Session 3: In the Settling Dust Report

General Summary

Glory O'Hare, mother of the late Amy O'Hare, gave the party shelter and food upon their return to the city of Everhast from the ruins of Moonviel Manor. As they retreated, exhausted, to their rooms, they overheard Detective Rhubarb mournfully delivering the news of Amy's death. The tiefling's anguished cries carried on late into the night. By morning, the City of Everhast was abuzz with the news of the betrayal of their longtime steward, but Glory was more concerned with revenge. Over a hearty breakfast, she spied the painting torn from Lord Berkestaff's study peeking out from Shadow's pack and snatched the canvas faster than they could react. She threw it face down on the table, obscuring the faces of the men painted on its surface to reveal a set of six signatures on its back. Ararry Woodore Stephensdalf Perness Beluar Berkestaff Usunaar Morlamin Noradmud Blackriver Jemruth Ironflaw Glory pointed a claw tipped finger at the last name, Ironflaw, claiming to recognize it as the last name proprietor of the logging operation to the south of the city in the stone bark forest. She threw down a heavy coinpurse to the table with a proposition. "Kill the bastards that killed my baby, and there's more where that came from." "Murder or coin?" Shadow asked. Glory looked pensive for a moment, shooting a look at where Detective Rhubarb loitered by the stairs and whispered, "Both." The detective stepped forward with a similar request. He claimed to be following a long and sordid history of disappearances from around the continent. He yearned to join the group on their journey into the stone bark forest, but his constable, Custard, was in a bad way after witnessing the carnage inside the manor. Urged forth by the call of adventures, coin and bloodshed, the group agreed and set out a midday for the forest south of town.
As the sun began to set, the group approached the treeline. Stone bark trees, the largest in the world, built up an opposing wall of vegetation. Grey brown bark, as tough as stone and as lightweight as wood muffled the sounds from the outside world as they bravely ventured forth. Their newest companion, a gnome hunter by the name of Turvel, lead the way. Unnerved by the darkness caused by the nearly black leaves of the stone bark trees, Galdor and Velencia summoned lights. Immediately, they heard rapid skittering from the shadows, the sound of which seemed to be caused by some sort of massive, unseen creature. Their suspicion were confirmed by a squirrel, which made it clear that the forest floor was unsafe for small creatures. On guard, the party continued, but soon found themselves enveloped in an unnatural silence. The sounds of the forest had died- there was no bird song, no ambient sounds of life as the approached a clearing. According to their map, they were off course, and significantly so. Turvel issued further warning, "I cannot get lost, unless by magical means." The nature of the disturbance became clear as a pack of undead direwolves emerged from the wood and began to circle the clearing. In the center of four, large earthen mounds, the earth began to glow. Mitch surged forward, through the ring of undead wolves, to discover what was glowing underground. It was a litch; horrifying in a purple robe. After a grueling battle, the litch was defeated, but the party realized they had no clues as to the whereabouts of the creatures phylactery- the source of it's power and the means by which it would return to life. Turvel also noted something that had escaped the party's notice, "Litch's cannot usually be harmed by physical means.... but our blows all landed."