The Path to Essembra Part 1) Through the Reaching Wood

“Kythorn”, 6^th month in the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR.

The party learns that a group matching their description escaped from prison and is wanted by the Red Shields for questioning relating to an incident in which several monstrous-sized spiders are believed responsible for the deaths of 3 people. A 200 gp reward has been offered for information leading to their capture.

This situation has made travel via the River Chionthar and the Uldoon Trail unsafe. The ranger Evendur suggests a path through the Reaching Wood that is not well known. Once out of the wood, the group can pick up the Dusk Road and continue south to Asbravn. We estimated it would take us about 8 days to cross the wood.

It’s hot and humid, even in the forest shade (90^oF daytime/82 ^oF night).

By the middle of the 3^rd day of travel, the party spotted a dirty-looking man standing on the trail ahead of them. The man is in bad need of both a bath and a shave and wears tattered brown rags with many stains. As we approached he asked our business in the Reaching Woods. Though we explained our desire to pass in peace, he will explained that the woods belong to the People of the Black Blood and that all passage required a toll to guarantee safety…..all of our gold. When we refused, he issued a stern warning and walked into the woods.

Several hours later, we came across the body of a ravaged male human corpse. Appeared to have been a farmer or peasent in his early 30’s, his torso has been opened, ribcage cracked apart and most internal organs had been removed. Both hands have also been removed at the wrist. A look of wide-eyed terror remained on his face as well as a beast-claw shaped symbol painted in now-caked blood upon his forehead.

The morning of our 4th day, we heard the sounds of something rushing towards us through the forest. A young man in dirty, tattered clothes burst through the trees and continues running down the trail. Upon his forehead was the symbol of a beast-chaped claw painted in the man’s own blood. He was scared out of his wits and was beyond communication. We soone discovered what he was running from…….a Black Blood hunting pack intended to sacrifice him to Malar, and decided we would be more appealing to their god.

We slew several of the beasts, and then gave chase into the thickets to finish off the rest. Beshaba be cursed however, as we believe at least one escaped to warn the rest of his tribe.

We continued onward, and bedded down for the evening and among a small copse of shadowtops. After but a few hour, we were startled by a rather loud voice emitnating from the air itself. The voice was a deep baritone, spoke chondathan and wanted to know what we were doing in the Reaching Woods. The source of the voice, as we discovered, was what at first had appeared to be a shadowtop tree. The treant, which calls itself Deeproot, hadn’t spoken with humanoids in many years and was curious for news of the world beyond the wood. Deeproot knew of the Black Blood cultists but payed them little mind since they respected the trees. He gave us the location of their fortress and bid us well on our journey.

Realizing that we would be continually hounded by these cultists throughout the wood, we decided to strike at the heart of their forces. Though challenging, we destroyed the group leaders in their woodland fortress, chased away the cowards that remained, and continued our journey through the rest of the wood in peace.