The group continues deeper into the forest toward the witches hut. The forest is darker here, the tree canopy nearly blocks out the sun but also gives protection from the rain that is steadily failing. An uneasy felling comes over the group as the trees seem to get closer and closer together. Deep within your minds you feel unwelcome. The trail is badly overgrown and disappears at times but Keanan seem to be able to keep the party going in the right direction.
After an hour or so the party comes to a small secluded birch grove with a circle of stones in its center. A larger stone stand about four feet high in the center of the circle.
"Is this some kind of monument?" Serila asks, observing the stones from a distance. "It looks druid-ish."
Serila slowly backs away from the stones. "Uhm guys, Atsushia... there's a whole lot of little dead fey creatures on the ground here... I don't like this place..."
"Hey Keanan, can we just go around this place? "
Un'gra looks around to see if anyone is watching them.
"Well, sure, but sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination. Balazar likes distractions."
Let me check... I don't like this either.
Atsushia puts her hand on her cat's head amulet, and concentrates, muttering a few words
*Really, I should be ashamed of myself. A simple Prestidigitation minor spell was all I needed to dry evreything in my backpack when I fell into the river. Why didn't I think of it? I made a fool of myself.This adventuring life is maybe not for me...*
Hajar ensures he stands close to Serila once she makes her declaration. He begins scanning the area for creatures that walk the dark path, like those goblinoids from before.
"Ya know, with a necromancer around, might be a wise move to just cut the heads off these beasts. Never know. Balazar, stay with me."
If no one objects and AFTER the detection spells are done, Keanan will walk over and cut a head off with his blade. If nothing happens, he'll just keep doing it.
Serila waits next to Hajar while he and the others investigate the area. She takes out her crossbow and makes sure it's loaded. "We're quite close to the witch's hut, aren't we? I wonder if these fey cratures lived here, or if they were placed here. Does anyone know more about feys and their natural habitat?"
It's not my area of expertise, I'm afraid. Not yet, anyway. I'm sure I could find some tomes in a good library with all the info needed.I'm not used to "wood research."
After a short moment of uneasy silence, she adds
You know, as in "field" research, except we're in a wood, not a field.It s a pun.
There is some feeble magic in activity, both on the dead Fey and on the stone. I don't know what kind of magic, the aura is nearly fading away...Beware!
She takes her sling and put a stone in it, in case of emergency
Keanan, is desecrating the dead entirely neccesary? Cannot a necromancer simply animate the dead regardless of their corporal remnants. Something has happened here, it bodes not well for us to tarry. Hajar says with a semi disgusted look the way of the dwarf.
As the party stands in the grove they can feel the life of every bush, tree and blade of grass being slowly draining away. The grass is not as green the bushes not as full and the tree begin to slump as if unable to hold their own weight.
"Something's seriously wrong, all the life around us is being drained! Unless anyone knows what this is and how to stop it, I suggest we get out of here!" Serila casts resistance on herself, and if she has enough time on everyone else as well.
"Alright, let's go. I really don't want to find out what's going on here." Un'gra looks for the closest, healthy portion of the forest. "Uhh, I don't really see a way out. Keanan?"
Hajar sensing the evil presence looks to Vade What do you know of this? he then grabs Serila and shoves her behind him, interposing himself between Serila and the evil presence. Stay behind me. Keep backing away. he says to the female. To Un'gra he says Find a path, now. Nothing good comes from staying here.
Master Vade looks at Hajar with a shocked expression on his face. "I know as much as you do! I did not lead us here the druid did why not ask him what he knows of this! I do not know why you are accusing me of but you are right about one thing......We should leave. I feel conflicting magical energies here."
"Hmm, I'm not sure either what's going on. Looks like some kind of spell craft I'm unfamiliar with. But if you all want to leave, that's fine with me."
Hajars eyes narrow at Vade but he says nothing in reply. I do not trust you Master Vade, your motives here are far from benign.
Master Druid, lead us away. I will take the rear.
Serila takes a couple of steps backward when Hajar tells her to back away. "Where to go, opposite side we came from?"
Is something wicked approaching...?
"Well, I'm going to figure out what's going on. So, if you guys want to leave, you should go around to over here, then over there." Keanan points out how to get around the Birch Grove to the group.
"Balazar and I have a duty to figure out what's going on with Nature. I will pray to Gozreh and uncover the truth. When I'm done, I'll come find you. Come Balazar."
Keanan moves closer to examine the trees, kneels near it, and begins to pray.
Keanan says a poetic prayer to Gozreh:
"Dear big guy, up high in the sky.
Where the trees grow tall, nothing there is small.
Give me insight into this land of wasting death,
So that I might find a cure before my last breath.
Tell me what to do, I still believe in you.
Gozreh all powerful."
"Well, I'd feel bad leaving ya behind" Un'gra draws scimitar and awaits whatever is going to happen.
I won't leave you alone. Don't even dare to think of it. Nevertheless, I suggest we regroup and get out of this grove before the magic drain our life...
