Session 05: Falcon's Hunting Lodge

"“Falcon’s Hunting Lodge is the only safe haven in Neverwinter Wood. It lies deep in the forest along a river’s edge, and wealthy nobles venture there to hunt while under Falcon’s protection. Falcon is a retired veteran of many wars, and it’s said he’ll offer free room and board to anyone who brings him a bottle of wine.”"

The White-Eyed Orc
The adventurers were travelling through Neverwinter Wood with a supply cart and the man they saved from a group of ankhegs, Tibor Wester. They were moving toward a hunting lodge owned by a ranger named Falcon when both Moneux and Varien stopped the cart, alerting the group of a nearby band of orcs headed in the same direction as Falcon's hunting lodge. The adventurers prepared for combat as Latham and Tibor Wester hopped into the back of the cart to don armor and equip weapons.

The adventurers attempted to make a stealthy approach towards the orcs but were spotted by the enemy before they could reach the hunting lodge and a deadly battle ensued. The adventurers faced off against nearly ten foes led by a white-eyed orc accompanied by a spellcasting half-orc and an orc lieutenant. The battle proved to be a challenge for the adventurers as the orcs moved tactically through the forest, their attacks bolstered by the command of the white-eyed orc and his lieutenant. Shanjan was instructed by Latham to flee with their cart and Tibor Wester in search of Falcon's hunting lodge. The other adventurers readied themselves to escape as a pair of arrows killed two enemy orcs. A mysterious man approached the party and called for them to flee south.

The white-eyed orc pointed at the mysterious man and commanded the other orcs to give chase. As the enemies rushed toward the man, magical traps sprung up from the earth, slowing the march of the orcs. One of the enemies, an orog, was intent on killing Quoorin, but the elf fighter managed to best his enemy and slew the orog before regrouping with the party.

The adventurers were able to break away from combat. The mysterious man cast a spell that produced a bed of spiked roots and vines to slow the movement of the orcs as he and the adventurers fled to the south.

Falcon's Hunting Lodge
The party ran through the woods until they reached a river, on the other side of which was a clearing of tree trunks in which a walled-off encampment was situated. After thanking the adventurers, the mysterious man introduced himself as Falcon. Shanjan was nowhere to be found, though Latham was intent on searching for his young ward the party and Falcon convinced the goliath to rest before returning to the wilderness.

The adventurers were guided toward the gatehouse to the walled off lodge when Moneux produced her wand of pyrotechnics in hopes of signalling their location to Shanjan. Falcon snatched the wand from Moneux and admonished her for creating a beacon over his lodge.

Once inside the walls of the lodge the group was met by two of Falcon's retainers, an elderly human woman named Corwin and a young human boy named Pell. Quoorin and Moneux presented the ranger with a bottle of wine that they had received from the gnomes in Gnomengarde, the ranger was happy to receive the gift and led the adventurers to the dining hall where the adventurers saw the trophies of orc heads hung on posts. The adventurers were presented with a hunter's feast while Falcon thanked them for helping fend off the orcs. He noted that more orcs had been roaming around the forests and was sure that they were involved with a local group of half-orcs that took up refuge in an abandoned manse a few miles from his lodge.

The adventurers took their rest at Falcon's hunting lodge. When they awoke, Falcon and Pell presented the party with repaired armor and a bundle of arrows for Moneux. The ranger wished the adventurers luck as he led them to the gatehouse. Outside the walls of Falcon's lodge, the adventurers prepared to track down Shanjan

Player Characters

 * Latham the goliath paladin of devotion
 * Moneux the shifter beast master
 * Quoorin the wood elf battle master
 * Varien the half-elf warlock of the fiend

Non-Player Characters

 * Corwin, the female human retainer to Falcon. Corwin cooks and looks after the lodge.
 * Falcon, the male human ranger who works as a guide for nobles looking to hunt in Neverwinter Wood.
 * Panther, the male animal companion to Moneux.
 * Pell, the young male human retainer to Falcon. Pell was the son of a blacksmith and works on his craft in Falcon's smithy.
 * Shanjan, the male human spellcaster and squire to Latham.
 * Spills the Stew, a male tabaxi bard and adventurer looking to catalog the adventures of heroes.
 * Tibor Wester, the male human leader of a logging camp