Episode 25 - A New Friend

In the clearing around the massive pine tree, hundreds of orcs, elves, and humans assemble. Hagstone explains that the tree is Oalian. He stands about 210 feet tall and about 50 feet in diameter. Oalian is over 4,000 years old.

Immediately before Oalian stand a row of figures. Hagstone points out Wren, Hagstone's master. They all wear long, flowing green robes.

Wren raises a horn to his lips and blows one long note that echoes and reverberates through the woods. He then lowers the horn to his side and shouts, “Ta muid anseo leis na deithe a adhradh!” (We are here to honor the spirits). The crowd chants together, “Go raibh deithe agat!” (We thank the spirits). Wren shouts again, “Ta muid anseo De na an doras.” (We are here to seek council). “Go raibh deithe agat!” Wren shouts a third time, “Ta muid anseo An dairire ata tu.” (We are here to protect the Dragon Between).

Then Wren raises his hands and cries out, “Anam chara!” (Make ready). Two of the eldest druids near Wren take up burning branches and walk all the way around the clearing, waving smoke about them. When the old men finally return, Wren lowers his arms and says, “Adh mor!” (Let's begin). He then chants the following:

We all come from the Dragon Between

And to Her we have returned;

As our ancestors Worshipped Her

Air, land and sea.

Hoof and horn, hoof and horn,

All that dies shall be reborn.

Corn and grain, corn and grain,

All that falls shall rise again

The crowd chants together, “Go raibh deithe agat!” Then everyone sits on the ground.

Oalian's branches begin to sway and shake. Then he is still. A low, rumbling voice sounds from a great knot in his trunk.

“Hrum! Hoom! As Vvaraak and the ancient gatekeepers taught us, we assemble to fight against the abominations that threaten the Dragon Between. The abominations are rising again, and I have seen a vision. Monsters stir in Droaam. An unnatural winter descends from the Shadowcrags. Eyes watch from the deep. Eyes that seek out a coat of eyes, for only the wearer can see. Eyes that look for a crown of ancient lords, for only a lord may enter. Eyes that look for a gem of perfect blue, for only it will show the truth. Eyes that look for the Sword of Waila, for only his sword will slay. Eyes that look for the crystal ball, for only through the past do we know the future.”

The druids then discuss what to do about the threats to nature. They decide to search the borders of the Demon Wastes, especially near the Shadowcrags. Our heroes and Hagstone are commanded to look for the source of the storms, if they can find one. Bring the good inhabitants to the south. The party will go the Baleful Forest, a stretch of forest in the north-west, nestled

against the Shadowcrags. They should visit the villages of Gibs and Fallcrest and tell the inhabitants to flee to the Towering Wood.

Small bands of worgs, werewolves, and ogres have been sighted far outside of Droaam. This is very strange, since the worgs and werewolves are normally found in the southern part of Droaam. They seem not to fear the druids, as they once did. The worgs and werewolves seem to have some new power over the wolves of the Eldeen Reaches. They start to follow the worgs.

The hags, the Daughters of Sora Kell, don't seem to be behind this. In fact, a group of druid scouts saw a servants of the hags, a heavily armed band of goblins, fighting with worgs and werewolves. Strange things seem to be going on in Droaam.

Most of the Rangers and Wardens are to assemble with Wren and guard the border with Droaam.

Oalian speaks with the group and wonders if Fie's coat is the coat from his vision. He says to the party, “The whisps of prophecy are about you. It is a mist that is almost visible to the eye. I feel now every tree in the forest bends a branch in your direction. Even the faerie are called from Thelanis. I can feel their presence about you. I know not if your next step will snap the living world or defy the aberrations that threaten us.”

To Fie he says, “You are reckless. The forces of chaos swirl about you. Yet these others need you.”

To Hammer he says, “Machine. Soldier of a dead land. All living things tremble before your mechanical power. But you are not like most of your kind. You are dead but living. Metal but wooden. Is it possible to be more than a machine?”

To Brugdush he says, “You are of the woods and true to your people. I feel your father's hand on your shoulder, guiding you to a destiny. Is it his destiny or yours? I cannot tell. Will you choose it?”

To Folan he says, “Your lord is wise and good. He will always provide for you, in this world and the next.”

