Friends in High and Low Places
Hunt for the Hydra, part 1
General Summary
27th of Tempus, 636 Golden Era, Day One
Finally on the 27th, the party decided to reconvene to decide their new quest for the day. While enjoying a hearty Wolfpine breakfast a mysterious message written in druidic appeared on the table which Myr immediately determined was from Khaya and the party made haste to her tower. Once they arrived they easily picked out that something was amiss. The green lush forest they had been accustomed to was instead in the throes of autumnal death. Beckoned in they arrived at where Khaya was, huddled over a small boy on bed. Khaya explained quickly to the party what had transpired.
The second and more troublesome ingredient to find is the daisy bloom of a Bloom Hydra, a powerful jungle predator and favored host of the assassin bug. Bloom hydras rarely travelled out from the central parts of the forest, but within those bounds they were a fierce hunter albeit difficult to find. The bloom hydra sprouted several vines from its body with different blooms that each had unique abilities. For an unknown reason the assassin bugs preferred to use the hydra as a host and would attack in groups until they could wear it down enough to lay their maggots. The hydra to its credit fought violently but given enough time could be worn down. The daisy bloom healed the hydra and eventually its stores could be used up and the hydra would succumb to the bugs.
Harland offered everything he could to assist the party, and assured them everything would be above board and would be run through the guild by the time they returned. Khaya told the party she could last no longer than 10 days as she would be forgoing sleep constantly channeling magic to keep the boy from dying, but she would eventually pass out from exhaustion. Feeling the impending death of the child the party set out as quick as they could, buying supplies on the way to the gate, and were met by an escort from Harland, Tiff and Amelien, both town guards, and a troop of war ostrich. With haste they set off after brief introductions and managed to make it to the small village of Lugo by nightfall. This was the closest point of entry to where Khaya had instructed them to search for the ingredients.
The party stayed the night at The Rusted Axe Inn in Lugo before departing in the morning. During the night the happened upon Tiff in the common area pouring over a spell book attempting to learn the Light Cantrip and perhaps bring out any latent magic ability he may have. With sufficient coaching and support He was successful and so the party shared one last evening of revelry taking their minds off their impending descent into the woods.
28th of Tempus, 636 Golden Era, Day Two
At first light the party departed for the woods. The forest was not a welcoming place, however this far on the outskirts one could be forgiven for thinking it was a pleasant place. Down the winding path deeper into the woods after a few hours of walking the path was no more. In its absence the party found a stone altar in the shape of acorn with an oak tree sprouting from it forming the top. On it they found a few coins, and the skinned leg of some wild game. The party quickly determined it was an altar to the Centaur and Satyr god of nature, Skerrit. Known by another name as Silvanus, the god of wild nature, to a wider audience. Ollie and Myr left offerings for the deity while Xorn recited a prayer they had once heard, and once again they set off, hoping they went with a gods blessing.
The rest of the day was remarkably uneventful. The party managed to avoid an owlbear mother and her cubs, and a Chwinga took a liking to Myr and offered them a charm. Eventually the forest began to change, small things at first, the canopy grew thicker, trees taller, and the underbrush died off. If they were attacked then there would have been no where to hide. The party decided it best to make camp and set themselves up in the hollow of a gargantuan tree, although Xorn knew better, that these trees would be considered children in their childhood home.
Just before the watch rotation began however a noise alerted the party to the presence of something just outside their camp. A small dirty goblin peeked in their head in and was delighted to find something that wasn't going to kill him. Hopefully. Once let in he introduced himself as Stagros "Chewtoy" of the Fireclaw Clan. He explained that he was separated from his hunting party when they were attacked by kobolds about two weeks ago, and he had been wandering the woods since desperately trying to find his way out. The party broke the news to him that one week ago their leader, Rurx, had decided to head north to the Lamina Kingdom. Chewtoy panicked at the news fearing that he was left behind. In the end he was given food, water, and directions on the fastest way out of the forest and the party wished him the best of luck before he departed into the darkness. The rest of the evening went by quietly, and in the morning Myr cooked a bacon breakfast to steel the party for a new day of travel.
