Session 12: Shadow in the Sunny Grove

General Summary

With concern of the “Blood Curse” going on within the Kryptgarden the party set out from Phandalin, traveling east to a passage through the Sword Mountains known as Wyvern Tor. Although Betty Fly makes the trip annually from her home within the Kryptgarden Forest to the Sanctum of Marsh within the Neverwinter Woods, she rarely travels the mountain pass. Eager to get back home in time for the Summer Solstice, which is just days away, she felt that the shortcut with her friends would be okay.
The wilderness thins. The trail, once choked with creeping brambles, now gives way to long, meandering paths rising gradually over rugged terrain that is dotted with trees. Mountains loom ahead, their scale staggering, and the wind rolling across the foothills is frigid, laced with frost from the snowcaps of Icespire Peak high above.

While traveling through the subterranean passage the party encountered some hobgoblins that appeared to be scouts, waiting for them. During the encounter one of them called out “There she is, kill the tortle!”

Upon investigating their bodies after the battle they found that their leader wore a necklace of ears. Betty knew this was customary with the Zartruss Fey within the Shadowy Glade. They found this odd because hobgoblins are not known to align themselves with the fey whatsoever.
Nevertheless the party ventured through and made their way to the north end of the Kryptgarden Forest. Traveling through the forest proved to be incredibly difficult and increasingly so the deeper they traveled into the woods. Betty even managed to lose hold of her horse traveling through the thick brush.

After a couple days of this laborious travel, Betty beamed in excitement as they approached the dark trunk of a massive willow that twists upward at an angle, burdened and bowed by prevailing winds—like an elderly man bent by time. Thin branches cascade down from high above with curtains of silvery leaves that sway on the breeze. Except, you don’t feel any wind. You begin to wonder, is it your imagination or do the whispers of the leaves sound something like words? Betty pushes some of the leaves aside and walks forward to the base of the tree to a small opening.
After passing through the hidden non-conspicuous entrance the sky opened up around the party and they found themselves in a swampy basin; its walls consisted of a tangle of trees and earth. The rest of the party briefly questioned in their minds if this place is real or if you’ve been put under some sort of spell. The thought passed when they noticed dozens of huts slightly elevated from the water centered around a massive tree towering stories high in the center of the basin.

Solaris Tree

“The Solaris Tree” Betty proclaims with elation in her voice.
As they sat there for a long moment Betty reveled at the fact that she's home. Meanwhile everyone else suddenly realized that they’ll have to swim through this swampland.

The silence was abruptly cut short as an ear piercing fiddle pierced through the bog. Knowing full well who this was, Betty sighed in exasperation as a tortle on a raft floated in the direction of the party. Hermes, Betty’s baby daddy, was happy to give the land dwellers a ride while Betty swam towards the Solaris Tree in the center.
Making their way through the outskirts of the village, onlookers consisted primarily entirely of tortles; all of which were happy to see Betty back at home and greeting the strangers with a smile and a wave.
The grandeur of the Solaris Tree was not lost as it towered several stories tall, and in its boughs, a village could be spotted. Semicircular structures hug the trunk, and between them, rope bridges span the structures. Walkways spiral up and down the tree, providing access to the village from the forest floor, and yet it’s difficult to discern exactly how one would scale the maddening lattice of catwalks and bridges. Surely it’s an effective defense against bandits and predators (if they even exist in this elysium. The villagers could be seen moving here and there, attending to their daily duties.

Eventually the party made their way to Betty’s home where her best friend Paula was living with her. Along the way they ran into several friends and fellow Fly family members. Betty was happy to learn that they arrived just in time for the Summer Solstice celebration this very evening. She found out however that her son Percy was currently with the Dusk Circle druids and has been for some time now. It wasn’t like him to miss the town celebration but she knew that her favorite son possessed the same wanderlust as his mother.
After cleaning up and settling into Betty’s home, the party eventually made their way to the town celebration where they participated in a series of drinking toasts and strange classic challenges including Tortle Flip-n-Roll, Bramble Breakdown, Snake Snack Eating Competition, and lastly a Nap Time challenge. The first person to fall asleep wins! The party won at the behest of Galreth who cheated at every competition, but luckily no one caught the cheating.