To Thorn he says, “Something wicked has touched you. A great magic is upon you, a magic greater even than my power. This is the work of a god. Did you see some terrible evil? I know not its nature, but I am sure that you are changing.” (Thorn feels the itching sensation strongly now).

The party departs that afternoon and heads toward the Shadowcrags in the direction of the Baleful Forest. As they reach the forest and make their way near the mountains, they see a tiny village, the village of Gibs. The heroes speak with the mayor of Gibs, a man named Elwood. Elwood and the village guards are discussing the fate of a drow elf that is tied and gagged at their feet.

Brugdush and the heroes speak with drow, who called himself Darakas. He claims to have killed a spider in the Underdark and to have been sentenced to death. He escaped to the world above and says he hates Lolth, the evil queen of the drow.

Then the heroes hear booming footsteps approaching from the north and then the sound of timbers breaking. Brugdush releases the drow, and the party runs outside to see an awful sight: a hill giant, nearly fourteen feet tall and wielding a tree trunk as a club, has just smashed a house at the edge of the village and is heading straight for the center of the village.

Episode 24 - A Sudden Farewell

The griffins drop off the party two days march from the Towering Wood. The weather resembles that of fall, not summer. A chill wind blows, sometimes from the north west, sometimes

from the north. The sun never peeks through dark clouds. The leaves on the trees have turned red and orange. Squirrels and other small animals of the forest frantically search for nuts and seeds. The feeling has returned that you are being followed.

Hagstone fears Fie's coat, saying, “I feel those eyes watching me night and day.” Thorn feels an itching sensation on his skin. No matter what he does, he can't seem to be rid of it.

Friends in the Woods

The party meets a group of three druids, Barras, Grinwell, and Emerson. Barras is Hagstone's aspirant, his commander. The other two are initiates and well-known to Hagstone. They serve a master druid, an eladrin called Wren. The druids look strangely at Fie. They ask about her bizarre coat. “What sort of dark magic is that?”

Barras says, “Monsters from Droaam are seen far into the woods. We have killed many worgs and ogres, but still they come. Strangely, they don't seem to be following a strategy. They aren't coming as an army but in small bands. This doesn't seem to be the doing of the three hags. The ogres seem almost maddened. They shout about killing eyes."

“Also, the unnatural winter grows worse. Snow now falls to the north and west of the Towering Wood. It will not let up, and it moves further south and east every day. Scouts say the weather is worst near the Shadowcrag mountains."

“Oalian summons all to a grand council. The high council has met and will inform all druids at the grand council about the threats to the natural order. We were in the south, monitoring Droaam.”

Barras must proceed to the east before he returns to Tower Wood. They must gather two young initiates that they left in an arbor nearby. Barras tells the heroes to continue to the north. Barras promises that he will be there in time for the council. Barras tells them to be careful. The forest is dangerous now.

The Coat whispers to Fie, “Don't trust them. They will turn on you. They will ambush you in the dark of the woods. My master will protect you from them. Go to the north.”

Faeries

The heroes hear music that is becoming all too familiar, and Hagstone says, “Faeries! They are upon us again. Why do you hound us, little folk?” But the tinyfaeries do not answer, as they emerge from the trees. Upon delicate wings they slowly fly around the group. A large number circle Fie. They look fearful until one flies up to the Coat of Eyes and pokes it with a finger and then darts away quickly. Then a few more try.

Another group of faeries circle Sypheros. They point, whisper, and giggle.

The heroes notice several female figures in the trees, peeking around tree trunks. They

appear to be staring at Sypheros.

A soft breeze begins to stir to leaves, and you hear what sounds like a voice, but you can't make out the words. Then the faeries depart, flying off into the woods.

Ogres, Wolves, and a Worg

The heroes feel vibrations through their feet and hear tree branches braking. Then they hear the snarl of wolves. As foes emerge from the trees, you recognize one as a worg, but its eyes have a strange red hue. The worg is flanked by two large gray wolves. Also emerging from the woods are two very large ogres wielding clubs. They stare at Fie and say, “Eyes! Kill eyes!”

The Faerie Queen

After dispatching the wolves and the worg, the ogres flee, and the party resumes its journey.

Many female figures emerge from the forest around the heroes. Most are eladrins and elves, but there are also a few humans. The group notices that their backs gape open to reveal what appears to be a hollow carved of wood rather than flesh, muscle, or bone.

