938. The Thorny Grove |
These session synopses are in the form of news and rumors that anyone in Brushside might pick up without really trying too hard.
Session: 01
Real Date: 06/02/2022 Fictional Date: 03 Ign 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Three siblings come to town. Corviano the historian, Bryst a roustabout, and Py the Demonologist. They were attacked outside of town. Depending on who you listen to they were either attacked by some virtually invulnerable round-bodied blue goblinoid creatures or by goblins wearing very protective blue cloth armor. Neither story seems very believable, but people are starting to think twice before using the road to Ban Gentul.
|
Session: 02
Real Date: 06/23/2022 Fictional Date: 10 Ign 0938 XP Earned: 8 |
The three siblings were commissioned by Parson Sheridan and given a week to find the lair of the 'Invincible Blue Goblin Troupe', with a broad mandate to attack, kill, sabotage, or otherwise hamper the tribe. An attack by the Church Star Company would follow. The party found the lair by allowing some goblins to 'capture' them. Once at the lair the party ambushed 2 groups of goblins lured out by Dancing Lights spells. The first ambush went well, Bryst almost died in the second and the group returned to Brushside.
|
Session: 03
Real Date: 06/30/2022 Fictional Date: 17 Ign 0938 XP Earned: 8 |
The Church Star Company routed the 'Invincible Blue Goblin Troupe' and recovered a magical loom of amazing complexity that produces blue cloth continuously on its own.
The three siblings and an ex-fishermen named Max journeyed into the Thorny Grove and found a grand 300 foot conifer several miles into the Grove. They returned with 12 pounds of fine silver in the shape of 2 eggs. |
Session: 04
Real Date: 07/07/2022 Fictional Date: 01 Qui 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Bryst has been seen doing chores around the elderly Doctor Frote's house. Corviano left Brushside on the east road. Max has been ill.
Py the demonologist and Bryst went to work in the Doro Quarry for a few days. They came out with the invisible body of a dead Pixie they had killed. The foreman, Dooric the Dwarf, is very vocal that the damned thing had been causing trouble for months. No one knows what it was doing living deep in a quarry shaft. Pixies generally live in forests or in boulders on the surface. |
Session: 05
Real Date: 07/14/2022 Fictional Date: 08 Qui 0938 XP Earned: 8 |
Max and Bryst are now both convalescing.
Corviano, Py, and Bill Woundmen followed the Middlebend river upstream towards the Thorny Grove. They encountered some hobgoblins, Corviano was able to speak their language and (possibly because he was a priest accompanied by a wizard) was able to broker a "peace" meeting between Petty King Crown the hobgoblin and Parson Sheridan. While accomplishing this the group was almost killed, fleeing a group of kobolds, and was briefly imprisoned by the Hobgoblins. |
Session: 06
Real Date: 07/21/2022 Fictional Date: 24 Qui 0938 XP Earned: 8 |
Max is still too sick with the Wasting Disease, Bryst has recovered, but will soon wish he hadn't...
Ulf, a Shadow Hunter from the Darkwood arrived in town determined to destroy any undead or other such monstrosities in the Thorny Grove. Ulf met up with The Three Siblings, Corviano, Bryst, and Py, and trekked into the Grove. On thier way back Corviano and Ulf were seen paying taxes on a third silver egg. Bryst did not return, killed by a fall from a great height. |
Session: 07
Real Date: 07/28/2022 Fictional Date: 03 Sex 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
A religous ex-soldier from Lannia named Aleksandr has entered Brushside and wastes no time before traveling into the Grove.
Corviano, Py, Ulf, and Aleksandr accompanied Pa. Sheridan north along the Bark River. Sheridan returned having signed a treaty with the hobgoblins, agreeing that humans would not enter their recognized land and that the hobgoblins would act as a buffer state and ally if needed against fire giants to the north. Corviano, Py, Ulf, and Aleksandr returned later, with serval valuable pieces of jewelry and tales of fighting ghouls in the Grove. |
Session: 08
Real Date: 08/04/2022 Fictional Date: 08 Sex 0938 XP Earned: 8 |
Corviano has traveled to Ban Gentul doing research, Ulf has come down with the Wasting Disease.
