Session 015: It Gnolls for Thee... Report

General Summary

Start Date: 9am  

The Grove and Thorn

  The party is allow respite in the grove after the battle with the Ettin. Otto and Tama recognize an alter with an engraving to Obad-Hai. As the party rests Dayflowers sisters, Marranna and Olinna enter the Caern. Marranna attempts to get Dayflower to leave the grove. But Dayflower would not budge.   The party hears labored breathing and anguished moans from a room opposite from Dayflowers room where the sisters are arguing. Upon investigation, the party finds a emaciated man, with his sullen skin and atrophies limbs laying on a bed. Dayflower and the sisters confront the players about sneaking around where they shouldn't be but Tama is able to remind Dayflower that he is a friend. She tells the party that the man in the bed is her husband Thorn, a once powerful Bear presence druid. Marianna proclaims that the malady is from this cursed grove, and administers medicine to Thorn as he is coughing blood.  

The party found that...

• Marranna wants get the druids to leave the grove believing it's cursed. Dayflower doesn't want to leave.
• Thorn and 3 other druids have been afflicted with wasting. It is of unknown origin
• The wasting started before Ogg went mad.
• Gnolls are rumored to be born with the Gnoll god fed demons to Hyenas.
• The leader of Mossley is named Throden Oakes and he is industrious and is always impeding on the druids lands.
• Marranna doesn't believe the Mosley has anything to do with Ogg or the withering, but the gnolls do.
• After the conversations with the party Marranna and Olinna seem suspect of the party.

 

The Mountain Road

The party travelled south, leaving Quinn with the horses as the road became too rocky for them to climb. Up the trail they came to the gnolls stronghold. They were shot at by fiendish gnoll archers. But, Otto was able to parley into speaking with Zulnuk the Hexweaver.  

What the party discovered...

• The gnoll is annoyed when Otto brings up Astar . He doens't know that name and thinks that Otto is trying to confuse him, thinking him stupid.
• The gnolls mother was a great demon, Yn'go'loth.
• There is something under the grove that the gnolls want. A great dark power under the grove.
• The gnolls claim that they were a vector for Oggs madness. But the gnolls aren't the source of the madness

The party agreed to clear the druids out so the gnolls can take what is under the grove. The gnolls promised that they would cure the bear.  

Back to the Grove

The druids are burying their dead. When questioned about the things below, she says that the grove is on a leyline. Tama vouches for the party on the pain of death, and Dayflower takes the party down to the caern below. There is a massive 20 ft stone in the grove. It is impenatrable, and it bears evocation magic. Then deper inside a transmutation spell.   The druids agree to leave and the Zulnuk leaves to take care of Ogg. Only to return with a troup of gnolls. Quinn returned to the party and began to tell Dayflower a strange plan that would get Rosemary killed. Only to tell her he was testing his bluff to make sure he still has it.  

Gnoll Battle

Quinn created a very ornate fake door to fool the gnolls, away from the actual pathway. It seemed to work as Zulnuk moved into the caern and to the illusion. As the trap is lain, party begins moves forward eager to attack, Zulnuk senses the menace in the air. The attack begins with Rosemary throwing a tanglefoot bag, and the party follows as Zulnuk casts Eldrich blast. Otto fell, almost dying in the battle but was revived by Dayflower. Ultimately the evil gnoll Zulnuk had his brains bashed in.    End Date: 3pm