Session 13: Argus Found! Report

General Summary

The ghoulish charcoal burners had been dispatched and our heroes decided to spend the night in the befouled camp. The night was uneventful, save for the sounds of the forest, but near morning, the alarm spell set by Brimble Knackles was triggered. A satyr, clumsily playing his pipes and covered in the yellow-white mould, trotted into camp and immediately went to attack. Sick as he was, the satyr was quickly killed and the party decided it best to move on.   The party determined which of the charcoal burner trails led towards the centre of the Everwood and walked down the path. Gil, flying above, could see the great trees signifying Druid Argus’s home, as well as a wide trail-like scar through the forest, as if some great beast had gone careening through the trees.   Before reaching the forest centre, the party came upon a small ruined chapel and five rock cairn graves. Each grave had a headstone, carved with a name and memorial, some legible. The names seemed to be past Druid Protectors of the forest. One grave emanated a dweomer of magic, illumined by Brimble’s spell. Daktarin Stren removed the stones from cairn and pushed open the rotting wooden lid -- a wight leapt from the darkness and attacked him. Qira joined the battle, but instantly the three were covered in a sphere of darkness. Battle ensued inside the sphere and Mitsu flung arrows into it. Although Qira fell from a sword blow, she was later revived by Brimble as the wight was cast from the living world. It seems the darkness was cast through a headband of black stones worn by the wight -- mighty treasure.   Undeterred, the heroes continued on to the centre of the forest and found the mounded entrance to Argus’s abode. As they approached, three hooded figures arose from beyond the mound and made their way towards the interlopers. The hoods and cloaks hid three zombies, who slammed into the heroes, trying to block their paths. The zombies undead fortitude carried them past points where other creatures would have perished, but they too, eventually fell to the onslaught of arrows and swords. Interestingly, two of the zombies wore medalions of Fharlanghn, a wooden disk bearing a curved line with an upturned crescent above. This is the same and only church found in Steigs Stand.   Down into the mound the heroes went. Steps lead to a foyer of sorts with a passages to left and right, stairs down, and a Gibbering Mouther slobbering and babbling towards them. The adventurers moved to attack, Qira and Daktarin at the front while Mitsu fired arrows from down the hall. The abberant ground surrounding the mouther and the babbling of its many mouths, the goggling of its many eyes, confused the heroes, some stuck to their place in the dungeon, but in the end the horror was destroyed.   Brimble’s Gil scouted passages and stairs and found a tortured satyr on the lower level. Cautiously the party descended, and Brimble’s quick actions healed the fey. Kapen, the satyr was free from the mould, but utmost distressed for a dryad, Iana, had also been captured, but taken by Argus farther into the dungeon. Kapen feared that Argus was planning horrible experiments on this lady of the trees.

Quickly the party move down a corridor from this once nicely appointed chamber, but now torture room. They moved through a wood panelled bathing room, down a corridor and, with Mitsu in the lead, into a large room. Just as Mitsu snuck to the threshold, a hunched figure at the far side of the room turned to face him -- the Druid Argus!

Rewards Granted

1 x satyr (infected): 75
1 x wight: 700
3 x zombies: 150
1 x Mouther: 450
  343 xp per PC