The group journeyed along narrow, winding paths, and as night fell, they stumbled upon a serene byway, where they noticed an enigmatic spectacle—a flickering campfire casting eerie shadows. Approaching cautiously, they discovered an orc resting by the fire, and, after a moment of scrutiny, mutual recognition dawned upon both the party and the orc.
It turned out to be Daviok Beastbane, who had been traversing the road since departing from Windelcrest. They decided to combine their resources and camaraderie, settling around the campfire for the night. Beastbane, feeling he had no pressing obligations, was invited to join the party temporarily, and he readily accepted.
Hinders On The Road
As the night enveloped the sky, the party remained vigilant while the others slumbered. Varis, during his watch, received a magical missive from his parents, informing him of their departure from Rivermond's capital city to stay with his mother's sister near Seacliff in the Barony of Bellmond. This news did not deter him from his duty. The night passed without significant incidents, offering a peaceful respite.
When morning broke, the party gathered their belongings and continued their journey south in their makeshift wagon. They hadn't traveled far before encountering a familiar Ogre blocking their path, demanding payment to pass. Tempers flared among some party members, but Bartimaeus attempted to negotiate and deceive the Ogre. Eventually, the Ogre relented and departed, albeit irritated.
Further along the road, they stumbled upon what appeared to be a tavern. Upon entering, they found the place eerily deserted, save for a tall woman behind the counter engrossed in reading. She cordially welcomed them and invited them to take a seat before taking their orders. The party ventured inside, noting the tavern's walls adorned with numerous shelves stacked with books. Varis eagerly perused the volumes, while Amelia, suspicious of foul play, discreetly checked for traps. The tavern lady accidentally spilled some tea she was serving, but the party assisted in cleaning up the mess.
As the tavern owner returned with their meals, she mentioned that they were the first patrons of the day, primarily serving regulars and occasional travelers. Despite her friendly demeanor, Amelia remained convinced that something was amiss.
Shortly thereafter, Beastbane and Amelia ventured outside, where they encountered two Dominion knights traveling down the road. The knights inquired about their identities, and Beastbane provided a satisfactory explanation while Amelia informed them about the Ogre's extortion attempts. The Knights expressed their gratitude and hurried in the direction of the Ogre.
Back inside the tavern, Varis had discovered a collection of novels while the rest of the party savored their meals. The tavern's proprietor, Theresa Malina, expressed her gratitude for their visit, despite the minor disruption they had caused.
The Abandoned Mine
The group reconvened and continued their journey, rejuvenated and anticipating the day ahead. Before long, they stumbled upon what appeared to be the entrance to a small mine.
Intrigued by the prospect, a portion of the party decided to investigate, while others opted to remain outside. Bartimaeus ventured inside with Keira. Within the abandoned mine, they encountered collapsed tunnels and stumbled upon several Onyx gemstones. Their explorations took an unexpected turn as massive stone elementals came to life before them. These elemental beings summoned two more allies to flank the group. One by one, the remaining members rushed to their aid.
The ensuing battle was challenging but not insurmountable, as the party had faced such threats in the past. They eventually overcame the elementals, and Varis managed to extract some elemental essence from one of the defeated creatures. With no major injuries, the group departed from the mine and set their sights on the expansive Riverwoods, visible in the distance. They quickened their pace, soon reaching the outskirts of the forest.
The Tainted Ruins
As the party ventured into the dense Riverwoods, it didn't take long before they caught the distant cries for help. The urgent voice belonged to a man in search of his missing wife. The party swiftly moved to investigate the source of the calls and found themselves standing before an ancient, overgrown ruin.
The man paced anxiously near the ruin, calling out for his wife, who was an avid explorer. She had led them to this mysterious location, but now she had mysteriously disappeared. In the heart of the ruin lay a peculiar sight - a sinister black stone circle adorned with intricate abyssal symbols. The man explained that his wife had been responsible for inscribing these symbols, and it slowly dawned on the party that she had unwittingly defiled an ancient teleportation circle.