Vade moves toward the dwarf. "I did not pay you to worship a tree God. Now let's move on to the witch's hut and you can come back here after you have lead me there. How much farther is it?"
"The distance increases the more you open your mouth. Be still, I do not trust you. I have a duty to examine the forest and that which endangers it. If you'd like a refund, and find the witch's hut on your own, be my guest. I'll just find you later and take my gold from your dead hands tomorrow from whatever kills you along the way."
I care not for this witches hut, or your gold Master Vade. I accompany this group to ensure that Serila is safe and to right the wrongs of those who walk the dark path. Hajar says to Vade by way of response, his eyes narrowed.
Hajar glances at the dwarf Master Garnet-Gold, you have knowledge you wish to share with us.
"Atsushia, thank you for your support. I suspect mystical mischief is afoot here, but I wish to speak to you in private."
Keanan walks a little aways from the group and, if Atsushia follows, will whisper the following to her.
"I am very concerned. You must understand, I have a duty to protect nature, and this foul magical effect could be a clue to what happened in Falcon's Hallow. My intuition tells me something about 'Isandrea', although that name means nothing to me. I was hoping a learned spellcaster like yourself might know it's meaning."
"I did not think to connect the death of the Fey and this land. Now it makes sense to me. Come, we should speak to the group, this is serious."
Keanan will walk towards most of the group. "I think I know what's going on. Hear me out on this theory of mine. So, there are spells that have protected this area, but they are failing. Furthermore, at the previous location, the dead fey were around an area with a large stone in the middle, which I believe was a shrine. I believe there was an idol or something that was on that shrine that the fey were protecting. Whatever killed them, stole this item. With their death, the protection spells of the fey are failing. We need to restore that object to it's shrine. This probably means we're going to face whatever killed the fey, since they probably will not just hand it over to us."
Keanan shifts side to side for a moment. "There's probably nothing we can do here. But, alas, there might be clues we overlooked where the fey died. Anyone have any thoughts? One option is to go back and re-examine the area where the fey died knowing this might be the reason. Another option would be to head towards the witch, and see if she has any answers, or if she's responsible for this."
"While we're here we might as well do a quick inspecting of the area where the fey died. If that doesn't help, let's move on to the witch's hut."
"Sorry," Serila whispers to Vade, "He's a very nice person, really. But he has to do this, meaning I'll stay as well."
Master Vade listens very intently to Keanan as he believes what is going on and nods his head many times.
"I believe you are right wise dwarf. It did not dawn on me until you started to describe what you believe the grove might be. I think this is the lost grove of the Dryad Isandrea. A relic of great healing power was rumored to be within the grove. It looks like the relic also protected the surrounding forest from some evil power as well."
"Did you say great healing power? Oh my, oh my. This is getting worse and worse by the moment, or my mind is creating conspiracy theories."
Keanan is clearly distraught. "No, it can't be...it just can't be." Pacing back and forth for a second, considering the best path forward. "I think we need to hurry to the witch's hut, and then get back to Falcon's Hollow. I suspect some over-eager, wealthy individual with a small set of soldiers killed the fey to steal the artifact. Probably in a desperate attempt to keep someone alive that was affected by the foul disease that was plaguing the town. Serila, does that sound like anyone you or your family might know? Or have I lost my mind and creating a fantastical tale? I can't think straight. Everywhere I look I think I see danger."
"Uhm... sounds like those who run the Lumber Company," Serila answers, "Those who run it have a lot of money, and you might've noticed they pretty much own Falcon's Hollow."
"So we go to the witch's hut as fast as we can, then get back to Falcon's Hollow as fast as we can? Ready when you are."
Exploring the monastery and retrieving the hunters' corpses will have to wait.
Hajar, now having a task to occupy his attention waits for the others and indicates he is ready to move out.
"This place is some kind of crazy. I'm ready to leave when you are, Keanan. "
"Well, okay. Sounds like our plan is to head to the witch's hut. On our way back, we can stop by the warg's den, then back to Falcon's Hallow. I think we might have some trouble when we return, if my suspicions are correct. I do ask that you all keep challenging my assumptions. I fear I'm beginning to see conspiracies where there may be none."
Turning to the spellcaster known as Vade, he points at him and says, "And you, Vade. I don't trust you, Vade."
Atsushia is thoughful
Did the Fey died by spell or blade? That may be important, so lets check...If someone stole the healng relic, it could be planning to use its effect to maximize his monetary gains: with the disease plaguing the town, how much would people pay to be cured? And by keeping the artifact for himself and those who swear fealty to him, he could soon become master of the town. Anyone who want to be healthy enough to work who have to give his freedom, anyone who doesn't forfeit his freedom-and maybe his wages, there's no small profit- would have to go away.I don't know the whole situation of the town, so maybe my theory is far fetched.
There are some who are addicted to money in the Lumber Consortium...
Serila tries to determine which way to go, using the knowledge Keanan taught her. "That way!"
"Wait a second," Serila says before the party leaves, and walks up to some of the fey creatures, "perhaps I can learn more about what caused their deaths." She takes out her healer's kit.