Toir Garran the Forbidden Grove: Game 1

General Summary

In the land of Sinann, the party consisting of Ankili mac Aevyrn the druid, Monel the peasant hero from Northern Fultar in the Empire of Fultar, Gemm-me the forest gnome, and Cormac the Celtic priest of Ohgma leave the Druidic sanctuary on its journey to unravel the mystery of the amnestic gnome and to investigate the half-orc dwelling of Dwyr, who may be responsible for the gnome's kidnapping. Dwyr Gwenu lives near the Celtic hamlet of Glan Elin with his two brothers Cymderig Gwenu and Torig Gwenu. The party travels for two days through the sacred and protected hills and mountains, foils an ambush by orcs and an ogre, plunder their slaughtered bodies, enter the Toir Garran (the Forbidden Grove), play a riddle game with satyr, and resist the seduction of water nymphs.

Day 1: Protected by Druids

The party leaves the Druid's sanctuary, and they travel through lush woodland area with ferns, beech, and maples filled with lilies, daisies and jasmine. Terns, quail, eagles, and a fox are observed. The first night the party sleeps near the Menhir, and then leave the Druidic protection. Sleeping next to the menhirs provides each member of the party a wonderful, peaceful and full night of sleep.

Day 2: Watched by Orcs

The party travels through drier and rocker ground with more larch trees, beech, pine and Norway maple, and the wildlife includes mountain goats, rabbits, deer, foxes, quail and rock snakes. There are sunny, clear skies and brilliant fields of yellow French broom. The second night, the party sets a watch and discovers that they are being spied upon.

Day 3: Ambush!

The party is ambushed by Drwg Gwenu, a half-orc warrior, a great ogre and a band of orcs. The party smells the foul stench of an orge, Drwg calls out in Celtic to the party to give up the gnome and drumming starts. There are almost a dozen Orcs of the Red Bone Tribe. They have green skin and black and briskly hair, pink snouts and ears. They have dirty, crude weapons: three on the left side with spears and short swords, three on the left side with spears and hand axes, an archer hiding on top of giant rock, a witch doctor that is naked with bone necklaces, and two drummers. Orc drums can be heard here: The most fearsome opponent is a 9’ tall, naked ogre which is dull blackish brown, yellow warts, green hairy, purple eyes with white pupils, orange teeth and great talons. After a failed attempt to parley, a fierce battle ensues that could go either way, but in the end all the enemies are slain. Drwg, prior to being killed, seeks to make a deal for his life, but no mercy is provided.

Drwg Gwenu

The half-orc wore studded leather and shield, with a throwing ax and short sword, and wears beautiful Celtic brooch, cheap brass bracelet, and a waist string with 6 dried ears. His backpack includes: Whetstone, flint and steel, jerky, dried mushrooms, flask of whiskey, wooden smoking pipe of elven make, bag of pipeweed, bag with 8 Celtic gold coins (called an Or Mona), 10 Fultonian Silver Coins, 1 Fultonian Gold coin (called a Royal), a fresh orc finger, and waterskin.

Orc Archer

The orc archer's possessions include bow strings, arrows, quiver, tattoo tools and ink, bone dice, jerky and mushrooms, and a beautiful bronze Celtic torc. Some of the arrows are magical that explode upon impact like fireworks.

Orcs

The six orcs have the following possessions, in addition to their weapons, studded leather armor, and bone jewelry (earrings, necklaces, rings, etc.)

Wooden charms with orc gods stained in blood, faded black bandana with dried eyeballs, kill stick with 6 marks, jerky
Twine, flint and steel, whetstone, battered arm band, smooth round stone with an eye carved in, wine skin, jerky
Orc grog, Celtic scarf, 5 Celtic Silver Coins (called Aregad Mona), eagle feathers
broken flute, 10 Celtic Silver Coins (Aregad Mona), jerky
Cooking pot, jerky, herbs, clay, mushrooms, flask of whiskey
Naked

Day 3: Forbidden Grove

After two days, the party has a choice. First, they could have taken the main, well-traveled trails through the woodlands, and sparsely inhabited farmsteads and thorps. The party will find food and lodging along the way and it is a generally safe path. Second, the party could take a quicker path through the Forbidden Grove, or Toir Garran. Humans are only allowed in the Forbidden Grove if led by a Druid, and it is a death sentence for dwarves and humanoids like orcs and goblins to enter. The Grove is the home to fairies, Satyrs and other fair folk. The party was required to closely follow an easily located trail along a stream, and the journey should take 3 days. While safe from orcs and goblins, the fair folk can be mischievous and no journey through Toir Garran is ever considered completely safe. The main benefit of taking the shorter route is that the party will have a greater margin for arriving on time in case they are delayed, and the party will then have more opportunity to investigate the half-orc dwelling of Dwyr before their contact, Emer the Boatwoman, departs southward. The party chooses the Forbidden Grove. However, prior to reaching the split in the road, three grave stones. They pour a libation and say a prayer for the three great unnamed Celtic warriors who defeated a great dragon. The Grove is lush, with larch, beech, oak, and maples. The air is filled with the smell of flowers and heavy oxygen, with sunflowers, hyacinth, fields of lavender, lilies, daisies and jasmine. A burrowing mammal talks to gnome, warning him not to drink the "goat wine".