Varis, a member of the group, felt a strange vibration emanating from his obsidian sphere while standing on the circle. As he retrieved it, the man pointed out that his wife possessed a similar sphere. With determination, the entire party stepped onto the circle, and Varis extended his sphere, causing it to begin spinning. In that moment, the party found themselves transported to a realm shrouded in darkness and frigid cold. Following events: Intruding Nightmare.
Trials Of Rayenne
The group found themselves back in the heart of Riverwoods, but this time they were not amidst the ruins; instead, they stood deep within the forest, having emerged from a Sungate. As they advanced into the woods, the trees themselves stirred, and various tree-like figures emerged from the vegetation. Amidst these creatures, a towering tree-man brandishing a massive stone hammer approached, his gaze fixating on Rayenne. Without a word, he gestured for them to follow, and they complied.
As the party followed the tree-man down a narrow woodland path, he engaged Rayenne in conversation, inquiring about her path as a Druid and her loyalty to the forest. Rayenne affirmed her devotion to her Druidic ways. When asked for his name, the tree-man cryptically referred to himself as "Birch." He led the party deeper into the woods, eventually reaching another set of ruins. There, they encountered three stone corridors, and Birch instructed Rayenne to pass through them, undergoing a trial meant to test her path.
Bartimaeus settled by a stone pillar, allowing Rayenne to face her trial alone. Meanwhile, Amelia sat down and prepared her pipe for a smoke, Daviok remained contemplative and reserved, and Varis and Keira chose to accompany Rayenne.
The first corridor led Rayenne into a chamber adorned with ancient trees, one of which transformed into what appeared to be a wooden wyvern. The tree spirit questioned her presence, and she explained her circumstances. The spirit presented her with a simple task: to pluck a rare blossom nearby. Rayenne, drawing on her Druidic knowledge, recognized the flower's significance and refused to take it. The spirit rephrased its request, claiming it was ill and needed the flower, but Rayenne stood her ground. The spirit acknowledged her resolve and reverted to its tree-like form.
Reemerging from the hallway, Birch expressed slight surprise but satisfaction. He gestured towards the other corridors, and the party proceeded to explore further. The second corridor led them to a serene glade with a massive blue crystal at its center, positioned on a stone altar alongside a smaller blue crystal. Two enigmatic creatures, with lion-like bodies and tree-crown heads, stood next to the altar. Their unwavering gaze intensified as Rayenne approached the crystal, enhancing her physical and magical powers. Despite the temptation, she resisted and stepped back. They returned to Birch, who approved of her decision with a nod.
The final corridor led them to a chamber with three stone gates, each bearing Druidic symbols: "Past," "Present," and "Future." As they approached, the ground shook, and tiny stone beings emerged. Among them was a small stone figure with a crown, who greeted Rayenne and offered some vague insight about the choices before her. She walked up to the "Present" gate, a decision that the stone figures applauded before vanishing into the ground. The party then retraced their steps, receiving a nod of approval from Birch, who gestured for them to continue following him.
The Riverwood Tribunal
The party delved deeper into the forest, eventually arriving at the heart of a colossal ring of ancient, weathered pillars. The tree man stepped forward and initiated a summoning ritual. Soon, three figures materialized before them. Among them was the familiar face of Lupricall Maximus, who approached the tree man and acknowledged the party with a nod. Alongside him was the enigmatic Nadrivana, surrounded by her deepwood fairies, making it clear that she was not pleased by the party's presence. Lastly, a grand and majestic figure named Aleyna emerged from the foliage, greeting everyone through telepathy. All of them seemed to be expecting someone else who, unfortunately, did not appear. Nadrivana didn't linger and left without delay. Inquisitive, the party inquired about the missing person. "Birch" explained they were awaiting someone small and occasionally wise. Maximus chuckled and informed the party that they were hoping for the druid known as Satix to join them. He summoned a small bird, whispered instructions, and sent it on its way to Satix's homestead. He then asked the party to follow the bird.
