We wake the next morning and the Dessa and Gemma start their morning rituals. Dorn questions Tillock about how he came to be here. Tillock tells us about how he worked on the Hood farm, and he had no choice but to run when the hobgoblins invaded and now he’s hoping to just get back to basilisk bluff or Amber.
Gemma, feeling happy to have a signet ring and thinking of how proud lady Liadan would be if she adventured out, asks Dessa if she needs to check out the lake or if we need to go to the bluff to warm the village. Dorn thinks it’s a good idea, always keeping an eye out for new mining opportunities. And Dessa thinks back to Habistaw’s prophecy, how she left town for her own safety, and thinks about saving the village and her daughter.
The group turns toward Tillock, and ask if he can make it back to the bluff on his own and he looks very scared. We decide the escort him close to the village, and have him carry a message about the necromancer elves and hobgoblins.
Everyone straps on their gear and heads back east toward the bluff, we make good progress and camp as a group. The next morning we point Tillock in the right direction, and Dorn gifts him a spare old dagger. The group wishes him well and heads back toward boulderham to camp there for the night before we keep moving west. We set watches and have an uneventful night. And the the next morning we continue our march west, knowing it’s another two days trek from where we are.
Dessa keeps her eyes out for animals to see if there’s anything she could learn anything. Durn is keeping an eye out for holes or interesting minerals along the way.
Midway through the day, we encounter a very large set of humanoid footprints that were heading south. The group determines that it’s a giant something – it was wearing shoes, so not a troll. We decide to follow the tracks for a bit to see if we can catch them up.
After we follow it for a bit, we come upon a crest and look out over the rise and we see a small lake or large pond surrounded by hills. And we see a small wisp of smoke rise from a hill. But we decide not to follow up and make our way west toward the lake we’re seeking.
It’s winter and the light fades quickly, so we make camp and realize that it’s starting to get a little swampy, we think that we’re in lower lands and will probably reach the lake in another day.
Dessa seeks out a crow to try to gather some information about the area. She approaches a tree and greets a battered crow, and asks it if it’s seen anything unfriendly. The crow says there are many unfriendlies in the area. Dessa asks about hobgoblins and blood elves, and the crow points in the direction we were heading and says there are lots of elves and that the crows stay away since they aren’t nice elves. Dessa also asks about the large footprints and the crow says that it’s an ogre, and they it wouldn’t be running from anything.
Dessa shares the information with the group, and we decide that we don’t need to face an island of blood elves. But Dessa feels strongly that she needs to know more about the island and the blood elves. Gemma is nervous and wishes she was better trained for adventures like this.
We camp on the last night head our early toward the lake. In the bleak winter landscape we find a snow covered evergreen that is tinged with red, and Dorn recognizes it as a blood pine. 🩸 🌲 the red wood elves have a tradition of planting a tree on the body of an enemy, and it grows with the red needles.
We start seeing more and more blood pines as we move through the forest. We are all on edge, keeping quiet and walking as softly as we can while staying extra alert.
We come along a ridge and the lake comes into view, and we are very surprised to see an island with copperbell trees and blood pines. Zeff sees elves moving on the island, and boats on the shore of both the island and the lake.
We expect that the island would support 100-200 residents. And since copperbell elves are known to be extinct, there’s just a lot of questions. We know we can’t face a large group.
A voice yells at us from behind, and we turn to see two elves and and a armored guard animal harnessed between them. Gemma translates their yells, and tells the group that they are demanding to know who we are and telling us we will die.
Dessa tries to speak with their guard animal. She asks what is going on, and the animal says food food food food. Eat eat eat.
Gemma tries to introduce the group in elvish, but they let the animal go. Gemma is surprised and puts he hands out and create a cone of fire. The animal attacks Zeff and it’s antenna wipes something on his chest and his chain shirt starts to fall apart. Dessa blesses the group and Dorn fires his crossbow at an elf. Zeff pulls out his great ax and smacks the animal and takes a step back.
Gemma casts shield upon herself and steps back. The animal pushes toward Zeff and the antenna touches his great axe this time, and it immediately rusts. The elves shoot and arrow at Dorn it clips him, and they also fire at Gemma and she dodges out of the way. Dessa fires back hitting one of them. Dorn also takes aim and he takes down one of the elves.
Zeff, raging and not even bothered by the rusting condition of his axe and smashes the animal. Gemma ropes the last last elf and once he’s contained, Gemma knocks him out. We search the dead elf and the animal – Gemma identifies it as a rust monster. It’s very unusual, she never thought she’d see one. And she’s very surprised to see one with elves. But the stone arrowheads and spearhead make more sense. Zef takes a bow and quiver of arrows and their spears.
We conceal the bodies behind a rock, we properly tie up and gag the elf and Zeff heaves the body over his shoulder, and we move away from the lake with our prisoner.
We decide to keep moving to ensure that we aren’t being pursued. We camp for the night and Dessa patches up the elf and we give him some water. Gemma asks why he tried to kill us and he says that humans will die and they will reclaim their land. We ask him many questions and find out very little. We decide to take the elf back to the bluff to warn the village.
We travel without incident for two more days and Dessa checks the gates to see if the guards would be friendly. Dorn recognizes a friendly face and they greet her ask about her friends and the elf. She says it’s a very long story and he opens the gate.
We ask to put the elf in jail, and Dessa’s son runs out to greet him. Kronen hugs Dessa as well, but looks tired, and tells Dessa he’s glad he’s back and that he hopes she’ll stay.
Dorn says there much Kronen should hear about, and at that moment woo comes from behind us and says “…and you can tell me about it.” Dessa recounts a short version and Gemma reminds Tuxel Woo about how the noble families will appreciate the information that we are bringing back.
The group follows Tuxel to his office (formerly Kronen’s office). We recount what we saw and our encounters with the elves. Woo says that he will send a group out to confirm. Gemma tells him that we don’t have time to wait and that we need to make sure we are prepared for an assault.
We all decide we have some things that we can take care of in town. Zeff visits Lexara and she’s very busy. She’s never seen damage like this before and says it will take a couple weeks. Zeff looks around and sees that they are making spears and metal tubes with handles. She says that Woo has placed a large order and he’s training the men to use the strange contraptions. Zeff offers to help out around the forge to help speed up the turnaround on getting his axe back.
Dessa visits Kronen. And she gives him even more details than we shared with Woo. Kronen tells her that he understands why she left, and that Woo has actually done a good job since she left – there was no one left to be angry at. Dessa tells Kronen about Habistaw’s prophecy, and how she met Stephano and chose a new path when the law and order of proper civilization let her down.
Gemma settles into quiet corner to write a letter to Liadan.
Dorn settles in at the bar, and talks to the patrons. He finds out that Woo is pushing the miners hard and training everyone (soldiers and commoners) to use a new kind of weapon. It seems like Woo is prepping for a war.