Previously 8/10/14

Previously in Mistledale

After the “fey scattering”, the group realized that Katie’s henchmen would be asleep for hours.  Noting that the pack bearer never returned, Katie wanted to launch a search but it was unlikely that poor Doug survived the harrowing journey through the forest.  Even Katie and Styve were severely wounded by the red-berried vines. 

The party carried the sleeping henchmen with them and pressed on toward the Beast’s keep.  Once at the dragon maw entrance, the party noticed the mouth somewhat closed this time, with a portcullis blocking the way in.  Peering in, they were greeted by crossbow fire.  Thovan bravely ran into the line of fire to cast light inside the maw.  Taking a few hits, he was not surprised to see kobolds were inside.  Thovan did note the technique the kobolds employed was rather sophisticated.  About 8 kobolds were inside the maw, all armed with heavy crossbows.  Only four kobolds fired from within the maw while the other 4 reloaded their crossbows.  The kobolds also piled crates near the entry so as to provide cover for themselves. 

The party debated whether to camp right outside the dragon’s maw or to retreat a safe distance away.  After common sense won out the group retreated completely out of the cursed wood and made camp for the remainder of the day and night.  Katie vowed to return and find her pack bearer (and her gear he carried).  A convenient use of a Nap spell later, Zaven, Lily and Dusty woke in time for the rest of the party to get some rest.  Zaven kept watch that night being fully rested, Capt. Dusty helped on second watch.

The night was uneventful but at dawn, while the casters all meditated for spells, Zaven and Dusty heard the heavy footfalls of soldiers.  Looking out across the plains, they saw a troop of orcs travelling nearby.  After a brief scuffle, the party defeated the orcs with ease, the group reentered the cursed woods looking for the lost pack bearer. 

At the fey clearing, Thovan and Zaven decided to hack their way through the forest on the trail of the pack bearer.  Meanwhile, Katie and Styve examined the area of the attack.  Lily and Dusty discovered that the fetishes held coins.  All four of them pulled down all the fetishes they could find and gathered up the coins within. 

Hard travel through the woods turned up the pack bearer’s body, but the most important items of Katie’s gear was missing.  Examining the scene, the group discerned that the red-berried vines slew the poor sod, but the fey came across the body and looted it.  That means the team had to seek the lair of the fey if they were to recover their items.  After an exhaustive search of the areas, the clearing and where the body was found, the team hacked their way to a probable location for the fey to lair.  They found a lightning blasted, ancient tree with a large hole at the top.  Unfortunately, they alerted the fey by brushing past several wind chimes hanging from branches.

The fey attacked immediately; surprisingly very few of the group succumbed to the horrifying visages of the unseelie faeries this time.  A well placed Web spell and sleep arrows rendered most of the team helpless.  Katie managed to escape the Web but Zaven couldn’t reach a clear area and was unable to jump free.  This made the Web form imperfectly, weakened.

Katie quickly fumbled through her backpack for a torch and tinder but the faeries realized the Web was weak and had other ideas.  Before anyone could even think, the second fey blasted Thovan with Aganazar's Scorcher.   Thovan looked up and was horrified by the sight, he fled from the group, burning as he did so.  Disgusted by the situation, Katie threw her torch down and cast a Magic Missile killing the faerie that cast the Scorcher.  Through the quick spell work of Katie, the second Unseelie was also slain and the party found her spellbooks in the trunk of the tree.  In addition, they discovered some heavy glass vials of sparkly, colored “fluid”.  Thovan identified the vials as containing “souls”.

Now the party must decide how to enter the beast’s lair and what to do with the sleeping henchmen... 

Monthly Calendar

This is the monthly calendar.  I inserted an extra day that is used for Midwinter, Greengrass, etc. It helps if the extra day is at the top so those days aren't forgotten.  Again, this was downloaded forever ago so the websites listed don’t work.  I left those notes on these jpgs because I am not claiming ownership of these, so credit should go to whoever these folks are.  They’re great resources, it’s sad that they are so hard to find on the web today.

Yearly Calendar

Here's a year long calendar of the Realms.  I found this on the web over 10 years ago, so the websites listed no longer work.  Remember Midwinter, Greengrass, Midsummer, Harvestide, and the Feast of the Moon are special days.  Think of them as 31st days of the previous month.  Current date is Marpenoth 25, 1365.

Mistledale

History of the Dales

General Knowledge

The modern Dalelands were created 1,365 years ago when the elves of Cormanthyr and the humans who began settling here signed the Dales Compact.  In addition, the elves raised the Standing Stone to ratify the treaty.  The current year is 1365 DR (Dale Reckoning)  The calendar used is based on this occurrence.  The Standing Stone is E-NE of Ashabenford (See map).

Here's a map for you folks...

Remember, Teland is a small hamlett between Mistletarn and Erages, just north of the Moonsea Ride.  It takes about a day walking to get there from Erages.

Previously 8/3/14

Previously in Mistledale:

The party received a message from Sir Galwaith while training in Erages. He informs that the beast yet lives. The party travels to Teland to investigate the matter. The town leader, Lady Casandra, tells the party that the kobolds that serve the beast are still active. The beast however, has not been seen in some time. The party leaves the next day going to basalt stone that fell in the forest over 300 years ago. Unknown entities crafted a keep atop the basalt stone and ruled here before the area was settled by folk that are today known as Dalesman.

Traveling to the beasts lair, the party lose their way after avoiding a perceived trap. Taking the left trail they discover of a stream and realize they are going the wrong way and turn back.  Soon after they come to a clearing and find some strange fetishes. Suddenly horrid, little evil fey appear. The startled party flee in all directions.

This was a disastrous occurrence for the party:

• Katie, her pack bearer and Styve ran in random directions through the dense, cursed woods getting cut as they ran.
• Captain Dusty and Thovan ran up the path to the left followed by Rusar and Lily (who was not feared but chose to follow the largest group to better her survival chances.)
• Zaven followed the path to the right, running full out then  falling into a wide pool of quick sand.

Thovan, Rusar and the extras ran a foul of some wild dogs. Rusar flew into a rage after killing the first dog but the rest of the pack jumped on her and wounded her grievously.

Katie made it through the forest emerging near Zaven. Throwing him a rope, Katie begins pulling him out but Zaven “feels” he would like to explore the quick sand first. Searching the bottom, Zaven finds an item and is then pulled out. While Zaven explored Katie is confronted by one of the mischievious fey. She dispatched with ease and pulled Zaven free of the trap.  Zaven’s prize was a ceremonial scimitar dedicated to Meilikki.

Styve ran further into the woods.

Seeing his companion losing her battle with the mongrels, Thovan and Dusty pressed on but Rusar refused to retreat. Two of the fey followed the group. One cast a Grease effect under Rusar and Thovan. Thovan hopped to safety but Rusar lost her footing and fell prone. The mongrels continued the attack. The fey shot Dusty and Lily with sleep arrows, leaving Thovan to fight alone. Luckily he slew enough of the wild dogs to force the last two to retreat.  Then turned his bow on the fey, slaying one.

Styve made it through the brush onto a trail but was soon followed by one of the fey. Styve blocked the small fey’s arrows with ease but was almost ensnared by the creatures Web spell. Following the path Styve met up with Thovan. The two of them held off the two fey until they exhausted their ammunition. The two fey retreated into the woods leaving Thovan and Rusar gravely wounded and Lily and Dusty asleep.

The party met up once again in the clearing with the fetishes where they first encountered the fey.  The pack bearer was not found.  He was carrying Katie’s spellbooks, which are somewhat important.

To be continued…