The party obediently followed the bird's lead through the forest, ultimately arriving outside a hidden homestead. They cautiously entered and noticed that no one was present. Taking a chance, they explored the interior, perusing shelves and discovering a collection of fanfiction and somewhat embellished accounts of Satix's adventures from the previous year. While they waited for Satix to return home, they helped themselves to a pot of vegan soup. As hours passed, rain began to fall outside, and shortly thereafter, Satix returned to find the party in his home. He swiftly questioned their presence, and one by one, they introduced themselves. Satix reciprocated by sharing information about himself and his knowledge of the situation. The party explained that they had been sent to find him by "Birch" and Maximus. Satix went on to inform them about the tribunal he had been summoned to, revealing that it revolved around whether the Riverwoods would support the Barony of Bellmond in the upcoming wars.
The Archdruid's Test
Late in the evening, the party settled down for the night at Satix's homestead. Satix, however, began by mentioning his unique trial for Rayenne before quickly retreating to his bed. This left the rest of the group pondering the mysterious task he had in store for them as they made themselves comfortable on the floor of the druid's dwelling.
The following morning, after a well-deserved rest at Satix's homestead, the group was roused and guided outdoors. Satix initiated his magical teleportation, whisking the party away to a secluded pocket dimension within the forest. There, he subjected them to a formidable challenge by transforming into a powerful adult brass dragon.
Bartimaeus and Daviok bravely charged the dragon, while the others sought cover, alarmed by the dragon's deafening roar, which struck fear into Varis's heart. Despite their fear, they rallied, with Amelia transforming into her beastly form and biting down on the dragon's tail. The dragon retaliated by growing in size and releasing a corrosive breath that incapacitated Bartimaeus temporarily, though Varis swiftly revived him with his healing sphere. Rayenne countered with a moonbeam, and then deployed a protective dome. Keira assumed a strategic position atop a pillar, raining arrows upon the dragon, even managing to pierce its eye.
Suddenly, the dragon disappeared and reappeared behind the party, unleashing an arcane breath that slowed some of them. The party desperately attempted to reach the protective dome as the dragon flew off to regain its strength, only to return in the form of a silver dragon. The majority of the party remained sheltered within the magical dome, while Varis, recalling the method Satix used to transform, stepped out and dispelled the magic. A massive magical cloud dissipated, revealing the diminutive druid gnome Satix, catching his breath and applauding the party for overcoming his magical challenge.
Satix returned the party to his homestead, where he began distributing tools and gifts from his adventuring days. However, their respite was interrupted when a forest troll named Doma arrived, searching for Satix and inquiring if he was ready to join the tribunal. The party agreed to follow Doma, with half of them walking and the others transforming into ravens and flying ahead. They eventually reunited and approached the tribunal grounds, where Lupricall, Birch, Aleyna, and Nadrivana awaited their arrival.
While Lupricall and Birch welcomed Satix despite his tardiness, Nadrivana displayed displeasure, especially upon seeing the party again. Satix explained his intentions and declared the party's worthiness, confusing and irritating Nadrivana. She revealed the encampment of Bellmond people outside the forest and expressed her desire to drive them away, while the party saw this as an opportunity to present their verdict.
Satix proposed that the party represent the Riverwoods, a suggestion Nadrivana disapproved of. While Lupricall acknowledged their potential worth, he remained skeptical of their ability to resolve the situation. Birch, now known as the Tree King, approached Rayenne and handed her a Sacred Treaty of the Living Forests, signifying the forest's support, leaving the party uncertain about their role.
After their discussions, Varis heard a rustling in the bushes and discovered that Archibald had made his way back to the group, looking disheveled with twigs and leaves sticking to his fur. Later, Satix transported the party back to their wagon and teleported them to the edge of the forest near the Bellmond encampment, bidding farewell to the Riverwoods.