1st of Mystra, 636 Golden Era, Day Three
Bellies full and as rested as they could be, again the party set forth deeper into the forest. The party made trivial work of a lonesome Water Weird stranded in a pool in the woods that had been killing anything that drew to close to it. A pinch of Dust of Dryness from Xorn and the problem almost solved itself. After several more hours of navigating the party finally picked up on a scent. The Viiret releases a smell in large radius that to any sane healthy being might be one of the most revolting things I have ever smelled, but to those with a malady, the scent becomes entrancing, drawing them closer to the jaws of this predator. The party was able to concoct a plan using Myr, wildshaped as a diseased rat, to lure the Viiret to an ambush where the party would descend on it. Viirets, while solo hunters, tended to nest in small groups, and a group is what they had found. Their clever plan worked and they were able to quickly dispatch the plant and collect a healthy dose of stomach acid. One ingredient down, one to go.
From there the party continued depper into the woods making their way northwest towards the supposed hunting grounds of the Bloom Hydra. The hours passed and so too did the miles, the scenery warped further before their eyes. The ground grew more unstable with pools of mud littered about, and the trees grew smaller and bunched together. The air became more humid exacerbating the smells of the forest and the atmosphere grew heavier. They happened upon a large tract of land that had been overtaken with water creating a marsh that threatened to take their boots with each step. As they plodded their way through Myr lost his footing, plummeting towards a face full of mud when he was caught mere inches from the ground. The party, so engrossed in keeping their footing, hadn't noticed the large tree in the middle of the marsh, and when it stretched out one of its branches to catch Myr they were caught entirely off guard.
As if on cue, Oakbrow and the party were confronted by a horde of Blights. Their assumed leader, a Vine Blight, demanded that the party be handed over to them. In a show of strength and defiance Oakbrow bellowed from deep within his core and crushed the blight into the ground. Sufficiently cowed the remaining blights skulked back into the shadows, and the party continued on their path. As the sun began to set the party reached their destination. Before them the encroaching swamp battled with the woods for supremacy, and stagnant pools of water soaked the underbrush and ground. Oakbrow informed the party this was as far as he could take them, but he knew of a place they could rest for the night. Nearby a gargantuan oak tree rose up piercing the sky and Oakbrow began to climb. Up at least 100 feet off the ground he stopped, depositing the party on a branch large enough that they could all stand comfortably on. Ahead, on the main trunk of the tree, Oakbrow pointed out an illusory wall, and when the party investigated they found a long abandoned Díne Hunting Lodge, and inside they found many supplies, beds, and fresh water. The lodge was carved from the interior of the tree, but not separate, each piece of furniture melded perfectly into the walls and floors as if it was grown from the wall itself. Oakbrow told the party he would remain outside and keep an eye out so they could rest easy for the evening, and as the party drifted off to sleep the only sounds they heard were the sorrowful sound of the rustling of leaves, and creaking of trees as Oakbrow communed with the forest.
Over the previous week the party had gone their separate ways to attend to personal matters. Myr spent their time gathering ingredients for herbalism and worked closely with Khaya, attempting to learn from the experienced druid. Ernie spent their time smithing to varying degrees of success, but emerged from the forge with a new mystical armor. Xorn, well, she sowed chaos and did drugs. Ollie, smitten by Khaya, spent their time in the woods hoping to "get closer to nature", an act he had convinced himself would endear him to Khaya.
As you sit around the table enjoying a hearty farmland breakfast, and the topic starts to drift towards the job board, a small symbol begins to form on the table in front of Myr. At first it looks like a spot of moss but slowly it creeps out until it forms a druidic symbol, the symbol for ‘help’.
Finally on the 27th, the party decided to reconvene to decide their new quest for the day. While enjoying a hearty Wolfpine breakfast a mysterious message written in druidic appeared on the table which Myr immediately determined was from Khaya and the party made haste to her tower. Once they arrived they easily picked out that something was amiss. The green lush forest they had been accustomed to was instead in the throes of autumnal death. Beckoned in they arrived at where Khaya was, huddled over a small boy on bed. Khaya explained quickly to the party what had transpired.
Inside the tower the lush green forest you remember is now a melancholy display of autumn colors. The ground is littered with leaves of red, yellow, and brown. Many of the trees are bare as if preparing for the inevitable winter. The temperature inside drops starkly as you step inside, and a small vine wrapped around a tree beckons you forward.Earlier that morning the young boy Ottley had been playing in the fields outside of the city when he was attacked by an assassin bug. These bugs were a treacherous inahbitant of Wolfpine Forest who layed their maggots inside of living hosts. The maggots then gorged themselves on their host before eventually killing them. Ordinarily the bugs never left the forest as the grasslands offered no protection from predators. The boy was rushed to Khaya who had been performing healing spells to keep the boy alive since. She beckoned out a man to meet the party, who they knew by name but had not met, Harland Mugridge, mayor of Talbet and member of the Mugridge Family. Harland and Khaya explained that two ingredients were required for her to craft a potion to kill the grubs and save the boy, but the ingredients were anything but easy to come by, and would require that the group delve deep into Wolfpine Forest.
