Session 6 - The Corrupted Forest

General Summary

The party, deep in the The Cyrengreen Forest, drags the dead, corrupted lions away from the campsite. Despite the fact they were slain just recently, they already smelled of rot. As they prepare to return to sleep, it begins to rain....
The next day dawns with continous rain, and the party have slept poorly and are drenched head to toe, but still they forge ahead. The further they go into the forest, the more oppressive the air grows. Even the roots of the trees begin to look sinister, gnarled and twisted. The rain mixes with a black saplike substance, leaving black rivulets running down the tree trunks. Sinister whispers echo through the wind and rain. Shadows dance between the trees, playing tricks on the party as they navigate through the haunting woods. At length, Jandaelyn signals the group to stop. Up ahead, he spies what he thinks is a normal wolf. Unfortunately, it turns out the "wolf" is multiple wolves, and they have been horribly corrupted by whatever evil is influencing the forest. 
***
After defeating the wolves, the party staggers on until they eventually reach the Cyrengreen Druid's Grove. But instead of a grove full of nature-loving druids, the party finds a massacre instead. Almost all of the druids have been slaughtered, apparently by wolves. The only person remaining alive is the Elder, Elder Imogen, who is gravely wounded and barely conscious. The party nurses her back to consciousness, and learns that the "Father" has taken the druid's circle. She bestows a Death Ward upon Philan and Windracer in hopes it will aid them to defeat the creature.
***
Nerves on edge from the horrifying cry of some creature echoing through the forest, the party advances down a small path and encounters the Father of the Forest. It stood perhaps 15 feet tall, with malevolent red eyes peering out from a giant deer’s skull. What the party mistook for branches were in fact enormous antlers, covered in moss but wickedly pointed. At the end of two tree-like limbs were massive hooked claws. It stood erect on deer-like hind legs. It's howl was a terrifying sound that reverberated throughout the forest. In battle it was a fierce foe, perhaps the most dangerous any of the party had yet encounters. With a howl it called wolves to its aid, and it even impelled the branches of the trees themselves to try to sweep the party off their feet. At one point it avoided Jandaelyn's well-shot arrow entirely, disappearing into a cloud of ravens and appearing clear across the battleground. It tried several times to gore Philan, and came very close to hitting him. It's claws were terrfiyingly sharp, and with one swat it would have knocked Philan  clear into the next realm, only for him to be saved by Elder Imogen's blessing. 
Eventually, the party was able to defeat the creature. In the center of the druid's circle, they found a stone carving with an opening leading down into the darkness. A rope ladder hangs down into the hole. Windracer sends Freya down into the hole with a lit pebble from one of Beiric's spell, revealing what appears to be an underground tunnel of some kind.

Report Date

11 Mar 2024