Session 4: Skirting the Shrouded Wood

Dangers of the previous nights attack left the group with unsettled feelings, pressing hard ahead on the road, they arrive in the town of Artume.

A warm and metropolitan flare filled the small town. In no time Kyle slips into familiar city surrounds and talking up the local folk while, Vognar, Lythar and Thistle do a bit of buying, selling and trading.

That night Kyle finds a feast hall to buy a round of drinks for all, in Caydens name. Vognar buys the priest of Cayden a flask of fine whiskey in thanks for the clerics valiant orisons and healing.

The following day, Lythar, Thistle and Kyle do some investigating about a man on horseback from Uringen passing through Artume. A couple of good days and nights sleep and warm food turn up information that the courier from Uringen did indeed pass by not more than two days before they had arrived.

Grateful that he is alive but concerned that he was traveling so fast alone the heroes decided to head back on the road to catch up and escort the messenger the rest of way to Tymon.

***

Pressing hard west, down the busy road, skirting the Shrouded Wood, the groups only persistent pursuer is the dark clouds that have seemed to be following the group since their first day out of Uringen.

Dusk on the second day from Artume the heroes stumble upon a group of Dark Elves standing over a man pinned behead a downed mount.

Thistle and Lythar are the first to see them, and the elven warrior hisses to his large ulfen warrior "drow".

Vognar sprints down the road drawing his large weapon as Thistle calls upon the primal powers of Golarian tangling drow in grasping fora. Kyle, Tajzh and Lythar all notice four more drow covering the road from the trees north of the road.

The tell tale of clicks followed by the whizzing of bolts flying bye, heard and ignored by the irate warrior, who longed to atone for his failure to kill the drow in Uringen.

Seeing his mens bolts ineffectual to the charging human, the male drow second in command, a sorcerer, sensing his impending doom, calls upon the arcane powers, to release three missiles of light which unerringly pierce the barbarians armor doing great harm to him.

Barely acknowledging the wounds, with a bestial roar, Vognar swung his greatsword bringing his rage to bear on the drow sorcerer carving a great gouge in the dark elves chest, blood running freely, the painful wound causing him to blanch ashen grey.

Kyle calling out to Cayden to hinder his enemies curses the archer drow with inaccuracy, while Lythar looses deadly shot after shot into drow skirmishers felling them. Tajzh not to be outdone eventual finds the chinks in the finely crafted drow armor felling and gorging on one of the foul elven warriors.

The female, drow priestess of Nocticula seethed with anger at these orodae, and their male surface elf constant interfering with her dark Lady in Shadows' plans. Calling upon her Demon gods Abyssal powers, she smugly attempted to cause the large smelly human to run in fear, as she had mentally overpowered him in Uringen.

Something was very different about this Vognar orodae, he was angry and shaken but did not stop pressing his attack against the sorcerer and cut him down with an resounding roar and wild look at his drow priestess.

Cursing at the loss of her valuable asset, Raelona Sha'nul drew upon Nocticula's power again, with zealots fervor pointing at Vognar's weapon she commanded him to 'drop it' and was rewarded with him fumbling with the weapon and it falling to the ground. She mockingly laughed at her triumph.

A confused and frustrated look splayed across his face, replaced with outrage and anger. Pulling his throwing axe from his belt Vognar threw the missile with all his strength embedding the blade into Sha'nuls' shoulder.

Blanching in incredulous pain, at the wound she realized the battle was at a loss, quickly drinking a potion and removing the axe from her she slipped away as the battle raged and the last of her troupe was dispatched by the heroes.

Seething with Anger she retreated swearing Nocticulas' vengeance against them all.

***

Soon most of the drow had been killed and Kyle had charmed one, using his considerable skills in gathering information he found out the name of the Priestess, her deity, and why or what they where after...

A book of light, a powerful artifact for good that can literally banish darkness upon being held and those not of pure heart attempting to read the tome.

Vognar found the book bravely buried as a last act by the courier, Theadon Ammon, who died bravely to protect the book as a last sacrificial act. Killing the remaining drow who had shaken off Kyles enchantments Lythar and the others examined the man and realized his great sacrifice.

The group buried the man and held a memorial with Kyle saying words for the unsung hero, moved by his bravery the group skirts the Shrouded Wood hoping to honor Theadon's sacrifice and deliver the book safely to Tymon.