A fight resulted in two death. Adventurers named Thaxtor the Blue, a wizard, and Antonio Kidder, a warrior, were kill by Py and Aleksandr. The fight happened in the party's home. Two fires broke out just hours before the fight--one fire was in the party's home, the other down the block. Although many are looking askance at the situation no investigation is underway, it seems the disagreement was over a brass ring which Py and Corviano inherited from a man named Archibald Briggsire. |
Session: 09
Real Date: 08/11/2022 Fictional Date: 15 Sex 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Corviano, Py, and Aleksandr left Brushside heading north. When Coriano and Py returned they reported that Aleksandr had fallen to the evils of the Grove. The only thing they brought back with them was a bag of highly valuable gold ore. Shortly thereafter Aleksandr’s will was executed, he left everything to the Church.
|
Session: 10
Real Date: 08/18/2022 Fictional Date: 25 Sex 0938 XP Earned: 8 |
The unlikely pair of an armored wizard named Scarthos Genis and a dwarven smith named Birch Shieldcracker were seen entering Brushside. Max returned from a long journey searching for just the right fishing pole.
Py, Corviano, and the three above left town paddling up the Bark River in an overloaded rowboat. The group returned the next day with hundreds of strange small silver coins, later identified as elven. Their lack of cuts and scratches show they had obviously not been in the Grove. |
Session: 11
Real Date: 08/25/2022 Fictional Date: 01 Sep 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Max, excited about his fishing pole, is preoccupied fishing. Py suffered some kind of calamity while doing demonic research. Faylin the bookbinder has come to town, but has been denied permission to operate in Brushside.
At the behest of a maimed adventurer, Scarthos, Corviano, and William the Tracker went into the Grove looking for a Dellic couple that were days overdue. The group returned with Py (though she was never seen leaving). They brought with them some jewelry and the bones of the couple, which were strangely devoid of flesh or blood. |
Session: 12
Real Date: 09/15/2022 Fictional Date: 03 Sep 0938 XP Earned: 4 |
Py, Scarthos, and William the Tracker left Brushside headed north-west. They returned a day later with fresh wounds but no valuables to appraise at the exchequer's tent. They had clearly not been in the Thorny Grove.
|
Session: 13
Real Date: 09/24/2022 Fictional Date: 05 Sep 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Corviano, Scarthos, and William the Tracker left Brushside for another diplomatic meeting with the Hobgoblins. A new adventurer in town, Roland, traveled in a party of 4 north to delve into the Grove looking for the temple of a 'demon of perception'.
A few days later, Corviano, Scarthos, William, returned with Roland the only survivor of his group. They brought back with them a few valuables and 4 circular pieces of glass of preternatural clarity. |
Session: 14
Real Date: 09/29/2022 Fictional Date: 18 Sep 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Corviano, Py, Scarthos, Roland, and William the Tracker traveled west into the Grove. They come back bloodied but with no treasure to show for it. Within a few day rumors spread that the group killed a wizard named Tul the Yellow while in the Grove. Specifics are hard to come by.
|
Session: 15
Real Date: 10/06/2022 Fictional Date: 26 Sep 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Corviano was able to read through the 600 year Hobgoblin history he acquired from them, he'll talk about it to anyone that will listen...
Corviano, Py, Scarthos, and William traveled north into the Grove. Returning with some odd very old artifacts, like a keg of alcohol they claim is 100's of years old. |
Session: 16
Real Date: 11/09/2022 Fictional Date: 08 Oct 0938 XP Earned: 8 |
Py, Scarthos, and William the Tracker took a rowboat up the Bark River. When they returned the next day Scarthos and William were gravely injured, but in good spirits. William talks openly about almost being killed by the same gnoll in two different encounters. William also paid taxes on some elven silver coins and a silver ring. It is becoming obvious that the two wizards are not paying taxes at all.
|
Session: 17 - 20
Real Date: 1/12/2023 Fictional Date: 15 Oct 0938 XP Earned: 36 |
Taking a break from the central conceit of the campaign (for the holidays), three players ran a multiple session adventure and almost TPKed in an underground complex.
