Session 13: The Woodland Manse

The party continues following Corwin's trail through Neverwinter Wood to find a decrepit manse as the skies above began to fill with storm clouds.

Summary
After defeating the orcs at Falcon's hunting lodge, Moneux led the adventurers through Neverwinter Wood by following orc tracks that led into the wilderness from the lodge.

The Woodland Manse
The party found a crumbling manse in the middle of the woods. Quoorin took the lead and heard the sounds of orcs and battle as he crept into the manse.

A balcony hung over the entrance to the manse, Latham and Quoorin helped their companions up to the second floor of the building. Once inside, the adventurers saw that the orcs and half-orcs were fighting each other. Latham, Quoorin and Spills the Stew rushed into the battle, while Varien and Moneux supported them from above.

The adventurers fought in the three-sided battle, until the half-orc's numbers dwindled and Quoorin faced off against the white-eyed orc. While the elf fought valiantly, he was struck down by his enemy before succumbing to his wounds. Varien rushed into the fray and used magic to escape with Quoorin's body and defeat the white-eyed orc at the same time.

The Orc's Bargain
As Latham and Moneux dealt with the remaining foes, the white-eyed orc's lieutenant spoke to them, offering to save Quoorinas Varien and Latham attacked.

Moneux pleaded for her companions to hear the orc out. After striking a deal — saving Quoorin and revealing the half-orcs' plot in exchange for sparing his life — the orc lieutenant used a desiccated fruit from the white-eyed orc to bring one of his fallen allies to a mindless state that could return Quoorin to life. Moneux and the orc dropped their weapons and moved into the nearby woods where the orc told Moneux of the half-orcs' plot to summon something at a nearby site by using sacrifices, including Corwin.

Storm clouds started collecting around Neverwinter Wood as Moneux left the orc to flee as she returned to the woodland manse. Spills the Stew and Latham took to healing their companions as Quoorin was still trying to regain their bearings. When Moneux told the party of the half-orcs' plot, thunder and lightning began filling the air.

After searching through the manse for anything useful, the adventurers felt pressed for time as the thunder and lightning became more rhythmic.

Mighty Thunder
The party departed from the manse and navigated through the woods, following strokes of lightning that all appeared to be falling in the same direction. Eventually the party arrived at a hill in the middle of the woods, atop which were several stone pillars with captives strapped to them. In the middle of the pillars was a hooded half-orc surrounded by dancing twig creatures. The adventurers split up to free as many captives as they could and Quoorin happened to free Corwin as the party sneaked around the scene.

Before the adventurers could save the other captives, a grand, simultaneous stroke of lightning and boom of thunder blinded them. Once the flash of light faded away, the party saw a mighty boar towering over the stone pillars, lightning arced between its tusks and thunder boomed with each stamp of its paws. A voice rang out from the boar, displeased with the meager sacrifice which alerted the half-orc to the party's meddling.

The dancing twig creatures spread out from the hilltop and approached the adventurers as they attempted to flee with their captives. Moneux attempted to deceive the boar but this only angered the creature that called themselves Gorthok the Thunder Boar. With a thundering stomp, the boar released a blast of lightning and the half-orc ordered the twig creatures to attack.

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

 * Gorthok the Thunder Boar, a huge boar of thunder and lightning that was summoned by a half-orc of Talos in Neverwinter Wood.
 * Morgana, the panther animal companion to Moneux.
 * Spills the Stew, a male tabaxi bard and adventurer looking to catalog the adventures of heroes.
 * White-Eye, a male orc war chief who was by the adventurers killed at the Woodland Manse.
 * White-Eye's Lieutenant, the male orc lieutenant under White-Eye. He exchanged reviving Quoorin for the party's mercy.

Character Deaths

 * Quoorin, succumbed to injuries inflicted by White-Eye and his mount.
 * White Eye, blasted away by Varien's thunderstep.