Groc's Mysterious Departure - 7th of Leaffall - Mere of Dead Men
The group wakes up on the 7th of Leaffall to discover
Groc abruptly leaving to assist his tribe with an unknown issue. He quickly returns the Spear of Flame to
Conrad, says his goodbyes, and departs, leaving the group in the dark about the nature of the problem.
Voices in Draconic and Discovery of Lizard-folk
As
Conrad prepares breakfast, he hears voices speaking Draconic.
Nuri investigates and learns that Lizard-folk are discussing a recent incident at the roadhouse, with tracks leading deeper into the
Mere of Dead Men.
Skirmish with Lizard-folk
Following the Lizard-folk trail through the
Mere of Dead Men, the group stumbles upon them surrounding a Minotaur. When the Lizard-folk attack, the group swiftly responds.
Virgil Faywalker's Arrival
The Minotaur introduces himself as
Virgil Faywalker, a newcomer from the Faywild. He is in search of his penpal from
Castle Naerytar, who has mysteriously stopped writing.
Rhumor's Bow Revelation
Rhumor learns his bow is the famed Bow of Tymora's Blessing, which significantly improves his marksmanship.
The group continues their pursuit, tracking the Lizard-folk for seven miles until they reach a campsite on a dry patch in the
Mere of Dead Men, populated by a large number of Lizard-folk and several canoes.
The party strategically incapacitates a Lizard-folk named
Snapjaw and defeats the others.
Snapjaw, speaking broken Common, labels the cultists as "Dragonkneelers." He proposes a plan to ally with the party and sway some Lizard-folk against the cultists, who have been controlling
Castle Naerytar for about a year. He wants the party to kill
Pharblex Splattergoo, the Bullywog leader who killed Snapjaws chief, and is currently helping guard the castle.
Journey Up the River
After the encounter, the group uses the canoes to travel upriver to a secure spot for an overnight rest.
Snapjaw's Disappearance - Morning of 8th of Leaffall
On the morning of the 8th of Leaffall,
Snapjaw is mysteriously dragged into the swamp while away from the camp.
Meeting Sintos, the God-like Gnome
The party follows
Snapjaw's tracks to a magical hut inhabited by
Sintos, a god-like entity appearing as a gnome in a red hat.
Sintos offers them gifts in exchange for retrieving his bag from a nest of spiders.
The Spiderweb Challenge
Tristan bravely teleports to a bag located in the center of a spiderweb-filled hole, provoking an attack by giant spiders and a Shambling Mound. The party emerges victorious and claims the bag.
Upon returning,
Sintos rewards each party member:
Conrad receives a Horn of Blasting.
Virgil is given a Battleaxe of Giantslayer.
Rhumor acquires an Arrow of Slaying.
Tristan is bestowed with an Amulet of Health.
Nuri receives an Elixir of Health and a crucial word for the basement of Castle Naerytar.
Sintos informs the party that they are roughly a day's journey from reaching Castle Naerytar and wishes them well on their quest.