A tree twisted and shaped into a spiral staircase leads you up into what you now see is the second floor. Ahead of you is Khaya, however her appearance looks to match the surroundings. Her skin, a shade of orange, and her hair and clothing varying degrees of yellow and red. She is hunched over a small bed of leaves where a small human boy lies. His eyes are closed but he looks to be in severe pain.
The first was the stomach acid of a Viiret, a local man eating plant with an unusual trait. Viiret preyed on the sick and diseased swallowing them whole and feasting on the disease itself. Many superstitious locals would actually offer their sick to the Viiret in hopes that it would cure them. As the consumed lay in the belly of the plant the stomach acid would eat away the disease and many times if the disease was eradicated before killing the host the Viiret would vomit them up and the person could flee now cured. This whole belief, while founded in some facts, is a highly suspect form of medicine and the survival rate has yet to be studied but from accounts it is abysmally low.
A heavy set human emerges at her call. A portly man, well dressed, with dark red hair and a wide brimmed hat with a ridiculous feather sticking out the top. One look at him and it's obvious he comes from money. He looks distraught and is constantly dabbing sweat from his face with an embroidered handkerchief.
The second and more troublesome ingredient to find is the daisy bloom of a Bloom Hydra, a powerful jungle predator and favored host of the assassin bug. Bloom hydras rarely travelled out from the central parts of the forest, but within those bounds they were a fierce hunter albeit difficult to find. The bloom hydra sprouted several vines from its body with different blooms that each had unique abilities. For an unknown reason the assassin bugs preferred to use the hydra as a host and would attack in groups until they could wear it down enough to lay their maggots. The hydra to its credit fought violently but given enough time could be worn down. The daisy bloom healed the hydra and eventually its stores could be used up and the hydra would succumb to the bugs.
Harland offered everything he could to assist the party, and assured them everything would be above board and would be run through the guild by the time they returned. Khaya told the party she could last no longer than 10 days as she would be forgoing sleep constantly channeling magic to keep the boy from dying, but she would eventually pass out from exhaustion. Feeling the impending death of the child the party set out as quick as they could, buying supplies on the way to the gate, and were met by an escort from Harland, Tiff and Amelien, both town guards, and a troop of war ostrich. With haste they set off after brief introductions and managed to make it to the small village of Lugo by nightfall. This was the closest point of entry to where Khaya had instructed them to search for the ingredients.
The party stayed the night at The Rusted Axe Inn in Lugo before departing in the morning. During the night the happened upon Tiff in the common area pouring over a spell book attempting to learn the Light Cantrip and perhaps bring out any latent magic ability he may have. With sufficient coaching and support He was successful and so the party shared one last evening of revelry taking their minds off their impending descent into the woods.
28th of Tempus, 636 Golden Era, Day Two
At first light the party departed for the woods. The forest was not a welcoming place, however this far on the outskirts one could be forgiven for thinking it was a pleasant place. Down the winding path deeper into the woods after a few hours of walking the path was no more. In its absence the party found a stone altar in the shape of acorn with an oak tree sprouting from it forming the top. On it they found a few coins, and the skinned leg of some wild game. The party quickly determined it was an altar to the Centaur and Satyr god of nature, Skerrit. Known by another name as Silvanus, the god of wild nature, to a wider audience. Ollie and Myr left offerings for the deity while Xorn recited a prayer they had once heard, and once again they set off, hoping they went with a gods blessing.
The rest of the day was remarkably uneventful. The party managed to avoid an owlbear mother and her cubs, and a Chwinga took a liking to Myr and offered them a charm. Eventually the forest began to change, small things at first, the canopy grew thicker, trees taller, and the underbrush died off. If they were attacked then there would have been no where to hide. The party decided it best to make camp and set themselves up in the hollow of a gargantuan tree, although Xorn knew better, that these trees would be considered children in their childhood home.
Just before the watch rotation began however a noise alerted the party to the presence of something just outside their camp. A small dirty goblin peeked in their head in and was delighted to find something that wasn't going to kill him. Hopefully. Once let in he introduced himself as Stagros "Chewtoy" of the Fireclaw Clan. He explained that he was separated from his hunting party when they were attacked by kobolds about two weeks ago, and he had been wandering the woods since desperately trying to find his way out. The party broke the news to him that one week ago their leader, Rurx, had decided to head north to the Lamina Kingdom. Chewtoy panicked at the news fearing that he was left behind. In the end he was given food, water, and directions on the fastest way out of the forest and the party wished him the best of luck before he departed into the darkness. The rest of the evening went by quietly, and in the morning Myr cooked a bacon breakfast to steel the party for a new day of travel.
