On to the forest

General Summary

A new day started with new expectations and a new traveller. After some of the group finished their morning rituals and ceremonies, they met in front of the tavern. And as they gathered someone else approached the group. Lightfooded and in excellent mood Thaurudriel was walking towards the adventurers and greeted them lighthearted. Even the usual serious Eva seemed to relax and introduced herself in a, from her point of view, friendly and welcoming way.   So, finally it was not an almost-wiener-party but to some extend a group with girly-power.   After a brief discussion the group decided to visit Jenny the Hag. But as they did not exactly know where to find her they went back in the direction of their last encounter, which happened in the same forest where Jenny is said to reside.   Gifted with great senses, it was easy for Szeua to get back to their previous track and they made great progress on their journey. But then, Eva recongnized something very strange. Behind a great oak, she could see someone or something moving. Looking a little closer, she recognized a creature she have never seen before. Neither one of the group member had.   From far the creature looked like a big dog or big cat. It had white furr and red spiky horns along his back. And Eva could see that it had piercing red eyes. Almost like bright, burning blood. And to make things worse, she saw that it did not had just a tail. No, it was tail with a deadly looking stinger, like scorpions have. What they did not know ... it was a Shoshouva Furthermore it seemed that the creature was feasting at something. Or was it even at someone?   Without fear and ready to find out what the thing in front of them was, the adventurers moved forward, interupting the creature's meal. As the thing faced the group they could see the full size of the beast. It was not only like a big dog. No, it was rather big like horse. And it's teeth were plenty and lethal.   As they wanted to think about how to tackle the creature best, Hugur grabbed his axe firmly and stepped forward. Ready to hit the beast, fast and hard. And so the fight started. Eva quickly joined Hugur to give him support and readied herself to swap place with him in case that he got in serious trouble. How little did she know that soon it could be her in some serious trouble. Szeua climbed a nearby tree to have a better view and angle at the beast, so that his deadly arrows will their target. At least, that was his plan. And Kruusk readied his divine powers to deal a lot of damage to beast, guided by the deity he is worshiping. And the brave Lady Paladin, slowly tried to approach the creature from behind using every branch and leave to cover her. As if the beast was not already aware of her. But what does your humble story teller know ...   Hugur's first attack was a full hit, but the beast did not show much affect and got even more wild and ferocious. Eva tried to attack but just learned that the hide of this beast was thick and hard to penetrate. Szuea took his time to aim and shot his arrows exactly ... in the branches of the oak, which resulted in a refreshing shower of snow and ice onto the beast. Looked like the creature was not very much impressed about. As less as it was impressed about any of the group's attacks.   Something the adventurers could not say. Because they were very much impressed by the pain and havoc the beast was able to deal them. Kruusk got bitten very brutal and injured. And Eva got stung wildly. She could feel the poison pumping from the stinger into her, which almost broke her concentration. But luckily she could resemble herself and was able to push out the poison. But still, also she was quite injured.   Hugur, looking at his team members getting hurt, fell into a rage and started to hit the beast even harder. Harder yes, but not more precisely. Swinging his axe wildly he missed the first attack and hit Eva instead, increasing her pain. But luckily she was still able to hold her position and continue fighting.   Meanwhile Szuea was taking his aim and again, because it worked so well the first time, shooting his arrows into the tree's branches. With the same effect, which was no effect, of course. Kruusk tried to move away from the beast to tend his wounds, so that he could continue fighting. But the creature recognized his movement and attacked him from behind. Resulting with stinging Kruusk into his back, poisoning and stunning him.   After using all cover she could find, Thaurudriel managed to move behind the beast, took her maul, channeled her energy into the weapon and started to swing it with all her power ... and the maul hit the ground beside the beast with tremendous force.   But already injured and recognizing that it is getting attacked from different directions, the beast started to run away. Luckily the adventurers were keen enough and hit it as it turned. But still they were not able to stop this tough creature.   While Kruusk was able to recover from being stunned, but sunk down fully toxicated, Hugur ran after the creatur as fast as possible and he was able to catch it. Even if was to much out of breath to attack it. Now, Szeua saw his chance to shoot his deadly arrows at the beast, directly. And he did very well. The creature screamed but it was still at his feet. And to make things even worse for the beast, Thaurudriel shot some firebolts into it's rear.   Now knowing that this is it's last chance to get away and having a chance to live, it tried to keep on fleeing. But Hugur was faster and with a big hit he sunk his axe into the beast's back and cut off the tail with the lethal stinger. In an agonizing scream and eyes which reflects the huge pain it was feeling, the creature hit the ground, kicking his legs a last time and got quiet.   Eva, somehow feeling sad for the beast, knelt beside it looking in the dying dies and bidding the beast a last farewell.   