As the party is preparing to cross the final bridge into the fire forest, they spy a halfling approaching. The little man introduces himself as Porto Redfingers. He's looking for a way to cross the Fire Forest, having heard about the Ragesian invasion. Seeing that you've slain Ragesian soldiers, he offers what help he can if the party can get him through the forest.
Upon entering the Innenotdar forest, Porto begins to cover the footprints left in the think ash upon the road. The fire along the roadsides appears to lessen around the party... and odd occurrence.
Kah'less has a vision of reptilian eyes in the flames, they disappear as suddenly as they appeared.
Fellow Travelers:
As the party progresses deeper into the inferno, they glimpse three smoldering lumps in the road. They appear to be bodies wrapped in cloaks. Carefully approaching Porto discovers one still alive. The man is quickly put out, given a potion to protect him from the furnace like heat, and healed. He reveals himself to be a wizard fleeing the Inquisitors. The other two with him his relatives. He is dispondant when he learns of their fate. As the party discusses what to do next, the man leaps into the flames and walks a few feet before finally collapsing the fire's warm and final embrace. Lord Robert seems unmoved by the man's death.
Unnatural Beasts:
Shortly after praying over the bodes and giving them to the fire forest, the party encounters the first of many strange beings. A creature slightly taller then Porto bursts from the tree line and nearly bowls Porto over. The small winged man wreathed in fire tries to hide behind the halfling. A moment later, a gigantic bat also covered in flames explodes into view. The beast looks crazed and immediately attacks. The beast is soon beaten to the ground, only to rise up again and attack. It's finally extinguished through Kah'less via Goram's power. The mephit is thanks the party but darts away quickly before any real interrogation can be done.
The bridge of Despair:
The road narrows to a damaged stone bridge. 50' long and 20' wide, one side crumbling. A once beautiful bridge with superb architecture, it stands baking in the heat, bathed in soot. The bridge crosses a chasm with fires below, something else lies at the bottom of the ravine.
The party cautiously approaches the bridge, sending the Porto and Makeighla to test the resilience of the arched bridge. The damage to the bridge and the object below are linked. It appears that a wagon crashed though he sidewall and plunged headlong into the ground below. Careful plans are laid, to lower Porto to the wagon to investigate.
Ropes tied together, Porto swings gingerly over the edge. Having descended no further than 5' Porto is greeted with a bright swirling mass of flames attached to seemingly rabid bats. Dangling on the line, he has no choice but to climb for his life.
As quick as he reaches the top of the bridge, the bats are already there in force. They swarm, igniting a few part members in the process. Porto sprints for cover only to be shot 'accidentally' by Kah'less. The bats swarm whom ever is nearest until Kah'less unleashes a mighty blast of sound and force which disperses the bats.
All are checked for injuries and healed. Kah'less never really apologizes to Porto. Porto now nervous having been burned yet again, agrees to let Makeighla investigate the wagon far below.
Makeighla easily descends the 60' to the wagon below. She finds the remains of the wagoneers, gnomes or halflings by their build. As well as a small chest containg gems and coinage.
Strange Noises:
FWOOOMPH! What the hell was that?
An offer we must refuse:
As the party proceeds deeper into the fire forest, another stange beast is encountered. The creature resembles a large powerfully built dog with short rust-red fur, soot back markings and glowing red eyes. It stands 4 1/2' tall and carries in it's black maw a large bone of somesort.
The beast slowly walks from the treeline to the road, drops his macabre chewtoy and backs away.
The party slowly approaches and examines the bone. A human sized femur with writing scratched into it. The case for your life it alludes, leave the case and bring the bone if parley is in order. A quick whispered discussion, Lord Robert's predictable refusal, the Hell Hound slinks back into the firey wood.
The Hound's Master:
Around the next bend, the hound's master appears with a FWOOOMPH! The being is not human... it's other worldy... malevolent...
A tattered brown cloak whips about this man-sized creature’s scaled body. It has the face of a commanding, honest man, but its flesh is green, its eyes glow with infernal fire, and its thick beard writhes and bites like a nest of vipers. Barely visible under its beard is a thick metal collar attached to a length of limply dangling chain. The powerful being stands tall, and wields a blood-stained saw-bladed glaive. It only has four fingers on its left hand, and a scaled, dessicated pinky finger hangs on a cord around its neck.
He asks again for the party to surrender the case or face the consequences. Lord Robert scoffs at this, no deal will be done with a devil. The devil summons minions, points at Fen, and order's his death. The vaguely humanoid shaped blob minions surround Fen and attack with an otherworldly zeal. The entire party rally's to his defense, the beasts fall quickly... maybe too quickly... The devil is alone, he fights briefly but suddenly dissipates in a FWOOOMPH and puff of smoke.
The Paladin and Cleric pray briefly over the femur as it's laid to rest. Fen is healed of his seeping wounds and the party regroups and continues...
