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Previously on War for the Lost Plane

Starring:
Kaelan, level 14 tiefling Monster Slayer Ranger/Fiend Warlock
Scarlet, level 14 human Oath of Devotion Paladin
Gillian, level 14 triton Champion Fighter/College of Lore Bard
Kethra, level 14 half-elf Assassin Rogue
TIM, level 14 warforged War Domain Cleric

Kethra and TIM enter the ruined building, while the rest of us keep watch outside. Inside I can see the old body of a halfling. Looks like he was once an adventurer. Deep claw marks are clearly visible across his body.

As if in answer, the ghostly whispering grows more intense, and the spirit returns. Cressann, it had called itself.

“He promised to help. But he refused. He refused to help after he promised.”

The ball of light appears, hovering near the body. “But you won’t refuse, will you?”

“Friend, did you do this to him?” asks TIM.

“I must have my vengeance! You must help me,” the spirit cries. The light begins transforming. A skeletal form materializes in the room, looming over TIM and Kethra, large red-stained claws reaching out. “I would’ve given you my hammer! You had to refuse like all the rest.”

The rest of us hurry to the door, weapons ready. Before we can throw down, however, TIM strides up to the monstrous skeletal spirit, a contemplative look on his face. “Hey… I can use that hammer.”

After our watery escapades last week, we arrived at the edge of the druidess’ forest, eager to meet with her and learn some information. Marin’s Grove proved to be a large area (literally a gigantic map), but with a seemingly central path through the forest.

We came across a gravestone, dedicated to Crissann, “human friend and companion.” Crissann himself manifested as a ball of light, pleading to us to kill Marina out of vengeance. 

We tried to talk to the spirit, but it was more interested in seeking our help than telling us its story. Ultimately we remained neutral, not wanting to promise anything without knowing more about his situation. The spirit went away, and we continued on.

To the south the forest held the crumbling ruins of old stone structures. A trusty portcullis separated us from a dark tunnel, filled with growling and clicking sounds. After sending an invisible Styx the imp in there to scout, we saw bestial creatures guarding the tunnel, and nope’d right out of there.

Kethra explored a nearby building, carefully opening a door and harmlessly setting off an old crossbow tripwire trap. Joined by TIM, they found the mauled body of an adventurer inside. Once again Crissann began manifesting, but this time as a hulking skeleton with red claws for hands. He indicated that the halfling corpse reneged on his help, and that we were next.

We rolled for initiative, though TIM and Kethra were the only ones in the room, and thus went first. It’s a good thing, as both of them attempted to parlay with the undead spirit.

d&D

Surprisingly, the angry skeleton listened. Once again he pleaded for us to take up his cause (and his hammer) and destroy the druid. Intrigued by this hammer offer, TIM agreed. Crissann revealed the hammer was buried with his body back at the grave. Crissann disappeared, and TIM returned for the rare, sanctioned grave-robbing.

Meanwhile Kethra continued exploring the ruined building, including finding paths to the east and and south, a room full of phase spiders, and animals by the riverbank, including a giant brontosaurus.

Kethra was tempted to kill a boar, but Rycresh, our teleporting cat guide, warned that we shouldn’t touch anything in the forest lest we incur the wrath of the druidess. Stupid no-touch forests!

TIM returned with the warhammer. It looked magical but we didn’t stop to identify it, continuing south. A wooden creature appeared and offered to introduce us to Marina, and we quickly agreed, leading us toward a wooden building.

Inside we finally met the imperious druidess. We’d heard how she was extremely volatile, easily killing those who wronged her or her forest. Kaelan was prepared to walk a razor’s edge in asking about her relationship with the creator of this plane, but Kethra and TIM both stepped up to ask about Crissann, who was incessantly buzzing in TIM’s ear that now was the time to destroy her.

TIM resisted, though Marina wasn’t entirely forthcoming. She mentioned that they were lovers once, briefly, but that he had wronged the forest, and she destroyed him. He was pissed and wanted to kill her back. 

We weren’t quite ready to fight either of them, however. We didn’t know what she was capable of, aside from having a pet albino chimera nearby – and we still needed her information to find the creator.

She offered a deal: we had to clear out some threats that had recently appeared in her forest. The first is a cave full of demons beyond a tunnel. Oh crap, that rusty portcullis with the wolf-scorpion beasts? Those were demons? Kaelan’s definitely on board now!

The other threat is a tribe of orc lycanthropes who are upsetting the balance in the forest. Both threats must be destroyed, and only then will Marina reveal the information she knows. 

Crissann grew increasingly upset since we weren’t killing her, but TIM was able to keep him at bay and prevent him from manifesting there in the room. We quickly hurried out, promising to deal with these threats, but ultimately unsure if we’ll eventually have to battle this volatile druid.

MVPC – Kethra

Post-session live discussion: 

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