The Black Thorn

General Summary

The game opens with the heroes at celebration Rehele has thrown for the security forces of the Westbound Star Company. It's been a tense few weeks for not just the heroes but for other members of the security force engaged in their own missions as well. The heroes are gathered at their own table along with Ulara (the half elf assistant to the company's ostler). She does her best to be around Tindel when she can. She's shy, quiet and always eager for his attention.

Rehele soon visits their table and congratulates the them for their work with the Calloway Inn. She's never trusted fae and is proud that some of her people helped fight back against the dryads assaulting the inn. She also uses the information about the Chimera they spotted to plot a new and safer course, although somewhat out of the way. She also lays out a new mission for them.

The wizard, Augustus Laplin, that they "rescued" in Peregrine Pointe a little over a week ago has finally cleared his head of his synthetic Manacite addiction and is coherent enough to offer his help to the caravan now. He says he knows of a magical grove relatively near by that he can use many of the plants, fungus and such from the area to help create magic potions that might be of some use to New Sanctuary Expedition. Rehele tasks the party with guarding Laplin along with a group of laborers while they gather supplies in this grove. One of the voting members of the caravan's leadership, Enry Burblecutt, will be going along as well to help. He's no stranger to foraging and harvesting. He also says he knows his way around a pair of daggers and can watch out for himself. The heroes head off to confirm some of the information with Laplin before heading to bed. They find Laplin to be much easier to speak with though still highly paranoid about his two ex-coven mates Temax Moondall and Henreich Klamp who he still believes are out to get him.

The following morning they range out ahead of the caravan for the grove. Ulara goes with them as well, volunteering her own services with labor and the help of her horse, Rosy. The blizzards have let up and they're able to travel through only a light peaceful snow. They find the grove easy enough and it looks rather peaceful and serene. It's already mid afternoon by the time they reach the area so they get to harvesting right away. They split the laborers into two groups and planned a rather organized approach to things... but then Caellana decided to just wander off on her own. Tindel, Cordelia, Erik and Alderman Burblecutt went along keep an eye on her while also watching out for one of the labor groups. Beorna, Berenger and the rest of the laborers went to explore a small stone structure they found.

The stone ruins turned out to be one of the old College of Magic's many store houses. This one looks as if it was destroyed from the inside out, everything consumed in a fiery explosion. Beorna and Berenger explored the depths of the old ruin looking for anything they could find that might of use. They found a few odds and ends as well as an angry specter looking to claim their life energy. Berenger failed several times to land a blow but Beorna managed to banish the entity to whatever fate awaited it.

Meanwhile, Cordelia left a group of harvesters to tend to their work and followed Caellana while Tindel and the Alderman went their own way. Tindel witnesses a strange scene, a group of four travelers rushing about to catch and cage a chicken that seems very precious to them. Tindel and the others spoke with them and their leader, a rather sinister looking man named Clint, said they're here looking for Fae and the chicken was in fact a one. They spoke for a short while and Erik offered to take them back to the camp area. They revealed they were traveling with another man who's chained and bound up. Erik says it's for his own safety and that it would be dangerous to free him.

Caellana wanders through the woods with Cordelia behind her till she eventually stumbles upon a strange scene. She sees the two Dryads they met days earlier from the Calloway incident, Anfisa and her older sister Ceska. Ceska is trying to teach her younger sister to manipulate branches and control trees but Anfisa is just crying hysterically about how much she misses Milo. Caellana emerges to greet them and must immediately calm Ceska's aggression. Caellana explains they're here for some ingredients in order to make medicines for the camp and that she wants to get permission from whomever guards this glade first. Ceska, still bitter about the incident days earlier, says she'll let them have whatever they want in exchange for Aelfric. While they're discussing the matter Cordelia witnesses a group of three well armed and powerful looking Bugbears creeping through the snow and trees about to ambush the Dryads. She also is taken by surprise when a fourth walks right past her, not really carrying about her at all. They speak in thieves' cant and the Bugbears say they're here just for the Fae and that they are part of the Black Thorn Society . Cord knows the Black Thorn well, a group of powerful, wealthy and dangerous slavers and these Bugbears are obviously in their employ. She tricks Caellana and into leaving immediately while the Bugbears close in on their prey.

Everyone gathered back at their camp where Berenger was preparing a meal. Cord and her harvesters along with Caellana were due back shortly as well. Erik is sitting near the equipment and the chicken cage when the chicken looks up and him and speaks "Hey, please, you have to help me! Those guys that caught me are slavers and they're taking me to auction!"

Erik spends a great deal of time trying to get the chicken to speak to someone else but it just seems like a regular chicken to everyone he shows. Finally, he bring's Tindel over the chicken seems comfortable revealing it can speak to him as well due to Tindel being and elf. Meanwhile everyone else is up at the campfire getting served stew by Berenger. When the chained man walks up for his he instead casts a Grease spell into the fire and burning oil flies in every direction. The rest of his party draws weapons and starts trying to subdue everyone in the camp. It's at this time that Cord and Caellana are coming up on the camp. They see this attack from a far and immediately hold back. Cord spots a symbol tattooed on the hand of several of the attackers, the Circle of Thorns that marks them as slavers. They slowly move in on the scene, plotting an entrance. However, they notice something else that gives them pause. Three of the Bugbears from earlier are moving in as well to help their human allies to capture this lot.

Clint, the leader of the slavers, went about sapping several citizens while the others moved against the Heroes. Cordelia sent Laplin in with a piece of manacite so he could actually cast and he moved to quickly and recklessly cast burning hands. Caellana transforms before Cordelia's eyes, shaping and twisting into a snarling Dire Wolf that leaps into the fray. Tackling the elven slaver and ripping into him. Many of the workers are terrified beyond rational thought when they see Caellana transform. Berenger is brought down quickly by the rogue slaver's dagger in the back and Beorna is also felled by their attacks. By the time the Bugbears arrive the scene is already pure chaos.

Rather than risk any more blood Cordelia tries to negotiate a cease-fire. Many of the human slavers are already down but the Bugbears are an imposing and powerful threat. The Bugbears say they were only being paid to get the fae and that chicken. If they can leave with the chicken and their injured slaver employers and they'll leave the heroes and their workers alone. The plan seemed to be working when two impossible to predict variables enter the equation. Erik and Caellana. Erik, fully enthralled by the mystery of this talking Chicken named Rango, refuses and tries to stop Cord from giving the chicken over. Caellana, in her wolf form, smells the dryad blood on the Bugbears and immediately launches upon them now.

The battle grinds on until all three of the Bugbears were finished and many of the heroes beaten to near death. They discuss among themselves what to do now, they're short many of the supplies they need but there are major risks in staying here now that slavers are in the woods. After some discussion, they decide to abandon the search for ingredients and head back to the safety of the caravan.

After returning to the caravan Laplin sequesters himself away to work on the potions with what ingredients he has. The morning the caravan is uprooting and preparing for the next leg of the trip August Laplin's wagon is found to be abandoned by the wizard. He left a note saying he's off to search for Temax Moondall and Heinreich Klamp. He left a box of potions on his desk for the caravan (8 potions of minor healing but subtract 2 from whatever HP is regained due to their watered down nature. There is one potion of giant strength as well. All of these are in Rehele's possession.)

The heroes found their own wagon broken into that morning as well but the only thing missing is Laplin's spellbook(the one with the magic stone in the cover).

Rehele and the rest of the leadership looked for him for a few hours but found no trace of the wizard. Leadership decided to leave Laplin to the fate he chose and to begin their journey.

Campaign

The New Sanctuary Expedition

Protagonists