Session 5 - Towards the Cyrengreen Forest

General Summary

17 Sydenstar, Miresen, 835 P.D. - Shar-Jun's Tower
The party awakens in the wizard Shar-Jun's tower west of Alfield. As they prepare to head for The Cyrengreen Forest in search of the celestial herb, Shar-Jun grabs Kai by the shoulder.
“Water-kin, you mentioned the celestial herb last night. That piqued my interest, so I did some scrying. The Cyrengreen Forest lies up against the Cyrios mountains to the west. There are two great peaks on the western edge of the forest. The locals call them “Brother” and “Sister,” although they bear much older names. At the entrance to the valley between them lies a druid’s grove. They are the keepers of the northern half of the forest, while a clan of wood elves governs the south. I’ve visited there before, and the elder there is a woman of considerable knowledge. I thought that if anyone would know about the herb, if it does truly grown in the Cyrengreen, it would be her. I do not know her given name; she is known within the grove simply as “The Elder”."
Her face grows somber.
“Last night I used my magic to see the grove, and I’m gravely concerned. Last I was there, there were perhaps 20 druids in the grove. Scrying is inexact at the best of times, but I could not spy a single living soul. It looks as if it has been deserted. The grove is sacred to them; they would not have abandoned it without reason. I now fear there is something dark at the heart of the forest. I do think it still wise for you to seek out the grove, but be careful on your quest. One last thing. Take this:
Shar-Jun hands the party a small silver bell.
“I’m too old to be adventuring, but perhaps I can be of some use to you. Ring this bell and you will have a connection to me. If you find yourself in need of my knowledge, do not hesitate to call upon me. It will open for but a few brief moments, so think carefully before ringing it.”
She tucks the bell into a small box with some cotton cushioning the clapper and hands it gravely to Kai.
***
Bidding Shar-Jun farewell, the party begins to make their way southwest towards the Cyrengreen. The grasses grow tall at times, sometimes reaching to the shoulders of the smaller members of the party. Jandaelyn forges a path at the front, but the rest of the party have to concentrate to keep him in sight. As he steps through the grass, Jandaelyn leaves barely a trace, the grasses closing in behind him.
The group stops for a break around lunch time, tamping the grass down near a small brook. Suddenly, a small group of faeries appears, cavorting and laughing, flitting around the party. Jandaelyn immediately notes that it's strange for faeries to be here, outside of the forest.
In a quick conversation, the party learns from Daffodil, one of the faeries, that "Mother" sent them away from the forest because it's dangerous. They ay things like “Father has turned.” “Father is no longer kind.” “The laughter is gone from his eyes.” “He no longer remembers his family.” “There is an evil working, far in the mountains.”
Philan also convinces the faeries to share a secret for a secret, and they learn that “Men have been to the forest before, long long ago. In the shadows of the Sister, they built a temple. The keepers protect the path. There are secrets there. Danger, too. It is no longer safe. ”
***
The party reaches the edge of the forest after sunset. There is an occasional hoot of an owl. There is some evidence of logging here. Some of the outermost trees have been cut down, but nothing out of the ordinary to Jandaelyn. The humans etc. are allowed to log on the outer edges of the forest. It’s when they encroach on the interior that it’s against the agreement they have with the elves of the Cyrengreen.
An hour or so into the forest, the group camps for the night. While on watch, Jandaelyn feels a knife at his throat. A familiar voice whispers in his ear, “The stench of outsiders is strong on you, Jandaelyn. You reek of them. I could smell you from a mile off. Cavorting with their kind is making you slow and noisy.” He recognizes the voice as Siljun Issilrdra, another of the rangers of the Cyrengreen. The party is in an area of forest that he’s responsible for. Jandaelyn and Siljun grew up together, but Siljun was exceptionally competitive and can be prickly and territorial. He has very traditional views when it comes to elves vs outsiders.
“You know as well as I do that I protect the furthest northern reaches for which our clan bears the responsibility," Siljun tells Jandaelyn. "I have the honor of keeping that border safe. If you want to traipse through the woods like a bunch of clumsy dwarves, be my guest, but you’ll get no help from me. Pass through my lands swiftly and be gone with you. You’ve abandoned your post and brought trouble to the forest. Stay out of my way, and I will let you pass. But believe me when I tell you that Rothimir will hear of this.”
The party passes the rest of the night uneventfully. Jandaelyn is silent on the matter.
18 Sydenstar, Grissen, 835 P.D. - The Cyrengreen Forest
On their second day in the forest, something starts to feel . . . off. Windracer notices a leaf, but the veins of the leaf are all black.
Somewhat later, Elephon notice something moving in the leaves. He approaches closer. It’s a chipmunk. It’s still alive . . . barely. But its fur has rotted away, exposing raw flesh. A black substance drips from the side of its mouth. It twitches once, twice, then stops.
The farther the group goes, the more ominous the forest feels. The party camps for the night. But they haven't rested long when they are awoken by horrendous screams. Jandaelyn lets the group know it sounds like a mountain lion, but no sooner has he said so than it leaps into the firelight and attacks Windracer. But something is wrong here. Mountain lions wouldn't attack a group of people at a fire. When Kai weaves a spell casting light on the area, it becomes clear that sometihng is wrong with the lion. Like the chipmunk, its flesh has rotted away. Black blood drips from its fangs. A second lion appears.
The party dispatches the lions with relative ease, but with the haunting cries of the corrupted mountain lions echoing in their ears, the party gets little rest that night.

Report Date

22 Feb 2024