🌿28. willow

session 28 • 05/24/2022 • 1,824 words

🌞 DAY 8 • 📅 ELEINT 29

📌 Neverwinter Woods: Campsite

A New Day

Errata: Lera, homesick and worried, parts ways with the party in order to return to warn Velprintalar of her discoveries regarding the world / Underdark.

We return with Soren and Sildar sitting by the fire as it comes time for the party to awaken. Soren leans in close to Sildar and teasingly asks him for a favor,,, before slapping the Casting with Verbal Components book on his chest and asking him to read it.

Sildar grumbles but does so as Soren goes to wake up Hugh and Droop, who begin to train. Soren forages for some mushrooms nearby and makes an omelette ALONE because NO ONEEEEE would help him flip it despite him ASKING.

As the group eats, Sildar receives a paper bird to the face--

--from his superior in the Lord's Alliance. After reading this and briefly fuming over Jalester's sass, Sildar suggests that perhaps they should put Willow Inn on hold and head to Thundertree first to investigate these missing merchants.

Soren, though disappointed at not getting to go to Willow Inn for the "soft bed and fun times", points out that he remembers hearing about some snobbish merchants headed towards Thundertree during his first time in Phandalin -- they said that they were going to fight a dragon.

Hugh is Immediately Vibin. Sildar is immediately un-Vibin.

Hugh brings up that we can enact our "bring a Dragon Wyrmling fishing" plan now. Sildar reminds him that he has not grown wings, as per their agreement.

Despite his concerns about a dragon, however, Sildar insists on going to Thundertree first still due to Lord's Alliance orders. Soren whispers to Sildar that he'll need to "make it up to him at Stonehill", before agreeing to head to Thundertree first.

📌 Thundertree

I'm Gonna TOUCH IT

After a relatively uneventful journey, the gang reaches Thundertree, entering the ruined village. We spot a crudely written sign:

Beware of danger! Large beasts and undead roam here. Strong adventurers, come to the house on the Southwest side with red flowers. Possible rewards for a quest.

As we venture further in, Hugh and Soren spot slight movement from a nearby mass of brambles. Though Soren advocates cautiousness, Hugh goes right up and tries to touch it. The brambles unfurn into a vaguely humanoid shape, and attacks us.

Though caught by surprise, we easily dispatch of the two twig monsters that attack us. We discuss the lack of undead and wonder if these plants have something to do with it. As we walk on in, we are suddenly swarmed by even more twig blights.

Hugh asks Droop to try and speak with the plants, and he makes a valiant effort, to no avail. Soren expends a charge of his Webs ring to try and incapacitate the swarm, and the group dispatches them as well with little effort.

Reidoth and Willow

The group eventually find the house with the red flowers, and Hugh begins to knock on the door.

The door is opened by an white-haired gaunt looking elderly man who asks them to come inside before they let the dragon know of their presence. There is one other person with Reidoth, a young man that stands at six feet tall, long black hair with pupil less light brown eyes. He noticeably straightens up when Soren enters the room.

Hugh begins talking about taking the potential dragon wyrmling fishing, as has been his goal for the whole campaign. Sildar and Jharym react to this with alarm and fear. Soren recounts the merchants that he had met in Phandalin, and learn from Reidoth that the merchants had recently, at Reidoth's behest, challenged the dragon and perished to it.

Soren steps up to introduce himself and the group, shaking both Reidoth and the young man's hands -- though the latter hesitates for very, very long before taking it hesitantly. Will introduces himself as Willow Astane, Reidoth's apprentice leading to, naturally, jokes about him owning Willow Inn.

The group begins discussing whether they should engage the dragon on Reidoth's behalf, especially after learning of the gristly fate that befell the LA merchants.

Reidoth is asked why he hasn’t gone to fight the dragon and he simply says that he is far too old and that Will on his own is too weak. Damn this dude scalps.

Will says that they can’t sit around forever and that he will help the group with the dragon. Reidoth immediately shoots this idea down, but Will insists, and Soren steps in with a snide comment about Reidoth robbing Will of his free will.

Will states that he doesn't want to sit around while more die to the dragon, and Reidoth reluctantly relents with a final warning.

Secret Huddle

Soren calls for a conference in the bedroom, which Reidoth and Will grant them. Soren shuts the door in Jharym's face as he approaches LMAO

HUGH IMMEDIATELY STARTS GOING THROUGH ONE OF THE UNDERWEAR DRAWERS. It seems like Will's; it's full of clothes and flowers. He doesn't find anything out of the ordinary. Soren and the group debate whether or not to fight the dragon, especially since the NoTE frOM SIlDAR'S SUPERIOR said to focus on the Forge, and also because Sildar has been against Hugh harassing dragons the whole campaign.

