Strongbranch. The Treant that was.

...The close encounter with Rotbranch shook us all to the core, we all decided to rest at the edge of the swamps and rethink or strategy. We're not seasoned warriors and going straight on into the swamps headfirst to carve out Rotbranches corruption was a bad idea.
After readjusting our magical potential and recharging our equipment we decided on a stealthy approach. Dolen used his affinity with the shadows to cast a spell over us all that should mask our entrance to the swamp where Rotbranch resides. With any luck we should be able to strike from multiple angles as opposed to our previous frontal blunder.
 
[Dolen casts 2nd level spell Pass without a trace on himself Killian and Krod]
 
Our entrance to the swamp is met with a familiar sight, Rotbranchs foreboding, colossal and twisted form like that of an over-sized hangmans tree. The stench of death in the air. The deafening silence followed by occasional creaking of the branches and buzzing of bugs.
Dolen leads the way and at the mouth of the swamp heads west, I move along the south side. Damn it ! It seems like the other treants that Rotbranch awoken are still animated, though they appear to be in a passive state. I hope they don't spot us... Ah yes ! Killian I'd forgotten, even after being granted the magical stealth still managed to clang his armor and alert the entire swamp to his presence... Right now I'd be cursing but this might just work in our favor... Lets pray the gods are watching over us !
 
Rotbranch move towards Killian, the lesser treants start to awaken and do the same. I can't see Dolen from my position and with his natural abilities i'd be hard pressed to see him anyway. I guess i'm on my own. Luckily the lesser treant was so distracted by Killian I'm able to slip past, Dolen's spell must still be active. I'm going to continue heading to the south of the swamp and try and come up behind Rotbranch...
 
[Killian draws the attention of 5 swarms of necrotic beetles, two lesser treants and Rotbranch]
 
[Dolen drops 2nd level spell Pass without a trace to cast Hunters mark and moves to engage to aid Killian. Krod uses 2nd level spell Invisibility to move further south circling behind Rotbranch]
 
[Killian attacks successfully using Divine strikes to cause more damage to the enemies]
 
By the sounds of battle north don't sound like the battle is going in our favor, again... Damn it ! This throws the cat among the birds again. I'm too far away to assist. What do I do now, my strategy has completely turned on its head !
 
[Killian escapes combat with the lesser treant and necrotic beetles by Dashing his full movement followed by the bonus action 2nd level spell Misty step to engage Rotbranch]
 
[Krod moves into a position and uses all charges of Welger's wand of lightning to cast an enhanced 5th level lightning bolt spell at Rotbranch, passing through it and hitting one of the lesser treants and destroying one of the nectrotic swarms]
 
[Dolen engages from the north west using his bow, Killian moves into engaged range and manages to strike Rotbranch down with the last his his Divine strikes, destroying the treant]
 
...It's over !? I honestly thought we wouldn't be able to be victorious, especially after our previous defeat... 3 months... 3 months of killing and conflict finally put to an end, I think Dolen and Killian mirror myself, we all just stand there looking over this fallen tree with no words. Nothing.
I think a minute goes by and we snap out of it, we go to our routine after combat. Killian drops to one knee and mutters a prayer, Dolen begins to immediately lookout for any other threats and I salvage what I can from the needless destruction...
Note: I will acquire some of the necrotic branches from the lesser treants in use of crafting for later.
 
3 items are found...
WAND OF ANIMATE DEAD
Wand, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)
This wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast the animate dead spell from it. For 1 charge, you cast the 3rd-level version of the spell. You can increase the spell slot level by one for each additional
charge you expend.
The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand's last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.
 
