Previously: Chapter 04: Gathering Information
A Presence in the Night
The party, after gathering their belongings and saying their goodbyes for now, start the long walk north towards the Ruins of Thundertree, to hopefully get some answers, and to find some long lost heirlooms. As nightfall is beginning to come creeping in, the group decides after about an hour of walking that it is best to make camp for the night. Theren and Demetrius are not really fond of sleeping outside, but they make do when they have to, but it is clear they are both already missing civilization.
The next morning, the party continues their trek, reaching the fork in the road that leads west towards the main road, and east towards Khuzunzan, the party decides they want to take the scenic route, and instead head straight north, through the grasslands and forests, and hopefully far away from any prying eyes that the Black Spider have sent out. After a long day's trek, it’s time to make camp once more. As they do, Kal goes a bit further away from the rest of the group, and starts praying to her god, asking them when she can return home. Willowbark overhears this, and asks her what that was about. Kal tells her she has been put on a journey, and wonders when it is over. Willowbark asks her what her god is called, and Kal simply replies that he is an annoying bastard, much to the horror of Willowbark, who has nothing but respect for her deity.
During the night, as the party keeps watch so as to not be ambushed by wildlife or what's worse, Willowbark and Demetrius both notice a figure, standing in the distance, watching over them. As it is pitch black, it is impossible to get any details, but as it is standing against the horizon, they notice that the figure is cloaked. Demetrius tries to cautiously move closer, but as soon as he gets too close, the figure simply disappears. Hoping it is nothing dangerous, Demetrius tries to calm Willowbark down by asking her about her drinking habits, explaining that wine is the “milk of the gods”, and that she must try it, but Willowbark is satisfied with a cup of warm or cold milk. He also tries to explain to her the logistics of government, but this is far beyond Willowbark’s comprehension.
On Kal’s watch, as she watches over the night sky, and sees a thunderstorm in the distance, she suddenly hears the sound of something big moving over the forest, almost like it’s sailing past in the air. Unsure of what it is, and since it moved past them, she tries to distract herself by making some goodies over the fire.
The next morning, the party discusses what they saw and heard throughout the night, and theorizes what it may have been. Penny is sure that it is a dragon, while the others are not so confident with that. Granny tells her that she shouldn’t worry about things she can’t control. In the meantime, Theren has walked over to where Willowbark and Demetrius saw the figure, and can see footprints on the ground, and they apparently were bare feet. What is more peculiar is the fact that no footprints lead to or from the location, almost as if the figure appeared and disappeared by magic. The party gets a chill down their spine with the thought of someone watching them, but tries to put it to the back of their minds.
The Hunting Party
As the party continues traveling, Willowbark can hear distinct voices coming from the area in front of them. They think nothing of it, but suddenly, from behind a few bushes, a group of hobgoblins come walking out. They seem as surprised to face the party as the party is to face them, but it is clear that they were looking for them. They spring into action, attacking, but are no match for the party who easily takes care of them. They leave one alive, the one who seemed to be the leader of the group, and demand that he tells them where Cragmaw Castle is. He is not swayed, saying that he would rather the party kill him than face the wrath of King Grol. Penny stands over him, and tries to tickle torture him, but it is ineffective. Not wanting to execute an unarmed prisoner, Kal demands that he walk away from them, and if he turns around before 10 minutes have passed, they will strike him down. He takes the party up on the offer, and leaves the area, unarmed and embarrassed. The party searches the remaining hobgoblins, and finds a crudely drawn picture of what appears to be Penny, with the writing underneath saying “25 gold pieces for this one - The Black Spider”. Penny is shocked and appalled that she is not worth more than 25 gp, but pockets the drawing, being fond of the attention.
The group keeps walking, regularly looking east into the forest, hoping to not encounter another group of hobgoblins before they reach Thundertree. After a while, they decide to camp for another night, realizing that they must be more than halfway there, as they can barely make out the light of the nearby town of Rivergrounds.
The next day, not long after they have started walking, they trek next to a large rock formation with some trees. Thinking nothing of it, the party calmly makes their way through the formation, but Willowbark suddenly hears the crack of a branch being broken, and sees movement in her periphery. She realizes that she is about to be ambushed, but doesn’t have time to warn the others before a group of goblins suddenly starts firing arrows at them.
The battle is once again over fairly quickly, with each party member taking care of dispatching the goblins, Granny finally having gotten used to real combat, and Theren keeping to the back watching the flanks. Willowbark, in an unusual show of force, manages to almost liquify two of the goblins with a spell. As she stands there looking at what she has done, the battle rages around her, and eventually dies down, but the rest of the party clearly notices that she is shaken by the event.
