Week 43 - Gauthakan cops a pounding

Week 43 - Gauthakan cops a pounding; and, Sayren-Lei goes off.

Having rested from their battle, the party elect to overfly the forest via Wind Walk. In the forest is an odd bare area - a clearing several hundred feet wide - with an enormous tree in the centre. They head down to the edge of the clearing to rematerialise and investigate.

Approaching the tree, a number of things happen. The tree casts Weird, but the party have partaken of a Hero’s Feast and are immune. And a number of Treants and a Shambling Mound attack. The party deals with the treants, and Gauthkan heads in to engage the tree in combat, supposing - I suppose - that a spellcaster that is rooted to the ground will be easy meat. Big mistake. The tree wallops him with six branches the size of, well, branches and Gauthakn for the first time is reduced to less than half hp by melee. He runs off, and the rest of the party reduce it with magical fire.

— † —

After yet another rest, the party use Find the Path to divine the location of Thorn Vale. They Wind Walk in that direction, and find a valley choked with impassable thorns and in the cliffs above it, a cave mouth from which issues a continuous pall of steam.

Looking into the cave, the steam is rising from an enormous fissure in the cave floor. From a safe distance, Flash spends ten minutes casting Clairvoyance to discover what lies behind the curtain of steam. Behind it is … another fissure. Spending another ten minutes, he determines that behind that is a creature - cross between a crocodile, a rhinoceros, and a dinosaur.

Deciding on what to do, mend casts Wall of Stone, spanning the first rift and parting the curtain of steam. Then he does it again, creating a clear path to the very back of the cave. Harrowdroth charges forward, but the cave is so enormous that it takes a round, during which Mend (I think) Greases the path. Harrowdroth falls prone, but the night is wearing on, so Flash - piqued that his enchantments would not work against the trees - dispatches it with a Final Rebuke.

— † —

Triumphant, the party heads back to the glade of the watchers. But Sayren-Lei, the one who demanded the living feather of the Roc King, explodes:

“You have proved nothing, slaughtering beasts and Vol-worshipping dogs. Worse, you allowed the Roc King to perish! The trial asked specifically for his living feather, yet he was nonetheless killed! You are no heroes and I declare that none of you shall taste the waters of the Fountain of Dreams. I contest your doubtful accomplishment, and demand trial by blood. Only if you pathetic mortals can defeat me shall I consider you worthy of the final secrets of the Order of the Storm!”

Well, it had to happen.

Flash attempts to reason with him, but even his awesome powers of persuasion are not enough. Plus: he rolled crap. So, to battle! The fight is long, as the watcher (unknown to the party) resists most weapons and regenerates. But the party reduces him. The battle done, Tylanthros gestures silently to the Portal of Storms, and the obsidian platform shimmers and transforms into a remarkable obsidian fountain, its waters cool and sparkling with a rainbow of scintillating light.

“And so you have earned the right to return the lore of the Order of Storms to the world. The Age of Worms is upon us, and what the powers of old began so long ago now falls to you to complete. Drink deep and remember. Dream the dreams of the ages.”

Our heroes drink, and …

Next week, dudes.

— † —

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