| Session Date | September 3, 2022 |
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| Base XP Gained | Carry Over |
| Player Notes | ZZ's Notes |
In Sarkum, the party decided to use clerical means to help determine their next course of action. Both ZZ and Mordecai cast divination to gather information about returning to Castle Gold. The gods of both clerics were clear – returning would be very dangerous with a possibility of modest to rich treasure and a low to moderate risk of supernatural danger. This confirmed their fears that a fully alerted Gold was not to be trifled with.
ZZ followed this up with a commune spell to gather more complete information. He was able to ask numerous questions: was Gold monitoring the party, aside from his ravens and wolves (yes). Was he using magic to do so? (yes) Was he using a crystal ball? (essentially yes) Was he focusing on a specific item or object the party had taken from his castle? (no) Was he focusing on one or more party members? (yes) Would Gold target the party if they remained away from his castle? (no) Would it be possible to flip the Giant King against Gold and the Hooded One? (no) Would it spoil the enemy’s plans to discover the Wizard Copper’s location? (no) Are Copper, Gold, and the Hooded One the greatest threat to good in the region? (no)
Some time later, the party was rousted by Larella and Devizes with an urgent summons by Lord Yerac, master of Sarkum. He explained that a party of four of his hunters had apparently been abducted by the brigands of the Dry Tree. He had just received a ransom demand for the men for 5000 silver. This was both preposterous and beyond his means. He asked the party to intervene if they would, leaning on his past hospitality to them. The witch of the Dry Tree must not be allowed to get away with this outrage. The party was only too happy to help, though they claimed they had been much weakened by recent losses against the Wizard Gold. Yerac said he understood and directed Larella and Devizes to find new recruits to aid the party.
They all returned to the Woodland Refuge (inn). There they more or less shanghaied a number of folk into the party, the Paladin Dane Smite, the Maerling shieldmaiden Helgavinka, and the musty-appearing Druid Du’vyntioc. Thus reinforced, the party left Sarkum immediately, heading north. Larella had informed them that the road to the Castle of the Dry Tree was easy; north to the crossroads, then west out of the Grand Forest. Being a late start, and a very short day because of winter, the party did not reach the crossroads and opted to camp in the woods away from the road. Happily, ZZ had prepared a number of resist cold spells, enough to ensure the party’s health in the bitter winter night. The party was attacked over night by a band of wandering Trolls, but these were easily dispatched (aided by a flame strike by ZZ and entangle spell from Du’vyntioc).
The next day the party traveled north, past the crossroads, as they wished to seem to be coming from the north, not the direction of Sarkum. This added to their journey time, and they got as far as the edge of the Grand Forest, camping on the verge of the vast Endless Plains (where, they’d been warned, dwelt dangerous horse nomads). The night passed uneventfully and the party headed into the plains at day break.
They’d only gone a short way when they spotted a force of two score cavalry riding up the rood from some hills further west. The horsemen soon spotted them and rode to meet them. The horsemen were gruff but not overtly hostile. The party claimed to be coming from the north and seeking the nearest settlement, which the cavalry leader indicated was back from whence he’d come. However, ZZ soon noted that the heavily wrapped figure was none other than Leptos, the man they’d rescued from Castle Silver some months before. He became more friendly once he realized he knew at least some of the party. They spoke more openly now, and it turned out that Leptos was leading a punitive raid against Sarkum in response to the taking of several of the Dry Tree folk by those of Sarkum. Interestingly, a hooded figure had delivered a ransom demand the day before for 5000 silver. The parallel with the events at Sarkum got the party’s attention!
The party now offered to accompany Leptos and his patrol to the crossroads, where their folk had presumably been taken. They prevailed on Leptos to delay his attack on Sarkum, though he was clear that his ladyship would not deal well with him if he delayed over long. The larger group now mad their way to the crossroads. Du’v (which is his new nickname, want it or not) summoned several birds to him and spoke them, asking about what had passed there. They reported that the folk of the Dry Tree had been approached by other “figures” and had simply accompanied them away to the west and a little south. A quick search by Jarrik-a revealed a lone set of wolf tracks, proceeding the opposite direction. The party decided to follow those tracks to their origin and were able to prevail on Leptos to stay there until morning. For his part, he made it clear that he was beginning to think this was not the work of Sarkum and would risk his ladyship’s displeasure to comply.
The tracks led several miles, eventually leading the party to a low cliff face with rough stairs leading up to a door. The party decided on a direct and rapid approach (lest Leptos change his mind) and crashed into the door. Beyond was a clearly long-disused dungeon. They first explored to the south, finding little but very old ruins (faded frescoes seeming to indicate this was the abode of some ancient adventurer). Finding little, they shifted to the north.
There they found a decrepit throne room and soon found a nearby Specter. It proved to be a spellcaster but, being alone, was no match for the party and was destroyed, leaving behind a gold chain with curious fob depicting a grinning skull. A modest treasure was taken from its lair, which seemed as decrepit as the rest of this place.
In a nearby room, the party discovered six humans with extremely white skin, three of whom were clearly of the Dry Tree (by their insignia of a bare tree) and three hunters of Sarkum. Mordecai tried to use his rod of resurrection on one, but it simply screamed and fell truly dead. Not wishing to mess with half-specters, the party slammed the door shut and secured it…