This is a Core run of Tide of Twilight, Levels 1–5.
In researching a recently recovered druidic lorestone, the Pathfinder Society learns of a powerful artifact with the power to turn men into bestial abominations. Amid claims of increased werewolf activity in the region, the PCs travel into the heart of the Verduran Forest to retrieve the valuable relic from a cabal of evil druids believed to currently hold it.
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Etune Snowfoot is a white-haired halfling sorceress who alternates between being almost glacially slow and frenetically quick and excited. Her clothing uses themes of white, matching her hair, and her skin's a bit more pale than one might expect of a halfling -- perhaps she spends too much time in the library?
She's got a brand-new Wayfinder bouncing on her hip and looks eager for adventure!
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"This had better be the right room." The redheaded human grumbles as she sits down and reads from her favorite anger management book. She practices some of the deep breathing techniques from her heavily dogmarked section.
Finally she calms down a bit and greets everyone. "My name's Meredith. Good to see you." Then she's back to her books.
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A graceful female elf enters the meeting hall. Her beautiful long near-white hair draws attention as those a lot of daggers exposed in her body.
Hello, can I sit there?, she points to the chair beside Meredith. Before any answer, the elf goes and sits there.
She stretches her body in the chair with no posture, looks around and says, So, what's up, fellows?
With a thump, Venture-Captain Brackett sets a rounded granite stone on his desk. The stone is polished smooth and veined with shallow carvings reminiscent of constellations.
“This is a lorestone, from the depths of the Verduran Forest. It’s rumored to hold all of the secrets of the druids of that ancient wood. Just over two years ago, a group of Pathfinders recovered this stone for us. We’re not much closer to cracking its secrets than we were on the day those agents put it into our hands, but we have gleaned one interesting bit of knowledge.
“The lorestone tells of a lengthy ritual using an artifact called the Atavistic Splinter, a piece of charred bark touched by Gozreh himself. The ritual transforms humanoids into bestial creatures with preternatural resilience. We could use something with this kind of power for the upcoming Ruby Phoenix Tournament in Goka, so we need you to recover the Atavistic Splinter for us.
“We believe the artifact is near the gnome town of Wispil, deep in the Verduran Forest. A Pathfinder operative there—a gnome herbalist named Falbin—was investigating increased lycanthrope activity south of Wispil. Falbin discovered that a sinister cabal of druids in a compound called Briar Henge is using the Atavistic Splinter to perform the ritual, probably to drive out the local loggers, but he couldn’t recover the Atavistic Splinter from the druids by himself.
“Go to Wispil and contact Falbin there. He will provide you with directions to Briar Henge and recent intelligence regarding the situation around Wispil. Then use this information to infiltrate Briar Henge and acquire the Atavistic Splinter.”
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Meredith dog ears a page as Venture-Captain Brackett interrupts her reading with a loud thump.
"This stone is very interesting." She observes the lorestone for a bit while the captain rambles on about their mission.
"Druids who aren't me are turning people into strange werebeasts. Meet with a local contact and stop them. Got it."
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"Etune Snowfoot, arcane expert." The introduction is brief as she goes back to reading something in Draconic with rapt attention... until she, too, is disrupted from her reading by the arrival of the Venture Captain. All attention is focused on the stone...
Etune oohs at the stone as it is thumped on the table, turning her arcane senses upon it as she looks at it... though she does have to kneel on a chair to see over the table to do so.
I wonder if this might also have implications for that thing I'm researching for improving my own skills. Will have to keep my eyes open.
Small groups of druids often occupy sites where the border to the First World is thin. In these wild places, druids often ally with fey creatures.
Lycanthropes are a dangerous menace in the Verduran Forest. As a result, lycanthrope hunters often compete to earn lucrative bounties. Upon rumors of a lycanthrope uprising, opportunistic hunters quickly
descend on the area.
Briar Henge is constructed with living walls of spiky briars. If the druids have allied with fey, they might have good relations with twig jacks, malicious fey creatures made of thorns.
In addition, V-C Brackett offers, "The ritual apparently takes several weeks. But as it will take almost two weeks to get to Wispil from here, you’d better hurry on your way. If these druids finish the ritual, they might take the Atavistic Splinter away to some better-hidden location.”
The lorestone is magical.
If anyone would like to use Knowledge(history) to recall more information, open all of the spoilers that you rolled higher than.
Venture-Captain Brackett has already arranged for your transportation to Wispil (overland to Bellis, then across the Sellen River by riverboat, and overland along logging trails due east to Wispil).
"If there are no more questions, good luck Pathfinders!"
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Meredith thinks about the ritual, and anything she had heard of back in her training.
"We should expect to fight some fey, especially if they allied with the druids at Briar Henge. As you can guess, Briar Henge is full of thick walls of bristles. I've heard it's quite beautiful." Meredith picks a flower out of her hair.
"Lycanthropes are sometimes sighted in Verduan Forest, so greedy hunters tend to hang around Wispil when one has been sighted. Keep your eyes peeled in case we have to knock some sense into them." She cracks her knuckles and smiles.
"Anyway, I'm ready. We should... hurry."
Wispil is a bustling town built on a small scale—although humans and elves walk the streets, most buildings are built to accommodate the gnomes who live and work in Wispil. The scent of fresh-cut lumber wafts through the town. Falbin’s home is not difficult to find. It is situated on the south edge of the town, with a large garden spreading out behind it. Most of the garden is obscured by high growth, but the sound of a violent argument carries into the street. Although it is not yet dark, firelight glimmers from within the garden walls.
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Silk rope - 5gp.
Alchemist's fire - 10gp.
Dagger - 1gp.
Buy:
Silver, Alchemical Mace, light 25 gp.
Cold Iron Dagger 4 gp.
Final gold: 0
For sure, Elendril. I can't create water, but I can help you to find any survivors.
It is too recent, I'm sure that they still here.
While his companions are looking for survivors and trying to extinguish the fire, Merisiel will search for some cover to hide and starts to walk around sneakily, looking for those who starts the fire there.
Elendril moves forward, seeing 3 hunters on the premises, and a felled gnome at the back of the garden. Merisiel disappears (stealth successful), and Wilhelm rushes to put out the fire.
The hunters see you, and one of them shouts "Best we don't leave witnesses!"
The green one moves on Wilhelm, attacking with dual short swords. They appear to be silver.
The blue and the red both converge on Elendril , and do the same.
Unfortunately, Etune missed the flames.
Etune's frost works like a fire extinguisher, reducing the flames in that square to nothing.
As Wilhelm battles the fire and Merisiel disappears, Elendril manages to put down one hunter (red), and likes how the odds are quickly turning to his favor.
The (green) hunter near Wilhelm decides he will be an easy target while battling the flames, and attacks him with both short swords. Wilhelm, however, is able to use the blanket to distract the hunter enough that he is unable to connect.
The (blue) hunter decides to attack Meredith (at a penalty due to grappled). Clearly, though, it was a wasted effort.
The fire is now out.
Merisiel sees that the gnome is still alive, although hurt pretty bad.
Wilhelm steps back, and while missing with the first arrow, does manage to put a second arrow in the green thugs leg. Still, the man moves forward to close the gap and attacks Wilhelm again, double slicing him pretty good.
The blue hunter tries to reverse the grapple on Meredith, and manages to do so.