One woman stands out. A beautiful, red-haired eladrin maiden appears before you. She wears a gown of green and gold. The heroes notice that her feet seem to barely to the leaves and branches of the forest floor. Her appearance is an illusion that some in the group see through. The see that her body is riddled with brambles and thorn-covered vines. They protrude from the flesh of her feet and back, trailing in the dust or sliding across nearby trees or hedges. Her nails and teeth are jagged bark, and her eyes ooze sap like constant tears.

She says to Sypheros, “Torrheval, I found you. I've waited all these years. Why did you not come back to me?”

Sypheros replies, "I don't know you, woman."

She continues, “Why do you reject me?! I was faithful. I waited through all the years of the war for your return. I loved no other. Nay, and I have taken no joy since the day you parted from me. Will you return with me to the Court of Stars?”

Sypheros says, "No."

She says, “Torrheval, do you not remember our time together in fair Thelanis? We rode, and lived, and loved, and we governed the Green Fey together. For a lifetime of these crude mortals, we were together. Return with me now to the Feywild.”

“While you were gone, I was faithful. I stood at the edge of the woods and awaited your return. I was so lonely. I ... changed. (her face grows dark. For a moment the heroes see what appear to be thorns and vines protruding from her skin. But then her face clears.) I built you a palace. Come with me now.”

Sypheros says, "No, I can't."

She cries, “Noooo! These mortals will die! And you will return to my palace!”

Then the women sieze the heroes, and the red-haired women pulls Sypheros away and then appears to melt into a tree, carrying Sypheros with her. The other women then vanish.

Shocked, the party searches for Sypheros but find nothing.

The Towering Wood

The trees growing increasingly large and ancient, And the heroes see more pine trees than before. The sky in the north and west is very dark. In the distance, the party sees a grove of trees that stands far taller than the surrounding trees, which is saying quite a lot, since all the trees in this part of the forest are tall and ancient.

Hagstone says, “There it is: the Stelling, the oldest part of the forest. It's there that we'll find Oalian.” As the heroes find their way toward the Stelling, they see a great community of orcs, elves, and humans who live in and around many of these ancient trees. Their homes are simple tents, lean-tos, slings, or platforms. Many dwell among the enormous tree roots or the most ancient, hollowed-out trees.

The inhabitants of the Towering Wood are afraid of Fie and her coat. They are also terrified of Hammer. They point in fear and say, “Is this not an abomination? Should machines walk around as men?”

The group is shown to quarters in a massive tree inn that is run by an elf named Yong. The heroes enjoy free rabbit stew and mead. They also meet Silvertop, the a wizard and purveyor of potions and various magics. They meet Stokell, a seller of various provisions.

Episode 23 - Den of Thieves

Carried aloft by hippogriffs, four of our heroes (Sypheros, Brugdush, Hammer, and Thorn) were soon flown a few miles away and deposited near the top of a cliff, on a large ledge that seemed to be used by the hippogriffs as a nesting area. Eggs and nesting material were strewn about the ledge. Several hippogriffs were frantically grabbing eggs and nesting material and moving them to a nearby grove of large pine trees.

Suddenly, a small reptilian figure darted out of a crack in the cliff face. He snatched an egg from the nest and ran back into the hole from whence he came. One of the hippogriffs lunged after the kobold but missed. The hippogriff then screamed and clawed frantically at the crack, unable to follow the kobold through the small opening.

In the meanwhile, our other heroes (Fie and Galen, with friends Folan and Hagstone) puzzled over the kidnapping of their friends. Spying the cliffs in the distance toward which the hippogriffs were heading, our heroes set off in pursuit of the hippogriffs. Their run left Fie exhausted after twenty minutes, so they took a rest. After another long run, they arrived at the cliff and began their ascent using ropes and a grappling hook.

The heroes on the cliff decided that the hippogriffs must want help with the kobolds who were stealing their eggs, so they decided to enter the crack in the cliff side. After following a narrow tunnel several hundred feet, they came to a large cavern. At one end was a hippogriff hatchling and several unhatched eggs. The hatchling screamed in terror as several kobolds approached it with knives, clearly intent on preparing their dinner. The heroes might have surprised the kobolds, but just as they entered the room, Brugdush kicked a rock, alerting the kobolds.