Py, Corviano, Scarthos, and William left Brushside on 15 Oct and returned on 22 Oct. William was sadly killed by a many-tentacled demon, and much of the rest of the party was gravely injured. Corviano brought back an impressive elven necklace, and blooms from a Pious Rose, a mystical plant connected to Ignimius the Divine. The blooms were put on display in the Temple of the Glorious Hero. Many are flocking to see them before they wilt away. |
Session: 21
Real Date: 1/18/2023 Fictional Date: 30 Oct 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Ulf returned to Brushside after checking out some false rumors about a relic of Quinn the Werebat. He brought with him an archer name Freya Woundhart.
Corviano, Ulf, and Freya left Brushside but didn't travel far. They returned only a few hours later having killed a group of cultists (the Ink and Scar Cultists) that had taken over one of the few local farms, holding the owners hostage. People are saying Freya killed the leader with a single arrow from 150 feet away! Py and Scarthos definitely weren't involved at all. |
Session: 22
Real Date: 1/25/2023 Fictional Date: 06 Nov 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Although Roland's physical injured healed long ago, his psychological ones healed only recently allowing him to return to adventuring. On the other hand, Freya accepted "one" too many free drinks the night before and was in no condition to set out when...
Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos, and Roland paid a retiring adventure for the location of a ruined military tower in The Grove. They returned with some coins and valuables, but also rolling a large mill stone. Through experimentation it was found that this mill stone somehow produces higher quality flour than normal. |
Session: 23
Real Date: 2/11/2023 Fictional Date: 27 Nov 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Maude Sattler an overworked mother came to Brushside claiming to need money, but she clearly just wants a break from her 8 kids.
Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos, Roland, Freya, and Maude left heading north into hobgoblin territory. The unusually large group was unusually affective. They returned nearly a week later with bags of treasure, several relics, and a broken classical statue of Ignimius. They tell stories of killing a clan of ogres and clearing a group of ghouls. |
Session: 24
Real Date: 2/25/2023 Fictional Date: 11 Dec 0938 XP Earned: 8 |
Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos, and Roland met with a Paladin (Sir Vel Crispus) who was miraculously transported to Brushside by the High Priest of the Western Church of Ignimius! It's said the Paladin bought a mill stone the group recently brought out of the Grove.
Corviano, Py, Scarthos, and Roland left Brushside heading east. They returned with some monies and tails of fighting a large venomous monster. |
Session: 25
Real Date: 3/01/2023 Fictional Date: 14 Dec 0938 XP Earned: 8 |
Corviano, Py, Scarthos, and Roland returned to the Farrow family farm, the site of the battle against the Ink and Scar Cult a few months ago. Curt, the father of the family had been possessed by a demon, abusing and throwing out his pregnant wife Celeste. The party cleansed Curt and the farm.
But days later 11 people went blind and 14 people murdered strangers after drinking pear brandy sold by the Farrows. The Farrows ended up having to move back to Ban Gentul, Corviano bought their farm, and Py bought all the remaining Brandy. |
Session: 26
Real Date: 3/08/2023 Fictional Date: 17 Dec 0938 XP Earned: 12 |
Tellius the Bright held a Grand Gala-- a banquet, art exabition, and mystical item auction. Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos, and Roland were in attendance along with the whose-who of Brushside and even some power brokers from Ban Gentul.
At some point before the auction, a hovering humanoid creature appeared over the Glittering Tower and attacked the attendees. Amazingly no one died on the tower, but the creature soon left and decimated several locations around town including a brothel. It becomes public knowledge that the creature was a Celestial Being that had been trapped in one of the mystical items. |
Session: 27
Real Date: 3/23/2023 Fictional Date: 01 Pri 0939 XP Earned: 8 |
Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos, Roland, and Freya were cooped up in Brushside for the long winter.
