After recruiting Aura with her clockwork squirrel, and Branwen the stone cleric; Aegon returns to the Cloakwood to once again face its dangers. Spiders are less of an obstacle without their leader, but the Troupe now has to go through Shadow Druid territory once again.
29 Eleasias 1368
Though spiders plague us no more, the Cloakwood is not without other dangers. As we advance into Shadow Druid territory we face the garbled howls of undead wolves.
The dread wolves are easily crushed, but the journey and the fight has taken a lot of energy. Branwen suggests we set up camp, so we drop our rucksacks and start making preparations.
After we have a campfire and our bedrolls set up we start to settle down. Dynaheir opens her spellbook for study. Aura crawls into her bedroll, but Muffy doesn’t want to let her sleep. Does that thing ever run out of power?
Kivan has first watch, but rather than spotting danger, he notices the stone cleric interfering with his possessions.
Kivan: Mani naa lle umien, Branwen? Branwen, what are you doing? Why are-you putting vials into my pack?
Branwen: ‘Tis my opinion that you need a potion to help you sleep peacefully. Now it’s handy.
Kivan: I rarely sleep, Branwen. Elves reverie instead…
Branwen: Whatever you do, ‘tis no good if you moan.
Kivan: I dreamt a dream, Branwen, that is all. You need not worry about it.
Branwen: I thought elves do not sleep. How can you dream then?
Kivan: I can sleep if I choose to… The reverie is akin to sleep, but is quite unlike it.
An elf relives his memories during the reverie. It is very life-like, very vivid. We need it to remember our past, our desires and those who have departed. But we can dream as well, mostly when we are truly asleep.
Branwen: Nevermind, just drink one of those before doing whatever you need to do to keep on going, and I am Auril, if you won’t be better for it.
Hearing him talk of reverie makes me realise I am disconnected from my kin. Growing up in the Keep with a human parent I never really learned how to reverie properly. I sleep like a human. Maybe that’s why I have strange dreams and visions. Would all elves experience what I do if they slept more?
I close my eyes. Time for sleep…
After around eight hours of sleep and reverie, we are ready to continue our journey. It is dark, close to midnight. A good cover for us to move through the woods should the Shadow Druids decide we are no longer welcome.
The Shadow Druids territory is eerily quiet. No one is at the stone circle, or anywhere nearby. Perhaps they have gone to challenge the Iron Throne themselves? Where ever they are, there is no point in us remaining here.
We move to the north and east, in the direction of the mine. Kieria spots a tasloi running toward us, spear at the ready. She drops it with a well-placed arrow.
Close by we are ambushed by more of them. The first tasloi must have been scouting ahead.
Kivan is a quick draw, and cleanly takes them out one by one. Though he isn’t fast enough to stop one them from stabbing me in the gut.
We search the bodies, though we know tasloi usually carry little. Nothing but spears and a couple of gems, as we expected. We keep moving to the east.
We find a stream, and I am the first to wade across. I look down at my wet feet, and find myself off-guard when two dread wolves rush at me, ghoulish fangs snapping at my shield.
Thankfully they pose no real threat to us. Kieria moves across the stream further south and manages to flank the undead beasts. They don’t last long against our barrage of missiles.
For a long time our journey is uneventful. It feels like the Cloakwood is sparing us on this day. That doesn’t stop us being wary as we travel.
30 Eleasias 1368
The sun rises as we travel, granting us some light beneath the trees that surround us. We reach a familiar bridge and I realise where we are. This is wyvern territory.
Bears are abundant here and I wonder if they are ever eaten by the wyverns. We keep our distance from them as we make our way to the bridge. Kieran is still protecting this part of the woods from intruders.
Kieran: Greetings, Aegon. I have some supplies for sale if you would like to take a look. Plus I’ll buy some things if I find it of interest.
Aegon: Could you show us what you have for sale?
We take a look through his wares but we don’t need anything right now. We bid him farewell and cross the river. On the other side we find the blood trail leading to the cavern again. This is the wyvern’s cave. Coran’s mission was to slay them, and although he isn’t here, we decide it’s still worth clearing out.
We cautiously make our way in. There are makeshift steps leading deeper into the cavern. Did humans live here once? Or some other intelligent creatures?
We hear the flaps of huge leathery wings as we descend. The stench of rotting flesh is almost overwhelming. There is so much blood soaked on the ground it sticks to our boots. We see the rotting corpses of horses, carrion crawlers, and other creatures. And we see a large group of wyverns who have just figured out we could be their next meal.
Kieria sings a song she hopes will Intimidate the creatures as we fight. Branwen calls upon Tempus to grant us fighting prowess during the Chaos of Battle.
Dynaheir launches one of Snilloc’s Snowball Swarms. The air becomes cold and large hailstone-like snowballs fly out and strike the wyverns. Their movements are stiff for a moment, but these cold blooded creatures aren’t affected much.
Taking on the spider’s strategy, I summon a Web inside the cave. Silk grows from the Weave, wrapping itself around the wyverns and pinning them in place. They bite and claw at the webs, even using their tails to try and escape their grip.
Branwen summons the Holy Power of Tempus to aid her in battle. It’s almost as if the sky opens up through the cavern and the light of the god shines upon her. The light is reflected on the lizard’s scales, giving us clear targets.
Dynaheir creates another Snowball Swarm, and I complement it with a Fireball. Fire and ice rips through the wyverns, scales crackling under the intense heat. Unfortunately my aim is off, and I get caught in my own flames. The smell of cooked flesh is revolting when you know it is your own.