As the party searches the goblins, Willowbark takes the two she killed to the side, and gives them a proper burial, collecting rocks, sticks and flowers, and makes a small prayer to her god, asking for forgiveness for what she has done. Kal tries to comfort her, saying it was either her or them, but somehow it is not helping. Willowbark is quiet for the rest of the walk, and when the sun starts laying low on the horizon, they can see the outskirts of what myst be Thundertree in front of them.
Thundertree
The road in front of them is overgrown with grass and plants, and there is an odd sensation in the area. A smell that doesn’t belong, a feeling on the skin like the very air is toxic. Almost like there is a sickness lying over the place. Willowbark tells the others that she recognizes this feeling, but doesn’t elaborate. Going a bit further, the party sees a sign that someone has placed near the path, blocking the way into the town.
“DANGER! Plant monsters AND zombies! Turn back now!”
Penny, appearing oblivious to the sign, walks straight past it and heads into town, with the rest following, asking why she just ignored the sign without hesitation. Penny tries to blow it off like she didn’t see it, but the party notices something is off about her.
Walking down the road, they see an overgrown town with a large tower near the center of it. A few of the buildings seem to be intact, but many have collapsed or deteriorated to the point that it is never going to be habitable again. The party can see that the traversable part of the town is just a small part of what once was Thundertree, but most of the city has already been overgrown by dark looking plants that don't look too inviting. Demetrius and Granny both notice a particular house which seems to be well maintained, as it has an intact roof, windows, and it is not overgrown.
The party decides the best course of action is to stealthily move towards the house, as they know not what dangers loom in the area. Kal is having a hard time sneaking, as her armor clatters and is heavy, making her much more noisy than the rest of the group. Willowbark uses a spell that makes it easier for her to sneak, and the party manages to get through Thundertree unscathed, but they see a few plantlike beings on the way, well camouflaged among the foliage, and not moving.
Reidoth
Reaching the house, Penny carefully knocks on the door, after they see that it is locked. They hear movement coming from the other side, and a voice asking who it is in a careful manner. They ask for shelter, saying they are looking for a druid named Reidoth. The door suddenly opens, and an old, scrawny, tattooed man greets them. He says they found him, and tells the party to quickly come inside.
Safely under shelter, the party asks why Reidoth is doing here all by himself, and he tells them that he is trying to maintain the balance by cleaning up whatever he can. Then he asks why they’re looking for him. They tell him that their friend has been kidnapped by a group of goblins, and that they’re holed up in Cragmaw Castle, and have been told that he might know the way there. He confirms that he indeed knows where the goblins are holed up, and is happy to show them the way there, asking for a map. Theren brings out the map they got from Sister Garaele, and the druid, while also remarking on the crudeness of the map, marks the general area where the castle is located.
Willowbark, having noticed a familiarity in the sickness that plagues the town, asks Reidoth about it, and what could be causing it. Reidoth tells them that there have been several areas that have been plagued by this, and it started happening 40 or 50 years ago as far as he can tell, most recently here in Thundertree about 15 years ago. WIllowbark is concerned by this, and reveals that she thinks that it is spreading once more, this time to the forest where she comes from, and that she is looking for a way to stop it. Reidoth tells her that he sadly knows not the cause or the cure, but there is another issue that the party can help with rectifying. A young green dragon has made the nearby tower the party saw coming in its lair, and Reidoth would love for the party to chase it away or kill it, as its mere presence causes the area to be unbalanced, even more so than the sickness.
The party is not exactly jumping on the opportunity to attack a dragon as they barely have started their journey, but Reidoth promises that if they manage to chase away the dragon he will give them his bag of holding, and if they manage to kill it and bring him proof, he will throw in something extra. The party seems intrigued by this, as a bag of holding would make life much easier for them, and accepts. Willowbark, wanting to find the emerald necklace, asks if he knows where the old alchemy shop is, and he gives her the directions, warning of the dangers lurking in the area, both what he calls twig blights and zombies.
As it is getting late, the party asks Reidoth if it is okay to rest in his house for the evening, which he is fine with, but warns that it might be a bit cramped. Considering the alternative is sleeping outside with various monsters trying to kill, the party is fine with this, and spends the rest of the evening discussing how they will approach the dragon and clear the town. As a thank you for letting them stay, Penny gives Reidoth the drawing of Penny she took from the hobgoblins, which he hangs on the wall.