1st of Mystra, 636 Golden Era, Day Three
Bellies full and as rested as they could be, again the party set forth deeper into the forest. The party made trivial work of a lonesome Water Weird stranded in a pool in the woods that had been killing anything that drew to close to it. A pinch of Dust of Dryness from Xorn and the problem almost solved itself. After several more hours of navigating the party finally picked up on a scent. The Viiret releases a smell in large radius that to any sane healthy being might be one of the most revolting things I have ever smelled, but to those with a malady, the scent becomes entrancing, drawing them closer to the jaws of this predator. The party was able to concoct a plan using Myr, wildshaped as a diseased rat, to lure the Viiret to an ambush where the party would descend on it. Viirets, while solo hunters, tended to nest in small groups, and a group is what they had found. Their clever plan worked and they were able to quickly dispatch the plant and collect a healthy dose of stomach acid. One ingredient down, one to go.
From there the party continued depper into the woods making their way northwest towards the supposed hunting grounds of the Bloom Hydra. The hours passed and so too did the miles, the scenery warped further before their eyes. The ground grew more unstable with pools of mud littered about, and the trees grew smaller and bunched together. The air became more humid exacerbating the smells of the forest and the atmosphere grew heavier. They happened upon a large tract of land that had been overtaken with water creating a marsh that threatened to take their boots with each step. As they plodded their way through Myr lost his footing, plummeting towards a face full of mud when he was caught mere inches from the ground. The party, so engrossed in keeping their footing, hadn't noticed the large tree in the middle of the marsh, and when it stretched out one of its branches to catch Myr they were caught entirely off guard.
The Treant introduced himself as Oakbrow, Shepherd of Wolfpine Forest. The party found Oakbrow to be an affable conversationalist, if not a little unhurried. He told them of the troubles of the forest and the growing change he witnessed around him over the decades. Sensing perhaps friendly intentions the party asked if he knew of the hunting grounds of their quarry, and to their delight he did and he agreed to take them most of the way there. And so, the party climbed aboard their friend and he stolled through the woods making conversation and jokes as they walked. Hours passed and the environment seemed to grow only more hostile as they continued. Eyes watched them from the canopies, shrubs and underbrush rustled as they came by, and beings darted about under the marsh surface. Oakbrow explained that the corruption had long been apart of the forest, but only to the extent of the deepest most remote parts of the woods, but in the last 70 years it had spread uncontested, and that the forests' ruler Nox, the Black Dragon, was at its heart.
Oakbrow
by
Square Enix
Male Treant of Wolfpine Forest
As if on cue, Oakbrow and the party were confronted by a horde of Blights. Their assumed leader, a Vine Blight, demanded that the party be handed over to them. In a show of strength and defiance Oakbrow bellowed from deep within his core and crushed the blight into the ground. Sufficiently cowed the remaining blights skulked back into the shadows, and the party continued on their path. As the sun began to set the party reached their destination. Before them the encroaching swamp battled with the woods for supremacy, and stagnant pools of water soaked the underbrush and ground. Oakbrow informed the party this was as far as he could take them, but he knew of a place they could rest for the night. Nearby a gargantuan oak tree rose up piercing the sky and Oakbrow began to climb. Up at least 100 feet off the ground he stopped, depositing the party on a branch large enough that they could all stand comfortably on. Ahead, on the main trunk of the tree, Oakbrow pointed out an illusory wall, and when the party investigated they found a long abandoned Díne Hunting Lodge, and inside they found many supplies, beds, and fresh water. The lodge was carved from the interior of the tree, but not separate, each piece of furniture melded perfectly into the walls and floors as if it was grown from the wall itself. Oakbrow told the party he would remain outside and keep an eye out so they could rest easy for the evening, and as the party drifted off to sleep the only sounds they heard were the sorrowful sound of the rustling of leaves, and creaking of trees as Oakbrow communed with the forest.
Rewards Granted
links below to the DnDBeyond Homebrew Item page.
Character(s) interacted with
Khaya Owens, Ottley Mugridge, Harland Mugridge, Tiff, Amelien, Stagros, Oakbrow
Related Reports
Report Date
08 Sep 2022
Primary Location
Secondary Location
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