The Lonespire Tree Report

General Summary

Previously: The Tale of the Slayers of Azdraka

Day 26

We left the Lodge and met up with Xanth, journeying further east.
Approaching a scorched clearing, we encountered a single dead-looking pine tree at the centre of the clearing with most of it's branches stripped or dead from lightning strikes. Around the base of the tree we found ten doll-like figures made of knotted plant matter circling the base. The roots of the tree would react to anyone stepping on the ground around it, and druid-speaking to the wildlife, we heard that birds associated the tree with death. They also told us that they had seen some green skinned humanoids, probably orcs or half-orcs, in the area. Xanth stepped back, unable to help with this situation, but I remembered my faery friend Shifra's offer of help and called upon her. Shifra appeared, and was upset by what had been done to the tree. It had somehow been magically animated and tied to the dolls in a dark ritual, causing the tree great pain.
Detect Magic showed transmutation magic active all up the tree and in the 60 ft area around, revealing where the roots squirmed just below the surface. The dolls were linked to the aura of the tree. With our help, Shifra kept the tree alive with her green magic, while we took the dolls, each of which contained the still beating heart of a pig, slowly away from the tree in an ever-widening circle, stretching the ritual link until it snapped entirely. Shifra healed the tree enough that it would survive and return to normal, but nothing touched by such strange magic is likely to return to it's previous nature entirely.
Thirty minutes after we passed the lonespire tree, we saw a group of orcs from across a valley as they crested the hill in front of us. They seemed to be catching animals in nets.
Six orcs were being led by a half-orc magic user (anchorite) whom we later found out was named Yargeth. In a short, pitched battle we killed the entire group. Anathema found a potion of greater healing on Yargath, and also took his antler wrist spikes and his poison darts. Shifra fell asleep in my hair. Xanth led us onward, following back down the tracks of the orc group until we heard the distressed sounds of a large animal in the distance. The sounds were high-pitched but resonant, and Tharg recognised it as similar to a Thunderbeast's call.
Next: Finding Steve.