered that it was a staging ground devoted to Lathander. With a little looking around and some wise thinking, the group found what appeared to be a puzzle that they had to decode on the floor. The words were in celestial but when a light spell was shone on it, they changed to common. After some tinkering, and reading a letter left behind, the group was able to solve the riddle to reveal a small cache of personal items left behind by the previous group and learned that the name of that group was the Knights of Eternal Vigilance. Not sure what to do with them, they pocketed the trinkets in hope that they may one day return them to their owners or to find the writer of the note in Stags Redoubt. Having found safe lodging, the group stayed there the rest of the night.
The next day, the group traveled out of the forest into the farmland near Dryad's mill where they found two zombies. The group decided to set the fields ablaze and to destroy the hideous undead. After a long fight that ended with Limara unconscious, the group used up their healing spells and decided to go back to the staging grounds.
The group healed up there and continued on. They were able to avoid a large group of skeletal archers by setting fire to more fields but were noticed by a pair of undead ravens who flew off to warn others in the area. The group continued on until they came to a farmhouse where a man was tending to his chickens. Not wanting to bother the man even after he called to them demanding why they were on his land, the group tried to continue on. Once the group passed the barn though, the doors swung open revealing more skeleton archers who immediately attacked the adventurers. The farmer also appeared to be more than they bargained for as he was a ghoul in disguise. The fighting was fierce and the archers took Gwen down first who luckily stayed in his saddle. Limara tried to get on Gwen's horse and was able to get it fleeing but was shot in the back and fell off. Wyrn who was on a roof shot at the monsters with his arrows to no effect as they were resistant to his piercing arrows. With quick thinking, Wyrn set fire to the storehouse and fled watching as the skeletons dragged Limara off and filled her with arrows.
The group was scattered. Wyrn went off back to the staging ground and Gwen's horse brought him to Dryad's mill where he was found alive but uncounscious by some guards. After checking him for his rights, they brought him to the local inn where he awoke the next day and healed himself. Afterwards, he traveled back to the staging ground where he and Wyrn decided to end their adventure and return to Xiomara.
Rewards Granted
Loot:
Coins
0 pp, 12 gp, 126 sp, 95 cp
Gems
[7 gp] irregular freshwater pearl
[7 gp] unworked rock crystal quartz (worth 3 gp; Craft (jewelry) DC 10 to repair)
[11 gp] unworked rock crystal quartz (worth 5 gp; Craft (jewelry) DC 10 to repair)
[50 gp] ivory
Potions
[50 gp] potion/oil of bless weapon (CL 1)
[50 gp] potion/oil of shield of faith (CL 1)
[50 gp] potion/oil of shield of faith x2 (CL 1)
Scrolls
[25 gp] arcane scroll of jump (CL 1)
[150 gp] divine scroll of cure moderate wounds (CL 3)
[13 gp] arcane scroll of mage hand (CL 1)
[375 gp] arcane scroll of dispel magic (CL 5)
[150 gp] arcane scroll of blur (CL 3)
[25 gp] divine scroll of sanctuary (CL 1)
Weapons
[400 gp] masterwork composite longbow
Experience Gained
Wyrn (3): 500xp = 100xp (A hole in the ground) + 100xp (Mysteries of Lathander) + 67xp (Zombie Strike) + 233 (A Farming Accident)
Gwen (1): 500xp = 100xp + 100xp + 67xp
Limara (1): 267xp = 100xp + 100xp + 67xp
No Alignment Shifts
Coins
0 pp, 12 gp, 126 sp, 95 cp
Gems
[7 gp] irregular freshwater pearl
[7 gp] unworked rock crystal quartz (worth 3 gp; Craft (jewelry) DC 10 to repair)
[11 gp] unworked rock crystal quartz (worth 5 gp; Craft (jewelry) DC 10 to repair)
[50 gp] ivory
Potions
[50 gp] potion/oil of bless weapon (CL 1)
[50 gp] potion/oil of shield of faith (CL 1)
[50 gp] potion/oil of shield of faith x2 (CL 1)
Scrolls
[25 gp] arcane scroll of jump (CL 1)
[150 gp] divine scroll of cure moderate wounds (CL 3)
[13 gp] arcane scroll of mage hand (CL 1)
[375 gp] arcane scroll of dispel magic (CL 5)
[150 gp] arcane scroll of blur (CL 3)
[25 gp] divine scroll of sanctuary (CL 1)
Weapons
[400 gp] masterwork composite longbow
Experience Gained
Wyrn (3): 500xp = 100xp (A hole in the ground) + 100xp (Mysteries of Lathander) + 67xp (Zombie Strike) + 233 (A Farming Accident)
Gwen (1): 500xp = 100xp + 100xp + 67xp
Limara (1): 267xp = 100xp + 100xp + 67xp
No Alignment Shifts
Report Date
26 Dec 2024
Primary Location
Secondary Location
