I would walk fifty miles
General Summary
During the night, Keith McCraggins had a vivid dream (Keith's Dream) of constellations that turned into a celestial blue bear. This ethereal creature attacked Keith McCraggins and nearly killed him, but a mysterious woman’s voice encouraged him to embrace his barbarian rage and defeat the beast with a mighty axe blow. Keith McCraggins absorbed the bear’s spirit and was enveloped by a powerful aura. He felt a stronger connection to the spirit world and to his lycanthropic barbarian ancestry. The mysterious woman, holding a magic staff, left him with a message to “find me!” before Keith McCraggins was woken by an annoyed Quinn Bloodscale. A physical manifestation of the attack appeared as a mark on Keith McCraggins's chest. He tried to explain the dream and message to Quinn Bloodscale but they were both confused and unsure of the true implications and went back to sleep.
The next morning while attempting to tie up loose ends, the ‘Ardboys Bumped into Harbin Wester on our way to the Lionsheild Coster. Harbin Wester, the greasy bastard, tasked the party with taking supplies to his half-brother's logging camp in Neverwinter Woods. Apparently, the brothers regularly make this long and dangerous journey to avoid the “devastation tax” imposed by Neverwinter to rebuild after the eruption of Mount Hotenow. Harbin Wester provided a magic compass to guide the way and a Sending Stone that allows communication with its pair over great distances. Qelline Alderleafalso dropped by the party to thank them again, provide them with sustenance and give them a heads up that while Reidoth the Druid was a good friend his last messages had spoke of a blight in the forest.
At the Lionsheild Coster the party meet Linene Graywind and informed her of the whereabouts of her pillaged supplies. They mentioned they cleared the cave of goblins but sheepishly failed to mention they had sent a Manticore to make a new nest there just a day before. The group also enquired about the general wellbeing of the town and many specific things but of course, as a regular merchant, Linene Graywind was only confused by the stranger’s unusual questions.
At the Miners Guild, Halia Thornton and Theobald Wilmont coyly informed the gang of their impending plan to reinstate the Redbrand Ruffians’s, replace Harbin Wester and remove The Lords' Alliance influence “for the good of the town” AKA for the profit of the guild. Jack Redbrand, arrogant leader of the Redbrand Ruffians, appeared as a weak lapdog, completely deferential to Halia Thornton’s will. Halia Thornton also spoke of Wave Echo Cave and was interested in the five symbols on the scrawled parchment of Larno Albrek’s. She gifted the group a platinum seal in the shape of one of the symbols as a sign of good will. She let them know the whereabouts of Hamun Kost a powerful mage currently near Old Owl Well. Before leaving to woods, Quinn Bloodscale made sure to waste everyone’s time for small personal profit by having the exchange melt down some random gold teeth.
The 'Ardboys picked up the wagon and travelled a full day North, settling down for the night in Neverwinter Woods. During their rotating watches, Alistair DütcHoven had a mysterious dream (Alistair's Dream) about a violent storm that ended with a mysterious figure telling Alastair that “he will never bring the dawn”, perhaps a reference to Lathander or the Lightbringer mace. Quinn Bloodscale had an equally mysterious dream (Quinn's Dream) of a subterranean tree, heavy with fruit and a handsome elf who told Quinn “I sense his power within you…” before he was promptly staked through the heart. During Lo-Kag Kalathai’s watch the camp was ambushed by a hobgoblin hunting party. It looked to be a tough fight with the creatures initially wounding both Lo-Kag Kalathai and Keith McCraggins until Alistair DütcHoven prayed to Lathander, channelling Radiant energy that engulfed the camp and surrounding forest, incinerating most of the foul creatures in a bright instant. The remaining enemies started to flee but were quickly dispatched by the hunting party of Raster and Lo-Kag Kalathai, and some pinpoint searing beams of flame summoned by Quinn Bloodscale.
They travelled for most of another day, following the compass to finally stumble upon the Loggers' Camp. At the entrance, Keith McCraggins felt drawn to a group of pigs threatened by a boar. He found he could understand the animal’s conversation. The rest of the group looked on in bewilderment as a half-orc snorted and oinked to a bunch of mindless animals, assuming Keith had succumbed to a barbarian madness. The boar gave Keith a dire warning that the parties kind “aren’t welcome” before running off into the forest. Keith then continued the conversation to learn the pigs were sent from “Big Al’s farm” with the brand BAK before he lost the ability to understand.
The Loggers' Camp was empty with small signs of violence around. Quinn Bloodscale managed to discover a strange religious icon made of hair and pigs’ blood but none of the group knew its origin or importance. Suddenly ant-like creatures rose from the sand and attacked Keith McCraggins and Alistair DütcHoven with claws and acid spit. These “Ankhegs” were tough and took a volley of spells, spectral weapons and wolf bites before, Keith McCraggins managed to deal the fatal cleaving blows with his great axe to dispatch both creatures.
Investigating the rest of the camp the party found Harbin Wester’s half-brother Tibor Wester, locked and barricaded alone in a workshop. He told them that the creatures appeared and slaughtered the whole camp during a magical storm that appeared three days ago, the same storm they had witnessed from the forest edge. Tibor Wester had only survived by spinelessly hiding as his men were killed, though he seemed more disappointed about the loss of profit.
As the group discussed next steps and how to ensure Tibor Wester’s safety, a ferocious storm swept up and a humongous bore ran out of the forest with lightning bursting from its tusks and a large entourage of orcs and boars. In the moment of shock before the group could react, a bolt struck out and Tabor evaporated into plasma. Keith McCraggins screamed a desperate fuck you in orcish before fleeing with the group to escape in rowboats on the nearby river. This planned was quite flawed as the storms power caused both boats to violently capsize, knocking out all our heroes and leaving their next chapter up to the rivers fate.
Missions/Quests Completed
"Loggers' Camp" Harbin Wester has requested someone re-supplies his Business venture in Neverwinter Woods. The camp is run by his half-brother Tibor Wester. The supplies will be available from Barthen's Provisions. Whilst the provisions were indeed delivered... The camp had been decimated by Anhkegs and Tibor Wester met his end at the hands of Gorthok the Thunder Boar.
"Ambush in the woods" The 'Ard boys were ambushed by a hobgolbin raiding party from the The Cragmaw Tribe. They carried wanted posters for Quinn Bloodscale and Lo-Kag Kalathai signed by The Black Spider. They were hastily dispatached by Lathander's light.
Character(s) interacted with
Created Content
"A good word" - Theobald Wilmont has hired Keith McCraggins and the 'Ardboys to escort him to Phandalin where he has business with Halia Thornton. He says if you’re any good then he’ll “put in a good word for you”. With some of the 'Ardboys having met Halia Thornton it seems she wants to exert greater influence in the town of Phandalin. Further discussions suggest Halia Thornton will soon take control of Phandalin with the repurposed Redbrands. She doesn't appear to require the groups assistance, only their assurances that they will not interfere.
"Storms over Neverwinter Wood" A strange, unnatural, arcane storm erupted somewhere near the centre of Neverwinter Woods and mysteriously dissipated as quickly as it appeared. Other storms have appeared in Dreams and more recently with the appearance of Gorthok the Thunder Boar.
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