Beaten up, poisoned and tired the group started to search the area and discovered on what the creature had feasted. By what remained they were able to see that it was a wood elf. Most probably he tried to ambush the noble creature, cowardly. But the beast was able to overcome him and made him it's meal.   Finally, the adventurers needed some rest and a dark night had started, already. So they prepared their night camp and scheduled the guarding. Kruusk offered Eva to share his tend with her. But disgusted by him she snorted and briefly denied the offer, knowing that this nasty-minded half-orc had his own hidden agenda.   When they woke up after a calm and eventless night, they saw snow. A lot of snow. A everything covering snow. And everything included the tracks Eva would have been able to follow to see where the beast and the elf were coming from. And also including the white gravel which Szuea would have been able to follow. And suddenly the saw a pile of snow shaking and shivering. They readied themselves to hit whatever vile would come forth ... and to see a somehow still drowsy but well rested Kruusk. Digging out his way from the snow covered tent.   With not tracks or gravel to follow they decided to just head to the general direction they assumed leading them to the beast's and elves origins. They trudged through the deep snow, which was very tiring. Except for Szuea. He was sitting on Hugur's back to have a better view and probably seeing some indications, letting the young and strong half-orc doing the work. A few hours later they could hear some voices. Some of them high pitched but melodious and speaking a language they did not understand. Even if the language somehow sound familiar to Thaurudriel, she were also not able to understand the meaning of what was said. But then they could hear another voice, more rough and mumbling. But speaking in Common and talking about sacrificing. The group tried to figure out who was there ahead of them and suddenly ... Hicks! Hicks! Thaurudriel started to hiccup. Very loud and violently. And even that the snow muffeled many noices around, but that hiccup was clearly to hear. And it got heared.   The group they discovered and which now recognized them, consisted of a quickling, a darkling, a creature looking like a dog with a sad face and a gnoll. But the gnoll left this group to attend another bigger group of gnolls.   And now, this group got aware that there were not alone but somebody was around. They could see a Tabaxi sticking out from the snow, probably standing on something and they could hear somebody else making hiccup noises. So, they asked the Tabaxi by whom and by how many he is accompanied. Which could have been a great chance for deceiving their true number, if the Tabaxi would not have been so true-hearted and naive. While our adventurers were discussing what to do and how to proceed the quickling rushed to their group, swiftly flying from one to the other and able to count their number. So, the quickling found out the they are not two or three of them but four. Wait ... four? Yes, four. Because Kruusk was able to disguise himself as a kind of huge snowball before the quickling arrived.   Also the other members of the group of strangers arrived. And after some conversation it turned out that this group, which usually were under protection of Jenny the Hag, now is concerned about the gnolls. Gnolls which were getting more and more aggressive since they recognized that Jenny were not seen since several days.   Unfortunately the Tabaxi boasted previously that he and his fellows are very proficient in beating up some dogs and that they could take care about the gnolls. But as it turned out it is a big pack of gnolls. Too many to take care for our adventurers alone. Therefore Eva tried to convince the quickling that they should join the fight against the gnolls and together they would be able to defeat them. But the best she could achieve was to get the hint that some of the Gnolls are already on their way their current location to cause some troubles.   So, what to do? Stay and get ready for some cutting, smashing, slashing and pain? Or better avoid another fight and try to find another way to Jenny? Before it was too late to have a choice the adventurers decided to leave this place and find another way. Thus they turned and started to walk back the same way they were coming.   But something was wrong. Something seemed odd. They were sure that they were walking in a straight line but they were always getting back to same point. Again and again and again. Luckily they were keen enough to be aware that this was not the truth. Whatever they were able to see, they were moving beyond the starting point, for sure. Eva were able to guide the group beyond this strange enchantment, by using a rope where each team member got tied at. Or did she?   They stopped at a cliff, a steep slope. And there they could see a symbol showing an opened eye with two crossed swords over it. The symbol was indicating that they should not rely on what their eyes were telling them. But rather on all the other senses. Thus Eva came up with the idea to test if that slope was real. So, she lay flat on her belly, closed her eyes and slowly crawled towards the edge of the cliff. She reached over the edge and when she tried to touch down towards the slope, she felt that she was still hitting some flat groud. Crawling further and further and suddenly the cliff disappeared and instead they were able to see an opening in the forest. And from above a cone of bright and warm rays were covering the scenery with light. The whole opening looked like it was clear cut out of the wood. Kruusk tried to sense if magic had it's way. And yes, that exactly was the case. Strong and pure magic. But not frightening or vile. And he sensed something like a house, even if there was not house to see.   So, Eva stepped forward, dragging the whole group behind her, and saying in a friendly tone "Hello, Jenny!" ...