I focus on keeping myself alive before the wyverns can lay claw on me. Kieria lands an arrow in one of the smaller wyverns, and it falls to the cave floor sending dust flying everwhere.
Dynaheir releases Melf’s Fiery Missiles on one of the larger wyverns and it lets out a bloodcurdling screech as it the flames consume it from within.
Branwen summons a glowing Spiritual Hammer and is ready to join the fight with the weapon Tempus has granted her.
She hurls the hammer at the young wyvern, crushing its skull. Dynaheir hits the other adult with more Fiery Missiles, but it somehow remains standing as flames lick its face. But with it caught in the Web, I’m able to break its neck with Bashrik’s Hammer.
There is one more wyvern we can see, struggling to get out of the Web that fills the cave. I pull out my sling and hurl bullets at it. It winces at every hit. Then Kivan takes aim with his bow, breathes deeply, and hits it between the eyes.
We take the opportunity to rest before we keep going. Kieria says she is confident that she can continue to fight well if we keep going into the cave.
Gameplay Note
Her Polymorph and Spells Saving Throws are reduced by 1. She gets access to 4 Level 2 Spells per day. She gains 1 Hit Point and 3 points of Lore.
I see visions of barbed tails and poison seeping into my veins. I reach for potions and find teeth sunk deep into my flesh. Even Corellon’s blessings can’t keep me alive.
I know if we go further we will die unless we give ourselves an advantage. The Scrolls of Restenford. I have some powerful Priest Scrolls in a Scroll Pouch. We can use them. I start by placing a Glyph of Warding on the cave floor. Any wyverns that get close will be wounded.
Next I use the Scrolls of Restenford to place a Symbol of Pain. Not only will the wyverns be injured, they will feel it.
Finally I create an area of Spike Stones. The rock surfaces start to warp into sharp stalactites and stalagmites, a hazard for anyone that walks through.
With the traps set, I ask Corellon to protect me with his Armour of Faith. This should give me some time to get off a spell or two before they sink their barbs into me.
We start making noise and the wyverns come for us. They fall for our trap, their screeches echoing through the cavern as glyphs and symbols flare up and tear into their flesh. The stone spikes cut into them and forces them to move cautiously.
Dynaheir starts launching Chromatic Orbs at the larger wyvern. But they reach us faster than I had hoped, and they tear through my Armour of Faith quickly enough that I am left bleeding. I try to maintain my focus. I have to unleash this next spell or we all die.
Branwen moves closer and shouts that she will keep me from dying. I finish reading the scroll, and the wyverns are hit with a Flame Strike. The smell of burning lizard flesh pervades through the caverns now, but the wyverns are still alive. And now they are on fire, and they are enraged.
Dynaheir hits the greater wyvern with an Aquamarine Orb, and I hit it with a Battering Ram. Fangs and tails keep tearing into my flesh, but Branwen manages to keep me alive.
Branwen yells that she is out of unable to heal me any more. I’m bleeding badly and pain pulses as poison seeks its way toward my heart. I didn’t see this in any of my visions. Am I actually going to survive this?
Kivan throws me some Elixirs of Health, which I imbibe as quickly as I can. They should counter the wyvern’s venom and give me a fighting chance.
Numbness creeps where pain just ruled. I am back in the fight.
Dynaheir switches to Magic Missiles as her spell of choice, and I follow suit. The wyverns are now merely scales covering burning black flesh, and blood oozes from many wounds, yet still they persist.
I hit the greater wyvern with my Magic Missiles and it recoils in pain, giving Kivan the opportunity to send an arrow through its neck. It pulls its tail out of me as it collapses, and I ask the archer for another Elixir.
Dynaheir rushes to help me with her ability to Slow Poison. A glowing hammer strikes the younger wyvern with such force it snaps its neck.
We hear the sounds of more wyverns scratching from deep within in the cave. We pause, uncertain if respite will truly last.
Branwen contemplates the things she’s learned fighting in the cave. She says that she feels her connection to Tempus getting stronger. She wants to keep going in honour of the Lord of Battle.
Gameplay Note
She gets 1 more Weapon Proficiency, which goes into Shield Fighting. Her Wand and Breath Weapon Saving Throws are reduced by 1. She gets 1 addition Level 1 spell per day, as well as 1 additional Level 2 spell. She gains 8 Hit Points and 2 points of Lore.
Aura agrees that we should keep going, and says she has more ideas for tools that she could create to help fight wyverns in the caves.
Gameplay Note
She gets 1 more Weapon Proficiency, which goes into Short Sword. Her Polymorph and Spells Saving Throws are reduced by 1. Her Backstab Multiplier increases by 1, and she gets 20 Skill Points. 5 of these go into Open Locks, and 15 go into Find Traps. She gains 4 Hit Points and 3 points of Lore.
I stare into the abyss of the cavern. There are more of them down there. We have the momentum. We could keep going and kill them all.
But then I see another vision. I use what magic I have left fighting another of these large wyverns. It has little effect on the lizard. Without warning, its tail erupts in my vision. Venom is lacing its way beneath my skin, turning strength to lead. Darkness, and then I am back staring at the darkness.
I turn and look back at the others. They are exhausted, as am I. Every part of my body aches and I fear we cannot survive if we keep going. I look to the light on the steps. The way is clear. We could still make it out before more of those things come for us.
Someone or something is trying to turn me away from this place. Perhaps I should heed its warning.