The auction that was supposed to happen at the Grand Gala was postponed and took place via messenger (for safety's sake). PC's won several mystical items. During the spring thaw orcs with 2 ogres raided the outlaying buildings of Brushside. Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos, Roland, and Freya killed the ogres and most of the orcs while protecting many structures from being burned. |
Session: 28
Real Date: 3/29/2023 Fictional Date: 09 Pri 0939 XP Earned: 12 |
With the weather properly warm Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos traveled north to the Hobgoblins delivering the goods they traded to be able to enter the hobgoblin lands--crates of wax candles and long lengths of rope. They also set a meeting so Pa. Sheriden could try and get the Hobgoblin's support against the encroaching orcs.
The group then traveled to the Oxbow lake north-west of town, returning with many thousands of elven silver pieces. They say after visiting the lake many times over many months, it is cleared of monsters, as well as treasure. The people of Brushside indeed find the clear waters of the lake open to fishing and other use. |
Session: 29
Real Date: 4/05/2023 Fictional Date: 17 Pri 0939 XP Earned: 0 |
Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos, and Freya met Glender the Spry, a wizard that had flown over the Grove and mapped a few places of interest. They negotiated for the info and were given 1 location as a test.
The group followed the directions into the Thorny Grove. On the way they stopped on the location they buried Bryst. They tragically found that he had risen from the dead as a revenant angered that his body was left in the Grove. After defeating Bryst the group found their destination. |
Session: 30
Real Date: 4/12/2023 Fictional Date: 21 Pri 0939 XP Earned: 20 |
Roland met up with Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos, and Freya before entering a funnel shaped hole in the ground filled with supernatural cold.
They returned to Brushside with a little money, gems, a jeweled dagger, magic boots, a magic mace, and a blue stone that augments cold spells. Glender kept the stone. The treasure was recovered from the frozen-slime lair of a giant ice worm that very nearly eat/froze the entire party, which only survived because of 2 healing potions won at the Grand Gala. |
Session: 31
Real Date: 4/19/2023 Fictional Date: 31 Pri 0939 XP Earned: 12 |
Two men (Theo Griffin and Shelton Blakely) came to Brushside claiming that Roland's Auxiliary's Sword actually belonged to them. A fight broke out, Roland was victorious. The two men retreated, badly injured.
Corviano, Py, Scarthos, and Roland paid Glender the Spry for another location in the Thorney Grove. They spent only a few days in the Grove and came back with miraculous stone-carved ear rings and a necklace. The jewelry was taken from a lair of savage humanoid Cyclopean Monstrosities. |
Session: 32
Real Date: 4/26/2023 Fictional Date: 07 Ori 0939 XP Earned: 12 |
Theo Griffin issued Roland a challenge to resolve ownership for the Auxiliary's Sword through judicial combat. Considered an archaic, but still legal, practice in Edry Roland was not forced to accept and he decided to let the courts settle the matter.
Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos, Roland, and Freya were asked by Ex. Sheridan to kill a monster that caused the Citadel’s well to be walled up 25 years ago. When the party returned Py was severally burned, and several others were covered in soot and smelled of smoke while at the same time speaking of a reverse waterfall and almost being swept away and drowned. A giant fire breathing water-horse was the source of the problem, possibly under the control of a Pixie. Afterwards, a strange menagerie of normal household items were brought to the surface and soon sold in Carmen Alexander's store, despite several people claiming one of the items was stolen from them. |
Session: 33
Real Date: 5/03/2023 Fictional Date: 10 Ori 0939 XP Earned: 8 |
We are betrayed! The orcs of the southern tribes started their long-awaited siege of Brushside. Capt. Gelico of the gate commanders ordered all the adventurer away from the gate, emptied it of almost all soldiers, and (presumably) fled to the orc lines after spiking the gate open! Corviano, Py, Ulf, Scarthos, Roland, and Freya, who didn't follow the order to leave, defended the gate with the help of but one soldier (Livingstone). Using great skill, courage, and teamwork they stopped a group of orcs, an ogre, and a runt giant from taking the gate and overrunning the town.
|
Session: 34
Real Date: 5/10/2023 Fictional Date: 17 Ori 0939 XP Earned: 8 |
The siege continues! Although there is plenty of food in town the people that own the food don't want to give it away for free for some reason--resulting in near starvation for many. Corviano solved this problem by buying food.
