Session IX: Hunted

General Summary

After they talked with Maxeene and got the information they needed, the party heads towards the Yawning Portal, searching for their next clue. At the Yawning Portal, they quickly spot the Elf and the Half-Orc that were described by the talking horse. Holtz and Kairon decide to approach, and the Elf welcomes them, mentioning that he was expecting their arrival. Holtz and Kairon inquire about the Elf's connections to the Zentharim and the Xanathar Guild and about any information that he might have about Cassius. The Elf confirms that he has information about Cassius, but information comes at a cost. He informs them that an associate of his has gone missing in the Guilmarês Woods in te north during a transaction of several crates filled with... sensitive items. He wants the party to find his associate and the crates, which will earn them the information. After a bit of back and forth, Holtz and Kairon agree to the terms and they inform the rest of the party. The party decides to head out of the city immediately, leaving through the River Gate on the eastern side of the city. After exiting the city, they begin walking northwards toward the Guilmarês Woods, passing multiple farm fields and orchards. After passing a small town, and after Kairon gives some branding advice to one of the local taverns, the party decides to set up camp and get some sleep. After a rather uneventful night, the party continues their trek towards the Guilmarês Woods, where they arrive at about noon. The party heads into the woods and begin searching for the symbol carved in a tree that the Elf in the Yawning Portal told them to keep and eye out for. They eventually find it about an hour later, after the trees in the wood transitioned from thin, sparse trees to thicker, more densely packed trees with a large crown. The party begins following the symbols carved in the trees, which lead them of the path and deeper into the wood. After an hour and a half or so, the party hears a sound, and two large, black cat like beasts with tentacles coming out of their back approach the party from both sides. Holtz recognizes these as displacer beats, fey creatures that escaped to the material realm long ago and have spread around the world since. A fight ensues, during which the displacer beasts are hindered by the densely packed trees, and the creatures are quickly taken care of. After the fight, the party goes on their way, and they quickly bump into the little hut that the Elf had mentioned. The party carefully approaches, but at first glance the party ony finds dead bodies. In a back chamber, Holtz sees a large dog with two heads that's seemingly sleeping. The party reades themselves, opens the door and immediately unleashes all the have on the creature, which is blown to bits. In the back chamber the party finds on of the crates they were looking for. Upon searching the surroundings of the hut, they find drag marks, possibly from the other crates being dragged away. The party decides to follow the drag marks, looking out for any traps or suprises, while Naeri stays behind in the hut to protect the crate. Holtz finds a trip wire and triggers it with a mage hand, which causes a net to pop up, only cathing leaves anf foliage. Shortly after, people hidden in the trees begin shooting arrows at the party, and a bulky dude jumps out of one of the trees and begins attacking the party on the ground. Part of the party climbs in the trees to attack the elevated assailants, while the rest of the party deals with the guy on the ground. After some fighting, they manage to kill the archers and knock the big guy unconscious. After he wakes up, he tells the party his name is Gurd. It quickly becomes clear that he isn't the smartest of the bunch, but they manage they to get some information out of him about some friends of him being up ahead. The party continues to follow the drag marks, being very careful about any more people ambushing them, and looking out for the friends Gurd mentioned. After a while Emerald, who is scouting a little ahead of the party in the trees, notices a clearing in the trees and a small hut built into the root of a big tree on the other side of the clearing. Kairon and Holtz decide to walk towards the hut, but are immediately shot at and told to leave. The party decides to not heed this warning and runs into the clearing. The two archers from the trees are joined by a Half-Orc who turns into a fox and by a large blak bear who come runing out of the hut. A large fight ensues, multiple party members fall unconscious, and Irven even comes back to consciousness, saving the day. After the fight, the remaining conscious members gather their friends and the bodies of the ones they were attacked by and prepare for some rest.