Session 31: Getting in Deep with the Grandfather...Tree...

General Summary

After successfully fighting off the drow whom attacked the town of Yartar and questioning your drow prisoner the party decided to rest up and set out early the next morning for the burial mound at Flint Rock. You managed to rest uninterrupted but the following morning a couple of the Dragon Cultist crew member woke you rather early, requesting Bolivar's presence. Bolivar and Zephyr went above deck to meet with Delsaphine who was accompanied by several crew members and the older man that you had seen her conversing with the previous evening right before the attack.
The elder man introduced himself as Harper Kolbaz and demanded that Bolivar came with him. There was an urgent message from Rhuidhen Vaeril, one of the High Sorcerers of Everlund. It was in regards to Bolivar's brother, Draal, and the whereabouts of their renegade outlaw father, Zarod Blackblade. Hesitantly, Bolivar went with Harper Kolbaz east to the City of Everlund - by what means of travel, you are unsure.
You then continued your quest of collecting ancient giant relics, and proceeded northeast to Flint Rock. Thanks to the cult's airship the journey only took about an hour and a half, but as you neared the burial mound you were, met with a thick overbearing fog that brought visibility down to a minimum. Narrowly avoiding a massive upright stone obelisk with the airship, you managed to land the vessel and explore the burial mount. As you did so, giant elk began to encircle the burial mound; more and more surrounded you by the minute. As you recovered the giant relic, a 5-foot-long mithral spear tip weighing 75 pounds, all of the elk began to cry out in protest as the fled the burial mound by the dozen; heading northeast of the mound. As they fled, their cries still piercing the still surround air, you spent only a few moments at the mound before leaving. As you left and started to drift away in you airship you saw that nearly 100 Uthgardt barbarians, some mounted on elk, were making their way from the northeast towards the burial mound.
Next you made the half day's journey toward the High Forest where the next burial mound, the sacred Grandfather Tree. Due to the dangers of the vast and unknown High Forest, the airship was only able to drop you off on the outskirts of the forest. You traveled the rest of the way on foot until you reached the base of the Grandfather Tree. As you approached the enormous tree, you were met by a male dryad, who demanded that you stated your business for being at the tree. After some smooth talking, you were granted access into the sacred tree, but only for one hour.
Making your way toward the tree, you passed by a minotaur at the base of the tree who standing watch at an entrance of sorts. This entrance led into to a complex system of tunnels and hollowed out roots that led you down deep into the ground. You made your way through and managed to find the damp cavern which harbored the giant relic that you knew was protected by members of the Tree Ghost Tribe. The location of the altar that held the relic was in the center of a pool located at the far end of the cavern. As you approached, you attached the members of the Tree Ghost Tribe that were tasked with protecting the relic. You battled it out with several lizardfolk, a lizardfolk spell caster, and a talented archer who appeared to be more elvin than lizardfolk.
You managed to take out the melee lizardfolk barbarians and even the half-elven archer. You all saw her lifeless body plummet down into the pool from her vantage point above. Upon her demise, the lizardfolk spell caster went in afterward. During the battle you heard the sounds of galloping horses echoing from the tunnel that you entered the cavern from.
Quickly you recovered the giant relic, a non-magical electrum torc etched with Giant runes. Formerly the nose-ring of a powerful hill giant chief, this U-shaped piece of jewelry weighs 25 pounds. Zephyr and Eld managed to discover a secret passageway at the bottom of the pool.
We last left off with the party heading down deeper in this complex tunnel system of the Grandfather Tree.

Report Date

29 Sep 2020