Day 4: Satyr Satisfaction

The air is earthy and oxygen filled, with a damp morning, and the party walks through shady trees with moss, oaks, blue berries, cat tails, water lilies, frogs, and silver fish with kaliscope scales, dragonflies, and pixies flying behind the ferns and cattails. In the evening there is soft pan pipes that make the party sleepy and each member must save vs. magic or fall asleep. They play a riddle game with the satyr. The pan pipes can be heard here: The riddle: My beak is bent downward, I burrow below; I grub in the ground and go as he guides, My gray, old master, foe of the forest. Stoop-shouldered my warder walks at my back, Fares through the field, urges and drives me, Sows in my track as I sniff along. Fetched from the wood, cunningly fitted, Brought in a wagon, I have wondrous skill. As I go my way on one side is green; On the other side plain is my dark path. Set through my back hangs a cunning spike; Another fixed forward is fast to my head. What I tear with my teeth falls to one side, If he handles me right who is my ruler. The answer: Plow The riddle: A lonely wanderer, wounded with iron, I am smitten with war-blades, sated with strife, Worn with the sword-edge; I have seen many battles, Much hazardous fighting, oft without hope Of comforts or help in the carnage of war Ere I perish and fall in the fighting of men. The leavings of hammers, the handiwork of smiths, Batter and bite me, hard-eged and sharp; The brunt of the battle I am doomed to endure. In all the folk-stead no leech could I find With wort or simple to heal my wounds; But day and night with the deadly blows The marks of the war-blades double and deepen. The answer: Shield The party was rewarded with magic mushrooms.

Mushroom of healing 2-8 +2
Mushroom of Strength 18/100 +3, +6
Mushroom of Speed Double movement and attacks
Mushroom of Water breathing 1 hour + 1-10 rounds

Cormac and the satyr played a poem game, ending with Cormac and the satyr going off and having the best sex of the young man's life. I pray you, cum kiss me, My little pretty Mopse, I pray you, cum kiss me. "Alas, good man, must you be kist? Ye shall not now, ye may me trust. Wherefore go where as ye best lust. For, I wish ye shall not kits me." I pray you, cum kiss me, My little pretty Mopse, I pray you, cum kiss me. "I wish, sweet hart, if that ye Had asked a greater thing of me, So unkind of you I wold not have be, Where now ye shall not kist me." I pray you, cum kiss me, My little pretty Mopse, I pray you, cum kiss me. "I think very well that ye are kind Whereas [wherever] ye love and set yore mind, But all your words be but as wind; Wherefore now ye shall not kiss me." I pray you, cum kiss me, My little pretty Mopse, I pray you, cum kiss me. "I do but take, ye mow [may] me trust, But ye take everything that the worst. Wherefore I say, as I said first, I wish, ye shall not kiss me." I pray you, let me kiss you. If that I shall not kiss you, Let me kiss yore carchos [carcass, living body] knock [cleft in buttocks] I pray you, let me kiss you. "All so I say as I furst have said, And ye will not therewith be dismayed. Yet with that onsar [answer] ye shall be paid. I wish, ye shall not kiss me." Now I see well that kisses are here, And if I should labor all the whole yere, I think I should be never the nere [near] Wherefore, I pray you, cum kiss me. "Never the here, ye may be sure, For ye shall not so sone bring me in use [use, performance] To consent unto your nise [foolish] pleasure, Nor, I wish, ye shall not kiss me." I pray you, come and kiss me. My little pretty Mopose, And if that ye will not kiss me I pray you, let me kiss you. "Well, for a kiss I will not stick, So that ye will do nothing be likke But, if ye being on me for to pricke I wish, ye shall not kiss me." Now I see well that ye are kind, Wherefore ye shall ever know my mind, And ever yore own ye shall me find, At all times ready to kiss you.

Day 5: The Water nymphs disappointment

The party continues along the stream bank, with earthy oxygen filled air and a damp morning. It remains shady under the trees, but more open air with warmth of the sun. Cormac and Ankili are enticed by beautiful red haired water nymphs, who ask: "Give each of us just one kiss, just one kiss, your joy shall be everlasting...." They do not join the water nymphs to an everlasting life under the water. July 5, YR 908