Swords clashed, and soon the battle looked grim for our heroes. Although they felled many of the kobold minions, the Wyrm Adept, clearly the kobold leader, unleashed viscious magics on the heroes, and the kobold Dragonblades cut down Hammer, Thorn, and Brugdush. The situation was dire, but then Fie, Galen, Folan, and Hagstone arrived and finished off the enemies. Thorn and Brugdush were quickly restored to health by Folan's powerful healing magics, and Galen used his expert knowledge of the arcane to repair the damaged Hammer.

Fie recklessly charged toward the poisonous barrier summoned by the Wyrm Adept, but fortunately the party convinced her not to go through the barrier. Since Hammer is a Warforged (a magical construct, not a living creature), he was able to pass through the poisonous barrier without harm and finish off the kobold leader. The party discovered a significant cache of gold, gems, and a set of magical bracers.

Hagstone used his druidic knowledge of animals to speak to and calm the terrified hippogriff, and the heroes brought the hatchling and the remaining eggs out to the waiting hippogriff parents. Hagstone spoke with the hippogriffs. He said that the hippogriffs were grateful and would carry the heroes far to the north, saving several days of travel. The party rejoiced, as the flight would take them far to the north, avoiding the dangers of Droaam and hastening their meeting with Oalian, the sentient tree and master of the druids whose prophecy about doom appears to involve our heroes.

As they rested for a few moments high on the cliff before their flight, the party could see dark skies in the far north, the unnatural winter storms in these summer months mentioned by Hagstone. What powerful spell or terrible ritual was causing a disruption of the seasons? Was this part of the prophecy of doom about the Lord of Eyes? What did Oalian's message mean about the coat, crown, jewel, sword, and crystal ball?

Episode 22 - Flying High

After defeating a Gibbering Spider, a huge arachnid that nearly killed Folan, the heroes continue their journey across the endless bridge. Still taking psychic damage regularly and unable to rest, they soon find a group of five corpses, their lives apparently drained very recently. Upon one of the bodies they find a message that says, "The young one is not what he appears to be." Following clues and hunches, Thorn and the others confront the child. His ruse discovered, the child dissolves into sand and the bridge along with him. The group then find themselves only a few feet away from the shore whence they started.

After a day of travel through the woods of the northern Shadow Marches, the party stops to camp, and the Coat of Eyes whispers to Fie, saying: From the depths of Khyber, my master and mistress arose and ruled over this earth for ten million years till the wretched dragons defeated them. But no prison lasts forever. They will rule this world again. You are going in the right direction. Go north. Go far to the north, to the ice and cold. Your actions please me. When the master and mistress rise again, maybe I will keep you.

Before sleeping that night, the party again encounters faeries. Several gremlins try to steal Fie's coat, but the coat is now bound to Fie's flesh. The faeries leave, but not before many of the little folk beckon Sypheros to come with them. Hagstone is confused and troubled by the repeated appearance of faeries.

A day later, in the densest part of the woods, the party meets a nymph. She says:

"Hello, mortals. The little people told me of your coming. Why are you in my woods?"

"Long, long ago, there were brave mortals in this land, but neither men nor women ever dreamed that food was to be got out of the ground, but only from the trees and bushes. Mortals ate what nature provided. They hunted, cooked acorns, and brewed honey. The fey walked among them, for the mortals were as the animals and plants, ever being born, growing, and dying, and they did not offend us."

"But then a foolish fey called Fro brought to the mortals knowledge of the seed and plough. Mortals learned to tear up the earth, and soon the abundance wrought from the earth led men to raise stones into high cities and to burn the dark green forests. Then the fey fled from the blasted land, only coming out in these remote places."

"Some say Fro also created the Fomorians, that race of terrible giants who rule vast underground kingdoms in the Feydark. The Fomorians once challenged the Faerie Courts for control of the Feywild. They fought a terrible war. My mistress loved a great soldier in that war. His name was Torrheval." The nymph appears angered now.

"He was wrong to leave her. My mistress is the fair Selephra. How could any leave her?" she says angrily.

She then looks at Sypheros closely and says, "You are so like him in appearance. Will you come with me to Thelanis? Will you come to my mistress' palace?"

Sypheros refuses, and the nymph flees.

Hagstone again is worried about all the faeries.

As they emerge from the deep woods and approach the border near Droaam, the land of monsters, suddenly hippogriffs descend from the sky, seizing four of the party members and flying off toward the cliffs to the west. Now separated into two groups, what will become of our heroes?