04.2 The Grove

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Carlton Blacks Mercenaries
Company members:-
Krachtig (Vervalsing Voorwerp de Meesten Krachtig) – Gnome Illusionist/Thief
Taran – Half Elf Fighter/Priest of Mannanan Mac Lir, cousin to Carinne and Galvish
Carinne Rhianne Talynnart – Half Elf Ranger/Mage, Cousin to Taran and Galvish
Galvish – Half Elf Fighter/Thief, Cousin to Taran and Carinne
Barrigan Stonebeak – Dwarf Fighter/Priest, Company Engineer.
Lanneus Tuard – Paladin of Manannan Mac Lir

The rebels spirit us into Skullport, we are blindfolded so we do not see the secret entrance.  The city is undergoing rebuilding and we are told to avoid the graveyard.  We are assured that Kalan Ghents body has been recovered and will eventually be bought here when the squad can safely move back from behind enemy lines.
Taran asks questions about the Barelin army betrayal when we took the field, the rebels don’t seem to think that this was the revenge of the army leader whose wife Taran had a dalliance with, but more like some evil machination by the Island Governor who we have angered by being efficient, truthful and beyond corruption, traits he obviously does not hold dear.
The rebels make mention of a mutual acquaintance, Sharin Cal the Druid, and remind us that we owe her a favor and that by restoring a grove that has become corrupted and polluted would be adequate repayment.  They also request that if we find the Holy Book of Ki in an Elven temple there, it is returned to them.
We set off on our journey following the river and it is several days before we encounter hostile creatures, a group of Lacedons who emerge from the river and attack, we beat them off and Taran and Barrigan explore their underwater lair where we find some shiny objects.
Our next encounter starts with some howling this proves too much for Galvish and Corinne who flee on their horses, Lanneus, Barrigan, Taran and Krachtig form a square and fight off the spectral hounds who attack us, Taran uses his abilities to walk on the water to attack the hounds on Krachtig, being able to fully utilize his special swords abilities..  We wait a while for the two that fled but realize that if we move slowly they can catch up as Corinne is an expert tracker. Before the other two rejoin us we are ambushed by Goblins dressed in bone masks we make short work of them and Tarans queries that where was the rest of their army as another group burst out of the undergrowth and yet more take up firing positions on the opposite river bank.  Taran once again runs across the water to engage those ones in combat.  Just as we kill of the last of these creatures do Galvish and Corinne show up on tired horses.  It would seem that the goblins were worshippers of Quar, a demi god of the dead who is also worshipped by the foul Kerrigan Blacksoul.
At least we are all together to enter the edge of the long abandoned city where the grove is located.  It is not long before we are attacked by the vegetation, undead treants move towards us menacingly and Taran rushes to engage one as the others dally and try communicating with the wood, thinking they might be allies, it is when Corinnes helm glows blue that they decide offense is the best defense.  These beasts are hard to injure and difficult to fell, when we do bring them down spiders swarm out of their branches and attack.  No major injuries are sustained but everyone is a little battered and bruised.
We press on and come across several ruined buildings and explore some of the temples, in one we have an encounter with ghasts and Corinne suffers a severe wound to her knee we fight off the creatures and heal her up.  In another Elven temple we encounter Ghosts which rise from the altar, we talk with them and they warn us out of their property and inform us that the grove we seek is further along the river and not to attack the banshee.  We withdraw and are on our way again.  In the library of one of the temples we are assailed by specters who drain life energy from our Paladin, Barrigan and Galvish.  One amusing aside was when Krachtig boldly claimed that undead don’t leave traps, only to activate a magic glyph wounding several of us.
We finally arrive at the grove and decide to rest using our Rod of Security before we try and explore further.  Once we are refreshed we enter the water and an underground tunnel leads into dry areas of an underwater complex.  Rapidly moving skeletons attack us and hit us many times, Taran is cut off from the bulk of the party and calls in a fireball on him to help blast the creatures away.