The party set up camp to rest for the night and split up into four teams, each taking a shift in the night. The teams generally consist of one man to one satyr.
During Edward's shift he hears a sound close by. He utilises his Familiar Artax to scout the area. With the owl's vision he can see in the dark making for an incredible lookout. Edward sees a shape stalking between the trees, a creature with eyes that glow brightly when it looks towards the flame of Edward's torch. He wakes the others and they move out to engage this wild creature only for it to run off into the darkness.
Vix tells all to keep extra care in the following shifts. Mornington asks to take the next shift with Vix and they discuss using Mornington's bullseye lantern as a means to see more clearly at a distance and possibly keep this predator at bay. Unfortunately, tired and lacking concentration on their watch, the creature returns.
A loud cry is heard from one of the satyr companions. He is dragged across the ground by something wrapped around his ankle. Mornington opens the door to his lantern and shines it in the direction of the comotion. A large six-legged panther looms in the shadows, on its back are two long spiked tendrils, one of which has latched onto the poor satyr, dragging him away from the camp.
The party and cohorts burst into action. Keeping the lantern light on the creature, everyone closes in to attack. It lashes out with tooth, claw and tendrils before Vix manages to charm it with his panpipes. With the creature prone and dazed everyone gathers around to strike at once. They only land a few hits as the creature, even in its charmed state, displaces its true position on an attempted strike. Edward fumbles with an eldritch blast and clips Mornington in the chaos. The Unknown ripped out of the slumbering charm lashes out. One of its tendrils lacerates the satyr it had previously dragged away. This, combined with the injuries it had suffered from the dryads, sends the satyr to the dirt.
Vix cries out as one of his own falls in battle. Crom and the other Satyr start to inflict serious damage to the displacer beast before it flees into the shadows. A few moments pass as Mornington tries to find it in the dark forest with his lantern. A snapping of twigs, Mornington spins round and the beast pounces. Mornington wielding his magical coral scimitar, plunges it between the shoulder blades of the creature, killing it.
In the aftermath, Vix is distraught to have lost one of his friends. He states that it's not safe to stay camped here, their could be more displacer beast in the area. The party agree and they decide to carry on moving through the night towards their location. They burn through a number of torches, a pint of lantern oil, and push on without sleep past more patches of shrieker mushrooms.
The overland travel is halted just as the first signs of dawn creep in. Under the torch light, Vix spots a tree with all its leaves turned a deep red, and panics. "They are close, HURRY!"
Vix bounds ahead along with the other satyr keeping pace. Hopping from tree to tree, covering great distance in very little time. The party try to keep pace but can see their guides disappearing up ahead. Edward falls in the frantic attempt to keep up. He picks himself up, only to trip once again on the twisted roots of trees that carpet the forest floor. Mornington and Crom catch up enough to find Vix in a small clearing in the woods. A large stone arch sits at the clearings centre, with brightly coloured, alien looking foliage, growing on and around it. "This is it, we're here, this is what we've been looking for!" says Vix in relief.
Mornington and Crom move into the clearing and are greeted with the sound of footsteps in the nearby forest. Vix looks visibly paled. "They are here", he utters. Branches snap, red leaves fall and figures burst out of the treeline towards the adventurers. Beastfolk with heads like that of a ram, wielding large axes and bellowing battle cries to match. One with two hand axes engages Mornington in combat, while another wielding a greataxe, faces Crom. Edward desperately runs towards the clearing and can hear something following close by. Another beastfolk, a shaman looking caster, follows with eager eyes as he begins to conjure his magic.
In the clearing, Gruvteth steps through the large, stone arch. He wields a spiked club in one hand and a shield of blooded leather in the other. Human leather, satyr leather? The fierce beastfolk charges into Vix, cracking him across the temple with his club and sending him tumbling to the floor.
Edward cries in pain as sharp roots jut up from the floor and pierce into his shin and calf, pinning him in place. Mornington shouts for the two remaining satyr to go back and help him, and they quickly run from the clearing. Edward turns around and fires two blasts of purple energy at the beastfolk shaman, who is hit by one and ducks behind a tree. The shaman replies with another spell, he sways his staff and grunts a series of arcane words and the earth begins to shake. Around Edward the ground begins to crack and tremor as huge slabs of earth start to shift and jut from the ground at jagged angles. This injures Edward further and impedes his escape towards the others.
Mornington continues to fight the dual-wielding beastfolk who unleashes a frenzy of attacks towards him. With quick feet and a nimble hand, Mornington avaids the worst of the blows and cuts back at his opponent. Crom flies into a rage, screaming his name before striking the beastfolk he faces. He lands several hits, but the beastfolk replies with his own axe, and wounds Crom severely. Crom realises that his opponents axe is magical, and despite his rage, cannot shrug off the punishing wounds it delivers. To make matters worse, Gruvteth now locks his eyes on Crom and charges in. Outnumbering the barbarian two to one, they both continue an onslaught of attacks.
Vix stands up dazed, and walks towards the stone arch. He reaches into a pouch and draws from it an ivory statuette of a satyr. The very same statuette that the party gave him as a bargaining chip, to pass through the Twisted Thicket a week prior. Vix lifts the figure towards the arch and bright energy flows from hidden runes beneath the overgrown foliage towards the statuette. Suddenly a torrent of bright colours ripple in the archway and a portal opens before him, bathing him in brilliant light. Vix turns to the others, still in the throws of battle, and says in a hushed tone, "I'm so sorry". He steps into the light, out of sight, and the portal closes in behind him. The archway returning to its usual appearance, Vix is nowhere to be seen.
The two satyr who had run to help Edward, got caught in the melee with Morningtons opponent. However, seeing their leader abandon them, they too flee from the battle, leaving Mornington to face his foe alone.
Edward stands up amongst the cracked earth and slowly moves through the rugged terrain until he hits solid ground. He then runs to the clearings edge, behind him the beast shaman is muttering another spell. The ground shakes once more, but this time, a natural stone wall erupts from the ground. It emerges in the clearing, separating Crom, Gruvteth and Skull Crusher (greataxe), from Mornington, Edward, Gut-Rend (dual wield) and Blood Soil (shaman). the wall is thirty feet wide and twenty feet tall and the party are split by this barrier on the battlefield.
The melee continues, wounds being suffered on both sides.
Then, the portal reignites. Bright light pours into the clearing and the silhouette of a figure is standing in the threshold.
Gruvteth and Skull crush smile as they see this. Who has come to join the mayhem?
...
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