Sildar, however, notes that a dragon's presence this close to Phandalin and Neverwinter could spell trouble for either civilizations if the dragon decides to attack -- so his noble, morally upright Lord's Alliance ass couldn't just let it stay there and terrorize civilizations.

Droop excitedly attempts to come with the group; Soren and Hugh tell him that he has a more important job: to watch Jharym and Gundren in case anything suspicious happens. Soren gives Droop his paper bird and tells Droop to "throw it in the air and say [Soren's] name" if Jharym attempts to leave or hurt Gundren.

Quiver of Ehlonna

The group comes back out of the room and tells Reidoth that they will investigate the dragon situation, though they would not lay down their lives for an unwinnable fight. Soren mentions to Reidoth that he needs to keep Gundren safe, or "the world will end"; prompting curiosity from the druid.

Soren promises to explain if they return.

Before the party and Will departs, Reidoth tells them to wait and goes into his room to retrieve a beautiful quiver.

In a sentimental moment, Reidoth gives it to Will, noting that he knew the day was approaching wherein he would have to say goodby to WIll, and that this would be his parting gift.

Soren attempts to speak to Will, but Will replies with curt and short answers. Soren, naturally, like a dumb gremlin, calls Will cute. Will seems very uncomfortable with this, so Soren backs away. Sildar, who hears this,

After Soren leaves him alone, Will comes over to Droop and has a cute convo with Droop. Will uses Druidcraft to grow a seed into a flower and gives it to an ecstatic Droop. Droop expresses an interest in learning how to grow flowers like Will can, and WIll promises to teach him when he comes back.

Hugh chimes in to ask if Will is a vegetarian LMAO he is not.

60 Minute Break

Soren notes that they might be facing a tough fight ahead, and asks for an hour so that he can play some music to calm everyone's nerves (inspiring leader). He also remembers the loot that he swept into the Bag of Holding from Grol's lair, and gives the bag to Sildar to see if Sildar can find the items that the goblins took.

Sildar fishes around in the bag and finds his sword!!!!! and cloak!!!!!! He is happi. He goes into the bedroom to change. Soren follows him and quietly confides in Sildar that Will doesn't seem to be very fond of Drow -- seeing as he's OK with Droop, a goblinoid.

Sildar responds with "well, you sure seemed fond of him" and confronts Soren about his flirting with Will. Soren seems confused, noting that he had been told not to flirt with Garaele because Sildar had no attraction to her, but "this one's fair game for us to share, right?"

Sildar exasperatedly explains the concept of monogamy to Soren and establishes that he "only cares about Soren". Sildar promises to have a discussion about Soren's "needs" in the near future when they're not at risk of becoming dragon-kibble.

Soren is a confused smol child bc the Drow never just take one partner when they have the freedom/rank to take multiple. He asks if a threesome with HUGH is also off the table. Sildar affirms this. As an hour draws to a close, Soren plays a short song to inspiring leader everyone, and we set off with Will in tow.

Off to the Tower

The group follows the path towards the dragon's tower. We stumble upon a mass of webs blocking the path, which causes Soren to hesitate. Sildar encourages him to be truthful about his feelings towards spiders, but Soren refuses out of fear of being turned into a drider.

Soren pushes forward in an attempt to prove that he's NOT scared at ALL of any giant spoders, following behind Hugh into a web-filled house in order to look for the Dendrars' family heirloom, as they had agreed to do.

A giant spider drops down on Hugh and attacks. Soren immediately falls back on his ass out of fear. : (

Multiple spiders begin to drop from the ceiling and begin to bite into Hugh, who resists their poison like fkin 12 times in a row. Soren, terrified, casts Shield on himself with Glasstaff's Staff of Defense. Sildar pulls Soren back with his Bait and Switch maneuver, and he and Hugh begin to hack down the spiders.

Will, seeing the party congregated at the doorway, backs over to a window and shoots through it at the spiders. Soren gathers himself enough to play on his lute, supporting the attackers with Bardic Inspiration and his newfound ability to use Bless

Eventually, the spiders fall to the group's barrage of attacks, with only Hugh taking the brunt of their fangs and poison. Will heals Hugh as the group hears the flapping of leathery wings. We run into the house to hide, as we hear an elegant voice call out to us from the tower:

Adventurers! I know you're out there. Talking to that druid, I presume. I can smell your foul odor. I know that druid wants me to leave. Coveting my treasure. Undoubtedly I'm sure you do, too. So if it's a battle you want, I will provide it, but I hope to parley.

If you value your lives you should hear me out. I come carrying, as the human custom goes, the white banner of peace. Step into my lair and no harm should come to you.