Meanwhile the orc attacked Brushside with a giant siege tower pushed by ogres and filled with orcs. Corviano, Py, Ulf, Roland, and Freya were able to set fire to it using magic and hold off the orcs until the tower was consumed in fire. |
Session: 35
Real Date: 6/03/2023 Fictional Date: 19 Ori 0939 XP Earned: 8 |
With Hobgoblin reinforcements a week away, the party was able to start taking the fight to their orc besiegers. Scarthos used Fly, Fade, and Forced Enemies to cause infighting in and around the orc leader's (Trug's) tent. Which ultimately caused an unsupported runt giant to attack the wall, which the party dispatched. Later that night the orcs somehow partially burned a temple in town.
In retaliation the next night, a supernatural manifestation of Quinn the Werebat destroyed the orc's temple-tent by dropping a 1000-pound slab of stone onto it. |
Session: 36
Real Date: 6/17/2023 Fictional Date: 24 Ori 0939 XP Earned: 8 |
The party conducted a major tactical strike against the orc army besieging Brushside. As the approaching hobgoblin relief force was sighted the orcs rushed into battle formation. Taking advantage of the chaos the part snuck out and attacked the leaders' command tent, killing Trug the orc King, Trug's most powerful shaman and wizard, several acolytes, 2 ogres, and 4 orc body guards.
|
Session: 37
Real Date: 7/5/2023 Fictional Date: 24 Ori 0939 XP Earned: 12 |
Victory! Brushside and the relief force of hobgoblins coordinated a classic two prong attack, surrounding and eventually defeating the orc besiegers.
In the attack the orc's left flank overmatched the human's line with the help of a unit of ogres. However, the orc's right flank was smashed led by Roland's cohort (helped by Py's infernal magic). Half the soldiers from the right flank were then able to reinforce the overmatched human units, while the rest were able to trap hundreds of orcs against the hobgoblin line destroying the orcs. After the battle Corviano led the hobgoblin leaders (and 100 soldiers) into Brushside to meet with Parson Sheridan. After the meeting all 500 hobgoblins entered the town. |
Session: 38 - 40
Real Dates: 9/6/2023 Fictional Date:03 Heb 0939 XP Earned: 28 |
Belfry, a diminutive half elf monk and follower of Corviano, has been seen in town and traveling with the party.
Py, Ulf, Scarthos, Roland, Freya, and Belfry traveled south to the Grove after meeting with Glender the Spry. They returned more than a week later with 50 heavy silver bars! When they returned, they did not enter Brushside directly but instead went first to Corviano's camp east of town. After their return a strangely hulking robed figure has been seen around the demonologist Py. No one has dared inquire about him. |
Session: 41
Real Dates: 8/29/2023 Fictional Date:11 Heb 0939 XP Earned: 8 |
Freya Ogreslayer Woundhart took a comission near Ban Gentul to oversee the building of an archery training range. Belfry and Corviano are administering Corviano's new settlement.
Roland will act as a judicial champion for a local in a case brought by Maxcelius. A mob of commoners attacked Py the Demonologist after she brought an insectoid monster into Brushside. Thirteen were killed and 5 earth elementals damaged a shop, a main street, and may have destroyed a small tower on the wall killing 2 soldiers. |
Session: 42
Real Dates: 10/06/2023 Fictional Date:17 Heb 0939 XP Earned: 0 |
Py, accompanied by the monstrous Hook Horror (in a cloak), Ulf, Scarthos, Roland, and Belfry traveled north along the Bark River. They hired a boatmen to take them up river, but the boatmen returned less the an hour later. They were seen at the new fishing camp on the Oxbow Lake before heading further north.
