Storm King’s Thunder: Session 14. The Plants Have Ears

25^th Hammer to the 2^nd of Alturiak 1458DR

The Works in Progress left Moongleam tower and went back to the Stick and Pig Inn and pondered what to do. Should they (i) Go to Waterdeep to see the dragon expert (ii) Go to Mithral Hall to speak to Zephyra or (iii) Go to Shadowtop Cathedral to speak to Aerglas and help Lifferlas.

They sent a message through the Sending Stone to Zephyra, who replied that The Eye Of The All Father was an old fable: hidden by Diancastra, Hiatea and Skoraeus and she had scrolls on the myth. They settled on travelling to Shadowtop Cathedral first, which was around 100 miles away: 40 miles by road to Olostin’s Hold and then 60 miles into the High Forest. They purchased some supplies at Lionshield Coster, being served by a somewhat surly halfling and hit the road. By the evening they were still about 20 miles east of Olostin’s Hold and decided to camp for the night. After an uneventful night they reached Olostin’s Hold by midday.

Olostin’s hold appeared to be a small fort with a village inside. They had a short conversation with a seemingly unimpressed guard and visited the local tavern for food before setting off again. The local tavern was called “The Flaming Flagon”, so called because an animated flagon floated around the taproom, serving the patrons ale. It had apparently been hit by a rogue spell during a wizard’s duel years ago and had since had a mind of it’s own. They ordered dinner, giving the landlady a bizarre list of dietary restrictions resulting in her tipping all the food onto the tabletop and being told they could pick out what they could eat from the pile. Korrak protested the lack of table manners and they tucked in.

After paying to have their horses and cart stabled they started the hike south into the High forest. The forest proved difficult to travel through, the underbrush thick and seeming to change from one hour to the next. Carlan decided to ask for help. She saw a blackberry bush in the undergrowth and using her Speech of Beast and Leaf spoke to the blackberries, asking for help. They appeared to understand her but she was not able to persuade them to help. She did get a sense back from them that nature needed to be respected in this forest.

An hour later they heard panicked squeaking from the undergrowth. Parting the branches, Fenris found a young hare trapped in a hunter’s snare. It could not get out and was panicking. Fenris gently released it from the snare, spoke to it soothingly and released it. In the distance they became aware of a large stag watching them. It did not approach, but made eye contact, nodded it’s head and stepped back into the trees.

They pressed on - the forest was very difficult to navigate as they travelled in deeper. In the far distance they could see an extremely tall copse of dark trees: far, far taller than the surrounding forest that they felt must be the cathedral. Eventually after several hours they found a small muddy pond near tha path. A young deer watched them, clearly wanting to drink but afraid to approach. Fenris approached, but despite his attempts to not frighten the animal it fled into the forest. Maganose felt that they should try and clear the water and using their alchemical jug. He tried to freshen the water but fumbled and the water remained muddy. They saw the stag observing again. They called out to it, but it merely nodded again and dashed away.

In the early evening, they became aware of a grey shape ahead of them: a wolf. It stalked a rabbit, which grazed nearby and appeared unaware of the predator stalking it. Fenris counselled that they should let nature take it’s course and they did not disturb the scene. Darius covered his eyes, not wanting to watch the scene and the wolf pounced on the rabbit, killing it instantly. Holding it’s prey in it’s jaws, it loped into the dusk.

By now it was very late: they had got lost a few times but the path seemed to be clearing. They decided to camp for the night. In the early hours of the morning Fenris was on watch and heard crashing in the trees ahead. Huge forms approached and he alerted the party, who woke up and seized their weapons. A giant, two ogres and an ettin crashed towards them, hungry and seemingly lost in the forest. Magical blasts, arrows and bolts crashed into the hill giant as it stormed towards them. It brutally smashed Darius twice with it’s club, knocking him down but after Maganose fed him a potion of healing he leapt up, his sword aglow and struck the killing blow on the hill giant. Korrak meanwhile, fought the 2 ogres and the now wounded Ettin by himself. Taking wounds from all three as they surrounded him, he struck killing blows on the Ettin and one of the ogres. The last ogre moved to flee but took Korrak’s greataxe in his shoulders, killing it.

Their rest broken, they patched up their wounds and resolved to rest further before heading deeper into the forest. The next 8 hours passed uneventfully and after Amadeous had prepared breakfast they set off again. They felt they were going in the right direction now. However the path through the trees was narrow and they came across a low hanging branch blocking the way. Hanging from the branch was a large hive of bees. The bees buzzed, filling the air but were not hostile. They pondered what to do: Korrak suggested smoking them and walking past but Fenris felt it was wrong to light a fire in the forest. Carlan spoke to the bees and danced like a bee (understanding that dancing was a key part of bee language). The bees parted to open the path and they walked through. They saw the stag watching again, which nodded before heading into the trees.

They finally reached Shadowtop Cathedral in the afternoon, This copse of tall dark trees appeared to have been grown together to form walls and a roof, resembling a cathedral in a city. The inside was lit with phospherescent moss and as they entered they saw the stag. As they approached and called out it changed into the shape of a middle-aged half elf man. They greeted each other: he was Aerglas. They told him of Lifferlas’ plight, which disturbed him and he said he would travel to Goldenfields to see his old friend. They informed him that they had been attacked by a giant the previous night. Shocked that the creatures had reached so far into the forest, he said that the giants were clearly a threat to everyone. He had seen their respect of nature and presented them with a badge of the Emerald Enclave, who would help as best they could, but they were sparsely spread across the wilderness. He also gave them a Cloak of Elvenkind and some potions.

After this they travelled back through the forest and to Olostin’s Hold and then to Everlund. At Everlund they went back to the Stick and Pig and Darius was of a mind to gamble. They visited the Grand Dame again and with some help from Carlan and Korrak he won a few games of Sava. After Fenris and Maganose had a flutter on Kobold’s Knuckles, they chatted and decided on a party name: “MI6” and rested overnight and in the morning went to Moongleam Tower.

They stepped into the teleportation circle for Waterdeep and were informed that the teleportation circle in Waterdeep was in a sarcophagus in the City of the Dead: a precinct of the Waterdeep consisting of public parks and cemetaries. To get out they would need to say “Myrna”. Stepping into the circle the world went white and they had the sensation of travelling at enormous speed. Then the world went dark. With their darkvision, Fenris and Amadeous could see they were in a small stone room. Remembering the password, they called out “Myrna” and heard the scraping of stone. They saw daylight as the door moved and saw the form of a large statue opening the door. Stepping out onto the grass, they said “Myrna” again and the statue sealed the sarcophagus closed again. Ahead of them they saw neatly kept paths and grass: they were in the City Of The Dead in Waterdeep.