The forest attacks?
Kah'less' head swims for a second with visions of flaming stags... is he shakes off the vision, the vision becomes reality. A great wall of fire flairs behind the group as 3 flaming elk sized stags attack. The battle is nearly fatal and fraught with danger as the woods seem to intensify the already unfathomable heat.
A quest, an agreement, a boon:
Flaming stags & Dragon's eyes, a booming voice offers a quest: Up river there is something to be freed; the party agrees and is granted the Fire forest's boon. Permanent stand the heat. Woot!
The former inhabitants:
Stretching across the river in front of you is an arc of a bridge seeming composed of branches and vines of what was once pale, white stone. Several of these vines and branches plunge into the shallow water beneath the bridge, forming supports. Off the right side of the bridge, in the middle of the river sits a tall, narrow tower, only about twenty feet in diameter, reaching up to a roof thirty feet above the bridge. A narrow walkway leads from the main bridge to a thick oaken entrance door. The tower, as well as the bridge, is currently flame-free, though blackened from decades of soot. On the far side of the bridge lies a small village built in a wide clearing, its buildings faintly visible through the forest’s ashy haze.
The bridge-fort is sturdy and is a relatively safe refuge from the forest outside. Originally intended as a guard point along the Elfroad it has numerous arrow slits, and once upon a time a sturdy wooden gate could block off the entire bridge. There are several arrow slits on higher floors, but the only easy entrance is a strong wooden door.
Once the door is open, an odd sight greets the heroes. On the floor right in front of the door is a one-foot stone cube atop which burns a continual flame spell. Painted on one side of the stone in black is a message in Elvish, “The password is ‘friend.’”
Investigating the tower, dead bodies are found on the 1st floor. A holy symbol, journal, and a model village are on the 2nd. The village has defensive positions labeled. The miniature village also points out the Shrine of Anyariel. The journal recounts a clerics struggle with his beliefs and the occurrences of the beginning of the fire forest.
The third floor appears to be the chambers of the cleric who's journal and holy symbol were found. A shelf holding a pouch labeled “For later study.” The small paper pouch contains seven small, blackened seeds shaped like claws. A sleeping face is drawn on the pouch, and written in Goblin are instructions: “Take one for visions of the firemaker. Do not take more. These are poison.”
The hero's assured the tower is safe, close the door and settle in for an uneventful evening.
To sleep, to dream:
In the morning the dream seeds are examined again. Kah'less volunteers to consume one as he is the vision king. He dreams of fire and smoke, pain and exodus... Kah'less' dream of serpents...
A silvery blue serpent appears and flies toward the Kah'less' sleeping avatar, and lashes him with a whip-like tail. As Kah'less' sleeping psyche is attacked, a physical manifestation appears and attacks the party in the real world. A silvery dragon, antlered like a stag, appears in the center of the room, whirling and spinning like a demented wind.
A blow struck upon the beast only hurts the striker... Kah'less is roused but only for a moment, the creature howls at this... again Kah'less is roused and this time he says awake... which causes the dream creature to evaporate into the ether.
Investigating the Elven village:
Investigate town next day - Shrine of Anyariel!
The Shrine of Anyariel is a beautiful fountain in the shape of a grand willow tree with drooping branches, which once rained soothing water upon a wide, shimmering pool surrounded by a ring of seventeen old oak trees. A walkway of stepping stones led to a small ‘island’ in front of the tree, where townsfolk would offer prayers and thanks to Innenotdar’s last hero. Now the water has boiled away, and only the trees remain, occasionally raining fiery debris. The stone willow tree is covered with ash.
Ghouls...
After the secret door is discovered:
The twenty-foot stairway down into the basement is bathed in blue luminescence. When the heroes reach the base of the stairs, they find the hidden reliquary of Anyariel, once maintained by the town’s priests.
This twenty-foot diameter chamber radiates peace and patience; the soft blue air whispers with a hallowed, distant song. The chamber’s center is dominated by a tall white statue depicting an elven woman plunging a greastsword deep into a rampant stag. The sword, though carved of stone, looks like it is made of wood and covered in vines that entwine the elf woman’s hands. At the statue’s feet lie two immobile figures. The first is dressed in the uniform of a Shahalesti soldier from decades past, his body wreathed in pale flames that struggle to burn. The man’s eyes are closed, as if he is in a deep slumber. Likewise along the ceiling, tree roots growing down from the surface flicker with fire, but the flames are subdued, as if the light holds them at bay. The second figure, a young male elf with red hair, wears the robes of a priest, though he carries no holy symbol. Numerous claw wounds mark his face and body, and he does not breathe, though his body shows no signs of decay. His arms are spread as if he fell in battle, and a warhammer lies inches from one of his hands. It points to an elaborate glass display case near the wall, which has been shattered, its contents missing.
The warhammer is magical and imbued with healing magics.
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