Editing Session 040 Buring down the house

{{Session 
|campaign=Vellors Prison
|session_date= 15 October 2021 
|game_date= 
|synopsis= The party advances into the grove of murderous trees
|summary=
After a much-needed long rest, the party, still bearing the lingering unease of the abbey's oppressive atmosphere, ventured back towards its foreboding structure. As they approached, a chilling sight met their eyes: dark dryads, their forms twisted and warped by centuries spent on the demi-plane, emerged from the surrounding woods. Their once vibrant features were now gaunt and shadowed, their eyes glittering with a malevolent light. Their voices, though sweet, carried an unsettling undertone as they attempted to lure the party into the depths of the grove.

Heeding the dryads' unsettling invitation, the party cautiously advanced into the grove of murderous trees. The air grew heavy with a palpable sense of dread, and the gnarled, twisted trees seemed to watch their every move. A horrifying tableau unfolded before them: numerous bodies, some mere skeletons, others still decaying, hung suspended from the trees' branches, a grim testament to the grove's dark purpose. A sense of unease settled over the party as they took in the gruesome scene.

Adding to the growing unease, Ragnum's hand began to exhibit a disturbing transformation, its skin turning grey and ashen, a sign of some unseen corruption. The already tense atmosphere reached a fever pitch when Stirkirk, once again, fell victim to possession, his eyes glazing over as an unknown force took control. Almost simultaneously, Ragnum was charmed, his mind ensnared by an unseen influence. Stirkirk, in his possessed state, turned his fury upon himself, striking himself with his own hand and then, in a fit of rage, shattering his axe against a tree.

As the party grappled with these internal conflicts, the mob of townsfolk, their faces etched with fear and suspicion, emerged from the village and accosted them outside the abbey gate. Their voices, a cacophony of accusations and demands, echoed through the air, adding to the already chaotic scene.

The tension reached a breaking point at the abbey doors. Stirkirk, seizing Ragnum's axe, succumbed to a berserk rage, launching a frenzied attack upon the mist hounds that guarded the entrance. The hounds, their forms shifting and ethereal, retaliated with ferocity. Meanwhile, Luthaist and Aieleen, their animosity reaching a boiling point, engaged in a fierce, individual combat, their weapons clashing in the midst of the chaos. The grove, once a place of eerie stillness, now echoed with the sounds of battle and the cries of the possessed.

|exp=
* 800 = Defeating the dryads
* Luthaist - 600 battle with Aieleen and playing in character

|key_npcs=
* Stirkirk - Dwarven mercenary captain
* Aileen - Half-elven spy and body guard

| tasks =
* Recover the High Priest and Elvish clan lord along with the stolen dwarf artifacts from the demi-plane.
* Recover the dwarves relic from Logeth Hold
* Advance north and secure an old ruined keep in the Ripper Highlands for the demi-human army to use as a stronghold for upcoming raids north.

| rumors =
* The prisoners may held in the dungeons of Azal'Lan's castle.
* On rare occasions small black skinned humanoids (possibly Drow) have been seen outside the town.
}}