[Krod takes the True Heart magical item out of Rotbranches remains using Mage hand Cantrip]
 
ROTBRANCH’S TRUE HEART
Staff, rare (requires attunement by a Druid)
This staff is the true heart and spirit of the necrotic treant Rotbranch. It refers to itself as Strongbranch and its intelligence resides within the staff, allowing it to speak with the attuned druid.This staff can be wielded as a magic quarterstaff that grants a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. While holding it, you have a +2 bonus to spell attack rolls. The staff has 10 charges for the following properties. It regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff loses its properties and becomes a nonmagical quarterstaff.
Spells
You can use an action to expend 1 or more of the staff's charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC:
• animal friendship (1 charge)
• awaken (5 charges)
• barkskin (2 charges)
• locate animals or plants (2 charges)
• speak with animals (1 charge)
• speak with plants (3 charges)
• wall of thorns (6 charges).
You can also use an action to cast the pass without trace spell from the staff without using any charges. Tree Form. You can use an action to plant one end of the staff in fertile earth and expend 1 charge to
transform the staff into a healthy tree. The tree is 60 feet tall and has a 5-foot-diameter trunk, and its branches at the top spread out in a 20-foot radius. The tree appears ordinary but radiates a faint aura of transmutation magic if targeted by detect magic.
While touching the tree and using another action to speak its command word, you return the staff to its normal form. Any creature in the tree falls when it reverts to a staff.
Treant Form. No more than once a month you can use an action to plant one end of the staff in fertile earth and expend 10 charges to transform the staff into a treant, Strongbranch. The treant is friendly to you and remains for 1 minute. If Strongbranch is slain, the staff is destroyed. While touching the treant and using another action to speak its command word, you return the staff to its normal form. Any creature on the treant falls when it reverts to a staff.
 
GHOST GEM
Wondrous Item, uncommon
While looking like an oversized glass bead when empty, this gem is composed of crystalized magical force. You can use an action
make a melee attack against an undead creature with the incorporeal movement ability or the amorphous ability of a shadow (or similar undead). you succeed, the creature must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be trapped within the gem. The trapped creature can be seen, albeit in a distorted way, within the gem. A trapped shadow makes the gem look as if it is filled with black ink while a gem holding a ghost might seem to contain a faintly luminous grey fog. The creature’s features can sometimes be seen, perhaps a tiny, twisted ghostly face pressed against the gem or ghostly talons scraping the gem. A trapped creature is aware of what is occurring around it, within the limits of its senses. It can, however, take no actions or reactions while contained. If it can make sounds, these can be heard by pressing the gem against your ear; this can allow communication with a trapped creature. A trapped creature can be released by speaking a command word while holding the gem or by breaking the gem. A ghost gem can be used as a sling stone, doing damage if it hits a target and taking the same damage. A ghost gem is AC 18 and takes 3 points of damage before shattering. A broken gem cannot be reused. You have no special control over a released creature; it will act in accord with its nature. Ghost gems are sometimes used in traps when having free roaming undead would be undesirable. Some assassins use these to make it appear that their target was the unfortunate victim of a random attack by undead.
 
...Fascinating ! Truly Fascinating. Rotbranch was the corrupted form of the spirit of the treant known as Strongbranch. I wonder if this was due to the nature of its necrotic element, corrupting it over time or the wand of animate dead ? I suppose its time to report back to Ironroot on our bittersweet victory.
Ximena, its astounding how she always turns up and disappears at the most convenient moments. I don't even need to look at the others to know we all stand in the same boat when it comes to her.
Apparently our victory has been recognized by the town of Rell, at least we'll be on good terms with the folk when we arrive unlike Blaising Dell...
 
Shortly after Ximena takes her leave, Embler appears from almost nothingness. Ha ! Forest Goblins are just amazing ! Ironroot has requested to see us, probably to conclude our deal with the treant council and the Infernal forest. It's a quiet en route, the shock of 3 months of conflict is still slowly lifting from our shoulders, we've hardly spoken the whole journey.
As we expect Ironroot appears and thanks us for our services to the forest. Naturally we inform Ironroot what we discover within Rotbranch (His true heart) and offer it back to the council. He denies this offer and grants us permission to wield the remaining powers of once former Strongbranch to aid us on our future endeavors. In honor of redeeming the forest.
 
Our business with the Treant council and the Infernal forest has concluded, we say our goodbyes to Embler too. Now to our next challenge civilization...
Note: I do hope I find the Forest Goblins again in the future, I've learned so much and I'd love to learn more.