|
Session: 43
Real Dates: 10/12/2023 Fictional Date:19 Heb 0939 XP Earned: 20 |
Py, the Hook Horror (in a cloak), Ulf, Scarthos, Roland, and Belfry returned. Py and the Hook Horror didn't enter town. The whole group paid a private boat owner to fairy them across the river. He reports the group was heavily laden, but virtually nothing was declared by the group for taxation.
|
Session: 44
Real Dates: 10/20/2023 Fictional Date:21 Heb 0939 XP Earned: 12 |
Py, Scarthos, Roland, and a bounty Hunter named Victor Tumblegrass left town towards Ban Gentul. They returned over a week later sans Victor, with the dead and rotting corpse of the traitor Capt. Gelico. Who they hunted down through Equm and New Stouton and killed on the road to the Three Mothers. Rumor has it he had taken steps to set himself up on a bandit-lord in that area.
The town rejoiced and Roland, Py, and Scarthos paid for a grand festival held on the first day of summer to commemorate the event. Which has somewhat rehabilitated Py's reputation. |
Session: 44b
Real Dates: 10/26/2023 Fictional Date: N/A XP Earned: 0 |
This session was a 'bookkeeping' session where Corviano and Py's players met to catch up on the logistics of their non-adventuring concerns.
Corviano traveled to Equm at one point. The village/encampment he founded has been named Feather's Edge and is currently 240 people living in tents and ditches, with a functional and very large tavern and performance hall. Py went to Ban Gentul to find a few skilled workers who were not too scared to work for her. Finishing work continues on her tower and she imported a large amount of lab equipment using some terrified teamsters. She has also started casting about for an apprentice. |
Session: 45
Real Dates: 11/2/2023 Fictional Date: 10 Ign 0939 XP Earned: 8 |
Parson Sheridan asked the party to be present at a public meeting between him and Baron Sapping, just in case... Py, Ulf, Roland, Freya, and Belfry were available. The Barron tried to depose Sheridan based on evidence that Corviano had failed in framing the Baron. Sheridan declined to be deposed. 150 of the King's men sit outside the gate.
In the midst of that, some magical force animated a well pulling it out of the ground. The 50' tower started attack the town killing 32 (9 after the party was on the scene). Ulf died trying to climb(?) the well. Roland and Freya both nearly died fighting it. But Py was able to dispel the attacking well, which she was in no way responsible for. This has raised her reputation to 'necessary evil' and she is welcome in Brushside once again. |
Session: 46
Real Dates: 11/09/2023 Fictional Date: 10 Ign 0939 XP Earned: 8 |
The morning of the 12th saw Roland (excitingly) victorious in his judicial duel with Maxcelius. The afternoon saw the festival of Optima Dies, the most important holiday of the year. The evening saw Parson Sheridan confront the drunken, outnumbered, and ill-prepared King's soldiers outside Brushside, who decided to take the polite invitation to leave.
Corviano was able to return safely to Brushside (he is an outlaw in the wider area) with the party's help. Ulf was resurrected and has come back with a vision from his time in the afterlife. Richard, a priest who has taken a vow of silence, has returned with the party and is literally following them around. |
Session: 47
Real Dates: 11/17/2023 Fictional Date: 25 Ign 0939 XP Earned: 0 |
Corviano, Py, Scarthos, Roland, and Hank the Hook Horror left from Feather's Edge and headed south-west into the Thorny Grove. The residents of Brushside, and their other companions grow increasingly worried as days passed one by one and they didn't return.
|
Session: 48
Real Dates: 12/15/2023 Fictional Date: 01 Qui 0939 XP Earned: 0 |
Ulf, Freya, Belfry, and probably Richard decided that something bad has happened to their friends. The missing group had told Ulf that they were going to check out the rumors of a human village operating in the Thorny Grove. The party hired and fighter named Raul and a woodsmen named Garrick and left heading north-west, returned a few days later, but only stayed in Brushside a few minutes before leaving headed south.
Ulf, Freya, Belfry, Garrick, Raul, (and Richard) were never seen again. |