At the conclusion of the festivities, Scraabox stated that no one seemed remotely concerned or bothered by the rumor of the “Blood Curse” that they had learned about from Barthen back in Phandalin. While hanging out and catching up with a few friends Betty inquired about the curse and no one seemed to know anything about it. The party did however learn that the tortles of the Sunny Grove have a very interesting relationship with the infamous ancient green dragon that resides within the Kryptgarden Forest. Whereas most people hold dragons as heinous creatures the Sunny Grove coexists with it peacefully.
Claugiyliamatar, or more fondly known as “Old Gnawbone”, stays in the Crooked Forest near Southkrypt on the far west side of the forest. The tortles and druids of the Dusk Circle have an admiration of Old Gnawbone. A few hundred of years ago there was a beast in the woods terrorizing them but the dragon defeated it and this saved their home. Betty’s people feel loyalty to this dragon for ridding them of evil.
They even pay respect to the dragon in certain areas of the forest by bringing gifts; animals that have died from natural causes. They consider it an honor to be consumed by a creature such as a dragon and believe it helps the soul to pass on. They also offer things like coin, crystals, trinkets, etc.
Although they know nothing of the Blood Curse, Horace, a scout of the community, has noted a recent “falling out” between the Fey of the Shadowy Glade and Old Gnawbone. He encouraged the party to seek out the Wellspring of Wisdom to find out more.
The next morning the party set out to the Wellspring. They arrived at the clearing after following a cloud of leaves that made its way through the forest. As they approached the wellspring atop a small hill they noticed a magnificent Oak Tree just behind the well. After presenting their question, the well lit up, but quickly flashed red.

Suddenly the soft creaking of tree boughing in the wind turned into a shriek as the forest giant twists, shedding leaves and moss. The ground quakes as roots rip from the ground, and the massive trunk shudders. Squealing branches bend without breaking, and you realize that the tree is an animate thing. Two hollows in the trunk glare at you from under a furrowed brow of twisted bark and the tree cried out, “The hour is early, yet the Shadowy Glade grows darker. FLEE FROM THIS PLACE.”
This was not customary of the Wellspring of Wisdom and the party began to panic. As two shambling mounds of root and dirt broke free and began to attack, most of the party began to retreat. Betty began to cry out in protest but it was too late as Galreth sent a fireball straight to the Great Oak. With an ear shrilling cry, the tree groaned and cracked as it toppled over.
Suddenly the water within the Wellspring began to rescind as the party stood there in awe of what transpired. They discovered that the sap within the oak is a thick crimson-black color…something had corrupted the tree from within. Betty concluded that its water source may be where the sickness is originating from and knows it comes from the Springs of Southkrypt to the west; within Old Gnawbones’ territory.

Dusk Circle Druids

Not far from the Wellspring of Wisdom are the Dusk Circle druids. The party was hesitant to approach them after what transpired but went after some deliberation. When they approached the standing stones they were met with members of the Dusk Circle currently in their wildshape forms: a giant grizzly bear made of vines and leaves, a beautiful red tiger, and a jet black black wolf. After a moment the bear reverted into her female dryad form. Shala Thaeral, the Voice of the Circle, expressed her disappointment in what had transpired. While speaking to them, the vines and plant matter that composed of her body could been seen twitching involuntary.

The tiger, Dawnaveth Dawkins, changed into a beautiful female elven woman with thick curly red hair. The black wolf kept its distance for sometime. Eventually Jack Shelby, a male human, informed everyone that the “blood curse” had killed off all but the three of them in recent months. He let on to inform them that Betty’s son Percy had been injured by “whatever” has killed off the Dusk Circle. They found him a week ago in a coma at the Signpost. When they were brought to Percy they found him with a deep laceration around his neck and on the front of his shell. His eyes were inky crimson-black, similar to the Great Oak.
Scraabox and Tobias picked up on a built up tension and mistrust of Shala, the Voice of the Circle. It was clear that Dawnaveth and Jack had strong feelings for one another; where one was, the other was not far.
When asked, Jack only told them that he suspects whatever is going on likely has to do with the Zartruss Fey within the Shadowy Glade. For centuries King Witchthorn and the Zartruss Fey have coexisted peacefully with the Dusk Circle druids. Oftentimes they would invite them into the Feywilds and even offer gifts to Old Gnawbone together. But recently the king has been seen with several Unseelie Fey and Jack believes that they have formed an alliance with a clan of hobgoblins. He isn’t sure what or why they have created this pact, but he knows that their disrespect towards Gnawbones will not go unnoticed for much longer.
Jack and Dawnaveth urged the party to travel to the Signpost where they can cross into the Feywilds safely. Once there, they bid to address King Witchthorn about the Blood Curse that has nearly wiped out the Dusk Circle and to ask why the Zartruss Fey have stopped giving offerings to the ancient green dragon that has provided so much for them in years past….

Report Date

17 Oct 2022