- There is a meeting coming up of all the remaining Commanders and they're going to pick a new General. It's likely to happen within a week. Need to find out where that meeting is. Also, Pinch Deadbash and Gnit Fizmaw were promoted to Commander. Probably Tork Mukluk or Ute Spitbarb will be selected as the next General.
- Little is known about the upper reaches. Alderheart is split into three tiers. Bottom, lowly gnolls and (mostly) humblefolk. Middle, working class (mostly) birdfolk, many are forced into labor in the farms. Upper, the resistance doesn't know what has happened there. Early on there was some kind of purge, lots of the elite and aristocracy (all folk) fell to their deaths. Birdfolk were tied up and thrown off.
- The Mayor-the impression is that he is cooperating with the gnolls. If he is, what does he know about this meeting? If he isn't, does he know anything? Is the resistance better off with him alive or dead?
- The Killing Limbs-hostages kept for suspected (and real) resistance. If they are rescued before the final assault, more folk will join the resistance.
- Invisible Stalkers-remnants of something The Scorpion did.
The gnolls have been forced to gather their forces at Alderheart to where they are making a final stand.
The capital of Humblewood has been under gnoll control the longest and the resistance isn't quite sure what to expect. Certainly, desperation on the part of the gnolls will be part of it.
The council convened and selected the heroes (once known as the Butchers of Meadowfen) to be the initial group to enter Alderheart. They've been assigned the job of eliminating the rest of the Gnoll Commanders who are gathered at Alderheart. Without their leadership the gnolls will be completely disorganized, ensuring victory for Humblewood.
Their first step is for the party to make contact with Evelyn at the Owl's Roost in the Canopy Market.
The first discovery the party made was hundreds of bodies of folk in The Underfall. They'd been thrown from the boughs of Alderheart far above, hands tied together if they had the ability to glide.
Closer to the trunk was a gnoll built fort where a battle was raging. Gnolls were fighting each other. After watching and enjoying the scene for a bit, the party found a gnoll and he begged them to help. Clerics were in a tower summoning the devil, Yeenoghu to set loose on Humblewood. This was retribution for the slaughter at the Temple of Anubis (the party nodded, yeah, good times huh?).
Stepping into the foray, the party dispatched the defenders and ran into the tower. A fierce battle against the devil and some clerics was cut short as Cyrus the Black was finally able to stun Yeenoghu and Snow began smiting with a vengeance. Thus, Humblewood was once again saved.
The heroes waited until night and snuck there way up to Owl Market. This was about midnight and only gnoll patrols were out. The party searched the market for signs of Evelyn or the resistance to no avail, except for wanted posters of Evelyn. While searching Amichai Brecht was attacked by an invisible assailant. The party was spread out and everyone ran to help him (Dúnedain in particular cursing that he hadn't kept his bow on him). The creature was killed but never did become visible. They talked about throwing it into their bag of devouring but instead Amichai turned it into an (invisible) zombie under his control. After this, the party found a hiding spot and waited until morning when the market started up.
It took some asking around, but the heroes finally found a corvum in the market who told them where to find Evelyn. Traveling separately they made their way to the resistance stronghold and had a long talk with Evelyn.
A few priorities emerged but first they needed to investigate the meeting that was happening in the Windy Limbs neighborhood. The party snuck there way there and saw some gnolls meeting, and one hedge as well. Cyrus ran into the middle of it, stunned the two clerics who were preparing spells to cast, and the party mopped up the rest. Mopping up being mostly throwing them off the branches to their deaths.
Questioning the one gnoll they left alive (briefly) and the hedge gave them a clearer picture of what was going on. Ute Spitbarb was trying to convince Gnit Fizmaw to vote for him as general. They had sent their "secretaries" to discuss this ahead of the vote. The hedge had been forced into the service of Gnit and didn't know that his town was free and his family was safe. Once he learned this he was more than willing to help the resistance.
The party now had a location and approximate date for the gather of commanders to vote for their new general.
The next day was a coordinated attack on the "killing limbs". This was where gnolls held suspected resistance members or their families hostage. They were hung from the branches and their ropes could be cut at a moments notice if anyone tried to rescue them.
The party rescued two groups easily, but then the gnolls went on alert and things got much more difficult. Once again Cyrus showed off his monk abilities (hasted by Dúne) and was able to run very quickly to rescue more hostages. Amichai summoned a celestial creature who helped rescue hostages and took out a few gnolls too. Snow and Dúne backed up Cyrus with firebolts and arrows. In all only five hostages were killed and three times as many were rescued.
On the way back to the safe house the party passed a Temple of Ardea. They looked inside and it had been converted into a hospital with several dozen beds. Nuns were taking care of humblefolk, birdfolk, and gnolls. Of course the party started asking questions. The nuns said they'd sworn an oath to Ardea to treat any in need and that oath extended to gnolls as well.
The heroes talked it over for a bit and finally decided that leaving gnolls alive to kill more folk didn't sit well with them. "After all," Cyrus said, "we are the Butchers of Meadowfen." Over the protests of the nuns (and cheers from injured folk in their beds) the party threw the gnolls off the branches and sent them to their death.
The next day was their chance to kill the gnoll leadership. They traveled to The Boughs and stealthed their way to what had to be the meeting place of the commanders. Dozens of archers were patrolling the limbs, and many small houses were scattered about. In the center was a dwelling big enough to hold all the commanders and captains as they elected a new general.
After watching for a bit Amachai cast a few spells to buff the party and the attack began. It was easy at first. Dúne stayed in the back picking off archers and guards with his bow. Amichai continued to cast spells to aid the party. Cyrus quick ran into the battle striking and stunning adversaries. And Snow followed up with powerful smites that quickly struck down any in his path.
Soon though, gnoll clerics came out of huts and a wizard too. After that a wave of captains ran out of the central house and engaged the party. Amichai's celestial spirit focused on the wizard as did Dúne, taking him down. Cyrus stunned one of the clerics and Snow placed himself in the middle of the captains.
Moments later Pinch and Gnit emerged and threw themselves into the battle. It was getting increasingly hard for the party to keep up with all their adversaries. Deciding the time was right, Amachai activated the The Chain of Ardea and the found their footing again.
With most of the captains killed by this time, the party heard a frightening roar as Ute Spitbarb and Tork Mukluk joined the battle in full plate and wielding huge flails. At this point Dúne was being surrounded by guards and archers but he deftly teleported out of the way leaving them to chase him again. Amachai had cast Sanctuary on himself and continued to heal and buff the party. Cyrus and Snow were fully engage with the few remaining captains and all four commanders.
The heroes clearly had the upper hand. Pinch and Gnit were killed, Ute (or was it Tork-kind of hard to tell them apart in the armor) was stunned and about to die and Snow was smiting with all his strength.
Ute was cut down with a flurry of blows from Cyrus and Snow hit Tork with a devastating smite than finished him off. After that it was an easy mop up of the few remaining guards and archers that were running away.
Once again, the party had saved Humblewood.